Chapter 235: Entering The Catacombs

　　There were even martial artists guarding at the gate.

　　No one attempted to stop Fang Ping’s actions.

　　Not many guards were guarding at the gate. There were only two, and they did not look particularly young.

　　One of the middle-aged martial artists had a very long scar stretching from his brows to the corner of his mouth.

　　When he saw Fang Ping engrossed in touching the gate, the fierce-looking scarred man suddenly gave a bright, big smile and said, “Little kid, want to take it away?”

　　“Yes!”

　　Fang Ping’s reply was rapid and innocent.

　　Scarface beamed again and teased, “Work hard if you want to. One day, when the Catacombs in Magic City has been suppressed, this gate will be of no use anymore. We can then work together to take it down.”

　　Fang Ping heard what he said and grinned. “I guess I’ll never be able to see this gate again when that time comes.”

　　“Hahaha…”

　　Both guards burst out laughing. After laughing for some time, they called out to Tang Feng, “These guys are the future’s pillar of strength. Big Lion, be more vigilant after going in.”

　　“I don’t need you to tell me what to do.” Tang Feng’s tone was rather unfriendly. ‘My students are all here. How could you call me by that name?’

　　The guards took no notice. Scarface smiled and said, “Enter here, return here. Come back alive.”

　　“If old people like us die now, we would have already played our part. All of you, on the other hand, are still young.

　　“A bunch of chicks. I guess none of you have had the opportunity to enjoy life, right? Do you have a girlfriend? A boyfriend?

　　“Let me tell you, that feeling is… so pleasant. Don’t die so young…”

　　“Liu Xiangpeng!”

　　Tang Feng frowned and told him off.

　　Scarface snorted in contempt and retorted, “What? Since when have martial artists become monks? Even monks have wives. Did I say something wrong?”

　　“Just shut your mouth! Hurry up and let us in.”

　　Liu Xiangpeng chuckled for some time but did not delay. He started checking the IDs once again.

　　He even explained while doing so, “Just for the first time. Next time, I will recognize all of you, so there’s no need to check anymore.

　　“That’s a lot of Rank-2 martial artists here. Is MCMAU giving up on its assets now?

　　“Everyone should be vigilant after going in. No one is counting on any of you to kill any enemies upon entering for the first time, so no showing off. Observe obediently. When you are strong enough yourself, you can kill to your heart’s content one day!”

　　Scarface might sound long-winded, yet everyone could feel the genuine concern in his voice.

　　These martial artists from the previous generation were slightly worried about the Rank-2 martial artists who were going in.

　　After he had finished checking the IDs one by one, Scarface passed through the tiny door. Another martial artist outside the door explained, “He’s giving notice to the ones opposite in case things get out of hand with so many of you going in.”

　　Yang Xiaoman asked curiously, “We can contact people inside the Catacombs from here?”

　　“No, you can’t. However, a setting was put up by a Rank-9 High Grandmaster at the entrance. When beating from this side, those who are on the opposite side can feel the vibration. The number of beats represents the number of people…”

　　This was not classified information. Even the guards did not mind clearing everyone’s doubts.

　　Fang Ping was not very interested in this. Instead, he asked curiously, “How does the passageway actually work? Is it like teleportation, swoosh—and we’ll be there?”

　　“Hahaha… You’ll know soon enough.”

　　The guard did not give them any hints. Very soon, Scarface came back out.

　　“Go on.”

　　Tang Feng took the first step. “Follow me.”

　　Everyone followed after him. After stepping through the tiny doorway, Fang Ping and the rest could finally see the Catacombs entrance for the first time.

　　The Catacombs entrance was actually like a vortex in a body of water, hovering in midair.

　　In that tiny space, a flight of alloy steps was constructed. There were bloodstains on the steps. It was unsure whether it was not cleaned or had just been stained today.

　　There was light in the house, hence it was not really dim.

　　Fang Ping raised his head to look around. There were some tiny holes on certain parts of the wall. It was most probably weapon launch tubes or other similar kinds of installations.

　　Scarface followed them inside and said to the group, “You can go in now. Also, when you enter next time, do not touch anything here without any authorization. It’s very dangerous.”

