Lin Ming, Who Left Not Even a Feather Behind
"Laugh!"
At that moment, several figures flashed like lightning across the sky above a strange forest radiating seven-colored light, disappearing instantly from the trees below, leaving only an open space.
However, at that moment, Lin Ming, who was flying, suddenly stopped, his body stopped in mid-air, turned his head, and looked sharply to the far north, his brows furrowed tightly.
"What's wrong, Brother Lin Ming?" Upon seeing this, Qing Lin, Xiong Zhan, and the others who were following behind immediately stopped, looked around warily, and asked at the same time.
"Others have come in, and there are quite a few of them, and they're not weak."
Lin Ming's Soul Perception far surpassed that of ordinary people; he clearly detected subtle Spatial Fluctuations and multiple powerful auras emanating from the north.
"So they've also discovered that Stone Door?" Qing Lin frowned slightly, guessing.
After all, they hadn't deliberately blocked the Stone Door completely when they came in, so it was only a matter of time before they were discovered.
"No." Lin Ming shook his head, a helpless bitter smile on his face.
"The aura is coming from a different direction than the one we came in from. It seems there's more than one entrance to this Ancient Forest."
This was also the main reason why he didn't choose to place Puppet at the Stone Door gate they entered through to block others from entering.
If this priceless Ancient Forest really only has one entrance... then you can see if Lin Ming will bring Puppet to block the entrance!
At that time, Lin Ming would not only have Puppet block the door, but he would also have Ice Puppet with the strength of Nine-Star Dou Venerate and Puppet One with the strength of Five-Star Dou Venerate block the door together!
With these two incredibly powerful Puppet guarding the gate, and the outsiders completely unaware that such a tremendous Treasure Hoard lies hidden behind the Stone Door, few would be willing to pay such a high price to force their way in, given the unknown risks and the threat of the two powerful Puppet.
At that time, this Ancient Forest will truly become Lin Ming's private backyard, which he can slowly plunder, leaving not a single hair for anyone else!
Unfortunately... all these wonderful ideas were just empty talk.
The premise is that there is only one entry point.
But it isn't.
"Let's go, hurry up, collect as much as we can! The real competition has begun!"
Lin Ming composed himself, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. Without further delay, he darted out once more, his speed even increasing. He had to seize as many top-tier treasures from the core area as possible before the intruders ventured deeper!
As Lin Ming once again accelerated his collection efficiency, which could be described as "scraping three feet from the ground," the Five Elements Sect group traveled through this vast Ancient Medicinal Forest for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.
The quality of the surrounding medicinal herbs has visibly improved, with many reaching a level suitable as the main ingredient for Tier 8 Medicinal Pill. The area is filled with Spirit Qi energy and glowing with rays of light.
As they advanced at such a high speed, the scenery ahead finally began to change noticeably, no longer the same dense medicinal forest.
After passing through a bamboo forest that exuded a refreshing fragrance, the group's view suddenly opened up.
What appeared before them was a lake that was approximately ten zhang in diameter.
The lake is not large, but its water is exceptionally clear, like a flawless sapphire set in a verdant forest. However, beneath this clarity lies an eeriness. Looking into the distance, it appears bottomless, a deep, dark blue that seems to connect to an unknown abyss.
The most striking feature of the lake is its central location.
There, there is a small piece of land floating on the water, like a natural Lake Heart Island, floating against all reason. On the island, the soil displays strange five colors, and the Spirit Qi is so rich that it is almost dripping with water.
In the center of that small island, a strangely shaped little tree grows all alone.
The sapling was not tall, only about a meter high, and its entire body was a grayish-silver color, as if it were cast from some strange metal, yet it exuded a vibrant vitality.
Its branches do not grow straight, but rather intertwine and entwine like supple vines, forming a rather strange arc as they extend and outline.
If you stand at a distance and look closely, you will find that the shape of this plant is exactly like that of a heavily pregnant woman!
The "belly" area, formed by the dense entwining and protection of layers of silver branches, is particularly prominent. And deep within the center of that "belly," a calming golden light faintly overflows, casting specks of gold through the gaps in the branches.
"So this is the Soul Infant Demonic Tree..."
Looking at this uniquely shaped plant that contained pure Soul Fluctuation, Lin Ming's eyes immediately lit up with uncontrollable joy, and he said in a low voice.
"Hey, there's actually a treasure here that specifically works on the soul? But now that we've found it, what are we waiting for? Let's pick some fruit!"
Seeing this, Xiong Zhan grinned and rubbed his hands together, ready to step forward. He was straightforward and wanted to grab any treasure he saw.
"Wait, big guy, don't be impulsive!" Zi Yan immediately spoke up to stop him, her small face showing a composure that didn't match her appearance.
"Any Heavenly Earth Spirit Items, especially a rare treasure like this, will always be guarded by powerful beasts. This Soul Infant Fruit is an even more precious treasure for tempering the soul. It also has great effects on some intelligent Magical Beasts that focus on Soul Cultivation. How could it be left here so easily without any guardian beasts watching over it?"
