Originally, Li Pu was tracking the scent all the way here.
But the reason he completely lost direction was because something strange happened.
That scent mysteriously and entirely vanished.
[Grass!]
Grassman: Summoner, Xiangxiang is over here!
However, unlike him, the grassman seemed not to have lost the scent.
"It seems the full attributes of the 10 Wood are indeed unique?"
The only explanation Li Pu could think of was this.
But for now, he was still half-believing, as the grassman didn't seem very reliable.
So under its guidance, Li Pu continued forward for about 10 more minutes.
"Looks like I misunderstood."
He felt he should apologize for underestimating the grassman.
Because the previously disappeared fragrance reappeared again, albeit very faintly.
"Wait a minute."
It was at this moment he stopped walking.
[Grass?]
Grassman: Xiangxiang is just ahead, Summoner.
To this, the grassman expressed confusion.
"Let's change our approach."
After gazing upwards, Li Pu pointed to the dense branches above.
Because he suddenly remembered that if the opponent was a plant-type magical beast, approaching rashly might very likely alert it.
The previous disappearance of the scent might very well be because the opponent sensed them and chose to evade.
Unlike oddities like the grassman, many plant-type magical beasts are rooted in the soil.
These root branches act somewhat similarly to human ears.
Their footsteps can be easily detected through the vibrations traveling through the soil.
Therefore, Li Pu wanted to change methods and decided to climb trees.
Saying this, he swiftly climbed a nearby large tree.
Being thrown into the old forest by his grandfather before, this kind of maneuver was a common practice.
[Grass!]
Grassman: Summoner, wait for me!
The grassman, on the other hand, looked up somewhat clueless.
Eventually, with Li Pu's help, it clumsily climbed onto the tree trunk.
Once up, moving became more convenient than purely tree climbing.
They just needed to tread carefully or leap across the branches.
Due to its lightweight body, the grassman had even more of an advantage over Li Pu.
It could easily step onto fine branches Li Pu wouldn't dare try.
And so, he and the grassman traveled from tree to tree.
In fact, this pace was faster than walking on the ground, as Li Pu often held back on ground level.
After advancing on the trees for a while, Li Pu felt the scent getting stronger.
Their target was likely nearby.
[Grass!]
Sure enough, the grassman then gave a soft reminder and pointed to a spot.
It wasn't too far from them, and with the mist slightly thinning, it was within visual range.
"What on earth is that."
Li Pu was stunned at first glance.
He couldn't recognize what the entity was.
Only on the second look did he understand.
It indeed seemed to be a plant-type magical beast, likely a treant.
The reason it seemed likely was that aside from its feet rooting in the ground, its head was also buried underground.
It looked like a piece of wood arched with both ends buried.
If not for its branch-like arms exposed, it would be really hard to detect just visually.
"You go down and take a look first."
After confirming the target, Li Pu gave the command.
Though he had just become a summoner for less than two days, he still maintained basic safety awareness.
With the existence of a resurrection charm, the grassman wouldn't really die, so leading the way was naturally its task first.
If he were to die, then it'd be for real.
[Grass!]
Grassman: Summoner, you can rest assured.
It patted its chest and made a promise.
Thus, the grassman leaped from the trunk and landed beside the treant.
Rustle!
The grassman's landing on the soil caused the treant's body to shiver.
It looked like a very timid creature.
[Caocao!]
Grassman: Xiangxiang, wake up.
The grassman extended its grassy hand and tapped the archwood.
[Wooshoo!]
With its tap, the opponent indeed pulled its head out of the dirt.
This move allowed Li Pu to finally see the complete form.
It could be confirmed as a treant magical beast.
However, its stature was very small, even counting the height of its branch tips, it was a bit shorter than the grassman.
Its leaves were not lush at all, totaling about thirty pieces, visibly sparse.
The most striking feature was its head branch shaped somewhat like a crown.
"It's really tea leaves..."
But Li Pu's attention was more on those leaves.
The magical beast tea leaves his grandfather treasured were exactly these leaves.
Unlike ordinary tea leaves needing multiple processes, magical beast tea leaves retain their mystical aroma by preserving their freshness.
So by comparison, he recognized them.
His grandfather's tea leaves, though slightly dry, were much larger in size.
Li Pu, at his age, of course, wasn't interested in tea leaves.
He only wanted its skills.
This creature didn't appear to be a strong magical beast, probably easy to acquire the related properties.
"Pick a leaf from it and give it to me."
Thus, through telepathy, he communicated the message to the grassman.
[Grass!]
The grassman swiftly plucked a leaf from the opponent.
[Wooshoo-shoo!]
The tea treant cried out, its eyes suddenly watery, seemingly about to tear up.
Moreover, the leg-like roots pulled out from the ground as it tried to flee.
However, due to the constraints of root-like legs, its movements were quite slow, like tiptoeing.
Although not short on frequency, it was low on speed.
Seeing this scene, Li Pu, who had already followed down from the tree, felt a tinge of guilt.
Judging by appearance and feel, this tea treant seemed to be a child.
Magical beasts aren't inherently all malicious; some are neutral or even friendly, not necessarily hostile to humans. With higher intelligence, they might even be considered another race.
"No harm, it's just a few leaves after all."
He then told himself.
But upon receiving the leaf from the grassman, Li Pu's expression changed.
Simultaneously, the following Chang Shoushang finally arrived nearby.
Without bootprints to use, he had almost lost track.
"Is this kid really lame or pretending, why is it so hard to track."
After stopping, he was slightly out of breath.
Yet when his gaze turned towards Li Pu, Chang Shoushang almost choked.
Damn! Isn't that the headmaster's unleashed tea leaf magical beast!
His eyes then incidentally glanced at a lush tree, directly choking him.
Damn! Isn't that the headmaster himself!
…
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