Chapter 121: Revisiting Old Haunts

"So, Professor Wu, what is your suggestion?" Captain Dong Mingjun asked.

"To avoid further conflict, we could cede most of the mountain forests..."

Upon hearing this proposal, many attendees looked surprised. Then, they suddenly understood. With the arrival of the Great Transformation, the flora and fauna in the mountains had begun to grow at an astonishing rate, with ferocious beasts, in particular, becoming increasingly numerous. Conflicts between humans and beasts were intensifying; they had received thousands of attack reports in recent days, leaving the staff exhausted.

Given this, it would be better to relocate the humans living in the mountains to the plains. This would alleviate human-beast conflict on one hand, and reduce the burden of defense on the other.

"Additionally, as I mentioned before, we should establish contact with some of the powerful, highly intelligent beasts and make them friends of humanity. This mutated giant crocodile is the best test subject for this..."

"Befriending a ferocious beast? Is that even possible?" an attendee immediately questioned.

"How would we know if it’s impossible without trying?" Professor Wu countered.

...

As the discussion deepened, Captain Dong gradually leaned toward supporting Professor Wu's viewpoint. Soon, the relevant departments began to act with full force. Once they determined the possible area of the target, high-altitude surveillance equipment spotted the Dragon King within a few hours.

***

Three days later, Lu Chen looked at the familiar mangrove forest nearby, a nameless light shimmering in his beastly pupils.

He was finally back!

He held a special affection for the Tiannan Mountain Nature Reserve. It was here that he and the Crocodile Chief and the others had spent their most difficult days. Before he grew to have enough power to protect himself, Lu Chen had lived in constant fear, nearly being devoured by otters, wolf packs, and clouded leopards.

Now, he had returned home as a hegemon of the beasts. It was no exaggeration to say that Lu Chen was currently the strongest among the beasts on Blue Star. If he had the ambition, he could establish a beast dynasty on the planet without issue. But there was no need; the time was not yet ripe. Furthermore, if he were to do so, he would certainly face focused strikes from humanity. Without sufficient strength, a so-called beast dynasty would be nothing but a joke.

Therefore, establishing a crocodile civilization in the waterfall’s hidden dimension for the time being was just right. Like other primitive jungles on Blue Star, after the golden rain that had fallen more than two months ago, all kinds of vegetation in Tiannan Mountain were growing rapidly. The mangrove forest was now even denser and taller, blocking out the sky. It was inhabited by many animals, with noisy sounds rising one after another, appearing vibrant and exceptionally lively.

However, when Lu Chen appeared nearby, the mangrove forest immediately fell silent. Even the surrounding temperature seemed to drop by several degrees in an instant. Such is the power of true dominance. As his bloodline ancestral awakening value continued to rise, the aura Lu Chen released suppressed most other beasts. Even a simple roar could potentially scare some small animals to death.

Lu Chen had no interest in hunting the small creatures inhabiting the mangrove forest. After lingering briefly at the estuary, he swam upstream, arriving near the cave where he once lived. Lu Chen sniffed the air, and familiar scents immediately drifted over the river. The family of hog badgers that had usurped his cave were still living inside. Sensing the immense aura in the river below, they quickly retreated deep into the cave, shivering in fear.

Next, Lu Chen moved like a speedboat, racing upstream. Although he could have used "Marsh of the Earth" to fly, which would have halved the journey, he never considered it. Long before entering the Tiannan Mountain reserve, he had seen drones circling high above. While he did not fear humans with his current strength, it was better to keep his trump cards hidden for now.

An hour later, he appeared on the outskirts of the hot spring valley. The constant sound of monkeys calling in the valley’s forest surprised him slightly. He had not expected the monkey troop to still firmly occupy this valley after he and the Crocodile Chief had left.

"Squeak! Squeak!"

Feeling a massive presence outside the valley, the monkeys immediately began to shriek in terror. They darted about in the dense forest like headless flies.

"Squeak... Squeak..."

Suddenly, a voice full of authority rang out. The panicked monkeys quickly quieted down.

Interesting!

Lu Chen raised his head, locking his gaze through layers of dense leaves onto the monkey king atop a large pine tree! The creature was over three meters tall, with well-developed, sturdy limbs and a fierce expression. It carried a thick iron rod, as wide as a teacup, with one end sharpened to a fine point. This iron tool was clearly not natural; it must have been obtained from the human world. Most importantly, a streak of golden fur on its head was incredibly striking and stylish.

It was indeed Gold-Point.

Though they hadn't seen each other for a year, the little guy had undergone mutations and become the monkey king. Lu Chen was initially surprised, but then felt it was only natural. After all, the hot spring valley was a unique environment that had nurtured many miraculous pythons even before the Great Transformation.

Gold-Point looked at the massive beast appearing outside the valley, feeling a sense of familiarity, though it wasn't certain.

"Squeak..." It called out twice, then suddenly switched to crocodile language: "Hiss... Hiss..."

"Hiss..." Lu Chen responded with equal warmth.

"Squeak! Hiss!" The creature shrieked with excitement. It turned and barked a command at the troop before leaping down from a height of over twenty meters.

*Boom!*

The massive body hit the ground, causing the earth for several yards around to tremble slightly as dust flew into the air. What a jump! Lu Chen marveled once more.

"Squeak! Squeak!" Gold-Point dropped its iron spear and hopped and skipped around the saltwater crocodile, looking incredibly happy. There was even a hint of grievance in its voice, like a lost child experiencing the complex emotions of being reunited with its parents.

Lu Chen truly felt the emotion behind the little guy's cries and couldn't help but pat its head with his front limb. He hadn't expected the little one to hold such deep affection for him. Seeing the monkey king dancing around the four-legged reptile, many of the older monkeys finally recognized the giant beast and rushed over in excitement as well.

When they had left the valley that day, they had been in such a rush that they hadn't had a chance to say goodbye. He never imagined they would still remember him.

After they chatted for a while, the monkey king ordered his subordinates to bring fruit and prey. Lu Chen accepted gratefully. He could see that the monkey troop had become the masters of the valley, and the entire surrounding jungle was their territory. The open areas of the valley had all been planted with bananas and other fruits, which were growing impressively well.

It seemed that after Gold-Point gained intelligence, it had also awakened the skill of farming. He just wondered what kind of adventures this guy had experienced over the last few months to have turned out like this.

"Squeak! Squeak!" Gold-Point pointed at a large banyan tree in the distance, jumping up and down again. Listening to its narrative, Lu Chen guessed the meaning and mostly understood.