A Sudden Shock from the Black Hole Beneath the Lake

Ripples spread across the calm lake surface, extending along the boundary between the fishing line and the lake's surface. The fishing line trembled violently, indicating that something had taken the bait.

Qin Feng was slightly taken aback at first, then his face lit up with ecstasy, and he gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands, which began to tremble.

This was the first time he had ever experienced this phenomenon, and he was extremely excited, unable to control his hands.

As a seasoned angler, Qin Feng was someone who had never caught a fish, to the point that he didn't even have any premonitions of fishing.

Not only did we not encounter any signs of a fish taking the bait, but we also didn't see a single fish.

But now that he has suddenly seen it, he realizes that his luck has changed.

"I always said a person can be unlucky for a while, but not forever," Qin Feng said excitedly.

"Relax your breathing, try to feel the vibration of the fishing rod, and as the fishing rod vibrates, start to apply force, but be sure to go slowly."

"Don't be nervous at this time, just stay calm."

"Don't use brute force, learn to use skill!"

Qin Feng muttered to himself as he carefully manipulated the fishing rod.

If anyone who knows Qin Feng were here, they would be absolutely astonished, because the current Qin Feng is completely different from before.

Qin Feng used to be full of murderous intent, able to take a life with ease, but now he's become nervous, like someone who's never seen the world.

Judging from his nervous expression and trembling hands, he is completely different from the Qin Feng of the past.

Of course, Qin Feng didn't care about any of that.

All he cared about was the fish in front of him.

This was the first time he had ever caught a fish. It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. No one could understand this feeling; only anglers like him could truly comprehend it.

Qin Feng used the techniques he had learned to carefully manipulate the fishing rod, and the fishing line kept rising.

The thing that had been hanging on surfaced, and when Qin Feng saw what he had fished up, he was completely shocked, as if struck by a bolt from the blue, leaving him charred and battered.

The fishing line wasn't caught by fishing; it was tightly coiled.

He pulled up a complete skeleton right where the fishing line was tangled.

As someone who is passionate about fishing, he has listened to many explanations from experienced anglers.

Their line of work often involves encountering strange and unusual things while fishing.

For example, catching a turtle or a shrimp is a common occurrence.

Even more surprisingly, catching one or two water snakes is a common occurrence.

But now, Qin Feng has caught a skeleton, which is truly unbelievable.

Of course, as a genius of the Ancient Moon Sword Sect, the skeletons in front of him had no effect on him whatsoever; he even found them bland and tasteless.

He had seen far more disgusting things, let alone this skeleton.

"Perhaps someone fell into the water and wasn't discovered, or wasn't retrieved. Over time, it turned into this state," Qin Feng thought.

Having failed to catch any fish, his mood soured again. He prepared to get up, dissect the skeleton in front of him, and start over.

But before he could make a move, just as he reached the lakeside and before he even stretched out his hands, the skeleton in front of him suddenly moved.

The skeleton was originally entangled in fishing line, but when Qin Feng approached, the skeleton slowly raised its right arm and began to untangle itself from the fishing line.

On the surface, this action is extremely terrifying.

A skeleton suddenly came to life, and even moved with the agility of a human, a sinister aura spreading across the lakeside.

Qin Feng took a step back, frowned, and looked at the lake not far away.

Suddenly, a layer of white mist appeared on the lake, enveloping the entire lake. It was already late at night, and under the cover of the white mist, black and white intertwined, creating a stark and bizarre contrast.

At the outermost layer of the white mist, the skeleton stopped untying the fishing line and suddenly reached out to grab Qin Feng from mid-air.

There were still two or three meters between the two sides, but as the skeleton moved, the surrounding white mist began to surge violently.

On the lake, the white mist gathered into a hand the size of a millstone, which then slapped down on Qin Feng.

This process may seem slow, but it happens in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the hand made of white mist in front of him, Qin Feng frowned, raised his sword finger, and gently waved it.

"Clang!"

A long cry emanated from the scabbard, and the longsword was instantly drawn, slashing towards the white bones.

