Chapter 187: The Underground Cavern
Chapter 187: The Underground Cavern
Meng Dan Yun's eyes flickered slightly as he watched Chen Mu once again command Yu's family forces and all the disciples from Yu City, except those above the Bone Forging Realm, to retreat in preparation for the possible turmoil in the earth's pulse. He was considering whether to remind Chen Mu to be cautious during the upcoming earth pulse disturbance.
But just then...
Hum!
The relatively calm waters of the lake suddenly began to ripple.
This wasn't a wave caused by the floodwaters rushing down from upstream, but rather a ripple spreading in all directions from a central point, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, creating a thousand layers of waves.
However, this lake was not calm, and what fell was not a stone, but a shockwave transmitted from below, from the earth's pulse. Accompanying the ripples, the disturbance gradually spread in all directions.
At first, it was just a slight sway, but in less than a moment, the commotion grew louder, as if the heavens and earth were about to overturn!
"Earth pulse eruption... no, this is an earth serpent uprising!"
Xue Huaiyi's eyes widened in shock.
No wonder the true transmitters of various major sects were gathering here. No wonder Chen Mu had given consecutive orders to warn nearby villages to evacuate. Indeed, the previous earth tremors were unusual and not just simple tremors, but a prelude to an earth serpent uprising!
An earth serpent uprising refers to a massive-scale earthquake, often causing houses to collapse and even mountains to crack and crumble. During normal times, such earthquakes might only threaten civilians, but in the midst of a flood disaster, a large-scale earthquake could significantly alter the water flow and river channels!
In the arena.
As the tremors intensified, the ripples that had splashed up on the lake now transformed into waves surging in all directions, gradually forming towering waves!
Then, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth, as if the ground was splitting open. In an instant, the river changed course, the floodwaters reversed, and a hundred-zhang-high terrifying wave rose from the lake, covering all directions with the might of a collapsing sky.
"This is bad."
Xue Huaiyi and Xue Lin's faces paled.
No wonder Chen Mu had previously ordered all family forces, except those above the Bone Forging Realm, to retreat. The hundred-zhang-high waves now raging would be difficult to withstand, even for Sinew Transformation Realm martial artists. They would be swept away by the water, not knowing where they would end up. Even Bone Forging Realm martial artists would struggle to face such a close and powerful force.
Because the hundred-zhang-high waves were not just towering, but also contained the surging power of the earth's pulse. Even if it was only a small amount mixed in due to the earth pulse, it was still overwhelming and powerful, a burden that ordinary people would struggle to bear!
"Pine and Bamboo Firm!"
Xue Huaiyi drew his long sword without hesitation and firmly planted it into a large rock, stabilizing his stance. Xue Lin also quickly leaped to another large rock, taking advantage of the terrain to defend.
The surging hundred-zhang-high waves came swiftly, almost as soon as everyone had barely managed to stabilize their stances and focus. In an instant, the entire lake area was swallowed and flooded!
For a moment.
Whether it was Gu Hong from Tian Jian Men, Hua Nongying from He Huan Zong, or even Meng Dan Yun and the others, they were all engulfed and flooded by the raging waves. This included Chen Mu, who had been standing at a distance, making arrangements in advance, and was now completely submerged by the hundred-zhang-high waves. He felt an overwhelming force that was difficult to resist, threatening to sweep him away.
But at this moment, Chen Mu's gaze remained steady. He stood firm in the turbulent muddy water, his body exuding a mountain-like aura, like a small mountain connected to the earth, unmoved by the raging waves.
"It's not over yet..."
Standing at the lake's bottom, Chen Mu sensed the entire lake's raging power and the wild earth pulse energy. His eyes revealed a hint of worry. Although he had given orders for everyone to retreat and ensure the safety of nearby villagers, time might not be on their side. The severity of the earth pulse disturbance, the reversing floodwaters, and the expanding flood zone meant that the evacuation area might need to be expanded.
But in the face of such a powerful force, even a Five Viscera Realm martial artist, whose every move carried ten thousand pounds of force, could only feel insignificant.
Crash!!!
The giant wave didn't stop, and as the tremors continued, a second and third wave followed, overwhelming and powerful. Even Sinew Transformation Realm martial artists struggled to resist, and various sect disciples were swept away by the flood. Although they were Sinew Transformation Realm martial artists, being carried away by the waves still gave them a chance at survival.
