The bottom of the river is deep and full of silt.
Yan Yuchen swam closer and looked around with eyes wide open, but found nothing.
Just as he was about to leave, a cold whirlpool suddenly rushed past him, and some water plants under his feet were like monsters with teeth and claws, and began to wrap around his legs with vines waving.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free.
If it were an ordinary drowning person, he would probably be choking on the water and flopping in panic by now, gradually dying.
But he didn't panic at all, but suddenly thought of something.
He stopped struggling and urged the power in his body to surge into his eyes. In an instant, his eyes flashed with green light, and he could see everything around him clearly.
Sinister ghosts floated around, their red eyes fixed on him like prey. The water plants, manipulated by these ghosts, tightened around his legs. People who fell into the moat likely drowned due to these malevolent spirits.
In the past, many swam here in summer, but deaths led to a decline in courage. It seemed these ghosts were to blame, causing cramps and exhaustion to swimmers. Those who loved diving ended up entangled by the water plants, never resurfacing.
Yan Yuchen, realizing this, unleashed his internal energy, effortlessly breaking free. Angry ghosts converged on him, but he countered, shattering them with a burst of radiant fists. In moments, hundreds of ghosts vanished into nothingness.
The remaining ghosts were terrified, screaming and fleeing in panic. The river bottom was chaotic, with rolling waves and muddy disarray. Soon, only Yan Yuchen stood calmly amid the wreckage, as the ghosts fled in fear.
Feeling the Earthbound Soul within him tremble, Yan Yuchen sensed impurities dissipating, a pleasant sensation almost escaping his body. Once the Earthbound Soul stabilized, he punched through the mud, revealing numerous skeletal remains.
In this small area alone, dozens of white bones were piled up. Yan Yuchen walked through the riverbed, fists breaking the mud, exposing a chilling array of skeletons. He explained, "These bones must belong to ancient soldiers who once besieged the city. Ordinary people likely can't see them—they're like souls lying here, both void and existent. The ghosts are probably the resentful spirits of those fallen soldiers."
Looking at the scattered bones, Yan Yuchen felt a chill despite his fearlessness. "It's time to go; my sister must be worried."
As he prepared to leave, a black vortex appeared, engulfing nearby bones. A familiar aura spread— "Mysterious Realm?" Yan was surprised, realizing it matched the woman in purple. "Qingya mentioned hidden entrances to the Mysterious Realm. Not every ghost dares to enter, but once inside, they become assimilated and can't exist in the mortal world anymore."
The Mysterious Realm offered tempting benefits; souls could cultivate and gain incredible power. Yan Yuchen, noting the disappearing vortex, memorized the location and swiftly swam to the surface.
If it was indeed a Mysterious Realm entrance, he planned to investigate with Qingya. According to her, it was an ideal place to cultivate the soul. As he surfaced, a slender figure approached from the water—the alarmed and near-teary-eyed Xiao Mei had been searching for him underwater.
Overhead, the cries and scolding of Xiao Mei, along with the mischievous banter of Hu Guagua, reached Yan Yuchen's ears. He was secretly annoyed; if not for the golden core in his body, that cunning little frog would have caused him to drown.
No! He must give her a scare, teach her a lesson!
With a cold smile, Yan closed his eyes just as Xiao Mei approached. He feigned weakness, letting himself sink. Xiao Mei hurriedly swam over, grabbing him as he surfaced.
The riverbank was crowded with onlookers; many rescue boats had gathered. Xiao Mei dragged Yan Yuchen to the boat's edge, and even Yan Xiaoxi, too preoccupied to scold Hu Guagua, helped pull him aboard.
"Brother! Brother... wake up... please wake up..." Yan Xiaoxi, seeing him motionless with closed eyes, turned pale and burst into tears.
Xiao Mei, also tearful, paddled the boat to the shore, urging Yan Xiaoxi to take Yan Yuchen to the hospital. Yan Yuchen, feeling sorry for the two girls, cracked open his eyes slightly and whispered, "I'm fine. I just wanted to scare that nasty frog. Xiao Mei, find a way to make Hu Guagua give me artificial respiration. When she opens her mouth, I'll spit in it and then kick her into the water. I want revenge!"
Yan Xiaoxi's crying abruptly stopped. Staring in shock, she listened to Yan Yuchen's plan. After a few seconds, she recovered, her expression turning indignant. Standing up, she glared at Hu Guagua still on the boat and shouted, "You ungrateful frog! My brother always feeds you and lets you sleep in a room, and you actually caused him to drown! Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and help my brother with artificial respiration, or he'll die!"
Hu Guagua, twirling her whip, heard this and blinked her pretty eyes. "What did you say? Let this lady give him artificial respiration? Dream on! Little girl, I'm sure these crude words didn't come from your mouth. Was it that Yan toad who whispered this to you?"
Yan Xiaoxi's face froze for a moment. Before she could respond, an elderly woman with snowy hair and wrinkled skin rushed from the crowd.
The old woman pulled Xiao Mei, who was squatting next to Yan Yuchen, playing with his nose, aside. With warmth, she declared, "Don't worry! Let this old lady help this poor kid with artificial respiration. I'm quite skilled; I graduated from nursing school back in the day. I've been doing artificial respiration countless times over the years, and I still do it every night with my old man. Very familiar with it! Come, watch me!"
With a loud "ahem," the elderly woman forcefully coughed, expelling a thick phlegm. She then pinched Yan Yuchen's nose and, with a shriveled mouth, prepared to lower her head to give him artificial respiration.
Beside them, Yan Xiaoxi and Xiao Mei widened their eyes, their faces filled with horror as they watched the impending scene. Yan Yuchen, playing dead with closed eyes, turned pale at the critical moment!
Facing this crisis, he had no room for hesitation. With a swift twist, he jumped up from the ground. His face filled with terror, he stumbled back a few steps, so frightened that his legs gave way, and he awkwardly sat on the ground.
"Hahaha..."
Hu Guagua, dressed in a white dress, stood gracefully at the bow of the boat, laughing so hard that her body shook, almost losing her breath.
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