TL: Etude
"We have maps of the Lake of Death priced at 10,000 and 100,000. Which one would you like, sir?" the female clerk asked earnestly.
"What's the difference?" Ye Tian inquired.
"The 10,000 one provides a general layout and basic information, while the 100,000 one offers detailed information, even including the types and weaknesses of many aquatic beasts in the Lake of Death," the clerk responded.
"Give me the 100,000 one," Ye Tian declared.
A mere 100,000 was nothing to him. The more he could learn about the Lake of Death, the better, as it would help him avoid many dangers. After paying the 100,000, Ye Tian obtained the map of the Lake of Death and also purchased some healing medicines.
Having bought what he needed, Ye Tian left some instructions for his sister Ye Yu and then left Linhai Base.
...
The ten-kilometer journey was not easy. Ye Tian was extremely cautious and took more than half a day to finally arrive at the Lake of Death.
Boom!
The sound of battle echoed from a distance.
"There's people!" Ye Tian was somewhat surprised.
The Lake of Death was considered a dangerous place, and it was far from Linhai Base. Even Elite Martial Warriors wouldn't normally venture this far to hunt beasts. Why would there be Martial Warriors here?
"I need to be careful," Ye Tian thought to himself.
Martial Warriors might coexist peacefully within Linhai Base, but that wasn't necessarily the case in the wilderness. Conflicts over resources were not uncommon.
He walked quietly, making almost no sound, and approached the Lake of Death step by step. The terrain around the lake was peculiar, surrounded by hills on all sides. The only advantage for Ye Tian was that the hills were covered with trees, providing ample dark spots suitable for him to use his shadow talent to hide.
Soon, a group of people appeared in Ye Tian's line of sight. He hid in the darkness and observed carefully.
"It's her!" Ye Tian recognized a familiar figure—it was Yue Ling, whom he had seen in the Martial Pavilion.
Yue Ling and her group were engaged in intense combat with a group of beasts not far from the Lake of Death.
"Giant Crocodile Beasts!" Ye Tian was stunned as he identified the creatures.
These Giant Crocodile Beasts were each over ten meters long, clearly mid-level beasts. The leader was even more massive, reaching a length of twenty meters. Its movements seemed to shake the earth.
A high-level beast!
Ye Tian was one hundred percent certain that the leading Giant Crocodile was a high-level beast, equivalent to a Great Martial Warrior.
Fighting the high-level beast was an old man, who must have also reached the level of a Great Martial Warrior to be able to hold his own in the battle.
"Ten Elite Martial Warriors and one Great Martial Warrior, and they all seem to be centered around Yue Ling. They must be her guards. But what is such a powerful team doing at the Lake of Death? Could it be that there's something in the Lake of Death that Yue Ling needs?" Ye Tian pondered.
He continued to watch without revealing himself.
Just then, a figure burst out of the Lake of Death. It was a middle-aged Martial Warrior who was walking on the surface of the lake without sinking, and his clothes were completely dry.
"A talent related to water?" Ye Tian speculated.
Such a talent would be extremely convenient in water, but Ye Tian had no interest in copying it. What he really wanted to replicate was the talent of the Immortal Jellyfish.
"Miss, we've got it! Let's go!" The middle-aged Martial Warrior shouted frantically.
Moving swiftly, he reached the shore and hastily handed something to Yue Ling. Due to the speed and distance, Ye Tian couldn't see what it was, but it was clearly a valuable item—perhaps the reason Yue Ling and her team had come here.
Suddenly, the Lake of Death churned, and a massive crocodile burst out of the water. Its colossal body was like that of an ancient dragon-crocodile, its oppressive aura spreading for miles. Even Ye Tian felt the air grow thick.
"What on earth did they provoke? This must be a creature beyond a high-level beast," Ye Tian exclaimed in astonishment.
At that moment, he finally understood. The high-level beast crocodile they had been fighting was not the leader; it was merely a squad captain. The one that had just appeared was the real leader.
"Miss, it's a top-level beast. We'll hold it off; you go first!" The old man's expression changed dramatically.
"Let's go together!" Yue Ling gritted her teeth.
"It's too late!" The old man despaired.
They had never expected such a situation. This was just a remote area, yet a top-level beast had appeared—a creature only a Grandmaster could handle.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
One by one, the Elite Martial Warriors charged at the top-level beast crocodile, launching suicidal attacks. The old man pushed Yue Ling far away and formed the last line of defense with the middle-aged man.
Yue Ling glanced back, knowing she couldn't save the others. She had to leave, or they would all die here.
But while Yue Ling wanted to leave, the other crocodiles had no intention of letting her go. A group of them chased after her, and she didn't dare to stop, running for her life.
"Such speed, such power. Yue Ling must be at the peak of Elite Martial Warrior. She could easily kill me in a second," Ye Tian assessed.
No matter how strong Yue Ling was, she couldn't defeat so many crocodiles, especially when her guards couldn't hold off the top-level beast for long.
So, Yue Ling went all out.
Boom!
A Great Martial Warrior's aura erupted from Yue Ling. She had used a secret technique to temporarily elevate her strength to that of a Great Martial Warrior. This was a temporary boost; once the technique's time limit expired, she would be left in a weakened state and would surely die.
"Die!"
With a single sword thrust, Yue Ling pierced the skull of one crocodile and kicked another away. Her combat power was off the charts. But there were too many crocodiles, and soon she was hit and injured.
She ran and they chased. Soon, Yue Ling was covered in injuries, and the number of pursuing crocodiles had dwindled. She didn't know how far she had run, but there were no more crocodiles behind her. However, her injuries were severe.
Suddenly, Yue Ling's expression changed. "Not good, the secret technique's duration is up!"
Then, she despaired.
This was the wilderness; she hadn't reached a safe area yet. When the secret technique's time expired, she would undoubtedly fall into a state of weakness and unconsciousness. Any beast could easily kill her then.
Before she could think of a solution, her consciousness faded, and she collapsed on the ground. Just as she hit the ground, she seemed to see a figure appear beside her.