Thresh

With a lantern in hand, a pair of devilish curved horns, and a towering figure, who else could it be?

It could only be Thresh!

How should I put it? Soul Blossom Thresh and Shadow Isles Thresh were actually two different people, separate individuals.

The Material Realm and the Spirit Realm did influence each other, but that didn't mean the champions in Soul Blossom were incarnations of the champions of Runeterra. Their relationship with the champions of Runeterra was a peculiar one, impossible to explain in just a few words. There was a connection between them, but it wasn't a close one.

In a sense, the champions in Soul Blossom were all a kind of "obsession"—strange beings born from the folk tales and ghost stories passed down in Ionia.

As such, they were mythical figures from stories that had appeared before the champions of Runeterra, not incarnations of those champions after their deaths.

Take Riven, the Exile of the Night Blossom faction. Her connection to the Riven of Runeterra, aside from their shared appearance, was an obsession she couldn't let go of, along with the guilt and regret etched into the depths of her soul, which she couldn't leave behind.

So even though they existed on the same planet and weren't from a skin universe, could they still not be considered champions?

The champions in Soul Blossom were unique. They had nothing to do with the main universe, yet they had truly appeared in it.

Li Ke rubbed his cheek, feeling that the more he thought about it, the more complicated it got. After all, was the Material Realm influencing the Spirit Realm, or was the Spirit Realm influencing the material world?

"Forget it. This isn't something I should be thinking about right now."

Patting his cheek, Li Ke reached out toward the ink-wash scroll.

"What I should be thinking about is how to escape the threat of the Ci Mu Gang."

He pressed the Advent button, and Li Ke vanished from the Soul Blossom space.

[Successfully arrived at Purple Prison Mountain]

[This Advent will last for half an hour. Good luck, Summoner.]

"Whoosh—"

The light curtain faded, and the familiar purple forest sea appeared before him. Li Ke looked around. The scenery was still very familiar, but the towering purple forest made it impossible for him to tell where he was.

The fact that he'd died on his first Advent and hadn't been punished had put Li Ke considerably at ease.

No penalty for death, and discovering creatures activated entries in the Illustration Book and increased his exploration points, which helped raise his attributes and make him stronger. This was fantastic.

It was practically a no-difficulty Golden Finger.

It was just the number of Advents...

Li Ke thought about it and decided it wasn't a problem either. There had to be some way to replenish his Advents. Whether it was difficult or not, what choice did he have besides Adventing?

Picking a direction at random, Li Ke set off.

Unlike when he'd first arrived, he was no longer careful. He even deliberately made noise, hoping to attract the attention of the creatures in Purple Prison Mountain. It would be great if he could activate an entry in the Illustration Book as soon as he met one!

After making his way through the forest for about five minutes, Li Ke came across a purple bamboo grove nestled among the trees. At its very center lay a verdant lake.

[Discovered Purple Bamboo Forest. Exploration points accumulating]

[Discovered Moon Gazing Lake. Exploration points accumulating]

"That works too?"

Li Ke blinked, a little stunned.

So it wasn't just discovering living creatures that increased his exploration points. Locations counted too?

As he walked forward, Li Ke suddenly stopped.

Something had just moved beside the lake. Squinting toward it, Li Ke abruptly took a step back.

Something moved in the bamboo grove beside the water. Li Ke looked closely, fear showing in his eyes, and instinctively backed away another two steps.

"Hissssss—"

A sound rang out. The enormous creature hidden in the Purple Bamboo Forest, camouflaged against its surroundings, reared up. It was a towering snake. Just its upright upper body stretched dozens of meters into the air, and its massive head was as big as a house. Two pairs of scarlet eyes stared at Li Ke as its red-purple tongue flickered in and out.

Summoning his courage, Li Ke looked at the system.

[Detected a Purple Prison Mountain creature. Relevant entry in the Illustration Book unlocked]

[Purple Prison Mountain exploration points +8]

[Rewards accumulating]

"Not bad. At least dying will be worth it." Li Ke breathed a sigh of relief.

Not bad. At least he hadn't wasted this Advent. Eight exploration points—far more than he'd gotten from the Night Blossom beast earlier.

But that made sense. This creature was so enormous it was terrifying, nothing like the little nobody that was the Night Blossom beast.

"Come on."

Li Ke spread his arms, waiting for death to come. If possible, he hoped to be crushed or hit to death rather than swallowed whole by the snake.

Seeing Li Ke make a taunting gesture, the Giant Purple Snake's scarlet eyes flashed. In the next instant, its enormous body turned into a blur and charged toward him.

"I wonder how many Soul Strength points this reward will convert into."

Li Ke muttered under his breath. His eyesight wasn't good enough to make out the snake's movements at all. If not for the commotion caused by its enormous body, its sudden disappearance would have made him think it had vanished.

Li Ke spread his arms and closed his eyes, waiting to die.

But when he opened his eyes, he found that he hadn't returned to the Soul Blossom space.

Looking ahead, Li Ke's mouth fell open.

"How interesting. A soul as weak as yours, yet you haven't lost your way in Purple Prisoner Forest?"

A deep voice rang out. Li Ke saw the Great Serpent lowering its head to the ground, with a man seated atop its purple skull.

One leg kicked outward, his lower leg swinging. His other knee was raised, with an elbow resting on it. He wore a magnificent brocade robe, his open chest showing well-proportioned muscles. His long, slender fingers curled against his chin. Delight showed on his handsome face as he stared at Li Ke.

[Warning!]

[Discovered the Zi Qiu Mountain Spirit!]

[Escape immediately and avoid him!]

The system kept warning Li Ke in his mind, urging him to get away as soon as possible.

But... escape?

Li Ke's mouth twitched.

Excuse me, System bro, how am I supposed to escape from a Deity?

This wasn't Thresh from the Shadow Isles, the one everyone hunted and who attacked people from behind...

This was Thresh from Soul Blossom, a genuine Demigod!

And in Soul Blossom's world, unless something unexpected happened, Ahri and Thresh were the most powerful beings around. Which meant that in Runeterra, too, the two of them were incredibly powerful Demigods.

Haha.

Li Ke forced a bitter smile.

Escape?

He couldn't even outrun that snake. How could he possibly escape Thresh? It was a pipe dream.

But at least...

When the Advent timer ran out, he'd be able to go back.

Just as he was thinking this, Li Ke heard the system prompt.

[Warning! The Zi Qiu Mountain Spirit has the ability to influence the present world!]

[He has set his sights on your soul and is very interested in you. If he captures you, your Soul Strength will plummet. If it reaches zero, you will no longer be able to leave the Soul Blossom world!]

[Summoner, escape immediately!]

Li Ke, who had been relaxed and unconcerned just moments earlier, gaped.

"Huh?"