Chapter Forty-Six: The Ten Thousand Mountains Range (Part 5)

“Get down!” After the two had walked quietly for a while, Zhang Ning suddenly spoke.

Meng Meng saw Zhang Ning stop and crouch down, so she quickly followed suit, covering her mouth. Her gaze subtly shifted from gentle to sharp.

After a moment of observation, Zhang Ning whispered to the livestream camera, “Look, there are some Giant-Eared Beasts ahead!”

The audience, who until now had been gossiping or admiring appearances, suddenly saw a herd of Giant-Eared Beasts, some lying down and some standing, scattered across a low grassland. A massive boulder conveniently blocked the beasts’ line of sight, preventing them from noticing the sneaky Zhang Ning and Meng Meng.

They realized, only now, how far they had wandered—the jagged, intimidating lava fields had gradually given way to sparse grasslands, and at last, they spotted animal life.

“Wow, Giant-Eared Beasts! They’re so cute!”

“Your Highness, be careful!”

“Your Highness, show off a bit in front of Miss Meng!”

“I remember Giant-Eared Beasts are herbivores, right?”

“Never heard of them.”

Since the Giant-Eared Beasts were ordinary beasts and not mystical creatures, the chat remained relatively calm.

Zhang Ning glanced at the livestream and said, “I see someone in the chat hasn’t seen these before. The Giant-Eared Beast is a wild animal native to the Five-Deeps Gorge Prairie. Their average shoulder height is under three meters, but they can weigh between two and four tons. They have thick, short limbs and two enormous ears that can wrap around their whole bodies. Interestingly, their hearing isn’t particularly sensitive—their ears are mainly used for defense and for gauging their territory. Their natural enemy is the Far Eastern Spotted Leopard. They like to live in caves, which makes sense, as the Five-Deeps Gorge Prairie borders the Lava Volcano Range, and the temperature is extremely hot.”

“Your Highness knows so much!”

“Hasn’t your Highness always been this knowledgeable? Is this your first day noticing?”

“Little Ning is amazing!”

“What’s the big deal? When will you do a livestream just introducing wild animals?”

“Wow, those ears are huge! Kind of terrifying, actually. I feel like you could use them as a blanket.”

“Next to them, Your Highness looks even smaller.”

Zhang Ning glanced at the barrage of comments and laughed. “Yes, with my size, I could probably roll myself up two times in their ears.”

With that, Zhang Ning waved for Meng Meng to follow, signaling it was time to move. Meng Meng looked at him with a peculiar expression, but Zhang Ning paid it no mind, continuing to address the livestream: “They don’t look like they’re about to attack, but look! They’re all flapping their ears. When Giant-Eared Beasts do this in unison, it’s a display of warning—they’ve noticed us and are on guard. It’s best for us to retreat now.”

The chat instantly filled with praises for Zhang Ning’s encyclopedic knowledge.

Of course, Zhang Ning couldn’t admit that much of this obscure information came from the system’s “library,” so he credited his subordinates for the research.

Afterward, Zhang Ning led Meng Meng, staying low and making it clear they had no hostile intent, safely past the beasts. Out of sight of both Zhang Ning and the livestream, Meng Meng rolled her eyes in frustration: After walking for so long, finally seeing some living creatures, and this Zhang Ning doesn’t even try to engage or test them—what a coward, no fighting spirit at all!

When this little episode passed, the two continued on. Zhang Ning remained courteous yet reserved toward Meng Meng, never failing to interact with the audience, so many viewers learned about the Five-Deeps Gorge Prairie for the first time.

The Five-Deeps Gorge Prairie is a vast expanse in the Ten-Thousand Mountains Range, famous for its five deep gorges. One of these gorges holds the renowned Moon-Mirror Pool, a place that can seal off a martial artist’s inner energy. Even high-ranking warriors have perished there—a detail that sent chills down the viewers’ spines.

Except for those who specialize in physical cultivation, most martial artists rely entirely on their inner energy. Being cut off from it is more terrifying for these otherworldly people than for the Blue Planet’s warriors to lose their firearms. Zhang Ning, however, modestly joked about going there for a swim, drawing a wave of admiration from the audience.

Later, Zhang Ning led Meng Meng past many wild and even mystical beasts, never once using inner energy—relying solely on the methods of an ordinary person to traverse the perilous Five-Deeps Gorge Prairie. This made Meng Meng fume internally, yet she also felt there was something odd about Zhang Ning.

If one only watched his livestream, they might credit his luck or call him timid, maybe praise his knowledge at most. But after spending time with him, Meng Meng began to suspect Zhang Ning truly deserved his reputation—perhaps he really was highly capable.

So long without encountering a single unexpected situation—what seemed simple could only be explained one way: Zhang Ning knew every detail of this region by heart! His mastery of the habits of exotic plants and beasts allowed him to move with such ease. Even martial artists of higher rank might not have handled things better.

An hour later—

Meng Meng instinctively accepted the ring-shaped avocado Zhang Ning handed her, her face twisting in embarrassment. How had she become so obedient? She was falling right into Zhang Ning’s pace!

Evening was approaching, and Zhang Ning had suggested finding some food. Contrary to expectations, he didn’t go hunting, but instead quickly discovered a ring-shaped avocado tree.

The ring-shaped avocado tree is famous not for its fruit, but because it is often home to a species of wild wasp with fangs. These wasps can inflict bloody bites, and the wounds itch and sting for a long time afterward. Most martial artists who cannot project their inner energy avoid these trees at all costs.

But Zhang Ning gave a brief explanation to the livestream, saying the wasps are terrified of sharp noises. He scraped the bark of a nearby tree with his fingernail, sending the aggressive wasps fleeing in panic. Then, he climbed the tree with ease and tossed down avocados, which Meng Meng, like an obedient assistant, caught while holding up her skirt.

The scene was unexpectedly warm and harmonious. Many viewers commented that they made a perfect match, and some even used special techniques to display heart-shaped comments on the screen. Miss Meng, with little previous experience around men, was so infuriated that she nearly pulled out her communication jade to have her family track down and punish those posting such shameless messages!

Still, Meng Meng remembered her original intention to get back at Zhang Ning and managed to restrain herself.