Purple Crystal

Ahead lay a deep crater that resembled a small lake. However, it held no water. Instead, thick purple mist had accumulated to form purple "lake water," which even crested above the ground. Even more peculiar, a massive whirlpool swirled in the center of the lake, drawing in an unending stream of purple mist. What was attracting the fat silkworm lay right at the lake bed. Qin Sang stood on the perimeter of the lake, staring into its center with furrowed brows. The toxic mist inside the lake had condensed to the absolute extreme, flowing like real liquid. The fat silkworm had already exhausted its strength just bringing him this far and dared not take half a step into the lake. Even if treasures lay inside, venturing in was out of the question. A single surge of waves would likely spell doom for both him and the silkworm. The fat silkworm hung its head in dejection, clearly realizing this as well. An alluring treasure was right before its eyes, yet it was powerless to claim it. "Something is off!" Qin Sang seemed to sense something. He snapped his head up, staring intently into the air above the opposite shore. He slowly backed away, circled around the lake, and approached without a sound. Only upon arriving did he realize that the opposite shore lay at the very foot of a sheer cliff. Qin Sang concealed himself in the shadows, hardly daring to breathe. Slumped across the cliff face were vigorous figures, and through the purple mist, cold, eerie gazes could even be seen. They were all vicious beasts! Each was the size of a mastiff, their builds remarkably similar to one as well. The difference was that pairs of wings grew from their flanks. They clung upside down to the cliff face, gripping the rock with all four limbs. Their shoulders bulged high, their tails curled inward, and their wings unfolded like folding fans. The wings were thin as cicada wings, made of only a layer of fleshy membrane that adhered tightly to the stone. Their eyes were fixed intently on the small lake, as if waiting for something. Even these creatures native to the Purple Mist Deathland dared not enter the lake, which showed just how dangerous it was. To think there was such a massive pack of beasts here! Qin Sang's heart tightened. Hiding within a rock fissure, he held his breath and suppressed his aura, staring thoughtfully at the beasts above. Judging by their posture, some treasure that interested them seemed poised to emerge from the center of the lake. In all likelihood, it was the very same thing that had lured the fat silkworm. If that was the case, there was no need to dive to the lake bed; one could simply wait outside to claim the prize. However, what sort of treasure it was, how much commotion its emergence would cause, and how to seize it remained completely unknown. What Qin Sang dreaded most was the strength of this pack. A whole pack of beasts had gathered here without uttering a sound. Clearly, the treasure in the lake was of vital importance to them, and they would not easily yield it to anyone else. The beasts were numerous, blanketing the cliff face as far as Qin Sang could see. If it was only the ones in front of him, there was a good chance of snatching food from the tiger's mouth. He vaguely sensed that these beasts were slightly stronger than Purple Star Eagles. With his superb escape speed, the chances of fleeing after seizing the treasure were quite high. Yet Qin Sang dared not get too close; he had not spotted their alpha, nor could he be sure how many more lurked above. *I should watch and see how things unfold first,* Qin Sang pondered, deciding to wait a moment to see what anomaly would occur in the lake. Of course, his time was limited. If the lake remained unchanged for too long, he would have no choice but to leave and attend to his primary mission, saving this prize for a future opportunity. Qin Sang summoned the two-headed hou. Man and beast hid in the shadows, waiting for their chance. Time slipped by. Qin Sang calculated silently, intending to leave plenty of leeway for finding the spiritual fire and journeying to the Heaven Tower. Suddenly, the fat silkworm propped up its upper body, an ardent light in its eyes. Qin Sang's heart stirred. Shifting his gaze, he stared intently at the lake. A moment later, an unusual disturbance rippled through the whirlpool at the lake's center. Deep within the vortex, a beam of purple light seemed to swirl upward, shooting out from inside. At the same time, a stir ran through the beasts on the cliff. They raised their heads in unison, staring excitedly at the purple light just like the fat silkworm. At last, the true form of the purple light became clear: it was a crystalline object. The crystal was an arm's length, shaped like a pillar. One end was intact and smooth, while the other bore a distinct fracture. Pure and flawless, it radiated dazzling purple light. What attracted the fat silkworm was precisely this purple crystal! The beasts shared the exact same target. *Could this purple crystal be the purest essence condensed from the accumulated toxic mist?* Qin Sang guessed to himself. It was somewhat unexpected; he had assumed some poisonous fruit grew at the lake bed, never imagining it would be a purple crystal he had never seen before. The center of the whirlpool was the calmest point. Qin Sang and the beasts watched as the purple crystal was swept into the vortex, yet unnaturally rose at rapid speed. Qin Sang noticed that despite their agitation, not a single beast rashly leaped down. As the purple crystal rose higher and higher, nearly breaking through the lake's surface— With a sudden *crack*, the purple crystal was struck by a surge of purple mist, and a fissure appeared. Shards broke off from the fractured end, bobbing in the purple mist before being swept away and vanishing in an instant. The purple crystal was surprisingly fragile! Just then, the beasts on the cliff suddenly moved. *Swish! Swish! Swish!—* The beasts kicked hard against the stone cliff, unfurled their fleshy wings, and glided down from above. The most conspicuous among them was a beast noticeably larger than the rest, its fleshy wings far sturdier. It was clearly the alpha. Taking the lead, it dove straight toward the center of the lake. The other beasts followed behind it. But upon reaching the lake's edge, they abruptly flapped their wings and pulled upward at top speed, as if terrified of approaching the whirlpool. Only the alpha dove straight toward the heart of the lake. By this point, the purple crystal suffered another impact. The crack split completely, and a small fragment broke off. This smaller piece was lighter and flew upward rapidly, covered in dense fissures as if on the verge of disintegrating. The alpha let out a low roar and spat a plume of purple flame from afar. *Bang!* The flame struck the purple crystal. Under the impact, the purple crystal shattered directly, bursting into diamond-like crystal fragments that flew in all directions. Some of the fine debris dissipated into the purple mist, but the slightly larger fragments broke through successfully. The beasts glided right past at that moment and began scrambling to feed on the crystal fragments. This scramble followed a certain order. The stronger beasts snatched the larger fragments, while the weaker ones not only dared not compete, but actively shrank away, daring only to consume the smaller bits. The alpha swallowed the largest piece. Qin Sang understood what was happening now. The purple crystal was certainly infused with virulent poison, making the beasts both crave and fear it. By now, he had gauged the strength of these beasts and felt that the chances of snatching food from the tiger's mouth were very high. Though the alpha possessed formidable strength, it had not reached the level of a Transformation stage great demon. Moreover, its speed was not particularly fast; its advantage lay purely in the agility granted by its wings. Having obtained their purple crystal, some of the beasts flew away, returning to their nests to refine it. The alpha did not leave, remaining behind to secure more purple crystal for its pack. Otherwise, before the crystal could fly out of the whirlpool, it would dissipate into the purple mist, leaving nothing for them to eat. There was no telling when the purple crystal would emerge next. Qin Sang could not afford to wait here forever, so he resolved to strike immediately and seize the remaining purple crystal. The fat silkworm applied the poison-warding armor specifically to the two-headed hou. The two-headed hou emerged first, stepping out of the rock fissure and splitting into several phantom clones that pounced toward the pack of beasts, instantly drawing the attention of every single beast.