Chapter 137: The Deep Lake: Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile
“Little Dumb Dumb, although you won’t be able to find Red Lotus Lightning Flame, lesser flames are a dime a dozen.” Zi Shang gave her a wicked, charming smile. He pinched Ye Jiuge’s face and pulled her cheeks lightly on both sides. After that, he lifted them upward, like he was kneading dough.
Ye Jiuge was infuriated. However, she did not dare verbalize her anger. In order to obtain a Spiritual Flame, she swallowed her pride and flattered him in a loud voice: “Chieftain~ Zi~ Shang~, can you please take your darling to search for the Spiritual Flame?”
Her dignity meant nothing compared to the Spiritual Flame. She would not hesitate to call him ‘Daddy’ or ‘Chieftain.’
“Good girl!” Pleased, Zi Shang tousled Ye Jiuge’s hair. After that, he beckoned to the Black Fat Rat, who was curled up in a corner.
“Pipi!”
The rat scuttled over at once. It placed both of its paws in front of its chest and looked at Zi Shang with an obliging expression. She had no idea how Zi Shang and the rat communicated. The Black Fat Rat’s furry face was serious. In the end, it raised its right paw and nodded. It squeaked, “Pipi!”
“What are you two doing?” Ye Jiuge could not help but ask.
“Follow it. It will guide you to the Spiritual Flame.” After Zi Shang told her this, he returned to Ye Jiuge’s imprint.
“Black Fatty, where is the Spiritual Flame?” Ye Jiuge directed an intense gaze toward the rat.
“Pipi!” The Black Fat Rat waved its flabby paw, then transformed into a stream of light and ran off.
Ye Jiuge followed the Black Fat Rat beyond the capital walls. It ran without stopping to a place situated deep in the mountains three hundred meters away, surrounded by an old forest. She nearly passed out from exhaustion.
“Black Fatty, are you certain that we will find the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Flame in this godforsaken place?” Ye Jiuge wiped the sweat from her forehead while looking at the miserable valley in front of her. The environment was so desolate that even animals would not want to live there.
However, places where things related to the fire element were brought into existence would definitely be concentrated with Spiritual Energy.
Still, this abysmal mountaintop was overgrown with random trees. Vines were everywhere. The entire valley was blanketed with putrefying leaves. The moist air smothered with the stench of decomposition.
If Ye Jiuge hadn’t consumed a Poison-resistant Pill, she very likely would have fainted after walking just a few steps.
“Pipi!” the Black Fat Rat squeaked and nodded. Its small, bright black eyes surveyed the place. Its large ears pivoted to and fro before it scampered west.
Ye Jiuge’s eyes brightened, and she went after it.
The rat moved like lightning as it darted toward the deeper part of the valley.
Ye Jiuge was right behind it. She trod on the muddy ground and dashed fervently toward the bottom of a cliff. Soon, she saw a deep, gloomy lake.
The lake occupied approximately one-fifteenth of a hectare of land. It was smaller than the one in the Demonic Beasts Forest, but it was just as bottomless.
Ye Jiuge stared at the dark waters of the lake’s depths. She felt apprehensive.
The Black Fat Rat dove gracefully into the lake. After that, its chubby belly protruded from the water, and it splashed around leisurely.
“Don’t tell me you came here to take a dip!” Ye Jiuge flung a blade of grass, which was clinging to her hair, at the Fat Black Rat.
“Pipi Jam!” the rat retorted back unhappily. Afterward, it showed its fat rump before swimming to the bottom of the lake.
“Hey, wait a moment. You should give me a piece of Blue Stone first!” Ye Jiuge splashed the water’s surface with her hand as she called out to the rat.
Although she was capable of holding her breath underwater, without the Blue Stone, she would drown—especially if this lake was as deep as the last one.
Unfortunately, the Black Fat Rat did not respond to her, as it had already swum too far away.
Ye Jiuge knitted her brows as she stared at that murky lake.
She silently contemplated whether she should plunge underwater to explore or wait for the rat’s return.
“What are you waiting for? Why are you still lingering here?!” Zi Shang asked.
Ye Jiuge felt a sudden pain on her buttocks before she fell into the lake. She almost suffocated.
She floated to the surface in a disorderly state and wiped the water droplets from her face. She cursed the imprint on her hand, “Are you f*cking out of your mind?” She could not believe that he’d kicked her into the lake.
