Chapter 461: Dreamlike

The locust tree at the edge of the village had grown on this land for nearly a thousand years. Its canopy resembled a deep green sea of clouds, home to countless venomous insects and even wandering spirits that had taken up residence inside.

I had been driven to a dead end by the Blood Fox. It was incredibly fast; no matter where I fled, it would catch up, and if I were drawn into a prolonged melee, I would undoubtedly die.

I was far inferior to it in a head-on fight, and I couldn't outrun it. My only option was to rely on the locust tree behind me, using its venomous insects and dense branches to restrict the Blood Fox's speed.

The locust tree was extremely dangerous. Lu Shan had explicitly warned us about it, but I had no other choice. I could only take a gamble.

Clenching my fists until blood seeped from between my fingers, I covered my head and charged into the locust tree's domain. White silken threads tangled around my body, but surprisingly, the venomous bugs clinging to the ends of those threads actively retreated, hiding far away.

'I won the bet!' My blood contained the Plum Blossom Gu Poison, so ordinary venomous insects would naturally keep their distance. I had been hesitant at first, afraid that the poisonous bugs of the Yin-Yang Boundary might differ from those in the Yang Realm, and only risked it once the Blood Fox drove me to absolute desperation. The results proved that the Plum Blossom Gu was indeed effective.

I was already covered in cuts and bruises from my brief exchange with the Blood Fox, my clothes thoroughly soaked in blood. I looked miserable, but right now, this bloodstained outfit was my best hazmat suit.

The aura of the Plum Blossom Gu—something only venomous insects and Gu creatures could sense—emanated from my body. The bugs that lived on the locust tree scattered in all directions, parting to leave me a path of survival.

The Blood Fox possessed high intelligence and instantly saw through my plan. It absolutely refused to tolerate its prey slipping away, not after it had expended so much energy trying to catch me.

Red light bled into its eyes as a nearly tangible killing intent churned across its blood-red fur. The Blood Fox abruptly accelerated, scrambling up the locust tree right on my heels.

"Is this really necessary? What exactly is the grudge between us? Why must you relentlessly hunt me down? You cross your single-log bridge, and I'll walk my sunny road. Don't push things by bullying too severely!" I talked a big game, but the truth was, I could only suppress the Blood Fox verbally. It wasn't large, but its killing intent was overwhelming. It had clearly developed basic intelligence, yet it couldn't communicate. Its method for solving problems was simple and crude: if gods block, slay gods; if Buddhas block, slay Buddhas.

The locust tree's canopy was massive. With the venomous insects giving way and clearing my path, I frantically climbed up the trunk. The Blood Fox, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. Its soaring killing intent had agitated all the bugs in the tree. Beneath the lush foliage, white silk surged, and a terrifying tide of insects emerged!

Goosebumps erupted all over my body at the sight. I finally understood just how correct Lu Shan's warning had been. If I didn't have the Plum Blossom Gu Poison protecting me, I would have already drowned in the insect tide, devoured until not even bone fragments remained.

'Run!'

Whether it was the insect tide or the Blood Fox, neither was something an ordinary person like me could fight against. I picked up my pace, originally planning to circle around and escape while the swarm trapped the fox.

But to my surprise, a faint glimmer of black and white light flashed from within the dense, dark swarm. The Blood Fox actually tore right through the insect encirclement! A massive shower of dead bugs rained down—a shocking, gruesome sight.

The Blood Fox broke out of the swarm and charged straight at me. Terrified, I scrambled toward the very top of the locust tree on all fours.

The branches were growing thinner and thinner, barely able to support my weight. I took every step with extreme caution. The Blood Fox's situation wasn't much better than mine; the insect tide relentlessly surrounded and intercepted it, severely limiting its speed advantage.

However, as things dragged on, the situation turned increasingly disadvantageous for me. The Blood Fox had extraordinary combat talent. It quickly grasped the rhythm of fighting the swarm, leaping and dodging nimbly between the branches to keep the insects from surrounding it.

Watching the Blood Fox draw closer and closer with no good solution in mind, I could only keep climbing deeper into the canopy.

I didn't know how long passed. Maybe a minute or two, or maybe just a few seconds.

Time seemed to slow down under my intense concentration. Just as I parted the obstructing vines with both hands and reached the absolute top of the canopy, my Judging Eye pierced through the overlapping leaves and caught sight of a faint splash of blue.

Within the overall dark, greenish-black canopy, that streak of blue completely took me by surprise.

