Xiao Shan looked at the Mosquito-eating Plant fluttering in the wind at the mouth of the well, his tears swirling incessantly in his eyes.
After this day and night together, he had come to regard the Mosquito-eating Plant as his companion. Now that he was about to part with his little friend, his heart was inexplicably heavy with sorrow, a feeling akin to watching someone very important leave before his eyes.
Xiao Shan’s tears kept rolling down his cheeks, but he knew it wasn’t the time to succumb to his emotions. He could only bury his head in Bai Junjun’s embrace, forcing himself not to look at the dazed Mosquito-eating Plant any longer.
The group swiftly plunged into the water and walked further and further along the river.
"???" Mosquito-eating Plant.
When Bai Junjun returned from the volcano, she found a decayed wooden ship in the Underground River.
At that time, she connected with the ship, bringing it back to life.
Now, what the group saw upon entering the water was a shiny new wooden ship.
The drenched group clambered onto the ship in a sorry state, and the ship set off at full speed.
The cries of animals from above persisted for a long time, making them wonder how many animals had invaded the jungle.
Once they confirmed it was safe, Xiao Shan and Bai Lingyu burst into tears with loud sobs.
"The Mosquito-eating Plant... Will it be okay?"
"Boo hoo hoo... I don’t want to leave the Mosquito-eating Plant."
In the midst of the children’s sorrowful weeping, Bai Sasa’s eyes also reddened.
She had not expected the departure to be so swift, thinking they might stay a few more days...
Bai Junjun tenderly patted their heads, feeling helpless.
"The Mosquito-eating Plant thrives here, but away from this place, it would die due to lack of sufficient food. Besides, its presence here helps control the population of venomous mosquitoes and Poisonous Worms. From the perspective of ecological balance, that’s very important, and that’s the mission and duty it must fulfill."
Upon hearing Bai Junjun say this, the children’s turbulent emotions somewhat subsided.
"But will the beasts hurt it?"
"Don’t worry, the Mosquito-eating Plant contains a high concentration of corrosive acid. Only a foolish beast would bite it. In the jungle, it’s at the very top of the food chain; common creatures dare not approach."
"I never thought the Mosquito-eating Plant was so formidable."
The children were relieved to learn that their little friend was the king of this jungle and that nobody dared to bully it.
"But... I still miss it so much," Xiao Yu said, recalling the sensation of touching the Mosquito-eating Plant and feeling rather sentimental.
"If it’s meant to be, we will meet again," Li Wenli said indifferently, sitting at the bow of the ship.
They continued along the Underground River and soon reached a vast ocean.
A little while later, they saw a large swath of jungle on the left, the same area they had traversed the day before.
However, now the last rays of sunset had disappeared under the water, and the jungle was no longer visible, only a sense of pitch darkness and eerie silence could be felt.
Yesterday, unaware of the terrain, they didn’t know the Underground River led to the outer rim of the jungle ocean; had they known, they might have spared themselves some hardship by taking the water route instead.
But then again, without trekking through that patch of jungle, they wouldn’t have encountered the Mosquito-eating Plant.
Reflecting on the experiences of the past few days, Bai Junjun too was filled with emotion.
As she steered the small ship back, she began to draw on the Water of Flora from the thousands of years old jungle.
After rushing through the jungle for an entire hour, the group finally returned to the area where they had previously moored their ship, and by this time, the moon had slowly started to rise.
The surface of the lake shimmered brilliantly, as if countless silver fishes were dancing.
Li Wenli couldn’t help but slightly curve his lips at the sight before him: "It’s Bull Sharks."
This type of shark could grow in both freshwater and saline lakes, and it was uncertain whether they were remnants of the sea that had backfilled long ago, or if over the millennia, they had found their way here on their own.