Chapter 38

As Jiniao landed on Su Jing's shoulder, he pricked the golden eagle's thigh, causing a drop of fresh blood to fall onto the Ten Thousand Beast Token.

In the past, Su Jing could only use his hands and mouth to try to communicate with the golden eagle, hoping to get some fragmented information. But now, he didn't need to go through such trouble; he could communicate directly by using the blood ritual.

"Xiao Jin, what about that man-eating vine?" Su Jing asked.

"It broke free from the ropes, attacked the cats and dogs. I stopped it, and we had a fight. It escaped into the sea," the golden eagle called out.

"You protected the cats and dogs? Well done." Su Jing praised, then noticed several wounds and some sticky fluid on the golden eagle's body, along with some missing feathers, probably from the battle with the man-eating vine.

"I didn't expect the man-eating vine to be able to dive underwater. How can we catch it?" Su Jing walked to the water's edge and looked into the sea. The water was so clear that he could see the bottom even at a depth of five meters. Unfortunately, after searching for a while, he couldn't find any trace of the man-eating vine. Actually, there are many plants that can survive in the sea. If this man-eating vine can really survive in the sea, it might have already moved to a distant place.

"I wonder if the man-eating vine has a sense of smell and if the meat of magical beasts can attract it?" Su Jing suddenly had an idea. In the past, the man-eating vine hadn't fully grown and probably couldn't leave the soil, or it would have caused trouble everywhere. So, it was uncertain whether the man-eating vine would be attracted to the meat of magical beasts.

"Let's give it a try." Su Jing went into the house and cut a piece of magical beast meat. He first gave a small piece to the golden eagle as a reward for protecting the cats and dogs and to help it recover from its injuries. The rest he put into a bamboo basket and took to the seaside, placing it in the water.

As usual, many fish gathered around. Su Jing also prepared a bucket to catch some of the more valuable species. He waited for about twenty minutes, and the area was soon surrounded by various fish.

Suddenly, a shadow pushed the fish aside, and several vine-like tendrils, resembling eels, floated up from the bottom of the sea. Su Jing was overjoyed and remained still, calming the golden eagle to prevent it from making any sudden moves, as it might cause the man-eating vine to escape back into the sea.

As the man-eating vine got closer, only two meters away, Su Jing was ready to act. But at that moment, he noticed several shadows in the distance, followed by black dorsal fins emerging from the water, quickly approaching.

"Damn." Su Jing's face changed, and he quickly picked up the bamboo basket and stepped back.

However, his movement made the man-eating vine unhappy. A vine quickly extended and wrapped around the basket. Su Jing pulled hard, pulling half of the man-eating vine out of the water, but it seemed to be entangled with something at the bottom, preventing him from pulling it all the way out.

Su Jing decisively abandoned the basket and took three steps back. The man-eating vine then pulled the basket under its body. But the next moment, three large creatures surrounded it, causing the water to churn.

Su Jing could vaguely see that these three creatures were each over three meters long, with slightly round heads, long, narrow mouths, sharp teeth, black backs, a saddle-shaped gray-white spot behind the fins, and a white belly. Su Jing recognized them as orcas, also known as killer whales, which are fierce carnivores skilled at hunting prey, preying on penguins, seals, and even other whales and great white sharks. The three-meter-long orcas were still juveniles; adult orcas can grow up to 8-10 meters. Fortunately, the water near the shore was only two to three meters deep, so adult orcas couldn't approach.

"This man-eating vine is in trouble." In the churning water, Su Jing noticed that the bamboo basket had broken and floated on the surface, with the magical beast meat gone, probably eaten by the orcas. Su Jing sighed, thinking the man-eating vine was doomed. He hadn't been willing to kill it, but it seemed fate had other plans.

However, the next moment, Su Jing was stunned. An orca suddenly leaped out of the water, with the man-eating vine wrapped around it like an octopus. After landing in the water, the orca kept thrashing and jumping, trying to shake off the man-eating vine, but to no avail. The man-eating vine remained tightly wrapped around it.

The other two orcas swam over to help. Orcas live in groups, and if a member is injured or unconscious, the others will come to assist. Unfortunately, even with the two orcas helping, it was still ineffective. Despite their great strength, orcas lack hands and feet, making it impossible for them to pry off the man-eating vine.

Su Jing also noticed that some of the man-eating vine's tendrils had entered the orca's blowhole, seemingly penetrating its lungs. The orca was in extreme pain, thrashing even more violently, and blood started to flow from its mouth.

"Damn, the man-eating vine is so strong!" Su Jing was speechless, never expecting such an outcome.

In its agony, the orca lost all sense of direction and thrashed onto the shore, landing between two rocks, unable to move. The man-eating vine was trapped underneath, unable to escape. The other two orcas swam close to the shore, calling out anxiously, unwilling to leave.

"We need to save this orca, or it will die." Su Jing approached, but as he got closer, the orca, trapped between the rocks, opened its mouth, looking ferocious. An injured orca becomes even more aggressive.

"Big guy, calm down." Su Jing cautiously approached, took out the Ten Thousand Beast Token, and dipped it in the blood that had flowed from the orca's mouth into the water. The next moment, he heard the orca's young voice, "Don't come closer, or I'll bite you to death."

"Don't bite me. I'm here to help you. You're injured, and if I don't help, you'll die on the shore," Su Jing said.

"Really? You really want to help me?" The orca tilted its head, seemingly thinking. Orcas are among the most intelligent animals in the sea, capable of group hunting, using echolocation to communicate and plan tactics. They can also work together to herd fish into a ball and take turns feeding.

Due to their intelligence, orcas have been trained to perform special tasks, such as deep diving, navigation, and mine clearance. They are also used to retrieve underwater objects, scare away harmful sea creatures with their sounds, and act as marine guard dogs to protect and manage artificial fish farms.

So, it was clear that orcas can think.

Su Jing spoke sincerely, "Of course, I can help remove the vines from your body, heal your wounds, and push you back into the sea so you can continue living freely in the water."