Cold Pool Undercurrents, Sudden Claw Strike

The last traces of night had yet to fully fade. The sheer cliffs on both sides of the gorge still stood like silent giants, casting vast shadows. Within the valley of Clear Spring Eye, only the final faint glow of the campfire trembled in the cold wind.

Most of the Su Family guards were already awake, quietly packing their belongings. Their faces bore unconcealed exhaustion, yet their eyes held an added resilience born from surviving calamity. After a night of rest and the aid of medicinal pills, their injuries had improved somewhat, and much of their strength had returned. Though the poisoned men still looked slightly bluish, they could at least move without difficulty.

Beside the carriage, Su Lie was carefully inspecting the wheels and shafts, making sure the battered vehicle could still endure the journey ahead. Su Ling'er was already awake, sitting on the carriage shaft and silently gazing into the distance.

Lin Chen had long since finished regulating his breathing. Standing at the edge of the valley, he looked toward the gray horizon deep within the gorge, seemingly lost in thought. He perfectly concealed the Aura of the mid-stage Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer, revealing only a rock-like stillness that seemed to blend into his surroundings.

"Senior," Su Lie said respectfully in a low voice as he hurried over after finishing his inspection, "we are ready and can depart at any time. It's just... the young miss's condition..." Concern appeared on his face. "Although Senior suppressed the mosquito venom last night, the coldness within her body seems to have... grown worse. This place is bitterly cold and windy. I fear we should not remain here for long."

At those words, Lin Chen's gaze shifted almost imperceptibly. The coldness had worsened? Could that strand of vital furnace-origin energy have somehow clashed with the "strange illness" within her body? Or had the yang energy that suppressed the mosquito venom thrown the hidden yin-cold force in her body off balance, causing it to become even more pronounced?

He knew nothing about medicine, and he knew even less about Su Ling'er's specific condition. Naturally, he could not make a judgment.

"Mm." He merely answered indifferently, offering no further comment. "Since you are ready, then let's go."

Seeing that Lin Chen did not ask further, Su Lie felt secretly relieved, though also somewhat disappointed. It seemed this senior truly was only helping them "along the way" and had no concern for the young miss's illness.

He said no more and turned to call out to the others. "Everyone, move out! Stay alert!"

The group set off once more, leaving behind Clear Spring Eye, where they had been granted a moment to catch their breath.

This time, Lin Chen still walked at the very front, but his pace was considerably faster than before. Though Luofeng Gorge's terrain was complicated, with the map Su Lie had provided and his own powerful senses, he did not lose his way.

The winds here seemed even fiercer and more chaotic. At times, they burst from cracks in the cliff walls like sharp blades, slicing painfully across their faces; at others, they became invisible giant hands, trying to shove them toward the abyss at the side. The guards had an exceptionally difficult time walking, forced to circulate their true energy to its utmost limit to steady themselves. Their stamina drained rapidly.

The carriage jolted even more violently. The two worn-out horses grew extraordinarily restless in the gale, and had Su Lie not personally led and soothed them from the front, they would likely have panicked long ago.

Inside the carriage, Su Ling'er gripped the handrail tightly. Her face grew even paler from the jolting and the coldness within her body. She bit down hard on her lower lip, doing her best not to make a sound of pain, but a thick mist clouded her clear eyes.

Walking at the front, Lin Chen seemed entirely unaware of the situation behind him. His attention was wholly focused on the path ahead and the surrounding environment.

The deeper they ventured into the gorge, the denser that sense of danger became. He could feel that the auras of the demonic beasts concealed in the shadows of the cliff walls and scattered boulders were clearly much stronger than those in the outer regions. Several had even reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm Seventh Layer, or even the early Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer!

Yet these demonic beasts seemed wary of the human group. Or perhaps it was because of the faint "superior being" aura emanating from Lin Chen—a presence even he himself had not fully noticed, originating from the Myriad Dao Furnace and his Eighth Layer cultivation. They merely watched from afar and did not take the initiative to attack.

This left Lin Chen slightly disappointed. He had originally wanted to find a few more "prey" to test his strength after breaking through.

