Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 782 - 783: There are Crocodiles

Chapter 782: Chapter 783: There are Crocodiles

A heavy rain had completely erased the tracks of the people ahead, and without any paths in the same direction, everyone simply set their course and blazed their own trails through the rainforest.

Song Xiaodong wasn’t afraid of encountering those people again. In fact, deep down, he rather hoped for a confrontation, even though his own strength had already become formidable. Only through real combat could he solidify his abilities further.

Now, when he practiced with Sun Zhentian at home, it was more about sparring, lacking the life-or-death intensity of the past. Naturally, he couldn’t unleash his true power, nor could he truly enhance his skills.

Traveling with Sun Yiyi, neither mentioned what had happened inside the tree hollow. Sun Yiyi still carried an endless charm with every frown and smile, and facing her, Song Xiaodong had become even more composed.

After walking for over an hour, Sun Yiyi said, "There’s a river ahead. Once we cross that river and walk a bit more, we can rest. By tomorrow afternoon, we should reach our destination."

Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "I can already hear the sound of water. This river seems quite large, it looks like we’re not far now."

As they moved forward, the sound of water grew louder. After about twenty minutes, they reached the riverbank and, facing the hundred-meter wide, rushing waters, Song Xiaodong said, "Are we supposed to swim across?"

Looking at the river, Sun Yiyi grinned and said, "Seems like it, huh? Do you have any other ideas?"

At that moment, Song Xiaodong pulled Sun Yiyi back behind a tree and looked upstream for a few dozen meters before exchanging glances each filled with a hint of envy.

With a hint of annoyance, Sun Yiyi said, "Those guys actually brought inflatable boats!"

Song Xiaodong added, "Yeah, I saw those two big bags they carried and wondered what was in them. Turns out it was this. They really are more prepared than us."

"It’s just the two of us, how could we carry such heavy inflatable boats?" Sun Yiyi gave Song Xiaodong a look that said, It’s not that I didn’t think of it, it’s that we couldn’t carry it.

Suddenly frowning again, Sun Yiyi said, "It looks like they have a similar goal to ours. How did they even know about it?"

Song Xiaodong chuckled, "I hope that your scripture isn’t mass-printed and available everywhere."

Sun Yiyi pouted and said, "How could it be? Mine is handwritten on sheepskin."

Song Xiaodong shrugged his shoulders, "Then how did they find out about it?"

"How would I know," Sun Yiyi responded with a face full of resentment.

As they talked, the others had already crossed the river. Once they packed up their inflatable boats and left, the duo approached the riverbank.

The water was somewhat murky, causing Sun Yiyi to frown slightly and say, "It’s so dirty."

Song Xiaodong shrugged his shoulders again and said, "There’s nothing we can do unless we chop down a tree and make a canoe."

"Yes, yes," Sun Yiyi immediately exclaimed excitedly.

"Do you know how?"

"It should be simple, right? Cut down a big tree, chop off a segment, and hollow out the middle. It should... oh, that sounds quite difficult actually."

"Besides, we don’t have the tools. Do you think we could cut down a tree with just a dagger and a machete?"

"All right, then let’s swim across." Sun Yiyi pursed her lips, not feeling embarrassed about her childish comments just moments ago.

Song Xiaodong sized up Sun Yiyi and asked, "Let me ask, can you swim?"

Sun Yiyi blinked and replied, "Yes, I swim quite well in the pool at home."

Song Xiaodong frowned and said, "Then I’m really a bit worried. Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll tie a rope around our waists to prevent you from getting washed away."

Sun Yiyi immediately said, "Yes, yes, actually, I’m also feeling very unsure."

Song Xiaodong shook his head, then took out a rope and tied it around both their waists, leaving a distance of over two meters between them so that they wouldn’t affect each other while swimming.

After arranging their backpacks, Song Xiaodong simply carried them all on his back before getting into the water.

"Hold onto me a bit," Sun Yiyi handed her hand to Song Xiaodong.

Song Xiaodong aught her delicate, almost boneless hand, which felt incredibly soft, but the moment they stepped into the water, it already reached above their knees. A few more steps and it was above their waists, and the river flowed very swiftly, making it difficult for them to stand steadily.

Song Xiaodong wasn’t in the mood to enjoy the feel of Sun Yiyi’s hand anymore and said, "Let’s start swimming across."

Sun Yiyi responded and took the initiative to let go of Song Xiaodong’s hand, plunging directly into the water to swim forward.

Song Xiaodong quickly followed. He had undergone extensive swimming training in the sea, so although the river was fast, it posed no problem for him.

However, Sun Yiyi struggled. Swimming in this flowing water was completely different from swimming in a pool at home, and it was evident that Sun Yiyi swam in a panicky manner.

Song Xiaodong followed closely behind Sun Yiyi and shouted loudly, "Don’t panic, don’t struggle against the current. Swim with the flow. We can’t simply cross it directly."

Sun Yiyi’s mind settled a bit, but such a technique couldn’t be mastered without numerous practices.

Fortunately, the two did not have to worry about lacking strength. They floated downstream while swimming forward, and soon they were more than halfway across.

"Not good!" Song Xiaodong suddenly exclaimed, his expression turning very grim. He was swimming with ease, so he could look around and assess the situation. Such rivers were indeed treacherous places.

Something that looked like driftwood rushed towards them from the rear, and he recognized it instantly—it was a crocodile.

"What’s wrong?" Sun Yiyi, finally getting the hang of it, managed to speak back.

"There’s a crocodile, speed up." Song Xiaodong said while frantically paddling with his arms and legs. This wasn’t about escaping alone but about reaching the shore quickly to pull Sun Yiyi up.

"What? A crocodile!" Sun Yiyi panicked instantly. In the river, crocodiles reigned supreme, and even if she were proficient in Kung Fu, she was no match for a crocodile in the water. Moreover, these creatures often appeared not singly but in groups.

Sun Yiyi panicked, and her movements became erratic, slowing her down. However, her waist tightened and her body involuntarily rushed towards the shore, pulled by Song Xiaodong.

"Be careful!" At this moment, Sun Yiyi was completely behind Song Xiaodong. Suddenly, she saw a crocodile’s large mouth open wide, fiercely approaching Song Xiaodong, and she cried out in shock.