Name: Red Wings of Stability
Location: Near Second Gray Cloud City
Description: This treasure was created by the Burning World Sect. It’s said that the treasure was made for a noble’s son from the Phoenix Empire who had lost control of his bloodline. The main function of this treasure is to enhance the user’s durability. When activated, it creates small fire wings on the user’s back.
Additional Info 1: The durability effect is suspected to apply to almost everything, including other people, inanimate objects, and even other treasures.
Additional Info 2: While the exact location is unknown, if someone walks from the inverted triangle rock near Second Gray Cloud City to the north, they will find a barrier that holds this treasure.
Additional Info 3: This treasure is guarded by a spirit beast.
This treasure has more information compared to others, which suggests either it is more valuable, or the one who gathered this info put in considerable effort. Whatever the case, Liu Xing is grateful to whoever compiled this information.
Scanning the area around him, Liu Xing tried to find the barrier. A barrier is usually hidden and only activates when attacked, but Liu Xing had heard of barriers that are always active and visible. The most famous one is the barrier that protects the entire Verdant Mountains Sect. It resembles a soap bubble glowing under sunlight.
"Looks like there's no barrier around here. Alright, let's follow the directions in the entry," Liu Xing muttered to himself.
He leaped back to the place where he had fought earlier. It took him some time to determine where he had found the Ethereal Pearl, but when he did—near the newly created lake—Liu Xing turned his body north and began walking.
He wanted to run, but fearing that the barrier wouldn’t appear if he moved too quickly, he opted for a brisk walk instead. As he walked, he kept checking his surroundings.
The area around the river was full of boulders and thick with trees, and as he moved further north, the trees grew taller and larger. At first, Liu Xing walked among black trees with lush green leaves that emitted a sweet, floral aroma. But after walking for about half an hour, the trees around him grew even bigger, their trunks covered fully by moss. The ground became damp, and swarms of bugs and mosquitoes began to buzz around him. This forest reminded him of some rainforests he had seen in Indonesia.
As he walked, Liu Xing wondered about the shape of the treasure he was searching for. Unlike other treasures he had come across, this treasure's name didn’t indicate its shape, only its effect. Liu Xing suspected it might be a small item worn by the user, like a ring, bracelet, or necklace. Although he didn’t know for sure, he hoped it was something inconspicuous. After all, he intended to wear it during the race, and if it was something that attracted attention, like a tiara, he would be embarrassed to use it. But he would still wear it, as it would enhance the durability of his body as well as his treasure, primarily his Thunderstrike Gauntlets.
The Thunderstrike Gauntlets he wore were an amazing treasure. But even though they were powerful, as evidenced by his last fight, they weren't strong enough to defeat a Core Splitting cultivator. That's why he needed to get his hands on the Red Wings of Stability, so that he could make the Thunderstrike Gauntlets more durable and hold more qi. After all, he wanted that Heaven Grade technique.
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Feeling slightly more energized at the thought of finally obtaining the Heaven Grade Technique, Liu Xing quickened his pace.
After about half an hour, he finally saw what he was looking for.
In front of him was a wide lake, surrounded by tall trees that seemed to guard it. In the center of the lake was a small island with a tree growing on it. The tree had pink leaves and bore red fruits that almost resembled human hearts. Each fruit pulsed, expanding and contracting rhythmically, as if they were real hearts.
Swimming in the lake were dozens of crocodiles, each with black skin, and small black trees growing on their backs. These trees swayed gently, even though there was no strong wind, as if dancing to a tune that Liu Xing couldn’t hear.
Liu Xing scanned the area for something that resembled a treasure, particularly around the small island with the pink leaves and red heart-like fruit, but he didn’t see anything that looked like a treasure. Despite this, Liu Xing knew he was in the right place. The lake emerged suddenly before him as he walked through the dense forest. Its appearance so abrupt that it felt as though he had stepped into another world. Liu Xing was certain now—he must be inside a hidden barrier.
He closed his eyes and tried to sense the qi around him, searching for a hint of energy that would lead him to the treasure. When he felt a strong qi emanating from beneath the lake, Liu Xing opened his eyes and blinked several times.
Liu Xing was genuinely surprised by what he sensed. He had needed to search thoroughly to find the Ethereal Pearl, as it didn’t emit much qi, but this treasure was emitting a peculiar qi that felt... stable. Normally, qi felt like wind or mist—something intangible. While most qi felt cold when it touched his body, some had different sensations, like the prickling energy from spirit beasts or the peculiar aura he felt around other cultivators. The qi from the bottom of the lake felt like the warmth of a rock heated by the scorching sun, moving lazily, like thick syrup.
Liu Xing had no doubt that this qi came from the treasure he sought, but he also sensed that it was encasing something with a familiar prickling qi.
The information from the interface had mentioned that this treasure was guarded by a spirit beast. The crocodiles swimming around were low-stage spirit beasts, and when he first arrived, Liu Xing had thought the interface might have been wrong. But now it seemed the spirit beast mentioned was actually lurking within the lake.
Liu Xing submerged his face into the water and opened his eyes. The lake was dark, and even with his cultivator’s vision, he couldn’t see much. However, he could make out the shape of a spirit beast right beneath the small island in the middle of the lake. It seemed that the island wasn’t a real island but the tip of a horn belonging to a giant spirit beast. From the silhouette, the creature appeared to be a giant frog crouching at the bottom of the lake. Its two eyes were red as blood, with stylized sun patterns in their irises and retinas.
At first, Liu Xing thought about how cool and beautiful its eyes were. But when those two red eyes focused on him, Liu Xing realized they weren’t beautiful—they were terrifying. The world around him suddenly darkened, as if night had descended, and ripples started striking his face like whips.
The frog, which had been slumbering in the lake, suddenly stood on its hind legs, and as it rose, Liu Xing realized it was even bigger than he had imagined.
Pulling his face from the water, Liu Xing saw the true form of the spirit beast emerge from the lake. Its face was that of a frog, with red skin and eyes gazing at him as if he were a mere insect. Its horn, dozens of meters long, seemed to pierce the sky. Its torso resembled a human’s, but its hands and feet were blue, looking like octopus tentacles. The creature continued to rise, water cascading from its body like waterfalls.
Standing up, Liu Xing had to tilt his head back to meet the giant frog’s gaze. The creature was as tall as a skyscraper, its massive horn disappearing into the sky, where Liu Xing could only see a small splotch of pink from the distance. Despite its terrifying size and form, Liu Xing wasn’t fazed. As a cultivator, what mattered was not size or appearance, but strength and cultivation realm. And this frog was only at the seventh stage, not even on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Still, he needed to be careful. Though it was in the same realm as him, there were fire wings sprouting from its back, indicating that it was wearing the Red Wings of Stability somewhere on its body.