After walking for roughly two hours, the gorge ahead suddenly opened up, and the winds abruptly weakened. A broad, level stretch of riverbank appeared before them. A river more than ten zhang wide wound out from the depths of the gorge. Its current was not especially swift, but its waters were a strange dark blue-green, with a thin layer of cold mist drifting over the surface, making it impossible to see beneath.

Scattered across the riverbank were enormous pebbles, rounded and smooth from the river's scouring, along with branches from dead trees. The air was filled with a damp, frigid chill.

"It's the Cold Water River!" Su Lie stared at the river before them, a grave expression on his face. "Once we cross this river and travel for another half day, we should reach the supply point in the middle section of Luofeng Gorge."

Cold Water River? Lin Chen recalled the map. It seemed there had been no detailed markings regarding this river.

"There's something strange about this river?" he asked.

Su Lie nodded and pointed at the dark blue-green water. "Senior may not know this, but the waters of the Cold Water River are icy to the bone and contain a peculiar yin-cold force. Not only can it erode true energy, it can even freeze a martial artist's Meridians. Ordinary means of crossing simply cannot withstand the erosion of such cold. We must quickly find a shallow ford to wade across, and we cannot stay in the water for too long."

Lin Chen's gaze narrowed as he carefully examined the river before him. Sure enough, he could clearly sense an extremely frigid, corrosive energy fluctuation permeating the water, far more dangerous than an ordinary river.

"The young miss's body..." Su Lie glanced worriedly toward the carriage. "I fear she may not be able to endure the river water's cold erosion."

Lin Chen fell silent. Su Ling'er was already frail and sensitive to cold. If this yin-cold river water struck her again, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Just then, Su Ling'er's slightly weak yet exceptionally resolute voice came from inside the carriage. "Uncle Su, I'm fine. I can endure it. We can't delay the journey—or waste Senior's time—because of me."

Su Lie wanted to persuade her further, but Su Ling'er cut him off. "Uncle Su, listen to me. Let's cross the river as quickly as possible."

Helpless, Su Lie could only sigh and begin directing the guards to search for a suitable crossing point.

The riverbank was broad, and the river meandered onward. They followed the bank upstream for some distance before finally finding an area where the current was relatively gentle and the riverbed shallow. Here, the water only reached an adult's waist. Though it was still icy to the bone, it was at least barely passable.

"This is the place!" Su Lie said. "Everyone, circulate your true energy to the limit and protect your lower bodies! Cross quickly! Do not stop!"

The guards answered in unison. Gritting their teeth, they circulated their true energy and cautiously stepped into the freezing river.

Hiss!

Bone-piercing cold instantly seeped through their trousers and shoes, assaulting them from all sides! Every one of them shuddered involuntarily! That yin-cold force clung to their true energy defenses like maggots to bone, ceaselessly corroding them and making their true energy drain at an alarming rate!

"Quick! Keep moving!" Su Lie urged loudly. At the same time, he personally led the frightened horses, pulling the carriage with difficulty toward the opposite bank.

The carriage wheels rolled over the pebbles beneath the water, letting out a rumbling clatter, while the carriage itself swayed slightly under the impact of the current.

Inside the carriage, Su Ling'er clutched the handrail tightly. Her face turned even paler under the assault of the cold, and her body trembled uncontrollably. She clenched her teeth and struggled to circulate the feeble true energy within her, resisting the all-pervading yin-cold force.

Lin Chen walked at the rear of the group and did not immediately enter the water. Like an eagle's, his eyes vigilantly swept across the calm river surface and the shadowed areas along both banks.

His instincts told him that this strange Cold Water River was likely not as simple as it appeared.

Sure enough!

Just as the group reached the center of the river, where the water was waist-deep and movement was at its most difficult—

SPLASH!!!

The calm surface of the river suddenly exploded!

A massive, ferocious black shadow covered in dark blue-green scales burst from the riverbed like a flood dragon emerging from the waters! Its bloody maw, brimming with sharp teeth, opened wide as it carried a foul gust and bone-chilling cold directly toward the most conspicuous carriage in the middle of the group!!!

The black shadow was astonishingly fast! Its appearance had been utterly without warning! It was as though it had been lurking beneath the water all along, waiting for the perfect moment to launch its ambush!

"Not good! It's a Cold Water Crocodile!!!" The instant Su Lie saw that ferocious black shadow, he was so terrified that his soul nearly left his body, and he let out a despairing roar!

