In this forest, from the giant lizards and six-legged hunting lions several meters long to the fist-sized moles, all were moving urgently and in a state of extreme excitement. They were either hunting and feeding or reproducing, never stopping for a moment. The atmosphere in the entire forest was peculiarly strange and intense, as if it were an uninhibited gathering attended by all species.
Though Li Kuanglan had long adapted to her male identity, even with her free-spirited nature, she found it hard to bear the sight and couldn’t help but spit.
Qian Ye slew a pair of mating six-legged lions and was just about to collect the prey when Li Kuanglan stopped him, frowning, “It’s so dirty, I don’t want to eat it!”
Qian Ye naturally understood her meaning and lamented, “There aren’t many clean ones here.”
Li Kuanglan looked around and indeed found no better options. She pointed to a group of horse-deer-like creatures darting through the forest and said, “Those look more edible.”
Qian Ye sighed, “What good does being edible do?”
It was common knowledge that the stronger the beast, the more beneficial its meat, but often, their flesh was unpalatable. In Qian Ye’s view, those little forest horses were too weak, similar to ordinary beasts, and there was no need to eat them. They were far less beneficial than the six-legged hunting lions in replenishing one’s original force.
But Li Kuanglan adamantly refused to touch the mating lion meat, so Qian Ye eventually settled for a large python as a compromise.
Just a few hunts had already brought Qian Ye’s intake of essence blood close to saturation. The beings here might be average in strength, but their essence blood was incredibly abundant. Moreover, in such an extreme gravity environment, large beasts could weigh dozens of tons yet still run and leap like the wind. Without even mentioning their strength, their sinews and bones would make excellent materials.
Perhaps because Qian Ye had always taken the initiative, Li Kuanglan, unwilling to be outdone, suddenly leaped and chased after a small deer bounding through the forest, stabbing it in the neck with her blood blade.
A soft thud, and the blade pierced like a broken leather, only penetrating a few inches. The deer, in pain, leaped forcefully, and its hind hooves whipped towards Li Kuanglan’s chest with a flash of wind.
Though small, the deer was incredibly powerful, lifting Li Kuanglan off the ground. Its hind hooves, halfway through the kick, whistled like sharp blades. If struck, Li Kuanglan would break another set of bones.
Li Kuanglan was slightly startled, but her combat skills were astounding. Applying a bit more force, she inverted herself on the deer’s back, dodging the kick. Then, with a shake of her blood blade, she penetrated the deer’s exceptionally strong muscle and stabbed its heart, finally securing her prey.
Even a timid and gentle-looking deer was so difficult to deal with, not to mention the six-legged hunting lions. But Qian Ye harvested them effortlessly, a line of red, and the prey fell motionless. Li Kuanglan, feeling disgruntled, grabbed Qian Ye’s hand to examine it, but saw nothing. Since Qian Ye had advanced to Marquis, his life force absorption had become more controllable, allowing him to shoot multiple lines of blood at once.
This was one of the most ancient and mysterious abilities of the Blood Race, which Li Kuanglan couldn’t possibly understand.
But holding Qian Ye’s hand, he suddenly thought of the alluring flesh beneath her armor, and a strange agitation surged in his heart. His gaze shifted to her lips, which now looked so tender and delicious, almost tempting him to seal them. More maddening was that, despite noticing Qian Ye’s change, she neither scolded nor rejected him, but instead, her lips parted, as if inviting and yet resisting.
Fortunately, Qian Ye had enough experience to suppress his desires and nonchalantly withdrew his hand, pointing to a small lake in the forest, “Let’s go check over there.”
Li Kuanglan nodded, acting as if nothing had happened. A layer of frost appeared on her armor, clearly using cold air to calm herself.
Both were top young powerhouses of the Empire, and searching was second nature to them. In a short while, they explored the lakeshore, confirming it was safe. Qian Ye then dived into the lake to explore the bottom, while Li Kuanglan stayed on the shore to cover him. In this world, the lake water was thick like mercury, and the underwater environment was particularly dangerous. Qian Ye’s life force absorption, however, ignored gravity and most defenses, making it an unparalleled weapon.
After a while, Qian Ye emerged with a large fish, saying, “The lake isn’t dangerous.”
But Li Kuanglan lifted his arm armor, revealing a deep, jagged wound. The wound, uneven like a saw cut, was oozing black mucus, preventing it from healing.
Qian Ye raised the fish, smiling, “This guy did it. Haven’t had a chance to clean up, but we can have a feast tonight.”
Li Kuanglan remained silent, her fingertips glowing with azure sword energy, carefully scraping the black poison from Qian Ye’s wound. Her fingers moved swiftly, each cut thin, fearing to slice his flesh. After hundreds of cuts, she had cleaned only half.
