Dashing Student Chapter 1436: Entering the Inner Sea

Only Chen Nan realized the immense hidden power within his unassuming, withered arm—a might capable of striking fear into cultivators of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Regrettably, the arm’s extraordinary power had a limited discharge, usable only thrice. Unbeknownst to Chen Nan, he had already expended two uses within the Secret Realm, nearly depleting himself to his very core.

The arm gradually returned to its former state, even regaining a semblance of blood flow, appearing as the limb of a living person. However, this came at the steep price of Chen Nan’s entire blood energy.

The depletion of blood energy consumed his vital essence blood; Chen Nan barely clung to consciousness, on the brink of becoming a desiccated husk.

Just as he felt his life force ebbing away, the arm ceased its draining, and then, a force that shook the heavens erupted from it.

All present witnessed a vision of a colossal palm strike the barrier. Instantly, the surrounding seawater churned as if in a tempest, and the supposedly indestructible barrier dramatically buckled. Unable to withstand the onslaught, it finally ruptured, creating a gaping hole!

At this critical juncture, Chen Nan, resembling a dried corpse, retracted the now powerless arm. He looked down at Yuan Sensen aboard the flying boat, a faint smile gracing his lips.

The Demon Clan members erupted in jubilation. With the barrier breached, their path to the Inner Sea was clear. The Divine Calculator, in particular, danced with excitement.

The Inner Sea lay tantalizingly close!

Seawater surged violently through the breach in the barrier. Ao Hao prepared to guide the flying boat through, but then, an unforeseen event transpired. At the point of the broken barrier, a dark vortex materialized from nowhere.

A formidable suction force emanated, drawing in everyone—both human and demon. Even the flying boat was caught in the vortex’s relentless pull.

Chen Nan’s consciousness completely faded. His final fleeting perception was of a panicked Yuan Sensen reaching out towards him; he instinctively tried to reciprocate the gesture.

But in the subsequent moment, he was engulfed by absolute darkness.

The vortex persisted for a brief duration, drawing Chen Nan and the Demon Clan into its depths before vanishing without a trace. The shattered barrier quickly mended itself, reverting to its pristine condition.

The surrounding Yin Beasts, thwarted in their attempts, retreated into the black mist, their rage impotent.

...

Chen Nan felt an unending sensation of descent, a continuous fall through the darkness, as if there were no bottom.

He could neither see nor hear, the world plunged into an abyss of perpetual night, where time itself seemed to have ceased its passage.

He had no gauge of how long he’d been in this state when, within the oppressive gloom, Chen Nan perceived a sliver of white light, like a fissure breaking through. It was akin to a drowning soul grasping at a lifeline, propelling him desperately toward the light.

Chen Nan’s eyes snapped open. The blinding sunlight caused him to instinctively shield his face. He had seemingly forgotten the sensation of sunlight, having been in the Heavenly Cutting Abyss for an extended period.

His mind, a chaotic jumble, gradually pieced together fragmented memories.

“Sensen?!”

He abruptly sat upright, scanning his surroundings, but found no familiar faces.

Chen Nan narrowed his eyes, realizing he appeared to be within a cave. He was lying on a stone bed, cushioned by the coarse hide of an unidentified demonic beast.

Nearby stood a stone table accompanied by several stone stools. Sunlight streamed in from a circular aperture above, resembling a rudimentary skylight.

Uncertain of his location, he swiftly assessed his cultivation base. A wave of despair washed over him as he discovered his cultivation had plummeted to the Third Layer of Foundation Establishment!

A more thorough examination of his body revealed that, beyond the lingering injuries from battling the Yin Beasts and the residual effects of Yin Energy erosion, the primary cause of his cultivation regression was the presence of four threads of Yin Qi.

These had been unleashed by the deceased Yin Beast during his encounter with the colossal bear-like Yin Beast. They had infiltrated his body like insidious parasites, relentlessly siphoning his spiritual energy and suppressing his cultivation realm.

To regain his strength, he not only needed to heal but also to purge these insidious Yin Qi threads.

Chen Nan attempted to expel the threads, but his severe injuries and the near-fatal depletion of his essence blood from shattering the barrier with “the arm” left him critically weakened.

His recovery would undoubtedly require a considerable amount of time.

An added concern was Chen Nan’s complete ignorance of his current whereabouts or the passage of time. All he knew with certainty was that he should have entered the Inner Sea.

He was unaware of any potential dangers in this new location, nor the fate of Yuan Sensen and the others. It was a total information vacuum.

Chen Nan struggled to rise, noticing bandages wrapped around his wounds and detecting the faint aroma of medicinal herbs. It was evident that someone had attended to him.

Clearly, he had been rescued by an unknown benefactor.

With stiff, deliberate steps, he moved towards the cave’s opening. Emerging from the cave, he was met with the refreshing fragrance of blossoms and grass.

Chen Nan instinctively raised his hand to block the somewhat piercing rays of the sun. He found himself in what appeared to be a valley, with a small grove situated before him, and a profusion of wildflowers blooming beyond the trees.

"What place is this?" he questioned, his brow furrowed.

Abruptly, a tiger's roar echoed, causing the surrounding woods to tremble. A colossal tiger, measuring over three zhang in length, materialized and leaped with striking agility directly in front of Chen Nan.

Chen Nan immediately became cautious. Despite the severe drop in his cultivation level, his physical body remained intact. Even with his essence energy compromised, he still possessed the capacity for a desperate fight.

Yet, the enormous tiger made no move to attack him. Its gaze held a discernible human-like disdain. It was then that Chen Nan noticed a person seated upon the tiger's back.

The individual dismounted from the tiger and regarded Chen Nan with evident delight, exclaiming, "You have awakened!"

The newcomer was a woman, her cheerful and outgoing laughter filling the air. She was clad in a green dress, her hair fashioned into two neat buns, presenting an image of purity and loveliness. A smile graced her lips, revealing delightful dimples.

As she beamed, her small, tiger-like teeth were visible, adding to her charm.

Chen Nan employed his Divine Sense to conduct a scan, discovering that the young lady was a cultivator at the Second Layer of the Golden Core stage. At this revelation, he experienced a sudden moment of hesitation.

This was because he observed that his Divine Sense had not suffered significant damage and retained an intensity comparable to that of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.

Recalling the Yin Qi Crystals he had fought so fiercely to obtain, he quickly investigated his Immortal Palace Space. Upon seeing the crystals piled up like mountains, a sense of relief washed over him.

The lady approached Chen Nan with brisk steps, her eyes wide with wonder. "You truly are difficult to kill! To have survived this ordeal... There's no need to thank me, for my dream is to become a chivalrous knight, dedicating myself to righteousness!"

Her remarkably pleasant demeanor put Chen Nan at ease, suggesting she was not a malicious individual. He quickly clasped his hands together in gratitude. "Thank you, lady, for saving my life."

"Might I inquire as to your name, madam? And where is this Immortal Mountain situated? When you rescued me, did you happen to see anyone else?"

The lady playfully wrinkled her nose. "You have so many questions! I shall answer them for you, one by one."

"My name is Yun Ying, and this place is called Moon River Valley. When I found you, you were alone; I didn't see anyone else," she replied, addressing his inquiries systematically.

Chen Nan's expression grew somber. It appeared he had been separated from Yuan Sensen and the other members of the Demon Clan. He could only offer a silent prayer for Yuan Sensen's safety.