Chapter 858, How Is One Person Missing?

Translator: Silavin

 

As time flowed past, more and more people crushed their jade pendants, appearing at the Sacred Lake’s edge.

 

After merely half a day, over ten people could no longer persist.

 

This clearly demonstrated just how great the pressure beneath the lake truly was.

 

Regarding this, those several Elders felt not the slightest surprise.

 

These people were already Outer Sect elite. Moreover, ranking within the top thirty indicated they possessed hope of entering the Inner Sect.

 

Yet they could only persist beneath the lake for half a day.

 

Previously, when one of the Sacred Master Candidates was at the Martial Emperor Realm. Reportedly, he descended to twenty metres depth and persisted for as long as five days. At the time, this caused no small sensation within the Sacred Land.

 

Yet these people, at merely several metres depth, could barely manage to persist for half a day. This disparity could truthfully be called a world of difference!

 

This was precisely why these people remained merely Outer Sect Disciples.

 

However, when those Elders observed the several silhouettes at approximately ten metres depth, they finally revealed traces of satisfied expressions.

 

Being able to persist at ten metres depth for so long. Forgetting the future, once they emerged from the Sacred Lake, they would basically qualify for selection into the Inner Sect.

 

As for the remaining ten-odd people, they had all entered at shallow depths. Merely four or five metres.

 

They had all chosen the most stable depth.

 

The several Elders also carefully examined these ten-odd people.

 

Clearly, these were also talents. Even if not incorporated into the Inner Sect, they could become pillars of the Outer Sect.

 

“Eh? Strange, how is one person missing?” One Elder, after briefly counting the number of people, discovered with surprise that no matter how many times he counted, there were only twenty-nine people. In short, one person was indeed missing.

 

After he spoke thus, the other several Elders also took notice.

 

“We are really one person short.” After another Elder also counted the number of people, he discovered one person was indeed missing.

 

“Could an accident have occurred beneath the lake?” One of the Elders furrowed his brow.

 

Immediately, they began investigating the situation within the Sacred Lake.

 

The Sacred Land had experienced such occurrences before.

 

The opportunity to enter the Sacred Lake was exceedingly rare. Some people were unwilling to casually waste this chance, wanting to simply push to their absolute limit. Unexpectedly, they ended up forfeiting their own lives.

 

Soon, they had investigated to approximately fifteen metres depth.

 

However, this area was empty, devoid of any foreign objects.

 

“Likely crushed by the Sacred Lake’s pressure till not even bones remained…” One Elder sighed.

 

Within the Sacred Lake, if one couldn’t withstand the pressure, the body would instantly get crushed from the compression, bones and all vanishing. This was not impossible.

 

“Eh?” After these several Elders made this commotion, Manager Lin also noticed one person was indeed missing.

 

After he confirmed this repeatedly, he further discovered that the missing person seemed to be Qin Yichen!

 

“His bones vanished completely?”

 

He did not believe it.

 

Were it any other Disciple, he might believe it.

 

But that was Qin Yichen.

 

Qin Yichen, who with his Early Stage Martial Emperor Realm cultivation had defeated Yi Buyan.

 

He continued searching.

 

Sixteen metres…

 

Seventeen metres…

 

Twenty metres…

 

Deeper and deeper, Manager Lin’s heart also sank bit by bit.

 

Twenty metres!

 

Previously, that Sacred Master Candidate had only descended to this depth.

 

Thus, that trace of hope barely remaining in Manager Lin’s heart also shattered accordingly.

 

This indicated that possibly Qin Yichen had been too arrogant, entering too deeply, thus meeting with misfortune…

 

“That’s not right. Although his Physique falls short of the Martial Ancestor Realm, it’s at least at the Half-Step Martial Ancestor Realm. Even if his body gets crushed, there should be some remains.” Just as Manager Lin was about to abandon his search, he suddenly recalled that Qin Yichen’s Physique differed from ordinary people.

 

Perhaps after the body got crushed, his flesh vanished completely. But his skeletal structure was equivalent to a Half-Step Martial Ancestor. How could not even bones remain!?

 

Around twenty metres, the pressure was immense. However, it had not yet reached the degree where even bones of a Half-Step Martial Ancestor could be crushed to powder.

 

He continued his in-depth investigation.

 

Twenty-two metres…

 

Twenty-five metres…

 

Twenty-eight metres…

 

“That… that is…”

 

When investigating to the thirty metres depth, he saw it. Below that point, a faintly visible silhouette sat cross-legged there.

 

Subsequently, he continued deeper.

 

“It’s Qin Yichen!” Manager Lin suddenly cried out in alarm, his eyes filled with shock, as if he had seen a ghost. The expression on his face became indescribable.

 

“Qin Yichen?” Those several Inner Sect Elders who had long since ceased investigating all looked toward him.

 

“Qin Yichen… I seem to have heard that name somewhere…” One Elder even furrowed his brow slightly, contemplating.

 

He seemed to have heard this name somewhere, but momentarily couldn’t recall.

 

Qin Yichen had killed Yi Buyan, then subsequently defeated Yu Qing, who was a Half-Step Martial Ancestor. For the Northern Brilliant Hall, this was hardly a glorious matter. Thus, even if occasionally talked about, this matter was quickly suppressed.

 

“Is it that new Disciple who killed Yi Buyan?” At the lake’s edge, an Outer Disciple covered in injuries asked with surprise.

 

After his reminder, everyone recalled.

 

However, those several Inner Sect Elders’ expressions became somewhat unpleasant.

 

Yi Buyan, this was a name they had certainly heard of.

 

After all, he was someone who had nearly been accepted as a Disciple by the Northern Brilliant Hall’s Hall Master.

 

Only then did they remember why they felt Qin Yichen’s name so familiar.

 

However, it had always been announced that Qin Yichen had entered the Pill Hall. They had not anticipated he would come here.

 

One must understand that entering the Sacred Lake certainly offered enormous benefits, but not everyone could endure that suffering and torment.

 

Yet since Qin Yichen could enter the Pill Hall and receive recognition from those Elders there, this indicated his Alchemy talent was extremely good.

 

Alchemy Masters had always stood above Martial Artists.

 

Martial Artists were furthermore mockingly called barbarians by Alchemy Masters.

 

They needed only to practice Alchemy. They did not need to come to the Sacred Lake to suffer such hardship.

 

“Are you saying that he is still within the Sacred Lake?” One Inner Sect Elder subconsciously asked Manager Lin, though his face clearly expressed disbelief.

 

He had investigated to the fifteen metres depth. That area was already devoid of people. How could anyone still be inside?

 

“Reporting to Elder, yes, he’s still within the Sacred Lake.” Manager Lin withdrew his gaze, responding respectfully. However, his tone carried tremors, indicating his emotions were extraordinarily agitated.

 

“How is this possible?” That Elder did not believe it. Investigating to twenty metres depth, it remained empty. Immediately, his gaze toward Manager Lin couldn’t help but narrow slightly.

 

“Elder, he’s at the thirty-metre position…”

 

Seeing they did not believe him, Manager Lin could not help but remind them.

 

Actually, were it not for his deep understanding of Qin Yichen, he could not possibly have investigated to such depth.

 

Thirty metres!

 

Even Martial Ancestor Realm experts would likely struggle to descend to such depth.

 

Recalling further that Qin Yichen had already persisted at that depth for half a day, Manager Lin’s heart grew increasingly shaken.

 

He simply was not Human!

 

This was a monster!