Chapter 1025: line with translation of chapter title

He didn't hesitate, turning and sprinting into the dense forest behind him! The Crane‑Step Cloud‑Walking technique he activated to its limit, his form turning into a vague blue smoke, darting rapidly between the giant trees!

Boom!

Boom! Boom!

A deep, thunder‑like roar came from behind! The giant turtle had already surged onto the lake shore! Its limbs, as massive as palace pillars, each footfall shook the earth violently, leaving huge footprints several feet deep!

The massive tree standing before it—whether an ancient trunk that several people could embrace or a tenacious vine—was easily snapped and crushed like rotten wood before its terrifying force and bone‑spiked shell.

Sawdust flew, the ground trembled! The azure‑water Mystic‑Armor Turtle barreled through the forest like an out‑of‑control primordial war chariot, pursuing relentlessly! Its dark‑golden massive eye locked onto the tiny figure ahead that exuded a tempting aura, a ferocious, blood‑thirsty roar issuing from its mouth, saliva streaming like a waterfall!

Han Wuxian pushed his speed to Infinity, his lungs burning, the cracks in his arms throbbing with sharp pain amid the violent jolts. He used the giant trees for cover, constantly changing direction, trying to shake off the terrifying beast.

Though the Mystic‑Armor Turtle was huge, its speed on land was no slower, especially its long neck covered with heavy scales and bone spikes, like a massive siege hammer that could easily sweep away obstacles ahead, shortening the distance!

A gigantic, thorn‑covered vine suddenly swung from the side with a whooshing sound! It was the turtle's long‑neck attack!

Han Wuxian suddenly crouched and rolled; the thorny vine brushed his scalp, the gust stinging his cheek! As he rose, a massive claw covered in ink‑green scales, like a collapsing mountain peak, slammed down with destructive force, thundering onto the spot where he had just been!

Rumble!

The ground was struck, forming a huge deep pit, mud and broken wood and stone splashing! The savage shockwave hurled Han Wuxian violently into the air!

"Puff!" Han Wuxian slammed into a giant tree, his throat sweetened, spitting out another mouthful of fresh blood.

His internal organs trembled, the injury worsened! He struggled to rise, but the massive shadow of the azure‑water Mystic‑Armor Turtle, bearing a despair‑inducing pressure, loomed over him again! Its mouth, lined with sharp teeth and dripping foul saliva, greedy to Devour everything, snapped down at his head!

The stench of death rushed at him!

No way to evade!

No way to block!

At this hair‑trigger moment!

Buzz!!!

Han Wuxian's chest bore the silent Lotus‑Fairy star‑map seal, which seemed fully awakened by this dire situation, the nearby dense water‑spirit aura, and the stellar ripples from the lake's depths, suddenly exploding in unprecedented dazzling light!

A gentle yet supremely dignified azure star‑light instantly spread outward from Han Wuxian as its center! Within the light, countless mysterious stellar trajectories could be faintly seen swirling!

This radiance was not an attack, but carried an ancient majesty born of the very source of life and the ultimate principle of the stars!

The azure‑water Mystic‑Armor Turtle that was about to Devour Han Wuxian, its dark‑golden massive eye, had its ferocious glare suddenly stall! In its place came an indescribable… awe and dread stemming from deep bloodlines!

Its gaping maw, less than three feet above Han Wuxian's head, abruptly halted! The foul saliva dripped onto him, its huge nostrils flaring as if desperately sniffing the scent of that azure star‑light.

That star‑light made it feel an instinctive fear, as if it had encountered an Existence far superior to itself!

Han Wuxian also froze; he hadn't expected the seal to flare now. Yet he reacted swiftly, using the turtle's momentary hesitation, bearing the excruciating pain, and rolled sharply to the side!

Almost as he rolled away, the Mystic‑Armor Turtle seemed to snap out of its doubt, its ferocity again overwhelming instinct! It let out an even more enraged roar, its massive head swinging like a siege hammer, smashing down hard toward the direction Han Wuxian had rolled.

Boom!

The giant tree Han Wuxian had just leaned on was split cleanly at the waist! Sawdust flew!

Yet Han Wuxian, using the momentum of his roll, rolled‑crawled into a nearby thicket extremely dense with tough vines and sharp thorns! These plants were unusually resilient, forming a natural barrier against the massive turtle!

"Roar!!" The azure‑water Mystic‑Armor Turtle bellowed resentfully, its huge head and claws tearing wildly at the thorny vines blocking it, but its speed was clearly slowed.

Han Wuxian didn't look back, pushing his footwork to the limit, using the complex terrain as cover, fleeing like a frightened rabbit deeper into the forest!

Behind him, the turtle's angry roars and the crashing of trees faded gradually, but Han Wuxian's heartbeat still hammered like a drum. He dared not stop until he was sure he had completely shaken off the terrifying beast, then he collapsed against a massive ancient tree whose sap flowed amber, panting heavily, cold sweat already soaking his whole body.

He lowered his head to his chest, the azure star‑light had already faded, the seal returned to calm, but the lifesaving burst left his heart still trembling, and made him more certain—deep within the lake lies a crucial clue linked to the Lotus‑Fairy and the core secret of the Star‑Sea Map!

"Lake's heart…" Han Wuxian gazed at the direction where the giant turtle vanished, his eyes heavy with gravity. A Nascent Soul‑level guardian beast… the secret of the lake bottom is more thorny than he imagined.

He needs power, needs his wounds healed, and more importantly… a way to deal with that azure‑water Mystic‑Armor Turtle.

Night fell silently. The wild forest at night was more dangerous than day. Han Wuxian gathered his breath, becoming like a ghost merging with darkness, beginning to search this endless green sea of peril and hidden opportunity for healing, recovery, and… a way to break the deadlock.

The night was as black as ink, thick enough to solidify. The wild forest night truly belonged to predators. Various indescribable roars, shrieks, and the deep, muffled sounds of massive beasts crushing trees as they moved rose and fell in the boundless darkness, weaving a chilling death symphony. The air was heavy with blood and cold, damp mist.

Han Wuxian moved like a shadow melting into night, pressed against the massive ancient tree whose sap flowed amber, holding his breath. He condensed his own aura to the limit, the Turtle‑Breath method circulating, his heartbeat and body temperature dropping to the lowest point, like a lifeless stone. Not far away, several phosphor‑rotted jackals—creatures resembling hyenas but the size of calves, their fur shimmering with ghostly green phosphorescence—were circling the carcass of an unknown giant beast, tearing and fighting, emitting teeth‑aching gnawing sounds and low roars.

Only after this pack of nocturnal predators finished their feast and left did Han Wuxian slowly exhale a foul breath, continuing to stalk in the darkness. He must quickly find a relatively safe temporary shelter and locate a remedy that can accelerate his recovery.

The cracks deep within his arm bones, though temporarily sealed by the purple vine sap and no longer throbbing, still left internal meridian damage and fragile new bone, severely limiting his strength. The wound in his waist and abdomen had only just begun to heal.

He carefully avoided those areas exuding strong aura, relying on the faint yet persistent resonance of the star‑map seal to guide his direction. The seal's fluctuations seemed to lead him away from the lake, deeper into the forest. This puzzled him: the stellar ripples deep in the lake's heart were clearer, yet the seal pointed elsewhere? Could the lake's heart be a trap? Or is there another mystery?

Just as doubt filled his mind, not far ahead, beneath a rock wall covered with gigantic ferns, a faint, pain‑laden whimper suddenly sounded!