Lu Qing lay on a branch, swinging his Blade Legs back and forth.
"A pig trampling a flower!"
"Too cruel!"
"It burns my eyes. I can't watch!"
It really did burn the eyes.
He jumped down from the branch, raised a Blade Leg, and stabbed the frenzied pig right in the back of the heart.
Before the pig could even finish enjoying himself, he grunted and kicked the bucket.
He dragged the Sabertooth Pig's corpse away.
Already heavily injured and put through this torment, Caiyi was left at her last breath and completely unable to move. Naturally, she posed no threat to Lu Qing.
Lu Qing turned to leave."Dazhuang, I'll leave her to you."
"Huh?"
"Too scared?"
Dazhuang waved his Blade Legs. "No, I just think she's dirty."
Lu Qing gave him a look. "You think I don't? Stop dawdling!"
Caiyi was completely numb.
Wait, I'm not even dead yet, and you two are openly disgusted?
I've been tormented into this state, and you still have to twist the verbal knife.
Dammit... Right now, she truly wanted to bite her own neck off.
She shrieked hysterically, "Can't you let a dignified Lord die with a little dignity?!"
Dazhuang walked over reluctantly. "You've been worked over into this pathetic state, what damn dignity is left?"
"You, you... Do it then, you useless piece of male trash!"
Dazhuang stuck out a Blade Leg and finally put her out of her misery.
"Thank—"
"No need to thank me. That pig brother already blew his load."
"Fuck your mo—" She breathed her last before she could finish the sentence.
Dazhuang shook his head. "A dignified Lord, and right before she dies she wants to eat grass and mud! Sigh~"
He looked up at Lu Qing.
"Boss, what do we do next? Should we try inverting the heavenly order and eat Caiyi and the Sabertooth Pig..."
Lu Qing was in no mood. "If you can stomach them, do whatever you want."
"I can't bring myself to take a bite!" Dazhuang shook his wings. "When are we going to the Peach Garden?"
"Tomorrow."
...
Autumn was very dry.
In just one day, the Red Spring Grass had completely dried out.
But carrying it presented a problem.
With no clothes and no pockets, how were they supposed to carry this stuff?
Dazhuang scratched his wings with his Blade Legs. "Boss, what do we do with this grass?"
Lu Qing looked at Dazhuang's plump body.
"Boss, why do I get the feeling you're hatching an evil scheme?"
"Your feeling is absolutely correct!"
Lu Qing brought over an ancient tree leaf, placed the grass inside, and folded it.
Then, he used a tough vine to tie it around Dazhuang's abdomen.
Tying a knot was a technical challenge for a Mantis, but after a few tries, Lu Qing managed it.
Dazhuang complained bitterly, "Come on, this thing is squeezing me too tight."
Lu Qing snorted coldly. "You don't feel uncomfortable when you're eating and drinking, do you? But the moment I ask you to do some work, all the complaints come out?"
Dazhuang immediately chuckled. "Just saying! Actually, this vine is very light, and it even boosts my defense. I love it!"
"Cut the crap and let's go!"
After saying that, Lu Qing spread his wings, shot straight into the air, and began to glide down.
...
According to the information they had gathered, the Peach Garden was fifty li away from the dense forest.
But in reality, they had set out in the morning and didn't spot any trace of it until the afternoon.
Calculating the distance, it was probably over a hundred li.
Dazhuang excitedly flapped his wings and glided alongside him, communicating. "Boss, do you see it? The Peach Garden is just ahead!"
Lu Qing naturally saw it!
He had thought the Peach Garden would just be a small plot of land, but unexpectedly, everything ahead as far as the eye could see was a sea of pink.
It was clearly an endless expanse of blooming peach flowers.
According to the seasons of his previous world, peach blossoms usually bloomed in spring.
Yet in this world, they were still in full bloom during autumn.
With peach blossoms filling his vision, the environment was naturally exquisitely beautiful!
Just as Lu Qing was admiring the view, he suddenly felt a powerful wave of air rushing toward him.
Fixing his gaze, he saw a massive boulder rocketing up from below, heading straight for him.
Startled, Lu Qing hastily activated his skill and forcefully shifted over a dozen meters to the side.
The giant boulder blew past with a rush of wind.
Lu Qing looked toward the ground, only to hear a furious roar!
This roar was like a thunderclap on a clear day; even without ears, he felt a deafening sensation.
What surprised Lu Qing the most was that the source of the roar was actually dozens of li away!
To be able to throw a boulder such a distance without losing momentum, and to roar with such force that it carried for dozens of li—that level of strength was simply terrifying!
Dazhuang was downright panicked.
"Holy shit! That rock just grazed me. It almost knocked me out of the sky!"
"That roar feels like an insanely strong entity. Boss, if you ask me, this Peach Garden is riddled with danger."
"Fatty meat doesn't just fall from the sky. Where there is danger, there is opportunity."
"Let's go. We're heading down."
One after another, they landed at the edge of the Peach Woods.
The sounds of combat and roaring remained clear.
Up in the trees, a few pink grubs over twenty centimeters long were so frightened by that thunderous blast that they curled their bodies up, not daring to move.
Dazhuang snatched one up and pinched its head off. "Peach Worm. This thing actually has Third Grade strength."
Saying that, he tossed it into his mouth.
While eating, he didn't forget to share his findings.
"Mmm, so sweet! I didn't expect bugs to be this sweet; it's just like eating a peach."
Lu Qing surveyed their surroundings.
