Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

"Let's go, let's set off to find the Ice Emperor and the pufferfish whale." Shi Yu raised his hand and patted Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's head, his voice carrying a hint of comfort, suggesting that they leave this place filled with sadness.

"Let's go, let's go." Tianmeng Ice Silkworm drooped its head listlessly, its round body curled up into a ball, its voice thick with nasal tone, "Sister Tianmeng doesn't want to stay here anymore."

Seeing this, Huo Yutong quickly stepped forward, gently rubbed Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's smooth body, and comforted her softly, "Sister Tianmeng, don't be sad. Maybe on our way to the cave, we'll encounter some novel ingredients we've never tasted before."

"Waaaah, Xiaoyutong is the most considerate!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm instantly seemed to have found an outlet, rubbing against Huo Yutong's palm, its tail tip wagging pitifully, "Sister Tianmeng, I love you to death!"

Shi Yu listened from the side and shook her head helplessly, but a faint smile appeared on her lips: "I hope it's not some weird-tasting ingredient again. The taste of that snow is really unbearable."

He had barely finished speaking when Zhu Lu beside him suddenly gasped, pointing ahead with disbelief in her voice: "Look ahead! What... what's that?"

Following Zhu Lu's gaze, Shi Yu saw a clear, sapphire-blue lake lying in a clearing in the woods ahead.

What's most amazing is that a group of completely transparent jellyfish are floating in the air above the lake.

They seemed to be under a spell, swaying gently in mid-air, their bodies flowing with aurora-like, ever-changing colors, a mix of blue and purple, reflecting light across the entire lake, making it as beautiful as a scene copied from a fairy tale.

"They...they look so delicious!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm instantly forgot her sadness, her eyes widened, her saliva almost dripping to the ground, and her tail swayed uncontrollably from side to side.

"Let's go take a look." Shi Yu's gaze also fell on the group of peculiar jellyfish. This was the first time he had ever seen jellyfish that could float in the air, and a hint of interest quickly flashed in his eyes.

The group cautiously approached the lake, intently observing these aerial sprites.

Their bodies seem to be sculpted from the purest glass, with tiny specks of light flowing within their translucent forms.

The drooping whiskers, like ribbons cascading down from the Milky Way, sway gently, scattering shimmering light that falls onto the lake surface, creating delicate ripples.

A gentle breeze swept by, causing the shimmering fragments to flutter and dance, as if countless stars had fallen to earth.

"So beautiful..." Tianmeng Ice Silkworm stared, her eyes wide, and it took her a while to come back to her senses. She then stubbornly emphasized again, "Something this beautiful must taste amazing!"

Shi Yu, however, did not agree. He stared thoughtfully at the area beneath the jellyfish's tentacles and said, "Perhaps the real food isn't these jellyfish in the sky. Little Yu Tong, you should have noticed that, right?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Yutong immediately focused her attention and examined the area closely. She then nodded, her tone certain: "I noticed, Brother Shiyu. When the tentacles of those jellyfish sway, there are always glittering fragments floating below, just like scattered stardust."

"Those fragments should be the real food these jellyfish nurtured," Shi Yu said, slowly stepping forward, opening his palm, and letting a few strands of shimmering fragments fall into his hand.

The fragments were as light as smoke, leaving a slightly cool sensation on his skin. He leaned forward slightly and licked them with the tip of his tongue.

The extremely subtle granular texture explodes on the tip of the tongue, then transforms into a refreshing sweetness that slides down the throat and into the stomach.

The flavor was like a concentrated essence of the purest sweetness of the entire lake, crisp and refreshing with the scent of grass and trees, and the aftertaste lingered with the fragrance of earth after rain—it was so wonderful that it was hard to describe in words.

"What a peculiar taste." Shi Yu savored the lingering flavor on his tongue, his gaze returning to the lake, his eyes gradually brightening. "Then, what would the lake water taste like after years of these debris dissolving and seeping in?"

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm instantly realized what was happening, her eyes widening like saucers, her voice filled with surprise: "Xiao Shiyu, you mean—"

Shi Yu curled his lips into a smile, pointed to the shimmering lake, and said, word by word, "This lake itself is a top-quality, naturally brewed beverage."

He gazed at the aurora jellyfish swaying gently above the lake, and then at the countless fragments of light reflected on the surface, and said softly, "Let's call it Star Tear Lake. The lake water is as pure as tears, and the aurora jellyfish above it create such beautiful stardust."

With a howl, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm swung its tail and broke free from Huo Yutong's grasp, then rolled towards the lakeside like a round snowball.

It didn't even bother looking for a container, and plunged headfirst into the water. The gurgling swallowing sounds could be heard clearly from afar, and its round belly visibly swelled up.

"Delicious! So delicious!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm suddenly raised her head, glistening water droplets still clinging to the corners of her mouth, her eyes shining like starlight. "This taste, so refreshing with a hint of stardust sweetness, and when you swallow it, it has a refreshing feeling after the rain, I feel my soul power trembling!"

Huo Yutong was amused by its appearance and slowly walked to the lakeside, squatted down and scooped up a handful of lake water.

The moment her fingertips touched the water's surface, a cool chill spread from her fingertips, and the lake water was so clear that it reflected the light in her eyes.

She took a small sip, and her eyes immediately curved into crescents: "It's really special. Even my breath tastes fresh after drinking it."

Zhu Lu remained somewhat wary, standing on the shore, gathering a wisp of soul power at her fingertips and gently touching the water's surface.

The moment the ripples spread, the jellyfish above the lake seemed startled; their tentacles tensed abruptly, and the light within their bodies suddenly intensified, with blue-purple halos intertwining, subtly revealing a dangerous aura.

Shi Yu quickly raised his hand to press down on her wrist and shook his head: "Don't touch it. These jellyfish have ice spikes hidden in their tentacles. If they feel threatened, they will probably attack. We'll just drink the lake water and not provoke them."

Zhu Lu reluctantly withdrew her hand, but still couldn't help but curiously examine the jellyfish: "What exactly are these jellyfish? Not only can they float in the air, but they can also create such peculiar lake water."

Shi Yu gazed thoughtfully at the slowly swaying aurora jellyfish: "Judging from their radiance and aura, they must be unique to the far north, formed by absorbing the power of stars and the energy of ice over many years. There might even be ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts among them. If they were to attack together, even a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast would perish here—"

Before he could finish speaking, he heard Tianmeng Ice Silkworm let out a satisfied sigh.

Turning around, I saw the guy lying by the lake, clutching his stomach, which was bulging high. He was muttering to himself, "If only I could take this lake water with me... Once I get back to the Star Dou Great Forest, I won't be able to drink this lake water as often..."

Huo Yutong smiled and shook her head, took out a bottle from her soul tool, squatted down and began to fill it with lake water: "I thought of that a long time ago, I've already filled several bottles, enough for us to drink on the way."

Tianmeng Ice Silk's eyes lit up, and it immediately struggled to get up, moving closer to her: "Little Yutong is so thoughtful! Quickly give me a few empty bottles! I want to fill up a lot!"

Jellyfish continued to float leisurely above the lake, their blue-purple light reflecting off the figures of the crowd. The surface of Star Tear Lake shimmered, freezing this absurd yet idyllic scene in the forests of the far north.