They were human eyes.

But they emanated a bone-chilling light that made one's skin crawl!

Although my physique and willpower are already incredibly strong, that frigid gleam still sends a chill down my spine, as if the gaze has affected my very soul.

Su Xuan knew at once that the gaze was connected to the problem with the message from Sect Leader Qi and the others. He decisively pushed Qi Li toward the surface, then changed direction and dove toward those eyes.

But the moment those eyes saw Su Xuan swimming down, they vanished in a flash!

I can hold my breath for a long time yet. Considering this, Su Xuan decisively dove into the underwater cave where the eyes had been.

GURGLE!

Propelled by Su Xuan's push, Qi Li shot a good distance toward the surface. But when she realized Su Xuan had dived down again, she barely hesitated. Forcing herself to hold the last of her breath, she followed closely behind him.

He was looking for her father on her behalf and must have discovered a clue. I can't let him face the danger alone!

Seeing Qi Li follow him, Su Xuan shook his head at her.

Qi Li just shook her head back.

Su Xuan frowned, pointed into the depths of the underwater cave, and, pulling Qi Li along, swam rapidly inside.

HISS!

Just as they entered about five or six meters into the watery tunnel, a sharp sound suddenly pierced the current.

Strands of black, thread-like tendrils, like the tentacles of some monster, snaked toward the two of them!

Qi Li hurriedly drew her sword and slashed at them!

The tendrils weren't very tough, and Qi Li easily severed several. But they seemed endless. They not only wrenched her sword from her grasp, but also wrapped around her body, violently pulling her into the cave's depths!

It was at this critical moment that something unexpected happened.

Su Xuan, who carried no weapon, suddenly stretched out his hand. A plume of black energy spilled from his palm, solidifying into a black longsword!

This was clearly a martial art from the Spirit-Taming Sect—the Zhanling Sword!

HISS! HISS! HISS!

Su Xuan swung the black sword, severing all the tentacles in the blink of an eye!

The next instant, a strange black shadow shot out from the depths of the cave. It lunged toward Su Xuan, its sharp claws outstretched!

The eerie eyes from before must have belonged to this shadow.

HISS!

Su Xuan swung his sword with force again, severing the shadow's arm! At the same time, his other hand struck out with the Floating Cloud Sect's Cloud Wave Palm!

BANG!

A muffled explosion echoed through the water.

The black shadow tumbled deeper into the cave!

Su Xuan couldn't let it escape. He propelled himself through the water with a powerful thrust and gave chase with the black Zhanling Sword, bringing it down in a vicious, overhead slash!

HISS!

The strange shadow was instantly split in two!

But then something terrifying happened.

The two halves of the shadow didn't die. Each piece struggled on its own, fleeing into the depths of the cave!

Su Xuan waved at Qi Li, again urging her to return to the surface, while he pursued the two halves of the shadow.

By now, Qi Li's face was beet red from holding her breath. But after only a moment's hesitation, she followed Su Xuan anyway!

As they advanced rapidly along the watery passage, their expressions grew stranger and stranger.

The tunnel didn't seem natural; the stone walls on both sides were covered in a series of rock carvings! Su Xuan glanced at them casually. They depicted people kneeling in worship and making offerings, as if to commemorate some ritual that had once taken place here!

After proceeding about twenty meters further into the tunnel, something astonishing happened.

SPLASH!

The two of them broke through the surface of the water!

That was right. There was no water at the end of the tunnel.

Su Xuan and Qi Li's heads emerged from the water. They stared at each other, unable to comprehend what was happening.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Qi Li immediately began gulping down air, and the deep red of her face slowly began to fade.

Su Xuan, on the other hand, appeared quite relaxed as he surveyed his surroundings. They were in a square-shaped stone cave, about two hundred square meters in area. The walls were embedded with numerous glowing stones, which emitted faint specks of light that cast strange, multicolored patterns all around. On the wall directly opposite him was a tightly shut stone door.

It looked as if someone had just passed through.

SPLASH!

Su Xuan climbed out of the water first, then pulled Qi Li out.

Qi Li lay on the floor, still gasping for air. Her chest heaved, creating a pitifully beautiful sight.

"I'm fine, I'm okay," Qi Li said, her voice weak but firm. "After this, I'll never be afraid of the water again."

"You're very brave," Su Xuan complimented her. He then pointed at the ground and whispered, "Look, footprints."

Qi Li quickly sat up and looked at the floor. A look of both delight and shock appeared on her face.

She was delighted because there wasn't just one set of footprints, but several—they undoubtedly belonged to her father and the others! But what shocked her was that the footprints were incredibly uniform, as if they had marched forward in a neat, meticulous line!

How is that possible? How could they possibly walk like that? An image of her father and the others marching in perfect step flashed through her mind, sending a chill down her spine.

"The footprints lead to the stone door," Su Xuan said, unable to offer a suitable explanation. He pointed toward the closed door, where the footprints mysteriously vanished.

"Hmm," Qi Li nodded, her voice grave. "Should we go in and have a look?"

"We definitely have to," Su Xuan agreed, then added, "But you should stay out here as backup. If something happens inside, we can't be left with no one to go for help."

Although Su Xuan hadn't given her an explanation, I guess Qi Qingshan and the others must have been bewitched to be walking like a disciplined military unit! It's like some force pulled them through that stone door.

"No way!" Qi Li said firmly. "You're risking your life to save my father. How can I let you go in alone? We'll go together. That way, we can watch each other's backs!"

"I'm not just here to save your father," Su Xuan said, glancing around the stone chamber again. "I also came for the Moon Profound Stones. If I don't pull my weight, what's to stop you from keeping them all for yourselves?"

If her father hadn't been in trouble, Su Xuan's remark might have made Qi Li laugh.

Instead, she just pointed at the glowing stones on the wall. "Su Xuan, those are the Moon Profound Stones!"

"Oh?" Su Xuan blinked in surprise. He walked over to a wall, pried loose a piece of the glowing stone, and examined it in his palm.

"The light it gives off at night is like gentle moonlight, which is how it got its rather pleasant name, Moon Profound Stone," Qi Li explained as she approached. "You can circulate your cultivation method and try to absorb the spiritual essence inside."

"Alright!"

Su Xuan closed his eyes and circulated his cultivation method to absorb it. His brow twitched.

An incredibly dense energy flowed from the small, glowing stone into his meridians, converging in his dantian!

It was far, far denser than the Spiritual Energy in the air!

But could this place really be an ore vein? Clearly not! This feels more like a tomb!

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