A Cold Water Crocodile! The true overlord of the Cold Water River! An exceptionally savage and cunning aquatic demonic beast! An adult Cold Water Crocodile possessed strength comparable to the peak of the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer! Not only was its flesh powerful and its scales tough, it was also adept at using water currents and cold energy to attack! It was one of the most feared demonic beasts in Luofeng Gorge!

No one had expected that such a terrifying beast would be lurking within this seemingly gentle shallow ford!

At this moment, the guards closest to the carriage had no time to react at all! They could only watch helplessly as that blood-filled maw bristling with fangs drew ever closer to the carriage!

Inside the carriage, Su Ling'er went pale with fright and instinctively shut her eyes!

"Beast! How dare you!!!"

At this critical moment!

A furious roar, icy to the bone and filled with endless killing intent, suddenly rang out from the riverbank like a freezing wind from the Nine Netherworlds!

It was Lin Chen!

He had finally made his move!

And this time, he no longer held anything back! Nor did he bother to disguise himself!

BOOM!!!!!!

An incomparably terrifying Aura, far surpassing any he had revealed before and powerful enough to make heaven and earth change color, erupted from his body like an ancient demon god awakening from slumber!

The peak of the mid-stage Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer?! No! He had even faintly touched upon the threshold of the late Eighth Layer?!

The instant this Aura appeared, it swept across the entire riverbank like a tangible storm!

Even the icy river seemed to have stopped flowing beneath the pressure of that imposing force!

The air itself seemed frozen solid!

Su Lie and the guards felt an indescribably horrifying pressure descending upon them from behind! It crushed them until they could barely breathe! Their very souls trembled!

He... he had actually... concealed such terrifying strength?!

Just who was this senior?!

The Cold Water Crocodile, which had been brimming with savage ferocity, saw the boundless fear instantly replace the cruelty in its vertical pupils the moment it sensed that terrifying Aura!

It felt as though it had been targeted by some unimaginable, dreadful existence from the primordial ages!

Run! It had to flee at once!

Almost instinctively, the Cold Water Crocodile abandoned its attack. Its massive body twisted sharply as it tried to dive back beneath the water!

But it was too late!

"You still want to run in front of me?"

Lin Chen's cold voice was like Death's whisper.

At some unknown moment, his figure had appeared above the river's surface like a phantom!

He was actually walking on water?! As though treading flat ground?!

(Note: This was not aerial flight. Rather, through exquisite control of True Qi and the profundity of Phantom Step, he temporarily borrowed force from the water's surface, creating the effect of walking upon water and making him seem even more unfathomable.)

Without even sparing the fleeing Cold Water Crocodile a glance, he slowly raised his right hand.

His two fingers came together like a blade!

This time, what gathered at his fingertips was no longer merely pure golden True Qi!

Instead, it was a deep, dark trace, as though capable of devouring every ray of light...

Pitch-black!!!

It was a sliver of Dark Origin Power that he had comprehended and mastered after refining the dark panther core! It merged perfectly with his Furnace True Qi!

SFX!!!!!!

A pitch-black finger beam no thicker than a strand of hair, yet condensed to the utmost extreme and radiating a heart-pounding aura of destruction, shot forth in an instant like a death ray tearing through space and time!

Its speed! Too fast for the naked eye to catch!

Its power! Too terrifying to describe with words!

Its target: the Cold Water Crocodile's head, said to be indestructible!!!

SPLURT!!!!!!

There was no suspense whatsoever!

The hard skull and scales, capable of withstanding attacks from the Body Tempering Realm Ninth Layer, were as fragile as tofu before that pitch-black finger beam containing Dark Origin Power and Furnace True Qi!

They were pierced through instantly!

A tiny, bottomless black hole appeared between the Cold Water Crocodile's brows!

The Cold Water Crocodile's enormous body abruptly stiffened! Every movement froze in an instant! The fear and life in its eyes ebbed away like a receding tide!

Then...

With a thunderous crash, it slammed heavily back into the river! Enormous waves splashed up!

Blood, like ink, rapidly dyed the dark bluish-green river water red...

One finger!

Only one finger!

A terrifying Cold Water Crocodile whose strength rivaled the peak of the Body Tempering Realm Eighth Layer!

Instantly killed!!!