681: Diving to the Depths

Diving to the Depths

In an instant, she could feel the cold Yin energy trying to penetrate her shield. The prickling sensation only grew as she went deeper. But Ming Yue ignored it, going down as quickly as she could.0

Although she knew that the lake would be black, she was not prepared for the utter absence of light as she dove down there. It was complete darkness. Ming Yue was deprived of her senses, nothing for her to see, to hear, to touch.

She couldn't tell where she was going or how deep she had gone. 

She just pointed both swords down, swimming to the depths. 

However, there was a limit to how much she could endure. After all, she did not cultivate the Dao of Ice nor was she specially trained for this. Soon enough, Ming Yue couldn't hold on for much longer. 

The aura protecting her was nearly used up, any longer and she would never see the light of day again.

"I'll leave it up to you."

At that moment, she took the sword pendant off and tied it to Blood Moon and the Black Blade along with the jar. She pointed her finger down, activating the pendant and watching it shoot straight down while she swam back up. 

Her body was nearing its limit as the chill finally penetrated her aura. The chilling sensation pierced her flesh, going deep into her ones. 

"Shit!" 

That was all she could think. 

As the cold Yin energy dug deep, it began to spread to the rest of her body, slowing down the flow of the blood and her energy. She could feel her strength waning, growing weaker by the second. And with Pale Moon, the speed at which her power was drained quickened. 

Ming Yue swam as quickly as she could, not knowing when she'd reach the top. 

On the surface, both Yuan and Wo Long stood there and waited. There were a few others there, already submerged in the Mountain's Ink to train. 

"She hasn't come out yet... do you think...?" 

He looked towards his wife who just kept looking at the lake. Seeing her like this, Wo Long kept quiet, though nothing could hide the nervousness on his face. He might not be a cultivator but he knew just how powerful the Mountain's Ink is. 

Suddenly the black lake rippled before Ming Yue burst out of the surface, gasping for air as she crawled out. 

"Haah, haah, haah."

The elderly woman was quick, grabbing her out before placing a hand on her back as they both sat down cross- legged. 

"Breathe", she instructed. 

Doing so, the young cultivator started to control her breathing, Ming Yue looked at herself, seeing her body in a bluish tint before the warm color of her skin returned. Seeing her like this, Xiao Yin and Hei Yue rushed to her side, wrapping themselves around her to give her warmth. They did this despite the ice cold touch on their own bodies, enduring the cold Yin energy emanating from her. 

With the help of Yuan, she recovered from the effects of the lake rather quickly. 

Yuan pulled her hand away, letting Ming Yue do the rest on her own. 

She kept her breath under control, letting her energy flow through her body. The Yin energy slowly dissipated as her meridians returned to their original state. As the flow of her blood and her energy had become regular, her recovery hastened. 

And once she felt better, the young cultivator stood up, looking at herself and checking to see if there was any lasting damage. 

But once she did so, Ming Yue turned her attention to the lake.  She furrowed her brows and narrowed her gaze, seeing the unbroken surface of the Mountain's Ink. Blood Moon, the Black Blade, and the Sword Pendant were no longer in her hands but in that very lake. 

"It's faint but I can still feel Xue Yue," she thought to herself. 

Their connection grew weaker and weaker, fading in and out until it was gone. 

Seconds passed but Ming Yue didn't move or react, she was calm, waiting for the return of her weapons. Minutes went by before she suddenly smiled, walking into the shallow end of the lake. 

Holding her hands out, she waited as the surface of the lake suddenly rippled and three blades shot out. She grabbed Blood Moon and the Black Blade while the Sword Pendant returned to its place on her neck. 

They were extremely cold, nearly numbing her skin in a matter of seconds. 

And the glass jar was bound to Blood Moon's hilt, closed shut but still emanating a frighteningly chilling aura. Ming Yue took it off before inspecting her swords, checking to see if they were damaged in any way.

"Mm, no chips or cracks but... I should take it to someone to double-check, there's no telling what damage you two sustained when you went that deep. How do you two feel?" she asked the sword spirits.

Senior Zhen was the first to speak though his voice was somewhat quiet. It was weak but he could still talk fine. 

"It was... much colder than I had expected. I'd rather not have to do that again", he said.

The young woman then turned to Blood Moon, waiting for Xue Yue to say something. 

"I'm never going to volunteer for something like that again. That cold Yin energy was so strong it started to invade my spiritual body!" she complained but her voice was the same, weak and quiet to a degree. 

"Mm, we're going to need a few days to recover", Senior Zhen added, "That trip forced us to expend most of our energy. You'll likely not hear from us for a bit."

"I see, rest well then."

Ming Yue stood up, sheathing both swords before turning to face Yuan and her husband. Both of them looked at the jar, inspecting it closely. 

"This concentration of power, your blades went deep into the Mountain's Ink. Certainly not as far as I have gone but far enough, this is good."

The elderly couple handed the jar back to her. 

"And now, all you have to do is feed it more energy. You may need a lot or perhaps not that much, no one knows what will happen. It will depend on you."

Looking up at Yuan and Wo Long, she lowered her head. 

"Thank you for all of your help."

The couple smiled before Yuan said one other thing. 

"Don't forget what you promised, if you do manage to do it, we'd like a piece of it."

Ming Yue nodded. 

"Of course."

She turned to go as they saw her off. Both Xiao Yin and Hei Yue were by her side dutifully, following her out of the town. 

As Ming Yue's figure disappear, the couple sighed before taking a stroll across town. Wo Long looked at his wife, glancing every now and then. 

"Should we have helped her more?" he asked, "Such a young person carrying this burden. I fear that it is too much for her."

Despite his concern, Yuan didn't seem worried in the slightest. 

"It was her choice to do this, let her do it alone. Besides, even if we were to off more help, she would not have accepted. She managed to get this far with her own strength, trust her", she replied. 

Despite hearing her words, Wo Long's concern didn't vanish. But he understand and he said nothing more though Yuan let out a tired sigh soon after. 

"I know that she reminds you of her, she reminds me of her too." 

They shared a look before resuming their walk in silence. It was a sad look on their faces, one of sorrow and restrained grief. The pain wasn't fresh but it would never disappear for them. 

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