Although Qian Ye had temporarily eluded the pursuers, a lingering sense of unease still clouded his heart, a sign that danger was far from over. The six-armed giant’s vitality was terrifying; it would fully recover within half a day, and even if injured, it would not cease its relentless chase.
As Qian Ye dashed forward, he pondered his next move.
Merely running wasn’t a viable strategy, for the six-armed giant’s stamina seemed inexhaustible, as if it never tired. Although Qian Ye possessed an abundance of essence blood, allowing him to flee back to the Imperial fortress, doing so would also draw the six-armed giant there. Despite Ji Tianqing’s claims of the fortress’s impregnability, whether it could withstand such an inhuman entity was uncertain.
Neither fleeing nor fighting was an option. Even a powerful strike aimed at the head, a vital spot for most beings, only made the six-armed giant more frenzied. For such an indestructible and unshakable foe, Qian Ye felt helpless, unless he could find the true fatal weakness of this monstrous being.
Zhao Ruoxi had once mentioned eliminating a six-armed general, but according to her description, that general was half the size of this colossal giant. In high-gravity zones, strength directly correlated with size. If one’s power was insufficient, they wouldn’t even be able to stand.
Zhao Ruoxi’s easy victory over the six-armed general was due to the Manjushaka she carried. In the Great Vortex, the Manjushaka’s power surged, and her attacks, which focused on spatial and soul damage, were natural countermeasures against such fiends. Her effortless defeat led Qian Ye to underestimate the six-armed general’s might. This firsthand encounter truly revealed the terror of the six-armed giant.
Such a monstrous creature, equipped with sharp tracking techniques, could perceive Qian Ye’s movements through the void and detect the concealed approaches of others, making ambushes a futile joke. How, then, could such an enemy be defeated?
The immediate course of action was to find an escape route.
While sprinting, Qian Ye recalled the map of the Great Vortex. The current map in his mind was a combination of those from the Ji, Li, Song, and Zhao families, arguably the most comprehensive. Yet, based on his experiences, this map still depicted only a corner of the Great Vortex.
The map was incomplete, riddled with gaps, like ink blots on a blank sheet. These gaps became the direction for Qian Ye’s next moves.
These areas intertwined with the Empire’s explored territories, creating a fragmented mosaic. Like the Well of the Stars, long under the Empire’s control, these blank regions were resources exclusively controlled by Evernight. Though valuable to Evernight, they were useless to the Empire, thus the Empire paid them little heed. Only a limited number of people could enter the Great Vortex annually, and unless it concerned national treasures, it was impractical to waste precious manpower on these worthless sites.
Qian Ye quickly plotted a winding path, passing through several of these blank regions. If these resource points were unoccupied, fine. But if dark race elites were present, the six-armed giant’s lethal strikes would not be easily deflected.
With his plan set, Qian Ye changed direction and sped off. The uneasy feeling in his heart persisted, indicating the six-armed giant still had him locked in its sights, unwilling to let go.
In a blink, a day and night had passed, and Qian Ye continued his frantic dash through the mountain ranges. Behind him, several columns of smoke rose into the sky.
There lay a mining area, where the dark races had constructed a small fortress, assembling over a dozen strongmen and numerous spider-servants. Dozens of giant spiders, each several meters tall, labored in the mines. These spider-servants, though intelligent, were relegated to the role of laborers, hinting at the dark races’ significant ambitions.
Qian Ye nearly brushed past the fortress walls, making no effort to conceal himself. Instantly, the entire fortress was alerted, and alarms blared. The dark races poured out like a tide, but Qian Ye, moving at breakneck speed, was already far gone. On the horizon, a towering figure loomed, barely visible.
Defending the fortress was a spider-mage count. Upon seeing the massive figure, his legs buckled, nearly toppling him. Before he could issue any commands, a heavy arrow flew across the sky.
“This… this…”
His voice was swallowed by the earth-shaking explosion.
Days later, Qian Ye had traversed seven or eight dark race territories. Most were desolate, but three were well-developed, similar to the Song family’s Tian Sun pasture. Unlike the pasture, guarded by a single person, the dark races commanded various creatures, with the spider-servants being the most effective.
Developing these three resource points to such a scale must have taken at least ten years. Yet, after Qian Ye led the six-armed giant through, all were destroyed by the enraged monster. This diversionary tactic was exceedingly cruel, devastating the dark races in the region.