'Is it still moving?' The thought popped into my head, but I couldn't be sure yet. I sped up, burrowing deeper into the canopy to dodge the Blood Fox's attacks while chasing after that shifting blue light.

'Don't run! I see you!' That splash of blue fluttered gracefully through the lush foliage. It was located in the exact center of the entire locust tree's canopy, heavily protected by leaves and vines.

Discovering my approach, the faint blue light panicked. It fluttered up and down within the confined space like a shy little girl.

It seemed even more terrified than I was?

I instinctively slowed my pace. Even with the Blood Fox rapidly closing in behind me, my movements eased significantly.

Gripping the branches and leaves with both hands, I left one foot dangling while the other stood on a slender twig, barely maintaining my balance within the canopy.

'The Dream Wing Gu?'

A hint of astonishment flashed through my eyes. I had never seen such a beautiful Gu before.

It was only about the size of a palm and resembled a swallowtail butterfly. It was entirely azure-blue. As its wings unfurled, the natural, flawless patterns on them carried a unique, profound charm—mysterious and unpredictable. Just a single glance completely captivated me.

'It's too beautiful. Is this the color of a dream?'

In that split second, I seemed to forget that I was in a desperate situation. Even my thought processes were disrupted as I reached my hand toward it without thinking.

There were still traces of blood on my open palm. Perhaps because of the Plum Blossom Gu, the Dream Wing Gu flew anxiously around the canopy. It appeared extremely frightened.

'What a coward.' A smile touched the corners of my lips. Finding the Dream Wing Gu was my biggest harvest during this livestream.

Ordinary Gu bugs would flee the moment they smelled the Plum Blossom Gu, but while this Dream Wing Gu was panicked, it didn't completely run away. This indirectly proved its extraordinary nature. It was very likely a Gu creature on the exact same level as the Plum Blossom Gu!

'The Plum Blossom Gu is the most overbearing Gu parasite, and it is the Underworld Live Show's primary method for controlling Streamers. If I can just cure the Plum Blossom Gu Poison, I won't be in such a passive position at least. Having my life suspended in someone else's hands is a terrible feeling.' The Plum Blossom Gu was a legendary Gu creature. To cure its poison, one had to find an even more terrifying Gu, or gather several Gu bugs of the same level to work together; only then would there be a sliver of hope to force the toxin out of the body. My livestream frequency was too high, and I had never been to Miaojiang. I had originally given up, but the appearance of the Dream Wing Gu reignited my hope!

'You're mine, little guy!'

A long time ago, I had learned some information about Gu creatures during a conversation with Mr. Gu.

Most Gu bugs were artificially raised. Only a very small fraction were wild, and no one knew exactly how these wild Gu grew or reproduced. Gu Masters only knew that these wild Gu mostly possessed miraculous effects. Therefore, wild Gu were often called wondrous Gu. Although their combat strength and toxicity might not match the artificially cultivated "three yin and five disasters," as long as these Gu were used well, they could unleash unimaginable power.

Just as I reached for the Dream Wing Gu, the Blood Fox shook off the insect swarm and arrived at the top of the canopy. It spotted the Dream Wing Gu immediately. A trace of greed flashed through the sly fox's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, it changed targets, lunging at the Dream Wing Gu like a blood-red cannonball.

The Dream Wing Gu fluttered its dreamlike butterfly wings. Faced with two uninvited guests bursting in so suddenly, it was frightened out of its wits, tumbling and struggling pitifully between the vines.

The Blood Fox's methods were completely different from mine. It lunged forward to bite, exceptionally vicious. Watching from the sidelines, I broke out in a cold sweat. 'Is this damn fox planning to eat the Dream Wing Gu?'

Perhaps pushed to the absolute brink, after a few incredibly close dodges, the Dream Wing Gu suddenly made a rather abnormal move. It spread its wings, and those complex patterns slowly lit up. Looking utterly dreamlike, they scattered a shower of blue motes of light that were difficult to see with the naked eye.

The Blood Fox and I were hit at the same time. A wave of drowsiness washed over my mind. Like lost memories from a dream, those motes of light gently guided our consciousness, sinking us into the long river of the Dream Realm.

A trace of bewilderment appeared in the Blood Fox's scarlet eyes. If its true body were here, it certainly wouldn't have been dragged into a dream, but unfortunately, it was only a fragmented consciousness formed after Corpse Reanimation.