Lake of Life

Er Ming roared, raising both fists high before smashing them down at Li Chen with the crushing force of ten thousand tons.

He held nothing back in that blow. If it landed, never mind a person-even a small mountain would have a massive crater blasted into it.

Li Chen raised a hand and lightly closed it. Five or six wither tentacles reached out of thin air and wrapped tightly around Er Ming's hands.

Er Ming struggled, only to discover that the more he fought, the tighter the tentacles coiled. Pitch-black energy slowly seeped into his skin through them.

"Roar!" Er Ming let out a low, pained roar. He could clearly feel those tentacles draining his life force at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The black fur on his arms began to lose its luster. His arms, once as thick and sturdy as iron pillars, actually shriveled slightly in mere moments.

He swung his arms desperately, trying to break free, but the tentacles tightened relentlessly, as though they had grown into his flesh.

The sensation of his life force slipping away filled him with instinctive terror. Yet the more he struggled, the tighter the tentacles wound around him, until he even considered severing his arms to survive.

"Moooo-"

A low, drawn-out bellow came from the direction of the Lake of Life, its sound deep and resonant as a bell.

An enormous azure figure swept over the lake. The Sky Azure Bull Python moved so quickly that he appeared overhead in the blink of an eye.

One glance was enough for him to see that Er Ming was being utterly crushed. He watched Li Chen warily and said, "Let him go. Whatever you need, we can discuss it."

"Sure. Bring out all the soul bones, spirit herbs, and soul tools you've collected over the years. Every last one."

Da Ming fell silent for a moment, his voice deepening. "All of them? Human, don't be so insatiably greedy. Half, at most."

"Then I'll only return half this monkey to you. Oh, and the clock keeps ticking while you hesitate."

"You!" Da Ming wanted to attack, but Er Ming was still in Li Chen's grasp. Moreover, those tentacles surrounded Er Ming's limbs and even his head, making it abundantly clear that he would die if Da Ming refused.

"Fine. Let him go first." Da Ming agreed through gritted teeth.

"No. Once I have the goods, I'll let him go." Li Chen refused without hesitation.

With no other choice, Da Ming complied with Li Chen's demands and led him to the Lake of Life. For Er Ming's safety, he brought out all the soul bones he had accumulated over tens of thousands of years, along with the soul tools humans had left behind, most of which were storage devices.

As for spirit herbs, soul beasts would eat them as soon as they ripened after finding them. There was simply no stockpile.

"Everything is here. Can you let Er Ming go now?"

Li Chen first sold a Thousand-Year Soul Bone, then bought it back. Aside from its age and body part, it was now nothing but a blank soul bone, much like the soul rings.

Once he had a rough understanding, he picked out a few decent soul bones over fifty thousand years old and put them in his storage ring, selling all the rest to the transmutation table.

"No rush." Li Chen shook his head, and dozens more tentacles appeared around Da Ming. "Don't move."

"Human, you've broken your word!" Da Ming tensed, watching the tentacles warily. Every single one posed a lethal threat to him.

"I wasn't even here for you two, but you insisted on jumping out yourselves. So be good and turn into soul rings." As he finished speaking, Li Chen's gaze turned cold.

[Third Soul Skill, Command: Time Stop]

With time frozen for a full 9.1 seconds, Li Chen controlled the wither tentacles, wrapping them around Da Ming's head and his vulnerable seventh-inch point. As for Er Ming, he used the Wither Storm's second soul skill to attack his soul, then stuffed the sixth soul skill, "Black Hole," inside his body.

Nothing appeared to happen while time was stopped, but the instant it resumed, neither beast reacted at all. They did not even let out a final howl.

Li Chen beckoned with one hand and sold the two hundred-thousand-year soul rings directly through the transmutation table. He dug out the soul bones and put them in his storage ring.

Having dealt with the two troublesome beasts, he turned his attention to the bottom of the Lake of Life and jumped in without hesitation.

He reached the lakebed in moments and carefully probed his surroundings, but found nothing. Thinking of the Silver Dragon King's presence, he reasoned that she must be well hidden to have escaped the notice of Da Ming and Er Ming, who had lived here for so long.

Returning to shore, Li Chen called out directly, "Di Tian, come out and talk."

Soul power carried his voice across the lake, stirring rings of ripples that spread in every direction.

He waited for a while, but the lake remained still.

Meanwhile, in the Great Ferocious Land, the waters of the true Lake of Life lay as calm as a mirror. The soul power permeating its surroundings was dozens of times denser than in the outer region.

Several powerful presences lay dormant along the shore, some apparent and others concealed. Several ferocious beasts had kept watch here for many years.

The Emerald Swan, Bi Ji, stood by the lake, looking toward the outer region. She said softly, "It seems a human is calling your name in the core region."

Beside her, Di Tian lifted his eyelids from his seated meditation. His face remained expressionless as he said simply, "I heard."

Nearby, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, Xiong Jun, sneered and said in a rumbling voice, "A puny human dares come to the Star Dou Great Forest and challenge us? I'll tear him apart, so his noise won't keep irritating me."

Di Tian glanced at him. "He called my name, not yours."

His tone was level, without anger, but the weight of his words was unmistakable.

Xiong Jun's mouth twitched. He said nothing more, though he did not withdraw either.

Bi Ji asked softly, "Won't you meet him? A human who knows that name probably didn't stumble here by accident."

"I'll go meet him." With that, Di Tian tore open a rift in space before him and emerged above Star Lake outside.

Li Chen sensed a spatial fluctuation. Knowing that someone had arrived, he immediately flew up to the same height.

A spatial rift opened not far ahead, and a figure in an ink-black robe stepped out. He looked at the human before him and said, "Human, state your purpose. And where did you learn my name?"

"Aren't you going to invite me in first? You'll find out then." Li Chen sounded casual. He held the god-level "Zeroing" in his hand; that was the source of his confidence.

Di Tian did not answer immediately. His dark-gold slit pupils lingered on Li Chen for a moment before he finally spoke. "You certainly have some nerve. Few in this world dare ask me to invite them in."

He then tore open an even larger spatial rift. "Come, if you have the courage."

Li Chen smiled and followed Di Tian straight through the spatial rift, entering the true Great Ferocious Land.

Several gazes fell on him at once from the lakeshore.

"Since you dared come in, speak. What is your purpose, and where did you learn my name?"

Li Chen swept his gaze around. Practically all the major figures of the Star Dou Great Forest were here. "I'm giving you three choices. First, pay me protection money every year from now on. Second, submit to me. Third, prepare for me to put you all to eternal rest."