On the lakeshore, Chaoming perched beside the suitcase. From time to time, it fluttered into nearby trees to gaze out over the water and survey their surroundings. The relic hung beneath its throat, swaying gently with every motion and radiating a warmth that brought the creature comfort.
The sky over the Confluence was rarely bright, usually draped in a soft, dim haze as though veiled behind gauze. On occasion, however, the light turned vivid and piercing. Today was one such day; soft yet radiant light poured down unreservedly, setting the lake’s surface sparkling with ripples.
Half an hour later, the water began to churn. Concentric surges rolled outward, as if something colossal were about to burst from the depths.
Chaoming snapped its head up and launched into the air. After it had circled overhead for a short while, there came a thunderous boom. An enormous shape breached the surface, vaulting a dozen meters into the air before crashing heavily onto the shore, sending a massive spray of water flying in all directions.
Chaoming immediately climbed higher to dodge the scattering droplets. Down on the lake’s edge, turbulent waves surged and rolled without pause. After a moment, a silhouette emerged from the depths, walking slowly toward the shore. When rolling waves struck against him, they shattered as if hitting an invisible reef, powerless to impede his steady stride.
From up in the sky, Chaoming let out a delighted chirp.
Chen Chuan walked firmly onto the bank, Xuejun Saber in hand. Shielded by his biological field, he did not carry a single drop of moisture on his person. He stopped before the creature.
This was a many-eyed devil ray, an entity recorded in the bestiary. It possessed an immense frame, its wings spanning a full twenty meters across and stretching seven or eight meters from head to tail. While submerged, it could absorb tremendous amounts of water to swell its mass and intimidate other underwater predators—supposedly capable of expanding to three to five times its original size.
Its back was dotted with over a hundred eyes that shone with an eerie luminescence under the water. Paired with a particular gas the beast secreted, this glow had a potent hallucinogenic effect capable of inducing vivid illusions in prey, driving them to abandon all resistance before being devoured.
Chen Chuan drew his short knife and sliced open an area beneath the ray near its gills, retrieving a sac from within. This was the secretory gland responsible for the hallucinogenic gas.
The substance could affect martial artists as well; without proper vigilance, one could easily fall prey to it. Exchanging it with pharmaceutical companies or the Martial Arts Council could yield some rather scarce cultivation medicines.
He pulled an insulated ice bag from his suitcase—an item he had brought specifically to preserve and carry unique mutated tissues and organs. After stowing the gland inside, he set about searching for the high-energy nutrients he needed.
The most nourishing part of the many-eyed devil ray consisted of the fine, thread-like mutated tissues connecting its various eyes. Once cooked, these threads had a texture remarkably like firm, chewy noodles. They were one of the rare delicacies that did not have to be eaten raw, so he decided to treat himself to a change of flavor today.
Harvesting them, however, required delicate effort. Each thread had to be drawn out whole; if severed, its nutrients would rapidly bleed away. Even with his biological field assisting him, it took over ten minutes to extract all the mutated threads, which he rolled into more than twenty bundles and laid out on a clean sheet of membrane he had removed from the beast.
He then took out a portable pot, poured in water, and adjusted his breathing. His body naturally emanated intense heat, bringing the water to a boil in moments. He dropped in one bundle of threads. After a few rolls in the bubbling water, a sheen of oil spread across the surface, releasing an enticing aroma without the need for any seasoning.
Unable to resist, Chaoming edged closer. Chen Chuan smiled. Rather than keeping it all to himself, he used chopsticks to lift out a portion and set it aside for the bird. After devouring its share, Chaoming suddenly took wing. A short while later, it returned holding several avian eggs in its beak.
Chen Chuan recognized them as black sparrow eggs. Their nutritional value was fairly ordinary, but their flavor was exceptionally savory. It seemed Chaoming had taken note when he had browsed the bestiary earlier.
He patted Chaoming on the head. Over the past few days, nourished by various beasts and the relic's presence, the creature had grown another size larger. Its brilliantly layered plumage trailed backward smoothly, its forelimbs bore sharp talons, and the hind legs concealed beneath its tail feathers were sturdy and powerful. It already posed a genuine threat to other wild beasts.
Yet, given its youth, its growth period was far from over. Under the influence of abundant nutrition, its future potential promised to be even greater.
Chen Chuan cracked the eggs, made a few simple fried eggs, and laid them atop the snow-white, noodle-like threads before tucking in.
By the time he and Chaoming finished their meal, a comforting warmth enveloped his entire body. These mutated tissues were the very essence of the many-eyed devil ray. From the sheer nourishment absorbed, he felt he could support his cultivation for days even without hunting.
