55: Chapter 55 Snatching the Pearl into the Pool, A Narrow Escape from Despair

"Seize that 'Cold-Avoiding Bead'! This bead can resist the cold of the mystic yin true water; it is the key to approaching, utilizing, and even temporarily hiding in the mystic yin true water pool! It is also the only hope to turn the situation around!"

The One-eyed Elder is at Qi Refining Stage 6, and he is currently fully focused on setting up an evil Formation. This is the moment when his defenses are weakest.

"It must be a hit!"

Lin Ye suppressed the intense pain throughout his body, condensing his remaining spiritual power and spirit.

Like the most patient viper, he slowly adjusted his posture in the shadows of the vines, his gaze locked tightly onto the One-eyed Elder's right hand, which held the Cold-Avoiding Bead.

The elder was bending over, about to pierce the soul-devouring nail into the center of his companion's corpse's brow, muttering incantations, his mind completely immersed in the Formation and the "mystic yin true water" he was about to obtain.

"Just now!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lin Ye's eyes. His body, like a spring loaded with power, shot out from behind the vines!

No shout, no light, only the remaining power of the Mystic Jade Body and the last trace of [Severing Flow] Sword Intent, all poured into the five fingers of his right hand, turning into a blurred afterimage, grabbing straight at the wrist of the One-eyed Elder holding the bead!

"Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!"

The One-eyed Elder was, after all, at Qi Refining Stage 6, with keen Spiritual Sense. The moment Lin Ye moved, he sensed it and turned his head in shock and anger: "Who?!"

But his reaction was a beat too slow, and most of his mind was on the Formation.

Lin Ye's right hand, like an iron pincer, precisely clamped onto the wrist of the hand holding the Cold-Avoiding Bead! At the same time, his left hand formed a sword finger, condensing his last bit of icy spiritual power, stabbing straight at the elder's throat, forcing him to let go or block!

"Little bastard! You're courting death!" The One-eyed Elder was both shocked and angry. His left hand turned into a palm, striking at Lin Ye's face with a fishy wind, while his right hand exerted force, wanting to break free and crush the Cold-Avoiding Bead.

But how could Lin Ye let him have his way?

The five fingers of his right hand clamping the wrist suddenly exerted force. The power of the second level of Mystic Jade Body manifested at this moment, actually snapping the elder's wrist bone with a crisp "crack"!

"Ah!" The elder cried out in pain, his palm loosening.

The Cold-Avoiding Bead slipped from his hand!

Lin Ye's left hand switched from a stab to a scoop, and the moment the Cold-Avoiding Bead hit the ground, he snatched it into his hand!

It was ice-cold to the touch. The pale blue light shield emitted by the bead automatically enveloped Lin Ye, and immediately, the bone-chilling cold of the surrounding mystic yin true water was mostly blocked!

"Success!"

Lin Ye did not linger. The moment he grabbed the bead, he exerted force with his feet, his body like an arrow leaving the bow, leaping into the deep mystic yin true water pool!

"Leave the treasure!" The One-eyed Elder's eyes were splitting, and abandoning the Formation, a black claw wind raked at Lin Ye's back.

"Puchi!"

The claw wind tore through the already charred flesh on Lin Ye's back, bringing up a spray of blood.

But Lin Ye also used this force to speed up, and with a splash, he sank into the viscous, ice-cold, bottomless mystic yin true water!

The pale blue light shield of the Cold-Avoiding Bead flickered violently the moment it entered the water, seeming to bear immense pressure, but it did not break, barely holding up a tiny space that could only accommodate Lin Ye curled up, separating him from the extreme cold of the true water.

Before his eyes was a deep, mysterious blackness, and the extreme cold seeped in even through the light shield.

Lin Ye endured the intense pain and suffocation (the air inside the Cold-Avoiding Bead's light shield was limited), letting his body sink toward the bottom of the pool.

Above the water, came the One-eyed Elder's frantic roars and the rumbling of attacks on the water, but they quickly became blurred and distant.

The true water pool seemed extremely deep, and the water was viscous with huge resistance; the One-eyed Elder clearly did not dare to easily enter the water to pursue.

Lin Ye sank for an unknown amount of time, until his surroundings were completely plunged into absolute darkness and deathly silence, with only the Cold-Avoiding Bead emitting a faint blue light, illuminating the small space.

He felt as if he had sunk to the bottom of an eternal ice cellar, even his thoughts about to be frozen.

