Lin Feng felt as if his back were scorched by fire, an excruciating agony radiating through him. His arms were numb, and his consciousness swam perilously close to darkness. As the raging river engulfed him, sweeping him away, he involuntarily choked on several mouthfuls of icy water, nearly blacking out entirely.
Hmmmm…
Suddenly, the crushing pressure around him vanished. The suffocating sensation disappeared instantly. He gasped greedily, gulping down precious lungfuls of fresh air, his mind clawing back from the brink. Blinking water from his eyes, he saw a shimmering, bubble-like blue barrier enveloping him. Outside, the torrent raged, but the barrier held it firmly at bay.
Looking down, he saw Chang Gong Xiaojing held tightly in his arms, her face etched with intense concentration as she channeled her true energy. The protective dome was her doing—the Water Element art: Water Avoidance Art.
Maintaining the spell, she looked up at him, her eyes wide with worry. "Lin Feng, are you alright?"
"I'm fi—" Lin Feng managed a weak smile, but the words died in his throat. His expression twisted into pure horror as he snapped his head towards the darkness behind them. "Get moving!!" he shouted urgently. "That beast is right behind us!!"
Through his psychic bonds with the Spiritfire and the Crimson Soul flying sword, Lin Feng could feel them hurtling closer through the watery depths. Since both resided within the Vermilion Drake Beast, its relentless pursuit was terrifyingly clear.
"What?!" Chang Gong Xiaojing's face paled. Instantly, she surged her true energy. Lin Feng felt the water barrier ripple violently around them, as if struck by a massive force. Suddenly, the dome lurched forward like a torpedo, accelerating them through the current with dizzying speed.
Already propelled by the river's fierce flow, their new velocity sent them streaking forward. Neither possessed divine sense. The world beyond the faint glow of their barrier was an impenetrable blackness. They could barely discern the churning water a few meters around them; the riverbed and banks remained invisible phantoms. They were utterly at the mercy of the underground torrent.
"No good… It's gaining!" Lin Feng's face was grim. Gritting his teeth, he raised his right hand. A porcelain vial materialized from his spatial ring—the vial holding the Spirit Spring Water. He brought it to his lips and took a small, deliberate sip. Ahh… A wave of pure, refreshing coolness cascaded down his throat, flooding his core before radiating outwards, soothing his battered flesh and aching bones. More crucially, his nearly depleted true energy reserves roared back to life, surging through his meridians with renewed vigor.
Reinvigorated, Lin Feng focused his entire being. He seized the fraying connection to the Magma Fire buried deep within the pursuing beast and willed it into violent rebellion.
"ROOOOOAARRRRGH!!!"
A shriek of pure agony, distorted by the water but still deafening, slammed into them from behind. Simultaneously, the water pressure surged violently, churning with chaotic turbulence—the beast's frantic thrashing in response. A flicker of grim satisfaction crossed Lin Feng's face. He could feel the Vermilion Drake Beast's speed falter significantly. The distance between predator and prey was widening!
"Xiaojing, find a way up!" Lin Feng commanded, continuing to mentally assault the beast with the Magma Fire while looking down at the woman in his arms. "We can't fight it down here!"
"Mm." Chang Gong Xiaojing understood the peril. Without hesitation, she angled the water barrier upwards. They ascended rapidly… only to jarringly collide with solid rock barely ten meters above! Thud! The unyielding ceiling of the subterranean river tunnel confirmed their grim reality: they were trapped within a sealed underground waterway. There was no surface to breach.
Lin Feng's voice was low and urgent as he processed this. "There has to be an outlet! Keep pushing forward!"
…
Fueled by the potent Spirit Spring Water, Lin Feng's recovery was swift. Roughly ten minutes later, both he and Chang Gong Xiaojing snapped to attention. A distinct new sound echoed around them—the rhythmic slapping of waves against solid ground. Slosh… Slosh… Slosh… Hope surged. Chang Gong Xiaojing immediately steered them upwards again. This time— Whoosh! —they broke the surface!