However, Qian Ye found he could not shake the six-armed giant. Over these days, the giant not only showed no signs of fatigue but was gradually adapting to the low-gravity area, increasing its speed. Qian Ye’s troubles were not limited to the giant behind him.
Ahead, in a forest, emerged several four-armed warriors. Upon leaving the woods, they immediately turned towards Qian Ye, weapons ready.
Qian Ye’s face remained calm as he accelerated, closing the distance. With a roar, his domain power swept through, causing the four-armed warriors to stagger. He seized the opportunity to pass through their midst, putting more distance between them.
The four-armed warriors, having just regained their balance, were about to pursue when a massive shadow appeared in the sky, followed by a giant foot crushing two of them into pulp.
The six-armed giant, either unaware or indifferent to the carnage, stepped away, covering dozens of meters.
Once the giant vanished, the surviving four-armed warriors, dazed and confused, wandered aimlessly for a while before sensing something and quickly formed a line, heading in one direction.
In Qian Ye’s mind, the map now resembled a tangled web of paths. These were his routes of flight, yet despite his efforts to trap the dark race bases, he could not lose the six-armed giant. He dared not approach the Imperial strongholds, fearing that if Song Zining and the others were there, they would all fall victim to the giant’s wrath.
After days of evasion, Qian Ye’s main question remained: what sustained the six-armed giant for so long?
The giant’s massive frame, born in a high-gravity zone, required immense energy for each step. It had relentlessly pursued Qian Ye for days, recently forcing him to use void flash multiple times to escape. Now, Qian Ye’s essence blood was depleted, and the Book of Darkness had no reserves. He had to risk confronting the four-armed warriors, siphoning their life force to replenish his own.
Yet, this situation couldn’t last forever. Eventually, Qian Ye would be caught by the six-armed giant.
Worried, Qian Ye consulted the map. Each time he zigzagged, the giant cut off his path. Over ten days, the accumulated difference in distance was staggering. The giant’s speed now matched Qian Ye’s, and its endurance miraculously surpassed his. Clearly, leading the giant in circles was no longer feasible.
Heavy-hearted, Qian Ye’s gaze fell on a prominent mark on the map.
The Pool of All Beings!
This was a perilous yet opportune site within the Great Vortex. The sea lotus alone, growing here, attracted countless Imperial experts. But it was also one of the most dangerous places, perhaps even more so than the high-gravity zone Qian Ye had entered.
Countering the frigid nights had many methods. With white fruit wine and a mix of genders, one could survive. With sufficient cultivation and powerful secrets, one could endure several such nights without much cost. For example, Ji Tianqing thrived alone before meeting Qian Ye.
However, the Pool of All Beings was different. It tested the will of the soul, independent of one’s cultivation. While highly skilled warriors often had stronger wills, the Pool’s test was exceptionally difficult. According to Imperial records, even half of the Divine Generals would fail to reach the pool’s edge.
Moreover, this test was utterly honest. Self-praise, self-hypnosis, or resolve to die meant nothing. Over the years, countless geniuses, including some of high standing like Zhao Jun Du, had fallen here.
Due to the severe losses, the Empire devised alternatives. They selected death row inmates who were either dispirited or extraordinarily mad, taught them special secrets, and supplemented their training with stimulants. After a decade, they were sent to the Great Vortex, specifically to the Pool of All Beings.
With such agents, the Empire began to steadily obtain sea lotus and other rare herbs.
However, this method had serious side effects. Overuse dulled one’s personality, making them emotionless, and eventually, desireless, turning them into living corpses. Thus, those sent to the Pool of All Beings were, in a way, expendable.
During their journey through the high-gravity zone, the Pool of All Beings was a planned destination. Ji Tianqing had taught Qian Ye the secret, as a precaution. If Qian Ye ever lost control and couldn’t escape, he could use this secret to save his life. Becoming a living corpse took at least a month, providing some time to settle final affairs.
The Pool of All Beings was equally unforgiving to humans, dark races, and native species. Annually, it produced strange beasts from crossbreeding, but many arriving beasts, after losing their nature, exhausted themselves and sank to the bottom, becoming part of the pool’s water.
The six-armed giant, driven by instinct after its head injury, needed to be lured to the Pool of All Beings. There, the true test of willpower would unfold, and if the giant was affected or controlled by the pool, Qian Ye might finally escape.
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