The wounds were numb in the extreme cold, and the blood loss and injuries caused his consciousness to blur.

He had to treat his wounds immediately, otherwise, before the One-eyed Elder could find him, he would die at the bottom of this true water pool.

He struggled to take the last bit of Ice Marrow Ganoderma from his Storage Pouch, stuffed it all into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and took the last Medicinal Pill for healing (obtained from the Xuanbing Pavilion Disciple's Storage Pouch).

The pure, icy medicinal power dissolved in his body, working in tandem with the extremely dense mystic yin true water aura, beginning to slowly repair his damaged Meridians and internal organs. The "Ice Soul Sword Art" operated automatically, greedily absorbing the pure true water cold qi permeating from outside the light shield.

This place was an excellent place for healing and Cultivation for ice-attribute Cultivators, but the prerequisite was being able to withstand the cold.

The light shield of the Cold-Avoiding Bead flickered, clearly unable to hold on for too long.

Lin Ye had to hurry.

He sat cross-legged inside the light shield (there seemed to be a relatively flat rock at the bottom of the pool) and fully operated his Cultivation Technique.

Time flowed in absolute darkness and silence.

He did not know how long had passed, perhaps a day, perhaps several days.

When Lin Ye opened his eyes again, a glint flashed in his eyes. Although he was still weak, his injuries had stabilized and were no longer worsening, and his Cultivation had recovered to about Qi Refining Stage 4.

The light shield of the Cold-Avoiding Bead had dimmed to the extreme, as if it would extinguish at any moment.

"Must leave."

He looked up, seeing only endless darkness.

The bone ring "bone ring" sent a weak response, pointing in a diagonal upward direction, where there seemed to be signs of water fluctuation; perhaps there was an exit?

He hesitated no longer, controlling his weak spiritual power, driving the Cold-Avoiding Bead, and slowly floated upward in the direction the bone ring sensed.

The process of floating up was also long.

Just as the light shield of the Cold-Avoiding Bead was about to extinguish completely—

In the dark water ahead, a faint light appeared!

Lin Ye's spirits lifted, and he swam faster.

The light grew larger and larger; it was actually an underwater cave entrance! There was a weak current flowing into the entrance, bringing fresh air.

He swam hard out of the entrance, and the scene before him suddenly opened up.

It was actually a huge underground water pool located in the belly of a mountain! The pool water was connected to the mystic yin true water outside, but the water in this pool had been diluted a lot, and there was a gap above the water surface with air circulation.

The edge of the pool was a natural stone platform, and on the stone platform, there was actually a crude stone table, stone stools, and even the traces of a long-extinguished campfire.

Had someone lived here before?

Lin Ye crawled onto the shore, collapsed on the stone platform, and breathed the cold air deeply, feeling the exhaustion of having survived a disaster.

The moment it left the water, the Cold-Avoiding Bead completely lost its luster, turning into an ordinary blue stone; it had clearly run out of spiritual power and was ruined.

He checked himself; his injuries were 30-40% healed, and his Cultivation was stabilized at Qi Refining Stage 4. The most troublesome thing was the residual foreign energy (Red Gold Fire Energy, pitch-black Evil Qi) in his body that had not been completely cleared, forming a fragile balance with the icy spiritual power, causing dull pain but also making his spiritual power more complex and refined.

He stood up and examined the cave.

The cave was not large but very dry, clearly higher than the water level of the underground river outside. On one stone wall, there were a few lines of blurred writing, seemingly left by a predecessor.

Lin Ye walked over to look closely; the handwriting was scribbled and full of despair:

"To avoid enemies, I fled into this desperate place, borrowing the cold of the mystic yin true water to heal... But the true water eroded me, my Meridians were completely destroyed... My Lifespan is coming to an end... I leave this record to warn future generations... At the bottom of the true water pool, there is an undercurrent leading to a tributary of the 'Yin Underworld River'. Flowing downstream, one might reach the 'Nether Market'... But the river is full of dangers, beware..."

Yin Underworld River? Nether Market?

Lin Ye's heart stirred. It sounded like a gathering place for Loose Cultivators in the underground world?

This might be a way to leave this place and return to the outside world.

He noted down the information and searched the cave again, but apart from those traces of life, there was nothing else.

It seemed that the Senior had not been able to leave in the end and had passed away here.

Lin Ye bowed to the stone wall, then began to think about his next step.

Returning the way he came might mean encountering the One-eyed Elder. And the Cold-Avoiding Bead was destroyed, so he could not resist the cold of the true water for long.

