Chapter 37 – The Million-Year Gamble
Lakan looks down at the wriggling, seven-meter-long white sausage at his feet. His Eyes of the Origin God don't just see a worm; he sees a concentrated ocean of spiritual energy, ten golden rings of such immense density that they make his own 100,000-year rings look like flickering candles.
This is Tianmeng, the Skydream Ice Silkworm. And also the Fugitive of the North.
In the original tapestry of fate, this creature was supposed to be captured by the Lords of the Star Dou Forest—Di Tian and his subordinates—and drained of its essence for thousands of years. But here, in this timeline, the ripple effect of Lakan's Sovereign presence has shifted the wind. Tianmeng has escaped the "vitamin" fate, but he is being pursued by the forest's apex enforcers.
"A human... with a Phoenix soul and a Sarimanok's luck?" Tianmeng's voice screams inside their heads, a mix of panic and high-pitched annoyance. "And look at those eyes! Kid, you're a monster! But you... you're too full! Your spiritual sea is already crowded with those two birds. But the girl behind you..."
Tianmeng's bulging eyes lock onto Shui Bing'er.
The air grows heavy. A Shadow-Devouring Panther (120,000 years) and two Metallic Armored Bears (90,000 years) crash through the silver bamboo.
"Hand over the worm, humans," the Panther growls, its shadow elongating into lethal claws. "It belongs to the Lord of the Forest."
"Elder Yue, Ling Yue," Lakan says, his voice like grinding stones. "Show these 'Lords' why they should stay in their holes. Don't hold back, but watch the strain."
Yue Guan and Ling Yue grin.
Simultaneously, they trigger the Eight-Gate Overdrive: x5 Surge. The forest isn't just leveled; it is vaporized by the shockwaves of their auras. Yue Guan becomes a golden blur, his velvet petals slicing through the Armored Bears' hide as if it were paper, while Ling Yue, now a Sun-Crested War Phoenix, rains down solar fire that turns the shadows of the Panther into steam.
While the Titled Douluos dominate the beasts, Tianmeng turns to Bing'er.
"Listen, pretty girl! I'm the only Million-Year Soul Beast in history! I'm a genius, a hero, and honestly, a bit of a catch! Your spiritual sea is surprisingly wide—must be because you've been hanging around that Sovereign boy and practicing that... what do you call it?"
"The Mind-Anchor Mantra," Bing'er whispers, referencing the cultivation technique Lakan designed for the Spirit Hall elites. It works by creating a "Static Field" in the mind to resist external pressure, though it lacks the offensive power of Lakan's Song-Binding.
"Whatever! It's strong enough!" Tianmeng shouts. "If I join you, we'll both be gods! I'll be your Soul Spirit, and I'll never have to worry about being eaten again! Deal? Deal!"
Without waiting for an answer, Tianmeng dissolves into a blinding golden light.
The fusion is phenomenal. Bing'er's Ice Phoenix erupts from her back, but it is no longer just blue. Under Tianmeng's influence, its feathers gain a Gold-Trimmed Iridescence.
The cold she emits shifts. It is no longer just "very cold"—it is Absolute Zero. The moisture in the air doesn't just freeze; the very atoms stop moving. The Panther, trying to retreat from Ling Yue, find its shadow frozen to the ground. Not the ground—the space where the shadow was.
"What is this...?" the Panther gasps, its thoughts slowing to a crawl.
Bing'er opens her eyes. A golden-white spirit ring, the first of its kind, descends around her.
"Eternal Hibernation," she speaks softly.
A massive Skydream Ice Coffin erupts from the earth, sealing the 120,000-year Panther inside. The beast is instantly silenced, its life-force preserved but completely immobile.
The battle ends as quickly as it began. The subordinates of the Great Forest, realizing they are outmatched by two Overdrive-boosted Titled Douluos and a Million-Year-powered girl, retreat into the darkness.
Suddenly, a tiny, translucent version of the white worm manifests on Bing'er's shoulder. He's wearing a tiny, illusory crown and eating a piece of metallic bamboo he found.
"Whew! That was close! Did you see how I chose the perfect host?" Tianmeng says, poking Bing'er's cheek. "I'm a genius! Hey, Sovereign-boy, don't look at me like that! I know I'm handsome, but I'm taken now. Bing'er is my partner!"
Lakan looks at the worm, then at Bing'er, whose soul power has jumped straight to the Rank 50 bottleneck, her aura now carrying a divine weight.
"He's annoying," Lakan observes, sheathing his Mantis-Sibat. "But his energy is pure. Bing'er, with him, your ice can finally act as the 'Coolant' for my maximum power. The Symphony of the Scorching Frost is no longer a theory."
Bing'er smiles, her jealousy from earlier gone, replaced by a sense of shared destiny. "We're ready, Lakan. For the Academy, for the Empire... and for whatever the 'Gods' think they have planned for us."