Chapter 424: Chapter 185: Beneath the Abyss

Chen Cheng could feel the ever-increasing pressure on his body. His leather suit and gear felt as if they were being crushed into his very flesh.

The circulation of his Blood Qi grew sluggish, and his muscles and bones began to let out a faint tremor.

CRACK—SNAP!

Just then, the Fluorescent Pearl in Chen Cheng’s hand cracked apart, shattering into several pieces.

More cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, and soon it crumbled into even smaller fragments.

’I can’t go any deeper... If I get hurt and can’t swim back, I’ll die down here...’

A wave of terror washed over Chen Cheng, and he was about to turn back.

Suddenly, a massive wave of mental pressure erupted from the bottom of the abyss without any warning.

It was like the sky falling and the earth rending, a mountain-crushing tsunami that instantly engulfed Chen Cheng.

In that instant, Chen Cheng felt a ringing in his head. His vision went black, and it was as if a cold hand had viciously gripped his heart. Even his Inner Breath froze, stagnating for a split second.

Had this been an ordinary person, under such terrifying mental pressure, they would have, at the very least, lost all composure and suffered a mental collapse. At worst, they would have fainted on the spot, plummeting to a violent death.

But Chen Cheng was different.

He had long tempered himself with Health Tai Chi. His Divine Marrow was nourished daily, and his Heart Spirit was far stronger than that of an ordinary person.

His Mental State was steady as a rock, his Heart Defense was impregnable, and his Heart Power was profound and enduring.

Under the immense, formless pressure, although his body had an immediate stress reaction and was wracked with discomfort, his Heart Spirit did not falter. It was like an intangible Great Wall, holding the most critical line. Panic, collapse, and fainting—none of it happened to him.

He didn’t even try to escape.

Instead, he hovered quietly in place, allowing the mental pressure to continue bearing down on him.

He knew with crystal clarity that pressure on a mental level was something that could be overcome.

It was like seeing something utterly terrifying.

The first time, you’re scared witless, maybe even scared enough to piss your pants.

The second time, your skin crawls and your scalp tingles.

The tenth time? ’Is that all you’ve got?’

The hundredth time? ’I could take on ten of you!’

And right now, what Chen Cheng had to do was endure this pressure, gradually adapt to it, and ultimately, ignore it.

This process of reaching his final goal was, in itself, a way to temper his own Mental Strength.

As his Mental Strength improved, his Heart Power, Heart Defense, and Mental State would all strengthen in turn.

As for the source of this intangible pressure, Chen Cheng guessed that something must be sealed at the bottom of the abyss.

What it was, exactly, Chen Cheng couldn’t know.

But he was almost certain it was a seal.

Otherwise, a being that could emit such terrifying pressure could kill him more easily than crushing an ant. Why wouldn’t it just attack him directly? Why make things so unnecessarily complicated?

For this reason, Chen Cheng was in no hurry to retreat.

Time passed, bit by bit.

The ringing in his head faded completely, his vision cleared, and his heartbeat and Inner Breath returned to normal.

’I withstood it... Once my Wandering Dragon Technique reaches the Great Success stage, I can go a bit deeper... I just wonder, if I come back on a night without a full moon, will this pressure still be here?’

Chen Cheng collected himself and, by the light of the Fluorescent Pearl fragments in his palm, checked on the Treasure Fish in his net.

This Tier Two Treasure Fish, originally exceptionally vigorous, was now as dead as could be.

Its eyes were bulging, its mouth and gill covers were stretched wide open, and its body was twisted and rigid, as if it had literally been scared to death.

’...What in the world is down there?’

A chill went down Chen Cheng’s spine, and he couldn’t help but gaze down into the abyss.

In that instant, he felt something from the depths of the abyss staring right back at him.

...

「The next morning.」

Chen Cheng returned to the Abyssal Grotto Heaven.

Last night, he hadn’t stopped after catching his usual two Treasure Fish. Instead, he had searched until the moon set and the sun rose, waiting until the Profound Breath Inspiration had vanished completely before heading back.

Over the course of the entire night, he had caught a total of ten Treasure Fish and harvested three stalks of Treasure Medicine that grew underwater.

The Treasure Fish that could be kept together were placed directly into his fishpond.

Those that couldn’t be kept with the others were left in the net. He would later take them to Guan Lan Pavilion, kill them with a jolt of force, preserve them in chilled well water, and leave them for Qing Chan.

As for the three stalks of Treasure Medicine, he planted them alongside the two he already had.

Some time ago, he had dug a medicinal pool next to the Unfrozen Ice Spring, diverting its water to fill it, and had been attempting to cultivate Treasure Medicine there.

The first two stalks had successfully taken root.

He planned to plant the three he had acquired last night as well.

He had heard that the Medicine Pavilion possessed a special Technique for cultivating Treasure Medicine, one that could accelerate its growth and even cause it to advance in tier.

Chen Cheng’s plan was to find an opportunity to learn that Technique.

If he could just get the Treasure Medicine to advance from the Initial Tier to Tier Two, its value would skyrocket seven- to tenfold, making it a very worthwhile long-term investment.

Afterward, Chen Cheng took two of the aggressive fish he had killed, along with one Healing Treasure Fish he planned to give to Li Wenrou, and left the Grotto Heaven.

On his way back to the Outer Sect Stone Platform, a familiar figure appeared up ahead.

He swam over, and as he drew closer, the other person noticed him as well.

’Junior Brother Chen, out fishing this early?’

It was Chai Liang, his lips moving as a broad smile spread across his face.

Chen Cheng shook his head and replied:

’I’ve been at it all night. I’m just heading back to Guan Lan Pavilion to rest now.’

’You fish at night? What could you possibly catch?’

Chai Liang paused, his gaze immediately falling upon the fishing net in Chen Cheng’s hands.

In the next instant, Chai Liang’s entire face twisted. His eyes bulged like a cow’s, his Inner Breath faltered for a second, and a large stream of bubbles escaped his mouth.

’Holy cow! You caught three Treasure Fish in one night? Junior Brother Chen, your luck is simply out of this world!’

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