Chapter 183: The Gold of Living Beings
After Yang Wushuang discovered the Profound Water Dragon Crocodile, Yang Potian felt relieved. At least they wouldn't need to venture into the Star Dou Forest's core region with Tianyue. The five of them quickly set out and found the creature in a secluded pool about sixty kilometers north of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
This Profound Water Dragon Crocodile was nearly twenty meters long, with a body covered in thick scales and an imposing jaw that looked terrifying. Unexpectedly, it had two small horns on its head, giving it a peculiar appearance.
With three Titled Douluo, plus Yang Potian's own formidable combat ability, they managed to subdue the creature without much effort. With the crocodile defeated, Tianyue began absorbing the forty-thousand-year-old spirit ring. She experienced some difficulties; the strain on her face was evident, yet with the assistance of her head and leg spirit bones, she successfully completed the absorption.
Luckily, she didn't end up with an external tail bone from the crocodile. A girl with a crocodile tail might have been an odd image for a future Sea God.
After absorbing the spirit ring, Tianyue's aura subtly shifted, and her spirit power soared to an impressive level 58. If her progress continued at this pace, she would likely reach level 60 in half a year, offering some hope of passing the Sea God's Nine Trials.
The group agreed that Niu Jinfeng would oversee Tianyue's training and spar with her daily to hone her combat skills. Meanwhile, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well also proved beneficial for Niu Jinfeng, raising her own spirit power to level 93, surpassing even Yang Wushuang. It was truly a remarkable place for cultivation.
Once the arrangements were set, Yang Wushuang, Yang Zhentian, and Yang Potian departed from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, heading to the Star Dou Forest to search for suitable spirit beasts and spirit rings.
Yang Potian speculated that many hidden hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts might still reside in the Star Dou Forest's core, even outside the inner lake. After all, in the future, the Spirit Hall would manage to hunt down seven hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts in a short period. Those beasts couldn't have all reached that age in just a few millennia.
Despite searching the Star Dou Forest's core for half a month, they didn't encounter any spirit beast that matched Yang Potian's needs. Though there were numerous eighty- or ninety-thousand-year beasts, none possessed the unique attributes he was looking for.
One day, however, they sensed three powerful auras nearby, suggesting formidable spirit beasts. When they stealthily approached, they discovered three enormous Ant Emperors, each about three meters long and brimming with power. Oddly enough, they even had wings.
Yang Wushuang muttered, "This forest never ceases to amaze. I've never seen Thunder Ants grow this large—they must be close to ninety-thousand years. Can ants even reach such high ages?"
"Back when Titan had a thirty-thousand-year Thunder Ant, it was considered outrageous," Yang Wushuang continued. "Who would've thought there'd be three such monstrous Thunder Ants here?"
Yang Potian pondered aloud, "Second Uncle, could these ants have evolved by consuming some rare treasure? Otherwise, with their typical bloodline, they wouldn't have reached this level."
Douluo Continent was known as a land governed by bloodline power. Both human spirit masters and spirit beasts were limited by their lineage. Those with weaker bloodlines were capped in their growth. For instance, Yu Xiaogang's Golden Holy Dragon bloodline was diluted, causing his spirit to degrade. Spirit beasts were similarly limited; ordinary ones struggled to surpass ten thousand years. For example, there were no ten-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbits recorded in the Star Dou Forest.
These three Ant Emperors, however, clearly had exceptional bloodlines. In a dangerous place like the Star Dou Forest, weaker beasts wouldn't have survived for so long, especially in this area where life energy was particularly rich—a clear sign of a precious location.
Yang Potian shared his thoughts. "Second Uncle, Father, let's drive these three Ant Emperors out. There must be a rare treasure nearby, perhaps something of immense value."
Zhentian and Wushuang exchanged glances and nodded.
The three concealed their auras and crept closer to the Ant Emperors. In a single coordinated strike, they unleashed a surprise attack, each aiming for a different Ant Emperor. The three of them attacked with such speed and intensity, even activating their True Spirit Forms, as though they intended to defeat all three Ant Emperors in one decisive blow.
The combined force of three Titled Douluo wielding Soul-Breaking Spears was terrifying. With all their attack-focused spirit rings unleashed, it would have been difficult for even a fellow Titled Douluo to withstand the onslaught.
Their attacks landed, but despite sustaining deep, bone-revealing wounds, the Ant Emperors' durability was astounding, and they retaliated fiercely. Even wounded, they showed no fear, charging at the trio head-on. However, injured as they were, they could hardly contend with a Titled Douluo one-on-one. Yang Potian, Zhentian, and Wushuang pressed their attacks with savage intensity, employing their ten-thousand-year spirit abilities as if they were going all out.
