Rift No. 17: Crimson Abyss

On the first day, Ye Xiao was full of respect for Old Man Black.

On the second day, Ye Xiao cursed Old Man Black in his heart: You disrespectful old geezer!

But considering that Old Man Black had given him 1000 Tiger Sun Pills.

Ye Xiao chose to endure it!

Afterward.

Old Man Black inserted the Gravity Training Card.

The display showed the remaining time:

92 hours.

Old Man Black said, "Kid Ye Xiao, are you really planning to use up all of Xiao Zhou's allotted time?"

Ye Xiao knew that the Xiao Zhou Old Man Black referred to was his homeroom teacher, Zhou Ming.

"Old Man Black, didn't you say you would gift me 100 hours of cultivation time?"

"Once I finish my 100 hours, I will return the card to Teacher Zhou."

As a result, a cunning smile appeared on Old Man Black's face.

Seeing this smile, Ye Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he realized something bad was about to happen!

Sure enough.

Old Man Black said, "Of course I can gift you 100 hours of Gravity Tower time."

"But the problem is, do you have your own Gravity Training Card?"

Ye Xiao was instantly speechless, his face covered in black lines as the realization hit him.

"Old Man Black, you're scamming me again, aren't you?"

Old Man Black put on a look of righteous indignation.

"Young man, your elder here does things with fairness, justice, and transparency!"

"Otherwise, how could I have stayed here for so many years?"

"Why do the school leaders and students treat me with such respect and admiration?"

"Isn't it because I strictly follow the procedures and rules in everything I do?"

"It is true that I told you yesterday I would gift you 100 hours of Gravity Tower training time."

"But the problem is, you don't have a Gravity Training Card! Unless you manage to get a Gravity Training Card that belongs to you first."

Ye Xiao took a deep breath, nearly fainting from anger.

He was so angry he laughed, shaking his head repeatedly while giving a thumbs-up that dripped with sarcasm!

"Old Man Black! You really are something! You knew I was a freshman and had no way of owning my own Gravity Training Card."

"I can't outplay an old fox like you; you're the best!"

Ye Xiao kept his thumb raised.

Old Man Black wore a smug smile, rocking slightly in his chair.

"Not bad, I suppose."

But immediately after.

He changed the subject: "However, seeing how pathetic you look, how about I point you toward a path to get a Gravity Training Card early?"

Having clashed with Old Man Black a few times before.

Ye Xiao had already become wary of him.

This old man could not be trusted easily!

A single sentence often hid seven or eight traps!

He asked cautiously, "What path? Let me hear it first."

Seeing Ye Xiao's cautious demeanor, Old Man Black looked displeased.

He retorted mercilessly, "Look at how spineless you are. I only tricked you once, and you're already so paranoid?"

"Getting tricked by me here is better than leaving school later and getting tricked by enemies on the battlefield."

"What I despise most is a man who lacks magnanimity."

These words seemed like Old Man Black was mocking and despising Ye Xiao.

But behind these stinging words lay Old Man Black's deepest concern.

Ye Xiao, however, did not realize the profound meaning hidden within those words at the moment.

He only felt that Old Man Black was relying on his seniority and high status.

He was just putting on airs in front of a young person, using a preachy tone to assert his status and highlight his authority.

But that remained true only until the moment Ye Xiao truly stepped onto the battlefield.

Ye Xiao only just looked back on the past, finally understanding the words Old Man Black had spoken on this bright and sunny morning.

At this moment, Ye Xiao felt a bit heated.

First, Old Man Black had called him spineless, then small-minded.

Finally, he even claimed that Ye Xiao had only pulled a single trick.

With such a righteous attitude, he showed absolutely no awareness of his own mistakes.

Ye Xiao was somewhat angry.

Old Man Black saw the young man's temper.

He spoke calmly.

"Go kill a fourth-realm Demonic Beast and bring it back to the school, and you can get the Gravity Training Card early!"

Hearing this, the expression on Ye Xiao's face slowly turned serious and solemn.

Old Man Black continued, "Don't get any crooked ideas, like buying a Demonic Beast corpse or hiring someone to help you kill it."

"The school isn't stupid; they will investigate the origin of the slain Demonic Beast. If possible, you can buy a Portable Recorder to film the entire process of killing the beast as evidence."

At this point, Old Man Black changed his tone, employing a provocation.

"Of course, this is a very difficult task not just for you, but for all freshmen and sophomores."

"Hunting a fourth-realm Demonic Beast is, for all of you, a battle across realms."

"It is not only dangerous, but carries the risk of injury, or even death in serious cases."

"So, you can just be like the other students and honestly wait until your junior year, when the school will naturally issue you a Gravity Training Card for your cultivation."

"..."

Before Old Man Black could finish, Ye Xiao asked with a firm and resolute tone, "Old Man Black, where can I go to kill a fourth-realm Demonic Beast?"

Old Man Black answered coldly.

"Go to the rifts."

According to the General History of Heaven and Earth, one hundred thousand years ago, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth revived, and the human world and the world of Demonic Beast were originally one.

An ancient war split the once-complete world in two.

The human world and the world of Demonic Beast were separated from then on, with only a "World Scar" between them.

Ninety-five thousand years ago, the thinnest part of the World Scar tore open, forming the first spatial rift.

Demonic Beast flooded into the human world for the first time.

Ninety thousand years ago, the Demonic Beast invaded, and the human defense line collapsed.

The Nameless Ancestor shattered the Demonic Beast of the heavens with a single punch, simultaneously shattering the World Scar, and ultimately sealed the World Scar with his own fist intent.

The seal lasted for ninety thousand years.

Now, the seal has begun to loosen.

There are eighty-eight weak points of the World Scar across the globe, corresponding to eighty-eight rifts.

Jiang City is one of them, numbered [Rift No. 17: Crimson Abyss], with a danger rating of: Level 3!

It is currently in a sealed state, with the transcendents of Jiang City responsible for suppressing it.

For Ye Xiao, the closest location to hunt Demonic Beast was [Rift No. 17: Crimson Abyss] located in Jiang City.

And regarding this place, the memories of Ye Xiao's predecessor told him something else.

The place where his adoptive father, who had saved him from the Demonic Beast, was ultimately devoured and sacrificed was right there at [Rift No. 17: Crimson Abyss]!

I must go to this place! Ye Xiao swore silently in his heart.

After Ye Xiao finished reading the General History of Heaven and Earth that Old Man Black had lent him, he returned it to him.

Afterward, he cast aside all distracting thoughts.

He put all his focus into practicing his punches!

He had only one goal.

To become stronger!

He would strive to become stronger with everything he had!

Once he deemed his strength sufficient.

He would personally venture into the Red Abyss to uncover the secrets and truth behind his foster father's death!

After a full day of cultivation yesterday.

Ye Xiao had already reached the 1000th layer of the Mud Embryo Realm!

At the same time, his Extreme Martial Body had also evolved.

Now, on the first floor of the Gravity Training Tower.

Even while in the 5x gravity zone.

Ye Xiao could clearly feel that his legs no longer trembled, his back remained straight, and his breathing was steady.

Faced with this situation.

Ye Xiao realized he had qualified to ascend to the second floor!

And so.

After a brief warm-up in the 5x gravity zone.

Ye Xiao stepped onto the second floor of the Gravity Training Tower.