Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

35: Chapter 35: The Dark River RelicsThe roar of the underground river was the only eternal background noise in this world of dead silence. Damp mist, mixed with the pungent odor unique to sulfur, permeated the freezing air.

Time once again lost its precise measurement here. Only the slow, steady rotation of the chaos dao seed and Nangong Xuan’s gradually stabilizing, faint breathing marked the passage of time.

Lin Mo stood guard beside the unconscious Nangong Xuan. His Chaos Qi, like the most precise instrument, continuously and slowly nourished the other’s shattered Meridians and dimmed Nascent Soul. This process was a hundred times more difficult than self-repair; it required extreme control to prevent the powerful Chaos Qi from causing secondary damage to Nangong Xuan’s fragile Origin. Every infusion was accompanied by an immense drain on his mental focus.

But the results were significant.

The vitality within Nangong Xuan, which had been on the verge of collapse, was finally completely stabilized and began an extremely slow self-recovery. A faint trace of color returned to his pale face. Though he remained unconscious, the resilience belonging to a powerhouse was returning to his brow bit by bit.

During this time, Lin Mo never relaxed his vigilance toward his surroundings. His Perception, like an invisible radar, constantly scanned both banks of the underground river and the deep caves. Perhaps it was the interference from the river’s rushing energy, or the isolation field of the black moss taking effect, or perhaps the distance of the random shift was far enough—that cold sensation of being tracked never appeared again.

This gave him some peace of mind, allowing him to devote more energy to the treatment and his own consolidation.

After a series of high-intensity applications—self-purification, simulating environments, spatial shifting, and shielding the brand—the chaos dao seed had frequently bordered on depletion. However, it was repeatedly tempered through this process, becoming increasingly condensed and agile. His control over energy also became more refined and subtle.

[chaos dao seed (Consolidation & Improvement): Growth 5.1%... Micro-control over energy increased... Conversion efficiency increased to 7%...]

He sank a portion of his mind into the depths of the Dao Seed. There, besides the rotating Chaos nebula, was an additional point of extremely warm, faint light carrying a sense of endless attachment and sacrifice—it was the essence of his mother Liu Qingxuan’s final obsession, which he had carefully stripped away and stored here. This wisp of obsession was an important source of strength for him to persevere.

On the other side, Su Muxue’s condition had also stabilized. The profound ice remained thick, and the rune on her forehead no longer flashed violently under the dual isolation of the black moss field and Lin Mo’s Chaos Qi. That cold tracking brand was perfectly shielded, as if it had never existed. She was like a sleeper in an eternal ice coffin, waiting for the moment of awakening.

As for Liu Qingxuan’s remains, she still maintained a peaceful posture. Lin Mo would often use Chaos Qi to gently brush over his mother’s cold cheek, as if doing so could dispel the haze of death. He knew he had to lay his mother to rest in the earth, but now was not the time; this place was fraught with danger and was no place for eternal sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, just as Lin Mo felt mentally exhausted and was preparing to take a short rest, the long-unconscious Nangong Xuan let out an extremely hoarse and low groan from his throat.

His finger twitched, and then, those tightly closed eyes slowly opened.

This time, his eyes no longer held a forced sharpness, but rather the weakness and confusion of someone waking from a severe injury. However, the underlying clarity and sharpness had returned. He immediately sensed his own condition and discovered the wisp of pure and strange Chaos Qi that was continuously nourishing him, as well as his significantly improved injuries.

His gaze turned toward the faintly glowing Lin Mo beside him. A flash of complex emotions passed through his eyes—gratitude, amazement, and a trace of indescribable inquiry.

”...I owe you once again.” Nangong Xuan’s voice was as dry as sandpaper rubbing together, yet it held a bit more strength than before. He tried to circulate his Cultivation Technique; though it was still sluggish and painful, at least his spiritual power could flow slowly.

”It is good that Senior is awake.” Lin Mo withdrew his Chaos Qi and felt a wave of relief. Maintaining continuous healing for one of the Nascent Soul Cultivators was truly no small burden.

Nangong Xuan struggled to prop himself up and looked around. The underground river, jagged rocks, the smell of sulfur, and endless darkness.

”An underground river... it seems the shifting distance was quite far.” He quickly assessed the environment, his brow furrowing slightly. ”That tracking... seems to have disappeared?”

”I’ve temporarily shielded the brand on Mu Xue.” Lin Mo briefly explained the process of using the black moss’s properties for shielding.

Astonishment flashed in Nangong Xuan’s eyes again, and he gave Lin Mo a deep look. ”Your abilities, little friend, are unexpected every time.” He paused, his expression turning grave. ”But I fear this method is not a long-term solution. That group has a mysterious background and sinister methods; they must have backup plans. This place is not suitable for a long stay; we need to find an exit as soon as possible.”

He struggled to stand up but was still too weak.

Lin Mo said, ”Senior’s injuries are not yet healed; forcing a journey might lead to accidents. This place is safe for now, so why not recover a bit before making plans? This Junior can act as your Protector and attempt to scout the surroundings.”

Nangong Xuan was silent for a moment, then nodded. He was clear about his physical state; going out now, he would be a liability in the face of any danger. ”In that case... I shall trouble you, little friend. Half a day, give me half a day.”

