Sinkhole [1]

"Traveling again? How long are you going to be gone this time!"

At home, during dinner at the dining table.

Hearing what Hu Long said, He Yanling asked with reluctance.

"Don't go. How about Mom takes you on a trip abroad in a couple of days?"

Hearing this tone used to coax a child.

Even Hu Long couldn't help but be speechless.

"The child is grown up and has his own things to do. Don't interfere too much!"

To the side, Hu Chengwen said.

Regarding Hu Long's mention of going out to travel for a period of time.

If it were before, Hu Chengwen might have had some objections and agreed with what his wife said.

But it is different now.

This son of his has already stepped into that circle.

It has far more prospects than inheriting his family business.

Naturally, he has his own things to do, and he certainly cannot delay him.

"Is the money enough? If it's not enough, tell me!"

Hu Chengwen patted Hu Long.

He felt that in just a few days, his son had become much more robust, even a head taller than him.

"Alright!"

Hu Long nodded.

Although this "father's" attitude wasn't bad to begin with, for him, who suffered from "mental illness," it certainly couldn't be called attentive.

After all, in the other's heart, the original body was likely already considered half-useless.

It wasn't that the other didn't like the original body; after all, he had never mistreated him.

However, rather than a father, he was more like a qualified businessman.

Very rational, capable of weighing pros and cons.

The same applied even to his own son.

Combining the original owner's situation at the time with known information, Hu Long was certain that Hu Chengwen had long since noticed Xue Wu's abnormality.

But the other party did not expose him, instead using family background as a reason to make a request that would occupy his energy.

This was equivalent to giving Xue Wu a glimmer of hope, using it as a delaying tactic to prevent him from taking extreme actions.

Hu Long even had a darker guess.

From his current observations, Hu Chengwen had a strong desire for extraordinary power.

After discovering that the path of Secret Martial Arts was a dead end.

The other party might have held the idea of obtaining the Old Arts from Xue Wu at the time.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have remained motionless for so long.

Of course, this was just a guess of Hu Long's, and dwelling on it was meaningless to him.

Ever since he lifted the cauldron during the Ancestral Rite and became the "Hammer Holder."

The other party's attitude toward him had undergone a massive shift.

The scales of that attitude had tilted back toward him; this feeling was very obvious.

"You can go out, but take someone with you to look after you. I'll feel more at ease."

He Yanling said.

"No need, I'd feel uncomfortable that way."

Hu Long refused directly.

Having said that.

He shifted the topic to another matter.

"Regarding the matter of Xue Wu's family, I shouldn't need to say much more, right?"

Ignoring Hu Zhao's slight pause in her eating to the side.

Hu Long continued.

"I just saw the news; the murderer who killed Xue Wu's family is already dead."

"Since Xue Wu's family was involved with a cult, to be safe, I've already notified the Main Family Compound. You should move out of here and stay at the main house for a while."

In this home, He Yanling and Hu Zhao were the two who treated him the best.

Even if Hu Chengwen's behavior didn't exactly make him a model father, he had never treated Hu Long poorly.

Although Hu Long knew that all of this was for the sake of the original owner, not for him.

Yet, what makes a human a human is the existence of a certain bottom line.

No matter how low that bottom line might be, it must always exist.

Therefore, he could not simply stand by and watch them die while knowing full well the danger they were in.

He didn't mind offering reminders and help within his power.

The Main Family Compound, as the name suggests.

It is where the family members of the main branch reside.

It is patrolled by armed guards, and Secret Martial Artists of the Hu Clan live within its walls.

The safety rating is extremely high.

However, living there is not very convenient for coming and going, and it is not located in Huanyang City.

Furthermore, they were accustomed to living in such a large villa where they could come and go freely, so they had chosen not to move there.

"Your speculation is not without merit; we will head over immediately. You had best not go out either; come with us."

After hearing Hu Long's suggestion, Hu Chengwen's expression turned stern.

