"I don't know what's going on either, Senior Tian Meng. Why don't you come out and meet me? That might help us figure out the reason," Jing Chen said tentatively.
He spoke to the air and even used an honorific, hoping to lure out the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
Sky Dream possessed immense Spiritual Power, but his combat ability was inferior even to that of an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Yi Yi could easily capture him.
Since there was no way to make Tian Meng become his intelligent Soul Ring like he had for Huo Yuhao, Jing Chen had to consider other ways to deal with him.
For instance, he could capture him, then absorb his energy to aid cultivation just as Ferocious Beasts like Di Tian did.
Or he could kill the beast and take its bone. Yi Yi could devour the Million-Year Soul Ring and the energy within his body, while Jing Chen would take the Million-Year Soul Bone.
At present, he could not withstand the energy of a Million-Year Soul Ring through normal absorption, so he had not placed any hopes on it.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had been having his energy absorbed by Ferocious Beasts like Di Tian for years and was nearly at the end of his strength.
By the time Yi Yi got to him, there might not be much energy left, but even a mosquito was still meat. Getting a bite along the way was not bad.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was guaranteed to drop a Spirit Bone, and Soul Beasts above that cultivation level shared this trait.
No matter how he dealt with him, Jing Chen would profit. Of course, that was only if he could capture him. If he could not, it was all just wishful thinking.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm did indeed consider revealing his true body, but he hesitated.
He was currently trapped underground, a prisoner. He had a way to come out, but only one chance.
If he came out and still could not merge with this human, then he would have no way out.
There was also a powerful Black Tiger beside this human brat. If he came out, would he not be completely at its mercy?
"Forget it. You and I have no fate. Goodbye," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said. After careful consideration, he still chose not to take the risk and emerge.
The main reason was that he might not be able to subdue this human with his Spiritual Power, leaving him in a very passive position. The risk of coming out was too great.
Besides, an abominable fellow who had once devoured his energy was approaching. If he came out now, would he not be courting death?
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice had appeared abruptly and vanished just as decisively, without wasting another word.
"I was thinking too simply," Jing Chen said regretfully after sensing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Spiritual Power disappear.
Though the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was weak in combat, he was not stupid. How could he be lured out so easily by a single sentence?
Still, when Jing Chen considered that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's appearance might draw those Ferocious Beasts here, he felt somewhat relieved.
If that really happened, even if he obtained the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, he might not be able to leave alive.
"What is meant to be will come; what is not cannot be forced. I need to keep the right mindset," Jing Chen said, shaking his head helplessly.
Encountering the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was luck, or perhaps fate. Being unable to obtain him simply meant his luck was not good enough, and he had to accept it.
"Yi Yi, let's go." Jing Chen was about to leap onto Yi Yi's back.
Just then, Yi Yi seemed to sense something. She looked toward the left with an unfriendly expression, her gaze also burning with excitement.
Jing Chen and Yi Yi were mentally linked and shared an exceptional tacit understanding. He instantly realized that a person or Soul Beast was approaching.
Moreover, Yi Yi was very interested in whoever or whatever was approaching and wanted badly to devour it.
"Yi Yi, end this quickly. Don't drag it out," Jing Chen whispered, stopping halfway through his leap.
He had already summoned the Time and Space Divine Tower, prepared to enter it at any moment.
With his meager strength, he would only be a burden to Yi Yi outside and would be of no help whatsoever. Hiding away and not causing trouble was the only thing he could do for her.
The trees ahead swayed ever more violently, and a turtle covered entirely in brilliant gold hurried out.
"Ice Silkworm, Ice Silkworm, why did its aura suddenly disappear? Could it have already been captured and taken back?" The brilliant golden turtle spoke human language. Its dark golden head turned from side to side as it searched for something.
It was so eager to find the Ice Silkworm that it barely noticed the man and tiger standing before it.
Jing Chen carefully examined the brilliant golden turtle, trying hard to identify its species. He soon reached a conclusion.
"Golden Tortoise!" Jing Chen was astonished. He had not expected to encounter a rare Golden Tortoise here.
Golden Tortoises were auspicious beasts. Though their fortune was not strong enough to affect the entire Star Dou Great Forest, they possessed the ability to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune.
Such Soul Beasts held a high status within the Star Dou Great Forest, and other Soul Beasts were willing to protect them as they grew.
Cultivating near these Soul Beasts made one's own cultivation progress much more smoothly and helped one avoid natural disasters and calamities.
Usually, these Soul Beasts lived beside powerful Soul Beasts and rarely acted alone. Encountering one alone here truly surprised him.
Jing Chen soon grew puzzled. This Golden Tortoise's shell was around two meters in diameter, putting its cultivation at over thirty thousand years.
A Soul Beast of this cultivation should not be so tempting to Yi Yi. Was it because it was an auspicious beast?
Could this fellow have been drawn here by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm? Jing Chen's thoughts moved quickly as this possibility surfaced in his mind.
He had heard it clearly. The moment the Golden Tortoise appeared, it had been calling for the Ice Silkworm. It was very likely calling for the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
In truth, this Golden Tortoise had indeed been drawn here by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's aura.
It had been sleeping nearby and had awakened after sensing that familiar spiritual fluctuation.
After carefully recalling it, the turtle realized that the fluctuation belonged to the Ice Silkworm containing enormous energy and immediately became excited.
It thought the Ice Silkworm had secretly escaped. Once that possibility occurred to it, its first thought was to capture him.
If it could capture and hide him, could it not absorb his energy alone to cultivate?
At the thought of the benefits of absorbing that energy alone, it became beside itself with excitement and rushed over at a turtle speed that defied common sense.
The Golden Tortoise was also a turtle-type Soul Beast, except it was an emperor among turtles, the king of all turtles.
"Yi yi. (This turtle is at the Hundred-Thousand-Year level.)" Yi Yi licked her lips. She was about to have a hearty meal.
Yi Yi did not waste any time. After reminding Jing Chen to be careful, she charged fiercely toward the Golden Tortoise.
She had made this judgment based on the attraction the turtle gave her. The last Soul Beast that had made her desperately want to devour it had also been at the Hundred-Thousand-Year level.
"Not good!" Only after sensing the intense killing intent did the Golden Tortoise come to its senses and realize how dire the situation was.
Not only had it failed to capture the Ice Silkworm, but it had encountered this evil and ferocious Soul Beast. It might lose its own life here.
The Golden Tortoise knew its own speed and knew it could never outrun a tiger, so it abandoned any thought of fleeing.
Its head shrank in, followed by its limbs. It instantly became a thick turtle shell, entering its strongest defensive state.
After withdrawing into its shell, it let out a special cry to call for help, intending to have other Soul Beasts come protect it.
It was an auspicious beast, and many Soul Beasts would be willing to protect it. They would not simply stand by and let it be killed.
Second chapter for today. The new book is setting sail, so please bookmark it and vote with recommendation tickets.
That's all for today—see you tomorrow after these two chapters.
Before you continue