The outstretched hand slowly lowered, and the shattered jade tablet in its hand was instantly washed away by the advancing water.
As the shadowy figure descended deeper into the trench, the blue-robed cultivator no longer cared about the shattered jade tablet; he focused intently on the scene within the trench as he submerged.
After sinking into the trench, the blue-robed monk's figure disappeared from sight.
The deep trench seemed to stretch for thousands of feet, leading straight down to the Land of the Netherworld.
A deep, desolate aura emanated from the trench.
At this moment, the ocean trench resembled a gaping maw, swallowing up all living beings that entered it.
Not long after the blue-robed monk disappeared, two black figures reappeared above the deep trench.
These two figures, like ghosts, appeared from the bottom of the water without uttering a sound.
As they came to a stop atop the trench, one of the figures slowly gazed into the dark depths.
His eyes suddenly opened, revealing eyeballs much larger than those of ordinary cultivators, but within them seemed to be a deathly aura constantly rising and falling.
He appeared to be in his thirties, but his face was rather long and covered with dry, wrinkled skin.
The lines on his face, like ravines, made him look like a sinister old man.
At this moment, his body was shrouded in black mist, as if endless vengeful spirits were churning within him on the seabed.
Looking at the bottomless trench, he slowly spoke in a hoarse voice:
" Fellow Daoist Cao, are you sure that what's down below is the secret place of the cultivators of Immortal Rosy Cloud Ridge?"
He gazed at the bottom of the trench while casually asking questions.
With each word spoken by the big-eyed cultivator, wisps of black mist would emerge from his mouth.
His voice was very peculiar; when he spoke, it sounded as if countless people were talking at once.
The voices of men, women, young and old were combined into one, surging below the throat as if blocked by something.
When the voices of countless people finally broke free, they were already somewhat hoarse.
Upon hearing this, a black-clad cultivator behind immediately stepped forward, his body also enveloped in a persistent black aura.
His face was covered in a layer of white plaster, and his forehead even had a faint bluish tinge, making him look utterly dejected.
However, compared to the big-eyed cultivator beside him, this person's appearance was already quite normal.
He was dressed in a long black robe, with six buttons fastened at the front, which looked quite strange.
Moreover, the robe was so dark that when one's true spirit poked out, one could still faintly see the words ", Shou" and other characters engraved on it.
The characters, covering the black robe, accentuated the cultivator's dejected appearance, making one feel a sense of dread.
The monk in the long robe also carried a small, square box on his back.
The small box, with its high top and low bottom, square body and round belly, was tightly fastened to the back of the robed monk.
The small box was entirely black, as if it sealed something sinister inside, giving one a sense of unease at first glance.
"Hehe, if Fellow Daoist Tan doesn't believe me, then take out your Soul Lamp and take a look. The bottom of this trench is also very dark. Fellow Daoist Tan you can find the inherited item by taking out your Soul Lamp!"
The long-robed cultivator's voice was cold and sharp, like biting ice, making it impossible for anyone to feel any sense of closeness.
Upon hearing this, the big-eyed cultivator abruptly withdrew his gaze and gave a chilling smile at the edge of the trench.
The deep, ravine-like wrinkles looked as if they had been stretched open, giving it a very sinister and terrifying appearance.
At this moment, Fellow Daoist Tan said to Fellow Daoist Cao in the long robe:
"Not at all. Since Fellow Daoist Cao has managed to track us down here, that is an opportunity for us brothers. I absolutely trust Fellow Daoist Cao's information!"
Fellow Daoist Tan spoke with a smile in his eyes, as if he trusted Fellow Daoist Cao implicitly.
But the wrinkles on her face trembled, making one hesitant to question whether the smile in her eyes was genuine.
Fellow Daoist Cao carefully examined the Abyss Trench, his blue face radiating coldness.
He extended two slender fingers from his hand, on which he fiddled with a yellowish-brown copper ring.
Fellow Daoist Cao's gaze fell on the copper ring he was playing with between his fingers, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips.
"No mistake! The heirloom is down there. We dealt with that kid earlier, and after searching his soul, we tracked him all the way here. That's where the heirloom is!"
As soon as Fellow Daoist Cao finished speaking, he suddenly gripped the earthen-yellow copper ring in his hand.
The originally sturdy copper ring was slightly deformed under Fellow Daoist Cao's grasp.
His eyes, fixed on the abyss-like trench, were filled with an expression of unwavering determination.
Then, ignoring Fellow Daoist Tan beside him, he went straight into the trench alone.