The longsword moved like the wind, carrying unparalleled power, sweeping across the sky from top to bottom.

The lake water trembled violently, spreading outwards in the direction the longsword had struck, creating giant waves two zhang high.

The skeleton before him was reduced to fragments by the power of the longsword, which drifted in the wind and disappeared into the lake.

In an instant, everything returned to silence. The white mist disappeared, and the skeletons vanished, returning to their normal appearance. Only Qin Feng remained, standing by the lake in deep thought.

"Strange, is it by the lake?" Qin Feng finally gave up his fishing plans for the time being, because what he was seeing made him think.

"It doesn't seem like a drowned person. The ability just now seemed more like something this skeleton possessed while alive. Could it be that a martial arts practitioner died and was thrown into the water?"

The skeleton's ability to condense white mist into a giant hand is quite different from the strange phenomenon of someone dying in the water.

That level of proficiency was more like that of a martial arts master who, even after death, retained the abilities he had in life.

As we all know, after a person dies, there is a chance that they will become a ghost. The only difference is how strong they are. The more powerful a martial arts practitioner is, the stronger the ghost they become after they die.

"It seems that what the sect leader said is true; the waters of Yunlai Prefecture run deep," Qin Feng thought to himself.

He is Chu Yu's cousin, so he doesn't actually need to be called the sect leader, but he is a person who values rules, so he always uses this title.

"I need to contact my cousin and tell her to be careful."

Looking at the lake in front of him, Qin Feng had no interest in fishing. He packed up his fishing rod and prepared to turn around and leave.

He had to hurry back and tell Chu Yu about the unusual situation here, since he had come here because of his cousin.

If an oversight causes irreparable damage, the sect leader will skin him alive.

Thinking of this, Qin Feng couldn't help but shudder.

Everyone says he has a strong desire to kill in the Ancient Moon Sword Sect, but the one who truly has a strong desire to kill is Chu Yu's mother.

After tidying up for a while, there wasn't much to tidy up, just a fishing rod.

Qin Feng was about to leave when, unexpectedly, something unusual happened on the lake before he could leave.

After all that commotion, some time had passed, and the lake had returned to calm. Just as Qin Feng was about to leave, ripples appeared on the calm surface of the lake once again.

Ripples appeared on the water, but this time it was different from before; the entire lake surface was covered with small ripples.

When this happens across the entire lake, the scene is truly breathtaking, with ripples touching each other and gradually spreading into the distance.

Qin Feng stood still, not sensing anything strange, but the scene before him was even stranger than strange.

The ripples on the water didn't last long; they subsided after only a few breaths.

Although the scene before us had subsided, an even more terrifying scene unfolded.

On the lake surface, one white thing after another emerged. At first, they were just the tips of small lotus leaves, but as time went by, they slowly revealed their full appearance.

Bones!

One skeleton after another emerged from the water, filling the entire lake.

These skeletons varied in size, some as large as an adult, others as small as a child.

The lake was filled with white bones, but none of them were moving. This was quite different from the eerie sights that had appeared at the beginning; instead, they seemed very ordinary.

Of course, this was only how Qin Feng saw things. If an ordinary person were here, they would have been so scared that their legs would have gone weak.

"There's something at the bottom of the lake." Qin Feng looked at the lake and came to a conclusion after a moment's thought.

However, he did not take any action, but instead thought about returning to the Prefectural Office as soon as possible to tell Xu Bai about the matter.

When he arrived, the sect leader told him that if his cousin was not in danger, he should come back immediately; if she was threatened, he should stay there and act as her protector.

However, he shouldn't interfere with the affairs of Yunlai Prefecture; leaving it to Xu Bai and the others is the best course of action. He only needs to ensure his cousin's safety.

Therefore, Qin Feng did not intend to delve into the matter at hand, but immediately turned around and headed towards the Prefectural Office.

In the darkness, Qin Feng's figure receded further and further away until it disappeared completely.

Yunlai Prefecture, the Prefectural Office.

Xu Bai was sitting in a chair, swaying as he looked at the Pottery Jar in his hand.

