Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 94

The black ox was swayed by Huang Shuling’s words, and without hesitation, it decided to follow Huang Shuling and the Earthquake Bear on their journey. As they descended the mountain, Huang Shuling glanced up at the mountain peak, where she could sense the presence of many powerful beasts.

“That’s the location of the Mountain Pool,” the black ox explained. “Within the pool resides a tribe of flying fish. They are formidable in the water, so much so that even I avoid provoking them lightly.”

The black ox had quickly adopted the term “poor Daoist” from Huang Shuling, finding it more refined than “I.”

“Flying fish tribe?” Huang Shuling and the Earthquake Bear exchanged intrigued glances. “Let’s go take a look.”

If it were only the Earthquake Bear, it would have been impossible. The black ox itself couldn’t handle those flying fish, so the bear certainly couldn’t either. But Huang Shuling was different. Having integrated with the green algae, she was even more powerful in the water.

When they reached the mountain top, they were greeted by the sight of a massive lake, roughly five miles in diameter, filled with numerous flying fish.

These fish were about seven feet long—massive by any standard. Huang Shuling leaped into the water, engaging in battle with the flying fish. Her powerful cultivation and mastery over water made her a formidable opponent, allowing her to suppress the fish with ease.

The black ox watched in delight, pleased to see the flying fish, who usually held it in contempt, finally getting their comeuppance.

Suddenly, the lake’s waters surged violently, and a stunning figure emerged. It was a mermaid, or rather, a Jiaoren¹. She wore nothing but a few strands of seaweed and pearls, barely covering her. The shimmering lake water reflected off her jade-like skin, her inky black hair floating elegantly in the water.

Her sea-blue eyes were mesmerizing, and below her graceful waist, a blue tail gently rippled through the water. Any human man witnessing this would likely be entranced.

Huang Shuling and the Earthquake Bear were both taken aback, though not entirely surprised. It made sense now why the black ox was so wary of this lake.

Even if the flying fish were tough, they shouldn’t have been enough to command such respect from the ox. But the presence of this mermaid, with her strong third-tier supreme-grade aura and dominance in the water, fully justified the ox’s caution.

With a flick of her tail, the mermaid created a powerful whirlpool, directing it towards Huang Shuling. Huang Shuling, recognizing the danger, immediately put all her effort into defense. However, after a brief clash, she was forced back dozens of yards.

“Retreat,” she commanded decisively, leaping out of the water. The mermaid, too, refrained from giving chase, her eyes filled with a similar wariness. It was clear that while the black ox feared her, she also feared the black ox and dared not step onto land.

“What now?” asked the black ox, though it was a water buffalo with decent aquatic abilities, it was no match for true aquatic creatures.

“No need to panic. We’ll withdraw from the mountaintop and then call for reinforcements,” Huang Shuling replied. Their best strength wasn’t their individual power, but the backing of the Misty Forbidden Zone. She planned to summon the Sea Monk, confident that together, they could overwhelm the mermaid.

As she spoke, both Huang Shuling and the black ox sensed something and turned their heads. A massive crocodile had appeared, its presence heavy and imposing.

“It’s you, that vile creature,” the black ox muttered darkly. “So you’ve teamed up with the mermaid?”

The black ox, the mermaid, and the giant crocodile had long maintained a delicate balance of power in this region. But if the crocodile and the mermaid joined forces, that balance would undoubtedly be shattered.

Huang Shuling and the Earthquake Bear both narrowed their eyes. This was a third-tier perfect-grade giant crocodile, making the core of the Ancient Wilderness Mountain Range truly terrifying. There were three powerful beings here—black ox, mermaid, and crocodile. It was no wonder that no other creatures dared venture into the core of the Ancient Wilderness Mountain Range, or if they did, they never returned. With these three powerful rulers, no other beasts could survive here.

“It seems we’ll have to fight for our lives,” the black ox said to Huang Shuling and the Earthquake Bear.

Though the two weren’t weak, their strength paled in comparison to the black ox, the mermaid, and the crocodile. Even with their combined efforts, they stood little chance against the allied forces of the mermaid and the crocodile.

“No need for that. We’ll retreat,” Huang Shuling said decisively.

“Retreat?” The black ox was stunned. As a ruler of the area, the idea of retreating and seeking help had never occurred to it. To the ox, defeat meant death, and fleeing would be pointless.

“Once we reach a certain place, no enemy, no matter how powerful, will be able to harm us,” Huang Shuling assured him.

“And how far is this place?” the black ox inquired.

“Two hundred and fifty miles from here,” Huang Shuling replied.

“Alright!” The black ox’s eyes gleamed. “Even if we can’t defeat them, we should be able to escape over a distance of two to three hundred miles.”

Without hesitation, they turned and fled. Huang Shuling rode on the black ox’s back while the Earthquake Bear ran alongside. Meanwhile, the mermaid leaped onto the crocodile’s back, and together they gave chase.

As the chase unfolded, they gradually approached the Misty Forbidden Zone.

In the Misty Forbidden Zone, Su Mu was conversing with the Snow Mink, which had brought back the roe deer.

[Species: Roe Deer]

[Length: 10 feet]

[Lifespan: 2400 years]

[Rank: Third-Tier, Middle-grade]

[Abilities: Fuzhu Bloodline, Void Leap, Water Sense, Water Control, Immortal Hide]

Fuzhu bloodline? Su Mu was intrigued. This roe deer possessed the bloodline of an ancient mythical beast, which explained its unusual nature.

Its survival abilities were impressive—Void Leap made it an excellent escape artist, and Immortal Hide gave it formidable defense. However, this deer was clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed, its eyes betraying a profound stupidity. Otherwise, the Snow Mink would never have captured it.

Previously, the title of the dumbest creature in the Misty Forbidden Zone belonged to the White Spirit Python. But with this silly roe deer, Su Mu felt that the python’s position might soon be usurped.

Despite its shortcomings, Su Mu found the deer endearing. It had no cunning, and thus, the likelihood of betrayal was minimal. Coupled with its immense potential, Su Mu decided to keep it around.

He didn’t hesitate to condense a drop of life essence.

The deer’s eyes filled with longing. Whatever fear it had felt earlier vanished as it focused on the drop of life essence. Its terror forgotten, the deer eagerly absorbed the essence into its brow, its face displaying utter bliss. Once it had absorbed the essence, it looked at Su Mu with hopeful eyes.

“If you want more benefits, you’ll need to contribute. That’s the rule in the Misty Forbidden Zone,” Su Mu said.

Without rules, there could be no order. Even though Su Mu had a soft spot for certain creatures, he never broke the rules. Whenever his subordinates received life essence to heal severe injuries, they were required to compensate with contributions afterward. Su Mu never handed out benefits for free.