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  Ancient Fragment #20

  As written in 'Soul Devourers of Eastern Kingdoms', the souls screamed in horror as they fell like shattered stars, lifeless and forsaken, into the abyssal lake below.

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  Long Tianyu walked through a field of dark red moss that covered the ground. Flanking him was short bushes, their leaves growing like curled fingers. In his right hand he held the Twin Shadow Blade. His left hand held the map given to him by Bai Qing.

  Long Tianyu was exhausted from running. Sweat ran down his back and face, making his clothes sticky to his skin. It was extremely dangerous for him to be going through the Crimson Heart at night.

  Loud growls echoed through the forest as beasts were fighting for supremacy and survival. Through the corner of his eye, a pack of Shadow Wolves were eating up another demonic beast.

  They were growling and biting each other for taking up a spot of the beast. A massive Shadow Wolf King had a whole demonic beast to himself to eat while the small ones had to share.

  Dammit, I need to go around, again!

  Since his sprint toward the Soul Lake he had been discovered by multiple monsters like Twin Red Vipers, a cluster of small Vein-Binding Spiders and a Red Moon Fox Demon in Elementary Qi Stage. Instead of fighting them he ran and ran until they lost interest. Or some other beast was attracted along the way and they started their own life and death fight over who could eat Long Tianyu.

  The more hateful ones like a few stray Shadow Wolves had not given up and were instead cut down to be devoured by the Crimson Heart.

  ''If I'm ever strong enough I will flatten this whole forest!'' He whispered to himself in frustration.

  Long Tianyu's soul sense was being strained as he tried to navigate the Heart at night. Careful not to attract the Shadow Wolves, he walked around them from afar. A pack of Shadow Wolves would especially be very time consuming and dangerous to deal with.

  Thankfully there is moonlight. He thought as he brought up the map into the moonlight to have a closer look. Almost there.

  The path of red moss and creepy bushes opened up to a lake. Unlike everything else Long Tianyu had seen in the Crimson Heart, it wasn't blood red.

  His eyes lit up in happiness. Finally here! The Scarlet Soul Orchid!

  In the moonlight the lake was a beautiful light blue color. Mist lay low across the surface. Threads of faint luminescence drifted through the water like wandering spirits.

  The center of the lake was small island, or tree. Long Tianyu wasn't certain as the tree's roots grew all over the island and into the Soul Lake. In the lake dozens of Scarlet Soul Orchids were devouring the moonlight qi. Cobwebs covered the lake surface, surrounding trees and some of the outer Scarlet Soul Orchids.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  He slowed down his steps and focused his soul sense as much as he could, causing pain in his head. Even though the Scarlet Soul Orchids were right there, he would have to step far into the lake to even grab one.

  Where is the Qi Infusion Realm beast...?

  Long Tianyu grabbed a nearby rock the size of his fist and hurled it into the lake. It hit with a loud splash—then nothing. No movement.

  It was quiet. Except for his own deep breaths Long Tianyu couldn't hear anything else. The wind didn't blow. But the lake's surface was rippling every so slightly.

  His shoulders tensed up as he gripped the Twin Shadow Blade tightly. The hilt of the sword felt cold against his skin.

  He stepped into the water.

  Cold pierced straight through his boots. The lake was shallow near the edge, only ankle deep, the silt smooth and fine beneath his soles. He moved carefully, Twin Shadow Blade held low.

  The clouds slightly covered two of the moons as the surface became darker.

  He used his soul sense to check the lake for any movement. Halfway to the first cluster of orchids, the hairs along his neck lifted.

  His soul sense trembled. He froze. Something touched it.

  Long Tianyu’s pupils shrank as he focused more on the cobwebs.

  The strands were everywhere. Layered across the lake like invisible bridges. Some dipped into the water, dissolving into ghostly reflections. Others stretched high into the canopy, vanishing into shadow.

  His soul sense shuddered again. The web moved.

  From the far side of the lake lay a large cave, a shape moved through the darkness without a sound. At first it seemed no larger than a multiple thin trees. Then it crossed a gap of moonlight and its body unfolded into view.

  Eight legs, long and jointed like sharp black spikes. A swollen abdomen of black in which faint lights drifted like trapped souls. Where eyes should have been was only a cluster of hollow pits, each rimmed with dim blue fire.

  The Qi Infusion Beast was a Nether-Soul Spider.

  Long Tianyu’s heart slammed once, hard enough to hurt.

  It moved across the lake without touching water. Each step set the web singing with a vibration he felt directly in his mind. The sound was not sound at all, but a scraping against his soul, a probing test.

  It had sensed him the moment he stood on the shore, before he threw the rock or stepped into the lake.

  His grip tightened on the Twin Shadow Blade. He forced his breathing to slow.

  If he ran forward, the water would slow him down. If he also had to fight against the webs, he would risk getting stuck. If he attacked, his weak soul would be a battlefield, not his body.

  The spider paused above a cluster of orchids no more than thirty meters ahead of him.

  Its hollow gaze turned. It looked directly at him. Cold slammed into Long Tianyu’s mind.

  Images that were not his own flashed across his consciousness. Rotting corpses tangled in silk. Spirits drained to empty husks. Cultivators kneeling as threads slid through their skulls. Endless falling into dark water.

  He staggered, teeth grinding.

  “Shit!” he whispered hoarsely.

  His soul was too weak.

  He knew it instantly. This creature did not hunt flesh first. It pierced spirit, tangled will, then drank at leisure. If he stepped deeper into its web, his mind would unravel before his blade ever reached it.

  The spider began to move again.

  Toward him.

  Long Tianyu retreated one step, then another. The water rippled. The spider adjusted its path without haste, crossing diagonally through the threads so it never lost height above him.

  He could not reach it.

  It could reach him.

  His eyes flicked to the orchids. So close. Within sprinting distance if he committed. But the moment he broke into motion, the web would close and his spirit would be pierced from every direction.

  He exhaled through his nose.

  “Just wait,” he muttered.

  He backed toward the shore, never turning, blade angled upward in case a thread descended. The spider followed a short distance, then stopped once he reached the red moss. Its legs settled. Its abdomen lights dimmed.

  Territory boundary.

  It did not pursue beyond the lake.

  Long Tianyu stepped fully onto land and the pressure lifted from his mind like a clamp releasing. He swallowed hard, chest heaving.

  “Fine,” he said to the empty forest. “You win this time.”

  Then his gaze hardened.

  “But you’re not the only monster here.”

  He turned and ran.

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  End of chapter 20 - Soul Lake