Then, there was only one path to take—follow the stone inscription's guidance, dive to the bottom of the true water pool, find the undercurrent leading to the tributary of the "Yin Underworld River", and go downstream to that "Nether Market".

Although the inscription warned that "the river is full of dangers," it was better than being trapped to death here or going back to die.

He needed to prepare.

First, restore more strength. The aura of true water here was dense, which was perfect for Cultivation.

Second, refine some items that might be used. He took out the Materials he had obtained from the Xuanbing Pavilion and Yinkui Sect Disciples, as well as those collected earlier from his Storage Pouch, and began to rummage through them.

Red Fire Copper Essence, starfall cold iron fragments (no essence left, but the material was hard), some low-grade Yao Beast bones, a few pieces of Ore with mixed attributes, and a few small Magical Artifacts picked from the corpse of the One-eyed Elder's companion...

Perhaps, he could try to refine a simple "Water Splitting Spike" or "Water-Avoiding Talisman" that could temporarily resist the cold of the true water? Or, use the Red Fire Copper Essence and fire-attribute Yao Beast Materials to make a few simple "Blazing Sun Talismans" that might disperse the cold or attack in critical moments.

He said it, he did it.

Although Lin Ye didn't know Artifact Refining, he had received part of the Legacy (knowledge) of the "Blazing Sun True Explanation" and had a rudimentary understanding of flames and refining Materials. Coupled with the ancient ring "yuan sha"'s control over metal and iron Evil Qi, and the "Ice Soul Sword Art"'s precise control over spiritual power, he could barely perform the crudest "processing."

Several days later.

In Lin Ye's hand was a "short spear" about two feet long, crudely fused from starfall cold iron fragments (main body) and Red Fire Copper Essence (embedded in the handle, providing faint fire energy). The spear tip was sharp, with starlight and red color. Although it was not a Magical Artifact, it was extremely hard and could conduct ice and fire spiritual power to a certain extent.

There were also three simple "Blazing Sun Talismans" drawn with Yao Beast skin and Red Fire Copper Essence powder. They were not very powerful, but could produce high-temperature flames for a short time after activation.

His injuries were also 60-70% healed, and his Cultivation had recovered to the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 4.

It was time to go.

He dived into the true water pool again, and relying on his memory and the bone ring's response, found the entrance to the undercurrent at the bottom of the pool.

The undercurrent was rapid and bone-chilling, but much weaker than the cold of the true water pool itself.

Lin Ye gripped the short spear, stuck a Blazing Sun Talisman on his chest (providing some warmth), took a deep breath, and threw himself into the undercurrent.

Inside the undercurrent, it was dark, cold, and rapid.

Lin Ye was like a withered leaf drifting with the current, carried by the water, weaving through the complex underground river channels. He could only barely protect his vital points, adjusting his direction to avoid hitting protruding rocks.

He did not know how long he drifted, but the undercurrent gradually calmed down, and the river channel became wider.

Glowing moss and aquatic plants began to appear around him, providing faint light. The cold qi in the water became heavier and heavier, mixed with a faint smell of sulfur and... an indescribable sense of gloom.

The bone ring "bone ring" vibrated slightly, seemingly sensing the various Yin-attribute energies mixed in the water vein.

This should be the tributary of the "Yin Underworld River".

Lin Ye surfaced and found himself in a wide underground river. The river water was dark green, emitting a faint fluorescence. On both sides of the river were steep cliffs, with some crude plank roads and caves carved into the cliffs, and faint firelight and human voices could be heard.

The Nether Market had arrived.

He crawled onto the riverbank, wrung out his soaked clothes, and observed his surroundings.

This place looked like a market transformed from a huge underground cave complex. Along the riverbank, many crude wooden houses and stone houses were built, and there were even Immortal Caves carved directly into the cliff walls. The streets were narrow and rugged, but there was quite a lot of traffic. Most people were wearing dark or hooded clothing, walking hurriedly, their auras mixed. Their Cultivation ranged from the Early Stage to the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and occasionally he could feel the obscure pressure of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The air was filled with complex smells of dampness, cold, blood, herbs, and metal smelting. Hawking, haggling, and whispering were endless, but they were all kept very low, appearing sneaky.

Clearly, this was a shady underground black market where dragons and snakes were mixed, and danger and opportunity coexisted.

Lin Ye lowered his cloak to cover his face and blended into the crowd.

