The mountain forest surrounding Li Mountain Village basically retains its original appearance. After all, this place has always been an important location in the Tea Wood Town Area, and the surrounding environment is seldom disturbed.
That is precisely why Feng Yuan had a hard time choosing a spot for outdoor cooking—not because he had too many choices, but because the surrounding forests were lush, and he couldn’t casually damage these primordial plants. Lighting a fire here carelessly could easily lead to a troublesome wildfire.
"It seems there are few plants on the mountain top over there, how about that spot?"
Veronia knew what Feng Yuan was grappling with. After sending out the Crystal Shine Dragon to scout the area, it found a location that seemed pretty good.
"I guess that’s the only option, but..."
After a moment’s hesitation, Feng Yuan decided that that would be suitable. Not because he was being picky, but because the surrounding mountains were all densely wooded; only that spot grew wild grass with not a single flower, which made him skeptical whether it was safe.
But... other than that plot, elsewhere, the tall trees posed risks—not just of fire, but the lack of wild grass underneath them was also a problem. Feng Yuan didn’t want to use his ultimate move to grow a lawn.
Veronia laughed lightly but didn’t point out Feng Yuan’s dilemma. Although that place seemed a bit unusual, Veronia believed there shouldn’t be any major issues.
It’s not about confidence in its own luck, but trust in time. Li Mountain Village has existed here for a thousand years, and any threats in the vicinity have long been discovered and resolved; therefore, it shouldn’t be a dangerous place.
Feng Yuan had considered this possibility, but he was so entangled in his recent experiences that he was filled with self-doubt. Even if everything appeared fine, he constantly worried that something unexpected might happen when he arrived.
However, after thinking about it, he felt he was perhaps being overly sensitive. This is near Li Mountain Village; if there were any chaos, they couldn’t be unaware.
After coming to terms, Feng Yuan chose that location. At least around there, it’s most suitable for outdoor cooking.
The cafeteria had prepared camping utensils, so Feng Yuan didn’t seek assistance from others and directly borrowed some utensils from the cafeteria and headed to the destination.
Seeing Feng Yuan was struggling a bit on his own, Veronia chuckled quietly and shifted to human form to help him prepare food. Xiao Ji circled around Feng Yuan trying to assist but couldn’t really lend a hand.
Maybe because Feng Yuan took too long with preparations, the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound drifted off to sleep.
When it woke up, it could already smell the aroma of food. Of course, it didn’t forget to glare at Xiao Ji, who had blown it awake with a gust of wind.
"Haha, it seems the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound has been really worn out lately."
Seeing the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound wake, Feng Yuan remarked while eating grilled skewers. The grill borrowed from the cafeteria was large enough for Feng Yuan to cook simultaneously for both himself and the Spirit Beasts.
Veronia casually picked up a skewer from the human area and said
"Perhaps it’s just sheer laziness; after all, it’s been living very comfortably lately."
Even though several events occurred midway, those incidents offered no opportunity for the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound to get involved, making it almost inactive while under Feng Yuan’s care.
In such a scenario, it slowly lost the wariness derived from its past experiences of living in the wilderness. But for the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound, it wasn’t necessarily bad.
While life in the wild is certainly interesting, tranquil and peaceful living is something many Spirit Beasts long for. As long as the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound itself doesn’t see an issue, not even Agunas could say anything about it.
"Haha, isn’t that good? Always being on edge is not a great thing after all."
Feng Yuan wasn’t bothered by Veronia’s words; Spirit Beasts may be largely straightforward, but they’re not foolish. They can differentiate between right and wrong. If something doesn’t sit well with them, they’d find means to change.
Except under unusual circumstances, wherein the observer is blinded by their situation, outside intervention is needed; however, the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound certainly wasn’t an exception. It’s apparent that it has adapted to and enjoys its current lifestyle thoroughly.
In this case, Feng Yuan didn’t plan to alter anything—one cannot keep someone perpetually prepared for combat like in the War Timeline, right?
