Mountain Looting: Targeted by a Leopard at the Start
Chapter 273 - 272: The Camera is Moving, There is Something There!

Chapter 273: Chapter 272: The Camera is Moving, There is Something There!

Xu Yang strolled through the mountain forest.

The greens here leaned towards dark green, which didn’t give off a very bright vibe.

The sounds of insects were ceaseless.

It was now noon, and the temperature was somewhat high. Xu Yang took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and felt a bit cooler.

He ate two pieces of beef jerky and two sticks of condensed chocolate, replenishing his strength.

Even with his good stamina, the physical exhaustion was real and had to be replenished in time.

Otherwise, his body couldn’t keep up.

The path was difficult, and Xu Yang held a machete in his hand, occasionally having to chop off the vines in front of him to keep moving forward.

Sometimes after a few steps, vines would wrap around his calves, which also needed to be chopped off promptly.

This was Insect Valley, shrouded in mist, deep in the mountains of Yunnan.

The humid and hot climate made the environment here particularly dangerous.

After entering the dense forest, Xu Yang decided to use the Treasure Compass for the first time.

With the guidance of the Treasure Compass, the first treasure spot was quickly marked.

Xu Yang didn’t know what the treasure in this area would be.

It could be local produce or some kind of rare animal.

He made his way toward the treasure spot.

When he arrived there, Xu Yang noticed a stone.

He saw what appeared to be green crystals on the stone.

So, Xu Yang squatted down and pried the stone out.

After a quick assessment, he decided that the object could be shown in the live stream.

Xu Yang picked up the stone and began:

"Look, everyone, I’ve found something good. I’m quite lucky with today’s mountain trip."

"This is a piece of green beryl, and if it were in better shape, it would be an emerald."

"Finding a good quality emerald in the mountains of Yunnan can make you rich overnight."

"However, the chances are extremely low, almost impossible."

The stone in Xu Yang’s hand was a rock with green rod-like crystals embedded in it.

Unfortunately, the green part was only small and not enough to make a fortune.

Seeing the green on the stone, netizens began to question:

[Old Xu, isn’t that just a piece of a broken liquor bottle embedded in the stone?]

[It’s the same material as my bottle of medicated oil!]

[What emerald? It’s a compound!]

[You found another treasure? I don’t buy it!]

Everyone now didn’t hope for Xu Yang to find treasures.

To this, Xu Yang didn’t say much.

Emeralds, dubbed the king of gemstones, are extremely high-priced as long as they are genuine.

And the source is right here in Yunnan.

"There are many strange ores here, some suitable for collection, and some are ideal for grinding into precious pigments."

"Natural mineral pigments are much more expensive and effective than synthetic ones."

"Like the famous Thousand-Mile River and Mountain Painting, the greatest green and blue landscape painting of Huaxia, was created using ground natural mineral pigments."

Xu Yang looked at the mountain range and surmised.

Different mountains have different styles.

Having seen many mountains, Xu Yang was deeply touched by this.

"I’m here today to look for precious ores."

"So far, the luck isn’t bad—I’ve come across a rough emerald stone right off the bat."

"I hope there are more significant finds ahead."

Due to the stone, the atmosphere in the live stream relaxed somewhat.

But the environment around was still eerie.

Xu Yang continued to move forward, the live stream camera capturing the surroundings.

Just then, the drone’s camera suddenly moved, panning slowly to the right to capture what was happening there.

The drone had a dynamic capture feature. If something moved, it would capture and display it.

Xu Yang hadn’t noticed any disturbances.

But the netizens saw everything clearly; the grass was gently shaking.

[Why did the camera move? Is there something there?]

[I didn’t see anything. Is there a problem with the drone’s camera?]

[It seems like there really is something!]

[It’s getting closer to Old Xu!]

At this point, Xu Yang also became aware of the movement beside him.

"What’s going on?"

Looking over to the side, that one look was enough to startle him, despite his experience.

"Damn, that’s a huge snake!"

"It’s an anaconda!"

He saw a snake, thicker than a human arm, dart out from the bushes.

In fact, pythons of this size are mainly just intimidating to look at and not a significant threat to humans.

There was a news story about a guy who, drunk, wrestled with a large python on the roadside. They tangled up until someone separated them, and the guy didn’t even understand what had happened.

There were quite a few snakes in the area, and no shortage of snake news.

For example, one person claimed to hear hissing sounds in his house, which was very creepy, and he asked for netizens’ help.

A knowledgeable netizen explained to her that it was no big deal—it was just a snake that had gotten into her house to eat a few mice and would leave afterward.

Xu Yang was just surprised by the size of the python and wasn’t particularly afraid.

The netizens could also see everything clearly.

A long anaconda with a mottled pattern, slowly writhing.

For many, their hearts skipped a beat at the sight.

People didn’t care whether it was dangerous or not; its appearance alone was enough to frighten.

The live chat exploded.

[Holy c**p! Holy c**p!]

