Chapter 1282: Different

There was something ahead. They had thought it was a dune, but they realized that it was a massive creature when they got closer.

No, it wasn’t just massive. It was

gargantuan

. They couldn’t even see it in its entirety, only part of its side profile that rose and dipped like mountain ranges.

“That’s it!” Chen Ying said. “That’s what I sensed.”

“How could you not see it with Clairvoyance when it’s this big?” Adept Horse asked.

Chen Ying didn’t have an answer. “But I didn’t see it.”

“Maybe that’s its special power?” Liao Liao guessed. “It somehow blocked Clairvoyance?”

“Maybe,” said Vermilion Bird. “Be careful.”

“Raven Shark, swim up,” Gao Yang said.

Now a giant turtle, Raven Shark swam up to a thousand meters above the creature, finally allowing them to get a good look. It sprawled across the desert, resembling a giant round sucker with countless tentacles, each covered in scales of different colors that made it look like multi-colored mountain ranges. The center part of the giant creature was a pale, lumpy sphere, a chimera of different lifeforms.

It seemed to contain the origin of all primordial mysterious creatures, as if God had lost Their patience when creating life and crumpled them all into a ball before unceremoniously tossing the end product into a trashcan.

The gargantuan creature contracted and unfurled as it breathed. Its tentacles slowly and rhythmically crawled in all directions, multiplying in numbers.

The new growths started as red molten flesh. They quickly cooled in the seawater and became covered in colorful spots, which morphed into scales.

On display was a wild, barbaric, twisted, and unbridled vitality, but strangely, it didn’t inspire fear, but a sense of warm serenity like the essence of life.

They looked down at the creature, awestruck and dazed.

Gregor broke the silence: “It... looks like the heart of the world.”

“Yeah.” Liao Liao was still reeling from the shock.

“Let’s get closer,” Dr. Jia suggested eagerly.

“Huh?” Hong Xiaoxiao was intimidated. “What if it eats us if we get too close?”

“Xiaoxiao Hong!” Wang Zikai huffed. “Why are you scared when I’m here?”

“That’s right!” Zhang Wei was also eager. “Besides, Brother Yang’s Absolute Barrier is our insurance. Nothing to worry about!”

“Yeah, I’m not scared.” Hong Xiaoxiao nodded vehemently.

The others agreed. Raven Shark carried them down toward the giant creature, gliding above the valley between its tentacles.

“Closer!” Dr. Jia shouted.

Raven Shark dove further to allow them a clear look at the colorful scales. They were living things like corals, growing and spreading nonstop.

Dr. Jia wasn’t satisfied with simply observing. “Peel a piece off and toss it into the Dimensional Storage, Gao Yang. I’m gonna take it with me for research.”

“Only you would think of that.” Vermilion Bird couldn’t help but intervene.

“Fine, fine. The Divine Scion’s too precious.” Dr. Jia turned to Gregor. “Old Greg, make a smaller you and get a sample for me. Don’t worry. I’ll make you another prosthetic if you lose another limb.”

Gregor ignored him.

Chen Ying examined the deep “valley” with Clarivoyance. She said with a start, “Captain, there’s something.”

“What is it?” Gao Yang glanced at her.

“What’s underneath the creature... It’s different.”

“In what way?” Liao Liao asked.

“Stop wasting time,” Dr. Jia hollered. “Let’s just go down and see for ourselves!”

Gao Yang agreed. He conjured an Absolute Barrier and took everyone to a valley between tentacles, entering the deep shadow.

Adept Horse summoned a glowing sphere, turning the square barrier into a deep-sea probe. They soon reached the bottom of the valley, but did not touch the ground. They realized that the bottom parts of the tentacles—the parts sprawled on the desert—were all skeletons with no flesh.

“Interesting!” Dr. Jia stroked his chin. “The creature seems active from above, but its roots are rotten.”

“Something’s wrong.” Liao Liao frowned. “If that’s the case, the tentacles should be decayed, not clean bones. It’s like it’s been dead for a long time.”

Dr. Jia nodded. “You’re right.”

Realization dawned on Chen Ying. “Captain, let’s go to the ground.”

Gao Yang lowered the Absolute Barrier to the desert ground.

“Let me out, Captain,” Chen Ying said.

Gao Yang gave Vermilion Bird a look, silently telling her to use Unreachable if it was needed. Then he dissolved the barrier.

The moment their feet touched the ground, the giant tentacles forming the valley vanished, and light shone on them once more. Moreover, the giant creature had vanished in its entirety, leaving only bones of different sizes and shapes protruding from the blue desert.

“Shit!” Zhang Wei jumped. “Why is it all bones now?!”

“Seriously?” Wang Zikai had been ready for a fight.

“Is it dead already?” Liao Liao said in shock, too. “Were we fooled?”

“No, it’s far more complicated than that.” Chen Ying already had an answer. She hopped to confirm her hypothesis, then she looked at her companions and said in a trembling voice, “You’ll understand if you jump.”

They jumped.

“Whoa!”

“Shit!”

“The hell?!”

Many cried out in shock as they jumped in place. It was quite an absurd sight: a group of people hopping in place, their movements slowed and dulled because of the water, as if they were moving on the Moon.

Gao Yang hopped lightly. The moment his feet left the ground, he found himself back in the dark valley formed by the tentacles.

As soon as he landed, however, the giant creature vanished, leaving behind only the giant bones, like a white ruin lying in eternal slumber upon a dune.