The seventh and eighth-grade martial arts skills were very precious and rare. Even the Peripatetic Sect, the most powerful one of the five major sects, had no such high-grade martial arts manuals in their possession.
In the five major sects of the Violet Orchid Empire, high graded martial arts skills had been regarded as the treasures of each sect, and only the best principal disciples could learn and practice them.
The seventh and eighth-grade martial arts skills were things that were only heard in legends.
So when Iris and Anna heard that there were such martial arts skills in the Emperor Library, their eyes glowed in excitement.
"Well, in that case, let's hurry up and try our luck in the Emperor Library, or we'll be outrun by others and left out with nothing."
Austin was also looking forward to getting his hands on such high-grade martial arts skills.
So far, the highest grade martial arts skill Austin had practiced was the Overlord Body-refining Formula, which, according to what Lois had said, was a grade seven martial arts skill handed down from her ancestors.
However, after he had succeeded in practicing the fifth stage of the Overlord Body-refining Formula, he had always felt that there was something incomplete with the formula.
Austin speculated that the formula he acquired was not the complete and refined variant. If it was not, there should be some higher levels of cultivation manuals beyond the fifth stage.
The Overlord Body-refining Formula he was practicing was an incomplete grade seven martial arts skill. So he was eager to go to the middle circle too, for a complete one laid in the Emperor Library. Acquiring it would make all the risks he had taken in the Mysterious Nether World worthwhile.
"Okay, let's go."
Austin waved to Iris and Anna and headed for the middle circle of the Mysterious Nether World. Although the girls knew that a greater danger awaited ahead, they were not afraid at all. Austin's formidable strength assured them of their safety. They believed that they could overcome any threat and make it to the Emperor Library. With that in mind, they quickly followed him.
The Mysterious Nether World was vast and wide, with massive mountain ranges and primeval forests in its surroundings. Diverse landforms included rivers, grasslands, and swamps. It was a paradise for diabolic beasts whose roar could be heard from far away.
On their way to the middle circle, they encountered a lot of fierce diabolic beasts, among which were some rare and even extinct species in the outside world. The diabolic beasts were so ferocious that Austin and his partners' advancing speed were slowed down a lot by the beasts' attacks.
Once, as they were passing through grassland, the ground suddenly opened and three huge cracks appeared in front of them. Three giant insects with dozens of meters long rushed out of the crevice. Their huge and ferocious mouths, full of smelly poisonous saliva, tried to swallow Austin and his partners in one gulp.
The three giant insects were all fifth-level diabolic beasts.
Fortunately, Austin was able to sense them even before they broke out of the ground. He used the Wind-commanding Skill and retreated at once, grabbing Iris and Anna.
Then they all worked together and killed the giant insects.
With Austin's current strength, he could deal with any diabolic beast under the eighth level.
But when they met the cannibal ants, they chose to run away. Although they were only low leveled beasts, Austin, Iris, and Anna were all stunned to see hundreds of thousands of ants gushed out together. At a glance, the ground beyond the crevice silently screamed in total eclipse, as if it was a wriggling black sea with nothing but darkness beyond.
Austin's spiritual sense could feel the army of the cannibal ants from a long distance. So when he found them, he told Iris and Anna about the situation, and they decided to escape as fast as they could.
Aside from the diabolic beasts, there were many more hazards in the Mysterious Nether World.
One of which would be the chilling white mist they encountered in a swamp. Its erosion ability was so powerful that it could corrode everything into a pool of blood.
The area covered by the white fog was vast and could extend to a broader range. It could also move around, and when combined with the wind, could drift even faster.
Because Angus had told Austin about the chilling mist beforehand, he was able to take precautions and avoid the fog as soon as he found it.
In the process of avoiding the cold fog, they saw several Black Bone Elephants shrouded by a large cloud of the white fog. Within seconds, as the mist gradually drifted, skeletons of the elephants flaunted into their view.
Aside from that, they also picked some rare herbs they found on their way to the middle circle.
They also met some young cultivators from the Violet Orchid Empire. But among the one hundred young warriors who entered the Mysterious Nether World with him, Austin only knew Dewey and Maria. He didn't know anyone else.
So when they met those young cultivators, they just went their own ways without saying a word or even greeting them.
Three days later, they finally reached the junction of the outer and middle circle.
"The middle circle of the Mysterious Nether World is right up ahead," Austin said to Iris and Anna.
He stood on a hillside, overlooking the dreary ground in the distance.
"Austin, why did you suddenly become so familiar with the Mysterious Nether World?"
Iris couldn't help asking the question that had been pressing her for days.
Three or four days ago, Austin knew nothing about the Mysterious Nether World and merely relied on the notes left by the ancestor of the Pure Dream Convent to find their way.
However, over the past three days, Austin was able to lead them to the edge of the middle circle, as if he knew all the routes in the Mysterious Nether World. Iris was very puzzled with that thought.
"Oh, it's just my hunch," answered Austin with a smile.
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