Cornucopia

In the Great Star Dou Forest, Wang Shóu is lying down on top of the rock, being slowly grilled by the sun like a deadbeat.

[Hey, Wang Shóu.]

'...Yes, system?'

Wang Shóu thought lazily, seemingly having no purpose in life.

[You said you want to get stronger, right?]

'Yep, that is completely correct but the problem is that it is really slow leveling up...'

Wang Shóu thought, rolling over his body, exposing his front body to the overbearing sun.

'Don't get me wrong. I will keep doing it but when it is so slow to level up, it tend to be demotivating...' 

[Well, I found a cornucopia in the Inner Region on the verge of blooming.]

Wang Shóu instantly shot up from the top of the rock, like a spring coil.

'What?! A cornucopia?!'

Cornucopias are a natural environments where heaven and earth essences are heavily condensed and it is the natural troves of heaven and earth treasures! At the barest minimal, the heaven and earth treasures is around 10,000 years old!

But it is so rare that among Douluo Planet, there is only three cornucopia in existence!

The first is the Lake of Life in the core region of Great Star Dou Forest, where the vitality of the entire forest is condensed. In the core are Life Gold, an extremely rare treasure and is the condensation of the purest and colossal life energy, benefiting all creatures. 

The second is Yin Yang Love Querying Valley. It is said that it is formed due the grief and hatred of the Goddess of Love, Eros due to the betrayal of her lover. As a revenge, unfaithful people who enter the valley will have their life reaped and only faithful lovers can leave out of it alive. So among the three cornucopia, it is consider to be the most dangerous, but there is indeed lot of precious treasures within it.

Lastly, is the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well located in the Sunset Forest. It is formed after the fall of Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King that fell due to the Divine War between the berserk Dragon God and Human Gods. After several thousand years, it has form a hot spring and has a special effects that can make rare plants grow 10 time fasters. But after Tang San found it, it is now under the control of Tang Sect.

So, in general cornucopia requires harsh condition to form, so he doesn't understand how is there a fourth cornucopia that is born in the inner region?!

[It may be the result of many powerful spirit beasts that has died in the inner region, nourishing the ground below. After thousand or ten-thousand of years, it manage to form a pseudo cornucopia. A pseudo one, but still a cornucopia nevertheless.]

Hearing that, Wang Shóu calm himself down.

'I see. So, a pseudo-cornucopia in the inner region...'

Thinking of the danger of the inner region and powerful spirit beasts that roam in there, Wang Shóu frown. 

'...It seems I have to go there by myself.'

He didn't consider bring Xiong Yong and Zhizhu with him. As strong as they are, they are ultimately too weak in the inner region and possibly might die. And they are too big, making them conspicuous and easy target. 

But he has Inventory, which he can quickly store the cornucopia right after it bloom. But in case things go south, he still has Pikachu, his current strongest form. It is small and very fast, hopefully enough for him to escape quickly.

Making up his mind, he jump off the top of the rock and head toward the direction the system provided. 

Soon, Wang Shóu quickly found the inner region and immediately enter it. 

Upon entering the inner region, Wang Shóu's face is very solemn. He can sense that there is many powerful auras in the air, oppressing him like a heavy weight and the difficult part is that he can't judge the exact amount of the auras that he felt.

'Let's check the map, hopefully there isn't too many.'

Looking at the system's map, Wang Shóu is secretly frightened. On the system's map, there is dozens of scarlet red light and there is no orange or green lights.

'Yikes! Dozens of red light, and they are all scarlet red, meaning that they can kill me easily!'

Wang Shóu finally realize the difficulty and the danger of the inner region.

'Hey, system. Are you absolutely certain that the mini cornucopias is in the inner region?'

[Yes, I'm positively sure. But I can only sene the general area and not its specific location.]

Nodding his head, Wang Shóu quickly navigate through the inner region while making sure to avoid any nearby spirit beasts, thanks to system's map. 

After a while, Wang Shóu's system issue a reminder.

[You are very close to the cornucopia now.]

'Oh, okay. But...I don't really see anything that look like cornucopia...'

Looking around in the dense forest, he really doesn't see anything. But looking at the tall tree, he got an idea. 

'Then let's look from the above!'

Climbing on top of a tall tree, Wang Shóu gaze at the scene looking for the possible location of the cornucopia until he notice a conspicuous land in the middle of the lake.

