Stronger with Crimson Modifier-Chapter 107: Undercurrent
Snowflakes were swept into the vortex, vanishing instantly without a trace.
Waves slammed violently against the whirlpool’s edge, sending up countless splashes that instantly froze into ice crystals in the biting air.
At the center of the vortex, the seawater was a heart-stopping, profound black, like a passage to an endless, dark abyss that inspired dread in all who saw it.
"This is bad! It’s an ocean current vortex!"
At that moment, a man who looked like a captain was the first to snap back to his senses.
His eyes were wide, nearly splitting at the corners, as he roared in fury.
"Quick! Cut the fishing lines! Full power! Get out of here!"
An ocean current vortex, also known as an ocean’s black hole.
They are generally formed due to the direction of ocean currents, temperature differences, geographical location, or meteorological conditions.
Regardless of the cause,
the appearance of an ocean current vortex is a fatal danger for any ship at sea.
As a vessel that sailed the seas year-round,
it was naturally equipped with navigation and monitoring devices.
And an ocean current vortex had never appeared in this area before.
This was all too sudden.
There hadn’t been the slightest warning.
The fishermen who received the order quickly cut the fishing lines, turned the ship’s bow, and prepared to leave.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, the ship’s hull jolted as if it had been struck by some creature, and a huge hole was torn directly through its iron plating.
Then, a massive wave crashed down, causing the ship to list sharply and capsize.
The fishermen were tossed into the surrounding sea like dumplings into a pot.
Normally, these fishermen, who were all expert swimmers, might have had a sliver of hope by clinging to scattered planks.
But not now.
Despair filled everyone’s faces.
The deep blue seawater had a powerful suction, pulling everyone in a single direction.
After a short while, the sea’s surface was calm again. The ship and all the people had vanished without a trace.
Only the vortex remained, continuously spinning, swallowing the surrounding seawater and marine life.
It seemed to have grown even larger than before.
PSH!
The seawater surged upwards.
The next moment, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared on the surface of the sea, completely shrouded in a black mist.
"So this is the Surface World? It doesn’t look like much. The taste of the blood-food isn’t bad, though."
The one who spoke was the tall figure. His voice was muffled, as if he were chewing on something.
In his hand, he held a bloody human thigh.
"We should leave. The commotion here was too big; it’s bound to attract the attention of this world’s powerful experts."
The short figure beside him spoke.
"Hmph! They’re all just blood-food anyway. Su Xing, you’re far too timid."
The tall figure snorted coldly.
"Wolf Stream, you idiot! The Surface World of this era is different from the past. According to the intel from the Feast, powerful beings exist here who can fight against us."
As soon as the short figure finished speaking, he flickered and reappeared dozens of meters away, walking across the water.
"If you want to stay here, then go ahead!"
Seeing this, Wolf Stream fell silent for a moment. The wooden plank floating beneath his feet exploded, and his figure shot forward in pursuit.
"Wait! I was just kidding! I think it’s safer if we stick together."
As they spoke, the two figures flickered and quickly vanished from the surface of the sea.
...
As time slowly passed, the bustling and noisy metropolis of Anshan City seemed to have been muted, its clamor gradually fading.
A few days later, a black car left Anshan City and headed straight for Qirong City.
Inside the car, Hu Qi was leaning back in the rear seat.
In the driver’s seat, Dai Shu drove with a focused expression.
Previously, Hu Lemei had called him, asking him to come back and celebrate the New Year with her.
He didn’t have anything urgent to do, so he agreed.
After all, spending the New Year alone would be far too lonely and boring.
As for Dai Shu, Hu Qi hadn’t wanted to trouble her. Since it was almost the New Year, he felt he should have given her time off to go home and reunite with her family.
However, Dai Shu said she had no relatives and was all alone, so it didn’t matter to her whether she celebrated the New Year or not.
Hearing this, Hu Qi stopped insisting.
During the journey, apart from a few words at the beginning, the two didn’t talk much.
Hu Qi’s gaze was lowered as if he were feigning sleep, but in reality, he was circulating the Qi Blood True Strength in his body, operating the Inheritance Secret Martial Arts, the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map.
He didn’t know what the Shexin Sect’s Red Snake Secret Martial Arts was like, but anyone who wasn’t an idiot could understand that the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map was certainly much stronger than the Red Snake Secret Martial Arts.
After all, the three-eyed giant serpent he had seen in the Illusion Mirror was still fresh in his memory.
To put it bluntly, this Secret Martial Arts was an Extraordinary Technique created in imitation of that creature.
As his strength increased, he might gradually come to possess the giant serpent’s power and Traits.
...
Because it was nearly the New Year, and because of the heavy snow over the past few days, the roads were quite congested. They basically had to stop every time they drove a short distance.
This caused the trip from Anshan City to Qirong City, which should have taken just over an hour at most, to drag on for four hours with all the stopping and starting.
Only then did they arrive at their destination.
Although Qirong City was a third-tier city, its usual foot traffic was not insignificant.
But now, with the New Year approaching, the streets were deserted. Only a few figures in community worker or traffic police uniforms could be seen here and there, clearing snow with shovels.
On the road, the wheels of passing cars occasionally crunched over the accumulated snow as they drove slowly by.
Most of the shops on both sides of the road had already closed for the holiday, with red couplets and lanterns posted on their doors.
Soaked by the melting snow, the Spring Festival couplets and "Fu" characters appeared exceptionally vibrant and eye-catching.
The sound of firecrackers occasionally echoed from various corners of the city. The New Year was drawing near, and the festive atmosphere was growing strong.
After entering Qirong City, the car didn’t go directly to Hu Lemei’s place.
Instead, it stopped at the entrance of a shopping mall.
Hu Qi and Dai Shu got out of the car, one after the other, and entered the supermarket to buy some items and New Year’s goods.
After all, you can’t show up empty-handed when you’re celebrating the New Year at someone else’s home.
However, they hadn’t walked far from the car when a skeptical voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
"Hey, you’re Hu Qi, right?"
Hu Qi turned to look and saw two figures, a man and a woman, walking toward them.
The one in the lead was a square-faced Young Man.
The Young Man had a medium build, wore his hair parted in the middle, had a bright green watch on his wrist, and was dressed in exquisite, well-chosen clothes.
Beside him was a curvy woman wearing a red qipao.
The one who had spoken was the man.
After his breakthrough into the realm of the Martial Arts Family, his physique had been enhanced by his Qi Blood True Strength and had gradually become extraordinary.
His memory had also improved dramatically, so he recognized the person before him at a glance.
This was his high school classmate, Zhao Zhou. Their relationship was average; they were just ordinary classmates.
Unlike the original owner of his body, who had dropped out after high school, Zhao Zhou came from a wealthy family. His parents were said to be executives at some bank.
Although his grades were average, thanks to money and various connections, he was still admitted to a good university as a student with special talents. From the looks of it, he was doing very well for himself now.
