In that instant, Lin Feng felt as if all sound in the world vanished. The scene before him seemed to shift into a slow-motion sequence. He realized he could no longer control his own body; his vision could only follow the natural backward tilt of his torso. He felt a massive hole open in his chest, and all the strength in his body poured out through this terrible breach.
He saw a small, yellow figure leap from his right shoulder. It was Xiaoqiu. The creature appeared incandescent with rage. It slashed its claws wildly, seemingly trying to scratch the face of the black-robed Corpse Puppet looming before them. But when it collided with the puppet's face, it rebounded as if striking an impenetrable iron wall.
Clearly, Xiaoqiu's suicidal lunge had inflicted no damage whatsoever on the Corpse Puppet. Strangely, however, the puppet made no counterattack, allowing Xiaoqiu to crash into its impassive features and bounce off. Xiaoqiu tumbled several times through the air before colliding back into Lin Feng's chest. Its small body was instantly drenched crimson by the blood gushing from Lin Feng's wound. Beside Xiaoqiu's head gaped a horrific hole the size of a rice bowl...
Lin Feng's body drifted downward. Blood rained from the sky like scattered droplets. His gaze shifted as his body rotated, landing on the tall, rigid figure suspended in mid-air. Its right hand was dripping with fresh gore. The next second, consciousness utterly deserted him...
...
High above, the white-robed elder watched Lin Feng, drenched in blood, plummet towards the sea. His expression remained almost unchanged, as if he had merely crushed an insignificant insect. Seeing Lin Feng about to hit the water, he prepared to command his Corpse Puppet to retrieve the corpse.
"Hmm?" But as the command formed in his mind, the elder's brow furrowed slightly. A flicker of surprise crossed his impassive features. He lifted his gaze towards the Corpse Puppet hovering nearby, seemingly detecting some unexpected anomaly.
"Huuuuummm..."
At that precise moment, the very fabric of the surrounding space erupted into violent tremors. The white-robed elder's pupils contracted sharply, his face hardening with an unprecedented gravity. Instinctively, he snapped his head up, his senses locking onto a point in the void hundreds of meters away.
Simultaneous with his movement, the space at that distant point rippled and distorted. A figure clad in fiery crimson robes, his hair the color of ash, stepped out from nothingness.
"Splash…"
A faint sound echoed from far below – Lin Feng's body striking the water. Yet, the white-robed elder paid it no further heed. His entire focus was now fixed with wary intensity on the suddenly appeared crimson-robed elder.
The crimson-robed elder emerged, his gaze sweeping casually over the churning sea below. His spiritual sense immediately detected Lin Feng's form sinking into the depths. He made no other move, but his expression darkened perceptibly as he lifted his eyes to meet the white-robed elder's stare, his voice cold as glacial ice:
"A Grand Elder of the Yin Corpse Sect, personally executing a nameless junior… Yin Wuyang, do you truly believe the Starry Sea has no one left to stand against you?"
...
...
Meanwhile, beneath the waves, within the azure embrace of the ocean, a trail of vivid crimson slowly descended. This crimson was blood – Lin Feng's blood, still flowing from his grievous wound.
Lin Feng was utterly motionless. No signs of breathing stirred his nostrils or parted his lips. His state was unknowable – alive or dead? Xiaoqiu clung desperately to his collar, streams of bubbles escaping its mouth. The creature itself seemed physically unharmed, but its eyes were wide pools of terror and frantic urgency. It shook Lin Feng's collar repeatedly, as if desperately trying to rouse him.
The light from the surface above grew steadily fainter, the depths claiming them swiftly. Xiaoqiu made several more futile attempts to wake Lin Feng before finally giving up. It lifted its head, scanning the surrounding ocean gloom with quick, jerky movements. Its gaze suddenly fixed, a look of determination settling on its small face. Its cheeks puffed out, as if gathering every ounce of its strength. Its tiny claws tightened their grip on Lin Feng's collar. Then, with a powerful kick of its hind legs against the water –
A ripple of energy pulsed outwards! The kick connected with astonishing force, as if kicking off a solid wall. The unexpected propulsion sent both Xiaoqiu and Lin Feng surging forward through the water!
