Abyss Blood Pool
On this day, the sky was a clear blue, and Gu Ding arrived at the exchange early and found Urdia.
In Urdia's room, another man and a woman sat quietly to one side.
The man was nearly four meters tall, with dark skin, bulging muscles that made his veins stand out, and a fierce expression on his face.
The woman was nearly 3.5 meters tall, with muscles that rivaled those of the man beside her. Her short blond hair and square face made her look almost masculine. If it weren't for the bulge in her chest, Gu Ding wouldn't have been able to tell her gender at all.
Gu Ding could tell at a glance that the two people in front of him were both at the level of Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God.
The two of them also looked Gu Ding up and down.
"One-Star Half-Step True God?" The man frowned, looking at Urdia with some displeasure. "Miss Urdia, aren't the spots for entering the Abyss Blood Pool always reserved for Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God? When did it become the turn of One-Star Half-Step True God?"
What Gu Ding revealed was his current true physical strength, only at the level of One-Star Half-Step True God, a fact easily discernible to outsiders. However, this was the first time Gu Ding had heard that this spot was normally reserved for Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God. Urdia hadn't mentioned this before, but now it seemed that giving him this spot would definitely put her under considerable pressure.
"Lavern, when have I ever needed you to question my decisions? Besides, this spot was decided jointly by me and the Grand Elder." Urdia coldly looked at the burly man. "If you have any complaints, then give up your position."
Upon hearing this, the burly man named Lavern immediately broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that his qualifications would be stripped away. "Your subordinate wouldn't dare..."
He also secretly glanced at Gu Ding, surprised that the other party had such powerful backing. But he still felt a bit disdainful.
Gu Ding remained silent, patiently waiting to the side. He didn't care what the other party thought of him, because even without using soul attacks, his full Combat Strength was at the level of Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God. Coupled with his powerful Martial Dao Intent, the other party probably couldn't even withstand a single blow from him.
A moment later, an elderly man with white hair slowly walked in. "Miss, the mounts have been prepared for them."
Gu Ding glanced at the old man and discovered that he was also a True God powerhouse of the Eighth Sequence, and his aura was much stronger than that of Urdia.
"Uncle Emon, I'll trouble you to take them this time." Urdia also showed great respect to the old man.
"Miss, this is my duty." The old man bowed slightly, then said to the three of them, "You three little ones, come with me."
Gu Ding knew the other party's strength, so he didn't object to being called "little guy." What puzzled him, however, was the equally respectful attitude of the other man and woman. But upon reflection, he guessed that they probably knew the old man's identity.
The three followed Emon out of the exchange and heard a sharp cry coming from not far above them. All three looked up at the sky.
In the sky, a giant bird with an enormous body is flapping its wings and hovering in the air.
Emon a wave of his hand, the three of them were enveloped in a thin layer of bubbles. Then their figures floated up automatically and landed steadily on the back of the giant bird, while the old man appeared almost simultaneously.
"Let's go!" Emon sat down cross-legged and patted the bird's back.
The giant bird flapped its wings, and the surrounding environment began to change rapidly. Gu Ding didn't feel any strong wind from the speed, and he knew it was the effect of the bubble.
"Gale Wind Bird at the level of Seventh Sequence True God —a mount of this caliber would rank among the top twenty in the entire world in terms of speed," the Sea Emperor couldn't help but exclaim.
And soon, Gu Ding and the others heard Emon's voice.
"Although everyone has heard a lot about the Abyss Blood Pool, most people have limited knowledge about it. Let me tell you what I know. It may not be useful, but it's good to broaden your horizons."
"In our world, there are only seven main cities, and thousands of other cities of all sizes. The Abyss Blood Pool opens once a year, but each time it can only accommodate a maximum of three hundred people. Of these three hundred spots, one hundred are occupied by our seven main cities, and the remaining two hundred are divided among the other cities. Therefore, those who can enter the Abyss Blood Pool are the best of the best, carefully selected by each city."
As Emon finished speaking, Lavern glanced somewhat displeased in the direction of Gu Ding.
"The Abyss Blood Pool can only be entered by those whose cultivation level is below True God. Those whose cultivation level is above True God will be blocked outside. Because those who enter the Blood Pool are not strong enough, no one has yet explored the bottom of the Abyss Blood Pool, nor does anyone know how deep it is. But one thing is certain: the deeper you go in the Abyss Blood Pool, the more benefits you will receive."
"Besides the depth you dive into, the time you spend immersed in the Abyss Blood Pool will also affect the benefits you receive. Because each time the Abyss Blood Pool opens, its energy becomes increasingly violent with the entry of any external object. Therefore, if you can no longer endure it, do not force yourself to stay. Otherwise, you may perish. In fact, every time the Abyss Blood Pool opens, someone perishes within it, without exception. And those who perish are always exceptionally brilliant geniuses. They all perished because they were overconfident in their strength, forcibly resisting, and ultimately couldn't escape in time. So I hope you will not make this mistake and must act with extreme caution."
As he said this, Emon glanced at Gu Ding. Although he didn't know Gu Ding very well, he had a gut feeling that Gu Ding was the kind of guy who liked adventure.
"Everyone who enters the Abyss Blood Pool will have their cultivation level increase by at least one rank after they emerge. A few people can increase by two ranks. There are even a few exceptional talents who have directly increased by three ranks."
"However, the direct improvement in cultivation level is secondary. The energy of the Abyss Blood Pool can transform the physical body of those who enter. Unlocking everyone's potential is the most important thing. Some people may have limited physical talent and are destined to only cultivate to the Fifth Sequence True Gods. After being immersed in the Abyss Blood Pool, they may eventually be able to become the Ninth Sequence True Gods..."
Hearing this, Gu Ding's eyes lit up. His physical strength had reached the level of One-Star Half-Step True God, which was already the limit he could achieve with his current cultivation. After soaking in the Abyss Blood Pool, he might be able to break through this limit and further enhance his basic physical strength.
"The Abyss Blood Pool holds several records, including the deepest dive. The deepest dive is 1289 meters. Most Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God rarely dive deeper than 600 meters. The longest immersion time is 89 days. Most Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God spend around 30 days, rarely exceeding 40 days. There's also a record for the highest cultivation advancement; a genius once advanced four ranks at once, holding that record for the deepest dive. Later, he became Tenth Sequence True God and disappeared without a trace..."
Along the way, Emon explained the Abyss Blood Pool to the three of them, giving Gu Ding a deeper understanding of it.
The Gale Wind Bird carried the four people for more than three hours before finally arriving at their destination.
The group landed at a canyon.
When the four arrived, there were already quite a few people in the canyon, and the queue had formed a long line.
Emon handed the three Iron Tag to the three men. Then he nodded to them. "Go line up! Give the Iron Tag to the person registering, and then follow the person in front into the blood pool."
Gu Ding and the other two nodded and joined the back of the line.
Many True God-level experts who had brought their own people were somewhat surprised to see Gu Ding join the team.
"Who brought that guy who's One-Star Half-Step True God?"
"How can even One-Star Half-Step True God get a spot? The weakest one to appear before was a seven-star Half-Step True God, and there has never been anyone below seven-star Half-Step True God before."
Of course, some people noticed that it was Emon who brought it, and Emon's expression seemed somewhat awkward.
"Emon, what's going on with your Shata Exchange? Even if you don't have Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God, you could at least find an eight-star to replace him. Why did you bring in a one-star? If you're going to do this, you might as well give one of the spots to another force. Maybe you could cultivate another True God." An old man with a full head of white hair said to Emon.
"This kid's situation is a bit special. Our young lady specifically got this spot for him, and I don't even know why," Emon said helplessly.
"Could it be that your young lady has taken a liking to this boy?" someone immediately teased.
These discussions quickly reached the ears of the Half-Step True God in the team. Many people noticed Gu Ding's presence and were quite surprised, while some clearly looked at him with disdain.
Gu Ding ignored the stares of others. He glanced at the number of people in front of him in the line, which looked to be about seventy or eighty. However, the line was moving quite fast, and he estimated that it would only take about ten minutes for it to be his turn.
Less than a minute after the three of them joined the group, another group of three arrived. The man in the lead was no shorter than Lavern.
The three men initially lined up at the back, but suddenly, the big guy in the lead saw Gu Ding. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he stepped out of the line, saying to Gu Ding, "Hey kid, I want your spot."
He shouted these words out loud, and many people heard them and looked in that direction. Many people thought that Gu Ding was going to be in trouble.
Lavern, standing behind Gu Ding, had a look of anticipation on his face, wanting to see how Gu Ding would handle this situation.
Gu Ding turned his head and glanced at the man. "I'll give you one word: Get lost!"
His words stunned everyone around him. They hadn't expected Gu Ding to have such audacity. He was clearly only One-Star Half-Step True God, yet he was so arrogant towards Nine-and-a-Half Star Half-Step True God.
The burly man was stunned for a moment before he reacted. "Kid, you're asking for it!"
"I suggest you line up properly. If you cause trouble here, you'll be disqualified from entering the Abyss Blood Pool." The Blonde Woman standing in front of Gu Ding finally spoke up. She was actually on Gu Ding's side, which was a bit unexpected for Gu Ding. He had thought that this woman who looked like a man, like Lavern, didn't like him.
"Hmph! You brat, you just wait!" The burly man snorted coldly, somewhat annoyed, before returning to his original position. (To be continued~^~)