C726 At the Bottom of the Tunnel

"Is there really some treasure down there?" Woo Zhengyang wondered, feeling the unusual temperature and energy in the water. He recalled Bing Yue's description of the ice and water, which fueled his curiosity.

Having discovered this intriguing spot, he felt compelled to explore further. It would be a waste of the two or three hours he had already spent if he didn't. Without much hesitation, Woo Zhengyang dove deeper.

The funnel-shaped center was astonishingly deep, eventually turning into a straight vertical passage. Without the luminescent pearls, it would be pitch black even during the day.

As Woo Zhengyang descended, the water temperature gradually increased, and the energy within it intensified. However, the pressure also grew, forcing him to use his inner energy to create a protective shield around himself.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, Woo Zhengyang reached the end of the passage.

To his surprise, despite being so deep underground, there was still an endless layer of ice below. With glaciers above and an infinite ice layer beneath, he couldn't help but wonder about the nature of this area. Was it all just one massive block of ice?

Upon stepping onto the ice surface, Woo Zhengyang was astonished to find that, unlike the other ice layers, this ice wasn't cold—it was warm!

Could the warm water really be coming from this ice? That defies logic, at least as far as Woo Zhengyang has seen. Holding the glowing pearl, Woo Zhengyang decided to explore the ice layer. Earlier, he was so focused on diving that he didn't notice how the passage had widened significantly.

Before long, Woo Zhengyang reached the edge of the passage and continued to explore along its perimeter. Finally, he discovered a new passage. This one didn't go down but extended to the side, just big enough for one person.

This was peculiar. Woo Zhengyang had traversed many passages, with branches of varying sizes, but he'd never seen an opening this small. If this was a branch of the massive passage, the difference was too stark. Moreover, the existence of such a massive passage was unusual in itself—so vast, so deep, yet leading to nothing?

Woo Zhengyang circled around again, even checking the surroundings above and below, confirming there were no other passages. He returned to the small passage. At this point, turning back was not an option for Woo Zhengyang. Even if this passage led to a demonic beast's lair, he was determined to explore it.

With the No Life Sword in one hand and the glowing pearl in the other, Woo Zhengyang squeezed into the narrow passage. It wasn't very deep; after a short while, the path opened up before him.

He found himself at yet another body of water! The last thing Woo Zhengyang wanted to encounter was more water. This was the third such area he had come across, and he felt like each one took him further from his way back.

However, Woo Zhengyang soon realized this place was different from what he had imagined. The area wasn't large, and there were no branching paths around. Most notably, the space above the water seemed open!

Without hesitation, Woo Zhengyang surfaced and surveyed his surroundings. It was indeed open, but unfortunately, above the hollow space was a thick, seemingly endless layer of ice, not the world he had hoped to return to. It made sense, considering he had no idea how deep he had dived; returning to the surface wouldn't be that easy.

Taking a breath of air, perhaps due to the water's influence, even the air here was filled with an energy that made him feel incredibly comfortable.

Then, Woo Zhengyang noticed a platform not too far away. As he stepped onto it, he was stunned! The platform was densely covered with dozens of human skeletons.

Finding so many human remains deep underground was shocking. Woo Zhengyang hadn't encountered any beasts along the way, so how did these people die?

As Woo Zhengyang got closer, he finally noticed something unusual. Each of these people was bound by a chain, no thicker than a finger, made of some unknown material. It was clear they couldn't break free; otherwise, they wouldn't have perished here.

He traced the chains back to their source and found they were directly connected to the platform beneath them. No wonder Woo Zhengyang had felt something was off. The surrounding area was covered in ice, except for this platform. It seemed deliberately placed here to imprison these individuals.

Who were these people, and who had locked them up?

"Let me out."

Just as Woo Zhengyang was about to investigate further, he heard Bing Yue's voice from within the Star World.

With a thought, Bing Yue appeared on the platform.

"Where... where is this?" Bing Yue asked, startled by her surroundings and the human remains.

"I don't know either," Woo Zhengyang replied, recounting his journey step by step.

"A shadow?" Bing Yue pondered for a moment before throwing herself into Woo Zhengyang's arms, still shaken. "You didn't see the ghosts of these dead people, did you?"

Woo Zhengyang was speechless and could only gently pat Bing Yue's back to comfort her. "Even if there were ghosts, there's nothing to fear. Many powerful practitioners leave behind remnants of their souls long after they pass."

As Woo Zhengyang spoke, he couldn't help but think of Nalan Yan'er, that unparalleled woman untouched by the world's impurities. If only he could see her once more!

"That's different. The remnants of those powerful souls were mostly left willingly, just like regular souls. But I've heard that when someone dies unjustly, their vengeful spirit might turn into a terrifying ghost..."

"You're a mighty warrior, and you're afraid of a ghost? If there really is a ghost, that would be perfect. I've been stuck in this water for too long. A fight with a ghost would be a great way to let off some steam."

"Even warriors are human, you know. And she's a delicate woman, not as battle-hungry as you. Naturally, she's scared."

Despite her words, Bing Yue moved away from Woo Zhengyang's embrace. This place was strange, and she wanted to figure out why there was such a mysterious area beneath the Ice Heart Sect.

"Hey, you two..."

Just as Bing Yue left Woo Zhengyang's arms, a tiny voice reached their ears. Startled, Bing Yue let out a yelp and jumped back onto Woo Zhengyang, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.