Hun Changqing's gaze was uncertain. He had initially thought this dungeon was only of normal or hard difficulty, but it seemed likely to be nightmare level.
Hun Changqing knew the previous dangers were just an appetizer; this valley was filled with eeriness.
However, he could also clearly feel that the closer he got to the valley's interior, the more his Yin essence stirred, as if something within the valley was attracting it.
Even Hun Changqing was somewhat surprised; something within this valley could actually make his Yin essence covet it—something he had never encountered before.
After pondering for a moment, Hun Changqing decided to continue exploring. The vines earlier, while dangerous, had only caused him minor trouble. The main problem was the invisible cold pressure in the air, which was more troublesome, but not without a way to resist it. Earlier, when
Hun Changqing forcibly flew through the air, he had suffered immense pressure. The cold pressure invaded his body, compressing and damaging his internal organs, causing minor injuries, but it had also given him some understanding of this cold pressure.
Hai Bodong slowly rose, looking somewhat disheveled. His old face was covered in dust, and his once magnificent brocade robe was now wrinkled and tattered.
After brushing the dust off himself, he stepped forward and said,
"My lord, before I went to the center, I only had to withstand the cold and pressure here. I've never encountered anything like this before. Moreover, the pressure in the world now is several times stronger than before."
Hai Bodong was somewhat uneasy. What had just happened was completely different from the information he had given Hun Changqing. He truly hadn't expected this to happen. He hurriedly explained to Hun Changqing, fearing that Hun Changqing would think he harbored malicious intentions and directly strike his neck with a water sword.
He had just witnessed the power of Hun Changqing's water sword. The black vines that his ice blade had struggled to cut were cleanly and swiftly severed by the water sword, as if chopping vegetables—a terrifying and swift action.
Hun Changqing nodded upon hearing this. He understood Hai Bodong's meaning and didn't dwell on it too much. Gazing into the depths of the valley, he said,
"The pressure increases as we go further, making flight impossible. How far are we from that black river you mentioned?"
Hai Bodong looked around below the cliff and pondered for a moment before replying,
"We're already at the outer edge of the valley, almost at its center. The black river I encountered is just outside that center, encircling the entire valley. We should be able to see it after traveling tens of thousands of miles."
Hun Changqing thought to himself that tens of thousands of miles wasn't far. With their combined strength, even without flight, and with the aid of the pills, they should be able to reach it in about a day if they traveled at full speed. Hun Changqing
then tossed two healing pills to Hai Bodong, allowing him to recover from his injuries, before continuing towards the center of the valley.
As the two ventured deeper, the valley became increasingly desolate, devoid of any life. As far as the eye could see, it was an endless, monotonous expanse of black, devoid of any life or creature, barren of vegetation.
"Whoosh!"
Hun Changqing and his companion channeled their inner energy, unleashing their movement techniques, and sped towards the center of the valley at incredible speed. Two whooshing sounds filled the air, like the sharp cry of a weasel, as they transformed into streaks of light, traversing the deathly silence of the valley.
With each leap and bound, their footsteps rhythmically pounded the black pebbles covering the ground. The close, intermittent rhythm of their footsteps, like raindrops pattering on a roof, created a unique melody in the otherwise silent valley. You'll never believe why I moved to… Dortmund For the rest of their journey, the two encountered no obstacles whatsoever, proceeding calmly and smoothly through the valley.
However, this tranquility caused a subtle unease in Hun Changqing's heart; he felt as if something awaited them ahead. But having come this far, giving up was impossible, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue forward.
Finally, as they pressed on, they emerged from the narrow canyon, and the black river came into view.
It was a bizarre stone forest, the ground densely covered with strangely shaped black rocks. A chilling aura emanated from these rocks, and a deep, dark river appeared not far away, its surface completely still, as if the black river were "dead."
The black river stretched endlessly, its origin and destination unknown.
The river exuded an astonishingly cold aura, sending chills down one's spine and deterring approach. Besides the chilling air, a deathly stillness permeated the air, making one feel as if contact with this aura would erode all life force.
Behind the black river rose a towering mountain peak, its entire body black, the dominant color of the valley.
This mountain was the center of all the cold energy within the valley; dense energy emanated from its summit, enveloping the entire valley and creating its current eerie appearance.
The sky grew darker, seemingly bottomless, with rolling black clouds obscuring all light. A chilling wind howled, etched its mark on their faces, as if trying to tear their skin off.
The terrifying, deathly still black river, the menacing black mountain—everything was so dark, as if it wanted to devour them.
Looking at the terrifying scene before him and feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Hai Bodong recalled the horrific moment he had experienced decades ago. Cold sweat involuntarily beaded on his forehead, and his hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, trembled slightly.
Hun Changqing glanced at the peculiar black river before focusing his gaze on the black mountain peak beyond it.
"The aura emanating from that mountain peak is identical to this black river, but several times stronger. It seems that the river was formed due to the leakage of energy from that mountain, and the formation of this valley was also influenced by it. But what were those endless vines before?"
Hun Changqing was puzzled, sensing that those vines were not simple. However, all the answers would only be found at the mountain peak beyond the black river.
Then, Hun Changqing touched his brow with his finger, and a drop of water radiating gold, silver, and purple light appeared at his fingertip—the Three Lights Divine Water.