Shen Feng had originally planned to rest on the island for two days and prepare fresh water before leaving, but Yue Hengyi's accident disrupted his plans. Ultimately, he chose to take care of Yue Hengyi and wait until he recovered before proceeding.
Thus, Shen Feng's daily routine became fixed: boiling water, hunting, and attending to Yue Hengyi.
Shen Feng had no way to replenish Yue Hengyi's electrolytes, so he could only brew leaf soup for him to drink, which at least provided some vitamins. After hunting each day, he prioritized Yue Hengyi's meals. Fortunately, Yue Hengyi's robust physique allowed him to recover through his own immunity within a week. Although he still looked listless, he could walk much better.
During this time, Yue Hengyi's dead skin also peeled off, and his burn wounds healed considerably, leaving only faint scars.
Shen Feng's care during this period yielded significant results. Yue Hengyi consistently referred to Shen Feng as "Big Brother," clearly showing his sincere admiration and willingness to become Shen Feng's loyal subordinate.
Shen Feng felt gratified to have gained a formidable fighter. His efforts were not without reward; he had earned a subordinate's loyalty. While he wasn't sure how long this loyalty would last, it didn't matter. On the journey back home, Yue Hengyi, a fifth-tier ability user, would prove immensely useful.
Shen Feng took the opportunity to chop down a lot of bamboo to build a raft. The island was abundant with vines, which could be used as ropes to bind the raft. The surfboard was too slow, and it was inconvenient to move on it. A bamboo raft would be much more convenient for sea travel.
"Big Brother, I caught a stingray! We're in for a treat tonight!" Yue Hengyi slowly walked up from the beach, holding a flat stingray. He recognized the fish from a science and education channel; it had a venomous barb on its tail but was edible elsewhere.
At this moment, Yue Hengyi's steps were slow but no longer unsteady, indicating a good recovery.
Shen Feng was tying the bamboo together and said, "Then you prepare it. We'll set off again in two days!"
Yue Hengyi proudly stated, "I saw this fish by the beach just now, and it tried to escape immediately. I used my ability, and it was instantly pressed into the sand. It must weigh thirty pounds, enough for both of us to eat half full."
Yue Hengyi's survival was eighty percent due to his good physique. He estimated that he would fully recover in another two days.
For a young, inexperienced person like Yue Hengyi, suffering a setback was the only way to learn humility. This was the recklessness of a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger. Previously, Yue Hengyi had been defiant towards Shen Feng. It wasn't until this ordeal, in despair, that Yue Hengyi finally understood that some things should not be consumed carelessly.
It was summer on the island, and wild fruits were plentiful. Seabirds also frequently visited the island to eat the fruit. If Shen Feng had no desire to leave, he could have spent the summer on the island, surviving by catching birds. However, the thought of home compelled Shen Feng to act.
"I've been missing for a month. Sister Xue and Zhaoyan will be very worried if they find out. Even if I can't return immediately, I need to find a way to contact them," Shen Feng muttered to himself.
Shen Feng was unsure of the current situation outside and was deeply concerned about the state of Yuzhou. He had to return quickly, preferably finding a populated area to contact the domestic headquarters.
After Yue Hengyi roasted the stingray, Shen Feng joined him. They each ate half of the fish. Although they weren't full, it was the best meal they had had in days.
"Once I find food, I'm going to stuff myself until my belly is round! I haven't eaten my fill in a month. What about you, Big Brother?" Yue Hengyi said while tending the fire.
Shen Feng shrugged and replied, "Right now, I just want to find a signal tower, or even a radio station if necessary, to send a signal home and let them know I'm safe."
"Big Brother, your vision is too limited! Since we've found a radio, why don't we contact headquarters directly and have them send a plane to pick us up? Do you still plan to sail back yourself?" Yue Hengyi quickly interjected.
Shen Feng retorted, "Do you know the headquarters' frequency? I bet you don't. Military frequencies are confidential and constantly changing. How can we contact headquarters? We can only use public channels, which are good for a few words at most. Also, for a plane to pick us up, we first need an airport. Without an airport, there's nowhere for the plane to land!"
"Oh, I suppose that's true. We'll have to take it one step at a time. Let's find someone to ask about the situation, and then we'll depart in a couple of days," Yue Hengyi said quickly.
The two rested on the island for two days, and Yue Hengyi finally recovered. However, compared to his previous robust physique, he had become much thinner. Shen Feng's changes were less noticeable, aside from losing some weight.
Shen Feng used vines to tie the bamboo together, with wood attached to both ends. When pushed into the water, it floated. Yue Hengyi sat on the raft, carrying a cross on his shoulder.
Yue Hengyi carried the cross not because he was religious, but as per Shen Feng's arrangement. He would carry the cross first, then take off his jacket and place it over the cross to act as a sail. Subsequently, Shen Feng would use his abilities, and the raft would immediately begin to move.
"Finally, we're leaving! I'll never come back to this place again!" Yue Hengyi looked at the receding island behind them, recalling the unpleasant events of the past few days, and couldn't help but sigh.
During these days, Yue Hengyi had survived encounters with sea beasts and overcome perilous situations, only to be nearly taken down by a bout of diarrhea. Who would have thought that the seemingly delicious fruits would be so deadly? Moreover, if not for Shen Feng's care, Yue Hengyi felt he wouldn't have made it.
