Zhang Qiling noticed Fatty's persistent attempts, but it was clear he hadn't fully grasped the Bronze Tree's abilities, unable to conjure things at will.
The branches of the Bronze Tree were sparse in some places and dense in others, making it difficult to climb. While he monitored the safety of the two below, he also remained vigilant for any materialized entities that might suddenly appear, his entire body extremely tense.
The Qilin tattoo, infected by his emotions, instantly emerged, emitting waves of pressure outwards.
The moment the tattoo appeared, he keenly sensed the anomaly in the Bronze Tree.
Zhang Qiling gently placed his hand on the main trunk, feeling only a slight tremor beneath his palm.
This tremor was different from the continuous impact of the waterfall on the Bronze Tree; it was rhythmic, subtly aligning with the frequency of the pressure released by the Qilin tattoo.
...This sensation was as if something alive was hidden within the trunk, constantly shifting due to fear of the Qilin's aura.
By this time, Wu Tianzhen and Fatty had caught up. Seeing Zhang Qiling's stern expression, they were both startled.
"Little Brother, is something wrong?"
Zhang Qiling let out a low "Mm," then deftly retrieved his flashlight and turned it on. The beam landed precisely on the carvings etched deep into the main trunk of the Bronze Tree.
The instant the light entered, all three of them clearly saw a blood-red eye flash by!
Although the eye quickly submerged into darkness and disappeared, the bone-chilling coldness and malevolence within it were seared into their minds, impossible to shake.
Wu Tianzhen's scalp tingled as a thought suddenly struck him.
...These dark, deep patterns weren't markings at all; they were hollowed-out shells!
This Bronze Tree was completely hollow inside?!
Zhang Qiling retracted his flashlight. The fleeting eye had been seen, but he had already seen it clearly.
This wasn't one of two eyes belonging to a creature; the entity inside only had a single eye.
Inside was a type of one-eyed worm, and not just a few.
It was likely that this Bronze Tree wasn't used to lure Zhujiuyin, but rather to cultivate these worms by injecting human blood.
But after so many years, with no more sacrifices, how had these one-eyed worms survived? Did they also possess long lifespans, allowing them to resist the erosion of time?
With Zhang Qiling nearby, these worms dared not come out, only crawling frantically along the inner walls of the Bronze Tree. The vibrations they caused were felt through the outer shell by the three, sending shivers down their spines.
Wu Tianzhen got goosebumps and looked around to calm himself, only to suddenly notice on a side branch not far from them, a pair of chilling eyes staring directly at them!
"Holy crap!"
He jumped in fright, but upon closer inspection, the figure in the darkness seemed somewhat familiar.
Zhang Qiling, at the opportune moment, turned his flashlight towards it. It turned out to be a water monkey, its four claws tightly gripping the branch. Its webbed feet weren't suited for climbing trees and kept slipping. Startled by the sudden bright light, it let out a "squeak," and fell back into the pool.
As the flashlight swept around, they noticed that five or six water monkeys had already climbed onto the branches around them. They crouched on the branches, trembling, and upon seeing the three, they yelped and cried out in alarm.
Fatty was startled by the monkeys, but seeing their timid appearance, he started to mock them.
"I was just wondering, Fatty, all the monkeys outside can climb trees, but these guys just swim around in the water. Now look, they have this big tree, enough for them to play on, hahaha!"
After laughing for a moment, he heard Zhang Qiling's urgent exclamation:
"Not right!"
Before the two could react, a grappling hook shot out like a swift serpent, skillfully knocking several water monkeys into the pool!
By now, the heavy rain outside might have stopped, and the water flow into the inlet was gradually normalizing. The drainage system was functioning, and the water level had begun to recede.
As the water monkeys fell in, they felt a familiar sense of peace and immediately paddled their webbed feet, diving in and quickly returning to their favorite river channels.
The branches of the Bronze Tree were complexly intertwined, and the monkeys kept sliding and shrieking on them. Zhang Qiling couldn't pinpoint their location, growing anxious, his expression turning grim.
Since seeing the monkeys, the fluctuations of the Bronze Tree had become increasingly violent. If the monkeys weren't completely driven off soon—
With this thought, his blade flashed. After sprinkling blood to drive away the worms without the two noticing, he shook his grappling hook. The rope flexibly wrapped around his arm. Zhang Qiling's eyes sharpened, and he transformed into a dark shadow, leaping upwards.
Fatty and Wu Tianzhen had their mouths full of unspoken words. Wu Tianzhen angrily clenched the air to vent his frustration, then slapped Fatty on the back, who was still in a daze.
"Hurry up, help Little Brother!"
Fatty instinctively picked up his gun, and together with Wu Tianzhen, they aimed their bullets at the branches near the monkeys, startling them and making them fall.
The monkeys were not good at climbing trees, and those that managed to get up couldn't climb very high. The three coordinated perfectly, and soon, they had cleared most of them.
Seeing Zhang Qiling darting between the branches, heading straight for the last water monkey, they relaxed slightly and lowered their pistols.
It was only then that Fatty remembered his confusion and turned to ask Wu Tianzhen:
"Hey, what are you two playing dumb about? Why did you suddenly start catching monkeys?"
"Can these monkeys summon something like that tree that calls for help, like the Chishè?"
"They can't summon a tree that calls for help..." Wu Tianzhen stared intently at the last monkey. Although he couldn't feel the Bronze Tree's anomaly, he understood that if it could make Zhang Qiling tense, then the current situation must be extremely serious.
"These are monkeys, animals closest to humans."
"?...I know these are monkeys? These squawking things, could they be—"
Fatty's interruption was cut short as a flash of inspiration struck him, causing him to stumble over his words.
"Holy crap..."
Understanding that Fatty had finally grasped it, Wu Tianzhen gave him an approving look, as if to say, "Teacher Wu believes in you," and confirmed:
"Exactly. A monkey's brain is already very developed. Although they can't perform overly complex activities, it's enough to generate subconscious fluctuations!"
"Moreover, they were just startled, and their brains are most active right now. It's only because of the short time that they haven't truly materialized. If they were allowed to stay on the tree for a long time, who knows what they might come up with, we can't control it!"
Just as he finished explaining, a "Wooooo~" cry was heard. The monkey that had climbed the highest, the winner of the monkey world, had transformed into a beautiful parabolic trajectory, kicked off by Zhang Qiling.
With a splash, it successfully dove. Perhaps because it had climbed the highest, it created the biggest splash, surrounded by countless water monkeys cheering and applauding.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty finally breathed a sigh of relief, only to see Zhang Qiling not relaxing but accelerating back.
"Careful—!"
In the last moment, the monkey's fantasy had come true!
Wu Tianzhen felt a faint, scorching, and chilling breath from something behind him. He exchanged a look with Fatty and quickly turned around!
On the branches below, there was now a giant feline creature, completely black, its fur bristling like a sea urchin!!!