The progress bar above is slowly increasing, and with each increment, he becomes more and more excited.

Although he was used to it, he still couldn't hide his excitement, especially when he was alone.

This is a very simple principle. For example, you can draw a prize every day, but the prize you get is different every time. The excitement is also updated every day.

"By this calculation, the progress bar for the Pottery Jar is faster than that for the Ancient Moon Flying Sword Art," Xu Bai thought to himself, leaning back in his chair as he watched the progress bar.

After all, the Ancient Moon Flying Sword Art requires sporadic grinding, while the Pottery Jar does not, so the time spent on it is different.

"What kind of skill is it?" Xu Bai's anticipation grew stronger.

It's quite cold at night now, and there's a cool breeze outside. Even though there are doors and windows blocking the view, you can still hear clearly.

As he looked at it, he gradually felt sleepy. Xu Bai estimated the time and figured it was about time to rest, so he put the Pottery Jar in a hidden place and prepared to go to bed.

Just then, there was a sudden noise at the door. Xu Bai stood up and looked in the direction of the door.

"Who?"

The reply came quickly after those words were spoken.

"I am Qin Feng."

Upon hearing the reply from outside the door, Xu Bai frowned.

Why would he suddenly come to see him at this hour, especially so late at night? Could something serious have happened? He and Qin Feng were not close; they had only met once. There was no need for him to come to him in the middle of the night. There must be something fishy going on.

Thinking of this, Xu Bai went to the door, opened it, and saw Qin Feng carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder, looking around Zhang Wang.

"Did you raid a widow's village at night, or kick down a widow's door at night? Why are you being so careful?" Xu Bai teased with interest.

Qin Feng, of course, understood the teasing tone in the words, but didn't say anything more. He quickly walked into the room and said mysteriously, "If I had that ability, I would have done it secretly long ago. Why would I need to come to you? I went fishing today, and guess what I encountered?"

Xu Bai slammed the door shut and asked, "What happened to you? Did you catch a big fish?"

Qin Feng grinned, feeling that Xu Bai's words were like rubbing salt into his wounds.

But the key point is that Xu Bai was absolutely right, and he had no room to refute him.

He felt that if he continued talking to Xu Bai, he wouldn't have anything else to do that night, so he didn't dwell on the topic and told him about what had happened that night.

When he spoke, he tried to be concise and clear, and he explained it clearly in just half an incense stick's time.

The room fell silent. Xu Bai sat in a chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, pondering what Qin Feng had just said.

Under normal circumstances, he might not have thought too much about it, but now that there is an enemy lurking in the shadows and this incident has occurred, it's easy to make connections.

"Come with me," Xu Bai said.

"Wait, wait, I'm not here to help you out. I'm just here to protect my cousin's safety." Qin Feng felt he had to explain, otherwise they would try to use him as a thug.

Xu Bai stopped and turned around, looking at Qin Feng with a strange expression.

Qin Feng felt extremely uncomfortable under Xu Bai's gaze.

"Come, Brother Qin, sit down. Let me explain the relationship to you." Xu Bai wasn't in a hurry and invited Qin Feng to sit down.

Although Qin Feng was puzzled, seeing Xu Bai's action, he subconsciously sat down to the side and waited for Xu Bai to continue.

Xu Bai gathered his thoughts for a moment and said, "You're going to protect Chu Yu's safety, right?"

Qin Feng nodded, indicating that this was correct.

"Chu Yu is now my student, and if I go, she will come with me," Xu Bai continued.

Qin Feng's expression faltered slightly, but he quickly nodded.

That makes sense; there's nothing wrong with it, and he can't find any problems with it.

Xu Bai added one last thing, "If she comes with me, she'll definitely encounter danger, and you won't be there to help her. What will you do then?"

Qin Feng: "..."

For some reason, he always felt that the other party was trying to fool him.

The key issue is that what the other party said is correct.

He protects Chu Yu, but Chu Yu is going to follow Xu Bai, which means he has to follow Xu Bai.

Qin Feng sighed, "I've noticed that you're really good at getting people on board."

