Another pillar of lightning shot from his hand. It pierced the frog's fist, disintegrating it into dust. The remaining torso and neck also crumbled away.
The last part of the frog was its head. Its eyes were full of fear and regret. They pierced Liu Xing's gaze as its mouth began to open, as if it wanted to curse him. But before it could utter a sound, Liu Xing aimed his gun at the frog's head. He activated the Exploding Fist, converting the technique to explosive bullets, and fired. The bullet struck the frog right in the forehead, causing it to explode into a million pieces. Red and yellow liquid splattered, falling into the murky water below with a splash.
Liu Xing now stood atop the floating shield, watching the lower part of the frog collapse like a tall building toppling to the side. As the remains hit the lake, waves rippled across the surface, and a cacophony of sorrowful shouts suddenly erupted.
Some of the trees and crocodiles emerged from the ground and the lake. The trees vibrated, making sounds like nails scratching glass, their eerie noise full of sorrow. They launched themselves at Liu Xing like spears, their branches whistling through the air. The crocodiles spat green acid from their gaping mouths, their eyes fixed on Liu Xing with hateful glares.
Seeing this, Liu Xing activated his lightning blade. The air crackled with electricity as he slashed at each incoming attack, his movements a blur of speed and precision.
He then moved swiftly, slashing at the spirit beasts that tried to enact revenge. The air filled with the scent of ozone and the sound of his blade cutting through flesh and wood alike.
At the end, Liu Xing stood beside the now still lake. He was still drenched in red blood, but unlike before, it no longer felt hot like boiling water.
Glancing at his gun, He found six green strips that glowed faintly in the dim light. Seeing this, Liu Xing nodded. The frog was dead, and it's beast core had been absorbed by his gun.
The fight with the frog was finally over.
***
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Liu Xing began absorbing the bullets into his body and then his consciousness. As always, the qi poured into his consciousness as easily as water flowing downstream, and it entered the last lock as if it truly belonged there.
When the six bullets were completely absorbed, Liu Xing knew he was stepping closer to finally opening the seventh lock. He calculated he needed around seventeen more spirit beasts to finally open it.
Opening his eyes and standing up, Liu Xing stretched his body. At this rate, Liu Xing was pretty sure he could become immortal within his lifespan, and probably become a legend as he wanted. Since becoming an immortal was almost guaranteed, Liu Xing needed to make sure he could defeat or contain the darkness lurking in this world. That way, he would become an immortal who would know that he successfully helped his friends in other worlds.
Nodding to himself, Liu Xing resolved to become stronger faster. To do that, he closed his eyes and tried to sense the qi around him.
There was a high chance the Red Wings of Stability had been destroyed along with the frog, but there was a small possibility that the treasure was still intact.
The frog's qi still lingered in the area, a faint feeling that made the air feel prickly. Liu Xing wondered about the nature of that frog. Its ability to use techniques was unheard of for a spirit beast. While spirit beasts were strong and sometimes had unique abilities, their powers were more similar to bloodlines than learned techniques. Seeing that frog use techniques made Liu Xing wonder what would have happened if he hadn't killed it. Would the frog have become stronger by learning more techniques? Would the frog and its army have become a calamity?
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Liu Xing shook his head. There was no use wondering about the frog now. It was already dead.
Focusing his mind, Liu Xing tried to feel the qi under the lake. If the Red Wings of Stability were still intact, chances were it was in the deep waters.
Liu Xing sensed some qi that belonged to hiding crocodiles, their presence a dull throb in his awareness, and after about a minute of searching with his senses, Liu Xing finally felt an object emitting a weak qi that felt stable.
Comparing this object to the frog when it used the Red Wings of Stability was like comparing the sun to a candle, but the feeling was similar enough that Liu Xing felt his hope rising.
Liu Xing jumped into the lake and began swimming toward the object. After swimming for around a minute, Liu Xing found himself in the deepest part of the dark lake. The water here was murky and dark, with only some plant-like blue seaweed swaying in the gentle current. The object that emitted the stable qi was in front of him, and Liu Xing realized that this place was where the giant frog was crouching in the lake. The object was quite large, its color was deep blue, and it looked like a giant egg. Seeing this, Liu Xing thought that maybe it was not crouching, but hugging this object.
For several moments, Liu Xing wondered if it was actually the egg of that dangerous frog. But after getting closer and really looking at it, he realized it wasn't an egg at all, but a rock with some kind of blue coating that made it almost glitter when seen up close.
Liu Xing placed his ear against the blue rock and knocked on it several times. When a hollow sound reached his ears, Liu Xing nodded. It seemed this object was where the frog hid its most important belongings. There was a chance the Red Wings of Stability were inside this rock, but Liu Xing didn't hold his breath. After all, the Red Wings of Stability were a treasure that needed to be worn, and Liu Xing had a hard time imagining how a treasure inside this rock could also be worn by the frog. Still, he needed to check inside, since the interior of this rock emitted a similar feeling to the frog using the Red Wings of Stability.
Liu Xing struck the rock with his palm. As his hand made contact, several cracks spread from the point of impact like a spiderweb, but the rock remained intact. Liu Xing hit it with his palm once again, and this time the rock crumbled. The bits and pieces that broke off turned to dust and were carried away by the lazy current inside the lake, revealing a giant transparent bubble hidden inside the rock.
His eyes scanned the inside of this bubble, and what he saw puzzled him even more about the frog. Inside the bubble was what looked like a room with a bamboo bed, a little desk, and women's clothes, scrolls, and canvases strewn around the floor. On the bubble's walls hung many paintings, and at the top, a yellow gem illuminated the room with a soft, golden glow.
Liu Xing's eyes snapped to one corner of the bubble, where a mummy leaned against the wall. The mummy had dried skin with the texture of an old tree, but it was white and still looked soft. The face of the mummy wore a peaceful smile. From the red clothes it wore and the gold hairpin clinging to the few remaining strands of black hair on its head, Liu Xing was pretty sure it had been a beautiful woman. Even as a mummy, Liu Xing could imagine a charming smile, soft eyes, and a gentle laughing voice.
Liu Xing touched the bubble, and when he realized that there was no resistance, he easily entered it.
Inside, he could feel that this bubble was truly homey, as if the girl had lived here for years, making it her own private sanctuary.
After his eyes wandered for a moment, Liu Xing realized that the mummy didn't have a right arm. He imagined that something or someone had chopped her hand off. Seeing this, Liu Xing wondered if this girl had a connection to the deaths of Qian Biau, Duan Hai, and Bai Lin's grandson, or if it was merely a coincidence. After all, judging from the condition of the mummy, Liu Xing estimated that this girl had died hundreds of years ago.
Liu Xing's eyes found a painting not far from the mummy. As he got closer, he saw a charming girl smiling atop a lotus floating in a lake. The girl was youthful, with red lips and a cute nose. In her palms, she held a red frog that smiled contentedly, as if it were the happiest frog in the world.
Seeing this painting, Liu Xing's eyebrow rose. That frog had the same face as the one he had killed. But the expression of this little frog compared to the one he had slain was like heaven and earth.
Liu Xing wondered what had happened to them. Was this girl imprisoned or hiding here? When the frog talked, it spoke about how Liu Xing would be nourishment for its army. What did the frog intend to do with this army in the future?