　　With that last warning, Scarface looked at Tang Feng and said, “Return safely!”

　　“Don’t worry.” Tang Feng responded. He stepped onto the stairs and walked straight into the vortex opening. The rest of the instructors shouted, “Keep up, everyone!”

　　Everyone started following along.

　　Fang Ping was leading in front, so he was next to the vortex opening in no time. He could not help but stretch out his arm to touch the vortex. As he did that, half of his arm was gone instantly!

　　“Ah!”

　　Fang Ping cried out loudly. Everyone behind him became anxious all of a sudden. Fu Changding yelled, “What’s wrong!”

　　“You lost your arm? Retreat quickly!”

　　“…”

　　Fang Ping pulled his arm back as if nothing had happened and muttered, “Interesting. Did my arm just travel through space?”

　　Yang Xiaoman, who was standing beside him, struck him with her leg without warning. The next moment, Fang Ping disappeared in the vortex!

　　“This bastard!”

　　Yang Xiaoman cursed. ‘Can’t you see the situation we’re in…freaking us out on purpose’

　　Everyone burst out laughing and stepped into the vortex opening one after another.

　　…

　　“F*ck!”

　　Fang Ping staggered to his feet and cursed. Then, he looked up hurriedly.

　　He did not see the so-called Catacombs world. What laid ahead was a passageway that looked like a tunnel. It was neither alloy nor soil on both sides and on top of his head. It was instead… energy particles!

　　Fang Ping’s eyes moved ever so slightly as he exclaimed, “An energy passageway!”

　　He had caught energy particles before, so he could feel the energy in the passageway.

　　He never thought that energy particles could possibly solidify to form a passageway when they merged.

　　When Fang Ping caught energy particles previously, he did so one by one.

　　This passageway had already been solidified. This was a huge difference between a speck of dust and a huge mountain.

　　At this moment, Tang Feng and a few others were in front. When he heard Fang Ping’s exclamation, Tang Feng raised his brows and asked, “You can see it?”

　　“Of course. It’s just the energy particles solidifying. Of course I can feel such obvious energy. I wonder if I can catch them…”

　　“Don’t do anything reckless!”

　　Tang Feng warned, “Although I don’t think you can destroy the passageway, don’t use your Mentality to catch energy particles here.

　　“The passageway interior is not stable at times.

　　“Grandmasters, however, can use their Mentality to stir the energy passageway slightly. With the joint effort of many Grandmasters, they can bring the passageway into a state of turmoil for a short period of time. When this happens, no one can pass through both worlds. This will be the best decision to make as the last resort.”

　　Tiannan’s Catacombs entrance adopted this method exactly.

　　This method, however, meant giving up all their progress in that Catacombs.

　　Next time, when Tiannan’s passageway had recovered once again, calling it dangerous would be an understatement.

　　The passageway might be full of Catacombs beings.

　　If one went in, death was a near certainty.

　　Without any stronghold in the Catacombs, humans would be placed at an inferior position in the Catacombs battle. Tiannan had given up the stronghold they had built painstakingly with the blood of many ancestors. It was undoubtedly the most painful decision ever made.

　　One could only imagine what kind of crisis Tiannan had faced then to force their hand to such a degree.

　　The next time Tiannan’s Catacombs entrance reopened would most probably be the time when the Catacombs beings entered the surface world to fight with humans. There was a high chance that the battleground would be on Earth.

　　Fang Ping did not attempt to use his Mentality to catch the particles. In reality, he did not have this ability anyway. These energy particles had solidified. It was like dust clumping into a boulder. How could Fang Ping possibly move that?

　　“Instructor, since the Grandmasters can stir the energy passageway, they should just do it all the time…”

　　Fang Ping figured that by doing it every time, neither side would be able to pass through. It would be an outright blockade.

　　Would that not be better than their current situation?

　　Tang Feng explained, “It’ll never work. Actually… the passageway is becoming more and more stabilized. The passageways at West Mountain are unable to be stirred at all.

　　“The solidified energy at the passageway has settled with time.

　　“It is only because Tiannan’s passageway was formed recently that they are able to do it.