He first found the most remote and ragged-looking inn to stay in. It cost two Low-Grade Spirit Stones per day, but the advantage was that there was no need to register his identity.

After settling down, he began to walk around the market to familiarize himself with the environment and gather information.

The things sold in the market were varied and mostly of dubious origin: various ancient fragments obtained from tomb raiding or exploration, Magical Artifacts and Medicinal Pills of unknown origin, banned Yao Beast Materials and Cultivation Technique Jade Slips, and even people selling intelligence and providing "special services."

Lin Ye sold the miscellaneous items and low-grade Materials he didn't need in batches, exchanging them for nearly a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. He also bought some Medicinal Pills for healing, bigu pill, and a simple map of the Nether Market and the surrounding underground world.

In the teahouses and restaurants, he heard more news:

"Have you heard? The 'Ice Soul Secret Realm' in the north has completely collapsed. It is said that many people died, and even Murong Bai of the Xuanbing Pavilion and the Shadow Envoy of the Yinkui Sect were planted inside..."

"More than that! The Cold Moon Sect and Starfall Pavilion also seem to have suffered heavy losses. No one knows exactly what treasure they got."

"The upper reaches of the Yin Underworld River have not been peaceful recently. It is said that 'Water Evil' has appeared, and several exploration teams have already gone missing..."

"The Ghost Market opens in three days. It is said that there are good things this time, and even people from the 'Nether Sect' might come..."

Lin Ye listened silently and calculated in his heart.

The matter of the Ice Soul Secret Realm had come to an end for the time being. He had obtained the Legacy (knowledge) of the "Blazing Sun True Explanation". Although he could not Cultivate it directly, the gains were huge. Murong Bai and the Shadow Envoy's life and death were uncertain, but they shouldn't come looking for him in the short term.

The most pressing matter was to heal his wounds as soon as possible, restore his Cultivation, and find a way to resolve the conflict of foreign energy in his body or improve his strength.

Perhaps he could find some special Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, or... clues or buyers for treasures like "starfall cold iron" and "Earth Heart Fire Essence" in this Nether Market?

He still had that [Earth Heart Fire Essence] (red crystal) obtained from Yan Yang Hall in his hand. This item was valuable, but its attributes were contrary to his, so it was useless to keep it. It would be better to sell it in exchange for urgently needed resources.

But the Earth Heart Fire Essence was too conspicuous and could not be easily exposed.

He needed to find a reliable (or at least relatively safe) channel, or attend that so-called "Ghost Market."

Three days later, late at night.

In a secret valley shrouded by a Formation in the deepest part of the Nether Market, the "Ghost Market" quietly opened.

Participants all wore masks or hoods to cover their auras. Transactions were mainly in Spirit Stones, and bartering was also accepted.

Lin Ye changed into an inconspicuous gray robe, put on a wooden mask, paid an entry fee of ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and entered the Ghost Market.

The Ghost Market was not large, with only a few dozen stalls, but the things sold were clearly a grade higher than those outside. There were even a few gleaming Magical Artifacts, precious Tier 2 Medicinal Pills, and some rare Artifact Refining Materials and Cultivation Technique Incomplete Manuals.

Lin Ye walked around and found a bottle of Tier 1 High Grade Medicinal Pill called "Ice-Fire Harmonizing Pill" at a stall selling Medicinal Pills, which was marked as capable of assisting in harmonizing the conflict between ice and fire attributes in the body and stabilizing Meridians. This was exactly what he needed!

The stall owner was an old man with a hoarse voice, asking for three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones or a fire-attribute treasure of equivalent value.

Lin Ye didn't have enough Spirit Stones. He hesitated for a moment and took out the [Earth Heart Fire Essence].

"Can this be exchanged?" He lowered his voice and said.

Once the Earth Heart Fire Essence was revealed, even through the Seal, the pure and fiery fire-attribute energy fluctuation attracted several obscure gazes nearby.

The stall owner's eyes lit up. He took it, sensed it carefully, and nodded: "Earth Heart Fire Essence, high quality. Can exchange for this pill, and I will give you fifty more Spirit Stones."

"Okay." Lin Ye nodded, not wanting to cause any more trouble.

The transaction was completed. He put away the Medicinal Pill and Spirit Stones and was about to leave.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out beside him:

"My friend, the Earth Heart Fire Essence is a good thing. I wonder if you have any more in your hand? Or... are you interested in talking about other gains from 'Yan Yang Hall'?"