As a genius of the Ancient Moon Sword Sect, Qin Feng was no fool and quickly grasped the true meaning behind it.

Isn't this a classic case of pulling him onto the boat, making him a grasshopper on the same rope? It's just given a reason that's hard to refuse.

However, this reason is indeed hard to refuse, because every word hits the nail on the head.

If Qing Xue were here, she would definitely raise her hands and shout, "A huge pit!"

Qing Xue returned to tell Xu Bai a clue back then, and ended up being pulled onto the boat. Qin Feng is in the same boat now.

Xu Bai patted Qin Feng on the shoulder and said with a serious expression, "How could I be that kind of person? I'm doing this so that you can complete the mission better."

Qin Feng's face was full of disbelief. "Let's not say anything more, I admit it, what are your plans now?"

Whether he was dragged onto the boat or not is no longer relevant; he's already accepted his fate, after all, his job was to protect his cousin's safety.

"Of course, it should be handed over to someone more suitable." Xu Bai walked to the door, opened it, and looked at the darkness outside. "Brother Yun should like this news very much."

With that, he lifted his foot and walked into the night.

Qin Feng stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly followed behind Xu Bai after he came to his senses.

The two did not exchange any words along the way and went straight to Yun Zihai's room, arriving at the door quickly.

The surrounding darkness was like ink, so thick it couldn't be dissolved.

Even in this darkness, Yun Zihai's room was still brightly lit. As you approached the door, you could hear the sound of turning pages and Yun Zihai's signature cough.

Xu Bai raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.

Soon, a voice came from inside the door.

"Is this Brother Xu? The door isn't locked."

Yun Zihai's voice sounded weak, and he coughed occasionally as he spoke.

Xu Bai frowned.

As he toiled day and night, he could feel that the other person's body was deteriorating at a visible rate.

Due to congenital deficiencies, coupled with increasing fatigue, Xu Bai felt that Yun Zihai was becoming weaker and weaker.

"Brother Xu, what brings you here?" Yun Zihai had seen Qin Feng before, when Xu Bai returned, so he wasn't surprised. He just felt that Xu Bai must have something to say about bringing her here.

Yun Zihai didn't actually know much about the Ancient Moon Sword Sect. He had only heard that the sect was very secretive and didn't know what it was doing.

"Tell me what you know," Xu Bai said, getting straight to the point without wasting time.

Qin Feng nodded and recounted what had happened.

After listening to what Qin Feng said, Yun Zihai fell into deep thought.

After a while, Yun Zihai stood up and paced back and forth in the room, thinking as he walked, his brows furrowed.

"How about we go take a look first?" Yun Zihai.

"Actually, there's no need to go and see. I thought about it when I came back, but it was because I fished out the first skeleton that caused all the subsequent events." Qin Feng organized his thoughts and said.

"Judging from this situation, it seems that some kind of mechanism has been triggered. After all, there are no other strange things happening in that lake, and there are even fish."

"Because the skeleton was fished out, it became a strange thing and opened the mechanism, which is why the lake is full of skeletons now."

At this point, Qin Feng shut his mouth, indicating that he had finished speaking.

"If that's the case, then we definitely have to go," Xu Bai said.

"Why?" Qin Feng didn't quite understand. He had already given a rough guess, so why did he need to go there again?

"You're guessing based on your own assumptions, not what we actually see. If what you're saying is true, there must be a hidden world at the bottom of the lake," Xu Bai said.

"Then let's do this: I'll go find someone, and we'll level the lake." Yun Zihai clapped his hands, making his decision.

If there really was something at the bottom of the lake, they wouldn't have gone down when there was water. The saying "A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall" is a wise saying.

"This lake is so big, there might not be enough time for you to find someone." Xu Bai stood up and said, "Have the constables surround the area, and we'll handle the rest."

Yun Zihai was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

He quickly figured out what Xu Bai meant.

In terms of destructive power, the combined forces of them could level a lake as easily as eating or drinking.

"Brother Xu, this is a bit too harsh," Yun Zihai said with a wry smile.