The flat land was entirely covered in peach trees, almost as if this place had been intentionally planted.
"Have you ever eaten a peach?"
"No, I'm just guessing. After all, these Peach Worms eat fresh peaches all day long, so they must taste like peaches."
Lu Qing had no interest in the Peach Worms. He pointed to a small mountain on the periphery.
"There's a small mountain over there. Let's go hollow out a cave and settle down to make our nest."
Dazhuang caught another Peach Worm and expertly removed its head. "Wouldn't it be better to just sleep directly in the trees?"
"Sleep in the trees? You wouldn't even know how you died. Look at what's on the branch to your left."
Dazhuang turned his head, his eyes locking directly with those of a pink venomous snake.
"Holy shit! A Fourth Grade Peach Snake!"
Although its grade was a bit low, the damn thing was venomous. If anyone actually got bitten, they wouldn't be able to handle it.
...
The small mountain sat on one side of the Peach Woods. It was only a few dozen meters high, but it was steep enough to be a good place for digging a cave.
Upon approaching it, Lu Qing was delighted!
There was already a cave. That saved them the trouble!
There were traces of animal activity around the cave, making it clear that some species lived inside.
Lu Qing approached the entrance and stealthily slipped inside.
Immediately, a bug came charging out.
The bug was about half a meter long and covered entirely in black armor, but its mouthparts were quite small.
Its two large hind legs were strong and powerfully built, visibly thick, indicating it should possess incredible jumping ability.
From inside and outside the cave, their eyes met.
The very next second, this bug actually turned around, pointing its ass right at Lu Qing.
Just as he was wondering if this bug had some bizarre fetish, the bastard's ass suddenly blasted out a ball of fire.
The fireball shot out fast, but Lu Qing's reaction was just as quick.
He hurriedly used his skill, Swift Rapid Flight, forcing himself five meters out of the way.
The wave of heat flew past his side and landed on a peach tree.
The flames seemed to contain a highly corrosive liquid, burning a good number of the delicate peach blossoms to a crisp.
Turning back, he saw the bug wiggle its ass.
'Species: Fire-Spitting Insect
Strength: Low Tier Sixth Grade'
The Fire-Spitting Insect really did spit fire!
Lu Qing brandished his two Great Sabers, preparing to chop its ass off and study its anatomy.
Seeing two Blade Legs larger than its own body after its attack missed, the Fire-Spitting Insect immediately launched itself like a spring.
Its powerful hind legs sent it rocketing out of the cave entrance at breakneck speed.
Lu Qing swung a blade, hacking viciously into the Fire-Spitting Insect's back armor.
The strike actually produced the sound of clashing metal, leaving a distinct crack in its carapace.
The Fire-Spitting Insect's defense was quite decent!
Although this strike didn't take its life, the tremendous force altered its forward trajectory, sending its body tumbling away until it snapped a peach tree and landed to the side.
Lu Qing charged straight toward it, Great Sabers in hand.
The Fire-Spitting Insect fully realized Lu Qing's formidable strength and quickly righted its body.
Its legs surged with power once more.
Like a cannonball, it shot straight into the sky.
Lu Qing activated Swift Rapid Flight, his wings exerting force as he chased right after it.
Just as he was about to catch up, the bastard actually blasted another fireball out of its ass.
The fireball packed quite a punch, forcing Lu Qing to dodge.
By the time he evaded, the Fire-Spitting Insect had used the propulsion from the fireball to increase its speed even further, dropping into the Peach Woods ten li away in the blink of an eye.
Lu Qing stopped pursuing and landed steadily in front of the cave.
Dazhuang, who had been peering around, immediately hurried over.
"Holy shit. A bug that breathes fire. That's a first for me."
Lu Qing walked into the cave. "It's my first time seeing one too. If we manage to catch it, we might be able to eat some roast meat."
"What's roast meat?"
"Meat roasted over a fire. It tastes much better!"
"Oh." Dazhuang nodded repeatedly, feeling like he had just learned some strange, new knowledge.
...
The interior of the cave was extremely spacious and bore marks of excavation.
That Fire-Spitting Insect didn't have the ability to dig through rock, which meant it wasn't the true owner of this cave.
The entire cave formed a semi-oval, with its widest point measuring around ten meters.
In the corner, there was even a stone bed made of stacked rocks.
This surprised Lu Qing quite a bit.
A stone bed!
The various animals in this world were extremely intelligent, but they definitely weren't smart enough to create objects.
Even a very simple bed...
Could this place have been hollowed out by a race possessing true sapience?
It was entirely possible!
Dazhuang used his Blade Legs to cut the vine tied around his body, then turned toward the Peach Woods.
"Boss, the Peach Worms are incredibly delicious. Want to have some together?"
Third Grade Peach Worms were useless to Lu Qing, and he wasn't about to eat those things just to satisfy his appetite.
"I'm not eating them. They're of no use to me."
There was a truly massive number of Peach Worms here; almost every tree housed a nest of them.
It seemed these peach trees' maturity didn't depend on the season. Each branch grew at its own pace, and the yield was astonishing.
Some were currently blooming with flowers, while others had already borne ripe peaches.
Filled with interest, Lu Qing plucked a large peach.
The peach was about ten centimeters in diameter and looked exceedingly appetizing.
After peeling it, the flesh inside was crystal clear, plump, and juicy.
It seemed the fruits of this world also provided buffing effects; otherwise, the Peach Worms that ate peaches every day wouldn't possess Third Grade strength!