In the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, the air was thick with a sweet, fishy stench.
It was like countless ancient Heavenly Treasures had mixed with the rotting carcasses of colossal beasts and fermented for tens of thousands of years.
One breath was enough to make it feel as though one's Soul Power was rising.
Yet it also made one's scalp tingle.
They had arrived at the Lake of Life.
The lake's surface was as still as a massive, flawless sapphire embedded in the heart of the primeval forest.
A dense life aura, nearly liquefied, rushed toward them.
Ma Hongjun merely greedily inhaled once, and he felt the Soul Power bottleneck that had trapped him for half a year loosen slightly.
Yet beneath this tranquility—
A terrifying pressure that made even their souls tremble blanketed the entire area like an invisible undercurrent in the deep sea.
Dai Mubai felt his bones creaking, his evil eyes filled with horror.
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her body even further, like a cat ready to bristle at any moment.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar had gone pale, even breathing with extreme caution.
It felt like they had stepped into a pressure cooker.
Look how scared these kids were. Their faces were practically green.
Han Yuchen frantically mocked them in his heart, yet his expression remained utterly calm.
This much pressure was no different from a breeze brushing his face, given that his Divine Soul had been tempered by the Power of Stars.
It was even somewhat comfortable.
Master Yu Xiaogang was trembling all over.
Not from fear, but excitement.
Behind his old black-rimmed glasses, his eyes were wide as bells, filled with fervor.
"Forbidden ground! This is the most forbidden place within the forbidden grounds!"
Even his voice shook.
"This pressure... there is