Chapter 2688 - 2689: On the Road

Feng Yuan wanted to change locations after just one night in Chishan Village. Compared to Bian Shui Fort, Chishan Village was too quiet. Because of this situation, he specifically looked for villages where locals lived when making his choice.

This time, Feng Yuan decided not to let Long Boduo help him move, since he hadn’t yet booked his next destination. His plan was to book from here and then travel there slowly, so as not to stay cooped up in Chishan Village.

He had no choice. For Feng Yuan, this place was too quiet. He preferred an outdoor camping experience over such an environment.

When Maomu City received Feng Yuan’s application, they were hesitant. After all, it’s a bit inappropriate to make adjustments at this moment.

As front-line battle reports came in, all the cities in Great Xia needed adjustments in defense and troop deployment. Making adjustments at Cha Mu Town during this time was naturally troublesome, as they couldn’t manage everything.

However, they ultimately decided to proceed with the initial arrangements. After all, Feng Yuan’s strength was undeniable. As long as he was in the Tea Wood Town area, there would be no trouble there, so ignoring it temporarily wasn’t a big deal.

Moreover, they left several Beastmasters there whose attributes matched the Tea Wood Town area. If something unexpected happened, they could fill in.

As for whether ordinary people traveling now face any danger? After some discussion, they thought it was unlikely.

The Imperial People were too busy with their own problems. Even if they were to counterattack, they would strike major cities directly, similar to the previous wave. There’s no reason for Maomu City to suffer, let alone the Tea Wood Town area. Attacking there is meaningless.

Although awakening Yugnot could cause chaos around Maomu City, that’s about it. Maomu City is not a strategic location. Creating trouble here isn’t worthwhile now, especially as their military strength is barely enough to face the United Army. Any attempt at strategic action must target important objectives.

In this respect, Maomu City doesn’t measure up, even with Yugnot. After all, they can’t take Yugnot away. Although its awakening would cause massive devastation, its power is also terrifying.

Without considering the negative impact, such a unique existence as Yugnot is almost the equivalent of a Divine Beast.

It’s unprofitable and tough to chew. No sane Imperial People would set their sights on the Tea Wood Town area.

Even though Maomu City didn’t impose restrictions, dispatching personnel wasn’t so quick. At least, the place couldn’t function normally within today.

Feng Yuan didn’t mind. He took supplies from Chishan Village and directly rode a Fluffy Fire Wolfhound in the Qi Realm Stance Defense.

In its normal form, the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound wasn’t big enough for Feng Yuan to ride, but the Qi Realm Stance Defense was different. Under this defense, its size increased, making it a suitable mount.

Since the destination wasn’t ready yet, Feng Yuan wasn’t in a hurry to get there. After all, rushing there now would be pointless since it’s not ready. Better to stroll slowly, enjoying the scenery along the way.

"Since the Spirit Beasts withdrew, these mountains have become quite silent," Veronia remarked as she observed the pristine forests on both sides of the road. Cha Mu Town is abundant in mountains and trees, not all areas have been developed. Aside from the settlements, most places maintain their natural state. Even though roads have been built through these areas, they haven’t changed much.

Because of the war, wild Spirit Beasts were forced to gather together for warmth, leaving the areas where wild Spirit Beasts should have been active to only have ordinary beasts.

Though the birds sang constantly along the way, Veronia felt a sense of desolation. Feng Yuan glanced at the map on his phone and said,

"There’s no helping it, Spirit Beasts are part of the ecosystem. Their presence improves the environment. Now that they’re not in their place, naturally, such situations arise. Don’t forget, modern times have Spirit Beast Ecology as a field of study."

The relationship between Spirit Beasts and the natural environment is not as simple as humans and the natural environment. Often, Spirit Beasts can change the environment, and they themselves are affected by it, sometimes becoming an important part of the natural cycle.

When Spirit Beasts are absent, if it’s a short period, it’s not a big deal, but if prolonged, the natural environment may worsen, causing significant changes.

So, in modern times, a discipline—Spirit Beast Ecology—was derived to specifically study the relationship between Spirit Beasts and the natural environment. This field often examines whether human intervention is needed when wild Spirit Beast populations change in a specific area.

Most of the time, changes in wild Spirit Beast populations don’t have destructive effects; even if changes occur, new ecological cycles will emerge. However, in special circumstances, these changes can be devastating to the environment.

Such situations were seen as divine punishment in ancient times, but now, as humans understand the causes, they naturally consider human intervention to avoid such devastating damage.

"Hmm, those little guys gathered together for self-preservation, causing severe disruption and destruction in most natural areas. Is that why the Little Crocodile stepped in?" Veronia asked curiously, looking at Feng Yuan. She hadn’t thought about this before, for natural changes don’t imply a lack of active wild Spirit Beasts without external influence.

Usually, new wild Spirit Beast groups replace the original ones, which means the Spirit Beasts’ influence hasn’t disappeared, just changed.

But now, due to clustering, many places have no wild Spirit Beast activity. If short-term, it’s fine; Spirit Beasts, while crucial in the ecological cycle, aren’t indispensable at every moment.

Over time, however, the natural environment will inevitably worsen significantly.

Yet Divine Beasts can adjust this quickly; it’s just troublesome. Veronia knew several Divine Beasts held authority over this.

"Maybe, but I think this wasn’t a major reason. Wild Spirit Beast groups won’t always stick together," Feng Yuan shrugged, adding. The current emergency caused wild Spirit Beasts to gather, but over time, they would surely disperse, perhaps forming joint protection agreements, but it’s hard to sustain this collective defense against foreign enemies.

Resource issues alone present unsolved challenges. Beyond basic survival resources, Spirit Beasts require significant resources for evolution and growth, forming territories among wild Spirit Beast groups.

Gathered together now, resource replenishment is impossible. In time, they can’t sustain themselves.

Like humans, who currently pause significant productive activities to resist foreign threats, over time, they too can’t maintain this.

Feng Yuan believed they could endure a bit longer. By then, Agunas and others should have secured the Imperial Timeline.

Though war threats would remain, restoring past order shouldn’t be a problem, as the Imperial Timeline is prone to ambushes, requiring vigilance.

The war timeline might involve another battle, but seeing the Imperial Timeline’s outcome, Feng Yuan believed further large-scale ambushes are unlikely.

After all, Agunas’ intervention was largely due to the Imperial People’s ambushes severely disrupting the Main World’s order, viewed as despicable by Divine Beasts.

"Hmm, true. But during this time, if you want to camp outdoors, there won’t be much interesting to see," Veronia chuckled, glancing at Feng Yuan. Rolling his eyes, he replied in slight exasperation,

"I’m not so bored as to tease wild Spirit Beasts for fun. And Li Mountain Village is different. I have no idea why they opened it to the public; it shouldn’t be a tourist attraction."

"Maybe it’s because the visitors are trustworthy," Veronia speculated. Her knowledge of Li Mountain Village was limited to what Feng Yuan and online resources provided. Though not as secretive as Yugnot’s Slumbering Land, it was a key location in the Tea Wood Town area, not previously open to outsiders.