sinovels Chapter 13 Soul Surge
Chapter 13 Soul Surge
Zhao Chen flew through the canyon for an unknown amount of time.
Time has long since become blurred. All that is known is that ever since he escaped from the lake, he has been flying along one side of the canyon, trying to see just how big this underground world really is.
The rock walls on both sides grew higher and steeper. The glowing moss overhead gradually thinned out, and the light grew dimmer until it was almost pitch black.
But he wasn't afraid of the dark.
Having devoured so many creatures, Zhao Chen's night vision was already ridiculously strong. Coupled with the vague spatial perception he gained from the strange insects, flying in the dark actually made him feel more at ease.
There seems to be something ahead.
Zhao Chen's senses seemed to have caught something.
It was a faint energy fluctuation, unlike anything I had ever encountered before—it lacked the vitality of living things, the pure energy of energy blocks, and the heavy feel of those special metals. It appeared very weak, yet very clear, like a faint glow in the darkness.
Zhao Chen sped up.
After flying for about half an hour, we finally saw the source of the fluctuations.
This is a stone.
A fist-sized, transparent stone embedded in the rock face had a faint, swirling light emanating from its interior. It lay there quietly in the crevice, and Zhao Chen would have completely overlooked it had it not for the peculiar energy fluctuations emanating from it.
Zhao Chen landed beside him and gently touched it with his paw.
The stone was icy cold, but it had a strange feel to it—it wasn't as hard as ordinary rock; instead, it was somewhat soft, like some kind of solidified gel.
"What is this thing?"
Zhao Chen had never seen anything like it before.
I tried using my Devouring Talent to sense it. Not to find out its name—I just wanted to see if I could actually devour it.
can.
This was the only feeling Zhao Chen had about talent.
It can swallow.
Zhao Chen hesitated for a moment, but still swallowed the stone.
As the stone entered his stomach, a cool sensation instantly spread throughout his body. It wasn't the scalding warmth of devouring flesh and blood, but a refreshing coolness, like drinking a sip of ice water on a sweltering day.
The cool sensation rushed into his mind, making Zhao Chen's consciousness clearer than ever before. He could feel his spirit growing at a visible speed, faster than when he devoured any living being.
Even more remarkably, the sense of space that Zhao Chen had gained from the strange insect within his body had become even clearer.
"nice one!"
Zhao Chen's eyes lit up.
He didn't know what the stone was called, where it came from, or why it had this effect. But Zhao Chen only knew one thing—this thing could make him stronger.
This is enough.
Zhao Chen stood on the rock wall and used his senses to scan his surroundings.
This scan revealed even more.
Embedded in the surrounding rock walls were at least a dozen similar stones. Some were only the size of a fingernail, while others were larger than the previous one. They were scattered everywhere, but all emitted that special energy fluctuation.
Without saying a word, Zhao Chen began collecting.
One yuan, two yuan, five yuan, ten yuan...
Zhao Chen swallowed all the stones he could find and stored them separately in a thin film.
After collecting the stones, they continued on their way. Not long after, they discovered something new.
This is another plant.
A plant growing in a crevice of the rock, only half a person's height, was entirely a deep blue, with a faint halo flowing across its leaves. At its tip grew three fruits, each the size of a fist, gleaming with an eerie blue light.
Zhao Chen had never seen anything like it before.
But Zhao Chen could sense that those fruits contained an energy similar to that of stones—a cool sensation that rushed straight to his mind.
Zhao Chen swallowed all three fruits in one gulp.
A refreshing coolness washed over me again, and my spirits lifted once more.
Zhao Chen swallowed the plant as well—although the effect was not as good as the fruit, it was better than nothing.
In the days that followed, Zhao Chen discovered many wonderful things deep within this canyon.
He later gave that transparent stone a name: "Cooling Stone"—because it gave him a cooling sensation every time he swallowed it. Zhao Chen didn't know what it was really called, nor did he care.
Zhao Chen called that deep blue plant "Soul Fruit"—because every time he swallowed it, he felt his spirit become stronger, as if his soul was being nourished.
Zhao Chen also discovered several other similar objects—transparent crystals like crystals, teardrop-shaped objects like liquids, and light spots suspended in the air like mist. Each one could enhance the spirit, only the effects and forms were different.
Zhao Chen swallowed everything he could find.
A month later, Zhao Chen's mental strength increased by at least three times.
His perception range expanded from 8,000 zhang to 15,000 zhang. Within 15,000 zhang, no movement could escape detection. Zhao Chen could even vaguely sense things hidden deep within the mountains—mineral veins, caves, and powerful, dormant creatures.
More importantly, the sense of space that Zhao Chen had gained from the strange insect within his body had become even clearer.
He can now vaguely touch the surrounding space and sense those unseen fluctuations. Although he can't use it actively yet, Zhao Chen knows that one day he will be able to.
That day, Zhao Chen was resting on a rock wall when he suddenly sensed a familiar aura.
That was the scent of those strange, dark purple insects.
And there was more than one.
There are many.
Zhao Chen suddenly became alert and used his senses to probe in that direction.
Fifteen thousand feet away, there was a huge underground cave. Inside the cave, at least twenty of those strange insects were moving about. Some of them were lying still, some were moving slowly, and a few seemed to be fighting.
Deep inside the cave, there was an even larger, strange worm.
It was over fifty feet tall, its entire body covered in a deep purple carapace with intricate patterns. It lay there motionless, as if asleep, but its aura was terrifyingly suffocating—more than ten times stronger than the previous three.
Zhao Chen's pupils contracted sharply.
Is this thing even stronger than that giant fish?
He didn't know.
But he knew one thing: he couldn't go any further.
Not at least not now.
Zhao Chen quietly retreated to a safe distance, then found a secluded cave to hide in.
He stayed in that cave for seven days.
For seven days, Zhao Chen observed those strange insects.
They discovered that these creatures were completely different from the life forms on this planet. They didn't hunt ordinary creatures or consume minerals; they simply stayed there quietly, occasionally moving and occasionally fighting. A distorted space always enveloped their bodies, allowing them to float and move.
Where do they come from?
What are they going to do?
Zhao Chen didn't know.
But he could sense that these strange insects were waiting for something.
Waiting for the right moment, waiting for a change.
Zhao Chen decided not to wait any longer.
His current strength is far from sufficient. If he continues to stay here, he will inevitably be discovered by those strange insects sooner or later. At that time, he may not be as lucky as last time.
Zhao Chen turned around and flew back the way he came.
He wants to go back.
He would return to those familiar mountains, to those places he once knew well. He would continue to devour, continue to grow stronger, until one day he could face those monstrous insects with dignity.
Zhao Chen spread his wings and flew into the distance.
Behind them, in the darkness, the strange insects were still asleep.