Bai Ye skillfully cut the millennium xiangxue lingzhi, along with the ancient wood block at its roots, free. Goudan had managed to keep the king cobra occupied.
Up close, the three xiangxue lingzhi plants stood tall and straight, their caps plump and crimson. They were of exquisite quality, possessing an indescribable, alluring beauty.
"Everyone, look! Aren't these three millennium xiangxue lingzhi beautiful?" Bai Ye carefully displayed them to the viewers and fans watching his livestream.
Many of the fans were indeed mesmerized by the xiangxue lingzhi. However, more viewers found the situation both amusing and bewildering.
"Brother Ye, you're the world's strongest magician! Is it necessary to bully a snake like this?"
"Just get the herbs, Brother Ye, why are you picking on a small animal?"
"The one above! You call a king cobra over four meters long a small animal? Its venom could kill your ancestors for eighteen generations!"
"Everyone, look quickly! That cobra is furious! It's furious!"
Meanwhile, Goudan had once again flung the king cobra away. As the snake got back up and saw Bai Ye holding its lingzhi, it became enraged. It then slammed its upright upper body forcefully onto the ground. The ice on its head struck the rocks with a clatter.
*Tap, tap, tap*
The sheer ferocity startled Goudan, who slowly retreated back to Bai Ye's side. Bai Ye looked over, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"This guy, isn't it afraid of a concussion? I only took three lingzhi from you, not your life. There's no need for this."
At this moment, over twelve million viewers in the livestream were stunned.
"This snake looks like it's going to fight to the death!"
"Nonsense! If something I'd painstakingly raised was snatched away, I'd fight to the death too!"
"Even though I'm a fan of Brother Ye, I think Brother Ye and Goudan were a bit unreasonable this time! Hahaha."
*Tap, tap*
Finally, the ice casing on the king cobra's head, without Bai Ye's magical support, was smashed to pieces by its own frantic efforts.
*Hiss~*
It stared at Bai Ye and Goudan, its cold, triangular eyes filled with intense hatred.
The netizens collectively held their breath.
"I've heard elders say that king cobras hold grudges and will kill anyone who provokes them! I believe it now!"
"Good heavens, this snake is clearly going to fight Brother Ye and Goudan to the bitter end!"
"Brother Ye! King cobras are Class II national protected animals, hurry up and leave! Don't drag this out, or you might get five years with room and board!"
As the netizens exclaimed in awe, the king cobra, staring at the person and the dog before it, reached the peak of its fury. With a hiss, it slightly raised its upper body and violently writhed, lunging forward.
The menacing approach sent shivers down the viewers' spines. They all imagined themselves in Bai Ye's shoes, certain they wouldn't have survived.
Just as the king cobra lunged, Bai Ye, holding the lingzhi in one hand, conjured a large ball of flame in the palm of his other hand. The terrifying heat startled even Goudan, causing it to take a slight step back.
*Hiss!*
The king cobra also halted its advance abruptly, gazing fearfully at the flame in Bai Ye's hand.
It was afraid! It was cowering!
"Hahaha~ So cool for less than three seconds!"
"Damn! Brother Ye's recent ice-themed magic is too flashy, I almost forgot he started as a fire magician!"
"Brother Ye's flames are much hotter than household ones. If they really hit this snake, it would be skinned alive even if it didn't die!"
"So fierce! Really fierce!"
The king cobra wisely retreated a little. Bai Ye made no move to attack but instead extinguished the flame and broke off the smallest of the three xiangxue lingzhi, tossing it to the snake.
Then, he addressed it, "I'm an animal lover and I don't bully you. This lingzhi is for you. We all have our struggles, take it and go!"
The king cobra stared at the xiangxue lingzhi on the ground, its eyes clearly blank for a moment. It raised its head, flicked its tongue, stared at Bai Ye for a bit, then resolutely picked up the lingzhi and swiftly disappeared into the bushes.
Watching the king cobra depart, Bai Ye smiled and said, "See, everyone! Animals are very intelligent. If you encounter them outdoors, don't panic. Try to communicate sincerely, express goodwill, and they generally won't trouble us!"
Viewers: "We don't believe you!"
