Even when resting, Zebra's mind was filled with the image of Ning Beichen catching piranhas with his bare hands. After all, the martial arts of the East were not something an Amazonian native could comprehend.
Therefore, in Zebra's heart, Ning Beichen had already been elevated to the status of a deity, as he believed only gods possessed such abilities.
Others who ventured into the Devil's Forest never returned alive, yet he emerged unscathed.
Gradually, Ning Beichen's figure grew in stature in Zebra's mind.
Ning Beichen, however, was oblivious to Zebra's thoughts and had no interest in engaging in deep conversations with a native.
Even if they had something to say, they couldn't communicate effectively. Most of their daily interactions relied on hand gestures. If Ning Beichen were to discuss the mysterious ancient Eastern cultivation systems and the world of martial artists with him, it would be utter nonsense.
Zebra did not rest for a full hour either, only about half an hour before concluding his break.
Perhaps it was because he considered Ning Beichen a god, but he suddenly became more diligent than before. If they were to return to the Devil's Forest now, Zebra would not hesitate to follow Ning Beichen into it.
The small wooden boat continued its journey down the river. However, as evening approached, the weather suddenly changed, and a torrential downpour began.
The river and its water level rose rapidly. Within minutes, a flash flood formed, instantly sweeping away the small wooden boat.
That's right, it was swept away, not capsized.
The moment the small wooden boat was swept away by the flash flood, Zebra felt himself being lifted into the air, as if he had lost control. His face turned ashen, and his expression became one of despair.
He had experienced this before, as it was a common occurrence in the Amazon rainforest. This was life for those who lived there; they never knew when death might appear.
He knew even more clearly that the chances of survival in such a situation were slim. Most likely, he would fall into the river and be swept away by the powerful torrent.
In a few days, perhaps not even days but mere hours, his corpse would become food for crocodiles.
Just as Zebra thought he was doomed, a hand suddenly grabbed him. Before he could react, Ning Beichen pulled him away from the river and onto the shore.
After a while, Zebra realized Ning Beichen had saved him. He immediately knelt before Ning Beichen, kowtowing repeatedly and muttering thanks to the gods.
The rain continued to pour. Due to the flash flood, the river had overflowed its banks and begun to inundate the land on either side.
Ning Beichen had no time to concern himself with what Zebra was doing. His gaze swept across the surroundings, and he soon spotted a cave about five hundred meters to his right.
Without hesitation, Ning Beichen grabbed Zebra again and leaped into the air, occasionally touching branches with his feet. The five hundred-meter distance was covered in an instant.
It was a cave entrance located halfway up the mountainside. The entrance was not large but was recessed, providing them with shelter from the rain without the worry of the rising floodwaters.
It was fortunate that Ning Beichen found this cave on the mountainside, as in less than half an hour, the river had risen about half a meter above the land.
During the rainy season in the Amazon rainforest, it was very dangerous, especially near the riverbanks. Inexperienced individuals were most prone to accidents.
"Alright, no need to keep kneeling. I am not your god."
Ning Beichen said with a slight headache, looking at Zebra, who was still kneeling.
But for a native, it wasn't as simple as Ning Beichen saying he wasn't a god. Although Zebra stopped kneeling, he had already decided Ning Beichen was a god, displaying an utterly fervent demeanor.
Ning Beichen tried to persuade him a few times without success, so he gave up and stopped bothering with him. He lowered his head to look at the sky, which was completely dark. He wondered how long this heavy rain would last, figuring they wouldn't be able to leave today.
Ning Beichen withdrew his head. They were not tired and did not need to rest, but with the torrential rain outside, they would definitely not be able to leave today and would have to spend the night here.
However, it was still early, and he couldn't communicate with the native. Ning Beichen decided to explore the cave.
The cave appeared to be naturally formed. The entrance had many weathered stones and stacked rocks, as well as some peculiar small gullies formed by years of water erosion. Ning Beichen even found several bird nests here.
Before long, Ning Beichen discovered three passages. However, two of them were dead ends, meaning the passages were fake and led nowhere after a short distance.
At the entrance of the other passage, Ning Beichen heard the whistling of wind.
The sound of wind indicated airflow within, not a dead end.
Since he had nothing else to do, should he go in and explore?
Ning Beichen thought for a moment and decided to go in and take a look.
It wasn't that he expected to find anything inside. In truth, most caves in the world were ordinary and contained nothing of significance.
However, some caves were special and might contain other things, such as rare natural treasures.
If it were a cave elsewhere, Ning Beichen wouldn't bother entering. But this was the rarely-visited Amazon rainforest, and Ning Beichen had noticed some weathered rocks outside.
Based on his experience, this cave had existed for at least several thousand years, and there might be something valuable inside.
This time, Ning Beichen didn't even ask Zebra. As soon as Zebra heard that Ning Beichen was going into the cave, he immediately volunteered to lead the way, showing no intention of staying behind.
The entrance to the passage was very small. Zebra and Ning Beichen could only move forward in a semi-crouched position, like crabs, inching their way inside.
However, as they moved further in, the space inside expanded. Once inside, they no longer had to stoop but could walk upright.
Zebra, holding a torch, walked ahead with a proud and determined air. He was now a subordinate of a god, filled with courage and fearless of anyone.
However, shortly after entering, they encountered a swarm of bats. These bats flew out of the cave in a vast wave, particularly targeting areas with light. Fortunately, these were ordinary cave bats and did not actively bite.
But when these bats suddenly rushed out from within, they startled Zebra, causing him to drop the torch he was holding.
As the bats flew past Zebra, they encountered Ning Beichen and, as if hitting an invisible wall, fell from the air like raindrops, making a pitter-patter sound.
This further convinced Zebra that Ning Beichen was undoubtedly a god, as, in his mind, this was an ability no human could possess.