Chapter 124: The Living Giant Tree

Given Lu Chen’s strength, he could have easily killed the Black Bear King even without Golden Dot’s assistance. However, considering the little guy had put in quite a bit of effort, he naturally wouldn't treat it unfairly. He tore off a bear leg, tossed it over, and then began to feast on the spot.

Once full, Lu Chen took Golden Dot and headed back the way they came. On the journey, he found a deep part of the riverbed and buried the remaining bear meat deep under the silt.

Upon returning to the valley, Lu Chen took a break and made a point to visit a cliff face to admire the cinnabar rock art he had created some time ago. As time passed, the cliffside had become covered in moss; the colors of the paintings were no longer as vibrant as they once were, but they had gained a sense of age and gravitas.

After resting, Lu Chen continued his exploration of the lake. Soon, the sound of explosions rang out once more. Unfortunately, having searched nearly the entire lakebed, he still found nothing. Completely disheartened, Lu Chen decided to rest in the valley for the night and leave the following day.

As night fell, the jungle quickly plunged into total darkness. Without the company of Boss Crocodile and the others, Lu Chen felt quite unsettled in the valley. He tossed and turned for over an hour, and just as he began to drift off, his consciousness flickered. He saw Golden Dot appear nearby, pointing its front paws toward the large banyan tree and squeaking, as if wanting him to see something.

Unsure of the creature's intent, Lu Chen followed. After walking a few hundred meters, he discovered that the mist around the banyan tree was much thicker than it had been during the day, seemingly imbued with faint traces of energy.

A spatial rift?

Recalling the incident with the hidden space at the waterfall, Lu Chen grew excited and darted to the foot of the tree. Within the mist, the roars of mysterious creatures echoed from time to time, and that anomalous fluctuation became increasingly distinct. Golden Dot jumped up and down, gesturing at the mist but refusing to enter. Lu Chen quickly understood the little creature's message: there was something dangerous inside.

A newly discovered hidden space was bound to be dangerous. However, high risk often brought high rewards. Since he was standing at the threshold of a treasure trove, there was no reason not to enter. Moreover, Lu Chen’s strength was sufficient to handle most threats; the fact that Golden Dot had returned alive was the best proof of that. He offered the little creature a few comforting chirps and stepped forward, unable to contain his impatience.

To his surprise, after passing through the spatial rift, the mist did not dissipate—it became even thicker. Overhead, the sky was a pitch-black, hazy void where only a few blurred stars could barely be seen. Not far from the rift stood a massive vine covered in pale blue, glowing leaves that looked extraordinarily enchanting and beautiful. It was only then that Lu Chen realized the "spirit fruit" Golden Dot had mentioned wasn't on the banyan tree at all, but inside this hidden space. No wonder he hadn't found a trace of it when he searched the tree earlier.

This entire area was blanketed in a dense haze; even with Lu Chen’s vision, he could only see about ten meters ahead. Beyond that, everything was a blur. Without clear reference points, it would be easy to lose one's way while running. To prevent this, Lu Chen marked his spot by urinating at the entrance of the spatial rift, using it as an anchor.

As he proceeded, he carefully sensed the changes in the mist. After walking for over a hundred meters without any sign of breaking through the fog, Lu Chen decided to use his "Swamp of the Earth" ability to lift himself several dozen meters into the air. However, the surrounding mist remained thick, and he could see no signs of life. Frustrated, he had no choice but to descend.

Often, the unknown is the most terrifying thing. Facing such an eerie hidden space, Lu Chen felt a chill. Just as he considered turning back, he spotted a plant over a meter tall emerging from the mist. Its leaves were broad and covered in bright red fruits that emitted an enticing aroma.

"Spirit fruit?" Lu Chen was thrilled. Since Golden Dot had undergone mutation and evolution by consuming such fruit, it must contain a significant amount of energy. Full of anticipation, he reached out with his claws and shook the branch, causing a ripe fruit to fall. He eagerly swallowed it, and immediately, new text appeared on his system interface:

"Poison Gu Fruit: Contains a highly venomous Gu insect inside, which relies on killing its host to reproduce and thrive..."

Damn it...

Seeing the system’s appraisal, Lu Chen was startled and quickly spat out the undigested red fruit. A round, white, chubby insect crawled out from the fruit. Once on the ground, it slowly crawled toward Lu Chen, looking completely harmless. But Lu Chen didn't dare let it touch him; with a swift strike of his claw, he crushed the Poison Gu insect to death. He felt incredibly fortunate; if not for the system's timely warning, he surely would have fallen victim to it. It seemed one couldn't just eat anything in this hidden space—if one wasn't careful, they could die without even knowing how.

Not long after leaving the Poison Gu tree, joy returned to Lu Chen's face. Nearby, he sensed the familiar aura of spirit stones. There was a spirit stone vein!

Lu Chen immediately accelerated, and soon, a large tree appeared. It was a truly massive timber. Roughly estimated, its diameter exceeded twenty meters, and its height was unknown, piercing straight through the mist. Looking up, he could faintly see sparse leaves on its branches. They were grayish-white, varied in size, and emitted a faint, bloody scent.

Lu Chen didn't know the size of the largest trees on Earth. In his previous life, the largest tree by diameter was called the "Hundred Horse Chestnut Tree." It was a European sweet chestnut with a trunk diameter of 17.5 meters and a circumference of 55 meters. Legend had it that a queen once took a hundred horsemen to visit the area, and when a heavy rain began to fall, they all took shelter under the tree. Hence, it became known as the "Hundred Horse Chestnut Tree."

In any case, the moment Lu Chen saw this giant tree, he felt not only stunned but also a sense of dread. He trusted his instincts and subconsciously became more cautious.

*Rustle, rustle...*

A faint sound came from the mist, as if a breeze were blowing through the leaves. If Lu Chen hadn't been constantly vigilant, he would have almost ignored it. He instinctively turned his head, sensing movement on the ground behind him. But upon closer inspection, there was nothing unusual there except for a few twisted, thick tree roots.

Tree roots?!

With the example of the Giant Algae Jungle, Lu Chen didn't dare lower his guard, even for ordinary tree roots, and instead became even more cautious in his investigation. The surrounding mist was rich in moisture, allowing the sensory cells on Lu Chen's scales to remain effective, enabling him to clearly detect subtle fluctuations within a radius of over ten meters.

The tree roots were trembling... something was wrong. This thing was likely similar to the Giant Algae Jungle—it was a living creature!

The thought had barely surfaced when Lu Chen prepared to retreat. Unfortunately, before he could turn around, a thunderous rumble shook the ground. Countless tree roots erupted from the earth, coiling forward like giant pythons.

Damn it... he had guessed right!

Lu Chen was shocked. His four limbs struck the ground with explosive force, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped over ten meters away, escaping the reach of the tree roots.