Another half day passed, and Zhong Shan finally overcame the aftereffects of his Heavenly Demon Body Tempering Technique. At the fourth level of the Innate Stage, Zhong Shan felt an inexhaustible strength coursing through him, a sensation reminiscent of his past breakthroughs.
Could just one Blood Bodhi fruit have such an effect?
Gently, Zhong Shan plucked the last two Blood Bodhi fruits.
"Ling'er, one for each of us," Zhong Shan offered.
"No need. They won't do me any good anymore. Without ten, or rather even ten wouldn't be enough for me now. You should keep them. Blood Bodhi is a medicinal herb for healing. You should keep them for yourself," Tian Ling'er quickly responded.
"Alright," Zhong Shan nodded, not insisting further.
"Can these be stored in a spatial bracelet?" Zhong Shan inquired.
"It's fine. My father said Blood Bodhi fruits don't spoil. They can be kept in a spatial bracelet for a year without going bad," Tian Ling'er replied after a moment of thought.
"Good to know." Zhong Shan nodded again and stored the two Blood Bodhi fruits.
"Zhong Shan, are you ready? Let's go deeper into the cave and see what's there. If there are Blood Bodhi fruits at the entrance, there might be even better things inside," Tian Ling'er exclaimed excitedly.
"Okay," Zhong Shan agreed, but he kept his broadsword in hand. During his half-day recovery, he had noticed that the cave was not naturally formed. Despite its long history and the growth of Blood Bodhi fruits, Zhong Shan could tell it was artificial. Artificial?
"Be careful and stay behind me," Zhong Shan instructed.
Hearing Zhong Shan's protective tone, Tian Ling'er felt an unexpected warmth. She didn't assert her independence as she had when they first set out. She simply responded with a soft "Mm."
With the broadsword clearing the way, Zhong Shan led Tian Ling'er deeper into the cave.
After rounding a bend, Zhong Shan discovered that the cave led downward. The deeper they went, the closer they seemed to get to the earth's core.
The red glow emanated from below.
As they progressed, Zhong Shan noted the cave's structure. It seemed dangerously unstable, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Furrowing his brows, Zhong Shan proceeded cautiously. The further they descended, the hotter it became. The faint red glow had turned into a pervasive crimson. Suddenly, Zhong Shan felt a sense of unease. What was this feeling?
Despite the apprehension, Zhong Shan was determined to explore further. This could be a significant opportunity, but what awaited them?
They had descended nearly a thousand meters—not in distance traveled, but in vertical depth. This cave was a massive undertaking. A thousand meters?
By now, the temperature had reached a frightening level. Their clothes were scorching hot, almost at boiling point, if not higher. Zhong Shan took a bowl of water from his spatial bracelet, and in an instant, the water boiled and emitted steam.
After putting the bowl away, Zhong Shan heard a faint 'sputtering' sound from below. Lava? Yes, it had to be lava.
They could hear the sound of bubbling magma, and it wasn't just that. Zhong Shan noticed another peculiar thing. Along the way, there was a misty area where steam from boiling water was evaporating rapidly.
Huge amounts of steam were spewing from the cave walls, only to be immediately drawn back downwards.
"Zhong Shan, what's going on?" Tian Ling'er asked, pointing at the steam continuously erupting from the cave walls, filled with wonder.
Water vapor spraying out from the stone? How could that be possible? Tian Ling'er widened her eyes, filled with incredulity.
"This is groundwater, just leaking out as it passes through this cave and then getting evaporated," Zhong Shan immediately figured out the situation.
"Groundwater?" Tian Ling'er looked at the scene with amazement. She had heard her father mention it before, but such groundwater encounters were rare. She hadn't expected to see it today.
"However..." Zhong Shan squinted his eyes, a flash of seriousness passing through them.
"However, what?" Tian Ling'er interrupted immediately. Why had they suddenly stopped moving?
"However, the direction of the wind inside is strange. It's drawing all the steam into the depths of the cave," Zhong Shan pondered, frowning.
From Zhong Shan's understanding, if a deep cave has wind, it usually means there is another exit. But with this cave extending further downward, the presence of another exit seemed peculiar.
"Why don't we just go down and see?" Tian Ling'er said excitedly, darting downward quickly.
"Hey, wait a moment." Zhong Shan frowned, following her closely.