'Hey, is that where the pseudo cornucopia is?' 

[Yes. It is estimated to bloom in 2 hours.]

Nodding, Wang Shóu's face suddenly change when he felt an oppressive aura so thick it is almost suffocating. 

'What was that?!'

He instantly turn his head toward the location of that oppressive aura and then he saw from afar 3-meter white tiger slowly walking to the lake, and dip his head into the lake. 

Because the aura of the white tiger is too overbearing, Wang Shóu can't accurately estimate its cultivation age. He only knows that it is very strong!

'Hey, system can you scan that white tiger and tell me what is its cultivation age?'

[After scanning, it is confirmed to be 90,000 years old spirit beast.]

There was suddenly a long silence. 

'...What?'

Wang Shóu's brain froze as if it had suddenly crash from overheating 

'Correct me, if I'm wrong. It is not 50,000 years old...not 60,000 years old but over 90,000 years old?!'

Wang Shóu almost wants to crush something in his hand like a certain alien prince but unfortunately there is nothing in his hand to crush. 

Innerly calming himself down and take several deep breaths, Wang Shóu refocus back to the subject. 

Now he has to find a way to go toward that cornucopia without being found out by the white tiger.

...But how?

Firstly, trying to fight that white tiger is just begging for death. He is pretty sure that with just a glance, it can instantly kill him.

Hmmm, Sing is also viable...but the problem is he doesn't know whether Sing is effective against a creature that is much superior to him.

Then would sneaking work? Nah, that white tiger would probably be able to instantly sense him from hundred meters away and kill him easily. 

Reason with it? Well, it is indeed intelligent and can communicate but honestly, it is more likely that the white tiger will kill before talking. 

But what can he do?

Obtaining the pseudo cornucopia right now is the only chance that Wang Shóu have at obtaining before it gives birth!

Otherwise, it will cause a major bloodbaths between powerful spirit beasts and possibly attract even the Fierce Beasts too!

Once that happens, Wang Shóu will have no fate with the pseudo cornucopia as he will only be a cannon fodder in this bloodbath.

So obtaining the pseudo cornucopia before anyone else, is his only chance! But now the white tiger is there, how can Wang Shóu get it without dying?

Dishearten, Wang Shóu look down at the ground. Staring down, he notice a river next to him and glance at it.

'...'

Looking at the river, he suddenly notice that the river keeps extending further and further until it reach the lake. And coincidently, that lake is the same lake that where the pseudo cornucopia is at.

Seeing this, an idea being to slowly form in Wang Shóu's mind. 

'Hey, this could work....It will be extremely dangerous but if it can succeed...'

---

A few hundred meters away from Wang Shóu's location, the white tiger is peacefully resting on its body.

Suddenly the white tiger raise its head as if it sense something. But looking around, he didn't see any creature nearby.

'Must be my imagination...'

The white tiger thought, lower its head to rest. After all, as an 90,000 years old spirit beast, no spirit beasts has the courage to approach it unless it is on the same level as its. But that is unlikely as the white tiger is one of the overlord of the inner region. 

But never in the white tiger's wildest dream had it thought that under the river, there is a white-striped fish slowly swim forward near the white tiger. 

This white-striped fish is Wang Shóu in his Basculin form. 

'I hope this work!'

Specially for this occasion, Wang Shóu had to painfully spend all his BP and purchase the move: Protect for security in case the plan fail.

Now he can only innerly pray that the white tiger doesn't pay attention to fishes in the river and even so, that he is too weak for the white tiger to care.

Swimming forward, Wang Shóu can feel an oppressive aura even in the rivers, scaring the fishes away. As he swim closer, he keeps praying in his mind. 

'Please don't notice me, please don't notice me... I beg to Arceus, please don't notice me!'

Slowly passing the white tiger and the oppressive aura that begin to diminish, Wang Shóu finally sigh in relief.

'Thank Arceus! Now I am finally safe--'

He suddenly saw a gold pufferfish and he can feel that this gold pufferfish is around 1,500 years old.

But the problem is the gold pufferfish is quickly approaching him with an inexplicable look of hostility on its face.

There is only one thought in Wang Shóu's mind. Its over.

'OH HELL NO! NOT NOW, YOU STUPID FISH!!'