Chapter 84: Five Cave-Heavens Stage

"Is that so?" Zhao Peng asked softly, a murderous glint flashing in his calm eyes.

"Let's go, we'll enter too." Zhao Peng's tone turned chilling.

Xu Yang nodded. He enveloped Ling Qingshu in spirit energy, forming a protective barrier, then rushed into the hollow center of the vortex.

A deafening roar, as if it would burst eardrums, sent hearts pounding.

Below the hollow space of the vortex, it was pitch black. The surrounding seawater spun violently downwards, like a crashing tide or a stampede of ten thousand horses, sweeping Xu Yang into the abyss, threatening to tear him to shreds with grinding sounds.

"There's a spiritual artifact beneath this vortex," Xu Yang said after probing downwards with his divine sense.

"Why?" Zhao Peng asked, somewhat bewildered.

"Because the natural conditions here aren't sufficient to create such a massive vortex," Xu Yang replied calmly.

In fact, Xu Yang had already guessed what the spiritual artifact was.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Oh," Zhao Peng responded indifferently, showing no interest.

All he wanted now was the Deep Sea Blue Heart to save his Dao companion's life; everything else was secondary.

Unlike other whirlpools, this one's hollow center didn't narrow towards the bottom; instead, it grew wider as they descended deeper.

Upon reaching the seabed, the hollow space had expanded to the size of a small city.

Though it was the seabed, the ground was completely dry, without a trace of water. The dry yellow sand made it feel more like a desert.

Above them, dark seawater spun at high speed.

Around Xu Yang, several people were watching him menacingly.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The speakers were the five black-clad figures, their powerful aura unreservedly pressing down on Xu Yang.

The formidable auras of the five Heaven-Cave realm cultivators formed sharp, white sword-like blades that circled Xu Yang but couldn't get a single step closer to him.

"Whatever you're here for, that's what I'm here for."

Xu Yang lifted his head, a sinister killing intent rising in his calm dark eyes.

This was because one of the black-clad figures held an immortal herb that was entirely translucent and shimmered with a faint blue light.

The immortal herb was palm-sized, with three flat, extended small leaves that swayed up, down, left, and right, like a human hand.

Especially upon seeing Xu Yang, it swayed even more violently and trembled slightly. Xu Yang could almost feel its fervent excitement.

This immortal herb was the Deep Sea Blue Heart!

Xu Yang hadn't expected to find the Deep Sea Blue Heart so quickly.

But these people dared to covet the Deep Sea Blue Heart; they all deserved to die!

At this moment, Zhao Peng's expression was also extremely grim.

He had indeed found the Deep Sea Blue Heart, but someone had gotten to it before him.

What made him even more frustrated was that the opposing party consisted of five powerful cultivators in the Heaven-Cave realm; it seemed he wouldn't be able to seize it from them.

Thinking of this, he felt a pang of regret.

He should have come alone in the first place. He had been intimidated by the vortex's might and decided to find a few people to bear the brunt of the danger for him.

He had spent several days searching for companions, only for someone to get there first.

What frustrated him even more was that the vortex posed no danger at all.

"You few, hand over the Deep Sea Blue Heart."

Zhao Peng gritted his teeth and said, bluffing.

Regardless, he had to have the Deep Sea Blue Heart for his Dao companion.

The five powerful Heaven-Cave realm cultivators from the Sea Demon Sect looked at him, snickering as if they had heard a hilarious joke.

"Just the few of you? Two at the Heaven-Cave realm, one at the Golden Core, and one Qi Condensation stage trash. Haha, are you out of your mind? Get lost now, and I can pretend I didn't see you. Otherwise, I'll show you what cruelty is!"

The five powerful Heaven-Cave realm cultivators from the Sea Demon Sect burst into laughter, not taking Xu Yang and his companions seriously at all.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Peng also felt a sense of powerlessness.

Although Xu Yang wasn't merely Qi Condensation stage trash, three Heaven-Cave realm cultivators still couldn't defeat five Heaven-Cave realm cultivators.

Considering that his Dao companion only needed a single leaf, not much, Zhao Peng thought for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Since we all know the location of the Deep Sea Blue Heart, it's only fair that everyone gets a share. I only need one leaf from the Deep Sea Blue Heart. In the future, if you ever need my help, I'll be at your command."

Zhao Peng said this with difficulty. In his eyes, these words were equivalent to selling his soul for that single leaf of the Deep Sea Blue Heart.

But for the sake of his Dao companion, who had been with him for over a thousand years, he gritted his teeth and spoke.

"Heh," the five Heaven-Cave realm cultivators sneered, not taking Zhao Peng seriously at all.

"These people know we have the Deep Sea Blue Heart. Perhaps they know something. We can't let them leave, what do you think?" another one said.

"I think so too," another person nodded, his eyes filling with killing intent as he looked at Xu Yang and his companions.

"Since you've come down here, you won't be going back up."

A black-clad figure sneered, then suddenly punched towards Zhao Peng.

The punch was wreathed in a faint red bloody mist, and the wind it generated howled.

The yellow sand on the ground was whipped up by the powerful fist wind, as if a storm were approaching.

The Heaven-Cave realm cultivator's expression was sinister, with the playful mockery of a cat toying with a mouse in his eyes.

Seeing that he had immediately attacked, Zhao Peng was both shocked and enraged.

Zhao Peng was, after all, a Heaven-Cave realm cultivator. His pride had already been sorely tested by humbling himself and begging others.

Now, these people had directly ignored him and attacked without a word. Zhao Peng exploded with rage and met the punch with his own.

*Boom!*

Instantly, the two figures crossed paths, their fists colliding. The resulting shockwave caused the vortex above to become unstable, swaying violently in all directions.

*Boom!*

Just then, another fist came flying from an angle. Caught off guard, Zhao Peng was directly struck, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying backward.

He almost got knocked into the vortex, where his body would have been annihilated.

"You few, will you commit suicide, or shall we kill you?" The five men walked up to Xu Yang.

"Qi Condensation stage... I guess you're not *just* Qi Condensation stage. But no matter your realm, you're dead today."

The five black-clad figures stared at Xu Yang, unreservedly scrutinizing his cultivation level.

Then, they were dumbfounded, because no matter how they looked, Xu Yang's cultivation was only at the Qi Condensation stage.

Just then, the always silent Yellow Heaven finally spoke. "Listen, you lot, you can kill anyone else, but if you dare harm a single hair on this young friend, I'll make sure you regret it dearly!"

Xu Yang's brows furrowed. In this situation, anyone else would probably have been scared witless, yet Yellow Heaven dared to speak like that?