They had barely run down twenty meters when they reached the end of the passage.
Magma, bubbling magma. At the other end of the cave was a peculiar environment—a massive magma pool. Surrounding it was a ring-shaped terrace, and above was a large opening, seemingly leading to a distant volcano's mouth.
This was underground lava.
The steam, upon entering, shot straight up through the opening, flowing upward.
The magma pool below was about a hundred meters in diameter, a massive expanse connecting to even deeper parts underground. The magma churned, producing numerous magma bubbles that burst with a popping sound.
The ring-shaped terrace around it seemed artificially made, remarkably smooth and unexpectedly situated in this deepest part.
As Tian Ling'er rushed in, she quickly retreated.
It wasn't the heat—Zhong Shan could tolerate the temperature, and naturally, Tian Ling'er wasn't afraid. It was because of the figure inside.
"Ghost!" Tian Ling'er screamed, retreating straight into Zhong Shan's embrace.
"You've finally come down?" A soft voice echoed.
Zhong Shan looked over, and suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
What kind of person was this?
A human, in shape, but from the waist down, the figure was firmly encased in ice. His entire lower body was frozen, and the ice was black. Even near the magma, it emitted wisps of cold air. Through the black ice, Zhong Shan saw that the man's legs—no, they couldn't be called legs anymore—were shattered into pieces, frozen into small crystalline fragments. It looked incredibly horrifying. On the right leg, even a bone was sticking out from the flesh, frozen solid.
That was below the waist. Above the waist, it was the complete opposite—extremely hot, intensely hot. His entire upper body was a deep red, but the most terrifying part was his hair.
His head was covered with countless strands of hair, all glowing red and connecting to the magma. His hair spread out like a vast net, sinking into the bubbling magma, making one's hair stand on end just by looking at it.
After noticing all this, Zhong Shan finally took in the man's appearance. An old man, an ugly old man. Just one look at him gave Zhong Shan a twisted feeling in his heart.
"Do I really look like a ghost?" The terrifying old man chuckled softly.
Zhong Shan furrowed his brows, watching the creature before him—a being neither human nor ghost. He pointed his large knife at it, staying vigilant.
"When did you notice us?" Zhong Shan asked calmly.
"When you were eating the Blood Bodhi," the old man's grotesque face twisted into a frightening smile.
At this moment, Tian Ling'er realized it wasn't a ghost. Still in Zhong Shan's arms, she turned to look at the man.
"Sorry for disturbing you, senior. We will leave now," Zhong Shan said quickly, holding Tian Ling'er while slowly retreating.
"I haven't seen a living person for a hundred years. Can't you keep me company for a while?" The old man suddenly looked sorrowful.
Seeing this, Tian Ling'er's initial fear turned into pity. A hundred years without seeing another soul? How lonely must that be? Perhaps they should stay and talk to him.
"Apologies, senior, but we have urgent matters outside. We will come back another time," Zhong Shan continued retreating, unwavering in his resolve despite the old man's pitiful demeanor.
As Zhong Shan persisted in leaving, the old man's expression hardened, and with a glare, Zhong Shan found himself unable to move.
Zhong Shan watched in horror. He couldn't move? What was happening? Did the old man use some kind of power? Tian Ling'er, too, seemed paralyzed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"I just want someone to talk to," the old man repeated.
Suddenly, Zhong Shan and Tian Ling'er were lifted off the ground, slowly floating toward the old man.
"Ah—what are you doing?" Tian Ling'er screamed.
"Senior, we won't leave. Please put us down," Zhong Shan pleaded.
"Thud"
The two fell not far from the old man.
Seeing the old man's formidable power, Zhong Shan knew he was facing an absolute powerhouse. With just a glance, the old man had immobilized both him and Ling'er.
Cautiously, Zhong Shan put away his large knife into his storage bracelet, trying to show he meant no harm.
As expected, the old man looked pleased with Zhong Shan's gesture. But did Zhong Shan truly abandon resistance? No, putting away the knife was just a temporary measure; Zhong Shan was more cautious now than ever.
"You used your divine sense to paralyze me? Even my father can't do that. Are you stronger than him?" Tian Ling'er asked, scrambling up and looking at the old man.
"Perhaps," the old man replied, a ghastly smile spreading across his withered face.