The tunnel stretched on for miles beneath the earth, descending at a subtle, imperceptible decline.
With every few hundred paces Shen Yu took, the pale grey sand scattered across the stone floor took on a richer, rust-like tint, deepening gradually into a dark, visceral red.
Aside from his own rhythmic, controlled breathing, the silence was absolute.
Shen Yu remained completely detached from the stifling atmosphere.
His Qi circulated smoothly along his widened, resilient meridians, humming like a coiled viper ready to strike at a fraction of a thought.
As he walked, he continued to monitor the faint spiritual threads connected to his companions.
Though the sheer subterranean depth and dense mineral walls dulled the resonance, the feedback from Lixue and Li Na remained clear, were moving across the surface above, alive and unhindered.
But he was not able to feel through the talisman where young Lu An was because of the spiritual interference.
