Chapter 656: The Crimson Serpents of Hill Fifty

Tracing the mountain fissure from west to east, up and down, Xia Qing made a complete circuit but found no sign of the Devastation Snake.

She entered the Hidden Valley through the southeastern mountain stream with Li Kai, patrolling the area together. Once they confirmed everything was safe, she moved beside the tent and quietly asked, “Is Dazhi alright?”

When Xia Qing came in, Dazhi was already asleep inside the tent, and now he was still sleeping. That was definitely out of the ordinary.

Li Kai answered in a low voice, “He was in so much pain this morning that he couldn’t stand it. Took two painkillers and finally fell asleep.”

Xia Qing took out supplies and pesticide from her backpack and handed them to Li Kai. “Does this happen to him a lot?”

Li Kai shook his head. “I’ve never seen him in pain like this before. It’s even worse than during Devastation Rain.”

The Devastation Snake had appeared suddenly this morning, and Dazhi—who’d been hit by Synthetic Toxin—was wracked with pain. Was there some kind of connection here?

Xia Qing told Li Kai not to leave the valley before leaving with the three Devastation Snakes they’d caught in the Hidden Valley. She continued her search in other areas.

It wasn’t until two hours later that Xia Qing finally discovered the sixth crimson Devastation Snake of Hill Fifty, drifting in a small stream trickling from the mountain top.

This whole hillside was full of reddish shrubs and weeds. Without Xia Qing’s Magnetic Sense Evolution Ability, she might have mistaken the serpent floating in the water for just a piece of straw.

The disguise—perfect!

Xia Qing quickly pulled out her phone, shot a few seconds of video, and sent it to her Idol, asking how to handle this little snake.

Zhang San’s order was quick: Follow it, see where it goes and stay hidden. As for the other five snakes, hand them off to the Qinglong Guard members and send them back to Territory Seven.

With her Magnetic Sense, Xia Qing could sense these crimson Devastation Snakes within five meters, so she kept a safe distance without losing track. Still, she asked, “Third Brother, what if something attacks or eats the snake?”

Zhang San replied, “Then catch the predator. Unless it was by accident, any predator that can eat a Devastation Snake and not die from its venom is extremely valuable for research.”

“Got it.” Xia Qing put down the phone, kicked away two mutated rats leaping for her legs, and called the Qinglong team keeping tabs on the other snakes so they could collect them.

She found the stream with the Devastation Snake in the southeast corner of the Third Peak of Hill Fifty. This area was untouched by poison gas bombs—dense vegetation, lots of wildlife. Danger lurked everywhere. Even with top-notch gear and four systems’ powers, Xia Qing had to stay sharply alert when acting alone.

When she discovered the stream flowed into a valley—heading not south toward the human territory but north, deeper into the Evolved Forest—Xia Qing prepared for anything. If things went bad, she was ready to pull the personal flight gear from her pack and jet away.

Devastation Snake in the stream? Take it down.

With razor-sharp hearing, vision and Magnetic Sense, Xia Qing dodged danger as she trailed the snake along the winding stream, passing through the Fourth Peak of Hill Fifty and into Hill Fifty-Three.

The water was calmer here. Xia Qing stopped and drank a shot of premium nutrient shake.

She’d run out of the nutrient shakes made from her own spinach long ago. The ones she drank now were borrowed from Yang Jin.

Though the shakes she’d borrowed from Yang Jin were higher quality and cost a bit less than outside purchases, just knowing those spinach seeds were originally hers made Xia Qing think these shakes tasted nowhere near as good as her homemade ones.

When the stream widened and the current grew fast, the Devastation Snake kept floating along—looking just like a stick. Xia Qing decided she’d better request permission to catch the snake and head back.

She might be a four-type evolved fighter, but Xia Qing had zero solo experience in the deep Evolved Forest. She knew when to admit it—she was nervous.

“Keep going,” Commander Zhang San ordered. “Follow the stream. In an hour or so, you’ll meet up with Yang Jin. Listen to his orders—he knows when it’s time to fall back.”

“Understood.” Xia Qing hung up, chopped down a half-meter-long color-changing lizard that lunged at her, reapplied some insect repellent, and trudged onward.

Even with a special protective suit insects couldn’t harm her, but being swarmed was still dangerous. They could block her vision, mess with her hearing and even attract airborne predators.

“Third Brother, I can handle this on my own. Let Xia Qing take the flight gear and return to HQ for other missions,” said Yang Jin from the far side of the mountain, making his proposal to Commander Zhang San.

Zhang San shot down the idea. “Xia Qing is the primary observer for this mission. Your job is to support her and keep her safe. Emergency? Fall back immediately.”

With Magnetic Sense, advanced vision, advanced hearing and the trust of the Wolf Pack, Xia Qing was the commander’s best pick for the job.

“Copy that,” Yang Jin accepted the order and pushed forward.

More than an hour later, Xia Qing finally met up with Yang Jin where two streams joined. She felt much more at ease.

Seeing Xia Qing covered in grime as she walked over, Yang Jin immediately asked, “Were you attacked? Are you hurt?”

“No injuries. Just ran into two mutated crocodiles and got a bit muddy. Keep your eyes on the Devastation Snake for now—I’ll wash up.” Xia Qing rinsed the mud off her suit with clean stream water, then hurried after Yang Jin to cover their retreat.

With Yang Jin clearing the way, traveling was way easier. As soon as her protective suit was mostly dry, she pulled out the last half-bottle of repellent and sprayed herself down.

She’d just finished spraying her front when Yang Jin stepped aside. “Head up—I’ll get your back.”

“Thanks, make sure it’s all covered.” Xia Qing handed over the bottle and took the lead, watching the three Devastation Snakes—two green, one red—in the water.

After he finished spraying, Yang Jin stuffed the empty bottle into his backpack. “I’ll go ahead and scout. Third Brother says you’re in charge for this operation—my job’s to keep you safe.”

Orders were orders, so Xia Qing didn’t bother pretending. She caught her breath behind Yang Jin. Even with a premium nutrient shake, her nerves had been stretched tight for hours. Mentally, she was pretty worn out.

Half an hour later, all three snakes started swimming upstream together, heading toward the valley on the west side. Xia Qing asked, “Captain Yang, is this Hill Fifty-Five?”

Yang Jin nodded. “Looks like they’re almost at their destination.”

After a bit more walking, Xia Qing sensed that a seemingly harmless big tree ahead was actually a powerful Devastation Evolution plant, its offensive abilities unknown. Just as she was about to warn Yang Jin, he’d already stopped. “Danger ahead! Let’s cross to the other side of the stream. Follow me.”

“Alright.” Once Yang Jin jumped across, Xia Qing followed. She suspected Yang Jin had Magnetic Sense too—otherwise, how would he sense Devastation Evolution plants?

She didn’t say a word, and after catching her breath suggested, “Captain Yang, I’ll take point now.”

She wasn’t looking for input—just told him to fall back. Anytime there’s a team with a main combatant, the rule is to alternate who leads.

Xia Qing was the main fighter now—not some average evolved who carried packs and needed protecting.

“Go for it,” Yang Jin said, stepping aside so Xia Qing could clear the path ahead.

The three snakes moved much slower swimming upstream, so the two of them didn’t make fast progress either.

By four thirty in the afternoon, the three snakes had swum into a small pool below a tall waterfall, maybe seventy square meters across.

The moment she got near the pool, Xia Qing felt a chill run down her spine. There had to be at least twenty Devastation Snakes here!