The realm of a food lover is divided into many stages. Little Zhu Ji was clearly still at the initial stage of “eating as much as possible and as quickly as possible,” far from the connoisseur who savors every bite. However, even so, the little one’s eating prowess was enough to shock anyone. The chunk of meat, nearly as thick as her neck, was swallowed whole. It was unknown whether her true form was a spider demon or a python.
The first piece of meat didn’t have much flavor, and neither did the second. It wasn’t until the seventh or eighth piece that she finally tasted the real flavor, chewing it with some effort. But the heart of the six-armed giant was as tough as old tree bark, and the little one, despite all her efforts, couldn’t chew it through. Finally, out of impatience, she tilted her head back and swallowed it whole.
Then, she fell backward, her round, ball-like belly making it almost impossible for her to stand up.
Qian Ye shook his head in amusement and looked at the remaining pieces of meat in the pot.
Little Zhu Ji had reached her limit. The pot of meat broth, which had been emitting a rich spiritual vitality, seemed unable to be preserved. By tomorrow, it would turn into an ordinary pot of meat soup.
Only then did Qian Ye start eating.
The heart of the six-armed giant was filled with a rich essence of life, but for Qian Ye, such supplementation was no longer necessary. The creatures in the Great Maelstrom had extremely vigorous lifeforces, and their blood was too abundant to absorb completely. Sometimes, it even caused Qian Ye to suffer injuries.
For example, if he were to capture a water beast from the Pool of All Beings, it could elevate him from a marquis to a power marquis. If he caught two more, he could reach the rank of glory marquis. However, advancing purely through external sources of blood energy was actually detrimental to Qian Ye.
Driven by the principle of not wasting, Qian Ye cleaned out the pot of meat broth. At this point, the little one was already fast asleep, her snores rising and falling. With her spider demon blood, all she needed during her growth period was sufficient accumulation, and she could enhance her strength just by sleeping.
Qian Ye sighed softly. Sometimes, the dark races were truly enviable. Not to mention other aspects, just the longevity of the blood race alone had tempted countless humans over the centuries. Even though they spent most of their later years in a blood pool, it was still a form of immortality. For those who feared closing their eyes and never waking up, anything that kept them alive was good.
There was still some time before dawn, and the forest was quiet. The indigenous people, exhausted from reproduction, lay like piles of soft mud. Those who weren’t affected scattered, regaining their consciousness after the death of the six-armed giant, instinctively returning to the high-gravity core area.
Looking around, Qian Ye felt relatively safe. It was also good that the little one was asleep, as the Pool of All Beings was so mysterious, and it was hard to say whether it might affect her.
At that moment, Qian Ye noticed a flickering light in his peripheral vision.
It was a pale green light, hazy and fluctuating. Yet, the instant it entered his sight, Qian Ye felt a strange sensation, as if he was entering a half-sleeping state.
A thought flashed in Qian Ye’s mind, and he immediately woke from the trance, realizing that his soul had been lured by the light.
Since forming the blood core, Qian Ye knew that his willpower, or perhaps his soul, had become less firm. The instincts of his body were too powerful, and while his willpower was sufficient for a human body, it was slightly weaker when it came to suppressing the impulses of the blood race. In the high-gravity zone, his mental fortitude was not much stronger than Ji Tianqing’s or Li Kuanglan’s.
However, even so, the force that could lead his soul was unprecedented, and he had heard little about it. As far as he knew, the only thing in the Great Maelstrom related to the soul was the Lotus of the Sea.
Qian Ye leaped to his feet, gazing in the direction of the green light. If it was indeed the Lotus of the Sea, it was something he must obtain.
According to the Empire’s records, the bloom of the Lotus of the Sea lasted only an instant, and missing that moment would cause it to solidify like jade, losing most of its soul-strengthening and miraculous effects. The Lotus of the Sea used in medicine by the Empire was of this kind.
It was said that Duke Qingyang Zhang Boqian once brought a living Lotus of the Sea out of the Great Maelstrom. Although it was well known that Zhang Boqian had the special ability to traverse the continent, it was unknown what extraordinary means he used to freeze the blooming moment.
But these uncertainties did not deter Qian Ye’s determination.
Qian Ye did not know Yuetong’s current condition. From the standpoint of absolute power, she had not yet shown much, having just recovered to the level of a vice-duke. However, her use of power was exquisite, on a completely different level from Qian Ye. Therefore, the six-armed giant couldn’t even withstand a single encounter with her.
Yet, Qian Ye remembered that before Yuetong awakened, she had mentioned that her soul damage was difficult to repair. Qian Ye had extensively researched and understood the methods used by Lishui Feng. The Soul Mill, after all, ground and crushed part of the soul, torturing the opponent. Once that part of the soul was gone, it was gone. To repair it was like regenerating a lost limb, only hundreds or thousands of times more difficult.