Lin Feng's initial relief at escaping the water vanished instantly as he looked around. They were still deep underground! They had emerged into another vast cavern. Roughly thirty meters away, a rocky bank offered sanctuary amidst the rushing black water.
Gratefully, they scrambled onto the solid ground. Lin Feng immediately scattered several luminous stones around the perimeter. Their soft, white glow banished the oppressive darkness, revealing the cavern's eerie contours: jagged stalactites hung like fangs from the ceiling, and shadowed alcoves dotted the walls.
As light flooded the space, Lin Feng's peripheral vision caught a flicker of movement—a shadow darting behind a large stalagmite nearby. But when he focused, there was nothing. No time for investigation. His right hand flashed, retrieving a thick stack of spirit talismans from his ring. He thrust them into Chang Gong Xiaojing's hands.
"Xiaojing," he said rapidly, his eyes scanning the turbulent river, "when that beast surfaces, hit it with everything you've got. I'll deliver the killing blow. Get behind cover, now! Be careful!" He pointed towards a cluster of large boulders further back.
"What?" Chang Gong Xiaojing stared, momentarily frozen. Then, comprehension dawned, bringing fresh terror. "It's… it's still coming?!"
"Yes," Lin Feng confirmed, his expression grave. "No time for details. Get ready! Start with this!" He pulled a specific talisman from the stack—its parchment shimmered with potent energy—a Tier 3 Peak-Grade Heavenly Thunder Talisman! "Use this one first!"
The thought of the monstrous beast resurfacing sent shivers down her spine, but fear was a luxury they couldn't afford. Taking a steadying breath, Chang Gong Xiaojing accepted the talisman, her grip firm. "Alright. I'm with you."
Lin Feng offered a strained but reassuring smile. "Heh. Remember Crimson Rock Mountain? We got through that. We'll get through this too."
"Squeak!!"
A sudden, sharp cry came from within Lin Feng's robes. Xiao Qiu's furry head popped out, his beady eyes wide with alarm, fixed on Lin Feng.
No warning was needed. Lin Feng already felt the terrifying presence surging closer through the water. He scooped Xiao Qiu out and gently tossed him towards Chang Gong Xiaojing. "Take him! Get back deeper! It's HERE!!"
Chang Gong Xiaojing clutched Xiao Qiu close, her knuckles white on the Heavenly Thunder Talisman, and scrambled behind the largest boulder she could find. She focused her energy, ready to unleash the talisman's power the instant its target appeared.
Lin Feng stood his ground near the water's edge, his gaze locked on the churning surface. "The moment it breaks water—STRIKE! Don't hesitate!! Get ready… NOW!!"
KA-BOOOOOOM!!!!
Before Lin Feng could finish, the river exploded! A colossal geyser erupted, and within it, the nightmarish form of the Vermilion Drake Beast launched itself towards the shore, targeting Lin Feng with murderous intent. Crimson Soul still protruded grotesquely from its lower jaw, blood streaming from its maw, painting a picture of feral, wounded fury.
"NOW, XIAOJING!" Lin Feng roared.
Chang Gong Xiaojing gritted her teeth. True energy surged into the talisman. CRACK-THOOM!!!! A blinding violet radiance filled the cavern, coalescing into a thick bolt of purple lightning, easily several meters across. It tore through the air with a deafening crackle, aimed squarely at the beast erupting from the water.
"HROOOGH?!" The beast's massive pupils contracted sharply. Yet, instead of dodging, it roared defiance. Flames erupted along its entire body, concentrating along its lashing tail. The tail became a twenty-meter-long whip of pure fire, snapping forward to meet the descending thunder! BOOOOOOM!!!! The collision was cataclysmic. The Tier 3 Peak-Grade thunderbolt didn't even reach the beast's head. It detonated violently against the fiery tail whip, filling the cavern with a blinding flash of purple and crimson light. From the heart of the explosion, a shape tore free— The Vermilion Drake Beast, smoke rising from its scales but very much alive, surged forward, jaws gaping wide for Lin Feng!
