Two days passed in a blur of mounting tension and spectral laments.
Those who had camped along the surrounding slopes found their mind haunted by the strange crying sounds emanating from the depths. As time progressed, the frequency of these auditory anomalies increased. Every half hour, the air would vibrate with a sound that sat somewhere between a mourning mother and a shrieking banshee.
These cries were no longer mere echoes; they were physical waves that caused the calm surface of the lake to surge and splash in violent, rhythmic fluctuations.
Nature itself seemed to be bowing to the pressure. Some of the lower peaks that dotted the shoreline were swallowed whole as the water levels began a relentless ascent.
By the dawn of the third day, the Enlightenment Lake's water level had surged upward by two to three hundred meters. It didn't stop there. The water continued its slow, inexorable climb, reclaiming the mountainside until it had reached a staggering five hundred meters above its original basin.
Unlike the previous month's surges, this time the water showed no sign of receding. It hung there, a massive, suspended body of liquid that defied the laws of the land.
Suddenly, the eerie cries were replaced by a visual spectacle. Pillars of resplendent, golden light shot up from the center of the clear lake, piercing the clouds and illuminating the valley with a divine radiance. To the thousands of cultivators gathered on the peaks, this was the ultimate signal.
"The great treasure! It is appearing!"
The shout ignited a powder keg of greed. The gathered forces, previously held back by caution, were suddenly whipped into a state of giddy elation. Men and women from various sects, driven by the desire to reach the treasure before the Sun Clan or the Imperial Kingdom could claim it, rushed forward. Dozens of silhouettes dived head-first into the surging waters, their eyes fixed on the glowing depths.
However, the moment their bodies broke the surface, the dream of wealth turned into a nightmare of gore.
'Aaah— "
"NO…"
"What is— "
Miserable shrieks echoed through the mist as the water exploded upward. An enormous rhino head, grotesque and gargantuan, emerged from the froth. Its massive horns, angled like deadly obsidian spears, were already occupied.
Two human bodies were skewered upon them, the horns having pierced through their chests and out their backs. Fresh, vibrant red blood dripped from the wounds, seeping into the lake and staining the clear water a dark, murky crimson.
The beast was a monstrosity. Its glowing red eyes burned with a primal, predatory intelligence, and its physique was so massive that it looked like five giant boulders had been fused together into a single, muscled frame.
"A monster! A monster has appeared! Quickly, run!"
The cultivators still in the air or paddling near the surface were instantly petrified. The sight of the enormous, bull-headed rhino effectively shattered their greed, replacing it with a cold, paralyzing fright. They scrambled to flee the water, their movements frantic and desperate.
The creature would not allow it. The Savage Rhino opened its maw, letting out a shrill, strange roar that shook the very foundation of the Enlightenment Lake. A horrifying, penetrating force rippled out from the roar, striking the fleeing cultivators like a physical hammer.
As if they had been caught in the center of a localized hurricane, their spiritual Qi defenses shattered. Their bodies went limp, their consciousness fading as they began to sink helplessly into the depths.
With a terrifying fluidity, the rhino's jaw stretched open, mimicking the wide, cavernous gape of a feeding whale. A massive influx of water flooded its mouth, and with it, the unconscious bodies of the warriors were sucked into the dark abyss of its throat.
Experts who had been on the verge of jumping hesitated, their feet frozen at the water's edge. Cold sweat dripped down their foreheads as they watched their peers vanish. Without another word, they beat a swift retreat, the allure of the treasure now overshadowed by the reality of the predator guarding it. None of them had imagined that such a prehistoric terror lived in the depths of the Enlightenment Lake.
...
Mu Chen and Xiao Diao watched the slaughter from their vantage point, their expressions vastly different from the panicked crowd. Xiao Diao narrowed his eyes, his tail twitching in the air as he observed the beast's movements.
"Looks like it's the guardian spirit beast of the great treasure," Xiao Diao commented, his voice carrying a hint of professional assessment. "It'll be incredibly hard to kill as long as it stays in the water."
"Oh? Is that so?" Mu Chen asked, his tone casual as he watched the rhino submerge its skewered victims.
Xiao Diao nodded. "The Savage Rhino possesses a unique elemental affinity. It can recover its strength and heal its injuries at an accelerated rate while submerged. Judging by its aura, this one is at the mid-stage Golden Core realm. Inside its home turf, even a peak Golden Core cultivator would find it nearly impossible to put it down for good."
As the various sect experts exchanged worried glances and stayed their hands, a sudden shift occurred on the peak of Arshan Mountain.
A single human silhouette blurred through the air, descending with such speed that it looked like a falling star. Sun Liang stopped above the Enlightenment Lake in less than a second, his presence immediately stilling the wind. He didn't wait for the beast to strike. He drew back a fist and struck downward.
The air groaned. The force of the blow split the water's surface, a massive trench opening up that reached all the way to the lakebed.
Roar!!
A dismal, pained roar resounded from the depths. The Savage Rhino had been struck, and the blow had clearly bypassed its thick hide. The enormous bull head rushed back to the surface, its mouth wide in an attempt to swallow the golden-robed attacker whole.
But Sun Liang moved with the grace of a phantom. With a simple, nonchalant sway to the side, he avoided the closing maw. Before the rhino could reorient, Sun Liang sent a second punch whistling through the air, striking the beast squarely in its lower belly.
