Chapter Fifty Ocean Floor
In the dark sea water, only various small shrimp and plankton emit dim blue light and green light. Lin Xiao borrowed this faint light to see everything clearly within hundreds of meters around him. Everywhere were messy stone mountains, everywhere were strange deep-sea creatures. Suddenly, a giant sea snake over a thousand feet long but only as thick as a wrist silently rubbed against the air sphere where Lin Xiao was, giving him a big fright.
Lin Xiao barely calmed his mind, which had almost been struck by a bolt of lightning. He was passively swept forward by the dark current. He had learned water-repelling spells from Dan Xia, but the spells of the Great Luo Dan Tao were not impressive, and Lin Xiao's cultivation was not high either. None of the spells he knew could effectively counter the dark currents in the hundred-mile-deep Black Reef Abyss. All he could do was passively rush forward, swept by the current. Several giant sea fish with ferocious natures opened their huge mouths, biting tightly onto Lin Xiao's back, and he even smelled the foul odor emanating from their mouths.
Just then, another dark current burst forth from the ground, and the two dark currents collided with a deafening crash. Lin Xiao felt his vision go black as countless stars twinkled before his eyes, and he almost fainted from the shockwave. A thin layer of black light outside his body flickered, effortlessly dispelling the violent pressure generated by the collision of the dark currents, thus sparing Lin Xiao the agony of being crushed to pieces while also suffering the assault on his mind.
A dark current came rushing in, wrapping around Lin Xiao and carrying him tumbling down to the deeper part of the ocean floor. Lin Xiao tumbled several times in the dark current, barely stabilizing his body, staring blankly at the black rocks flashing by all around him, feeling completely bewildered and unsure how to escape this predicament. Suddenly, a point of piercing red light appeared from within the black rocky mountain, and Lin Xiao's eyes lit up as he pointed at that red light and shouted: "Good heavens! A sea Bodhi! One flower with eighteen leaves, its entire body covered in red light - this is a sea Bodhi over ten thousand years old!"
He hadn't finished speaking when the dark current swept Lin Xiao out of the cave, and he frantically searched for the stone mountain with the Haiputi in the chaotic Black Stone Mountain. Lin Xiao was so anxious that he jumped up and down in the empty space, waving his hands and feet, shouting something incoherently. The Haiputi is an essential medicine needed to refine the eighteen heavenly-grade elixirs of the Great Luo Dan Tao, including the Tianzi-grade elixir, Jiexi Dan, which can help a scattered immortal pass through the six-nine heavy tribulations!
As a natural instinct of an alchemist, Lin Xiao's heart was pained to the point where his heart almost shattered. He helplessly looked up at the sky and sighed: "Haitang Bodhi! The Haitang Bodhi that took ten thousand years to mature, heavens!"
This time, Lin Xiao was stunned again. In the dark current that swept over a rocky mountain peak, there was a piece of seaweed emitting a faint white glow floating vaguely. "Tian Xiang Yu Shi, this is the extinct Tian Xiang Yu Shi! How can this be? In this remote place of Da Jiao Xing, how can there be Tian Xiang Yu Shi?" Lin Xiao became excited again, jumping around like a monkey with its tail on fire. His mouth kept making loud, incomprehensible calls. His mind quickly flipped through the records of the Great Luo Dan Scripture, and he realized that no ancestor had ever ventured into the Black Reef Abyss, so no one knew that these priceless spiritual medicines grew here.
The dark current swept Lin Xiao forward, charging out of the mountains for over ten miles. Lin Xiao stared blankly back at the chaotic stone peaks, feeling an overwhelming urge to cry. Tian Xiang Yu Shi, this was a main ingredient that could be used to refine the Rebirth Dan, a legendary elixir said to bring people back from the dead. It was a mythical species, yet it had slipped through his fingers like this! Lin Xiao really wanted to cry, so he closed his eyes and refused to look at the outside scenery anymore.
Lin Xiao closed his eyes, so he didn't really go crazy from the subsequent blows. The dark current carried Lin Xiao forward in a mad dash, and along the way, dozens of spiritual medicines that were listed as immortal products, ultimate products, and absolute products in the Great Luo Tian Jing flashed by. If Lin Xiao had seen the shadows of these spiritual medicines, he would have been unable to touch them, and Lin Xiao really would have gone crazy from the blow. Especially since one of them was actually the main medicine for refining the Wheel of Rebirth Dan, which would have made Lin Xiao's spirit collapse directly. Fortunately, Lin Xiao didn't open his eyes, and he sat cross-legged in the empty ball, letting the dark current take him to the unknown depths of the ocean floor. After an unknown amount of time, when Lin Xiao was getting drowsy from frustration, the dark current finally brought him to a deep sea trench that seemed bottomless. The trench was hundreds of miles wide but its length and depth were unknown; looking around, there was no end in sight, and looking down, the black trench seemed to pierce through the earth's core. A thread of cold air kept rising from the trench, and countless thin ice fragments floated nearby, unmoving even when hit by the dark current. It was very strange.
