Refining the Mountains and Rivers

A painful cry came from the black shadow as Qin Yu broke through the rule-based force. The surrounding magma burst and splattered in all directions.

He saw it!

The shadow was very thick and large, but it was not black. Instead, it was a deep red color that was so thick, it created an illusion of black.

The thing that pulled Qin Yu into the magma and wasted his valuable time was a giant snake that he felt familiar with.

It was the same type of snake Qin Yu killed when he found the source of life in the depths of the cave.

However, this snake was enormous. Compared to the previous snake Qin Yu fought, this one was a few hundred times larger.

Qin Yu's blow had only caused a little scrape on the scales of the snake. In the next instant, the scales patched up and Qin Yu felt the menacing eyes of the snake on him. Its killing intent sent shivers down his spine.

This snake lived in a pool of magma and was a formidable creature. It had been many years since anyone had injured it.

With a deafening roar from the snake, the magma below stirred once again and destructive shockwaves shook the ground beneath.

Qin Yu raised his palm and gathered rule force in it. The air around him shifted to form a large net. In the next instant, a wave of magma struck the net of rules Qin Yu created. His expression darkened considerably.

The snake was more powerful than he imagined. The net of rules he created was quickly weakening and it would not hold much longer.

Most of the time, Qin Yu would not be bothered by a creature. However, he would take any opportunity to run away right now.

After all, he did not want to waste too much time here. He swiveled around and spotted the next wave of magma directed at him.

He could not run.

Furthermore, he could tell that it would take a lot of time to defeat this large snake even if he took out his trump card. In a pessimistic case, it was possible that Qin Yu would end up being eaten by it.

He was in a dire state and he wondered if this was the retribution he got for his earlier murders. As Qin Yu sighed, Old Turtle suddenly exclaimed, "It is an innate spirit! An innate spirit!"

Qin Yu frowned, "Do you know the origins of this snake?"

Old Turtle did not reply but he screamed madly as he shouted, "Qin Yu, kill it. No matter what, you have to kill it!"

This was the first time Qin Yu had witnessed Old Turtle in such a state, and this was enough to convince him of how extraordinary the snake was. Qin Yu inhaled and stabilized his emotions as he asked, "Tell me. What is an innate spirit?"

After a few breaths, Old Turtle calmed himself down. However, his tone was frantic, "An innate spirit is no random creature. It is a being that was born from the heavens and earth, an origin creature!

"To be very exact, innate spirits are creatures that were born when the world was being formed. Each innate spirit harbors immeasurable strength and each of them can destroy mountains and oceans!"

Qin Yu frowned. Based on Old Turtle's tone and explanations, the large snake had more tactics beyond what it had used on him thus far.

Furthermore, Qin Yu was certain that the snake was powerful enough to kill him in a single blow. There had been no need for the snake to attempt to pull him into the magma pool.

As though he could read Qin Yu's mind, Old Turtle sighed and explained, "If the ancient creatures of Lost Garden knew that an innate spirit was hidden here, they would never have sealed the area. If the ancient creatures had found this snake and devoured its powers, they could have changed the entire destiny of their clan.

"Master, do you think that I am exaggerating? I am not. You have no idea how much power is within an innate spirit."

Old Turtle was finally calm again and he sighed with emotion. Although Qin Yu had mainly followed his directions ever since entering the Lost Garden, Qin Yu had found the first source of life based purely on his luck. It was also Qin Yu's luck to have killed the fire-breathing snake previously.

After all, if not for the scent of death from different bloodlines all over him, Qin Yu may never have been the target of the large snake and he would not be in this situation.

The young lad truly had incredible luck.

Old Turtle sighed again and suppressed his emotions as he continued, "Although innate spirits are formed together with the world, the time at which they awaken is not set. Some innate spirits mature very quickly while others would be in a slumber for a long time. I am not too sure of the reasons why, but I believe it is related to the strength of the innate spirit. Regardless, it is still a terrifying existence and there is no way for two innate spirits to exist at the same time. This is also why innate spirits take turns to awaken.

"At the end of the era of the ancient creatures, this snake was still in slumber and it must have been sealed in the Lost Garden. Although the environment here has not changed much since the ancient times, every creature here is cut off from rules and none of them can become Saints. This is the price the Lost Garden must pay for its existence."

Qin Yu's eyes sparkled and he asked, "Are you saying that this is the reason why the Spiritual Snake's powers have been capped at a limit?"

