Transmigration To Magus World-Chapter 157: Thunderous Water Mines

Chapter 161: Thunderous Water Mines

The dim light within the deep mine tunnel cast long shadows.

Even the faintest heavy step echoed through the cavern.

Aizen treaded cautiously through the tunnel. Christa, whom he had brought into the mine, had been knocked unconscious and hidden in a corner of the cavern.

He never believed in sparing tender feelings for women. Women—especially weak ones—were, in many situations, nothing but burdens. Keeping them close only invited trouble.

For example, walking through this mine required utmost silence. Even the smallest noise could reverberate through the tunnels, amplifying into an unwanted disturbance.

Christa’s skills were far too insufficient; her movement techniques and agility left much to be desired. There was no way she could accompany him.

Besides, he had already extracted from her the location of the Three-Life Stone. If he hadn’t feared she might withhold some critical detail, he wouldn’t have kept her alive—he would have killed her outright.

"Mm?"

He suddenly caught a faint whiff of blood. His eyes immediately landed on several bat carcasses strewn across the ground.

These bats had been cut down by a single sword strike. Aizen’s instincts told him that more bats were clinging to the walls of the cavern, occasionally letting out shrill "squeak-squeak" cries.

He crouched, touched the bat carcasses, and found them cold.

"It seems the Blood Shadow Fortress agents have already arrived—likely more than an hour ahead of me," he muttered to himself.

Aizen steadied his breathing, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly.

Quickening his pace, he pressed forward. If the others had been here for over an hour, they might already be nearing their destination. He had to catch up.

The mine tunnel was filled with uneven grooves and occasional branching paths. Aizen followed the route Christa had described, moving swiftly yet maintaining high alert.

Soon, he arrived at a vast, open space where faint light and the sound of flowing water reached his ears.

It was the underground river connected to the mine.

"Who’s there?"

As soon as Aizen approached, his presence was detected by Blood Shadow Fortress guards stationed near the river.

"Clang!"

His blade was unsheathed in an instant, and Aizen charged forward without a word.

His blade gleamed like a waterfall. With a single slash, a nine-foot-long arc of blade energy swept out, grievously wounding two of the guards.

In his current quasi-Innate Magus Stage, Aizen could release his internal energy externally. The power of his strike was unparalleled—not even Sorcery Artist artists at the peak of the Innate Magus Stage could withstand it, let alone those merely in the Blood Refining Stage.

"W-we’re from the Blood—"

Terrified, the two guards, heavily wounded by the first strike, tried to identify themselves and plead for mercy. But Aizen didn’t bother to listen.

The Demonic Blade: Cleaving Wind and Moon technique was unleashed.

His blade descended like a moon breaking through dark clouds. The blade energy surged, and the cries of the dying were abruptly silenced.

The scent of blood quickly permeated the cavernous space.

Stepping over the corpses, Aizen reached the riverbank.

The sound of rushing water filled the air. The faintly glowing river gleamed with a soft phosphorescence in the darkness.

Sheathing his blade, Aizen oriented himself, preparing to wade into the river. Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and he quickly concealed himself behind a rocky outcropping.

Below, the turbulent waters churned, and several dark silhouettes became discernible.

"Splash!"

A figure leapt from the river like a great fish, sending water spraying in all directions. The person landed steadily on the riverbank.

But as soon as the individual stood firm, they caught a faint whiff of blood and immediately sensed danger.

At that moment, a shadow flashed. Aizen had already darted out from the rocky outcropping, his blade stabbing fiercely toward the person.

"Who’s there!"

The man barely managed to shout before Aizen’s blade pierced into his lower back. With a swift twist, the man screamed in agony and prepared to retaliate, but Aizen’s hand was already clamped around his neck.

"Crack!"

The neck was crushed in an instant.

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief as his lifeless body was flung far onto the riverbank by Aizen’s kick.

"Splash, splash!"

At that moment, more figures burst out of the water. Upon witnessing the scene, they roared in rage and alarm.

"Swish, swish!"

A volley of Blood Shadow Needles was launched toward Aizen.

"Whoosh!"

Aizen unleashed a palm strike. His Vacuum Palm Technique erupted like a fierce typhoon, resembling the force of a level-seven or eight storm.

"Boom!"

The two attackers in midair, along with their needles, were blown off course, scattering in all directions. Aizen leapt into the water, his blade gleaming like a silver crescent moon as he treaded the surface.

Screams echoed briefly before being abruptly cut off.

Two more men fell to Aizen’s blade, their corpses dragged from the water and hurled onto the bank. Aizen leapt back to the riverbank, his movements swift and fluid.

In just a matter of seconds, Aizen had killed five members of the Blood Shadow Fortress.

These five, though all at the Blood Refining Stage, had been caught off guard and slain with Aizen’s overwhelming strength. This alone was a testament to his current power.

As a quasi-Innate Magus Stage expert, Aizen could now hold his ground against even a true Innate Magus Stage Sorcery artist for a time. His combat prowess had reached the level of the top thirty on the Human Ranking List.

"A treasure as rare as the Three-Life Divine Stone, and Blood Shadow Fortress only sent five Blood Refining Stage warriors to retrieve it..."

Just as this thought crossed his mind, a chill ran down his spine.

Aizen instinctively shifted, narrowly dodging a cold blade that grazed past his ribs and underarm.

"What?!"

Cold sweat beaded on Aizen’s forehead as his body reacted instinctively, releasing a burst of powerful qi in all directions like a sieve.

His explosive internal energy lashed out violently, forcing the attacker to retreat.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Aizen growled, spinning around and delivering a Vacuum Palm strike while simultaneously stepping forward to thrust his blade.

Every move was based purely on instinct, locking onto the faint presence of his assailant.

The attacker, a diminutive figure wearing a black scarf and a blood-red half-mask that revealed a scar-covered face, wielded a short black sword. He resembled a small, deformed dwarf.

Despite Aizen’s rapid counterattack, the masked dwarf retreated violently and dove into the water, moving like a fish to escape.

Clearly, the attacker realized he was no match for Aizen and opted to flee after the failed ambush.

"Come out here!" Aizen roared, his eyes flashing with a cold brilliance.

With both fists clenched, Aizen performed a devastating move. One hand formed a Thunder Hammer, while the other drove down in a crushing motion.

"Boom!"

As his fists struck the water’s surface, an enormous shockwave erupted.

It was as if an underwater mine had detonated, sending deafening vibrations throughout the cavern. Massive water columns, some over ten meters tall, burst upward in a twenty-meter radius.

The sound of the underwater explosion reverberated through the mine, causing parts of the structure to collapse.

The dwarf, who had sought refuge beneath the waves, was forcibly blasted out of the water by Aizen’s terrifying attack.

This was the Water Mine from the Five Thunder Explosive Fist technique.

At his level, where he could externalize his energy, a single punch on the water’s surface could instantly kill half the fish and shrimp in a pond.

Aizen’s face paled slightly; the attack had taken a significant toll on him.

However, the dwarf’s condition was far worse. Blasted from the water, he suffered severe internal injuries from the immense water pressure.

Beneath his grotesque mask, his eyes betrayed sheer terror and disbelief.