Seeing this, Fellow Daoist Tan, who was behind him, narrowed his eyes slightly.
He then took out a lantern-like object from behind his back.
The lantern was entirely black, and instead of having a handle at the top, it floated automatically in the air.
When it was taken out, it brought with it a thick black mist, which blocked the outside of the lantern, while inside there was a small blue flame.
The blue flame burned very steadily, but there was no lamp oil beneath it, only endless black smoke swirling around it.
Different voices roared from within the black mist, like vengeful spirits endlessly lamenting.
As the blue light flickered for a fleeting moment, the black vengeful spirit was sucked into the bottom of the flames.
This flame needs no oil because it only requires vengeful spirits as fuel to burn!
Looking at the soul lamp floating beside him, Fellow Daoist Tan felt a little more at ease.
They then dived down together with Fellow Daoist Cao into the trench.
The deep trench swallowed the three figures in an instant.
No one noticed that the sediment deposited at the edge was slowly trembling.
As the water flows, the sediment throughout the trench sinks.
This trench resembles the gaping maw of a ferocious beast, about to close its jaws after swallowing up any figures.
A faint "whooshing" sound came from that deep, Netherworld place, as if the Underworld had been opened.
This makes the tranquil trench seem even more desolate and eerie.
After confirming the location of the cultivators in Immortal Rosy Cloud Ridge, Xu Long continued on his journey.
This Vast Sea was indeed very wide; Xu Long had originally thought it would be desolate and barren.
However, after the armadillo's exploration, Xu Long discovered several places where spiritual veins converged on the seabed.
This is similar to the situation in the Boundless Wilderness, where aquatic beasts occupy some spiritual veins.
However, the number of aquatic beasts in the Vast Sea is far less than that in the Boundless Wilderness, and their combat power is correspondingly weaker.
While traveling, Xu Long also joined forces with the armadillo to fight these ferocious beasts.
Aquatic beasts typically guard the spirits of heaven and earth at the bottom of the water.
Xu Long had the armadillo lure out the ferocious beast lord first, then he sneaked into the lair alone and harvested all the Heavenly Essence.
When the armadillo emerged from its lair, it had already been nearly killed by the ferocious beast lord.
But by this time, they usually already know that the essence of their own world has been stolen.
Therefore, they would abandon the armadillo and turn back to search for Xu Long's whereabouts.
Xu Long had already fled the scene, leaving the ferocious beast underwater to roar to the sky.
The spirit that had guarded the nest for countless years had even had its roots seized.
The "squeak squeak squeak" sounded in Xu Long's ears, and the armadillo kept looking at Xu Long with a resentful gaze.
This guy certainly got beaten up quite a bit during all those luring attempts.
Xu Long was always the one who stole the spirit essence, but after a while, he finally realized what was going on.
After escaping, she spoke resentfully to Xu Long.
Upon hearing the sound, Xu Long, who was underwater, quickly pulled out a handful of Spirit Stone from his sleeve.
The armadillo's eyes lit up instantly, and it opened its huge mouth to swallow the Spirit Stone in a flash.
Xu Long's face fell; this guy's appetite was getting bigger and bigger.
Knowing that Xu Long had gained a great deal on this trip, they also became more greedy while consuming the Spirit Stone.
After swallowing handfuls of Spirit Stone, the armadillo showed no abnormalities; its thick-skinned body remained unchanged.
After calming it down, Xu Long immediately surveyed the surrounding terrain.
Just now, the man and the beast were desperately fleeing inside the beast's lair, and when they arrived at this place, they had no idea where they were.
Xu Long was on his way to find traces of the cultivators from Immortal Rosy Cloud Ridge, but the armadillo beneath him kept rubbing against his legs.
It would occasionally raise its little head and look in a certain direction, making even more frequent "squeak squeak squeak" sounds than before, as if urging Xu Long to make a decision.
"You mean there's some special treasure ahead?"
Xu Long frowned slightly, communicating with the armadillo through his will.
The word "armadillo" implies that there is treasure ahead, and that it is a treasure with immense power.
The treasure was located not far away, so the armadillo quickly discovered it and immediately told Xu Long to go and investigate.
But Xu Long hesitated for a moment.
Based on past experience, wherever there are spirits, there will always be ferocious beasts guarding it.
If cultivators desire spiritual essence and treasures, wouldn't ferocious beasts have the same idea?
They're not stupid; they wouldn't just hand over their treasures.
