| GB | Water Realm God | 112
The next day, under the guidance of the Gray Mouse elder, Yu Bai, Huo Duo'er, and a group of orcs arrived at the edge of the salt fog wild forest.
The sky brightened early, and by the time they arrived, the morning sun was bright, its light enveloping the forest like seawater.
At this moment, a soft golden glow lay on the mist, rolling and floating, with sparse trees, nearly leafless, only the shadows of branches discernible through the hazy sea of fog.
The natural scenery before them was beautiful, but lacking vitality, it appeared lonely and serene.
Yu Bai sighed lightly, who would have thought that beneath this strange and beautiful landscape lay a huge trap, where once entranced, one might never return.
Huo Duo'er glanced at the Gray Mouse elder, Yu Bai withdrew his hand from the other's grasp, walked over to him, and smiled slightly.
"Elder, please guide us."
The elder, unaccustomed to such treatment, quickly waved his hands, "Priest, you are too kind!"
As he spoke, he touched the bulging tree bark at his waist, which contained several pieces of roasted meat larger than his head. Thinking of the benefits, he walked to the edge of the misty forest and pointed at a tree trunk thicker than his entire body.
"Priest, these trees might be the key."
Yu Bai was puzzled and approached, about to reach out and pat the tree trunk when Huo Duo'er grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back.
"I'll do it."
Yu Bai: "..."
He touched the tip of his nose and softly responded, "Hmm."
Huo Duo'er inspected the tree trunk up and down but found nothing unusual.
The two gray mouse brothers standing neatly nearby quickly spoke up, "The elder wouldn't harm priest Bai."
Their gray mouse clan was the kindest and most peaceful of the orc tribes, which was why they had fallen to their current state.
Yu Bai smiled and said, "Don't be nervous."
Chang Sheng & A'Di: "Oh..."
With just one smile from priest Bai, the two brothers were quickly soothed.
The elder took out a stone knife and vigorously scraped the outer layer of the tree trunk.
The knife was too worn, and his strength was limited. The elder panted heavily after working for a while. Finally, A’Sen couldn't stand it anymore and pulled out the stone knife from his waist, twirling it. "Leave it to me. What needs to be done?"
The elder's face turned red, and he meekly stepped aside, pointing at the gnawed-like bark. "Just cut a piece of bark."
A'Sen swiftly cut a palm-sized piece of bark.
"Then what?"
The elder stood on tiptoe, and A'Sen chuckled, placing the bark in his hand.
The elder held the bark and walked over to Yu Bai, peeling out the fibers. He then took a few steps and stopped at the edge of the misty forest, extending the bark fibers he held tightly into the forest.
Yu Bai slightly widened his eyes, Huo Duo'er remained silent, and A'Sen and the other orcs leaned in, full of curiosity.
After about fifteen minutes, A'Sen exclaimed in surprise, "The color changed! White, Huo Da, the color of this bark actually changed!"
The gray mouse elder lowered his sore arm and presented the item to Yu Bai.
"Priest, please take a look."
Yu Bai let out an "Ah" and quickly connected the dots based on the changes before him.
"Huo Duo'er, I think I've figured out the function of these bark fibers."
If the bark fibers came into contact with the salt mist, they would change color once a certain concentration was reached, gradually shifting from their original color to light red, orange-red, and deep red.
The time interval for this change was likely fifteen minutes, though it might vary depending on the concentration.
He wasn't sure if the salt mist at the forest's edge was less concentrated than inside. This process would require repeated experiments for comparison.
A'Sen asked, "Bai, what happens after this bark changes color? How does it relate to us crossing the misty forest?"
Yu Bai looked at Huo Duo'er and then at the curious orcs around him, speaking softly.
"To make protective masks."
Since they couldn't fly over from above, they would have to walk through.
This tree bark grew perfectly fine before being extracted, only changing after prolonged exposure to the mist. This suggested that the bark fibers could be combined with other materials to create corresponding masks.
If the fiber layer inside the mask changed color, it would indicate that it was time to replace the mask.
He shared his thoughts, then added, "This is just a hypothesis and speculation. It can't be confirmed immediately. We need to conduct experiments and comparisons first."
The gray mouse orcs looked at him with admiration.