"That's right!" Old Turtle laughed bitterly, "If not for the limit set by the Lost Garden, this Spiritual Snake would be so powerful, it would be a peak power in the world. You would not survive any attack by it and your entire soul would be destroyed with just its gaze."

Qin Yu's mouth twitched as his eyes shone with passion. Fortune lay in misfortune and this was what he was experiencing now.

He had originally lamented having to waste his time fighting for his life against this Spiritual Snake. The situation had now changed.

"Would it be hugely beneficial for me to kill it?"

Old Turtle nodded, "Yes, it would be immense. I don't even dare to give you an estimation of how good that would be."

Old Turtle swallowed, "Hmm, master, perhaps you can regard this Spiritual Snake as a massive, living source of life. Its flesh and blood contains unbelievably pure energy.

"Not just that, as an innate spirit that was formed from the origin of things, its body belongs to the heavens and earth as well. Its physical body contains an infinite amount of dao and rules. If you can cultivate that, your strength will definitely reach an unimaginable state."

Qin Yu felt giddy just thinking about the benefits he would reap.

This was an innate spirit in front of him and he finally understood why Old Turtle had been so dramatic previously.

Qin Yu raised his head and gritted his teeth. A new look of determination crossed his eyes as he stared at the wild pool of magma below him. Where are you? Come out, you shall die today!

Just as Qin Yu's heart surged with killing intent, Old Turtle shrieked miserably. His cry was so pitiful, it tore at the heartstrings.

Qin Yu jerked and he asked, "What's wrong?"

He was absolutely certain that Old Turtle was the key factor that would decide whether he would be able to successfully kill the Spiritual Snake. No mistakes could be made at this point.

The pitiful cry from Old Turtle was extremely painful to bear and he stuttered, "Master…you… you are too weak…"

Qin Yu was stunned and his first reaction was to curse at Old Turtle. Why would he mock his strength now? Furthermore, Qin Yu's cultivation speed was extraordinary. Who could compare to him?

He quickly turned his attention towards the battle and his expression darkened considerably.

The Spring Master had warned him about the vessel before. If the vessel was not large and sturdy enough, Qin Yu would end up self-destructing if he absorbed too much energy.

Boom! A loud explosion shook the air. Qin Yu's current strength was terrifying.

Despite having its strength capped, the power of the innate spirit was still too much for Qin Yu to handle right now.

If he ate the innate spirit, he would definitely die from the surge of power.

But if Qin Yu did not consume the innate spirit at this time, he would regret it forever.

Qin Yu grinded his teeth together and asked, "Can I consume just half of it? Or a smaller amount? We can save the rest for next time."

Old Turtle laughed bitterly, "No, an innate spirit is different. It is a bit hard to explain, but you must consume it whole. There is no way to preserve it."

Qin Yu had already anticipated this answer. After all, Old Turtle's attitude gave the bleak situation away.

What should he do?

With a deep sigh, Qin Yu asked, "If you help me, what are the chances of us killing this Spiritual Snake?"

Old Turtle replied, "The Spiritual Snake's physical body is as strong as stone and we must target its soul. I am good at that and there is a possibility of us killing it." After a brief hesitation, he added, "Also, the stone pagoda can give us a hand."

Qin Yu muttered, "Does that mean that our possibility of winning is substantial?"

Old Turtle suggested, "Master, perhaps we can wait till…"

His words were interrupted as Qin Yu cut him off, "A chance encounter is rare. You might be right, but we must not wait.

"We will do it today. We will kill this Spiritual Snake and consume its flesh and blood. With my appetite, I don't believe that I won't be able to consume it whole!"

Bam! The net of rules shattered apart. Streaks of light and darkness exploded in succession in the pool of magma. The power of space converged together at lightning speed, forming a large cage that blocked the Spiritual Snake in the magma. It was lying in wait to deal a fatal blow.

Qin Yu had not been able to sense the Spiritual Snake previously. This was because it had been hidden deep within the magma pool and also because a mysterious innate spirit aura concealed it. However, Qin Yu and the Spiritual Snake were very close to each other and Old Turtle could seal it.

With the power of space restricting its movements, the Spiritual Snake could sense danger. It roared angrily and spat out more fire.

The power of space seal faltered under the onslaught of attacks from the Spiritual Snake. Slowly, cracks formed and threatened to shatter it.

Time and space rules were known as the greatest rules in this world, and comprehending them was immensely difficult. Yet, they also had unfathomable power.

