“Sss!” Amidst the murky yellow lake, a figure shot past like a bolt of lightning, flames flickering around it. Every contact with the surrounding lake water would emit a hissing sound. “Truly deserving of its name, the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, the power of the yin cold force contained within is truly terrifying.” Xiao Yan’s figure sped rapidly towards the bottom of the Yellow Springs. At the same time, a look of gravity appeared on his face. The cold force within the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, capable of freezing even Dou Qi, made Xiao Yan feel numb in his limbs despite the presence of the Heavenly Flame. The originally rolling Dou Qi in his body began to slow. “It seems I need to hasten, this place is not suitable for lingering long!” Employing the Heavenly Flame to resist the cold forces took a heavy toll on his Dou Qi. Although Xiao Yan had entered the Dou Sage realm and could control a vast array of energies, the density of the cold forces in these Yellow Springs was beyond imagination. Moreover, these forces were beyond Xiao Yan’s control and absorption. With this thought in mind, Xiao Yan’s figure moved, and his speed suddenly increased. A deep water trail appeared where he passed. After he moved, the lake water surged back, covering up the trace. The Heavenly Flame roared wildly, and Xiao Yan ventured deeper into the Nine Nether Yellow Springs. However, as he went deeper, the yin cold force increased exponentially. Eventually, Xiao Yan had no choice but to pour all his strength into it, using his Dou Qi to disperse the invasive cold energy. “I wonder just how deep these Nine Nether Yellow Springs are. If I continue, I may have to retreat.” Xiao Yan gazed at the still pitch-black depths of the lake, his brows slightly furrowing. He needed to ensure he had enough Dou Qi to return. The yin cold force here seemed to have a unique effect on eroding Dou Qi. If not for the isolation provided by the Heavenly Flame, reaching this point would have been extremely difficult. “Sss!” Just as Xiao Yan was feeling troubled by the complexity of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, a faint, strange sound suddenly caught his ear. Instantly, he noticed the water flow behind him had become abnormally swift. “Boom!” As the water flow abruptly accelerated, Xiao Yan struck backward with a powerful fist. The terrifying force passed through the water in an unusual manner, smashing into a black shadow and blasting it to pieces.
“Never thought there would be living beings surviving in these Nine Nether Yellow Springs.” Looking at the blasted biological mass that had turned into a bloody pulp, Xiao Yan’s eyes flickered with surprise. The yin cold force here was too strong for even the Nine Nether Earth Pythons to endure for long, let alone live.
“Sss!” After blasting the black shadow away, before Xiao Yan could dive further, he felt the water currents becoming increasingly turbulent. In his line of sight, a thick black mist quickly spread over the area.
Xiao Yan’s face changed slightly as he looked at the black fog. It wasn’t ordinary mist, but countless black snakes covered in eerie scales. The piercing hissing sounds also came from these bizarre serpents.
“Sss.” These black snakes, still far from Xiao Yan, opened their grotesque mouths. Instantly, countless jet-black water arrows shot out, splitting the water apart upon contact, causing the arrows to speed up, emitting whistling sounds that shook the surrounding lake with deep, booming explosions. “Such a cold and sinister energy…” Xiao Yan frowned, staring at the black water arrows. Their energy was the same as the yin cold force in the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, but more concentrated and lethal. “Strange places always breed strange things.” Xiao Yan’s thoughts drifted to the magma world beneath the Inner Courtyard of the Gan Nan Academy, where peculiar and terrifying creatures also lived. “I can’t afford to tangle with these strange beings; it’s too draining.” Xiao Yan’s figure moved, his speed skyrocketing. Like a streak of lightning, he tore through the water, rushing towards the bottom of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs. But the strange black snakes quickly turned and pursued him. “Sss.” Xiao Yan pushed his speed to the limit, creating one after another of afterimages in the water. Yet, these shadows were instantly pierced by the countless water arrows. “What a troublesome creature!” Seeing no matter how fast he moved, the snakes still clung to him, Xiao Yan’s face turned cold. He glanced back and clenched his hand, summoning a ball of flame. Throwing it backwards, the flame expanded into a cloud, spreading out. “Chirp chirp.” The flame spread into a sea of fire, which even the yin cold force couldn’t extinguish. The black snakes, unable to stop in time, plunged into the sea of fire. The intense heat reduced them to ashes in an instant. “Chirp chirp.” Faced with such a terrifying flame, the black snakes, in fear, halted their pursuit. They stopped and spat endless black water arrows, slowly dousing the fire. As they struggled to put out the fire, Xiao Yan swiftly descended, leaving them behind.
“The Nine Nether Yellow Springs truly isn’t a common place. These snakes themselves are not very strong, but their yin cold water arrows are too vicious. Even a half-sage wouldn’t want to be hit by many.” Relieved of the troublesome snakes, Xiao Yan sighed. Glancing downward, he saw a faint light. His spirits lifted, and he hurried towards it.
“Is this the bottom of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs?” Before him lay a vast bed of stones, many fist-sized, glowing with a soft light, illuminating the area. “The bottom of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs must connect to an extremely deep underground. If I go any deeper, even I would turn to ice.” Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over, slowing his pace, and began searching for the Yellow Spring Blood Crystal. However, much to his surprise, he found none. “There are no Yellow Spring Blood Crystals here. Did the Nine Nether Earth Pythons take them all?” Finding nothing, Xiao Yan’s face darkened. After all his efforts, would he leave empty-handed? “Help… me…” Just as he frowned, a faint groan carried through the water, reaching his ears. “Who’s there?” Hearing the voice, Xiao Yan’s expression changed. Bursting with Dou Qi, he cautiously scanned the area. Was there someone else here, and why hadn’t he sensed it?
But when Xiao Yan was ready, the sound disappeared, like it was only a hallucination. “Did I hear wrong?” Xiao Yan’s brow furrowed, but he knew he couldn’t have misheard. Bending down, he hesitated, then grabbed at the ground.
“Rumble!” His hand pulled a large chain, dragging it out. As the sand and pebbles rolled, three more massive chains rose from the mud, anchored to the giant mountains. Their movement shook the ground.
Xiao Yan’s gaze didn’t linger on where the chains led. He fixed his eyes on the center, where a mound of black mud was. With a casual wave, the mud scattered, revealing a person, a dried, skeleton-like figure.
“This person has a strong aura, at least a three-star or stronger Dou Sage. How did they end up chained here?” Staring at the skeletal figure, Xiao Yan murmured, shocked.
“Save me, save me. Save me and I’ll make the entire Nine Nether Earth Python clan serve you.” The figure’s sunken eyes opened, crazed, and a hoarse roar echoed, chilling the heart.
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