He was not stupid; he immediately understood the implication behind Hu Long's words and was well aware of the treacherous nature of the Old Arts.

"No need, I can protect myself."

Hu Long shook his head.

"...Alright then."

Hu Chengwen opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the words of persuasion he had intended to speak.

His observations over this period had taught him that Hu Long had grown significantly and would not do anything he wasn't sure about.

Then, after Hu Chengwen had a heart-to-heart with Hu Zhao and He Yanling.

After finishing dinner, they gathered the household servants and gave them time off.

The five of them then departed immediately, heading toward the Main Family Compound located in the neighboring Yangang City.

The journey was not far, just over a hundred kilometers, and they didn't bring any extra belongings.

In any case, the Main Family Compound had everything they needed, and if something was missing, they could simply buy it.

Qi Province.

Located in a basin, this region is home to many famous mountains and rivers.

Consequently, it is an area with a highly developed tourism industry.

The Little Rock Sinkhole is not actually small; it is a massive crater.

It was once a famous tourist attraction.

However, due to certain reasons, after a few people died there, it was sealed off, and tourists were forbidden from entering.

At this moment, the sun hung high in the sky, casting down bright, brilliant rays.

On a rock at the edge of the Little Rock Sinkhole.

A figure appeared, carrying a black mountaineering backpack.

It was Hu Long, who had traveled for a day by car to reach this place.

The reason he came here was, naturally, to search for Snake Bone to obtain Source Value.

As for the Tongbei Club.

After mastering the Mountain Standing Stake.

There was actually no mandatory requirement to attend.

Therefore, it did not hinder Hu Long from going out.

He stood on high ground, his gaze fixed on the depths below.

The Little Rock Sinkhole, from the edge to the bottom, had a total depth of nearly three hundred meters.

Below lay a lake, along with vast stretches of trees and gravel; looking down from the heights, it was a sea of green, essentially a small-scale ecosystem.

Perhaps because it had rained in the area not long ago.

A faint rainbow could be seen spanning the middle of the sinkhole.

Just then.

His gaze sharpened as he looked toward a certain spot.

"There's actually someone here?"

The weather was bright and clear.

Furthermore, having broken through to the Body Forging Realm, his physique had been reinforced, and the nearsightedness of his original body had vanished, granting him excellent vision.

Standing here, due to the angle, he could see several blurry figures by the lakeside below, along with a gray tent and wisps of rising cooking smoke.

Because of the unique nature of the Little Rock Sinkhole, there were no stairs leading down, only steep cliffs; since ordinary people couldn't descend, no fences had been installed nearby.

However, this did not mean that outdoor adventurers wouldn't enter to explore.

Those with good luck were fine, while those with bad luck simply died.

This was true both in his past life and here.

News stories of this kind were not rare.

Yet, there were always some people who, despite knowing the high risk, still loved to court death.

Regarding this, he didn't care much, as long as they didn't disturb him.

Withdrawing his gaze, he scanned his surroundings.

Not far to one side stood a rusted iron sign.

The writing on the sign was mottled, yet barely legible:

"Deep cliffs and steep walls; poisonous miasma within. Do not approach."

Ignoring the warning on the sign, he took a coil of climbing rope from his backpack.

He wrapped one end of the rope several times around a tree as thick as a bucket, tied a secure clove hitch, and gave it a hard tug to confirm it was stable.

He tied the other end to the safety harness around his waist and adjusted the rope length and descender.

He turned to face the rock wall, slowly stepped backward, and his body gradually hung in the air.

At first, his center of gravity was unstable, and his figure swayed slightly.

The rock wall was covered in slippery moss and ferns, and since this was his first time attempting such a descent, his movements were inevitably stiff.

But this posed no trouble for him.

Relying on his excellent physical coordination, Hu Long stabilized himself in just a few seconds.

He braced his legs against the rock wall, kept his body at an angle to the surface, controlled the rope with his right hand, maintained balance with his left, and began to descend at a steady pace.