Chapter 5: The Thorn Demon

Chu Mu had received a very comprehensive education since childhood, which included physical training. Although the journey was indeed full of difficulties, Chu Mu could still bear it.

Chu Mu was following a small stream forward. The stream was formed from melted snow on the towering mountain at the very center of the island. By walking against the stream’s flow, Chu Mu could avoid getting lost.

“Manxi Lizard?” Chu Mu suddenly slowed his pace, his gaze fixed on a Soul Pet drinking water about a hundred meters away.

The Manxi Lizard had a body like a lizard, was pink all over, had sharp pointed ears, and a tail like a fish. It belonged to the Bestial Type of the Demon Beast Realm. It was a melee Soul Pet with relatively strong power and defense, but weaker speed and agility.

“The Manxi Lizard’s Race Rank should be Medium, right.”

A Soul Pet’s strength was determined by its Stage. Stage could be understood as a Soul Pet’s physical growth condition. With proper nurturing, the Stage would increase as the Soul Pet aged and gained battle experience—First Tier, Fourth Tier, Ninth Tier, and even higher levels.

Therefore, Stage was not the standard for judging a Soul Pet’s potential and quality. “Race Rank” was the more important basis for judgment.

Race Rank indicated the inherent racial advantage of that Soul Pet.

Two Soul Pets at the same Stage, the one with a Medium Race Rank would be stronger than the one with a Low Race Rank.

For example, a young tiger and a young dog. The young dog growing into a mature large dog was the process of Stage advancement. The difference between the tiger and the dog was reflected in the Race Rank. In terms of choice, one would choose the tiger because the tiger has a higher Race Rank.

Race Rank was divided into Low, Medium, and High.

The Manxi Lizard was probably the popular choice, as Medium Soul Pets were generally easier to control, and their Stage advancement was also relatively fast.

However, Chu Mu didn’t think much of this rank. Moreover, the Manxi Lizard had many limitations in combat, such as its slow speed. If it encountered a Soul Pet that was agile or could use magic, the Manxi Lizard would definitely lose.

Chu Mu didn’t plan to linger around this Manxi Lizard. The Manxi Lizard had a relatively mild temperament. If not disturbed, it would not attack.

As Chu Mu passed by the Manxi Lizard, the Manxi Lizard pulled its head out of the water. It stared at Chu Mu with big eyes, and seeing that Chu Mu meant no harm, it then plunged its head back into the water, continuing to gulp down the stream water.

“Second Soul Pact, Capture!”

Suddenly, a loud, impassioned voice rang out!

Chu Mu immediately looked in that direction and saw a young boy, about his own size, casting a Soul Pact.

Chu Mu recognized him. This boy was named Lin Sheng. He had brown hair, different from most kids, a fair face with many freckles.

“Heh heh, you don’t want to compete with me for it!” Although Lin Sheng didn’t speak, Chu Mu could still see the triumphant, first-strike-advantage smile on his face.

Chu Mu sneered and decisively quickened his pace.

Once the Soul Pact Capture skill was cast on a Soul Pet, there were two possible outcomes: one, it became the Soul Pet Tamer’s Soul Pet; the other, it enraged the Soul Pet.

This drinking Manxi Lizard, though Medium-ranked, could be seen from its appearance to be at least at the Fourth Tier or above, in perfect health. Lin Sheng, with his weak Soul Power, had less than a one percent chance of successfully capturing it. The result of failure was easy to imagine…

“Growl!”

Sure enough, the Manxi Lizard was enraged. Madly crashing through the bushes, it lunged at Lin Sheng!

Lin Sheng’s face changed. Panic-stricken, he ran into the jungle.

Chu Mu glanced at the chaotic thicket, secretly amused. He paid no more attention to that fellow and continued on his way. The noisy, chaotic sounds in his ears gradually faded away.

Chu Mu had prepared ample food and water for this long journey. On the first day, Chu Mu only advanced about seven or eight kilometers before it got dark.

