The wind howled past his ears, and before him was utter darkness.
Lu Chen did not circulate his cultivation to slow his descent. Instead, he let his body fall freely.
He needed to gauge the depth of this earth fissure, as well as any dangers that might lie along the way.
The surrounding rock walls raced upward, and protruding stones occasionally brushed past him. He casually twisted aside to evade them, his movements flowing like drifting clouds and running water, without the slightest trace of strain.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
He fell faster and faster, the howling wind in his ears sharpening into a piercing shriek.
Lu Chen counted silently. At this speed, if it led straight to the depths of the earth, he would likely fall several thousand zhang.
But the fissure did not run straight down.
After roughly thirty breaths of falling, the surrounding rock walls suddenly closed in, and the fissure narrowed. Lu Chen had no choice but to spread his limbs, lightly tapping the walls to adjust his posture and avoid getting wedged in.
Twenty more breaths passed, and the fissure widened again.
From the depths of darkness beneath his feet came a faint, cold glimmer.
Lu Chen's gaze sharpened. True essence circulated around his body, and his descent abruptly slowed.
Like a feather, he drifted lightly onto a protruding rock.
Ahead lay an enormous underground space.
There was no light, but glowing moss clung to the rock walls, giving off a faint, ghostly green radiance.
The light was dim, but for Lu Chen, who possessed the Godslayer Thunder Eyes, it was enough to see everything around him clearly.
This was a naturally formed karst cavern, several hundred zhang across and so high that its ceiling could not be seen. At its bottom lay