— West Zone —
“Boss, there are fireworks over there. Should we go take a look? There’s definitely a team cooking there, or setting some kind of marker.”
A scout who had just finished surveying the area flew to the bonfire. Facing him sat a man with delicate features, dressed in luxurious clothing.
Strangely, his ears tapered backward, forming a very beautiful shape that inexplicably added a touch of charm, as if from a Star Net game modeling.
The man possessed a perfect beauty that seemed otherworldly. His smiling eyes were warm and approachable, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.
A young contestant by the bonfire spoke up, “Brother, should we go take a look? We just found a token numbered three around here. Maybe we can try our luck again?”
“Let’s go take a look!”
A hint of interest flickered in the man’s eyes. He turned to the young contestant and said, “William, remember to introduce me to the contestants you lost to in the first round. I’m very curious what she looks like.”
— North Zone —
Discussion Group 563743675
The sky suddenly erupted with a distinct air current that blew away the dense foliage, and the sound of flapping wings approaching from nearby could vaguely be heard.
The wild boars on the ground, as if sensing a predator, abandoned their feed and fled into the deep jungle, disappearing from sight.
The colossal creature that suddenly appeared was nearly two meters tall, resembling a mantis, with thin, cicada-wing-like wings on its back. Its entire body was covered in hard, black, glossy armor.
With a swing of its sharp scythes, it effortlessly sliced a viper coiled on a tree into two, meeting a truly miserable end.
“There are signs of use here, a pile of bear droppings nearby, and the smell of roasted meat from below.”
The insectoid, having just arrived in the North Zone, used its keen sense of smell to discern the usage of the entire area.
Several pairs of scarlet compound eyes patrolled the surroundings:
“We should continue forward from this direction, it’s exactly towards the direction of the cooking smoke… Found it, there are a few banana leaf bindings here, it’s likely what they left behind.”
— East Zone —
“Over there! Look over there! Could it be Lu Mingming and the others? Only she can cook such perfect dishes in my opinion!”
Xu Jiajia took a deep breath, her heart filled with earnest hope.
She turned her head to glance at her limbs, bound by vines, still tightly secured in mid-air, with no possibility of loosening.
They had been trapped here for an entire afternoon. The surrounding vines imprisoned everyone’s bodies without harming them, and they couldn't be burned away by fire.
Oscar, having fallen behind, was the first to escape.
“Let’s wait for them to come,”
The Dragon clan elder sighed.
However, he had a feeling something was amiss. He thought, it seemed like many people were heading in this direction.
The night breeze was cool, carrying with it a faint, unpleasant stench from afar.
The Dragon clan elder looked in a certain direction with a deep expression: Had he smelled it wrong… why was there a strange odor?
Those in the live stream quickly followed the direction the Dragon clan elder was looking, zooming in on that area.
[Wow, what’s going on over there? I just dragged to the South Zone to take a look, and all the squirrels there are half-dead. It’s a complete disaster scene.]
[Let’s worry about Xing Fuxing’s team. I saw several ace teams on screen preparing to head in this direction.]
[It smells so good—the beggar’s chicken they were talking about is almost ready. Lu Mingming is about to go get it.]
…
“Almost ready, almost ready.”
Lu Mingming kept watch by the mud oven, calculating the time as she waited for the fire to die down.
A faint aroma of meat slowly wafted from the mud oven, only discernible when one was very close, its fragrance captivating.
“No way.”
Lu Mingming mentally screamed that something was wrong. A clod of earth must have cracked open. She hoped the dish hadn’t been ruined this time.
For fear of burning herself, she used a stick to pull out five plump mud balls from the ashes and placed them aside to cool.
The little cubs couldn’t sit still and finally came over to squat around the mud balls, their posture somewhat comical and cute.
“Don’t touch them yet, they’re very hot.”
Lu Mingming found a mud ball with a crack.
Around the crack, the originally smooth surface was crisscrossed with tiny fissures.
The surface was scorching hot, and it was evident that the banana leaves inside had been slightly charred.
Lu Mingming tentatively used her fingers to slowly pry open the less hot edges.
With a “crack,” the mud separated along the surrounding fissures, revealing the dark green banana leaf wrapping inside. A clear fragrance gushed out from the small opening, completely unstoppable.
The fragrance of the banana leaves had fully permeated the chicken. Everyone stared at the delicacy before them like hungry wolves.
“My skin is thick, I’m not afraid of being hot, let me.”
Cheng Shiqin couldn’t help but reach out, quickly untying the banana leaf bindings and spreading the leaves out evenly.
The chicken was golden and tender, its skin glistening with a layer of oil.
“Good thing the wrapping was thick enough, it didn’t burn.”
Lu Mingming felt a bit relieved.
The entire chicken was incredibly appetizing, with honey glazing it a golden hue, shimmering under the firelight. The honey fragrance blended with the clear aroma.
“Hoo hoo— a little hot, hehe.”
The cubs all exclaimed in unison.
“Let’s dig in.”
The rest of the people followed Cheng Shiqin’s method, gently unwrapping the remaining parcels.
The steaming chicken was delicate and tender, its crispy skin and soft meat melting on their tongues. It quickly fused with their taste buds.
With a gentle pull, the rich fruity aroma from the chicken’s cavity burst forth, trickling onto the scorched, crispy outer skin. It mingled with the sweetness of honey, creating a clear, sweet, charred taste.
Lu Mingming gave each cub a large chicken leg, ensuring they ate heartily and stayed healthy during the three-day competition.
She didn’t forget to find time to sneak off to the corner to feed the little cub in her backpack.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
The little cub in the bag narrowed its eyes, seeming listless and uninterested in eating.
When Lu Mingming’s fingers approached, it instinctively turned its face to nuzzle them.
Lu Mingming, worried, carried the little one into the small wooden cabin for constant care.
Inside the cabin, the cubs were having a pre-sleep activity, sharing their feelings about the day.
“When I grow up, I’m definitely going to marry Sister Mingming!”
One cub’s declaration sent all the adults into laughter, finding it rather endearing.
As the night deepened, after the laughter faded, everyone huddled together to sleep.
…
As a night passed, the people in the wooden cabin were undisturbed by wild beasts and slept soundly. As everyone struggled to get up and wash, the cameras in the forest simultaneously issued a notification.
[Attention everyone, a new competition rule will be added shortly.]