After resting a bit, he went down to the water's edge to wash the pot. He did not use his biological field, scrubbing it by hand instead. The mundane chore reminded him of home back in Yangzhi, and he savored the lingering, peaceful contentment that followed a hearty meal.
His thoughts naturally turned to his aunt’s family in Center City. It had been nearly a month since he entered the Confluence. He wondered whether his aunt and uncle were getting used to life there, and whether the two little ones had started their classes. Acquiring knowledge was a joyful endeavor; they were surely having a grand time each day.
He planned to gather some flora and fauna specimens to bring back to broaden their horizons. If the opportunity arose, he might even bring back a few rare, harmless creatures.
As for the gift for his aunt and uncle, he had decided long ago. The Confluence was home to a variety of "evergreen grass" that bore vibrant, gorgeous flowers. It had the effect of keeping one’s spirits constantly uplifted while helping heal damaged tissue, and it was remarkably resilient—capable of surviving even outside the Confluence.
He had not spotted any along the way so far, but he resolved to keep an eye out as he traveled.
The depths of this lake still held plenty of valuable resources, so he thought it worthwhile to linger here for two days. Since the beasts hunted in this area offered much higher nutritional value, he no longer had to spend entire days tracking prey and could take the time to recuperate.
He stayed by the lake for two days, spending most of his time resting and meditating. By the third day, he set out once more, fully refreshed.
He could feel the terrain ahead gradually rising. After trekking for a full day and halting at night to cultivate, he successfully mastered another form of the Grand Radiant Light Forms. At the first break of dawn, he looked out into the distance and realized he was standing upon an elevated ridge overlooking a vast plain.
Far off, a cone-shaped mountain billowed with thick smoke, looking very much like an active volcano. Yet the Confluence was never simple; environments that appeared identical to the outside world often concealed entirely different underlying natures. That smoke and fire were very likely produced by the spontaneous combustion of high-energy algae.
Where high-energy algae thrived, unusual organisms typically clustered. He had a premonition that there would be considerable gains to be had there.
Across the plains, broad swathes of intermittent, pale white clouds drifted from afar, stretching so endlessly that their beginnings and ends could barely be seen. In truth, they were swarms of migrating insects. Viewing them from this vantage, set against the wider landscape, the sight was a striking testament to the Confluence's alien grandeur.
Chen Chuan estimated the distance: if he picked up the pace, he should be able to reach that mountain over there before midday. He called to Chaoming and broke into a run, his swift strides carving a surging trail across the earth.
Just as he had anticipated, he arrived at the foot of the mountain near noon. The temperature here was noticeably scorching. The upper reaches of the mountain were charred pitch-black, with points of crimson heat glimmering across the rock face.
In the air, countless downy particles drifted about—tiny insects that fed on the charred detritus of combusting high-energy algae. Throngs of birds wheeled and swooped through the air, pecking at the insects in a relentless, clamorous chorus of chirps.
Chen Chuan’s interest was piqued. He recognized them as gold essence birds. These creatures were fond of foraging for rare ores and flora, binding them with their own saliva to construct fortified nests. Over time, a mutated membrane known as "silver frost" would condense upon the structures.
He glanced up toward an adjacent ridge from where the birds were flying. Before long, he indeed spotted flickering specks of white light—unquestionably silver frost. As his gaze swept farther, he saw that nearly the entire perimeter of the mountain was ringed with the substance.
This material was another highly valuable high-energy nutrient. In former times, the Old State Religion could not do without it when compounding certain specialized elixirs. Because the former imperial house controlled many of the prime territories within the Confluence, they had maintained a near-monopoly on such resources for generations. When Great Shun required them, they often had to procure them through underground trading channels between both sides.
He had not expected to find so much of it here. Now that he had happened upon it, he was not about to pass it by.
Pulling the shoulder strap from his suitcase, Chen Chuan slung it onto his back and walked toward the mountain.
As he advanced, he noticed flocks of crane-like, pure white gold essence birds. They were exceptionally large—mutated variants of the species that typically served as defenders against foreign predators. As he drew near, these larger birds began screeching in warning.
Yet within moments, their cries turned shrill, piercing, and frantic. Chen Chuan paused mid-step. He knew he had not yet entered their true perimeter of defense, so the commotion could not be aimed at him. High above, Chaoming, who was circling in the distance, let out a sharp, warning shriek of its own.
Chen Chuan shifted his gaze in that direction. There, at the far edge of the sky, a slender, colossal silhouette bearing two massive wings had appeared.
Chapter 890