After saying this, he closed his eyes again and fully operated his Cultivation Technique, absorbing the relatively dense water and earth Spiritual Qi around the underground river. His recovery speed significantly accelerated.

Lin Mo then expanded his range of Perception, scouting the area more meticulously.

The underground river flowed ceaselessly, its surface wide and its current rapid, with no known source or end. Rough rocks lined both banks, growing the black moss that could block Perception and some glowing fungi that provided a faint source of light.

His Perception extended downstream along the riverbank. Aside from a heavier smell of sulfur and gradually rising temperatures, he found nothing special.

So, he turned his attention upstream.

His Perception went against the current, passing through layers of mist and darkness. About several miles later, the river channel began to narrow, the water became more turbulent, and the roar became deafening. The rock walls on both sides took on a glassy texture, as if scorched by high temperatures.

Suddenly, in a hidden depression on the left rock wall near the water’s surface, Lin Mo’s Perception caught an anomaly!

It wasn’t an energy fluctuation or a life signature, but a... extremely ancient, extremely faint... residual Sword Intent?

This trace of residual Sword Intent was thin to the extreme, almost fused with the rock itself. Had it not been for his chaos dao seed being extremely sensitive to the Origin aura of all things, he would have had no way to detect it. This Sword Intent was grand and majestic, yet it carried a sense of resolute tragedy, somewhat similar to Nangong Xuan’s Sword Intent but even more ancient and vast.

Something is strange!

Lin Mo’s heart stirred, and he immediately focused most of his mind on that spot.

His Perception scanned the area finely. Finally, under the thick layer of vitrified rock and black moss, he discovered an extremely hidden crack that was almost completely buried! That faint, ancient Sword Intent was precisely leaking out from deep within that crack!

The entrance to the crack was narrow, barely allowing a person to pass through sideways. The interior seemed to hold a world of its own.

”Senior!” Lin Mo immediately informed Nangong Xuan, who had just completed a minor cycle of his technique, of the discovery.

Nangong Xuan opened his eyes and ”looked” in the direction guided by Lin Mo’s will. When his Divine Sense touched that faint wisp of Sword Intent, his body jolted violently, and an unbelievable light erupted in his eyes!

”This Sword Intent... a song of righteous tragedy, breaking evil and slaying demons... this is... the aura of the Ancient Sword Cultivator lineage!” His voice carried a trace of excitement and shock. ”How could such pure ancient Sword Intent remain here? Behind that crack...”

He forced himself to stand, his eyes burning as he looked into the upstream darkness. ”We must go take a look! Little friend, help me over!”

Lin Mo channeled his Chaos Qi to act as a support, assisting Nangong Xuan as they walked upstream along the rugged riverbank.

The closer they got to the crack, the heavier the sulfur smell became and the higher the temperature rose. The vitrification on the rock walls became more pronounced, as if they had once experienced terrifyingly high temperatures.

Finally, the two arrived before the hidden crack.

Up close, they could even better feel the faint, desolate, and ancient aura emanating from the crack.

Nangong Xuan reached out, touching the vitrified rock at the edge of the crack and feeling the faint residual Sword Intent within. His expression became incredibly solemn. ”I can’t be wrong... these are traces left by an extremely sophisticated sword art. It’s ages old, yet the intent remains. The Senior who struck this sword had a cultivation level far above mine...”

He took a deep breath, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. ”Behind the crack might be an Immortal Cave left by an ancient cultivator or... a place of passing. Fortune or disaster is hard to tell, but it’s worth exploring.”

He looked at Lin Mo. ”My condition is poor; I need you to scout ahead first. You must be careful.”

Lin Mo nodded, and a wisp of condensed Chaos Qi, like a tentacle, was the first to probe into the crack.

The information fed back by the Chaos Qi made him startle slightly.

The crack was narrow at first, but after going in about ten feet, it suddenly opened up. Behind it seemed to be a large natural grotto. There was no aura of danger within the grotto; instead, it was filled with pure and gentle Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, more than ten times denser than outside! Moreover, that ancient Sword Intent was even clearer within.

What caught his attention even more was that in the center of the grotto, there seemed to be a dilapidated stone platform. On the platform was a rusty, almost broken ancient sword. That grand, majestic, and tragic Sword Intent originated precisely from there. Beside the ancient sword, there seemed to be a cross-legged skeleton with bones as translucent as jade, remaining incorruptible through the long passage of time.

On the stone ground in front of the skeleton, a few lines of blurred ancient characters seemed to have been carved by finger strength.

Lin Mo shared the perceived scene with Nangong Xuan.

When Nangong Xuan saw that ancient sword and the jade-like skeleton, his body shook violently again, and his face showed an expression of immense respect and excitement.

”Senior... could this be...” he muttered to himself. Disregarding his injuries, he solemnly performed an ancient and stately sword salute toward the depths of the crack.

After finishing the salute, he said in a heavy voice, ”Little friend, let’s go in. This place should be a legacy left by an ancient cultivator Senior. There is no danger; instead, it’s a rare place for recovery!”

Opportunity always arrives unexpectedly after a desperate situation.

Deep within this dark underground river, a place of passing for an Ancient Sword Cultivator was actually hidden? Would this be the turning point for their survival?