[Python! There’s a big python!]

[My God, what is this place? It’s terrifying!]

[Oh man, is that a real python? Where has the host gone?]

The audience in the live stream was thoroughly frightened by the enormous python.

A lot of people’s eyes were wide open, covering their mouths, their eyes filled with horror.

Who would have thought there would be such a creature in the forest!

Let’s just say, even a grass snake about as thick as a rope is enough to scare people senseless.

Not to mention one so huge, with patterns all over its body, where even the traces of scales can be seen.

"It’s alright, just a python. Pythons are not venomous; they don’t bite people."

"At most, it will wrap around your body."

"No need to be afraid, everyone."

Xu Yang, seeing the situation in the live stream, said to comfort them.

However, fear isn’t something that can be dispelled with just a few words, as the barrage of comments kept pouring in.

The giant python simply passed by, leaving Xu Yang unharmed.

Xu Yang watched it leave and remarked:

"We only have big pythons like this in the South. I’ve heard that the anacondas in the tropical rainforests are even bigger and can eat people."

"We can’t see snakes this big where I come from."

After saying this, he continued on his way.

The surroundings were still somewhat oppressive.

The netizens were still shaken by the encounter with the python.

Brown Bears, pythons...

For ordinary people, coming to this place was no different from seeking death.

Xu Yang had started using the Treasure Compass to locate the second treasure spot.

This time, he found a sky-blue ore. He picked it up and looked at it but couldn’t figure it out.

"This piece of ore has a pretty unique color, buried in the shallows by the riverbank."

"But I really haven’t come into contact with this stuff."

"Does anyone know what it is?"

Xu Yang asked.

Hearing Xu Yang’s question, an informed netizen replied:

[It’s Colorful Ore, not many collectors have it, best to be ground into pigment.]

[Even a piece like this isn’t cheap, it’s worth tens of thousands.]

[It’s a niche thing, there are enthusiasts, but it’s not easy to sell.]

Seeing these explanations, Xu Yang had a rough understanding.

It appears that Ailao Mountain’s local produce is mostly ore-based.

And most of the ores aren’t too pricey; finding really good ones isn’t so simple.

Xu Yang kept moving deeper into the mountain, and around three o’clock in the afternoon, a thick fog rose again.

The temperature started to drop rapidly.

The forest was still eerie.

He looked up at the depths of the forests.

"I’m still on the outskirts of Ailao Mountain, haven’t gone deep into the mountains yet."

"The previous blogger also only operated on the outskirts of Ailao Mountain."

"The real danger in Ailao Mountain lies in the deep mountainous areas, where there’s a great difference in temperature and poisonous miasmas in the air."

"So, the danger in the depths of Ailao Mountain is purely a natural threat, not much related to those mysterious events."

Xu Yang explained to everyone.

The deep mountains are not easy to enter.

Because they’re hardly suitable for human survival.

Too cold at night, difficult paths, on top of that, there’s miasma.

Xu Yang planned to complete two Treasure Hunting Tasks and then withdraw.

Many rational netizens in the live stream responded:

[Indeed, with significant temperature variations between day and night, scorching hot during the day, and freezing cold at night, ordinary people definitely couldn’t survive in the mountains!]

[Sweat all day and freeze to death at night, definitely could lead to hypothermia!]

[Mountain climbing is also incredibly exhausting, only the tough ones can manage to go into the mountains!]

[Just seeing the Brown Bear and the python, I know I’d never go there in my life!]

This live stream was quite meaningful.

Xu Yang showed everyone the true face of Ailao Mountain.

It was simply a mountain range not suitable for humans, just shrouded in mystery by many people.

The key is that everyone just likes to believe it.

Xu Yang decided to trigger the Treasure Hunting Task:

[Trigger Treasure Hunting Task: Take a photo with a green peacock!]

[Task description: Approach the green peacock up close and take a photo together.]

[Task reward: Green Gemstone*1]

Upon hearing the task notification, a hint of joy flashed in Xu Yang’s expression.

Ailao Mountain didn’t only have those dangerous wild animals but also many other ones.

Such as the green peacock, White Eared Pheasant, White-bellied Golden Pheasant, leopard cat, Red Muntjac, and so on.

The green peacock was also a First Level protected animal.

"Finally, a somewhat more relaxing animal."

"And the reward isn’t bad either."

After receiving the task, Xu Yang moved towards the direction of the green peacock.

He really enjoyed the feeling of carrying out tasks in the mountain forests.

Challenge, excitement, rewards...

Every time he went to the mountains, what he looked forward to the most was the Treasure Hunting Task.

The netizens didn’t know where he was headed, and everyone was still somewhat concerned as they observed the surrounding environment.

This place looked like a scene from ’Tomb Raider Notes’, gloomy and desolate.

In reality, it’s all because people have heard too many stories, and they’ve mentally applied a filter of horror to Ailao Mountain.

The place is just a mountain range unfit for human habitation, that’s all.