Chu Mu hid in a small rocky cave, blocking the entrance with a stone to prevent some fierce Soul Pets from getting in and eating him alive.

During the night, Chu Mu began his cultivation. A Soul Pet Tamer’s cultivation mainly involved cultivating Soul Power. Soul Power was the energy source, the life essence on which Chu Mu depended to survive…

The next morning, Chu Mu continued his journey. According to what the Stewards had said, a tall area of thorns was the dividing line between the interior and exterior of the island.

Chu Mu had long prepared a machete, hacking his way through the thorns…

The Thicket of Thorns was at least two hundred meters wide, with heights reaching three to four meters, taller than some village thorn fences.

Chu Mu’s body was thin and small, so in some places, he could actually climb over.

Inside the Thicket of Thorns, no matter how careful one was, injuries were inevitable. Soon, many wounds appeared on Chu Mu’s body, and his blood dripped onto the ground.

“Whoosh…!”

A strange sound reached Chu Mu’s ears!

Chu Mu was startled. He immediately stopped walking and slowed his breathing.

“Whoosh whoosh…!” The faint sound rang out again! Chu Mu lay among the thorns, his breath almost stopping!

Suddenly! Chu Mu felt something appear at his ankle!

Chu Mu quickly turned to look and was shocked to see something like a green snake coiled around his ankle!

“Ah!” Before Chu Mu could react, his prone body was immediately yanked down. Then, rubbing against the ground, he was dragged deeper into the Thicket of Thorns!

After being dragged for a distance, Chu Mu finally saw the true face of that green snake-like thing through the pain.

It wasn’t a snake, but a moving thorny vine!

“Thorn Demon!” The name of this Soul Pet immediately sprang to Chu Mu’s mind.

Thorn Demon: Plant Realm—Vine Type—Thorn Demon race.

Thorn Demons grew in thickets where thorns were present, specializing in preying on creatures passing through thorny areas. They were a relatively common carnivorous type of demon in the Plant Realm!

Chu Mu knew that once he was dragged to the Thorn Demon’s main body, his own body would be broken down as fertilizer for the Thorn Demon!

There was no time to think. In this moment of crisis, Chu Mu urgently gripped his machete, forced his body to bend up, and despite the thorns cutting his face, fiercely chopped at the vine, which was as thick as a thumb!

Chu Mu put a lot of force into this chop. The vine snapped with the sound, green liquid oozing from the cut surface.

Chu Mu kicked the vine away. He dared not stay there. Picking up his machete, he quickly crawled through the thorny bushes, escaping the Thorn Demon’s attack range!

He scurried wildly. Sharp thorns continuously cut Chu Mu’s skin, but he couldn’t stop.

The vast Thicket of Thorns seemed endless. Chu Mu already felt so exhausted he could hardly breathe.

A few beams of bright sunlight flashed by. The thorns finally became sparse, and Chu Mu, covered in wounds, escaped the lush, green Thicket of Thorns.

“This Thorn Demon… fortunately, it only seemed to be around the Second Tier. If it had advanced two more Tiers and grown two more vines, this would definitely have been dangerous!”

Chu Mu squatted behind a large rock, gasping for breath, and spoke with lingering fear.

The Thorn Demon’s Race Rank was: Low, even lower than the Manxi Lizard’s by one grade. However, the Thorn Demon was a Soul Pet with relatively strong attack power within the Plant Realm. It was very powerful in the early stages and advanced in Stage quickly. If someone could capture a Thorn Demon and quickly raise it to something like the Seventh or Eighth Tier within three months, getting into the top ten would be absolutely no problem!

In fact, the one Thorn Demon Chu Mu encountered, with only one thorny vine, still had a good possibility of being captured. It was just a pity that the Thorn Demon’s Race Rank was too low. Though strong in the early stages, it had little room for greater development later on.

Chu Mu very decisively gave up the idea of capturing the Thorn Demon.