"When the Sea Witch brought me to heart of lake Island yesterday, we arrived from this exact point," Ye Tian said, pointing to a spot on the shore of the Lake of Life.
"The time to reach Heart of Lake Island was ten minutes. Judging by the Sea Witch's speed, the distance from this point on the map to the island is about five kilometers."
"Now, if we measure the distance between these two points on the map, it's roughly five centimeters."
"That means the scale of this map is 1:100,000."
"Using this scale, we can measure the distance between Heart of Lake Island and the secret realm."
"It's easy to calculate—the secret realm is fifteen kilometers away from the island."
"So, it's not far from us at all."
Ye Tian looked up again at Xiao Wu, only to find her staring in shock.
"You figured all that out just by mental calculation, using the map?" Xiao Wu asked in disbelief.
She had never imagined that a simple map could contain so much information.
If Ye Tian hadn't explained it step by step, she would have thought it was nothing more than a few random lines.
Ye Tian chuckled, shoved the map back into Xiao Wu's hands, and shrugged. "This isn't exactly advanced knowledge."
"Didn't they teach you this in school?"
"School? Teach stuff like this?" Xiao Wu pouted.
She sighed and muttered, "Looks like I went to a fake school."
Ye Tian laughed and reassured her, "Shrek Academy has trained outstanding soul masters like you, making it one of the top institutions on the continent."
"Maybe it's just a different focus. After all, if they started teaching this kind of knowledge to soul masters, the parents would probably demand the teachers be fired."
"I don't think learning extra knowledge like this would hinder a soul master's studies," Xiao Wu said seriously.
"On the contrary, it could give them an extra survival skill in the wild."
After saying this, she carefully observed Ye Tian's expression and then asked,
"Have you ever considered becoming a teacher at Shrek?"
"Right now, Shrek Academy holds significant influence in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"If you wanted, you could even use it as a stepping stone to enter the empire's upper ranks."
Her face was full of anticipation.
Even if Ye Tian wasn't interested in being a teacher, surely power and wealth would tempt him, right?
Unexpectedly, Ye Tian simply chuckled.
"If that was my goal, I might as well have accepted Qian Renxue's offer back then—her path leads straight to the top," he thought to himself.
Outwardly, he remained composed, waving a hand dismissively before looking at Xiao Wu intently.
"If I told you to marry someone outstanding, would you?"
Xiao Wu's face turned slightly red. She wasn't sure what Ye Tian meant.
Was he talking about himself?
But her heart already belonged to someone else.
Then, as if realizing something, Xiao Wu's blush faded, and she returned to her usual expression.
She scratched her head awkwardly and laughed. "I get what you're saying. People have different preferences."
"Some things just can't be forced."
Ye Tian nodded slightly and said softly, "As long as you understand. No need to say more."
With a clear plan, Ye Tian led the group forward at an impressive pace.
The fifteen-kilometer journey took only an hour.
And that was through a dense, untamed forest, filled with vines and obstacles.
If they had traveled on flat land, it wouldn't have even taken half an hour.
Xiao Wu, holding the map, stepped forward to compare their location.
"According to the map, this small hill ahead is the destination."
"But… we haven't found anything unusual."
"Where's the entrance to the secret realm?"
The Sky Azure Bull Python flicked its tongue and moved to Xiao Wu's side, its expression serious.
"I pass by this hill every year, and just like you said, there's nothing special here."
"Could the map be wrong?"
"No way." Xiao Wu shook her head and took out a skull engraved with the map.
"I copied the map directly from this. There's no mistake."
The group fell into confusion.
Xiao Wu even pulled out the original map, yet there was no entrance at the destination.
This was awkward.
The Sea Witch turned to Ye Tian. "Could this map be a prank?"
"Unlikely."
Ye Tian stroked his chin and shook his head.
After all, the mark on Xiao Wu's arm was still there. He had witnessed the events of that night with his own eyes.
Just then—
The Titan Giant Ape stepped forward impatiently.
"If we keep thinking about it, we'll be here all day!"
"If it's not on the surface, it must be underground! Watch this!"
With that, the Titan Giant Ape took a deep breath.
Powerful soul energy gathered in its core.
The blue patterns on its body began to glow, and its form rapidly expanded.
In an instant, it had grown into a towering, fifty-meter-tall giant ape.
Grabbing a massive tree and using it as a club, the Titan Giant Ape swung it down onto the hill.
"Titan Meteor Hammer!"
Boom!
The earth trembled as dirt and rocks flew in all directions, leaving a ten-meter-deep crater.
But the Titan Giant Ape wasn't satisfied. It launched another wave of attacks.
"Open up!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions rocked the area, making the very ground quake.
After nearly twenty minutes—
The Titan Giant Ape was half-buried in the dirt.
But aside from a pile of rubble, there was nothing.
Panting, it shrank back to its smaller form and hopped next to Xiao Wu.
"There's nothing down there," it shrugged.
Hearing this, Xiao Wu let out a helpless chuckle.
"I figured as much."
She turned to Ye Tian.
"Do you have any ideas?"
Ye Tian, who had been focused on the hill, turned toward Xiao Wu and held out his hand.
"Give me the skull."
"Oh." Without hesitation, Xiao Wu handed it over.
Then she asked, "Wait… Is this some kind of key to summon a dragon king?"
Ye Tian didn't answer directly.
Instead, he pulled out a few Taiyi Divine Needles and began inserting them into the skull one by one.
Each needle was infused with pure soul energy, temporarily serving as a power source.
As more needles were inserted, the map on the skull began to glow.
Golden energy spread along the engravings, illuminating the entire skull.
"It's actually changing!" Xiao Wu exclaimed in surprise.
Ye Tian let out a relieved breath—just as he had expected.
The map itself was a formation.
But as the formation grew brighter, Xiao Wu's face suddenly contorted in discomfort.
"My arm… it's so hot…"
(End of Chapter)
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