Despite the power of space seal breaking apart, the Spiritual Snake soon found itself bound by it.

This small period of time was enough to change the entire tide of the battle.

Darkness engulfed the whole area where the stone pagoda was and there was only a small streak of light that shone on him. The stone pagoda shivered uncontrollably.

It knew what was happening to Qin Yu. It initially thought that it had given enough to be valued by Qin Yu. Yet, it felt like it had been slapped hard again.

An innate spirit was real. In the stone pagoda's mind, an innate spirit was something that existed only in legends! It could not believe that it would encounter it in its lifetime. Furthermore, it was an innate spirit that had not yet matured. It was like a baby form of an innate spirit.

This kind of luck deserved all admiration and the stone pagoda was in disbelief.

Perhaps the things that happened in the past would resurface and it could get the revenge it had been waiting for.

Why was it hesitating?

Boom! The stone pagoda exploded with blinding light and it turned into a sharp arrow that pierced through the darkness.

The power from the stone pagoda burst forth from within and connected to Qin Yu's physical body. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A large mirage of the stone pagoda appeared as bright light streaked out.

Instantly, the magma pool separated, revealing the Spiritual Snake hidden within. The broken power of space seal locked the Spiritual Snake as the arrow's target as it struggled violently in it. Its large body wrestled against the seal, and deafening roars escaped its mouth.

"Qin Yu, kill it. You must kill it at all costs!" The stone pagoda commanded. It was weak and this attack came at a cost to it.

There was no need for the reminder. Qin Yu was strongly determined to consume the innate spirit. By this point, he would either end up dying from self-destruction, or he would consume the innate spirit and have his powers soar.

How could he let the Spiritual Snake run away? No matter what, Qin Yu was bent on wrecking the magma pool and killing the Spiritual Snake.

He stepped forward and roared, "Turtle!"

The shadow that had been lying in wait had gathered massive strength in his body. This single command from Qin Yu almost broke his concentration. He scowled. Turtle? What turtle?

Thankfully, he was ready and he had stabilized all that strength that now accumulated in him. A blurred shadow swept out from Qin Yu rapidly and fell before the Spiritual Snake. Qin Yu lifted his hand and touched the black scale armor on the snake. He quickly retreated backward without a second thought.

This simple gesture caused agonizing pain to rip through the Spiritual Snake's body and it roared pitifully.

Its eyes swiveled backwards and small blood vessels that lined its gigantic body swelled. In the next instant, these blood vessels burst and its eyes turned blood red.

The bright arrow from the stone pagoda was enough to pierce through the Spiritual Snake's flesh and sharp pain soared through it. Yet, it suffered another attack through its soul from the touch of the Shadow of the Abyss. It was like a great icy mountain that crashed into its soul and tore it apart.

The wound on its soul grew bigger and bigger. There was also a blistering cold from the Shadow of the Abyss.

Once the Spiritual Snake had been struck, there was no way for it to escape its fate. Its struggles were in vain as its entire soul was slowly sucked away.

This was the first time in its life the Spiritual Snake was afraid. Fear swarmed it and the only thought it had was to run.

Run as far as it could!

Bam!

Its large body swayed from side to side, unleashing huge waves of magma as it turned to flee.

However, Qin Yu was prepared. There was no way he would let the Spiritual Snake escape.

This was the only chance he had, and any mistakes could allow the innate spirit to escape his grasp. There would be no way for Qin Yu to encounter it again.

"Time!"

Qin Yu shouted as his face turned ghastly pale. Because of the horrific energy cost of this move, Qin Yu felt sapped of strength. His breaths shortened into labored breathing. However, the one who paid the highest price was Old Turtle. This was the first time he had taken action and his cries sounded like those of a helpless little girl.

Just as it tried to run away, the Spiritual Snake froze in place, its movements sealed by an invisible force in the air. Panic filled its eyes and adrenaline fuelled a burst of madness and violence.

Born from the origins of the world, this Spiritual Snake was a peak existence in this world. Even creatures like the white phoenix and blue dragon who were descendants of ancient creatures could not be compared with the Spiritual Snake.

It was fearful and it wanted to run, but it still had its pride.

When there was no way for it to escape death, the Spiritual Snake was determined to kill itself together with its enemy.

At this point, Qin Yu raised his hands and gathered a strong sword intent above him.

Day and night passed by the magma pool as invisible energy dissipated from it. The red magma broke apart and revealed the barren land beneath.