The apocalypse struck, and I became a druid.

Page 139

Han Ning and the others who had lost their boat sat together, waiting for the boat to dock.

"Yinyin, come here for a second." Han Ning beckoned to Xu Yinyin, who was sitting in her father's lap.

"Uncle Han, what's wrong?" Xu Yinyin, wearing a hooded raincoat, sat obediently next to Han Ning, blinking her eyes and looking at him curiously.

Han Ning smiled without speaking. He reached out and, as if bestowing a blessing, placed his hand on Xu Yinyin's head, a deep green light emanating from his palm.

A vibrant, life-giving energy enveloped Xu Yinyin.

The little girl was like a little elf, surrounded by green light spots.

"Huh? Uncle Han, this feels so good, it's cool and refreshing, like air conditioning. What is this?" She felt her head was clearing up a lot, and her fingers kept fiddling with the light spots in front of her.

"It's something that makes you smarter, like a sudden enlightenment."

Han Ning was not only explaining to Xu Yinyin, but also to her father and the people around them.

"Besides the air conditioning, what else do you feel?" Han Ning asked.

"Um...that's all," Xu Yinyin answered honestly.

"Okay." Han Ning relaxed for a moment and then withdrew his hand.

It seems that trying to change a human child using the blessings of nature is not such an easy thing.

The waterway ahead was relatively safe. Although the black snakes kept harassing them, they were easy prey for the Awakened Ones, whose strength had increased considerably.

After many twists and turns, the fleet finally anchored at the foot of the continuous mountain range, beside a relatively gentle hillside.

Four wrecked boats were tied to several jagged rocks with ropes, bobbing and colliding with the waves.

The survivors helped each other as they stepped onto the muddy ground.

Chapter 155 Summoning Partners

"How long has it been since I last set foot on this damp ground?" Chairman Wu said, looking dazed.

"Yes, we usually wade through water to get around, so the feeling of stepping on mud is really different," Vice President Zhao remarked.

Immediately afterwards, they began unloading various supplies from the ship and putting them together.

"Boss, it's hard to find even a crack in the rocks to shelter us from the wind and rain around here. We need to find a safe place to stay first."

Xu Ming frowned slightly as he looked at the soft soil beneath his feet and the bare, weathered rock face above him.

The mountains in this area have a landscape similar to Zhangjiajie. Although many areas were flooded, they are still undulating, and the area that was not flooded is quite large.

All around are tall stone pillars, peaks, and square mountains with straight edges.

The highest point is more than 200 meters above the water, and most areas are more than 100 meters above the water. Without boats, everyone will definitely have to stay here to rest and recuperate.

Of course, there are gentle passages and relatively dense vegetation between the stone pillars and between the mountain peaks.

They are now situated between two mountain peaks.

Where to set up camp and establish a campsite has become a new problem for everyone.

"Let me try."

Han Ning gestured for everyone to calm down and walked alone to a relatively dry open space near the mountain wall.

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, a mixture of doubt and curiosity.

He squatted down, stretched out his hands, palms down, and pressed them onto the damp mud.

Emerald green light flowed from his palm, wandering between his ten fingers and outlining mysterious and complex ancient marks.

Centered on Han Ning's palm, a peculiar wave spread out silently, and the entire mountain became a medium for transmitting information.

Han Ning remained in the position of pressing to the ground, his eyes slightly closed, all his spiritual power extending outward along the spreading fluctuations, like countless invisible roots, deeply penetrating the depths of this land that had suffered countless disasters.

Through the resonance of nature's will, he calls upon the ancient and benevolent creatures of this mountain range, and those companions who breathe with the earth and share the fate of the forest.

Time passed by, and the hillside was so quiet that only the whistling of the wind whistling through the rocks and the sound of waves crashing in the distance could be heard.

Just when everyone was increasingly wondering what Han Ning was going to do.

boom! boom! boom!

Heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the dense forest on the eastern side of the mountain range.

A massive figure parted the low canopy of the trees and slowly came into view.

It stands five meters tall and has an overall human-shaped silhouette, but its entire body is covered with tough, dark red bark.

The thick trunk is gnarled and twisted, covered with sharp, backward-growing thorns.

Its arms are formed by twisting and intertwining several thick branches.

His legs were like the roots of an ancient tree, deeply embedded in the ground, each step kicking up a handful of soil.

The head lacks clear facial features, with only two points of emerald green and reddish light shimmering slightly in what appear to be eye sockets, conveying emotions.

"Ironthorn Tree Spirit, a mutated extraordinary plant that lives on this island." The will of nature "told" Han Ning information related to the tree spirit.

