Chapter 75: The Banu People

Ren Mian and her two companions looked visibly disturbed, she asked, “How many?”

“One Banu person, one Vine Spirit, three Golaucracks,” Ji Xinghuo reported the situation at the outpost, “No Stonelizards.”

Ren Mian glanced towards the outpost, blocked by trees, her thoughts echoed, “This is a hunting party dedicated to hunting us humans. Stonelizards are clunky and slow, not suited for stealth, so they typically don’t accompany them.”

“Shall we attack?” Chi Zhonglin inquired.

“Let’s scout the area around this outpost. If all seems clear, we’ll make our move,” Ren Mian was extremely cautious.

Ji Xinghuo knew that apart from this outpost there were no other enemies.

Still, he led his team around the outpost.

Ren Mian discovered several “Hissing Grass” plants under the trees. If beasts or humans passed by, the Hissing Grass emitted a low-frequency soundwave. Most humans and beasts couldn’t hear it, but the acutely sensitive Golaucracks and Vine Spirits could detect prey approaching.

“Get closer before we strike.”

Ren Mian spotted the Hissing Grass. Everyone carefully avoided it to not alert the enemy.

Jiangnan Caiyi activated a Phantom Orb, concealing the team’s presence. They moved slowly under the trees, getting closer to the outpost.

Ji Xinghuo was constantly aware of the outpost’s activities. The enemy hadn’t noticed anything.

Finally, the four stopped behind a large tree, just over a hundred meters from the outpost. Looking up, they could see a shadow within the canopy, less than ten square meters.

This outpost was hidden in dense foliage. If Ji Xinghuo hadn’t discovered it in advance, they could have fallen into a trap unknowingly.

Watching the enemies, Ji Xinghuo proposed, “Sister Ren, I’ll strike from another direction to draw them out. You all can ambush from the side. How about that?”

“Sure.”

Ren Mian agreed after a few seconds of consideration.

The five enemies at this outpost weren’t particularly strong. Although a frontal assault wouldn’t be an issue, Ji Xinghuo’s plan was safer.

Ji Xinghuo activated his Stealth Ring, leaving the cover of the Phantom Orb, moving silently to the opposite side of the outpost, about a hundred meters away.

Any further and he would exceed the range of mental link.

“I’m in position,” Ji Xinghuo mentally alerted his three teammates.

“Start now.”

Ji Xinghuo drew an Explosive Flame Arrow, placing it on his Thunder Falcon Bow, pulling the string tight and counted silently, “Three, two, one!”

A streak of red light suddenly shot out, angling sharply upward, zipping through gaps in the trees and piercing into the branches of the outpost, exploding inside.

Boom!

High-temperature flames erupted within the outpost. The tree shook violently, leaves burning, emitting a deep roar.

Three small figures screamed as they flew out.

They were barely over a meter tall, segmented into head, chest, and abdomen with six insect-like limbs, covered in a chitin layer, two thin membranous wings on their backs. Originally capable of flight, they were now ablaze, plunging to the ground.

An Explosive Flame Arrow took away the Golaucracks’ ability to fly.

They screamed shrilly, one of the Golaucracks pointing towards Ji Xinghuo’s location, emitting a sharp cry.

Ji Xinghuo was drawing his bowstring for the second time when a nimble blue figure leapt towards him from the trees.

“Banu person!”

This was his first time seeing Earth’s greatest enemy up close and he observed it intently.

The Banu were a typical humanoid species with limbs, bodies, and heads. They stood upright, about 1.7 meters tall, with bluish-green, tough and smooth skin. Their palms had four fingers with webbing, legs divided into three jointed segments, and a flexible tail resembling a monkey’s.

The most distinguishing feature of the Banu was their heads.

They had no hair, their scalp as glossy as their skin. Round, bulging eyes sat on their faces without eyebrows or eyelashes, a fin-like spine protruded from the back of their heads. Large, deep-green eyes were positioned in the middle of their faces, slightly higher up, with a protruding vertical bone ridge connecting the fin, separating the eyes. Their mouths, when closed, appeared as a thin slit.

The Banu lacked noses, breathing through gill-like organs on either side of their thick necks.

Their body structure resembled that of fish.

In fact, the Banu spent most of their time in the water on their home planet. They were skilled swimmers and could breathe underwater.

The Banu were highly intelligent, naturally adept at water manipulation, which made their abilities more potent than those of typical ‘Aquamancers.’

Besides controlling water, the Banu also mastered ice-based abilities.

At that moment, the Banu was covered in an ice armor, surrounded by swirling water streams, shielding itself from the flames.

His vision was keen, instantly locating Ji Xinghuo. In mid-leap, he pointed towards Ji Xinghuo.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…

Water vapor instantly condensed into several transparent ice blades, slicing through the air like arrows.

Simultaneously, a dense fog spread out around him, enveloping the trees within tens of meters, creating a favorable battleground.

Ji Xinghuo didn’t move, firing a second arrow.

The arrow’s shadow flashed.

The newly formed fog was pierced, creating a fine gap. The titanium-aluminum alloy arrow hit the jumping Banu, piercing into his large eyes.

With a thump, the Banu’s body smashed into the ground, his exploded head oozing light blue blood.

The ice blades he had fired before his death didn’t even touch Ji Xinghuo’s clothes.

Snap, snap, snap!

Ji Xinghuo rapidly drew his bowstring, firing three arrows in quick succession, killing the three screaming Golaucracks. The forest suddenly quieted.