"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are needed. Besides, this is the simplest and most effective method. Compared to finding someone to fill the gap and then pumping out the water, which takes too much time." Xu Bai shook his head and said seriously, "Delay will only lead to unforeseen changes."

Qin Feng looked left and right, puzzled, and said, "Why not let others come? We could actually use this time to lure them out."

While Xu Bai and Qin Feng were discussing this issue, Qin Feng kept thinking that there was actually another way to think about it.

If an ordinary person were to do this, it would indeed take time, whether it's gathering manpower or drying up the lake midway, both require a long waiting period.

But this waiting period is not in vain.

When they embark on large-scale construction projects, the people behind them must know that if these projects are related to certain individuals, those individuals will definitely take action. Then, they can lure the victims into a trap, and their mission will be accomplished.

In Qin Feng's view, this was a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, but he couldn't understand why Xu Bai didn't take it.

After hearing Qin Feng's words, Xu Bai and Yun Zihai exchanged a glance and then shook their heads in unison.

Qin Feng looked puzzled. He felt that the two men were mysterious and particularly sinister.

"We're all in the same boat now, so just say what you want to say. There's no point in you keeping it from me."

He was intrigued by the two men and was now eager to know what tricks they were up to.

"You tell me," Xu Bai said.

Yun Zihai nodded, then held up two fingers. "Actually, at first, I had the same idea as you, but after Brother Xu told me about his method, I think Brother Xu must have considered two aspects."

"First, we need to determine whether this discovery was a covert operation by the other side. If not, we will be able to obtain the items faster than they can."

"Secondly, if that's the case, then the other side will definitely try to stop us. No matter when, it's the same whether we wait for them to come to us. If we are fast, the other side will be fast too."

If it really is part of the plan of the person behind the scenes, they will definitely prevent them from sabotaging it. The faster they act, the faster the person behind the scenes will definitely act, with the speed being directly proportional to theirs.

Qin Feng was even more puzzled. "But what if the other party doesn't think that way? We were too fast. The other party didn't even have time to make a move. Wouldn't that be a complete waste of an opportunity?"

This time, it wasn't Yun Zihai who answered him, but Xu Bai.

"Can you guarantee absolute success? What if the other side has another plan that we haven't considered? What if we don't wait for them to come to us and they succeed for nothing?" Xu Bai asked a soul-searching question.

After hearing this, Qin Feng finally understood and showed a look of sudden realization.

Now that we have new clues, it's best to keep them firmly in our own hands. While waiting passively for a rabbit to run into a tree stump is a good strategy, it's not worth it if the rabbit is too clever.

"Let's go. Finish things quickly so you can get some rest. Get ready, I'll go call Chu Yu." Xu Bai said a few words and then left Yun Zihai's room, heading towards Chu Yu's location.

When he woke Chu Yu up, Chu Yu was still sleepy-eyed, clearly already asleep, and was forced to get up.

However, upon hearing about the new discovery, Chu Yu's sleepiness vanished. She excitedly changed her clothes and followed Xu Bai to the front door.

Outside, it was pitch black, and it was still a long time before the next morning. Yun Zihai and Qin Feng were already waiting at the door.

"Let's go," Xu Bai said, waving his hand.

Without further hesitation, the group hurried towards the lake...

While Xu Bai and his group were on their way, Red Dust, who was far away from the Prefectural Office, looked at the letter in her hand with a serious expression on her face.

She stared intently at the letter, her hands gripping it tightly, trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes held not only caution but also a deep sense of helplessness.

After a long while, she finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"I never imagined that the person in charge would contact me for the first time because his plans had been exposed."

"It's really something. Of all people, they chose me and made me take this risk. Don't they know that the Chen Family has already been exposed to the enemy's spies?"

"Damn it! But I can't not go."

Although Red Dust's face remained expressionless, her heart was in turmoil, like a small boat adrift in Great Wind.

She was exposed. She was increasingly certain that Ghost Seven had betrayed her and revealed the Chen Family's affairs.

Recently, she ordered the Chen Family head not to do anything else, which was also a test.