"Goodwill? Goodwill is freezing someone's head?"
"Goodwill is threatening with fire?"
"Brother Ye, to be honest, I've had similar experiences to you! I remember once in the forest I met a big black bear. I dropped my weapons and went for a friendly hug with it! I recall it was in my past life!"
"My neighbor, Uncle Wang's nephew, just wanted to pet the cute head of a bamboo viper, then slept under a tree and hasn't woken up since."
"Hahaha, what talents! Everyone here is a talent!"
As the viewers continued to tease Bai Ye, Elder Doctor Ye sent a message.
[Tsundere Little Loli sent a Carnival x1]
Tsundere Little Loli: "Brother Ye, my grandfather said that the xiangxue lingzhi you have is extremely rare, the absolute best quality. Especially the largest one, its size and quality meet the standard of a King of Millennium Xiangxue Lingzhi. My grandfather is willing to pay 1 million for each small millennium xiangxue lingzhi, and 2 million for the King of Millennium Xiangxue Lingzhi!"
*Boom*
Tsundere Little Loli's message immediately shocked a large number of netizens.
"One million per piece? And the big one, the King, is two million? That's a Porsche 911!"
"My heavens! Are these lingzhi that expensive?"
"Never mind that, my village's back mountain has many similar lingzhi. We'll meet on the road to riches, brothers!"
"To the brothers upstairs, do you need a human pendant?"
"By the way, did Brother Ye just casually throw away a million? Does Brother Ye feel heartbroken!"
Bai Ye glanced in the direction the king cobra had vanished and narrowed his eyes.
"Good! Miss Ye, please tell Elder Doctor Ye that we'll trade using the old method."
Tsundere Little Loli: "Okay, Brother Ye! Brother Ye is so handsome!"
Bai Ye gathered some dry pine grass, wrapped the lingzhi, and put them into his bag. The small ones at one million each and the large one at two million were close to his expectations. While he might get a higher price by calling for bids from herbal merchants, the increase wouldn't be that significant. Moreover, trading with herbal merchants could lead to pickiness, inconvenience, and the need to guard against their tricks. Therefore, seeing Elder Doctor Ye's sincerity, Bai Ye agreed without hesitation.
After packing up, Bai Ye took out a bottle of "Niu Niu" beverage from his backpack. The drink inside had been replaced with a magic potion.
"Here, Goudan, have some drink." Goudan's nose was keen. Upon smelling the familiar, lingering aroma, it immediately wagged its tail furiously and ran over, its mouth open in anticipation. Bai Ye poured some for it.
*Woof woof!!*
Its eyes lit up immediately, and it barked excitedly. "This drink is much better than any spirit herb or medicine!"
"I need to find more and drink a few more sips." Seeing its excited state, Bai Ye smiled and took a sip himself.
"Holy cow! How come this Niu Niu drink feels stronger than Xidofin? Look how happy Goudan is!!!"
"Hiss~ It makes me want to have a few sips too!"
"I have to say, Brother Ye's advertising this time is seamless and perfectly natural!"
Suddenly, the livestream erupted in another commotion.
[Brave Niu Niu sent an Angel's Blessing x50]
Brave Niu Niu: "Your energy is beyond your imagination. Brother Ye's energy is unimaginable!"
!!!
Viewers: "Amazing!!"
"This Niu Niu Group is truly cunning! With such a small move, they've created a national-level advertisement!"
"Thank you, Brave Niu Niu, for the Angel's Blessing."
Bai Ye expressed his gratitude, packed up, and continued his journey, riding Goudan. The path was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Bai Ye's lips curved upward as he continued to chat and communicate with his viewers. Following the direction of the water pipes, they ventured about four kilometers into the jungle.
Bai Ye and Goudan suddenly stopped.
"Huh?"
Ahead, a massive footprint, nearly a meter long, had been imprinted, creating a large pit and deforming the connection point of the underground water pipes. The over ten million netizens immediately became excited and shocked.
"Holy crap!!!"
"Damn! What kind of footprint is this? It's so huge!!!"
"Could it be the legendary Bigfoot???"
[Why is it so late? Because I still have to grind out another chapter! Big shots, start pushing for updates!]