　　“Magic City’s passageway was formed not too long ago as well. In early times, one to two Grandmasters could perhaps stir the passageway and bring chaos; right now, it is impossible unless there are more than ten Grandmasters.

　　“If that’s the case, the only choice is to fight the enemy on the frontier. We hope that the battleground will not be on Earth. That will be too great of a blow to us!”

　　If the Earth had become a battleground, and humans were unable to destroy the enemy, they would only bring huge devastation upon themselves.

　　Fang Ping understood but sighed once more and said, “If the Catacombs’ passageway is sealed off, the ones who didn’t come out…”

　　“They can’t come back anymore.”

　　“Oh.”

　　Fang Ping fell silent. He remembered that Old Wang’s instructor was trapped in Tiannan’s Catacomb. Zhao Xuemei’s father died battling in the Catacombs too. Even his body was unable to be retrieved.

　　Today, Tiannan’s Catacomb entrance had been sealed. The bodies were most probably impossible to retrieve. As for the ones left behind… could anyone even survive after being trapped in the Catacombs?

　　There was no stronghold there anymore. Facing the Catacombs great army, what could possibly happen other than death?

　　As they were talking, the other students started coming in one after another.

　　Upon seeing the passageway in front of their eyes, everyone became extremely curious and started touching and examining it. They all looked like curious babies.

　　Yu Xianghua touched it for a bit and asked curiously, “Instructor, is this passageway long?”

　　“Not long. Walk forward for another 1000 meters or so, and it will be the other end of the entrance.”

　　“Instructor, does this mean that both worlds are contiguous? It’s just that right now, they have been merged by this passage…”

　　Tang Feng had no answer. “I don’t know.”

　　‘Don’t ask me such thought-provoking questions. Even High Grandmasters and experts from all over the world were unable to clarify this. How could I possibly know?’

　　This was only a passageway. Why were there so many questions?

　　“Let’s go. Everyone stop looking.”

　　Tang Feng walked forward while Fang Ping asked, “Instructor, this passageway is bright. Why is that?”

　　“I don’t know.”

　　“You don’t even know this?” Fang Ping was slightly speechless. After thinking for a while, he muttered to himself, “This is probably caused by the energy that has been solidified. Right, I remember now. Energy ores are actually an embodiment of a form of energy accumulation too. Energy ores with higher purity levels are very bright.

　　“The passageway is one hundred percent pure energy, that’s why it can be so bright…”

　　Fang Ping started thinking of the bigger picture. “There’s no sun in the Catacombs. No, I should say that the Catacombs’ sun is a high-purity energy ore that has been solidified. No wonder it can light up the whole Catacombs.

　　“Then why does night fall in the Catacombs?

　　“Logically, energy ores will not do that. Perhaps, the Catacombs’ energy sun has two sides to it: one side is the energy while the other is a different substance.

　　“A self-rotation state has brought day and night?”

　　Tang Feng did not utter a word. Instead, another Rank-5 instructor chuckled. “Fang Ping, you have not seen the Catacombs before, yet you have come up with such detailed conclusions. Very impressive. Even the experts have made a similar hypothesis. Of course, there are no actual examples to prove it, so it is still impossible to say that you’re right without doubt.

　　“However, the conclusion you have made is probably close to the truth.”

　　Fang Ping laughed and replied, “Instructor Zheng, I think I’m really smart too. Do you think that MCMAU will thrive if I take charge?”

　　Everyone was silent.

　　Tang Feng still kept his mouth tightly shut. The middle-aged man whom Fang Ping called Instructor Zheng could not stop laughing. “You are getting ahead of yourself.”

　　“Instructor, I think that this is not really too far away.

　　“I’m an Upper-stage Rank-3 now. Perhaps I’ll be a Rank-4 very soon. Rank-5 next year and Grandmaster two years later…”

　　“Shut up!”

　　Tang Feng finally snapped!

　　‘Bastard. You’re saying it like Grandmasters were common. Even I, Tang Feng, had not become a Grandmaster!’

　　Fang Ping pouted. He calculated for some time in his heart. Could it be possible for him to become a Grandmaster in two years’ time?

　　If it was possible, he would remember to give Big Lion a hard bashing two years from now!