As Zi Yan spoke, she cast her gaze upon the seemingly calm and clear lake, a knowing glint in her amethyst-like eyes.
Immediately, she clenched her small fist, and without any apparent movement, she lightly threw a punch at the center of the lake!
"Buzz!"
An invisible yet terrifying gust of wind Space-Rending like a cannonball and slammed into the lake's surface!
Boom!!!
The calm lake surface exploded as if a giant bomb had been dropped on it! A huge hole, several meters in diameter, suddenly appeared, the lake water was forcibly pushed aside, creating towering waves and splashing water dozens of meters high, like a torrential rain!
"Roar--!!!"
The moment the punch was thrown, the effect was immediate!
From the depths of the lake came a roar of extreme rage! The sound was like muffled thunder, carrying an ancient and ferocious aura, causing the entire lake surface to ripple violently.
Immediately, Lin Ming and the others saw their pupils shrink as an enormous shadow emerged from beneath the lake at an astonishing speed, its size almost occupying half of the lake bottom!
"Thump!"
With a tremendous splash, a huge figure shot into the sky from the bursting water, sending spray flying everywhere!
Emerging from the water was a gigantic, extremely long-bodied Magical Beasts!
It possesses a streamlined body similar to that of a snake, but is far more majestic and mystical than ordinary pythons. The section of its body that is exposed above the water is already several dozen feet long, and its entire body is covered with palm-sized, tightly arranged blue scales. The edges of the scales shimmer with a cold, metallic luster, giving people a sense of invincibility.
On the creature's hideous head grew a long, jet-black spiral horn, about a foot long. The horn was covered with mysterious and ancient patterns, and faintly, chilling blue arcs of electricity flickered and danced on it, emanating a dangerous aura.
Its enormous amber eyes, now gleaming with a chilling, ferocious light, were like two searchlights, scanning the surroundings with the fury of its disturbed nest. Finally, they locked onto Lin Ming and his group on the shore, especially Zi Yan, who had just made her move!
"It's actually Heaven-Piercing Flood Dragon! This is an ancient species that has been extinct for thousands of years in the outside world..." Even with Zi Yan's extensive knowledge, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing the giant Magical Beasts bursting out of the water.
Lin Ming and the others stared intently at the enormous creature that exuded a ferocious aura.
Lin Ming had also seen records of the Heaven-Piercing Flood Dragon in ancient books. In ancient times, this kind of Magical Beasts was quite famous for its combat power, known for its strong body and the talent to control lightning.
It is said that within the body of this Heaven-Piercing Flood Dragon, there also flows a trace of Dragon Clan Bloodline. If one has enough luck to cleanse oneself of Lightning Tribulation and survive numerous tribulations, there may be a slim chance that one can evolve into a supreme being like the Ancient Void Dragon.
"I never expected to find a living Heaven-Piercing Flood Dragon in this Relic Medicinal Forest..."
Lin Ming exclaimed in surprise, sensing the powerful aura emanating from him—approximately at the Peak Seventh Order, but with actual combat strength comparable to a newly entered Dou Venerate —and frowned slightly.
Lin Ming wasn't afraid of losing, but he was worried that if they started fighting, this beast might go berserk and recklessly destroy the Soul Infant Fruit that was right in front of him. That would truly be a loss for him.
In a flash, Lin Ming's gaze involuntarily drifted to Zi Yan beside him.
Zi Yan felt Lin Ming's gaze, nodded slightly, and a confident smile appeared on her face. She said, "This guy has dragon blood in him, leave him to me. You guys cover for me, in case he gets desperate."
After saying that, Zi Yan's petite body leaped lightly from the tree branch on the shore where they were standing, landing as lightly as a feather on the surface of the lake where the waves had not yet completely subsided.
After regaining her footing, Zi Yan took a deep breath, and a noble and ancient aura began to emanate from her petite body.
A dense purple light emanated from its body, then rapidly condensed and took shape above its head, eventually forming a solid purple light dragon about ten feet long!
Although this purple dragon was made of energy, it was incredibly lifelike, with clearly defined scales and majestic eyes. As soon as it appeared, it raised its head and let out a low, deep roar that seemed to penetrate the very depths of one's soul!
This dragon's roar contained the overwhelming power of the bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon, the supreme ruler of the Magical Beast World!
Although Zi Yan is small in size, she is a pure and Ancient Void Dragon with an incomparably pure bloodline! Moreover, she is a member of the royal bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon. This kind of pressure originating from the very top of the bloodline has a natural suppressive power over all the beasts in the world.
The Heaven-Piercing Flood Dragon also had a trace of the same bloodline flowing through its body. Although it was thin, the Dragon Might was felt by it in an exceptionally strong and clear way. It was an absolute suppression from the Life Level and the source of bloodline!
As the deep roar of the purple dragon resounded, the massive body of the Heaven-Piercing Flood Dragon, whose eyes had been flashing with ferocity and ready to pounce, suddenly stiffened!