It was unknown whether the awakened Yuetong had the ability to repair her soul. However, from the ancient bloodline inheritance he possessed, Qian Ye doubted the ancient blood race had such a method. Perhaps when his strength further increased and he received a higher inheritance, he might acquire a similar technique. But that was a long way off.
These thoughts flashed through Qian Ye’s mind, and he decided, no matter what, he had to get the Lotus of the Sea!
The source of the green light was a small island in the Pool of All Beings, about a kilometer from the shore. The distance was neither near nor far, but crossing the water would likely provoke attacks from water beasts. Although the water beasts rested at night, it didn’t mean they would ignore Qian Ye.
The good news was that the island was not far from the shore, and there was a large shallow area, limiting the depth of the water. Larger aquatic beasts would find it hard to move. If it were a truly massive beast, like a void beast, it would struggle to even stretch its limbs and would likely have to lie horizontally between the island and the shore.
After a brief hesitation, Qian Ye picked up the little one, grabbed a wooden stick, and in a flash, disappeared from his original spot.
Suddenly, a column of water erupted from the calm surface of the Pool of All Beings, spreading in the air to form a thin wall of water. Qian Ye appeared in the air, colliding with the water wall, and was bounced back.
Qian Ye was shocked. This was the first time in his life that his void blink had been disrupted. The underwater beast’s abilities were beyond imagination, able to smooth out the twisted void, catching Qian Ye off guard as he was pushed out, appearing midway between the island and the shore.
Another water column shot up, its tip sharp and piercing, aimed directly at Qian Ye!
Qian Ye reacted quickly, throwing the prepared wooden stick. The stick burst into splinters upon impact, but the explosion’s force allowed Qian Ye to move sideways, avoiding the water spear.
The water spear missed, and instead of continuing to shoot upward, it retracted like a real spear.
Qian Ye’s eyes gleamed, and he swung his Dongyue sword, cutting the water spear in half.
The lower half of the water spear remained intact and retracted, while the upper half dispersed into a shower of water, drenching Qian Ye and the little one.
As the water touched him, Qian Ye felt a faint life force seep into his body, even making his dark golden blood qi more active. As expected, the water was not only non-toxic but also highly nourishing. Even a seriously ill person, soaking in this water for a few days, would recover.
Truly the Pool of All Beings, even the water droplets carried such potent life force. However, when he took the water to cook the meat, it didn’t seem this strong.
Qian Ye looked down, and his eyes turned a deep blue. Through the water, he saw a bizarre fish several hundred meters long. Its head had dozens of eyes, and on its back was an opening from which the water spear had emerged.
The dense life force in the raindrops came from this giant fish.
Even in her sleep, little Zhu Ji sensed the benefits and instinctively stuck out her tongue to swallow the rainwater. Qian Ye found it strange; was she drinking the fish’s saliva?
Though the water spear was rich in life force, its concentrated form was incredibly lethal. If Qian Ye hadn’t dodged in time, it could have pierced him. While Qian Ye’s ancient bloodline made him strong among the dark races, in terms of sheer strength and toughness, he couldn’t compare to such a natural beast.
Fortunately, the fish’s attack methods seemed limited. The water wall, while imposing, was not indestructible. If Qian Ye could make it to the island, he would have more freedom of movement.
At that moment, the fish, having failed to hit, seemed enraged. All its closed eyes opened, staring at Qian Ye. Then, its back muscles moved, and dozens of openings appeared!
Alarmed, Qian Ye shot skyward, distancing himself from the fish.
Suddenly, a colossal water column erupted from the largest opening on the fish’s back, surging past Qian Ye and spreading above him, forming a dome of water.
Blocking Qian Ye’s path, the fish unleashed dozens of water spears, creating a cage of spears around him!
In the center of the spear cage, Qian Ye contorted his body into an odd position, minimizing the area exposed to injury. Despite this, he was still left with several cuts, even the minor ones unbearable.
In this place, the giant fish was undoubtedly more terrifying than the six-armed giant.
The water spears retracted, and the dome turned into a heavy rain, drenching Qian Ye’s wounds and nurturing his body, accelerating the healing process. But this slight repair was insignificant compared to the damage from the spears.
Qian Ye seemed to lose his levitation, falling from the sky. The giant fish below watched him, all its pupils slowly turning, as if eyeing a delicious meal.
Just as he was about to hit the water, a murderous intent flashed in Qian Ye’s eyes. The Twinflower appeared in his hand, and a dark, glowing feather shot toward the giant fish!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage