One Hour later.
The color of the Redwater Layer ahead began to change.
The deep red gradually lightened, turning orange-red, then pink, and finally a faint gold.
"We're almost there!"
Ye Qingci's spirits lifted. "The boundary between the Redwater Layer and the Clearwater Layer!"
She picked up speed, finally leading Fang Chen and Little Crane out of the Redwater Layer.
The view suddenly opened up before them.
The Scarlet seawater was gone, replaced by a pure Golden Sea.
The seawater here was crystal clear and gave off a soft golden glow.
Countless golden motes floated within it, each one a strand of pure Heaven and Earth Origin Force.
The pressure vanished, along with that terrifying corrosive force.
In its place, however, lurked a subtler danger.
"The Clearwater Layer..."
Ye Qingci and Fang Chen let out long breaths, but their expressions remained grave.
"Fang Chen," Ye Qingci said, "this seawater looks gentle, but it's even more dangerous. The Assimilation Law permeates the Clearwater Layer. Before intruders realize it, it turns them into part of the Heaven and Earth Origin."
"That's right!"
Fang Chen nodded, then tried touching a strand of golden seawater.
It felt warm and seeped through his skin.
In that instant, he felt his Tianyuan Qi grow slightly. The golden seawater nourished it.
But then came a faint sensation of assimilation, as though the seawater were quietly changing the essence of his life, trying to draw him into the sea.
"So it is!"
Fang Chen withdrew his hand. "Qingci, how much Tianyuan Qi have you used?"
"About forty percent," Ye Qingci said. "Nearly fifty!"
"You don't need to go back," Fang Chen told her. "Come with me. I still have plenty of Tianyuan Qi. Let me give you some."
Ye Qingci frowned and shook her head. "No. You absolutely