Chapter Seven, The Wumu Nest
The original forest is dense, with a heavy atmosphere of gloom. Venomous insects are present, and the roars of beasts resonate like thunder. The pungent stench left by fierce beasts and snakes wafts through the air, sending chills down one's spine
This is a fierce and powerful exotic bird, possessing bloodline inherited from ancient demonic birds. It is difficult to deal with, and ordinary ferocious beasts and malevolent creatures targeted by it are doomed to die, with little chance of survival
A thunderous roar echoed from deep within the mountains, causing rocks to tumble, the sound reverberating loudly, trees to sway violently, and leaves to scatter wildly, while a large ferocious beast lurked in the distance
Thus, a group of children set out once more, walking over a mile away. The trees became sparser, the vegetation diminished, and the presence of large rocks increased, accompanied by an ominous atmosphere.
A group of children had pale faces; they had already traveled some distance from Stone Village, having sneaked out without the adults' knowledge. They entered the old forest, but fortunately, they had not ventured into the true habitat of the ferocious beasts.
The mountains and rocks are rugged; this is a vast stone forest, silent and still, with the scattered remains of some colossal beasts on the ground, white and astonishing
In the past, Shi Hao was merely a follower of a group of older children. However, since he lifted the bronze cauldron, even the adults regarded him as a little monster, let alone the children, who suddenly considered him one of their "key figures".
"Shi Hao, do you have any opinions?" Shi Dazhuang asked
The stone cliff rises to a height of three hundred meters. After the little one ascends, they wait for a moment for the other three, and only when they all emerge do they proceed together towards the giant nest
Along the way, they encountered many skeletons, white and enormous, with bird bones measuring five to six meters in length, and even beast skulls as large as grinding stones. These remnants were the result of fierce beasts and predatory birds being violently torn apart, leaving the area steeped in a sense of death.
They grew up guarding the primeval forest and are naturally aware of the dangers within, which include various ferocious creatures. Even their forebears had to exercise caution when entering the forest, or they would risk losing their lives
Uncle Lin and the others have been discussing it for several days and have already observed its habits thoroughly
A dozen or so children grew up in the wilderness, exhibiting a high level of alertness, akin to small mountain beasts. They swiftly and nimbly darted into the crevices of the stone forest to conceal themselves. After a brief moment of observation, they sniffed the air against the wind and then nodded to each other. Like monkeys, they agilely charged toward the depths of the stone forest
Everyone was taken aback, but fortunately, there was no commotion on the cliff
Aside from this, there are some large bones on the cliff, each one thicker and longer than that of an adult, which is quite chilling
This green-scaled eagle has been lingering here for quite some time, and has now built a massive nest. Could it be true, as Uncle Lin Hu said, that it has already laid eggs
This is the skeleton of a dragon-headed elephant, truly terrifying, that a fierce bird would dare to eat a giant elephant at any moment
The children whispered as they raced forward at an astonishing speed, charging into the depths of the stone forest like a dozen small whirlwinds
Everyone hide in the crevices of the rocks, I will throw a stone to test it! A dark-skinned boy spoke up, his name was Shi Meng, and the villagers called him Er Meng. During the martial arts demonstration in Stone Village, he had once directly knocked down a large wild bull and nearly lifted a bronze cauldron weighing a thousand pounds, ranking just below Shi Hao and Shi Dazhuang among this group of children
More than half of the children are motivated and wish to continue on their journey
A group of children all have shining eyes; this is their primary purpose for coming here
Indeed, it is here
With a shout of "Go!", a large stone soared into the air, hurtling towards the distance, and finally landed with a loud thud on the pile of rubble in front of the cliff, producing a tremendous sound
But it is really not far from there, Shi Dazhuang said
According to the observations of Uncle Lin Hu and his companions, the male blue-scaled eagle has not appeared for several days, possibly having met with an accident and died deep in the mountains. Every day at noon, the female bird goes out on her own to hunt for food, and the opportunity to approach is right before us
Standing close to it, the impact is particularly striking. The nest measures at least 10 meters in length, constructed from black wutong wood, occupying more than half of the cliff top, and is larger than the houses in the stone village
A few children exclaimed, audaciously taking matters into their own hands after eavesdropping on the adults' conversation in the village, and they came specifically for the eggs of the fierce bird
What a large bird's nest! exclaimed the monkey in astonishment
"Continuing further would be very dangerous," said Xiao Shihou, his voice clear and crisp, his large black-and-white eyes glistening as he spoke earnestly
Er Meng, do not be so reckless; exercise a bit more caution.
"You, a child who hasn't weaned yet, just watch from the side. We will go ahead." Shi Da said, and a group of children burst into laughter. The little one is still drinking animal milk and is often teased by them.