Qian Ye opened his mouth, wanting to handle it himself, but seeing her serious expression, he held back. After a long time, she finished cleaning the wound, and seeing the rapidly healing flesh, she smiled, lighting up the entire lakeside.
Qian Ye dropped the fish, looking around, “This place is good. Shall we stay here tonight?”
“Sure.”
They naturally divided the tasks. Qian Ye went to gather wood, while Li Kuanglan prepared the food.
Soon, Qian Ye returned with a bundle of wooden planks. Li Kuanglan had already built a simple stone stove, cut the fish into pieces, and skewered them on branches over the fire, doing it quite skillfully.
When Qian Ye returned with the second bundle, Li Kuanglan was still roasting the same piece of fish. He smiled and continued to gather wood. It was no easy task; he had to use Dongyue to cut down the trees, remove the bark and branches, and slice them into planks. The forest seemed ordinary, but the trees were harder than steel. It felt more like cutting metal than wood. If not for Qian Ye’s formidable strength and Dongyue’s sturdiness and sharpness, he would have exhausted his original force and ruined his sword after just a few trees.
In this cursed world, nothing was easy, and surely Li Kuanglan’s fish roasting was no exception.
When Qian Ye returned with the third bundle, he indeed found Li Kuanglan still roasting the same piece of fish. But on his fourth return, he noticed something was off—she was still roasting the fish.
He approached her, asking, “Is something wrong?”
Li Kuanglan, as if awakening from a dream, exclaimed, “Ah, no, nothing.”
The charcoal fire was raging, and the flames continuously licked the fish, turning it golden-brown. Qian Ye took the roasted fish, unable to help saying, “It’s already cooked!”
“Ah, yes, it’s cooked.” Li Kuanglan seemed distracted.
By her feet, the fish was reduced to bones, and the pile of charcoal was growing. Evidently, she had burned the fish and used it as fuel. This was a new discovery; the fish could serve as strong and enduring fuel, unlikely to go out anytime soon.
Qian Ye sighed, cut the roasted fish into strips, skewered them, and handed them to her, “Eat first. If it’s not enough, I’ll catch more.”
“I’ll go.”
“No, I’ll go.”
Of course, Qian Ye wouldn’t let Li Kuanglan enter the lake. The lake was safe for him, but it posed a deadly risk to her. Without Qian Ye’s strength, she couldn’t move freely underwater.
After diving in for a short while, Qian Ye re-emerged with another large fish. Li Kuanglan took the fish and started roasting it absentmindedly. Qian Ye had no choice but to let her, since she was eating the fish, and he went back to gather more wood.
Once they had enough wood, Qian Ye set up a makeshift cabin by the lake. He wasn’t satisfied, though, and built a fence and set up wooden traps, only then feeling secure.
With the campsite ready, dusk arrived. Though Li Kuanglan had turned most of another fish to charcoal, she still managed to eat a few pieces. The fish was highly nutritious and full of original force, filling her quickly. Despite the dangers, this world had its benefits. The fish, for instance, was very beneficial for her injuries. In two days, her broken bones would heal, and she would be fully mobile.
As night fell, Qian Ye called Li Kuanglan inside, checked her injuries and original force recovery, and secured the camp, closing the door and sealing the house. No fire was lit; in this lifeless night, fire was useless.
They sat facing each other, each cultivating, fighting against the slowing life force.
Outside the cabin, the night was silent, the wind fading, leaving only the cold light reflecting on the smooth, ripple-free lake. The forest, once bustling, was now quiet, the silence unnerving.
In what should have been a silent night, a thunderclap resounded, and a dark ripple appeared in the sky above the cabin. Both Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan recognized it as a sign of space tearing. But this time, it wasn’t someone trying to pass through, but the pressure of the Supreme Martial Arts technique tearing the void.
Qian Ye gradually restrained his surging original force, stopping the cultivation of the Supreme Martial Arts. He hadn’t expected the space here to be so fragile, and the technique’s vortex tore the space, causing the void’s original force to pour in like a waterfall, instantly filling Qian Ye’s five vortexes. If he hadn’t stopped in time, more tears would have formed, potentially endangering the cabin and them.
Qian Ye didn’t expect to instantly replenish his original force, but the force cultivated by the technique couldn’t be used directly. It needed refinement through the Yao Chapter to transform into Dawn Enlightenment, truly increasing his original force.
As he was about to refine the original force, Li Kuanglan suddenly said, “I can’t hold on anymore. You’ll have to take over.”
Qian Ye hesitated, unsure how to respond. Li Kuanglan referred to the struggle against the night’s lifeless vitality, needing help. But did she really understand how Qian Ye had helped her the previous night?
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