Chapter 412: Chapter 183: Grotto Heaven

It was only then that Chen Cheng realized he had swum into a deep trench.

The stone walls on either side were about seven or eight meters apart.

But the depth of the ravine was still impossible to determine.

It was like a bottomless abyss. Beyond the fluorescent glow, there was only darkness.

Chen Cheng steadied himself and continued his descent.

Time trickled by, and the depth of his dive became impossible to gauge.

Yet his Profound Breath Inspiration remained unresponsive.

’This depth is absurd... I have no idea how much longer it’ll take to reach the bottom... It’s time to surface for air.’

The time required to swim back to the surface was nearly the same as the time he had spent descending.

Chen Cheng had to leave himself ample time for the return journey, so he had no choice but to abandon his exploration for now and turn back toward the surface.

However, he didn’t retrace his path. Instead, he swam upward at an angle to expand the detection range of his Profound Breath Inspiration.

’What’s that?’

After swimming a short distance, a circular, man-made crack suddenly appeared on the cliff face ahead.

The crack was extremely subtle. It was also heavily coated with aquatic plants and shells from the constant wash of the current, making it nearly impossible to spot for anyone without Chen Cheng’s exceptional eyesight.

He quickly swam over, took out a Profound Iron Dagger, brushed aside the aquatic plants, and wedged the tip of the blade into the crack, prying with force.

"CRACK! CRACKLE..."

In the next instant, it was as if a joint that had been sealed for countless years had suddenly come loose.

Chen Cheng tested it with his hands and could clearly feel an intricate mechanism within.

He pressed his hand into the center of the circular mark and pushed inward forcefully.

A section of the stone wall recessed.

Immediately, a narrow stone door opened beside it, revealing a pitch-black passage just wide enough for one person.

’...Is the treasure in here?’

Chen Cheng steadied himself and decided to investigate.

He first took out the second bottle of Fish Breath Powder Lü Qinyi had given him. After consuming it, he could greatly extend the duration of his Inner Breath and remain underwater for much longer.

Next, he took the Profound Iron Spear Shaft from his back and combined it with his dagger to form a seven-foot-long spear.

Grasping the butt of the spear with one hand, he first extended the shaft into the passage, tapping and prodding at various spots.

Only after repeatedly confirming that there were no deadly traps meant to deter intruders inside the passage did he begin to swim in himself.

The passage was very long, following the rock strata as it slanted upward to the north.

Chen Cheng swam slowly, each movement exceptionally cautious.

「Some time later.」

The water in the passage gave way to a set of stone steps slanting upward.

The edges of the steps were worn smooth and covered in a thin layer of damp moss, making them slightly slippery underfoot.

Chen Cheng climbed the steps. The sound of water grew distant behind him, replaced by his own steady footsteps echoing in the narrow space.

A moment later, he finally emerged from the passage.

His view opened up before him.

It was a Grotto Heaven, hidden within the mountain itself, its space far vaster than he could have imagined.

The vaulted ceiling hung high overhead, a good several dozen meters off the ground.

Several natural fissures crisscrossed the dome. Daylight slanted down through them like silver veils of gauze, enveloping the entire Grotto Heaven in a cool, gentle glow.

Those same fissures also provided ventilation, making the air within the Grotto Heaven surprisingly fresh and suffused with the natural scent of a mountain forest.

At either end of the Grotto Heaven was a spring-fed pool.

The one on the left churned as if boiling, with steam rising endlessly. It was the source of an intensely hot spring.

The one on the right gurgled and churned, its water crystal clear. A thin layer of white frost coated the pool’s edge. It was an Unfrozen Ice Spring.

Between these two pools was an open area paved with flat, black stone tiles, perfectly wide and level.

At the far end of this clearing was a stone door hewn from the mountainside.

Chen Cheng could now clearly feel something behind the stone door exerting an incredibly strong Mental Gravity upon him.

He walked over slowly, still on high alert.

After probing it with his longspear, he then used his hands to push the stone door open.

By the light of the Fluorescent Pearl, he could see that the door opened into a cave dwelling carved out by a predecessor.

The floor was level and the space was wide.

In the main hall, the stone table and stools, though neatly arranged, were covered in the corrosive marks of time.

Deeper inside, a larger stone chamber contained a stone bed covered with what was left of long-decayed, unidentifiable animal hides.

Niches had been chiseled into the stone walls, but they were empty, bearing only a few marks from blades and axes.

There was also a small chamber on either side.

The chamber on the left was completely empty save for a rotted meditation cushion in the center. It was clearly a quiet room for practicing an Inner Cultivation Technique.

The one on the right must have been for storage. Its three stone walls were riddled with niches of all sizes and at different heights. Unfortunately, whatever its former occupant had stored there had long since decayed, leaving nothing but piles of fragments.

The only exception was an object placed in a niche at the highest point.

And now, that unprecedentedly strong Mental Gravity was emanating from this very object.

Chen Cheng leaped into the air. After getting a clear look at the object and confirming it posed no danger, he took it down.

It was a perfectly round Jade Disc, twenty centimeters in diameter. Its color was pure white and its quality was superb; a faint halo of light even seemed to flow within it.

The face of the Jade Disc was engraved with columns of tiny, intricate characters, clearly traced in cinnabar.

Chen Cheng quickly read through it.

[Immortal Bone Golden Body Technique]: Entry Level (0/300), Traits (None), Limit-Breaking (No)

The Vertical Eye Mark bestowed perfect entry-level mastery.

Chen Cheng instantly understood the nature of this Martial Arts technique and its core purpose:

"This is an Upper Grade Horizontal Martial Arts technique that can only be cultivated at the Divine Storage Realm! Once I train it to Minor Achievement, the strength of my physical body will rival Refined Iron!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.