Furthermore, judging from the value of the treasure, the more powerful the treasure, the more ferocious the beast guarding it.
Although there was treasure nearby, what the armadillo didn't mention was:
The ferocious beast guarding the treasure is equally powerful!
Xu Long has indeed collected a great deal of spiritual essence from heaven and earth along his journey.
However, because he needed to get going, he only used the method of luring and did not directly confront the beast lord.
If the ferocious beast wanted to keep Xu Long, it would definitely take him a lot of time.
So, when making the plan, we adopted a strategy of grabbing and running.
Along the way, Xu Long did discover many treasures with immense energy on the seabed.
However, the place where the treasure is hidden is usually filled with a heavy aura.
Xu Long knew, even with his backside, that these heavy auras belonged to the Beast King.
So he deliberately flew over the territory of these Beast King on the seabed.
Because the treasures were relatively close, the armadillo beneath Xu Long couldn't resist the temptation and kept urging him to head over.
As Xu Long considered this, the armadillo beneath him began to float, then rolled around on the seabed like a sea lion.
After a burst of bubbling, the armadillo transformed into a black shadow and disappeared ahead.
A hint of doubt flashed in Xu Long's eyes; there was no point in thinking about it any further now.
Since the armadillo has already gone there, it proves that the ferocious beasts at this treasure trove may not be that powerful.
Well, this guy must already be very familiar with Xu Long's combat strength and escape ability. After making a mental estimate, he took it upon himself to make his own decision.
Believing that Xu Long could defeat the ferocious beast lord, he unleashed his full range of dog-like Kung Fu Hustle underwater, heading straight for the beast's lair.
Xu Long, standing behind, shook his head with a wry smile. Did this guy only know his own fighting ability?
However, Xu Long was in a hurry to find the cultivators of Immortal Rosy Cloud Ridge, and now, led by the armadillo, it seemed that their original trajectory had deviated somewhat.
After watching the armadillo dog paddle away, Xu Long, who was behind, finally followed along.
Xu Long had made up his mind that this was just an exploration.
If he could obtain the treasure, all the better; if a high-level ferocious beast was guarding the treasure, then he would immediately turn back and continue on his way.
After following the armadillo into the place where the treasure was hidden, Xu Long sensed a heavy aura emanating from the area.
This is the aura left by a high-level ferocious beast, proving that this place is guarded by a ferocious beast, serving as a warning to enemies not to approach.
The armadillo ahead, however, seemed unconcerned, quickly skirting around a coral reef.
Concealing its form amidst the flowing water, it then followed a cluster of fish into the depths of the ferocious beast's lair.
Its heavy body swayed and wobbled along with the current, and as it followed behind the fish, it kept wagging its tail like someone trying to imitate the way others were walking, trying to fool its way through this body of water.
As the armadillo entered its lair, Xu Long waited outside, connecting his will with the armadillo's.
If the armadillo encounters danger, Xu Long, who is outside, can react in an instant.
If there really were a high-level ferocious beast guarding the lair, at most the armadillo would get a good beating, while Xu Long would have run away long ago.
If it were guarded by some low-level ferocious beasts, Xu Long, who was waiting outside, would enter as quickly as possible.
With this division of labor, Xu Long's will and the armadillo slowly advanced within the nest.
This nest was significantly larger than any other nest seen before, and the coral reefs surrounding it were countless.
The artificial hills and fish ponds added a touch of sophistication to the nest.
How could a ferocious beast have such a setup?
Numerous fish swim within the nest, clustered together within the coral reef.
The armadillo, following the fish, actually entered the depths of its nest.
The spiritual energy here became increasingly abundant, Xu Long, who was waiting outside, immediately brightened up.
This place is like a convergence point of spiritual veins, and ferocious beasts that cultivate here certainly have opportunities.
The ability to find a place where spiritual veins converge indicates that the ferocious beast possesses considerable intelligence, and its combat power will correspondingly be higher.
In the images transmitted back by his will, Xu Long even sensed a powerful energy being released.
This must be the energy that the armadillo sensed.
At that moment, when the energy was released, both the armadillo and Xu Long's will sensed its extraordinary nature.
This energy is definitely not ordinary!
Xu Long's will carefully sensed the energy fluctuations, and a sense of surprise arose in his heart.
This energy fluctuation was very peculiar; when Xu Long's will sensed it, it felt familiar.
It instantly reminded him of the energy he had felt beneath the True Lord's Thousand-Jun Tower and the energy he had felt upon the Yun Hong Talisman.