Masks, what are masks? They had never heard of them before. Could it be a divine inheritance bestowed by the Orc God?
Although they didn't understand, it didn't stop them from being won over by Yu Bai.
What they didn't understand must be the most powerful thing.
—
Huo Duo'er decided to follow Yu Bai's idea and start making protective masks first.
The orcs, including A’Sen, split up to gather materials. Some needed to find animal gallbladder membranes, as this material had good waterproof properties.
Others followed Yu Bai to process bark fibers.
Finally, they also needed animal hides. They had prepared plenty of tanned hides before setting out, which could be used immediately with a little tidying up.
In addition, they had to prepare charcoal, which, along with the fibers, would serve as the filtering material for the masks.
Even though the male orcs who came along had extensive wilderness survival experience and were quick with their hands and feet, just the task of collecting materials kept them busy for an entire day.
As the moonlight spilled over the forest, the group of orcs from Fantasy tribe were delayed outside the woods for another day.
—
Early the next morning, dew clung to the tips of the grass, and a few stars still dotted the sky.
Before dawn, Yu Bai opened his eyes in Huo Duo'er's embrace.
Huo Duo'er lowered his head, touched Yu Bai's forehead, and kissed him a few times.
"Sleep a little longer."
Yu Bai had been busy late into the night, and if Huo Duo'er hadn't forced him to sleep, he would have been reluctant to rest.
Yu Bai closed his eyes, nestled in the broad chest, and after a few minutes, opened his eyes again.
He stretched his neck, his fluffy hair brushing against Huo Duo'er's shoulder.
"Time to get up."
Huo Duo'er held Yu Bai's waist, his heart softened by the rubbing.
His shoulders and neck felt ticklish, and after a few rubs, Yu Bai looked up at him, his dark eyes curved and slightly moist.
Even though Huo Duo'er felt pity in his heart, he couldn't bear to keep Yu Bai sleeping any longer.
They got up and washed up. Seeing this, the surrounding orcs gradually rose, first lighting a fire to prepare food. After eating and drinking their fill, they began to focus on figuring out how to make masks.
Yu Bai only briefly explained the characteristics and functions of masks. He had worn masks before, but this was his first time actually trying to make one.
The group of orcs stared intently at the materials they had gathered, initially full of enthusiasm, but soon scratching their heads in frustration, and finally just staring at each other.
For orcs like A’Sen, who were used to hunting, their hands and minds were rough. Making them figure out how to make masks was more torturous than taking a beating.
So the orcs placed their hopes on Yu Bai. Their priest was almost omnipotent and would surely be able to make masks quickly!
By midday, Yu Bai was holding a not-so-successful mask, feeling troubled. He was pondering how to improve it when he suddenly heard the old gray rat orc exclaim.
Yu Bai, leaning in Huo Duo'er's arms, looked over, rubbing his sore eyes. He saw the old gray rat orc take something from Chang Sheng's hands, not daring to examine it for too long, and carefully presented it to him with both hands.
The gray rat elder glanced furtively at the expressionless giant, then spoke, "Priest, look at this."
Chang Sheng and A’Di were so nervous they didn't know where to put their hands and feet.
Yu Bai took the item from the elder and examined it repeatedly, then suddenly revealed his small white teeth and smiled.
"It's even better than what I made, quite fitting the style of a mask. Chang Sheng, you're really amazing."
Chang Sheng, praised by the Bai, was so happy he almost fainted, and nearly bit his tongue when he spoke.
"I-I'm glad I could help Priest Bai!"
A’Di looked at the half-finished item in his hand, secretly observing the mask his elder brother had made. After memorizing it, he decided to make an identical, or even better, one to present to Bai later.
As evening approached, the orcs of Fantasy tribe had little to show for their efforts. Yu Bai had tried his best, but the masks he made were rather mediocre.
On the other hand, the Gray Mouse brothers, though small and timid in appearance, were meticulous and skilled. They showed great aptitude in this task, and even the elder had done well. The three of them had produced six masks that closely resembled modern protective masks in just one afternoon.
Kai, a former warrior of the Heiyao tribe in the team, volunteered to wear a mask and walk around the Salt Mist Wild Forest for a while.