The rhino's massive body was launched out of the water, skipping across the surface like a pebble. The spectators broke out in a frantic uproar. To injure the beast so effortlessly was a feat they couldn't wrap their minds around.
"It's Young Lord Sun Liang!"
"He truly stands to his reputation! A genius among geniuses!"
The Canglan Kingdom's ministers and the envoys from the neighboring kingdoms were the loudest, their voices filled with a mixture of relief and fawning adoration. To them, Sun Liang was the sword that would clear the path.
...
Sun Liang stood in the air, his golden robes fluttering slightly. The aura he projected was no longer just noble; it was sharp, akin to a magnificent treasure sword that had just been unsheathed from its scabbard. He looked down at the Savage Rhino, his hands behind his back, his voice carrying across the entire lake.
"Evil beast, I am giving you two choices: one, become my spirit pet mount, or two, die by my hand."
The Savage Rhino's enormous head emerged from the water once more. Its red eyes burned with a furious, defiant light. To the shock of the common cultivators, the beast spoke in the human tongue, its voice a guttural, wet growl.
"Wanting me to be your pet mount? Damn humans... stop dreaming!"
The beast's entire body left the water, floating into the air through sheer spiritual pressure. The two claws beneath its belly were the size of small hills, giving everyone a terrifying sense of its true scale.
As it hovered over the Enlightenment Lake, the waters below began to whirl upward like a massive, gray tornado, winding tightly around the beast's body. The Rhino was absorbing the lake itself. As the water was pulled in, a thick, translucent layer of water armor emerged over its skin, pulsating with energy.
Simultaneously, the deep bruise and wound on its belly—inflicted by Sun Liang moments before—healed rapidly, the flesh knitting back together in plain view.
The moment the healing was complete, the Savage Rhino let out a thunderous roar. The lake water jetted into the sky, turning into a series of gigantic waves that crashed toward Sun Liang.
As the waves approached, the water condensed into rows upon rows of sharp, pointed teeth, each as hard and lethal as a sword's tip.
When these cold, sharp sword-waves were mere inches from Sun Liang, he finally moved. He raised a single hand and punched forward. The collision was absolute. The unblockable spikes of water burst into a fine mist, splashing harmlessly back into the lake.
"Looks like this guy has a bit of skill," Xiao Diao noted, leaning back. "He's at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, his foundation is solid."
Beside him, Mu Chen had pulled out a piece of roasted meat he had snagged from the mansion. He chewed it slowly, taking a deep gulp of wine as he watched the drama unfold.
To him, this wasn't a life-or-death battle for a heavenly treasure; it was a high-quality show.
The Savage Rhino was stunned. Seeing its mightiest elemental attack broken so easily. Desperate, it lunged forward, its two massive claws swooping down on Sun Liang. The sheer force of the movement created a pressure wave that caused the huge rocks and boulders lining the shore to explode into fragments.
Sun Liang watched the claws whistle through the air. He began to circulate his clan's secret technique— "Nine Dragon Overload Fist" high level Mysterious Grade skill that allowed his spiritual energy to surge, boosting his physical power multiple times over.
He clenched both hands into fists and struck.
Boom!
The air itself blasted outward from the impact. The Savage Rhino's enormous mass was sent flying, crashing into a distant mountain peak. The entire mountain shook, stones crumbling and gravel rolling down in a massive landslide that buried the shoreline.
Sun Liang flashed through the air, appearing beside the dazed beast almost instantly. He shaped his palm into a knife, his hand glowing with a concentrated, lethal edge, and slashed out.
A tragic, final scream escaped the Savage Rhino's throat as it took its dying breath. A pillar of blood spurted from its neck, reaching more than a hundred meters into the sky before raining down. The crimson spray dyed the Enlightenment Lake and the surrounding slopes red. As the massive body slumped and smashed back into the lake, it set off one last series of enormous waves.
The surrounding area fell into an absolute, suffocating silence.
The spectators were shaken to their core. This was a spirit beast that could rival a peak Golden Core expert, and now it had died in such a trivial, effortless manner at the hands of a single youth.
Sun Liang didn't linger on the corpse. He extended a hand, and a powerful suction force pulled a glistening, fist-sized beast core from the remains. The core hummed with demonic Qi, a precious treasure that could be refined into pills or used to power artifacts.
After stowing the core into his spatial ring, Sun Liang's silhouette dove into the water with a flash of golden light. He split the waters of the Enlightenment Lake, disappearing from view as he headed for the bottom.
With Sun Liang gone, the surface of the lake returned to a mirror-like calm. But the peace didn't last. The allure of the treasure was too strong. One expert finally took the lead, flying down into the depths. Then a second, a third... until a dozen more had followed. The experts began to organize themselves into small groups, descending together to seek their fortune.
Mu Chen finished the last of his roasted meat and drained his wine skin. He wiped his mouth and stood up, looking toward the rippling center of the lake.
"Xiao Diao," Mu Chen said, his eyes following the trail of the disappearing cultivators. "Let us go and have a look at this Heavenly Seal."
Xiao Diao nodded, hopping onto his shoulder and adjusting his position. "I'm curious too. I'm starting to wonder which of the seals it could be to cause this much of a fuss."