“Garuru…”

The Ironthorn Tree Spirit made a sound like rustling leaves, stopped a few meters in front of Han Ning, leaned forward slightly, and made a gesture similar to bowing.

A scent of earthy fragrance mixed with the fresh scent of trees after the rain wafted over me.

"Oh my God……"

Vice President Zhao gasped, instinctively clenching his remaining right fist, steam rising uncontrollably from his body.

This enormous tree-man made him feel pressure no less than that of the previous four-armed black serpent leader.

Many people adopted a fighting stance.

"Don't rush, it seems to be quite friendly towards Han Ning." Lin Qianqian, who knew Han Ning better, stopped everyone from acting.

"Don't be nervous!" Han Ning reminded him at the same time, "It's my friend."

Han Ning approached the Ironthorn Tree Spirit, a genuine smile on his face:

"Thank you for making this trip."

As he spoke, he took the bag that Professor Ye was carrying, took out a box containing high-energy soil, opened the lid, and handed it over.

Tree people must like soil.

Just cater to their preferences.

"Garuru." The Ironthorn Tree Spirit stretched out its large hand made of branches and took the box containing soil.

It stretched out a branch, planted it in the soil, and took a look.

The dark red bark on the tree spirit's trunk seemed to have a more lustrous sheen, and the green light in its eye sockets had softened.

It emitted a satisfied, low hum, expressing its gratitude.

Just then, a high-frequency, gentle flapping sound came from the dense forest above the northern side of the mountain range, like countless tiny wind chimes shaking at the same time.

Buzz~buzz~

A yellow and black shadow, like a nimble ball of yarn, leaped nimbly among the treetops and landed lightly in front of Han Ning.

This is a giant bee that is nearly a meter tall and so fat it's almost round.

Its entire body is covered with fluffy, soft, bright yellow down.

The enormous compound eyes, like two pure obsidian stones, shimmered with a curious light.

Its wings on its back are relatively short, and when it flaps rapidly, they create a blurry afterimage.

What is most striking are its two pairs of forelimbs on its upper body. Instead of the slender structure commonly seen in bees, they have evolved to be rather robust and flexible. At this moment, they are firmly gripping a slender twig that has been polished very smoothly and has a sharp tip, like a small spear.

Around its waist, it also has a comical little pouch woven from supple vines, which sways back and forth with its movements.

"Ah! It's a big bee!" Xu Yinyin's eyes lit up when she saw the bee's adorable appearance.

"Goo?"

The fat bee blinked its huge black eyes, tilted its round head, and looked Han Ning up and down. Then it stretched out a spear-like branch and nodded in Han Ning's direction as if a human were greeting him.

Then, it sat down on the muddy ground and began fiddling with the branch in its hand, as if it were some priceless treasure.

"Hello, little guy." Han Ning smiled at its adorable appearance, took out a few black snake energy crystals, and placed them in front of it.

Bees probably don't eat soil.

"Coo~ Coo coo!"

The fat bee's antennae immediately began to vibrate rapidly, clearly indicating that it liked the gift.

It put down the branch, picked up a crystal with its forelimbs, brought it close to its eyes to examine it carefully, and then carefully put it away.

No one could see where it hid the item; perhaps it was in its fluffy down, or perhaps it was tucked into the wicker pouch at its waist.

After accepting the gift, it seemed even happier, buzzing around Han Ning's feet for a couple of short circles before, as if remembering something, it bent down and rummaged through its wicker pouch.

A moment later, it took out something about the size of a palm, solidified into an amber-colored crystal, and presented it to Han Ning with its two forelimbs as if presenting a treasure.

An extremely sweet scent, a blend of various exotic floral and herbal aromas, filled the air, overpowering the surrounding muddy smell and moisture, and invigorating the exhausted survivors.

"This is... the honey you made?"

Han Ning took the heavy honey crystal, feeling the gentle yet active natural energy contained within it, and asked gently.

It looks like a good thing; the energy flowing inside is no less than that of ordinary energy crystals.

"Coo!" The fat bee nodded its round head vigorously, its antennae swaying happily.

Chapter 156 Searching for a New Gathering Place

Nature's will tells Han Ning that this fat bee is called the Treasure-Seeking Bee.

The treasure-hunting bumblebee is a rare and extraordinary insect that lives deep in nature.

Their populations are small, unlike ordinary bees, which can have thousands or tens of thousands of bees in a single hive.

A beehive typically contains only a few dozen male bees and one queen bee.

They have an innate talent—treasure hunting!