After sailing at sea for half a day, Yue Hengyi's arm holding the sail was sore. Fortunately, at this moment, he spotted a wisp of black smoke in the distance, which instantly invigorated him. He shouted, "Big Brother, steer northeast! There's smoke over there. Where there's smoke, there's fire, and where there's fire, there are people!"
Shen Feng did not hesitate and immediately took action, changing the wind direction and heading directly towards the black smoke.
As a result, by evening, they found a small island. This island was quite large, and the black smoke was emanating from the mountain. Along with the black smoke, there was a strong smell of sulfur in the air. At this point, both Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi understood.
"It seems that smoke doesn't always indicate the presence of people!" Shen Feng remarked with a sigh.
"Alas, I didn't expect there to be a volcano here. What do we do now?" Yue Hengyi was also helpless. He had thought that seeing smoke meant seeing signs of civilization, but he hadn't expected that volcanoes at sea would also release a lot of smoke. They had misjudged the situation.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and said, "Let's go. We'll find a place to rest on the north side, upwind, and continue our journey tomorrow."
On the volcanic island, only low shrubs existed. Thick black smoke billowed from the crater, indicating it was an active volcano releasing gases. As long as the volcano didn't erupt, everything would be fine. Staying upwind, the smoke from the volcano would be carried away by the strong winds.
The two then proceeded to the northern area, gathered some dry grass, and started a fire for warmth.
Throughout the day's voyage, Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi's clothes were soaked by the waves. After all, they were traveling on a bamboo raft. Although it wouldn't sink, seawater would constantly splash onto them through the gaps in the bamboo.
Having not eaten all day, both Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi were very hungry. However, there was nothing edible on the volcanic island, so they had no choice but to endure.
To combat their hunger, they decided to go to sleep early, dreaming of roast lamb and braised pork.
However, in the evening, Shen Feng suddenly heard rustling sounds near his ear. He quickly opened his eyes, nudged Yue Hengyi beside him, and whispered, "Xiao Yue, we have enemies!"
Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi were sleeping on the grass. When Shen Feng woke up, he didn't sit up but quietly woke Yue Hengyi.
Shen Feng's alertness was very high, especially in unfamiliar territory. Even the slightest sound could wake him.
Yue Hengyi opened his eyes and asked, "Enemies? Where?"
"Keep pretending to sleep! The enemies are about to appear!" Shen Feng continued.
Yue Hengyi nodded, squinted, and continued to feign sleep, while constantly observing their surroundings. He trusted that Shen Feng wouldn't play tricks on him for no reason, so there must be enemies hidden in the dark corners nearby. He continued to pretend to sleep, waiting for the enemies to reveal themselves.
Just as they lay on the ground, pretending to sleep, the sound of a trigger being pulled suddenly came from the nearby grass, followed by a loud "bang." The enemy in the darkness actually fired.
The bullet, the moment it left the barrel, was already traveling at near-subsonic speeds. Shen Feng couldn't dodge it in time.
However, just as the bullet was about to hit Shen Feng, with a "crack," it seemed to strike an invisible wall. The sharp bullet was actually stuck in mid-air, and cracks appeared out of nowhere around it.
The person in the darkness panicked upon seeing this and immediately continued to fire, "Bang, bang..." The bullets were single shots, with at least a one-second interval between each. Shen Feng deduced that the firearm used by the person in the darkness was a single-shot rifle. If it were semi-automatic or automatic, it would be different, with a burst of bullets fired at once.
Five bullets were stuck in the air. With the bullets as the center, dense, web-like cracks appeared in the surrounding air. Fortunately, Shen Feng was alert. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately activated "Wind King Barrier" to block the bullets.
"Xiao Yue, go! Capture the enemies alive!" Shen Feng was furious. The person hiding in the shadows had fired without a word, showing extreme ruthlessness. If he hadn't been able to block the bullets, he would have been killed by now.
Yue Hengyi also moved quickly. He first charged to the side, disappearing into the darkness, and then rapidly approached the direction of the gunfire.
The enemy in the darkness also realized something was amiss. The people they had encountered this time seemed not to be easily dealt with, and they quickly tried to retreat.
However, Yue Hengyi's voice then came, "Five times gravity field!"
With a "rumble," the gravity field appeared, causing the surrounding vegetation to instantly bend low. The plants couldn't withstand such a powerful gravity field, and dust billowed everywhere. Yue Hengyi knew that victory was assured!
Two minutes later, Yue Hengyi returned to the campfire, dragging two limp figures. He casually threw them by the fire and clapped his hands, saying, "Big Brother, it's done! These two are ordinary people, not even evolved individuals! Without their guns, they can't do anything."
Shen Feng hadn't expected that the attackers would be ordinary people. It was truly audacious. Not to mention his past campaigns and his countless kills of zombies and mutated beasts, ordinary people would tremble at his sight. Even Chang Haojie would sometimes hesitate to approach him due to his killing aura. Now, two ordinary people dared to ambush him.
"Let me see who has the audacity to sneak attack old me! Huh, foreigners!" Shen Feng looked down and saw that the two figures by the campfire were foreigners with blond hair and fair skin.
"We're in a foreign country, so of course, we'd see foreigners!" Yue Hengyi stated matter-of-factly.
"I mean, are foreigners this bold? They even dare to provoke us!" Shen Feng said with a self-deprecating tone.