After saying goodbye to the lambs of Sheep Village and instructing Chief Slow Sheep to spread the first three realms of the Immortal Dao across the grassland, Qin Chuan returned to Douluo Continent.
After he planted the Dao Seed, it was as if he had established a spatial wormhole between Green Green Grassland and Douluo Continent, allowing him to travel freely between the two worlds.
Of course, before returning, he had also secretly built a God's Treasury on the grassland, just as he had planned. Inside, he placed many of Grey Wolf and Slow Sheep's inventions—items they couldn't use, or had even forgotten existed.
Those inventions would be nourished by spiritual energy inside the treasury. Who knew, perhaps they would undergo new transformations. He was looking forward to it.
In the space beneath the lake, Qin Chuan returned.
But before he could even swim back to shore,
the space beneath the lake suddenly rippled, and a black, enormous claw struck again, grabbing him with lightning speed.
"Again?" Qin Chuan said helplessly, though curiosity stirred in him as well.
What kind of being was so relentlessly determined to grab him, and why?
With that in mind, he stopped resisting.
As for the danger to his life, whenever he was in danger now, he could simply leave Douluo Continent and return to Green Green Grassland.
It was just a little uncomfortable to hold his breath underwater.
"Hmm?"
Perhaps the owner of the black claw noticed something was off. A black sphere appeared out of thin air and enveloped Qin Chuan, keeping the lake water out.
It also prevented him from escaping as he had the last time, completely sealing off every method he could use to teleport away!
It was still no use, though.
Qin Chuan took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing. This was much more comfortable. Holding his breath had been miserable.
Now recovered, Qin Chuan didn't struggle. He simply watched as the black claw dragged him into the abyss, until even the last glimmer of light vanished.
About three minutes later, a dazzling light blazed. Qin Chuan opened his eyes slightly and realized he had somehow arrived in a grassy meadow.
Birdsong and fragrant flowers filled the air, a riot of colors all around him. It was like a secluded paradise, as beautiful as a fairyland.
"It's no worse than the grassland..."
Qin Chuan had only just begun to praise the place when he stopped smiling.
He stared blankly at the several terrifying creatures before him, a chill prickling the hairs on the back of his neck.
Several beings were coiled across the grassland, green as a freshly washed sky.
Some were humanoid, some were enormous bears, and some resembled plants. There was even a pitch-black Demon Dragon, as if it had come straight from hell.
Without exception, every one of them radiated an overwhelming, crushing pressure!
"Human, it seems you aren't afraid of us!"
Brilliant golden rays spilled down, as if there were a real sun in the cosmos, shining with light and warmth.
Looking at the beings before him, none of them remotely human, Qin Chuan's mouth twitched. He could barely stand their blazing gazes, and a chill rushed through him.
Wasn't the Ferocious Beast emperor of Star Dou Forest that Sky Azure Bull Python? What wolf's den had he fallen into this time?
"May I ask why you brought this junior here, seniors?" Qin Chuan asked calmly.
His gaze was clear as he looked at the middle-aged man dressed in black.
The man had shoulder-length black hair, and his pupils were a strange gold that struck fear into the heart. An indescribable authority emanated from him.
He was the one who had just acted, dragging Qin Chuan from the lake bottom into this mysterious little world. Standing at the head of the group of Ferocious Beasts, he seemed to be their leader.
This was a group of recluses, concealed in the shadows of the world!
Qin Chuan had a guess. The reason he'd been seized might well have been the changes taking place on the continent—changes beyond the control of these hidden figures.
"Human, aren't you afraid of us?" the man in black asked mildly. The long years had made it difficult for his emotions to stir.
"Since you didn't kill me earlier, that means this junior still has some value." Qin Chuan glanced around, then decided he couldn't be bothered to keep looking.
Not one of the beings around him was someone he could see through.
Beneath their unfathomable auras lay endless years. A few of them even posed a threat no less than the Sky Azure Bull Python.
"Humans are as cunning as ever. Di Tian, leaving this fellow alive is just asking for trouble. You might as well kill him now!" a giant bear roared angrily.
Unusually, it hadn't taken human form. Its dark-golden fur gleamed like metal, and it was clearly unhappy with the middle-aged man's decision.
Qin Chuan glanced at the giant bear but said nothing. The raging bear looked like it had no brains, yet the pressure it gave him was as immense as a mountain, like a thorn in his throat.
"Xiong Jun, do I need your opinion to make my decisions? Do your own job. Don't meddle in what doesn't concern you."
The man in black replied coldly, paying no heed to the giant bear. Then he continued speaking to Qin Chuan. "You're clever. You recognized the situation and chose not to resist. Otherwise, your fate would have been miserable, and you might not have survived."
Qin Chuan smiled faintly. "Not necessarily."
The man in black narrowed his eyes. "Are you planning to escape like you did before? Don't waste your energy. In this space, even a deity would be restricted."
Qin Chuan shook his head. "If deities can't escape, that's only because they lack the ability. But I'm not a deity."
After speaking, he didn't resist, but remained calm and composed.
That attitude left Di Tian somewhat troubled.
What worried him wasn't a boy like this, but the possibility that some terrifying force stood behind him.
With that in mind, his tone softened slightly:
"We did bring you here because we have something to ask you. But don't worry. You won't be in any danger in the meantime."
As he spoke, Di Tian glanced at Xiong Jun.
"Roar!"
Xiong Jun was reluctant and still wanted to kill, but under the watchful eyes of the other Ferocious Beasts, he let out a low growl, which counted as a promise.
"I don't know what you seniors want to ask, but if I know the answer, I'll tell you everything I know and hold nothing back."
After confirming the other party meant him no harm, Qin Chuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Still, he remained vigilant. He was, after all, still in the tiger's den.
There were six Ferocious Beasts lurking here. Only the woman in the green dress and the middle-aged man maintained human forms, making it impossible to tell what they truly were.
The rest had mostly terrifying appearances.
But wasn't it said that Soul Beasts couldn't take human form after crossing the hundred-thousand-year threshold?
Qin Chuan kept the question to himself.
"You should know these people, shouldn't you?" Di Tian waved his hand, and a screen of light appeared before Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan frowned slightly. He didn't think he could answer that question, but Di Tian's tone was certain, as though he truly believed Qin Chuan had some connection to them.
Gradually, one figure after another appeared within the screen, dazzling and breathtaking, yet they filled Qin Chuan with unease.
Every figure in the images was remarkably young, accompanied by an old servant or some other guardian.
Without exception, they themselves were powerful and brilliant, capable of sending stars and moons tumbling with a wave of the hand as they vied for supremacy in the starry sky.
That kind of power was terrifying enough, but what truly made the Ferocious Beasts tremble was their age. They were so young—practically future deities of the Divine Realm!
Figures flashed across the screen one after another. More and more beings appeared, and before long, some strange species showed up as well. They resembled humans, but weren't entirely human.
As expected, quite a few people had come here, and they weren't even beings from Earth Star. Qin Chuan thought to himself.
"It seems we found the right person after all—a guest from another world!" Di Tian smiled, his expression relaxed and full of relief.
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