After Kai spoke up, Huo Duo'er selected another orc to accompany him into the forest wearing masks.
Yu Bai was somewhat worried. Huo Duo'er rubbed Yu Bai's fluffy head with his right hand and, with his left hand, summoned numerous vines. He controlled them, wrapping them around the waists of the two male orcs.
Huo Duo'er said, "If you encounter anything unusual, tug on the vines a few times."
Kai nodded, adjusted his mask as instructed by Yu Bai, and resolutely stepped into the misty forest.
The most nervous among the group were the Gray Mouse orcs. They were deeply concerned that the masks they had made might not work and could potentially harm the male orcs.
However, upon seeing the vines extended from the hands of the giant clan, the elder, who was witnessing the power of the mountain god for the first time, was deeply moved. After expressing his admiration, he became convinced that the orcs in the forest would be safe.
The sun had not yet set, and about fifteen minutes had passed.
The vines controlled by Huo Duo'er remained still. Before he could pull the orcs out, Yu Bai, staring intently at the figures emerging from the forest, stepped forward and asked, "Kai, how are you?"
Kai and the other male orc stood still, their faces covered in sweat. They glanced at each other, then removed their masks and took several deep breaths.
After inhaling deeply, they relaxed and smiled.
"Big Huo, Bai, I feel fine. I was a bit dizzy when I came out, but after taking a few breaths, I felt much better."
Yu Bai first examined their bodies and found nothing unusual. Then, he opened the outermost layer of the mask, made of animal hide, and through the bile layer, he noticed that the bark fibers of the filter layer had turned a slightly deeper shade of orange-red.
The gray mouse elder, incredulous, leaned in closer and carefully poked the back of Huo Duo'er's hand.
"Indeed, there's nothing wrong...!"
Thus, the next day, Huo Duo'er arranged for the orcs to enter the forest repeatedly for several experiments. While waiting for the results, the gray mouse orcs hurriedly produced more masks, their fingers nearly worn to the bone!
Four days later, Huo Duo'er led Yu Bai, A’Sen, and other orcs into the Salt Mist Forest with enough masks. Chang Sheng also accompanied them.
As for A’Di, he first escorted the elder back to their territory. They had been away for ten days, and if they didn't return soon, their tribe might hold a funeral for them...
Yu Bai wore a bamboo hat, with a mask covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of dark, gentle eyes.
He clung to Huo Duo'er's shoulder, occasionally observing the accompanying orcs.
According to the message from the short-feathered bird, it would take about an hour of flight to pass through the misty forest. This was Huo Duo'er's first time entering the forest, and ensuring the path ahead was safe, they estimated it would take about the same time to exit the forest.
Midway, they changed their masks five times.
By noon, the sun was at its most intense.
Whoosh—whoosh—
Huo Duo'er focused, hearing a different kind of water sound.
Yu Bai patted the arm supporting his waist and hips: "It's the sound of the waves, the sound of the sea!"
The group of orcs emerged from the dense misty forest. Suddenly, they widened their eyes, stung by the sunlight, and exclaimed in unison, "Wow!" They stood still, rooted to the spot.
Before them stretched an endless blue sky, with waves near the shore rolling up white walls of foam, splashing cool, refreshing water.
The blue sea merged with the sky, stretching endlessly, shimmering with golden ripples.
The moist, refreshing air rushed towards them. Yu Bai, protected by his bamboo hat, was fine, but the orcs, not thinking to dodge, had their hair soaked by the incoming waves.
They had never been to such a place before and were momentarily stunned. Although they didn't know if the realm of the water god's domain held hidden dangers, seeing such a scene with their own eyes after exiting the forest made them feel suddenly enlightened, eager to dive into the water.
Yu Bai smiled slightly, wiping the water droplets flowing down from Huo Duo'er's hair.
Huo Duo'er instantly sobered up, gripping his hand tightly, then immediately removed his mask, gazing at him with a faint smile.
"Bai, it was you who guided us to the realm of the water god's domain."
Chang Sheng had already prostrated himself.
"Priest Bai..."
A’Sen and the other orcs were also moved, kneeling on one knee, their fists pressed against their chests.
Huo Duo'er spun Yu Bai around twice, then slowly set him down.
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