It seems that all the dark currents of Hei Jiao Yuan originate from this trench. Countless giant dragons-like dark currents constantly rush out of the trench, surging in all directions without any bounds. Moreover, countless dark currents roar and twist as they converge from all sides, fiercely plunging into the trench. As they surge in and out, the numerous dark currents collide and rub against each other, violently stirring up the dark energy, causing the ground nearby to tremble. The ground near the trench is flat and even, without any protrusions, as all the rocky mountains and reefs have been crushed into powder by these dark currents.
Only those palm-sized pieces of fragmented ice slowly rose from the ocean trench, quietly suspended in the surrounding seawater. Even with undercurrents crashing and exploding beside them, powerful enough to destroy a small mountain, the fragmented ice remained motionless, following a fixed trajectory, drifting slowly on its own.
Lin Xiao was swept away by the dark current and rushed headlong into the ocean trench.
Lin Xiao saw the terrifying scene of countless dark currents colliding near the trench, stirring up the sea floor in a chaotic mess, and he couldn't help but let out a blood-curdling scream. Several dark currents collided just beside him, less than a foot away, and a massive amount of seawater splashed out at an extremely high speed, with white water threads sweeping across the surroundings. The water threads rubbed against the sea floor rocks, and incredibly, they even splashed up a large number of sparks! The deafening roar shook Lin Xiao's body violently, and blood burst forth from all seven orifices.
Fortunately, the dark current where Lin Xiao was located did not collide with other dark currents, but instead took Lin Xiao and plunged into the trench. The countless palm-sized thin ice fragments pierced through the dark current like a phantom, rushing straight towards Lin Xiao. Lin Xiao stared blankly at the thin ice rushing towards him at high speed. Before he could think of a way to respond, the black light outside his body began to tremble violently, and ripples of black waves spread out on the surface of the black light. The rapidly approaching thin ice fragments directly merged into the black light, as if they had been swallowed by it.
Lin Xiao stared at the ripples in shock. He clearly sensed the extremely strong power contained within the thin ice. It was a powerful force that could shatter him into pieces with just one fragment. But it was blocked by this thin layer of black light, and was even absorbed! Lin Xiao slapped his forehead hard and exclaimed loudly: "I'm confused, what's going on with this black light? Where did it come from? Hmm, when I woke up earlier... I was so scared that I forgot about this!"
Soon, Lin Xiao no longer had to wonder where the black light that protected him came from. The Xuanwu Ring was like a fierce tiger that smelled blood and flesh, bringing out a gentle wave of rippling black light from within Lin Xiao's body. The Xuanwu Ring rotated around Lin Xiao's body, expanding to a radius of several meters, and a human-headed Xuanwu shadow emerged from the ring, opening its large mouth to suck in all directions. The countless thin ice sheets on the ocean trench flew over like birds returning to the forest, bringing with them a cold glow.
Lin Xiao's eyes widened, and he only heard the sound of cracking ice coming from all directions. Countless cold lights shot towards him rapidly, gradually covering his body with a layer of snow-white light. Lin Xiao felt that the cold air emanating from the thin ice was freezing his body stiff. A thread of sharp cold air scraped against his skin, causing Lin Xiao to break out in goosebumps. The thin ice stuck to Lin Xiao's body and rotated rapidly, constantly being sucked into the mouth of the Xuanwu Void Shadow.
As more and more thin ice was sucked in, the Xuanwu's shadow also gradually became more solid and substantial, slowly transforming from a vague shadow to a blurry state similar to clouds and fog.
In an instant, the countless thin ice fragments floating on the ocean trench were swallowed up by the Xuanwu Ring. Only when he realized that there was no longer the sharp whistling sound coming from beside him did Lin Xiao slowly open his eyes. Just in time to see the Xuanwu Ring's released Xuanwu Shadow lightly yawn, glance at Lin Xiao with a few blinks, and its body slightly shook, seeming to expand a bit, growing from the size of a human head to that of a pig's head. However, its newly condensed form became somewhat vague and dim once more. Lin Xiao gazed at the Xuanwu Shadow, which also blinked its small eyes as it looked back at Lin Xiao. Suddenly, with an extremely sincere expression, Lin Xiao made a deep bow towards the Xuanwu Shadow, saying: "For multiple times of saving my life, I, Lin Xiao, have no way to repay this debt." After finishing speaking, Lin Xiao bowed deeply once more. For some reason, when the Xuanwu Shadow glared at Lin Xiao, he instinctively felt that this shadow seemed to be a living creature, rather than just an image conjured up by a treasure.
Xuanwu's illusory shadow stretched its neck, gazing at Lin Xiao for a moment before letting out two loud caws. It yawned, spewing out a dense black mist that splashed onto Lin Xiao's face, and then transformed into a dark light that merged back into the Xuanwu Ring. The Xuanwu Ring revolved around Lin Xiao with a few swift rotations before shrinking back into his dantian, continuing to envelop Lin Xiao's golden elixir within its grasp, slowly absorbing the heavenly fire energy seeping out of it.
