Chapter 986: Condensed Light Lake

Li Qing didn't rush in. Having been ambushed by the Tree Demon Clan before, he decided to thoroughly survey the surroundings first before making his move.

Now, his divine sense was far more powerful than before. A single sweep of his void refinement realm divine sense revealed the surrounding landscape in its entirety, every detail vividly imprinted in his sea of consciousness.

To Li Qing's surprise, there were no ambushes from the Tree Demon Clan near Condensed Light Lake, nor did he see any members of other clans.

"Could I have come too early? No, that doesn't seem right."

Li Qing frowned slightly and looked up at the sky.

In the vast expanse above, strands of peculiar light were slowly drifting. These were Extraterrestrial Lumina, which in the past would have fallen into Condensed Light Lake.

But now, as the lake's eruption point approached, the peculiar body of water had ceased guiding the Heavenly Light. Instead, over time, it would release all the Heavenly Light it had accumulated over the years in a single burst.

At that time, the entire lake would transform into a colossal fireworks pool, continuously erupting with multicolored, seven-hued Heavenly Light into the sky.

Through years of nourishing by Condensed Light Lake, these originally destructive Extraterrestrial Lumina would become remarkably gentle and relatively easy to absorb.

If one were lucky enough to guide a single strand of Heavenly Light into their body and refine it, they could gain immense benefits.

The higher the level of Heavenly Light one could refine, the greater the benefits one would receive.

Even if unable to refine the Heavenly Light, one could at least soak in the lake water for a while, enhancing their potential for cultivating the Dao and broadening their future path.

With such immense benefits, it was natural that everyone would come here.

Yet, not a single soul was to be seen, which greatly surprised Li Qing.

"Could it be that the heavenly prodigies of the other major clans look down on the opportunities here? That seems unlikely."

If that were the case, he would have the Condensed Light Lake all to himself—a truly unexpected turn of events.

With this thought, Li Qing casually climbed onto the ruins of an ancient structure. Standing atop a broken stone pillar carved with dragons, he gazed at the vast, multicolored lake spread across the great earth before him.

This was the Condensed Light Lake. Its surface remained perfectly still, like a mirror. Within the lake, streaks of vibrant, luminous Extraterrestrial Lumina swirled.

Some of these lights carried devastating power; even after being softened by the lake, they were still too dangerous for ordinary people to withstand.

"The lake is vast enough for everyone to soak in. But to truly attempt refining the Heavenly Light, one would likely need to approach the center."

The center of the lake accumulated the most Heavenly Light, and it had been softened over a long period, making it the most suitable place for refinement.

The competition at the lake's center would likely be fierce, with powerhouses from various clans probably clashing violently over it.

Of course, this didn't mean there were no opportunities on the periphery. Compared to the center of the Condensed Light Lake, the Heavenly Light that erupted in the outer areas would be far sparser, making the chances there relatively slimmer.

Just as Li Qing was observing, a piercing sound finally echoed from the distance.

Li Qing didn't turn to look. His powerful divine sense had already alerted him to everything: the approaching figure was Old Lord Hei You!

The old man's aura seemed slightly disordered, suggesting he had just emerged from a great war and rushed here in haste.

When Old Lord Hei You saw Li Qing, a flicker of surprise crossed his cloudy eyes.

"The Tree Demon Clan didn't target you?"

Li Qing was momentarily taken aback by the hoarse question. Then he remembered being swallowed by a giant man-eating flower in the Fluorescent Grassland earlier.

"I was once swallowed by a Spirit-Devouring Flower," Li Qing replied after a moment's thought. "Later, I joined forces with several other clans to break free from its bonds and escape."

Old Lord Hei You replied in a parched voice, "Then you're truly fortunate. The Tree Demon Clan has gone mad these days, hunting down powerful figures from all races—the Giant Spirit Race, Wild Bull Ridge, Flying Spirit Clan, and our human race alike have all become their targets."

"I was locked in an intense battle with the Crimson Phoenix Bird of the Flying Spirit Clan at the Yin Wind Burial Grounds when I was ambushed by a Heavenly Sword Grass. I nearly perished."

Heavenly Sword Grass!

Hearing this name, Li Qing's heart trembled. This was an extremely rare species within the Tree Demon Clan.

Its leaves resembled swords, but they were not to be underestimated. This was no ordinary spirit grass; once mature, a single stalk could cleave stars!

Surviving an ambush by the Heavenly Sword Grass proved that Old Lord Hei You's strength far exceeded Li Qing's expectations.

His true combat prowess was undoubtedly on par with that of a void refinement realm expert.

Before long, Hu Sheng, whom Li Qing had left far behind, finally arrived, panting.

Spotting Li Qing and Old Lord Hei You, he urgently said,

"Fellow daoists, the Tree Demon Clan has gone berserk! Life-Severing Cliff is drenched in blood. I heard the Little Bull King of Wild Bull Ridge was gravely wounded, and many of their strongmen have already fallen."

"A heavily wounded member of the Barbarian Bull Clan just told me this. The entire Tree Demon Clan should be converging here now. Should we leave?"

Li Qing's expression darkened. This was indeed bad news.

Previously, with the other clans keeping each other in check, he could have fished in troubled waters in the Condensed Light Lake, using their conflicts to his advantage.

But now that the other clans were heavily wounded, they would likely become the Tree Demon Clan's primary target.

If they stayed, they would probably face a coordinated assault by multiple Tree Demon Clans. Even with his void refinement realm divine soul, Li Qing had little confidence in his ability to handle such a situation.

He turned to Old Lord Hei You, seeking his opinion.

"This old man is determined to refine a strand of the Great Yin Profound Light. I've already obtained the Yin Wind Crystal. No matter what, I must enter the lake this time."

This was Old Lord Hei You's response. He was resolute in his pursuit of the Great Yin Profound Light, willing to face the threat of the Tree Demon Clan to seize his opportunity in the Condensed Light Lake.

In the past, with the Yin Wind Crystal in hand, Old Lord Hei You would have had a very high chance of successfully refining the Great Yin Profound Light into his body.

But now, the Tree Demon Clan's presence added a new layer of danger. No one understood why the Tree Demon Clan had gone berserk in the Heavenlight Secret Realm this time, launching simultaneous attacks on the strongmen of all clans and catching many off guard.