　　A few other instructors could not contain their laughter, while the students were extremely speechless. Fang Ping had really gotten ahead of himself!

　　Whereas other students in class had just learned that Fang Ping had achieved Upper-stage Rank-3. Their changing expressions were difficult to read.

　　This guy!

　　Broke through too quickly!

　　Zhang Ziwei, on the other hand, had a sinking feeling… Could Xie Lei really keep Fang Ping under control?

　　When Fang Ping got out of the Catacombs, there was a one hundred percent chance that he would fight Xie Lei.

　　There were plenty of reasons behind this!

　　The struggle for benefits between Martial Arts Society and Ping Yuan club, the competition between thrice-honed martial artists, the spite that stemmed from Fang Ping thrashing Zhang Ziwei, and the fight to be MCMAU’s future student leader…

　　Some might even say that even if they did not want to fight each other, the university would make them.

　　Right now, Fang Ping had already achieved Upper-stage Rank-3. It was a jaw-dropping speed.

　　Upper-stage Rank-3 and Peak Rank-3 were not much different from each other.

　　The dividing line was anywhere below Upper-stage.

　　…

　　A 1000 meters journey was considered very near for martial artists.

　　Very soon, everyone arrived at the end of the passageway.

　　At this moment, someone was also waiting at the end. Military personnel.

　　When they saw Tang Feng and the rest, one of the dignified-looking middle-aged martial artists asked with a wide smile. “Mad Lion, you’re personally leading the team this time?”

　　“General Xu!”

　　Tang Feng’s expression was one of admiration. He beamed a rare smile and replied, “We’ve inconvenienced you this time.”

　　“What are you saying? Our guys here at the Military Department have the greatest respect for MCMAU students! In the last few years, if it’s not for the continuous manpower supplied by you guys, Magic City Catacombs would have long fallen into the enemy’s grasp.”

　　General Xu smiled while saying, “Let’s talk outside. Sometimes I get really anxious about the passageway collapsing over here, but sometimes I do wish it would collapse. It’s a mixed feeling. Therefore, I stopped having conversations here.”

　　Perhaps, with the passageway collapsing, there was no need to fight this battle—one that many have sacrificed for—anymore.

　　As they were talking, General Xu strode out of the passageway and disappeared in front of everyone’s eyes.

　　Fang Ping took a glance behind him and said suddenly, “The passageway that connects both worlds is only a short distance. If the enemy has attacked all the way to the passageway, it will be impossible to even resist…”

　　Tang Feng said evenly, “Therefore, the ground ahead has long been stained red by the blood of previous generations in order to defend the passageway!”

　　Everyone was speechless. They had no words to say.

　　…

　　More than ten seconds later, Fang Ping stepped out of the vortex and entered another alloy house.

　　The house was not too big. So, everyone walked out hurriedly.

　　The moment they walked out, everyone’s mind blanked out for a bit. No one was looking at the buildings, nor the hurrying military personnel, nor the passing martial artists…

　　Everyone raised their heads to look at the enormous “sun” in the sky.

　　Extremely huge!

　　Extraordinary huge!

　　In contrast to the Earth, the sun on Earth was also huge. It was a star, after all, a much bigger star than the size of the Earth itself.

　　However, in everyone’s eyes, no matter how big it was, the distance made it seem small.

　　As for the Catacombs’ sun, it seemed like it was hanging on top of everyone’s head, making it look exceptionally huge.

　　“So huge!”

　　“So hideous!”

　　The girls added. Such a huge sun. It was hideous no matter how you looked at it. It was out of place.

　　General Xu and Tang Feng stood side by side ahead. Seeing that the students were staring at the sky, General Xu chuckled and said, “They’re all kids…”

　　Tang Feng’s voice was deep and dreary. “They are also martial artists.”

　　“Martial artists…”

　　General Xu mumbled and sighed softly. His voice was almost inaudible. “Try your best to send them back alive…”

　　“I will. This is just a tryout.”

　　“There’s no such thing as a tryout in the Catacombs.”

　　General Xu shook his head. How could it be a tryout? This was the dragon’s pool and the tiger’s den. Even the stronghold was not safe. They could not possibly huddle up like a turtle in the stronghold all the time, right?