Had Lin Feng been conscious, his jaw would surely have dropped in disbelief at Xiaoqiu's hidden capability…
"Kew?" After dragging Lin Feng several dozen meters, Xiaoqiu's eyes snapped into focus. Ahead, something glinted with a faint light. Peering closer, Xiaoqiu recognized it – the Soulrend Flying Sword, fallen into the sea alongside Lin Feng! Immediately, Xiaoqiu altered course, swimming towards the weapon. Its tail whipped out, coiling securely around the sword's hilt. Without slowing its frantic pace, Xiaoqiu surged onward, towing both master and sword through the water.
Xiaoqiu knew the terrifying enemy was above. They couldn't surface. They had to get away – now.
Yet, less than a kilometer further, Xiaoqiu's ears suddenly twitched. Panic flared anew in its eyes. It jerked its head to the right. There, looming out of the murky blue distance, a massive shadow was hurtling towards them at terrifying speed!
This was the Starry Sea. Its depths teemed with countless demon beasts. And now, at this most critical juncture, they had encountered one!
Xiaoqiu's heart filled with utter dread, edging towards despair. There was simply no way to fight off a demon beast attack now. They were cornered, trapped…
"BOOOOOOM!!!"
But at that very moment, an earth-shattering explosion tore through the silence from the surface far above! The surrounding seawater instantly erupted into violent chaos!!
Xiaoqiu felt like a leaf caught in a hurricane. The churning currents tossed it violently, threatening to rip Lin Feng from its grasp. By sheer force of will, it managed to stabilize itself, clinging desperately to Lin Feng. Trembling with residual shock, it cast a fearful glance upwards. But when it quickly scanned the surroundings again, a wave of sheer relief washed over it.
The massive demon beast shadow that had been charging towards them moments before… was gone. The terrifying disturbance from above must have scared it off!
Xiaoqiu also noticed other shadowy forms of demon beasts flickering in the distance. Like frightened rats, they were all fleeing in panic, diving frantically towards the abyssal depths below and vanishing from sight.
This discovery spurred Xiaoqiu into action. It immediately tightened its grip and began swimming with renewed, desperate energy, dragging Lin Feng and the sword. Within moments, they disappeared into the vast, dark expanse…
...
On the sandy shore of an unknown island, a large wave surged forward, crashing onto the beach. As the water receded, it left behind something that hadn't been there before – a human figure.
"Kew!!"
Xiaoqiu, utterly exhausted, scrambled off Lin Feng's chest. Its tail uncoiled, letting the Soulrend Flying Sword clatter onto the sand. It then hopped over to Lin Feng's head, nudging his deathly pale, unresponsive face with frantic urgency. Helplessness and fear were stark in its large eyes.
Xiaoqiu scrambled next to Lin Feng's right hand, its tiny claws scrabbling desperately at the storage ring on his middle finger. It knew healing pills were inside. But the ring's mechanism remained frustratingly beyond its ability to operate.
Frantic and directionless, Xiaoqiu circled Lin Feng like a trapped animal. Suddenly, it froze. Its small nose twitched rapidly. A look of dawning hope lit its eyes. It lifted its head, staring intently into the dense jungle lining the beach. It glanced back at Lin Feng, worry warring with its new resolve. Only a heartbeat of hesitation, then Xiaoqiu turned and bolted into the thick foliage, vanishing within moments.
On the beach, Lin Feng lay utterly still. The seawater had washed away the blood staining his clothes. No trace of life emanated from his form. Yet, if one were to look directly down upon him, they would see something remarkable within the gaping hole in his chest.
The terrible void was now filled with a faint, multicolored glow…