Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 733: Chapter 390 Rootless Dark River_2

Gu Sheng observed the surroundings and realized that they seemed to have arrived at a spacious area.

It was no longer within the narrow confines of the dark river but rather a broad space resembling the lakebed.

The waterflow here was not as turbulent, and the surrounding visibility had become clearer, though the pressure had significantly increased.

He noticed massive stone pillars around them, resembling supports for the entire subterranean world.

Between the pillars, faint shadows of strange creatures could be seen swimming.

The girl in purple also took note of the change in their environment, a trace of excitement flashing through her eyes.

"It seems we might have hope here. This could be a meeting point for the dark river and maybe a way to the surface."

"Hmm."

Gu Sheng nodded and began searching the lakebed for a possible exit.

At the same time, a sly glint appeared in the girl’s eyes.

"Hey, can you untie me now? That way, we can find the exit more quickly."

With a look of anticipation, the girl stared at Gu Sheng as she spoke.

Gu Sheng turned to look at her, instantly growing wary.

"Untie you? No way! You’re my trump card."

Gu Sheng said, pulling the girl along as they moved further inward.

The girl’s face showed a hint of disappointment, as though she were incredibly pitiful.

And so, the two continued moving deeper into the dark river among the stone pillars.

Unknowingly, the water’s flow gradually became calmer, yet the pressure increased, as if an invisible force was oppressing them.

Not long after, the girl suddenly changed her expression.

An intense fear filled her eyes, and she desperately writhed in panic.

"Quick! Get me out of here, quickly!"

The girl said in a trembling voice.

"Hmm?"

Gu Sheng frowned, sensing that her fear wasn’t feigned.

But after observing the surroundings, he couldn’t find any danger—not even his Divine Sense detected a trace of hostility.

Her sudden change, thus, raised his suspicion.

Gu Sheng then asked in a low voice, "What are you scared of?"

"I... I feel something approaching us. It’s incredibly dangerous. We must leave immediately!" she blurted out hurriedly.

Gu Sheng scanned the surroundings again but still sensed nothing unusual.

Nonetheless, the girl’s fear did not seem baseless.

After careful consideration, he decided to trust her, given the nature of their unknown environment—caution was always prudent.

"Alright, let’s leave here first."

Gu Sheng said and began leading the girl to retreat.

But just as they turned around, a powerful current suddenly surged from the depths of the dark river, carrying an overwhelming pressure.

Gu Sheng and the girl were swept away by the torrent, helplessly pushed deeper into the river.

The force blurred their vision, and the surrounding stone pillars and swimming creatures became distorted.

The girl’s face turned even paler as she trembled uncontrollably, unable to speak.

Gu Sheng felt chaos in his heart, desperately trying to resist the current.

Then, he noticed a weak beam of light ahead, as if it were an exit.

"Look, there’s light. Let’s swim toward it!"

Gu Sheng urged the girl and fiercely swam toward the light.

As they approached, the light grew brighter, and the pressure of the waterflow lessened.

But just as they were on the verge of reaching the light, it suddenly vanished, as if it had never been there.

"This..."

Gu Sheng froze in disbelief.

"Swim upward!"

The girl reminded him.

"Alright!"

Gu Sheng responded, quickly adjusting his direction and swimming toward the lake’s surface.

However, as they ascended, the darkness above didn’t brighten as expected but instead seemed to lead into an infinite abyss.

A hundred meters... two hundred meters...

After swimming nearly several hundred meters, both Gu Sheng and the girl realized something was wrong.

The water pressure and darkness suggested that continuing upward might be a mistake.

The two hesitated, suspecting this could be a trap—or naturally formed dead end.

Gu Sheng stopped and looked at the girl.

At this moment, worry was evident on her face.

While floating in the water, they exchanged their thoughts.

"We can’t keep going up. If we do, we might exhaust ourselves and die here."

Gu Sheng said gravely.

"You’re right."

The girl nodded. "Let’s return and find the dark river’s entrance. That might be our only way out."

Having reached a consensus, they turned and prepared to dive back downward.

However, as they were about to return, the waterflow at the lakebed suddenly shifted.

A powerful undercurrent surged upward, forcing them against their will.

Gu Sheng and the girl were hit by the sudden force, struggling to stabilize themselves.

The current was too strong, rendering them unable to control their movements.

Swept by the force, they were carried into an unknown area.

Amid the chaos, Gu Sheng tightly grasped the girl’s hand, ensuring they wouldn’t be separated by the current.

His vision blurred under the torrent, relying solely on Divine Sense to locate her.

After an arduous struggle, the current finally weakened.

Gu Sheng realized they had been forcefully returned to where the dark river had pushed them upward earlier.

"It seems there’s no way out... wuwuwu..."

The girl, upon recognizing their surroundings, broke out into uncontrollable sobbing.

"Why are you crying? Am I not still here?"

Gu Sheng asked with an exasperated expression.

"Get lost! I’m not crying over you! I’m crying for myself! Think about it—me, the young lady of the Ji family, dying here in this lakebed! So pitiful! And to top it off, bound by you in my last moments... hmph!"

She glared at Gu Sheng, letting out an angry snort.

"What are you afraid of? I’m still looking for an exit, aren’t I?"

Gu Sheng said, growing impatient.

"Exit? There’s no exit here! The dark river we entered earlier is called the Rootless Dark River. Look!"

The girl pointed at a spot beyond the pillars. "See those characters?"

Gu Sheng frowned slightly and looked at the distant inscription.

"Bronze Immortal Palace."

He read aloud, his brows furrowing tightly.

"Could there truly be Immortals dwelling here?"

Gu Sheng pondered aloud.

"Nonsense!"

The girl rebutted sharply. "According to records from the Ancient era, everyone who enters here dies! You brought me here—you’re the bane of my existence!"

Gu Sheng’s expression darkened, the weight of their peril sinking in.

"If there’s no way to find the entrance to the Rootless Dark River, then we have no choice but to move forward."

The girl saw the resolute look in Gu Sheng’s eyes and seemed to comprehend his determination.

She sighed and said, "Fine. Since you insist, let’s investigate this Bronze Immortal Palace. But it’s incredibly dangerous here."

"What’s there to fear? Let’s go!"

Gu Sheng displayed a bold resolve, leading the girl deeper inside.

The two moved along the stone pillars, arriving beneath the inscription "Bronze Immortal Palace."

The pillars bore ancient runes, emanating a mysterious and archaic aura.

Gu Sheng carefully studied the runes, hoping to glean some clues.

"These runes... could they resemble a map or some kind of guide?"

Gu Sheng asked the girl, pointing at the inscriptions.

She leaned closer. "They do seem somewhat like that. Wait—do you understand these runes?"

"Nope."

Gu Sheng shook his head.

"Then why did you say that—like you’re some kind of archaeologist?"

The girl said disdainfully.

"Hmm? What’s that over there?"

Suddenly, Gu Sheng noticed a flicker of light inside the palace.

Immediately, he led the girl toward the palace interior.