Chapter 633: Lakebed
The cool and majestic life energy of the Spring of Life surged down Duke’s throat, instantly transforming into countless gentle warm currents, quickly repairing the most severe tears and hidden injuries within his body.
Duke listened intently, and from the direction of the ruins, the dull rumbling of collapse could still be heard, but there were no signs of other contestants approaching this place for the time being.
However, this place was still too close to the ruins and was definitely not a location to stay for long.
With a thought, Duke conjured sand beneath his feet.
Then, the air behind him distorted, and a pair of translucent, cyan Wind Wings composed of highly compressed air currents unfurled.
In an instant, Duke’s figure shifted, skimming below the steep cliffs and dense canopy, flying at a low-altitude flight almost hugging the terrain, swiftly heading towards the northeast, away from the direction of the ruins’ collapse.
He dared not fly too high, as it would make him an obvious target, nor did he dare to move at full speed to prevent aggravating his injuries.
Yet, even so, his speed was several times faster than trekking through the dense forest on foot.
The wind whistled past his ears, and the forest below rushed away like green waves.
After flying for about ten minutes, the trees ahead grew taller and more humid, and the freshness of water vapor in the air became noticeably stronger.
Through the gaps in the trees, he saw a wide expanse of water shimmering in the midday sunlight.
It was a lake nestled in the embrace of surrounding mountains, irregular in shape, with rugged rocks along the shore, towering ancient trees, and drooping vines even reaching directly into the water.
The lake’s color transitioned from the near-shore clarity to the center’s deep, dark green, indicating incredible depth.
Duke maneuvered the Wind Wings to slow down, circling above the lake to observe from several different angles quickly.
The lake surface was calm, with only the ripples caused by a gentle breeze and the occasional frolic of water birds.
There were no obvious traces of human activity on the shore, nor any signs of powerful demons.
The lake’s depth and color suggested a complex underwater terrain, suitable for hiding.
He did not immediately descend but chose a spot on the lake’s west side, backed by a giant rock wall, where the shoreline was most densely vegetated, and a small pebble beach extended into the water.
This location provided relatively hidden sightlines, with rocks and trees offering excellent cover.
Duke gradually lowered his altitude, with the sand beneath his feet first touching the water surface, creating subtle ripples in the shallow, and then firmly stepping onto the pebble beach under the water, as the Wind Wings quietly folded away.
He didn’t immediately delve into the lake but quickly consumed a few potions to stabilize his spirit and replenish basic magic power, taking a brief respite to stabilize his condition a bit further.
Meanwhile, his Spiritual Power, like invisible tendrils, cautiously probed into the lake water ahead, extending deeper.
The lake water felt pure and teeming with vitality, with the Water Element exceptionally active and gentle.
The depth probe soon yielded results; this area’s water exceeded a hundred meters, with a lakebed comprising sloping rocky ground covered with some silt and aquatic plants. There seemed to be caves or crevices further below.
After thoroughly exploring the lakebed’s situation, Duke stepped into the water.
With the High-Level Water Element Affinity Talent, the underwater environment felt no different from home to him.
With a mere thought, the water naturally propelled him towards the deeper center of the lake.
He descended like a fish returning to the sea, with graceful and swift movements.
As the depth increased, the light swiftly diminished, with the surroundings transitioning from bright blue-green to a hazy dark blue, and finally into a silent darkness.
Only a few self-illuminating small aquatic creatures and faint mineral fluorescence leaking from deep rock crevices provided a starry-like illumination.
The pressure gradually increased, but it posed no issue for Duke, who functioned freely in the deep sea.
Duke avoided the areas dense with aquatic plants, swimming towards a recessed area on the lakebed rock wall detected earlier.
It was a naturally formed rock wall alcove, partially hidden by massive lake stones, with an internal space larger than anticipated, sufficient to accommodate several people.
Thick, curtain-like dark green algae hung from above the alcove entrance, forming a perfect natural camouflage.
Duke swam into the alcove’s interior, where it was darker and quieter, with the lake waters almost motionless except for extremely slow water exchange.
Suspended in the center of the alcove, he confirmed again that no dangerous creatures or abnormal energies were nearby.
The next step was to construct a temporary, more comfortable resting chamber.
With a thought, metallic sand grains surged out once more.
Under his delicate control, these grains adhered tightly to the alcove’s rock walls and bottom, quickly constructing and solidifying.
Soon, an egg-shaped, hollow sand-stone chamber, perfectly conforming to the alcove’s shape, was formed. A passage allowing water flow with a simple filter structure was left on one side as an entryway.
The inner walls of the chamber, polished by sand grains, were relatively smooth, isolating the cold lake water and most water pressure, forming a dry, quiet, stable, and private space.
The chamber was shrouded in darkness and silence, with only his slightly heavy yet gradually steady breathing.
He slowly sat cross-legged, leaning his back against the cool sand wall, slightly relaxing his tense nerves.
The next phase was to gradually recover from his injuries and adjust his state.
This lakebed might not be completely safe, only relatively more hidden for catching a breath.
As for the ancient tablet just acquired, it couldn’t be studied yet and had to wait until the competition ended, to be examined in detail inside the Light God Court.
For now, he remained within the competition grounds, with every move under the Seville Empire’s official monitoring.
...
Three days slipped quietly by in absolute silence and darkness.
In the lakebed sand-stone chamber, Duke’s aura had long shifted from initial chaos and weakness to a state of stability and restraint.
The Spring of Life’s life force, capable of reviving the dead, not only completely healed all his severe injuries but also imbued his body with more vitality.
This was the nourishing effect of the Spring of Life on both the body and Spiritual Power. It might not reflect numerically, but the potential impact was real.
Duke planned to drink a little Spring of Life every day; as time went on, it would surely offer great benefits.
The little snake he had seen before seemed to drink from the Spring of Life regularly, showing that even beings of such caliber consumed it, indicating the substantial advantages.
Duke was currently in Meditation, adjusting his state.
In fact, his overall state had completely recovered, no longer affected by previous injuries.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and glanced upwards.
"Boom! Splash—!!"
Violent explosions and the muffled roar of water impact suddenly came from above the lake surface. Even through tens of meters of lake water and the sand-stone chamber, it was still clearly audible.