The water vapor hit Lin Xiao's face, and he felt a chill throughout his body. His consciousness was frozen for an instant, but then he felt a refreshing breath spreading from his face to his whole body, like a red-hot iron being quenched in cold water. The impurities in his body produced by his cultivation were washed away, making him feel more transparent and clear-headed. Especially his skin, which became extremely white, delicate, smooth, and moist, with a faint layer of white light surrounding it.
Just as Lin Xiao was feeling the changes in his body and guessing what the mysterious ring that Jiang Ziyi had given him was all about, he suddenly felt a jolt and crashed to the ground. The dark current that had been carrying Lin Xiao had violently slammed into the bottom of the ocean trench, shattering into fragments on impact with the seafloor. Lin Xiao, still enveloped in the black light sphere, was also thrown out, tumbling across the ground several times before finally coming to a stop against a large boulder. Slightly disheveled, he slowly stood up and quietly took in the scene at the bottom of the ocean trench.
The bottom of the wide sea trench was uneven, with a thread of cold air constantly rising from the ground. Slowly condensing into thin ice sheets floating upwards. Lin Xiao roughly looked at these places where the cold air rose, and was shocked to discover that they actually carried some strange door array methods, clearly this cold air was produced by human hands, not a natural wonder of heaven and earth. However, apart from alchemy being the top method for refining elixirs in the cultivation world, other strange doors were completely unknown to Da Luo Dan Dao. Lin Xiao couldn't see through the good or bad of this array either.
However, the fact that someone can set up a formation in such a massive trench is simply astonishing. Lin Xiao didn't know what kind of power this formation had or how to trigger it, so he carefully made his way along the cliff on one side of the trench, randomly choosing the direction to his right and moving forward.
To be exact, this was not Lin Xiao's chosen direction, but rather the Xuanwu Ring's. Because the protective light sphere released by the Xuanwu Ring had a slight protrusion in that direction, as if there was a finger pointing in that direction. Lin Xiao couldn't see through the situation below and naturally followed the Xuanwu Ring's guidance to move forward smoothly.
From time to time, a violent undercurrent would suddenly come crashing down from the depths of the ocean trench, shooting out in all directions when it hit the ground, like a hail of long spears that sent sparks flying everywhere inside the trench. Lin Xiao was making his way forward with great difficulty and caution through the turbulent waters, fearful of being struck by these violent undercurrents. Although he had the protection of the Xuanwu Ring, Lin Xiao felt that his safety was still guaranteed, but if he were to be hit by the turbulent flow, then even with his small body, who knew where he would end up being blown to? Lin Xiao did not dare to show any carelessness in this dangerous place.
They had been walking for more than two hours towards the front. The cold air in front was getting stronger and stronger, at the bottom of the sea trench. Even a small pond appeared. The pond was full of thick black **, the seawater around was forced by the cold air released from the black **, constantly generating thin ice floating up, but near the pond, a square of hundreds of meters of true vacuum appeared, not a drop of seawater could approach the pond. In that small pond, a black willow tree actually grew, this weeping willow, which was only over two meters high, swayed automatically in the windless air, thousands of slender branches danced lightly, just looking at it gave people a very quiet, very peaceful and very comfortable feeling.
Under the willow tree, a jade plate floated on the black pool water, emitting a faint, purple-blue glow, obviously a good treasure. On the jade plate, an old man in a black Taoist robe sat cross-legged, his hands clasped together in front of his dantian, yet there was no breath at all. The old man's body was like that of an infant, only about two feet long and round. A drop of dark gray spiritual dew fell from the willow branch onto the old man's body, making a metallic sound.
Xuanwu Ring flew out of Lin Xiao's body again, and the Xuanwu illusion also showed its figure, drooling towards the black pool and the black willow. It was just an illusion condensed from energy, but Lin Xiao could still feel a strong desire to occupy the black pool and the black willow on its body.
"This is" Lin Xiang walked into the empty space beside the black pond without a single drop of water.
A chill ran down Lin Xiao's spine as his body turned a ghastly pale color, like ice. The Xuanwu Ring let out a soft hum and a black light enveloped Lin Xiao's body, just in time to prevent it from disintegrating due to the terrifying cold air. Lin Xiao took a deep breath, and the white color gradually faded away as his body regained sensation. He stumbled backward several steps, muttering to himself: "What is this? The primordial spirit of the Aqueon flower? No! The essence of the Netherwater? No! Then what other thing in the world could possess such a chill?"
Xuanwu's shadowy figure sneered at Lin Xiao with a glance, his eyes filled with disdainful mockery. Lin Xiao clearly sensed that Xuanwu's shadow was ridiculing him: "A summer insect cannot speak of ice."
Lin Xiao was so angry that he rolled his eyes, but he also felt helpless about the Xuanwu Ring. After all, he couldn't get angry at a magical artifact, could he? Moreover, this artifact had saved his life three times already.
