Chapter 74: Desperate Darkness

Chen Chen's movements were too swift and unexpected. By the time Youfeng and his group regained their senses, Chen Chen had already resolutely jumped into the underground river.

"Damn, he got away!" Cold Eagle rushed forward, but ultimately found nothing. Below the southern cliff, the cave entrance was pitch black, and apart from the swift current, nothing could be seen.

Cold Eagle wanted to jump in as well, but the thought of where the cave led sent a chill down his spine, and he shrank back, his face filled with trepidation.

"Hmph! Cold Eagle, you're wrong. It's not that he got away, but that he died too easily!" Old Youfeng slowly approached, his voice cold and mocking, showing no sign of annoyance on his face despite Chen Chen's "escape."

"But..." Cold Eagle hesitated, wanting to say something but not daring to contradict the old man. He was merely a subordinate, no different from a hunting dog to the outer gate elder, and had no right to speak up.

"Ha, I know what you want to say, but do you think this underground river is any different from hell? Once he falls in, it doesn't matter if he's just a young man or even a great immortal; he's dead either way!" Old Youfeng said calmly, his confidence evident. He had already released his aura to probe the cave, which was bottomless, and the divine sense he sent out was like a stone sinking into the sea, clearly indicating a long underground river.

In such a perilous place, even a fish would suffocate and die from the lack of sunlight, let alone a human.

"Then... could there be other exits to the underground river nearby?" Cold Eagle asked cautiously after some thought.

"Ha ha... With my cultivation, my divine sense can probe for several miles. There are no exits around here. Even I can only hold my breath for half an hour in the water, and falling in would mean certain death. Do you think that boy is stronger than me?" Old Youfeng sneered, his gaze cold and piercing, clearly growing displeased.

"I dare not!" Cold Eagle's eyes widened in fear, and he quickly knelt down, trembling.

"Enough talk. Follow me back quickly. There are still remnants of that small sect to clear out. They dared to defy the Netherworld Palace; not even a dog will be spared..."

Old Youfeng withdrew his gaze with disdain and then moved, heading out of the canyon.

...

"Gurgle gurgle..."

Here, the place was filled with lava and stalactites, pitch black, and the only sound was the low, oppressive murmur of the water. The lack of air made the swift current sound muffled and distant, creating a terrifying silence.

This was the underground river beneath the Cloudy Mist Canyon. In fact, the Cloudy Mist Canyon had dried up hundreds of years ago. It was said that a thousand years ago, when Emperor Tianlong left the continent, his imperial might condensed the essence of the rivers, breaking through the void and achieving ascension in broad daylight.

Since then, the rivers and lakes have lost their essence, the earth's spiritual veins have been damaged, and one-third of the water, the mother of all things, has flowed underground...

At this moment, in a dark corner of the underground river, Chen Chen floated like a corpse, drifting aimlessly. He had lost consciousness shortly after falling into the river, severely injured and bleeding profusely. The aftereffects of consuming large amounts of Body Tempering Pills soon followed, and it was a miracle he was still alive.

Even if he hadn't died completely, Chen Chen was barely breathing, his senses lost, and his consciousness fading. Even the soul that Elder Youquan had coveted, wanting to use as a furnace, was on the verge of dissipating.

In this endless darkness and cold, Chen Chen would soon die, and his remains would be preserved in the environment, becoming a mummified corpse in the darkness...

"Hum..."

"Hum!"

"Hum hum!"

"Hum hum hum hum..."

After an unknown amount of time, the ancient mirror in Chen Chen's nearly shattered mind finally showed signs of activity, gently swaying and emitting ripples. At first, they were faint, but gradually, the ripples, like divine light from the heavens, became clearer and more intense, continuously impacting Chen Chen's mind.

Eventually, the divine light from the mind became tangible, impacting the meridian in Chen Chen's head that had been unexpectedly opened. At the same time, a water barrier formed around Chen Chen, about a foot away from his body, looking mysterious and crystal clear under the divine light.

In the darkness, a strange arc of light began to appear on Chen Chen's head. The meridian lit up, and eventually, his entire head emitted a gentle white light, though it was still weak compared to the surrounding darkness.

In an instant, the stagnant blood in Chen Chen's body began to flow, and the meridians and dantian started to circulate with a faint flow of spiritual energy. The few unknown round pills he had swallowed began to dissolve, nourishing each of his major acupoints with a stream of blood energy.

This process continued for an unknown amount of time, perhaps several hours or even days and nights. In the endless darkness, time was imperceptible.