A group of children, like a pack of beasts, howled as they swiftly charged towards the cliff. Upon nearing, they organized themselves; some stood on the giant rock, gazing at the sky, keeping watch to prevent the sudden appearance of the fierce bird, while others prepared to climb the cliff.
After a moment, it was very quiet on the cliff, and the green-scaled eagle did not appear
Especially on that beast bone the size of a grinding wheel, there are several terrifying claw marks, with traces of blood remaining, making it appear extremely ferocious
The children watched carefully from a distance, hiding between the crevices of the rocks. The black nest, with a diameter of at least 10 meters, was enormous, and it was evident that it belonged to a ferocious and exotic bird.
A stone cliff looms ahead, where the silence deepens, and not a blade of grass grows. At the very top of the cliff, there is a massive nest constructed from dark wood, evoking a sense of oppression.
Of course, the little one is very clever, knowing that the older children are not truly mocking him at this moment, but rather taking care of and protecting him, not wanting him to be the first to take risks.
That's great, let's hurry and move, take them back to the village to incubate. In the future, we will have powerful predatory birds to hunt fierce beasts and bring back prey!" The excited monkey exclaimed.
It is indeed going to settle here. Over time, if it breeds some offspring, the people of Shicun will face a deadly threat when entering and exiting the mountains
If you are going, I will go along too, " said Xiao Shihou in a childish voice
The eggs laid by this fierce bird are each as large as a basin, translucent and shining, emerald green like agate, and the patterns on them shimmer brilliantly in the sunlight
This group of children is quite young, numbering over a dozen. The leader among them is Shi Dazhuang, who once lifted a thousand-pound bronze tripod. He has thick eyebrows and big eyes, with large hands and feet, living up to his name. His height is nearly that of an adult. He looks at another person and asks, "Pihou, how much farther is it?"
Shi Dazhuang lowered his voice and reminded all the children, saying: "These animal bones may have been left behind when it preyed on ferocious beasts. Although it should not be in its nest during this period, we still need to be cautious. We must not be discovered, or it could cost us our lives"
Do not let him take risks, we will go too! Shi Dazhuang, Er Meng, and Pi Hou all closely followed, similarly chasing after him like monkeys
I have long since eaten meat, I just occasionally use it as water! The little one, puffing with anger, wrinkled her nose and glared with her jewel-like big black eyes to defend herself
A group of children clenched their fists, clearly feeling tense, while their eyes also reflected a sense of anticipation and excitement. The children who grew up in the mountains and forests were all quite bold; otherwise, they would not have taken the initiative to venture into such a dangerous place.
There are numerous crevices on the cliff, allowing several children to leverage them and quickly climb upwards. Growing up in the mountains and guarding the primeval forest, their climbing skills are naturally quite strong, not much inferior to the demon monkeys found in the mountain ranges
I will check if it is in the nest. It seems fine for now. Let's hurry up!" said Er Meng, as he was about to rush forward.
"I am faster than all of you, and I can escape quickly even in danger." Without waiting for them to respond, the little one, like a small monkey, swiftly climbed up the rocky cliff, agile and nimble
Finally, it has come up!
The fierce bird is not there
Aowu ... ...
Look, there are several bird eggs!
Inside the nest, soft golden grass is spread out, appearing very comfortable. Three eggs, glistening like jade, are quietly presented there, adorned with some patterns and spots, their luster shimmering.
"Brother Dazhuang, you all wait here; I will go up and take a look first," Shi Hao said.
The monkey, named Shi Zhonghou, is thin and wiry, yet possesses great strength and is quite clever. He said, "I heard Uncle Lin Hu and the others mention that the cliff is not far from the village, and it is in this direction; we should be arriving soon"
The monkey looked around and whispered, "This is the place. I heard Uncle Lin Hu and the others say that its nest is built on the cliff deep within the stone forest"
"Let's not worry about that for now," said Shi Dazhuang as he climbed towards the black bird's nest
Go!
Upon arriving at the nest, I immediately sensed a chilling aura, accompanied by a strong smell of blood. The edges of the nest were dark red, clearly indicating that the Azure-scaled Eagle frequently fed at the periphery of the nest. After being soaked in various beast blood for an extended period, this place was thick with malevolent energy
"Brother Ermeng, please wait a moment." Xiao Shihao spoke, picking up a sizable stone and throwing it with force. The stone whizzed through the air, soaring up the cliff and landing near the Wuzhao, producing a loud sound.
"Brother Dazhuang, the mountains and forests are too dangerous. We are still young and cannot proceed any further," a child said tremulously