The Perilous Descent Continues
After a full meal and a natural wake-up, the two continued their journey, climbing back up.
Two hours into their return trip, Qin You cried out in alarm, "Young Master, snakes! There are so many large snakes down there!"
Qin Anwu calmly replied, "They won't come up. The real danger hasn't even begun yet."
"Oh, snakes are really scary."
"I don't see you being scared."
"Hehe, that's because Young Master is here."
"If it were just you, would you be scared?"
"I wouldn't come to a place like this by myself."
"..."
Into the Chasm
"...Wow, we're finally at the bottom! There aren't many snakes here. Young Master, why is everything so dim and gray? Is it night? Oh, no, it's been dark for a while, we couldn't see the sky."
After descending to the bottom of the valley, Qin You chattered on, answering her own questions.
Qin Anwu took out some food. After eating his fill and resting, he pulled out a small earthenware pot, lit a fire, opened a satchel, and retrieved a bag of medicinal herbs. As the earthenware pot slightly changed color, he carefully added the medicinal ingredients.
Watching his serious and focused demeanor, Qin You sat silently nearby, her eyes constantly moving between his face and the pot. Although she didn't understand what he was doing, she found it very interesting.
After a long time, Qin Anwu removed the pot from the fire and let out a long sigh. "Done."
Qin You leaned in to look and saw five glistening green pills in the pot. She asked, "Young Master, what is this?"
"Pills."
"Young Master can even refine pills!"
"Your Young Master knows many things."
He poured out the pills, wrapped them up, and put them in his pocket. Then, he refined another batch, also five pills, but these were slightly smoother than the previous ones. A smoother appearance meant a higher grade.
"It wasn't easy. Even with such low-grade medicinal herbs, I managed to refine high-grade mortal pills. I haven't disgraced the prestige of this Immortal Emperor without self."
After pouring them out, he first offered one to her. "Eat this one."
"Okay, okay, why do I need to take medicine?"
"What you saw as dim and gray is actually miasma, which is poisonous. This is a Clear Miasma Pill, it can counteract the miasma."
"Oh, I'll eat it."
Qin You took the pill and examined it. Seeing Qin Anwu take and swallow one himself, she quickly put her pill into her mouth as well. Afterward, she smacked her lips. "Young Master, this Clear Miasma Pill is sweet and has a fresh fragrance. It tastes really good."
He scolded her with a laugh, "When did you become such a glutton? From now on, you walk in front of me. Don't think about anything else. Remember, I'm right beside you. No matter what happens, don't panic."
"Okay."
Battling the Undead
Suddenly, a gust of foul wind rushed towards them, carrying a stench that made Qin You scream. In the faint moonlight, a giant snake, as thick as two men wrapped together, slithered towards them.
Qin Anwu spoke calmly, "Look at the road ahead." He took a step forward and swept his sword across the ground. The snake was instantly cut in half, its head separating from its body and falling to the ground.
Qin You patted her chest. "Oh my, Young Master, that scared me to death. Did it come from very far?"
"Not very far. It's just a normal occurrence. It's your fault."
"Young Master, why is the roasted snake meat so delicious? It's even tastier than regular roasted chicken."
"I don't know, but it should be effective against the miasma. It's a special kind of snake that can only be found in this place."
He and Qin You continued to advance. The journey was long. Qin Anwu would occasionally sweep his sword, instantly killing any snakes that appeared. He continued moving forward without stopping.
At one point, Qin You noticed a bone skeleton about 10 meters in front of them, its eye sockets glowing green. She cried out in alarm, "Young Master, look! There's a big green skeleton!"
Qin Anwu swept his sword over the skeleton. "This is just a Ninth Realm Qi Cultivator's skeleton. It's not worth your time." He then took out a Clear Miasma Pill from his pocket and threw it to her. "Swallow this."
Qin You swallowed the pill, then opened her eyes wide and looked at Qin Anwu. "Young Master, why is it so quick to refine this pill? It's so sweet and fresh, and it melts instantly. Is it because the medicinal herbs are all dead?"
Qin Anwu laughed, "It's a low-grade pill, so it's easy to refine. The higher the grade, the harder it is."
He then said to Qin You, "Girl, you go in front. This skeleton is weak and will only get in our way. I'm right behind you, so don't worry."
Qin You ran forward, no longer caring about anything else. She knew that her young master was there to protect her.
They encountered more and more skeletons, all of them appearing faster and faster. Qin Anwu's movements were slow, but he was getting faster and faster. This was a continuous training process, tempering his body and spirit.
The deeper they went, the more skeletons appeared. Qin Anwu killed them one by one. He didn't waste any time, only taking out a single sword. These skeletons were all Qi Cultivation Stage, but they were very strong.
"Young Master, these skeletons are very powerful, but they don't seem to attack you. Why is that?" Qin You asked.
"They're just following orders. They're not targeting us directly."
Qin Anwu threw his satchel to Qin You. "Take this. Don't drop it. It's very important."
Qin You put the satchel on her back, no longer complaining. She knew it was important to him.
Qin Anwu continued to move forward, his sword never stopping. He would occasionally strike the skeletons, sending them flying. He continued to move forward, his sword always on target.
Approaching the End
Qin Anwu stepped over the skeleton, turned around, and took a few steps back. He was still very far from the skeleton, but he was getting closer. He then jumped forward, sweeping his sword across the skeleton. The skeleton was hit and fell backwards, then quickly got back up.
Qin Anwu swung his sword again, hitting the skeleton's arm, causing it to go limp. The skeleton roared in anger. Qin Anwu laughed and continued to attack. He continued to swing his sword, hitting the skeleton's chest and head. The skeleton reeled back, trying to regain its balance, but it was too late. It finally fell to the ground, its bones crumbling.
Qin Anwu then moved forward, stepping over the crumpled skeleton. He continued to walk forward, as if nothing had happened.
Qin You continued to run, her feet and hands moving in sync. She didn't feel tired at all. She looked up at the sky, which was a beautiful blue, and saw white clouds floating by. She knew that she was finally back in the normal world.
Qin Anwu continued to run, his sword never leaving his hand. He was still running, even though they were out of the miasma. He was still training, building up his strength.
He then put his hands on his hips and said in a loud voice, "Ha! Ha! Ha! So this is it! The secret realm of the 'Abyss of Certain Death'!"
He turned to Qin You. "Young Master, where is this?" she asked, her eyes still wide.
Qin Anwu looked at her and smiled. "This is the 'Abyss of Certain Death'."