A Top Scholar in Everything-Chapter 928 - 914: Bloodthirsty Scorpion

After Baiyu left Skull Town, he began moving in the direction of the Free Federation according to the map provided by Zhang Fanhu.

Along this route.

There are many gathering points.

Supplementing resources along the way was not a problem for Baiyu. Although he was a Martial Arts Grandmaster, it was impossible to truly sustain bodily functions by absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi like TV novels suggest.

That is not achievable through martial arts, but requires Immortal Cultivation.

Therefore, regular food and water are necessities, though the amount needed is much smaller than that of ordinary people.

"Black Wind Ridge..."

After advancing for three days and seeing numerous settlements along the way, Baiyu had a deeper understanding of the Desert to some extent.

Resources here are not scarce, but due to the lack of modern extraction equipment, they cannot be utilized. The standard of living is very low, but those who thrive in the Desert can live freely, laying bare the inequalities among people.

However.

Baiyu believed the real reason this area is called the Desert.

Is because of the desolation of rules and order.

The desert is not barren; on the contrary, it is full of opportunities. But the rules here are simply survival of the fittest, unabashedly and brutally with no pretense.

In front.

On a large rock, the words "Black Wind Ridge" were engraved with bullets.

Baiyu stopped in front of the rock.

This was the planned place to rest for the night. Although he could continue traveling without sleep, resources needed to be replenished, and the portable steam engine fuel of the motorcycle needed refilling.

Besides, traversing mountains and rivers, driving without rest.

The motorcycle wouldn't hold up.

After all, it was a cheap product acquired from a train, not the latest, highest-spec motorcycle from the Mechanical Church, unable to endure Baiyu's twenty-four-hour torments.

Black Wind Ridge is a small settlement.

But it is inhabited not by ordinary people, but by a group of Wilderness Hunters. Even though their strength is quite low, these hunters band together for warmth, undertake bounty tasks, and trade with passing merchant caravans, managing to survive.

Skull Town once tried to recruit them, but they politely declined.

After all, these wilderness hunters are accustomed to freedom, how could they find a "master" to suppress them?

After parking the motorcycle in the designated parking area of Black Wind Ridge and paying a parking fee to the guarding uncle, Baiyu swaggered into Black Wind Ridge.

If he hadn't paid the parking fee.

By the time he returned, the wheels of his motorcycle might have been taken off.

Although he could retrieve them, it would ultimately be a hassle. He brought a significant amount of hard currency from Zhang Fanhu, and there's no harm in using it.

Though the name Black Wind Ridge has a strong flavor of the martial world.

Upon entering, it's revealed as a row upon row of small western-style buildings, mostly two-story, arranged neatly as if the architect had a compulsive disorder.

The entire collection of buildings forms a circular shape.

Baiyu counted them, over fifty, indicating that Black Wind Ridge was of considerable size, likely hosting over a hundred individuals.

In the middle of these small western-style buildings is a market of moderate size, mostly run by women, some even accompanied by children.

Aside from some men maintaining order, it was rare to see men manning stalls.

At this moment in the market.

Many travelers passing by settlements were resting here, purchasing various supplies.

Baiyu quickly bought the items he needed, planning to continue his journey, when suddenly the settlement's alarm went off.

Upon hearing the alarm, these residents surprisingly did not panic, as if well-trained, orderly hiding in rooms on either side. Meanwhile, the men who had been patrolling the market directed Baiyu and other outsiders to a temporary shelter.

"None of you are to open the door. The material of the shelter is specially treated to cover your scent. Recently, a Bloodthirsty Scorpion has appeared nearby, but as long as you stay inside, there won't be any issues."

That man spoke sternly.

Bloodthirsty Scorpion.

Typically between Tier Four and Tier Six.

A fierce, extremely cruel Exotic Beast, but its hearing and vision are severely degraded, relying solely on its highly sensitive sense of smell to capture prey.

Therefore, when facing a Bloodthirsty Scorpion, as long as it cannot smell, there is no problem.

The residents of this settlement evidently knew how to handle the situation effectively.

Moreover, such a suddenly roaming Exotic Beast will clearly be dealt with soon. That man mentioned Storm City, which lies at the edge of the Free Federation.

The Free Federation operates on a parliamentary system, where each city is independent.

Several dozen cities unite to form the Free Federation, with the leaders of these cities serving as members of the parliament.

Storm City is part of the Free Federation.

"Even Storm City controls this area. Looks like I'm not far from the Free Federation. That rascal Loloya only gave me a name, telling me to inquire at the center of the Federation. What a jerk..."

Baiyu recalled the unreliable Loloya.

Soon, Baiyu and the traders in the settlement entered the shelter inside. It was very clean inside, though only superficially, as the smell here was almost nauseating.

But Baiyu thought it through and accepted the reasoning.

If the odor wasn't strong, it wouldn't be able to mask human scent.

The room wasn't completely sealed, leaving a window open. It was a temporarily constructed room meant for hiding from the Bloodthirsty Scorpion, not intricately built.

Everyone remained in the room, holding their breath, not daring to draw in a deep breath.

It didn't take long.

The alarm continued to sound as a massive creature appeared at the end of the street in Black Wind Ridge.

It was a giant red arthropod.

Resembling an immensely magnified scorpion, about the size of a tank, a few red, steel-like limbs slid across the ground, thundering with each drop.

Several long gashes were scratched into the ground.

After wandering for over ten minutes, the Bloodthirsty Scorpion turned and slowly left the area. Clearly, it had claimed this area as part of its territory, patrolling its domain.

An Exotic Beast's territorial instincts are more severe than a beast's.

It's a struggle for the settlement's inhabitants. If Storm City doesn't send people to address the situation, in time, the Bloodthirsty Scorpion will inevitably discover them. Eventually, it'll just be another Desert tragedy.

Such occurrences happen daily in the Desert.

The people living in the Desert are like wild grass, resiliently growing back after the autumn winds, even in the harshest environments.

Surviving is never the difficulty; the challenge lies in living.

The alarm faded away with the departure of the Bloodthirsty Scorpion.

But, just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Bloodthirsty Scorpion suddenly returned, driven into a berserk fury, charging toward the surrounding buildings.