Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Chapter 173 - 171: Enter

As the group drew closer, the RUMBLE of water grew increasingly clear, and a thick, humid mist washed over them.

"Masters, this passage below is Channel 0079 to the Earth Core!"

Cao Ping pointed to the Cold Pool at his side.

The Cold Pool was oval-shaped, about thirty meters in diameter.

Tall rocks and dense vegetation surrounded the Cold Pool.

The water of the Cold Pool was a deep azure. Because of the waterfall’s current, ripples constantly spread across its surface, and the edges held a faint, jade-green hue.

But as one’s gaze followed it deeper, the color gradually darkened, as if an endless, abyssal blue ink was pooling at the bottom.

Clearly, this could only mean one thing: the Cold Pool was incredibly deep.

Moreover, despite the massive inflow of water, the level of the Cold Pool didn’t rise, which clearly indicated the presence of an underground river.

"Everyone, the passage below is too narrow for more than one person to pass through at a time. This humble monk will go first. We’ll meet in the Earth Core shortly."

Fa Ji smiled, then took a step forward. He pressed his palms together, and a faint golden light appeared, enveloping his body and sealing him off from the outside.

Then, his figure transformed into a streak of Flowing Light and plunged into the Cold Pool, vanishing with a splash.

"See you all later!"

Guo Yi said in a deep voice from the side, and his figure followed suit.

Wu Yu and Changzhu were next.

Lu Mei and Hu Qi went last.

Watching the Cold Pool gradually calm, Cao Ping, who stood to the side, had a flash of envy in his eyes.

The Inner Earth World was dangerous, but it also held unimaginable opportunities.

Aptitude for cultivation was important, but not absolute.

With the help of some Upper Class Spiritual Materials and Earthly Treasures, it wasn’t impossible to advance further.

Unfortunately, his strength was insufficient; otherwise, he would have loved to go down and see what it was like for himself.

He shook his head, suppressed the thought, and turned to leave.

Given his current situation, he wouldn’t even be thinking about such things if his Lifespan wasn’t nearing its end.

’Rather than dwelling on such useless matters, I should focus on filling my stomach first.’

...

The Cold Pool was frigid, and the surrounding light grew dim, especially as they descended deeper.

Even if an ordinary person wore a professional diving suit, the depth they could reach would be extremely limited.

Combined with the turbulent current from the waterfall above, which churned the waters of the Cold Pool, the immense pressure, and the scarce oxygen, a moment of carelessness could be fatal.

However, for a Qi Dao Grandmaster, this was nothing.

The True Essence Power covering their bodies could block it all out, forming an independent space that enveloped them completely, not even allowing a corner of their clothes to get wet.

At first, the surrounding water was relatively clear, and they could see slivers of sunlight piercing through the surface.

Occasionally, they could also see small fish and mayfly-like creatures.

But as they descended further, the light grew dimmer, and the creatures gradually became scarcer.

At the same time, the water’s resistance began to increase.

However, this had no effect on Hu Qi and the others.

A cloak of dark red True Essence enveloped Hu Qi, sealing him off from everything.

The passage was long. As they descended, their surroundings fell silent, save for the faint sound of flowing water.

On the walls of the Cold Pool, peculiar rocks and aquatic plants would occasionally flash past.

The rocks varied in shape; some resembled sharp fangs, others giant mushrooms, and some even emitted a verdant green glow in the dim light.

The aquatic plants were like soft ribbons, swaying gently with the current.

They tried to wrap around him, but the moment they touched the membrane of True Essence, they were instantly shattered into dust.

As they continued to sink, the oxygen around them became nearly nonexistent.

Fortunately, Qi Dao Grandmasters absorbed the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy and possessed True Essence Power.

As long as their internal True Essence wasn’t depleted, they could maintain an internal cycle and didn’t need to draw oxygen from the outside world.

After about an hour of this, a faint light finally appeared ahead.

...

「The Earth Core」

The sky was thick with dark clouds, and a drizzling rain fell.

On the surface of a once-calm lake, several splashes erupted one after another, and a few figures appeared by the shore. It was Hu Qi and the others.

Everyone was on high alert, circulating True Essence throughout their bodies.

Only after confirming that there was no immediate danger did they relax slightly.

"So this is the Inner Earth World? How magical. Who could have imagined that a world this vast existed so deep within the Earth Core?"

The old woman from the Black Spider Sect spoke up at this moment.

Her voice was filled with amazement.