Zhentian, at the peak of level 95, had an offensive power that surpassed most level 96 Titled Douluo. With his skillful positioning, he prevented the Ant Emperors from retreating to their lair. After a ten-minute clash, the Ant Emperors were covered in injuries. Finally, they flapped their wings and fled, abandoning their nest.
The three men simply watched as the Ant Emperors retreated, refraining from pursuit. Their goal wasn't the spirit rings, and given Yang Potian's current level, he couldn't absorb all three rings simultaneously anyway.
After driving off the Ant Emperors, Yang Wushuang commented, "Their defense and power were truly remarkable. Even a newly ascended Titled Douluo might struggle to take on one of those creatures alone."
Yang Potian nodded. "These three Ant Emperors broke through the limits of their lifespan and bloodline, reaching nearly ninety-thousand years. It's a rare feat for ants, likely an evolutionary leap. That's why I suspected there was something valuable here."
They began to scour the area meticulously, yet despite a thorough search, they found nothing remarkable, aside from the massive ant nest.
Zhentian looked concerned. "Potian, do you really want to explore the Ant Emperors' lair? Ant nests are usually complex, with labyrinthine passageways. I'm worried it could be dangerous inside."
After some thought, Yang Potian said, "Father, this area has the highest concentration of life energy around. The treasure is likely deep within the nest. I need to go in and check it out. Wait here; I'll be back soon." Ignoring the protests from Yang Zhentian and Yang Wushuang, he crawled directly into the Ant Emperors' nest.
The three Ant Emperors were about three meters long, with a body width of only about a meter. The structure of the nest itself was similar in scale, so Potian had to crawl, unable to stand upright. To ensure safety, he extended his three-meter-long external soul bone from the Golden Crocodile King to probe ahead as he advanced through the dark, cramped tunnels.
As he crawled deeper, nothing unusual presented itself initially, though he noticed the life energy growing stronger the further he went. Eventually, he reached a larger chamber where he could finally stand. Potian thoroughly searched this area but couldn't find anything that resembled a treasure.
"It doesn't make sense," he muttered, shaking his head. "With such dense life energy here, there must be something extraordinary, maybe even as valuable as the Star Dou Forest's core. How can there be nothing?"
Taking a handful of the soil, he noted its extraordinary scent. It was unlike any soil he had encountered, filled with a potent life energy. Sensing that he might be onto something, he summoned his Soul-Breaking Spear and Golden Crocodile King tailbone, using them to dig deeper.
As he dug, the life energy intensified, further confirming his hunch that a treasure lay beneath the nest. After several minutes, he uncovered a two-meter-wide pit and kept digging deeper, now about twenty meters down, until he hit something solid—so hard that even his spear and soul bone couldn't pierce it.
Realizing he might have found something of significant value, he dug carefully, worried he might disturb a hundred-thousand-year-old beast if he wasn't cautious. When the object was finally visible, he was stunned. It was a small, dense piece of metal that radiated an intense life force. Despite being no larger than two fists, it was incredibly heavy.
Yang Potian felt a surge of excitement and swallowed hard. "Jackpot," he thought, hardly able to contain his excitement. "This must be the legendary Life Gold."
This piece of Life Gold weighed over a hundred pounds despite its small size. No wonder those three Ant Emperors managed to reach nearly ninety-thousand-year levels; it was thanks to the life energy from this treasure. It rivaled the Life Gold Ho Yuhui once obtained and could potentially serve as a foundation for a god, or even the creation of a divine weapon.
When he emerged from the Ant Emperors' nest, Yang Zhentian and Yang Wushuang finally breathed a sigh of relief. But upon seeing the Life Gold in his hands, their eyes widened. Though neither fully understood what Life Gold was, they recognized its extraordinary nature by the energy it radiated.
"Potian, what exactly is that?" Yang Zhentian asked, unable to contain his curiosity. "It seems… remarkable."
Yang Potian smiled. "This is Life Gold, a legendary metal said to be part of the foundation of the Star Dou Forest itself. It's an extraordinary treasure, rare enough to create a divine weapon."
Both men were left speechless. Divine weapons were almost mythic items, and here was a material that could craft one. After discussing the discovery, Yang Potian carefully stored the Life Gold, and the three took a break to recover before resuming their search for a suitable spirit beast.
The search proved challenging. Yang Potian even considered finding the Dark Devilgod Tiger, though he worried its level might be a bit low. With his growing power, he now envisioned a flawless array of red spirit rings and disliked the idea of a black ring disrupting the aesthetic.
One day, they arrived at a cliff's edge. The barren landscape around it was void of beasts and vegetation. Yet, such desolate areas often housed formidable creatures, and Potian sensed a powerful presence deep below the cliff.
An ideal spirit ring for his second martial soul awaited him, potentially a godlike skill.
(End of Chapter)
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