Chapter 1119: 849: Poisonous Pine Mushroom and Tightvine Tree Monster (Two in One)

Chapter 1119: Chapter 849: Poisonous Pine Mushroom and Tightvine Tree Monster (Two in One)

“Which direction should we head next?” Qiao Sang asked.

“Just keep going straight ahead.” Yuan Jiewen pointed towards the path ahead.

The trio continued forward.

After trekking for an hour, Yuan Jiewen’s furrowed brows finally relaxed, and he suggested, “We’ve reached a safe zone. How about taking a break here?”

Safe zone? Qiao Sang followed his gaze and saw a patch of soft grassy ground filled with brightly colored mushrooms.

“Ya…”

Yaobao lowered his head to sniff at a mushroom with red stripes running along its surface, then opened his mouth, ready to take a bite.

“Shroom-shroom!”

But the next moment, the red-striped mushroom opened two eyes, revealed a panicked expression, and bolted away at an astonishing speed, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

“Ya Ya…”

“Are these Poisonous Pine Mushrooms?” Qiao Sang asked, staring at the sea of mushrooms before her.

She had studied the detailed guide for Secret Realm No. 88 and knew there was a zone inhabited by Poisonous Pine Mushrooms.

Poisonous Pine Mushrooms are mid-level Pet Beasts with dual Poison and Grass attributes. They’re rare for their varied colors, prefer resting with their roots embedded in soil, and are generally friendly but timid. Even wild ones rarely attack humans without provocation.

However, the species’ potential maxes out at the high level, so they don’t fare well in the market.

Yuan Jiewen nodded, “Most areas in Secret Realm No. 88 have distinct territories for Pet Beast populations. Usually, once a single species’ numbers exceed 88 individuals, you won’t find other species nearby.”

Qiao Sang paused briefly before asking, “How was this number—88—determined?”

“There’s specialized research teams who sell data on the Secret Realm.” Yuan Jiewen explained with a hint of sarcasm, “Honestly, I find it pretty dubious, but whenever the counts hit dozens, you really don’t see other species around in the area.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “Except for Flight Type Pet Beasts.”

Yuan Jiewen then turned to solicit input again, “Boss, should we take a break?”

“Let’s rest for a bit,” Qiao Sang replied.

Though the exhaustion could easily be alleviated with a single use of Healing Light, Mikaela had emphasized not to waste energy unnecessarily, especially inside a Secret Realm.

Yuan Jiewen immediately picked an empty spot and sat down.

Shell Blade Master stayed alert nearby.

“Aren’t you going to take a rest?” Qiao Sang turned to their main patron, who was still standing and seemed unfazed by fatigue.

“I don’t need to rest.” Lin Shi chuckled, “I’ll take this chance to see if I can find the materials I’m looking for.”

With that, she bent down and began rummaging through the greenery around her.

“Boss, you should rest a bit too,” Yuan Jiewen urged. “Ahead lies the territory of high-level Pet Beasts. We need to conserve energy for that.”

“I’m not tired yet,” Qiao Sang said while remaining vigilant of her surroundings.

Long-term nights without sleep and enhanced physical resilience made her far more enduring than Beast Tamers of the same rank.

Besides, it was her first time entering the Secret Realm. Even though this was marked as a safe zone according to the guide, she wasn’t willing to let her guard down.

“Xun Xun~”

Meanwhile, Little Treasure Hunter poked the head of a yellow Poisonous Pine Mushroom.

“Shroom-shroom!”

The yellow Poisonous Pine Mushroom opened its eyes and darted off.

“Xun Xun~”

Little Treasure Hunter, now intrigued, poked the head of a pink Poisonous Pine Mushroom nearby.

“Shroom-shroom!”

The pink Poisonous Pine Mushroom opened its eyes and shrieked before fleeing.

“Xun Xun~”

Little Treasure Hunter covered its mouth and giggled, then proceeded to poke the heads of a blue Poisonous Pine Mushroom, red Poisonous Pine Mushroom, and green Poisonous Pine Mushroom one by one.

The Poisonous Pine Mushrooms all scattered in terror.

“Xun Xun~”

Soon, its attention was drawn to a black Poisonous Pine Mushroom.

Little Treasure Hunter went up to the black Poisonous Pine Mushroom and extended its paw.

“I remember reading on the forum that you shouldn’t touch black Poisonous Pine Mushrooms in this region,” Qiao Sang remarked, recalling the guide.

“That’s correct,” Yuan Jiewen said as he removed his anti-poison mask to sip water. “Black Poisonous Pine Mushrooms are the most toxic and usually function as leaders within their species. Their temperament is the worst—they aren’t afraid of humans and might summon the nearby Poisonous Pine Mushrooms to attack if provoked.”

“The Poisonous Pine Mushrooms are timid, but with a black one leading them, they gain a boldness that’s hard to deal with.”

“But don’t worry too much,” Yuan Jiewen switched tones, “Black Poisonous Pine Mushrooms are very rare. As long as you don’t actively antagonize them, they behave just like regular Poisonous Pine Mushrooms, staying rooted in the soil without moving.”

“Plenty of Beast Tamers have come here specifically looking for black Poisonous Pine Mushrooms, but most never find one.”

He explained in detail.

The boss’s Pet Beasts clearly hailed from somewhere outside the Zhongkong Region, judging by their unfamiliarity—her lack of knowledge about the Poisonous Pine Mushrooms was understandable.