At this time, in the muddy and chaotic lake area, in every direction, Gu Hong, Hua Nongying, Han Guang, and other true transmitters stood at the forefront of their sect disciples. They guarded against the oncoming floodwaters, their expressions grave. Defending themselves was not difficult, but with so many disciples behind them, they had to give their all. Even then, some of the weaker disciples were still swept away by the current.
The raging torrent finally calmed slightly after nearly a cup of tea's time.
"Everyone, retreat to the water!" Gu Hong's voice, amplified by his Yuan Gang True Strength, resonated underwater, allowing the numerous Tian Jian Men disciples behind him to hear. With pale faces, they nodded and began to retreat, moving upwards towards the water's surface.
However, Gu Hong did not follow the crowd. Instead, a glint flashed through his eyes, and he advanced rather than retreated, striding forward into the torrent. He stood firm, like a drawn sword, pushing against the current.
Finally, after not going too far forward, he spotted something at the bottom of the muddy, turbid water. There was a vast, seemingly endless expanse of cracks resembling a cracked turtle shell. It seemed as if the entire region's earth pulse had split open!
Without much hesitation, Gu Hong took a leap forward and arrived at the nearest crack. His figure disappeared into it, vanishing amidst the murky mud.
In almost the same moment, multiple figures emerged from the turbulent mud, heading forward and disappearing into the earth pulse's fissures.
Meng Danyu's figure also quietly arrived, her eyes gleaming slightly. She glanced in the direction where Chen Mu had been, but the muddy water and distance made it impossible to see clearly. She knew that Chen Mu had withstood the previous giant wave without issue, but the earth pulse's cracks were completely submerged in the muddy marsh, making it accessible only to Five Viscera Realm cultivators for exploration in the short term. Even Bone Forging Realm cultivators, without the circulation of inner energy, couldn't stay in the muddy water for long.
A thought flashed through Meng Danyu's mind, and she also took a step forward, disappearing into the fissure.
Just after Meng Danyu's figure vanished into the crack, another shadow, faint as a ghost, followed closely behind her, disappearing into the earth pulse's cracks.
The turbulent mud finally settled for a moment, and then another figure emerged, wearing the uniform of the Inspector General. It was Chen Mu, moving unhindered through the murky water. He squinted, examining the cracked earth pulse before looking around. Then, he took a step forward and disappeared into the crack, out of sight.
...
Beneath the earth pulse's fissure, after traveling over a hundred zhang along the cracked earth seam, Chen Mu arrived in a vast and expansive underground world. The water here was clearer than above, less muddy and turbid.
Chen Mu's gaze swept across the enormous underground space, which had numerous interconnected caves, each pitch-black and seemingly endless. The walls were not soft mud but incredibly solid rock.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Chen Mu's nose and mouth released bubbles as he surveyed his surroundings, his expression contemplative. "This isn't a temporary gap formed by an earth pulse eruption; it's a region that exists deep underground, only revealed due to the recent earth pulse cracks. It's temporarily accessible."
Chen Mu looked up at the path he had taken, which was also pitch-black, and the water grew murkier as it ascended.
He walked a few steps to the side, touching the rock wall. Closing his eyes, he carefully sensed the area using the Mountain Root Concept. Immediately, he realized that this underground region was far more massive and complex than the simple caves he had encountered before. It was a highly structured whole, with earth pulse energy flowing through the rock walls, making it extraordinarily solid and challenging to destroy. Even a Bone Forging Realm cultivator couldn't attempt excavation here.
"Not only excavation, but even a Bone Forging Realm cultivator might not be able to enter this place," Chen Mu thought as he sensed the surrounding environment.
In reality, the entire region was submerged underwater, and the water pressure alone was terrifying. An ordinary person would be crushed to death instantly, and even a martial cultivator with hardened flesh would struggle to endure for long.
However, due to the area's solid and resilient structure, it was not like the temporary gaps formed by earth pulse eruptions, which would quickly close up. This region would likely remain open for a while, at least several days, until the earth pulse above was fully repaired, and then this area might be buried deep underground again.
Nevertheless, compared to the temporary earth pulse gaps, this place offered Chen Mu certain advantages. Its complete structure, like a tunnel through a mountain range, allowed him to utilize the Mountain Root Concept effectively, even without the Water Hexagram Intention. As he walked along the rock wall, he became one with the cave, sensing the flow of earth pulse energy within it with precision.
The only regret was that his Mountain Root Concept had not yet reached the second level, limiting his perception range.
(End of Chapter)
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