Chen Yu, hiding in the swamp, saw Sekashi also take refuge there. He silently shifted deeper into the swamp, then cautiously peeked his head out to continue observing.
He had to admit, this lizardfolk's vitality was truly tenacious. Even in such a state, she could still move and dared to let her wounds contact the filthy swamp water, practically embodying a complete disregard for infection.
Earlier, while hiding behind the rock, he had witnessed the entire standoff between these two groups of demi-humans, but he quickly noticed a problem.
He listened to these demi-humans chatter away for a long time, but he couldn't understand a single word. He was completely in the dark about the grievances between them.
Therefore, he had no intention of intervening to help either the female lizardfolk or that hunting squad.
But coincidentally, whether it was that this female lizardfolk's time had not yet come, or it was purely good luck, the previous Little Arrow Technique had provoked the Poison-stinger Wasps and the Burrowing Beetles into starting a new round of fighting.
As soon as this group of demi-humans arrived, they immediately angered the Poison-stinger Wasps, who saw them entirely as intruders. The toxic stingers shot out like a sky full of stars.
At first, Chen Yu thought he couldn't handle the Poison-stinger Wasps because slimes were too weak. But seeing this, these demi-humans were also having a tough time against the wasps' stingers.
It seemed there was a reason the Poison-stinger Wasps could occupy this taller Twisted Oak.
However, not everyone had left. At least the female lizardfolk was still hiding in the water.
This was Chen Yu's first time encountering such an exotic race. He didn't dare to approach carelessly, so he remained hidden in the swamp, watching and observing her.
...
Sekashi lay quietly concealed in the mire. Only when the Poison-stinger Wasps above her head settled down did she slowly let out a sigh of relief.
After recovering some strength, she wearily swam to the opposite bank, climbed ashore, and lay on the ground panting.
"Putu must be protecting me."
Having survived a life-and-death crisis, her body was completely drained, but she forced herself up and carefully knelt by the shore, praying devoutly. She recited obscure, difficult-to-understand prayers in her mouth.
This prayer language originated from ancient Demi-human tongue, taught to her personally by her father. Although the general meaning of the prayers had been lost to time through distant transmission, her father had said that prayer was merely a form. As long as one maintained a heart of reverence and admiration for Putu, the swamp's gateway would always remain open for the lizardfolk.
After her prayers, Sekashi slowly opened her eyes, her expression sorrowful. "Father was right. Putu watches over and favors us. But from now on, those lizardfolk obsessed with the power brought by the Scale-claw Spirit will forever be immersed in the lies of power woven by the Corruption Morgul."
"After I return to Putu's embrace, there will be no more lizardfolk on the riverbanks who believe in nature..."
Thinking of this, Sekashi unconsciously clenched her fist. Her mind still replayed the bloody night, unable to forget the blood gushing from her father's chest and the cold, merciless expression on the priest's face.
She knelt on the ground, unable to find release for a long time, but her attention was soon captured by the green bubbles rising from the pond.
The sun's shadow climbed higher. The morning sunlight fell upon the gloomy forest, barely dispersing the poisonous mist lingering around. The light pierced through the gaps in the leaves, forming dappled spots on the swamp and ground, illuminating Sekashi.
Her body felt warm, and even the cold blood within her gradually grew warmer.
In the swamp, slimes emerged one by one from the water, lazily basking in the sun, beginning their daily feeding.
These slimes didn't seem afraid of Sekashi at all; in fact, they were quite affectionate towards her, even boldly jumping into her embrace to compete for the sunlight.
This scene warmed her heart, slightly dispelling the unpleasant memories in her mind.
Sekashi cupped a slime in her hands and kissed it in gratitude.
"Descendants of Putu, thank you. It was you who prayed for Putu's gaze to fall upon me."
Chen Yu, hiding in the swamp, witnessed this scene. Seeing that these slimes weren't afraid of the female lizardfolk, his round eyes showed a hint of surprise.
As a member of the slimes, he knew exactly how timid these slimes were. Encountering a slightly larger beetle would make them tremble in fear, unable to move.
Were they affectionate towards this female lizardfolk because she posed no threat?
Or did slimes actually have a symbiotic relationship with certain lizardfolk?
Everything about Zeyarila was unknown to him. Relying on speculation alone made it difficult to understand this world.
After some thought, since his slime instincts remained quiet, Chen Yu decided to reveal himself and try making contact with this female lizardfolk.
Of course, he wasn't completely unprepared either...
On the swamp bank, Sekashi was still stroking the slime in her arms when she suddenly noticed the slimes floating on the water's surface seemed to have encountered a natural predator. They all swam towards the shore in panic, instantly clearing a patch of water in the middle of the pond.
"A predator?"
Alertness flashed across Sekashi's face. She pulled the fang necklace from around her neck and stared intently at the pond.
Ripples formed on the water's surface, and a dark carapace slowly emerged. She recognized it at first glance as the shell of a Burrowing Beetle. Her wary expression gained an additional layer of disgust.
As a follower of Putu, she hated what the slimes hated, especially predators that hunted slimes.
She tightened her grip on the fang in her hand, nerves taut, ready to strike at any moment.
But unexpectedly, the next second, a sl... slime slowly emerged from beneath the dark carapace?
Huh?
A slime?
Sekashi's face instantly became blank.
What was she seeing?
A slime wearing a beetle shell.
Was Putu playing a joke on her?
Her mind couldn't process it for a moment, leaving her flustered and at a loss as she faced the armored slime swimming towards her.
Staring at this scene that challenged her understanding, she was stunned for a long time, inexplicably connecting it to the earlier incident where the Poison-stinger Wasps suddenly attacked and drove away the hunting squad.
Could it be...
A ripple of realization stirred within Sekashi's heart.
Did this slime save her?
As soon as this thought appeared, her amber vertical pupils trembled and brightened. She couldn't help but extend both hands, devoutly cupping the armored slime before her, and began murmuring those obscure, difficult-to-understand words again.
What she didn't know was that the moment she picked up Chen Yu, he almost attacked. Only when he saw she was just chanting some mystical words he couldn't understand did he hold back.
What is she babbling about?
Chen Yu wondered internally. Since he couldn't understand, he decided to ask her himself.
Fortunately, he had previously thought he would eventually encounter intelligent beings in Zeyarila and had practiced the Sound Transmission Technique early on. Now it could finally be put to use.
The "sound" transmitted by the Sound Transmission Technique wasn't a noise perceivable by the ears; it referred to the sound of the soul, similar in effect to divine sense transmission, but it required physical contact to function.
The sound of the soul acted upon the soul and the heart, a primitive language common to all living beings. No matter what language a creature spoke, they could understand it.
It could even receive the other party's soul sounds in return, practically no different from an automatic translator.
Back in Xu Xuan Heaven, the demonic creatures were so competitive that they all started practicing listening, reading, and writing even before taking human form, leaving the Sound Transmission Technique with no practical use.
But it was perfectly suited for Zeyarila, where languages were mutually unintelligible.
But what should he ask first?
Chen Yu thought for a few seconds and decided to start with the simplest greeting.
He focused his mind, stirred his soul, and sent out a faint fluctuation.
"Hello, Miss Lizardfolk."
Sekashi, who had been praying, heard the voice suddenly appear in her mind. She first froze, then her eyes widened in shock.
"The sl... slime is talking?!"