What it encountered instead was a blinding white radiance… and the soul-chilling silhouette of a colossal White Tiger materializing instantly before it!
White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman!
Lin Feng had gone straight for his ultimate weapon!
The moment the White Tiger soul appeared, sheer terror flashed in the Vermilion Drake Beast's eyes. Clearly, it hadn't anticipated Lin Feng still possessing such power. It shuddered violently, an incredible feat considering its momentum, and tried desperately to pivot mid-air, scrambling to flee back towards the water.
"Not this time!" Lin Feng snarled, his eyes blazing with fury and pain. He had recklessly consumed nearly ten drops of Spirit Spring Water earlier. His reserves, though strained, were full and burning hot. Ignoring the toll it took on his body, he poured everything—every shred of willpower and true energy—into two simultaneous assaults: maintaining the White Tiger soul and violently igniting the Magma Fire still trapped inside the beast!
"SKREEEEEEEEE—!!!!" The beast's body locked rigid. An expression of utter agony and primal fear contorted its features. Its abdomen visibly swelled and pulsed, glowing faintly from within as if something raged to break free. A final, ear-splitting shriek tore from its throat.
That split-second of vulnerability was all the White Tiger needed. ROAR! The spectral tiger lunged, its form ethereal yet devastatingly real. It passed through the paralyzed physical form of the Vermilion Drake Beast. As it did, it ripped free a massive, writhing, serpentine phantom—the very soul of the beast!
The two colossal spirits—one a blazing white tiger, the other a crimson drake—clashed violently in the air above the cavern floor, locked in a savage, spectral duel, tearing and biting with ghostly ferocity.
Meanwhile, the beast's physical body, now an empty shell, plummeted lifelessly. SPLOOSH! It crashed back into the river, sending a wave crashing over Lin Feng, soaking him to the bone. He didn't flinch. His gaze remained fixed on the spectral battle above, pouring every ounce of his dwindling strength into sustaining the White Tiger talisman.
The next several dozen breaths stretched into an eternity for Lin Feng. Sweat mingled with river water on his brow, his muscles screaming in protest. But then, he saw it—the crimson drake soul phantom was fading, its form growing translucent and tattered under the White Tiger's relentless assault. Hope flared brightly in his eyes.
Finally, with a soundless, spectral rip, the White Tiger tore the last vestiges of the drake soul apart, scattering its essence into nothingness. Fwoosh… The White Tiger phantom dissipated.
Lin Feng's legs buckled. He collapsed heavily onto the rocky ground, gasping for air as if he'd run for days. The lingering power of the Spirit Spring Water still flowed within him, rapidly replenishing his true energy, making recovery pills unnecessary for now. Shakily, he recalled the spent White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman.
Mustering a thread of recovered energy, he raised his hand towards the river. Glug… Glug… Glug… The water directly before him began to bubble and churn violently, as if boiling. A crimson light grew beneath the surface. Then— Whoosh! Whoosh! —two objects shot forth: his Crimson Soul flying sword, and the Magma Fire, now a compact, fist-sized orb of swirling flame.
Relief washed over Lin Feng as he confirmed both treasures were unharmed. But that relief was catastrophically short-lived.
"SQUEEEEAK!!!!"
Xiao Qiu's terrified shriek pierced the relative quiet from behind the boulders.
Lin Feng spun around instinctively. His peripheral vision caught a blur—a gray shadow, no more than a few inches long, darting from the deep gloom beside a stalagmite. It moved with impossible speed.
Exhausted and off-guard, Lin Feng's reflexes were sluggish. He managed only a slight twist of his torso before— STAB! —excruciating pain exploded from the back of his neck!