Qin Hui's descent was rapid, yet the time spent sinking felt interminably long, a testament to the water pool's immense depth.
Fortunately, Qin Hui had employed his true energy to protect his body beforehand, or he would have frozen solid by now.
Even an abyss eventually has a bottom.
Qin Hui had no idea how long it had been before he finally reached the very bottom of the water pool.
"Huh? There's a stone path?"
Qin Hui was utterly surprised. The presence of a stone path here suggested that a civilization had once existed, only to be gradually submerged over time.
Driven by intense curiosity, Qin Hui strode forward along the path with all his might.
It was important to remember that Qin Hui's strength was limited; he was merely a fifth-level martial artist and could not remain in the deep water for long.
Upon reaching the end of the stone path, a dust-laden door blocked Qin Hui's way.
The patterns on the door were incredibly clear, as if they had been carved just yesterday.
By current standards, Qin Hui had stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient civilization.
"Bang!"
Qin Hui paid no mind to whether it was an antique and simply kicked it open with a single kick.
As the stone was kicked aside, a surge of pure energy immediately captivated Qin Hui.
Most importantly, this pure energy bore a striking resemblance to the energy emanating from the giant lizard encountered earlier.
Following this energy, Qin Hui advanced slowly. The place resembled a long-sealed palace, grand and magnificent.
On both sides of the path lay countless ancient artifacts made of gold; any single piece taken out would be a priceless treasure.
To Qin Hui, however, priceless treasures were equivalent to not being worth a single cent.
If Qin Hui had been poor, he might have chosen to carry off a treasure.
Having achieved financial freedom, Qin Hui couldn't be bothered to even glance at the gold.
Soon, Qin Hui arrived at the source of the energy.
Looking up, he saw a lustrous pearl nestled within a scallop shell.
The pearl's appearance was exquisite, and it gleamed brightly.
Most crucially, the energy Qin Hui had detected earlier from the giant lizard was present in this pearl. It was clear Qin Hui had found a treasure.
"I never expected that just this pearl caused the little lizard to mutate."
Qin Hui expressed a hint of astonishment. If he were to refine this pearl, wouldn't he become an immortal?
Though somewhat excited, Qin Hui's rationality remained intact. If such a small item could make him lose his senses, he wouldn't have survived this long.
In his early years, Qin Hui had followed his unconventional master and had been subjected to his hidden tricks time and again.
This experience had forged Qin Hui's inherently calm nature; the more exciting the situation, the calmer he became.
"Since it has fallen into my hands, it naturally belongs to me."
While calm, Qin Hui was not one to be polite.
With this thought, Qin Hui extended his hand towards the beautiful scallop shell.
However, the scallop shell seemed to be alive. As Qin Hui's hand reached out, the shell snapped shut. With the shell closing, the surge of pure energy vanished as if it had never existed.
"I..."
Qin Hui silently cursed.
Qin Hui's current mood was akin to stepping on dog feces; he had encountered a treasure but could not obtain it.
"I..."
Qin Hui truly wanted to curse, but out of politeness, he held back.
Who would curse a scallop shell?
Even if you cursed it, the scallop shell wouldn't understand.
"Never mind, since I saw it, it's fate."
Qin Hui directly grasped the scallop shell in his palm.
Initially, Qin Hui had intended to use his brute force to pry open the shell and retrieve the pearl, but his efforts ended in failure.
The dignified fifth-level martial artist was no match for a mere scallop shell.
With the scallop shell in hand, Qin Hui had originally intended to explore the surroundings, as it would be a shame to come all this way and not explore.
However, the moment Qin Hui took a step away, the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate, and everything around him started to sway.
Rumble!
Stones from the palace's ceiling began to fall, kicking up dark, muddy water.
It was collapsing.
Indeed, the pearl within the scallop shell was a treasure, and likely everything here was less precious than this item.
Although Qin Hui was a fifth-level martial artist, if he were truly trapped here, it would be a sure death.
Therefore, Qin Hui had to leave quickly before the collapse.
Bang! Bang!
Behind Qin Hui, a section of the palace caved in, with powerful forces sweeping towards Qin Hui.
He needed to hurry, or he would truly be buried here.
Although Qin Hui appeared calm on the surface, his heart was filled with anxiety.
"Phew, finally reached the opening."
Upon seeing the stone door, Qin Hui breathed a sigh of great relief.
However, at that very moment of relief, the entire stone door collapsed with a resounding crash, directly blocking Qin Hui's escape route.
In an instant, the entire water surface turned turbid, and everything disappeared at that moment.
...
"Why hasn't he surfaced yet?"
"Could he have found a treasure?"
"That's not right. Even if he found a treasure, Qin Hui should have climbed out by now."
Huang Qing, standing by the water pool, grew anxious. She had been waiting for nearly four hours.
No matter how strong a person was, they couldn't stay in the water for four hours unless they were dead.
Moreover, Huang Qing had touched the water earlier; it was bone-chillingly cold. Forget Qin Hui, even she wouldn't dare to jump in.
Before this, Huang Qing had attempted to call Qin Hui multiple times, but all calls had failed.
This was because her phone was not waterproof!
Huang Qing had also considered calling Jin Yan'er to bring people, but there was no signal at all within the cave.
If Huang Qing were to walk out, the round trip would likely take an entire day. If Qin Hui emerged at this time, there would be no one to look after him, and he might not survive.
"What should I do?"
Huang Qing was as restless as an ant on a hot pan. If only she had stopped Qin Hui from jumping in.
"Qin Hui, don't you dare die. If you die, my medicinal herbs will be gone."
"If you die, I won't collect your body. I certainly won't be foolish enough to jump in."
Huang Qing stood by the water pool, muttering to herself. If she didn't distract herself, she felt she would go mad.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Just as Huang Qing was extremely anxious, Qin Hui surged forward and leaped out of the water.
Fortunately, at the last critical moment, Qin Hui had escaped the stone door, or he would have been buried there for life.
Emerging from the water, Qin Hui immediately used his true energy to dry his body, finally feeling a trace of warmth.
It was important to note that Qin Hui's true energy had been completely depleted just moments ago. If not for his sheer willpower, he would have likely become fish food.
"Qin Hui, you're finally out. It's so good that you're still alive."
Huang Qing was overcome with excitement, almost jumping in herself to see what was happening.
"Alright, stop chattering. I need to rest."
Qin Hui was utterly exhausted. A martial artist whose true energy was depleted was even weaker than an ordinary person.
"Hmph, who are you trying to fool? Did you get some kind of treasure?"
Huang Qing playfully patted Qin Hui, saying happily.
However, this pat caused Qin Hui to collapse entirely.
Most infuriatingly, after Qin Hui fell, he saw Huang Qing's face filled with a smile.