Xu Bai and Yun Zihai made no move, which deepened her suspicion that the other party was waiting for her to make a move, and once she did, she would definitely face a storm of attacks.

After all, the other party doesn't know where she is right now, and doesn't want to alert her. If this so-called snake shows up, there will be terrible consequences.

So she had been walking on thin ice all this time, but she never expected that this letter would disrupt her entire plan.

As the letter instructed, she had to stop the other person from stepping into the lake at all costs.

Moreover, the letter also emphasized another route, which allows priority access to the bottom of the lake through another hidden passage.

Is it dangerous? It's very dangerous.

There is no absolute certainty in this world; we can only reduce risk, but we can never reduce risk to zero.

Red Dust's sighs grew heavier and heavier. Finally, she burned the letter and waved towards the darkness.

In the darkness, the head of the Chen Family emerged, his face full of respect, but hidden within that respect was a trace of greed, his greedy eyes fixed on Red Dust.

"Come here, I have something to tell you. If you do it for me, I'll give you everything you want," Red Dust said.

Without the slightest hesitation, the head of the Chen Family walked up to Red Dust, and his eyes, as he lowered his head, were fixed on Red Dust's thighs.

"Now, go to a place, go through the secret passage there, enter your destination, and then..." Red Dust said slowly.

The head of the Chen Family listened and nodded.

Without the slightest hesitation, after Red Dust finished speaking, he simply said "okay" and left the place.

Red Dust looked at the back of the Chen Family head and gave a cold smile.

"Although I am a member of the Dark Building, this is the place I have lived since I was a child. I can serve the Dark Building, but that doesn't mean I can give up my life at any time."

"This is a test. If I succeed, I will remain a member of your team. If I fail..."

Red Dust raised her head, gazing thoughtfully at the darkness in the sky.

On the other side.

Xu Bai and his group rushed to the lake without stopping. When they saw the scene before them, Xu Bai frowned slightly.

Perhaps they arrived too early, as the other side had not yet reacted. Countless skeletons were still floating on the lake, appearing particularly eerie under the cover of darkness.

"There were no traces of human footprints on our way here, but that doesn't mean he didn't come from other directions," Yun Zihai.

"Let's get started, let's hurry up." Xu Bai turned to look at everyone.

The group exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

This lake is very large, at least much larger than the small lake we encountered in the suburbs.

Xu Bai drew the Ghost-Head Saber from his waist, channeled his True Yuan Power, and slashed at the lake surface with a burst of qi that spread along the blade.

The power of this strike was astonishing; high waves rose from the lake surface, shooting skyward.

As the waves rose, Yun Zihai wielded his brush, writing characters in mid-air. The characters fell onto the book in his left hand, turning all the waves into the air.

On the other side, Qin Feng made a sword gesture, and with a single sword stroke, all the waves were cut off, turning into tiny water droplets.

"Ha!"

Chu Yu used the Formless Heart Sutra, letting her mind wander freely. The newly acquired longsword, carried on her back, soared into the air, transforming into streaks of sword shadows that cleaved the remaining water droplets into even smaller droplets.

"You've already mastered the basic outline so quickly, my cousin is truly a genius," Qin Feng praised.

Xu Bai paid no attention to any of this. After the water flowed into droplets, he raised his left hand and waved his sleeve.

A strong gust of wind rose up, pushing the water droplets in front of them and sending them towards the distant woods.

A light drizzle began to fall from the distant woods, and many animals made strange noises, clearly not expecting the rain to come so quickly.

After a short period of time, the lake's water level had decreased considerably.

"Continue," Xu Bai said.

Without further ado, everyone continued their actions according to the same plan they had just worked together.

It must be said that the lake is indeed quite large; it took them about half an incense stick's time to completely empty the lake.

The surrounding woods were all soaked by the lake, as if they had just been through a storm.

Xu Bai walked to the lakeside, and his eyes lit up slightly when he saw the scenery before him.

By the bright moonlight, one could see a dark hole at the bottom of the lake, big enough for one person to pass through.

"Finally found it."