Additional Info 1: The durability effect is suspected to apply to almost everything, including other people, inanimate objects, and even other treasures.

Additional Info 2: While the exact location is unknown, if someone walks from the inverted triangle rock near Second Gray Cloud City to the north, they will find a barrier that holds this treasure.

Additional Info 3: This treasure is guarded by a spirit beast.

This treasure contained more detailed information compared to the others, which suggested it was either more valuable or compiled with significant effort. Regardless, Liu Xing felt grateful to whoever had gathered it.

Scanning the area around him, he tried to locate the barrier. Barriers were usually hidden, activating only when attacked, but Liu Xing had heard of barriers that remained constantly active and visible. The most famous example was the barrier protecting the entire Verdant Mountains Sect, which resembled a soap bubble shimmering in sunlight.

"Looks like there's no barrier around here," Liu Xing muttered to himself. "Alright, let's follow the directions in the entry."

He leaped back to the place where he had fought earlier. It took him some time to pinpoint where he had discovered the Ethereal Pearl, but once he did—near the newly formed lake—Liu Xing turned north and began walking.

He considered running, but fearing that a barrier might not appear if he moved too fast, he opted for a brisk walk instead.

The area around the river was filled with boulders and dense trees. As he progressed north, the trees grew taller and larger. Initially, Liu Xing walked among trees with lush green leaves that emitted a sweet, floral scent. However, after about half an hour, the trees surrounding him became even more immense, their trunks completely covered in moss, the ground turned damp, and swarms of bugs and mosquitoes buzzed around him. This forest reminded him of the rainforests he had seen in Indonesia.

As he walked, Liu Xing pondered the form of the treasure he sought. Unlike other treasures he had encountered, this one's name indicated only its effect, not its shape. Liu Xing suspected it might be a small, wearable item, like a ring, bracelet, or necklace. He hoped it was something inconspicuous, as he intended to wear it during the race. If it was something attention-grabbing, like a tiara for example, he would feel embarrassed to use it. Still, he would wear it, as it would enhance the durability of both his body and his treasures, especially his Thunderstrike Gauntlets.

The Thunderstrike Gauntlets he wore were remarkable treasures. Despite their power demonstrated in his recent fight, they were not strong enough to defeat a Core Splitting cultivator. This was why he needed to acquire the Red Wings of Stability, to make the Thunderstrike Gauntlets more durable and capable of holding more qi.

After about another half hour, he finally saw what he had been searching for.

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Before him lay a wide lake. In the lake's center was a small island, crowned with a tree bearing pink leaves and red fruits that closely resembled human hearts. Each fruit pulsed, rhythmically expanding and contracting as if they were real hearts beating. Dozens of crocodiles swam in the lake, each with black skin and small black trees growing from their backs. These trees swayed gently, even without a strong wind, as if dancing to an unheard tune.

Liu Xing scanned the area, particularly around the small island with the pink leaves and heart-like fruit, searching for something that resembled a treasure, but saw nothing that looked like one. Despite this, Liu Xing knew he had arrived at the correct location. The lake had appeared suddenly as he walked through the dense forest, its emergence so abrupt that it felt as though he had stepped into another world. Liu Xing now felt certain—he must be inside a hidden barrier.

He closed his eyes and tried to sense the qi around him, seeking a hint of qi that would guide him to the treasure. When he detected a strong qi emanating from beneath the lake he was genuinely surprised by what he sensed. He had needed to search carefully to find the Ethereal Pearl because it emitted so little qi, but this treasure radiated a peculiar qi that felt… stable. Normally, qi felt like wind or mist—something intangible. While most qi felt cold to his touch, some produced different sensations, like the prickling energy from spirit beasts or the distinct aura around other cultivators. The qi from the lake's depths felt like the warmth of a rock heated by the scorching sun, moving slowly, like thick syrup.

Liu Xing had no doubt this qi originated from the treasure he sought, but he also sensed it encased something with a familiar, prickling qi.

The information from the interface had mentioned that a spirit beast guarded this treasure. The crocodiles swimming nearby were low-stage spirit beasts, and upon his arrival, Liu Xing had briefly wondered if the interface was mistaken. But now it seemed the spirit beast mentioned was actually lurking within the lake.

Liu Xing submerged his face in the water and opened his eyes. The lake was dark, and even with his enhanced vision, he could not see far. However, he could discern the shape of a spirit beast directly beneath the small island in the lake's center. It appeared the island was not a true island but the tip of a horn belonging to a giant spirit beast. From the silhouette, the creature seemed to be a massive frog crouching on the lakebed. Its eyes were blood red, marked with stylized sun patterns in their irises and retinas.

Initially, Liu Xing found its eyes strikingly cool and beautiful. But when those red eyes locked onto him, Liu Xing realized they were not beautiful—they were menacing.

The frog, which had been slumbering in the lake, abruptly stood on its hind legs. As it rose, Liu Xing realized it was even larger than he had imagined.

Pulling his face from the water, he witnessed the true form of the spirit beast emerge from the lake. Its face was indeed that of a frog, with red skin and eyes that fixed on him as if he were a mere insect. Its horn, stretching dozens of meters, seemed to pierce the sky. Its torso resembled a human's, but its hands and feet were blue and resembled octopus tentacles. The creature continued to rise, water cascading off its body like waterfalls.

Standing, Liu Xing had to crane his neck to meet the giant frog's gaze. The creature was as tall as a skyscraper, its massive horn disappearing into the sky where Liu Xing could only glimpse a small patch of pink in the distance. Despite its terrifying size and appearance, Liu Xing remained unfazed. As a cultivator, strength and cultivation realm mattered more than size or appearance. And this frog was only at the seventh stage, not even close to a breakthrough.

Still, he had to be careful. Although it was only one stage higher than him, the fire wings sprouting from its back indicated that it possessed the Red Wings of Stability somewhere on its body.

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