“I did it for your good,” Zi Shang answered her lazily. He did not feel any remorse.
“Thank you. I do not need it. You can save it for yourself!”
Ye Jiuge spat at the imprint before swimming toward the bank.
“Treasures will never wait around for anyone. If you are still dawdling, even the Black Fat Rat will run from you, let alone the Spiritual Flame,” Zi Shang told her coolly.
“If it wants to run off, then it can go ahead! Who cares?” Although Ye Jiuge said this, she still could not bear with the thought of parting with a Spiritual Rat capable of helping her produce Poison Pills.
After she mulled over it, she held her breath before starting her journey to the bottom of the lake.
As she descended, she discovered that the water here was even colder than in the lake in the Demonic Beasts Forest.
She thought that it was really bizarre that no small fish could be seen swimming around.
Generally, people didn’t fish in old lakes situated so deep in the mountains, so there should be an abundance of small fish.
Unless, an unknown creature was eating all the creatures that lived in this lake.
Her heart skipped a beat. She felt an inexplicable sense of uneasiness. Moreover, the oxygen in her lungs was running out. If she continued downward, it would become perilous for her.
Although the Spiritual Flame was critical for her, her delicate life was even more valuable.
Ye Jiuge turned around decisively, thinking about returning to dry land.
Just then, a threatening aura emanated from the shadowy depths.
The currents coursed past her swiftly, as if a mysterious creature were approaching her at a high speed.
The very next moment, a hideous, deformed face with sharp teeth appeared in front of her.
It was a Rank Two Demonic Beast: the Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile.
This type of giant crocodile was extremely ferocious. Any body of water in which it was found would not contain any living creatures.
Its iron skin was exceptionally tough, while its sharp, strong teeth were capable of crunching rocks into smaller fragments. It was dubbed ‘The Tyrant’ wherever it was found.
On dry land, Ye Jiuge was as invincible as a dragon, but underwater, she was merely a vulnerable worm. She was not able to take on the Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile.
However, looking at the situation, there was no escape. Therefore, she could only put up as much of a fight as she could muster.
Ye Jiuge detached her Lightning Snake Magical Whip from her waist and infused her Spiritual Energy into it. She lashed the giant crocodile.
The Lightning Snake Magical Whip turned into purple lightning. Although its movements slowed significantly in the lake, she was still able to land the whip right on the Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile.
The Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile writhed in pain. An ominous glint appeared in its eyes. It swished its thick tail before swimming toward Ye Jiuge as fast as a flying arrow.
Ye Jiuge whipped its voracious mouth again. She took advantage of the force from its recoil and drifted backward. She managed to avoid its assault.
The dark-skinned crocodile felt another bout of pain from the Lightning Snake Magical Whip’s blow. It became more frenzied. It opened its mouth wide and ejected a jet of water, generating continuous undercurrents.
The impact of the undercurrents caused Ye Jiuge to feel pangs of discomfort in the pit of her stomach. She became unsteady. She knew that if she continued to fight the Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile, it would not bode well for her.
She needed to defeat it as soon as possible.
Ye Jiuge held her Lightning Snake Magical Whip up again and inserted the tip of her finger into the snake’s head.
Within the snake’s head, there were two fangs. Once they absorbed blood, the Demonic Weapon’s Seal would be undone immediately. However, she could only undo the seal once a day.
“Undo your seal, Lightning Snake Magical Whip!” Ye Jiuge commanded inwardly.
Once the fangs tasted blood, the eyes on the snake’s head glowed, and a menacing aura instantly radiated from it.
It was like a fierce, starving beast that had been imprisoned for far too long with nothing but the thought of devouring every living creature on its mind.
Initially, the Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile was aggressively trying to gobble Ye Jiuge up.
When it sensed the Lightning Snake Magical Whip’s bloodthirsty aura, it flicked its tail and attempted to flee.
In a flash, the Lightning Snake Magical Whip increased in size. It transformed into a long, poisonous snake with silver scales. Immediately, it pierced its way through the entire Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile.
The Giant Iron-skinned Crocodile exploded. Its blood dyed the water red.
The Lightning Snake Magical Whip swam around the lake, greedily swallowing the blood.
With the crisis averted, Ye Jiuge relaxed. She realized that the level of oxygen in her lungs was getting low. If she were not able to inhale some fresh air, she would die from oxygen deprivation.