Chapter 1612 - 1607: Netherworld Severed Flow (Part 2)
Chapter 1612: Chapter 1607: Netherworld Severed Flow (Part 2)
Truly an enviable competitive spirit, worthy of being the headmaster’s chosen Giant Serpent girl.
Upon seeing Professor Lisa hesitate slightly and then candidly admit she’d rather endure a bit more of the withering pain to take some time to attempt a small comeback, Fu Qian couldn’t help but admire the vitality embodied in her actions.
In fact, as he journeyed to this deep level, he never ceased sensing the withering that Lisa spoke of.
It indeed was a marvelous power, and even her description could be considered precise.
Cold, but not genuinely icy, more akin to life losing its warmth.
This silent domain was assimilating all living beings entering it, skipping the traditional sense of process, directly injecting an abstract concept of death into one’s body.
Its ranking was very high, seemingly a fundamental attribute of this place, leaving no place to escape, though fortunately, its effect was weak.
This should explain why previous explorers reviewed it as "difficult to resist."
If it were any stronger, their evaluation would surely have been "lethal."
Of course, for him now, it was so weak as to mean nothing at all.
But Lisa, who wasn’t even a demigod, clearly couldn’t handle it so lightly.
"Just me?"
Hearing about her suffering from the withering, Fu Qian smiled as he continued across the bridge, respecting her strength through his actions, and casually asked in return.
...
For Professor Lisa, who was already persevering through gritted teeth, the malicious aura of this moment was almost palpable.
Luckily, she didn’t have high hopes for this person’s demeanor, so without much hesitation, she chose to follow.
By comparison, it was rather the question that gave her a tumultuous feeling within.
"What do you mean?"
In an instinctive reaction, her eyes, usually hazy and slender, now shone with a brilliance far beyond the norm, akin to the Flame of Life blazing within.
"A corpse in the Netherworld is indeed a somewhat paradoxical concept."
Fu Qian pointed to her eyes.
"But this feeling you’re fighting against, I bet it still involuntarily reminds you of the word ’deceased.’
"So what do you expect to witness, an unwavering me unable to explain it, or someone with an explanation?"
"... I originally thought there might be another explanation."
Fu Qian’s words brought about a long silence; when Lisa spoke again, the scene gradually brightened.
It wasn’t some house deep in the yellow earth; Fu Qian knew there was more light coming in because it was the direction of the giant pit.
Along this winding path, they successfully reached the lower levels and approached the edge of the pit once more.
"Unfortunately, shortly after entering here, I realized that this contradiction might be unavoidable."
It’s hard to say whether Lisa had maintained a constant sense of direction, but at least her response to the "dawn" ahead remained composed, her voice low like murmuring.
"If the Netherworld truly exists, then I believe this is how it feels... But unless we don’t see the corpses mentioned in the Divine Ashes Institute’s records, it’s hard to make sense of it otherwise."
...
"Truly fascinating."
Encountering no obstacles along the way, their steps seemingly slow yet swift, Fu Qian nodded slightly as they suddenly arrived at the edge of the giant pit.
From this vantage point, they could confirm they’d descended a significant distance.
And although they were still far from the bottom, at this position, the Bone Spirit Creations swarming through the mist had grown even more exaggerated in both density and scale.
Fu Qian watched wide-eyed as a "crocodile" more than ten times larger than the previous giant tore apart a ball covered in bone spurs.
Yet standing within this "Underworld," they were noticeably less conspicuous than if they’d jumped straight down.
The torn-off spines gathered on the "crocodile," rapidly morphing its form as if unlocking new biological components, and neither it nor the other "bone spirits" around paid them any mind.
While observing this scene, Fu Qian simultaneously expressed his understanding of Lisa’s confusion.
Cass’s indulgence of her indeed had its reasons.
The whimsical act just performed under the guise of competitiveness was, at its core, a scholarly trait.
Before taking action, Professor Lisa had evidently studied the reports on the exploration of Linghui thoroughly, having a solid theoretical foundation.
Yet, the more so, the perception brought by "withering" only made her more acutely aware of the inescapable paradox.
What she was doing was merely conveying this feeling to Fu Qian, helping her share the burden slightly.
"This thing should still be manageable."
Now acknowledged by Fu Qian, Lisa saw him pause, looking outside motionlessly, all while not forgetting the original intent of their journey, suggesting this was good material.
"Indeed, significantly higher in ranking than that bat."
Fu Qian nodded slightly, not bothering with the dull doubt of "can you handle it."
In fact, he harbored no worries about her capability to achieve it.
Though this creature before them was vastly stronger than that giant bat, it didn’t exude any sense of divinity, posing no conceptual suppression for a Fourth Phase individual.
Not to mention, given Cass’s esteem for her, being armed to the teeth with Extraordinary Items would be unsurprising, yet—
"Not planning to check the corpse first?"
With a smile, Fu Qian gestured in another direction.
What stood there was a rugged cave, vaguely sloping downward, suggesting a path leading further down.
...
I knew it!
Though her proposal was declined, at that moment, Lisa instead felt a unique reassurance, as if this was indeed the style of the guest before her.
"The Linghui report mentioned this place, advising against delving deeper."
Yet the next moment, she remained noncommittal, fulfilling her duty of warning.
"But they went deeper anyway?"
And, unsurprisingly, Expert Fu showed no reaction.
"Yes..."
"We of Heaven’s Commencement line have never been weaker than others."
With an arrogant demeanor, Fu Qian immediately snorted coldly.
Unfortunately, Professor Lisa didn’t give much face, not only refraining from getting passionate but also silently stepping into the cave.
And it’s quite evident that Linghui’s caution was not unfounded, for merely turning a corner, the sudden increase in discomfort nearly made her undo the constraint around her neck.
Of course, this notion was ultimately forcibly suppressed.
This...
In the next instant, Lisa halted, looking incredulously at Fu Qian, who had followed her.
In the blink of an eye, the overwhelming pressure of withering erosion was unexpectedly being rapidly dispelled.
And it’s hard to say whether it was an illusion, but Heaven’s Commencement’s Temporary Leader, owing her a favor, seemingly bore an added "reality" starkly contrasting with the surroundings.