Then, the entire outpost in the trees came to life. Hundreds of branches and vines, like numerous limbs and feet, swiftly detached from the burning canopy, smashing directly onto the ground, rolling towards Ji Xinghuo’s position. Nearby plants also grew wildly, flooding towards him like a tide.

“Vine Spirit!”

Ji Xinghuo remained unflustered, even taking the time to observe this strange enemy.

Vine Spirits were a hybrid of animal and plant species. They possessed intelligence, and individual strength was formidable. If not for their rare numbers, the Banu could not have defeated the Vine Spirits to become rulers of the North Luo Master Clan.

Every Banu hunting team in the Star Realm included a Vine Spirit.

They could rapidly set up camps, heal their kin, transform into mounts for swift movement, and their combat prowess was incredibly strong.

Vine Spirits’ weakness was fire.

At that moment, it absorbed surrounding plants, swelling in size, transforming into a two-meter-tall plant cheetah that charged at Ji Xinghuo.

Ji Xinghuo didn’t fire his arrow, merely watching it.

“Ha!”

A loud shout rang out.

Chi Zhonglin’s figure appeared beside the Vine Spirit, muscles bulging as he threw his red-hot molten lava spear.

The spear flew a hundred meters, instantly piercing through the plant cheetah formed by the Vine Spirit, pinning it against a large tree trunk. The heat from the spear ignited flames.

It screamed in pain.

Vines contracted and wriggled, reverting to a large bundle of original vine form, climbing up the tree trunk.

Ji Xinghuo fired another Explosive Flame Arrow. The explosion knocked it off the tree, burning a significant portion of the vines, shrinking its size. When severely injured, the Vine Spirit discarded excess parts to protect its core.

Jiangnan Caiyi’s figure emerged under the tree, her blade flashing, cutting the shrunken Vine Spirit, now only half a meter tall, in two.

The piercing screams abruptly ceased.

The battle had ended in less than ten seconds, and Ren Mian hadn’t even taken action.

The disparity in strength was too great. The strongest Banu and Vine Spirit were only third-tier, equivalent to high-level extrahumans. They had lost the initiative, rendering them utterly hopeless.

Without delay, Ren Mian commanded, “Collect their extrahuman species.”

Compared to Earth’s humans, the North Luo Master Clan had a significant advantage after entering the Star Realm hundreds of years ago: genetic evolution. More and more of their kind developed abilities, ultimately, like the Star Realm extrahumans, forming their own racial talents.

The Banu naturally possessed “Underwater Breathing.” A single life evolution would awaken “Gather Water”; Vine Spirits had “Plant Manipulation”; Golaucracks had “Sound Localization.”

Gather Water is a superior ability, serving as a core ability for ‘Aquamancers.’

Plant Manipulation is a high-quality ability, better than the Forest Clan’s “Language of the Forest” but not as good as the “Heartroot of Green Cane.”

Sound Localization and Underwater Breathing are basic abilities, only worth a little money.

Ji Xinghuo lightly touched each body but found no other extrahuman species.

Their weapons and equipment were of little value. Restricted by the limited resources on their home planet, the North Luo Master Clan’s technological level hadn’t surpassed Earth’s by much, even lagging in some aspects.

After collecting the extrahuman species, the team immediately withdrew.

Chi Zhonglin led the way, using his long spear to clear the underbrush, expressing his relief, “It would be good to encounter more enemies like this. Killing more of the North Luo Master Clan now might mean fewer Earth soldiers die on the battlefield later.”

“They were just ordinary outpost soldiers, not greatly impactful on the overall situation,” Ren Mian shook her head.

Chi Zhonglin disagreed, “Killing one is still one less!”

Ren Mian fell silent for a while before suddenly stating, “What really determines the outcome between Earth and the North Luo Master Clan is which side’s high-level powerhouses break through their limitations first, birthing a Star Shepherd Saint.”

At her words, Ji Xinghuo was profoundly moved.

Star Shepherd Saint!

The path of extrahuman evolution is a series of life evolutions. The more times one evolves, the higher their tier and the stronger their power.

Above super extrahumans are legends, and above legends are kings.

By the standards of the Star Realm nations, kings are sixth-tier. Even in the vast Star Realm, kings are influential powerhouses, ruling over large territories and subjects.

Yet, kings alone aren’t sufficient to shake the foundations of the Star Realm nations. The real movers and shakers are the seventh-tier powerhouses.

They are called Star Shepherd Saints!

As the name implies, a Star Shepherd Saint can suppress an entire planet. That planet becomes their pasture, and the people living on it are the sheep they herd.

With the power to give life and take it away, they can cover the sky with one hand!

Star Shepherd Saints are creators of life’s miracles. However, advancing from a sixth-tier king to a seventh-tier is a hundred times more challenging than overcoming the initial six tiers combined.

The North Luo Master Clan has been in the Star Realm for over a thousand years but has yet to produce a Star Shepherd Saint.

Among the 49 kings on Earth, only a few have the opportunity to attempt this breakthrough. The success rate is extremely slim.

Only with a real Star Shepherd Saint can a race truly establish a solid footing in the Star Realm.

The Tianyu Wangting has three Star Shepherd Saints, thus they steadfastly rule over the Thousand Peak Abyssal Forest, suppressing the eight extraterrestrial species within their territory.

“It’s tough…”

Chi Zhonglin sighed, “In my view, none of the kings on Earth currently have hope of advancing to the seventh tier. The sixth-tier powerhouses of the North Luo Master Clan aren’t much better. We could fight them for hundreds more years without a clear victor.”

Ji Xinghuo felt the same.

Yet, Ren Mian smiled meaningfully, “That may not be the case.”