Thinking about this, Feng Yuan couldn’t help but recall War Qichen. He wondered how things were on that front as the decisive battle in The Imperial Timeline commenced; that side likely needed to take action too.
Hopefully, they won’t meet on the battlefield...
Inwardly muttering, Feng Yuan didn’t have any viable solution. This collision between major forces—it’s not that he couldn’t do something, but after taking action, how should it be resolved?
Sure, he could reveal formidable strength to violently settle the disputes, but what comes afterward? Complete exposure of power would inevitably alter his life significantly, and he never believed human development required guidance from an exalted God.
Chaos intertwined with order—everything steeped in uncertainty—that’s what he found most fascinating about humanity; no one could predict how the future would unfold.
"Hmm, you’re quite right. But alas, now doesn’t seem to be the best environment for discussing this."
Veronia glanced at Feng Yuan, agreeing with his speech yet still critiquing as she rolled her eyes at him, prompting Feng Yuan to reply blankly
"After The Empire finishes its war, there would presumably be a temporary pause for rest. I believe the Qi Realm Timeline lacks the capability for an offensive."
"Even if they have, following continuous combat, they should be capable of ensuring stability in their rear line."
This wasn’t nonsense from Feng Yuan; should they completely lack the ability to establish a stable rear, it would indeed mean that it was time for the various factions of the Main World to shuffle the decks.
Divine Beasts wouldn’t help humans limitlessly—this time, it’s because the Imperial People’s actions crossed certain lines, and it’s the first time they directly faced an intra-world war. As humanity lacked sufficient preparation, the United Army could form a Divine Beast legion.
In the future, perhaps not, as even if Agunas wished to establish another United Army, other Divine Beasts wouldn’t consent to forming another Divine Beast corps.
Unless, in new wars, those people acted recklessly, angering the Divine Beasts like the Imperial People.
"True, being caught off guard this time was somewhat forgivable, but if it persists, the world would opt for replacement."
Veronia said with a small laugh. During modern confrontation against external foes, it, too, participated, albeit not on the frontline yet still contributed its part.
After all, that war differed from now—it was a battle as the Outer World had invaded the world within, and any mobilizable power had been employed in that war.
Because of that war, following it, the world evolved many buffering zones; like the Starry Sky, like the depths of Data City where regions were created as precautionary measures based on lessons learned from that great war to delay the intrusion of Outer World enemies into the Main World.
Even the world would alter its faults exposed by previous wars; if humanity lacked such capabilities, being replaced seemed not too implausible.
Veronia couldn’t help but recall the departed Mythical Era, faintly understanding why it had dissipated.
Apart from the excessively high top-tier combat power on both sides, it might also relate to its never-ending wars.
Wars could spur a multitude of changes, but continuous wars topped off with a chasm between Divine Beings and ordinary people led to uneven development, where cultural evolution was entirely controlled by Divine Beings and ordinary individuals were mere dependents.
Comparatively, its cultural evolution wasn’t just slightly behind post-Mythical Era times—it was vastly behind.
By comparison, modern combatants lack the prowess of the Mythical Era, but overall, they surpass the Mythical Era considerably.
Perhaps due to this reason, the Great Destruction happened—when the world no longer required them...
"Shouldn’t be that severe; at such perilous moments, humans would unleash unimaginable abilities."
Laughing and shaking his head, Feng Yuan refrained from agreeing with Veronia. Seeing its bewilderment, Feng Yuan seemed to guess something and said
"Unlike the Mythical Era, the root of its downfall lies in their excessively high limits coupled with their bellicose nature—the world couldn’t endure such continuous battles."
"Regarding contemporary times, those entities, unless Divine Beasts intervene, almost lack the capability to cause significant damage to the world."
Essentially, the ruin of the Mythical Era stemmed from its wars inflicting excessive disruption on the world, prompting it to eliminate them.
Modern humanity would hardly be in such a state; even if substitution really occurred, it would proceed via natural elimination.
Feng Yuan believed that if it came to that, humanity has a substantial opportunity to succeed in self-rescue.

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