Clearly, it was also her first time in the Inner Earth World.

Hu Qi also gazed into the distance.

The distant mountains were barely visible through the rain and mist, as if veiled by a translucent gauze.

In the hazy curtain of rain, the lake looked like an isolated paradise.

Across the landscape, enormous stone pillars could occasionally be seen rising from the ground.

They stretched from the ground into the clouds an unknowable distance above, a magnificent and spectacular sight.

It could be called a miracle of the Creator.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that while he’d assumed the passage would lead them to the skies of the Inner Earth World, it had actually connected to one of its lakes.

Fa Ji seemed to notice Hu Qi’s confusion and began to explain.

"Although this place is called the Inner Earth World, it is its own separate space. Some things here simply can’t be explained by science.

It’s not unheard of for some passages to open up directly into mid-air, as if space itself has folded.

These are called one-way passages; you can only enter through them. To get out, you have to find a different exit.

But that’s an extremely rare occurrence.

Normally, passages either open into the sky of this world, or they run through the earth pillars and emerge on the surface of the Earth Core. You can use those to return to the surface."

As he said this, he pointed a finger at the distant stone pillars.

The meaning was self-evident: they were able to appear here because some of the stone pillars were hollow inside, connecting to this place.

He continued, "From here on, whether you want to form teams or act alone is entirely up to you.

I hope you all find what you’re looking for. Remember, no matter what, we must all regroup here in half a month."

No one objected to this arrangement.

Moving together would be safer, but their search area would be too small, and it would be difficult to divide any findings.

The best method was to split up.

Having made their decision, the group members each chose a direction and, with a flicker of movement, quickly vanished from the spot.

Although Qi Dao Grandmasters could use Fly Control to travel through the air, this world was the territory of the Black Blood Species. Furthermore, it contained Food Masters comparable to those at the Refining God realm.

Being too conspicuous would inevitably attract unnecessary trouble, and they could end up trapped in the Inner Earth World forever.

Just as they were about to leave, however, Wu Yu suddenly looked at Hu Qi.

"Why don’t you join the two of us? At least we can watch each other’s backs."

Beside him, Changzhu, who carried a Giant Sword on her back, said nothing.

She just gave Hu Qi a cold look.

The hostility in her eyes was barely concealed.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I prefer to be alone."

Hu Qi said.

Then, he looked directly at Changzhu.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Apparently not expecting Hu Qi to ask such a thing so directly, Changzhu’s expression visibly stiffened, and she was just about to make a move.

But Wu Yu reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

He looked at Hu Qi and said coolly,

"Since you’re unwilling, sir, we’ll be on our way. This place isn’t safe. You’ve only just broken through, so you’d best be careful."

With that, the two of them left.

Watching the direction in which Changzhu and Wu Yu had left, the smile on Hu Qi’s face slowly faded.

’Interesting. So those two bastards are playing good cop, bad cop with me?’

He now understood that the woman was likely hostile toward him because of Wu Yu.

Thanks to Helinta’s memories and his investigations over the past several weeks, he now knew the identity of the Martial Arts Family member who had ambushed him back when he was only in the Qi Blood Realm.

The woman’s name was Han Luan.

And she was Wu Yu’s junior martial sister.

Now, this Sword Pavilion disciple’s relationship with him was clearly anything but ordinary.

Her actions were likely all orchestrated by Wu Yu.

The goal was simple: they just wanted to provoke him into attacking first.

As for the invitation to join them, it was definitely offered with malicious intent.

On any other day, he wouldn’t have minded playing along with them.

But things were different now; he had other matters to attend to.

Naturally, he didn’t want to waste time here.

The old woman from the Black Spider Sect, who had been standing to the side, saw this exchange. Her eyelids twitched, and she chose a direction and turned to leave.

She had originally planned to team up with Hu Qi to explore this world together.

After all, among the six of them, only the two of them were not from the Seven Great Schools, so it was natural for them to stick together.

But after seeing the attitude of Wu Yu and Changzhu, she swallowed the words she had been about to say.

Although her Black Spider Sect had some connection to the Earth God Hall, one of the Seven Great Schools, the Sword Pavilion and the Holy Rain Sect were also among the Seven Great Schools, and she couldn’t afford to provoke them.

Hu Qi stood his ground until everyone else had left.

He then glanced around, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

With a flicker, his body turned into an afterimage and vanished from the spot.

Having finally made it to the Inner Earth World, it was the perfect time for him to test his previous theory.