Strictly speaking, Chen Chen was already dead. He had not breathed through his nose or mouth for a long time. Falling into the almost frozen underground river with such severe injuries, even a Condensation Realm or higher cultivator would have no chance of survival.

However, Chen Chen's body now showed signs of life, slowly breathing and with a faint pulse, though the process was extremely slow, he was indeed coming back to life...

...

"Ugh..."

After an unknown amount of time, a heavy breath broke the silence in the darkness.

In the crystal-clear water barrier, Chen Chen gradually regained consciousness, but he still couldn't open his eyes. His thoughts were like being locked in chaos. He was severely injured, and although he had come back to life, his body was as weak as a newborn baby.

At this moment, even a three-year-old child could easily kill him!

Moreover, Chen Chen couldn't open his eyes, and his breathing was extremely difficult. The water barrier created by the ancient mirror helped him repel the water but couldn't provide him with much air.

In fact, in this endless darkness of the underground river, there was very little air for him to breathe.

This process continued for a long time!

"Rustle!"

In the despairing darkness, Chen Chen finally managed to open his eyes. All he could see was the crystal-clear water barrier in front of him, and the rest was pitch black, a darkness that could make anyone despair.

However, Chen Chen did not despair. He was filled with joy, a pure joy of surviving death.

Chen Chen still remembered how resolute he was when he jumped into the underground river. In that situation, if there had been any other way, even if it meant climbing a mountain of knives or entering a sea of fire, he would not have entrusted his fate to an unknown underground river.

"Brother Mirror, did you save me again..." After surviving the ordeal, Chen Chen immediately submerged his consciousness into his mind, and soon, an ancient mirror appeared before him.

The ancient mirror was faintly glowing, seemingly supporting the mysterious barrier outside his body.

However, what surprised and saddened Chen Chen was that the cracks on the mirror's surface, which had been recently repaired, had reappeared, and they were even wider than before, looking as if the entire mirror could shatter at any moment.

"Brother Mirror, I owe you two lives. Rest assured, if I ever have the chance to see the light of day again, I will definitely gather enough spiritual energy to repair you..." Chen Chen muttered, as if making a promise or sighing.

After regaining consciousness for some time, Chen Chen gradually adapted to the environment and could move his body slightly.

At first, Chen Chen was worried that the water barrier, which seemed like a "bubble," would burst if he moved, and the endless underground river water would flood in, drowning or suffocating him.

However, Chen Chen soon discovered that the barrier created by the mysterious ancient mirror was like a perfectly fitting outer garment, changing shape with his movements. Even when he stretched his body, the barrier would expand to accommodate him, very humanely!

This delighted Chen Chen, and as his strength gradually recovered, he decided to use the buoyancy of the water to sit cross-legged in the darkness, intending to practice his cultivation technique to speed up the recovery of his injuries and the blood energy in his meridians.

However, as soon as he began, Chen Chen was dealt a significant blow. Apart from the icy water and darkness, there seemed to be no trace of heaven and earth's spiritual energy, making it a barren desert of spiritual energy in the water.

"Damn! You're playing with me again, you scoundrel of a sky!" Chen Chen couldn't help but curse in the darkness. After barely surviving, he was trapped in the underground river, unable to see the light of day, and now there was no spiritual energy. Was he really going to die in despair in the darkness?

Chen Chen refused to accept this!

"Whoosh!"

Just as Chen Chen was in a panic, a palm-sized black shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes.

The black shadow was extremely fast, disappearing from his line of sight in an instant and vanishing into the darkness.

Chen Chen was certain it wasn't an illusion. The light from the water barrier, though faint, was like a beacon in the darkness, and any movement around him would cast a shadow in the light.

"Whoosh!"

Another palm-sized black shadow flashed by, and this time Chen Chen felt it very clearly. The black shadow seemed to brush past his ear, and Chen Chen was certain it was a living creature!

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

...

In the following moments, palm-sized black shadows continuously flashed around Chen Chen. After several attempts, Chen Chen finally managed to capture the outline of one with his keen vision.

The black shadow almost grazed his eyelashes, and although it was incredibly fast, Chen Chen could vaguely see that it was... a fish!

But... how could there be living fish in such a dark and sunless underground river?

Chen Chen was unsure of his eyes, as this defied logic. In such an endless underground water layer, even fish would starve or suffocate to death!

"Could it be... the legendary Black Crystal Fish that eats the black crystals of the earth's veins?!"

In the next moment, Chen Chen suddenly recalled an ancient book he had read when he was a young master in his family, and his eyes widened in surprise!