Black Water Profound Snake

Lu Xueqi's body swayed, and she nearly collapsed.

At that critical moment, a warm hand reached out from behind to steady her waist.

"You've worked hard. Leave the rest to me."

A steady voice resonated in her ear.

Lu Xueqi turned her head and saw that some color had returned to Li Xiaoyu's face.

His eyes were bright and filled with confidence.

His injuries had actually recovered by more than half in such a short amount of time!

"You..."

Lu Xueqi was both surprised and delighted.

Li Xiaoyu gave her a gentle smile and stood up, stepping in front of her.

He looked at the wraiths ahead, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"A pack of lonely ghosts and wild spirits, daring to act so brazenly here!"

Li Xiaoyu let out a cold snort, and the gourd within his dantian appeared in the air.

"Precious treasure, please turn around!"

The gourd spun once, its mouth aimed directly at the thousands of wraiths ahead.

A tremendous suction force swept out from within.

Ignoring the thousands of shrieks from the wraiths, they were all sucked clean into the gourd.

"Dust to dust, earth to earth; this is your true destination."

The Immortal-Slaying Gourd had swallowed thousands of departed souls!

Lu Xueqi stared blankly at this scene, watching the figure radiating a soft light in the darkness, her heart shaken.

She realized that she seemed to understand this man less and less.

He could always create miracles at the most desperate of times.

As the wraiths were sucked away, the surrounding yin energy and resentment faded significantly.

Li Xiaoyu sheathed his sword and stood tall, letting out a long breath.

He turned his head and smiled at Lu Xueqi.

"Let's go and find a way out."

Lu Xueqi nodded and followed silently behind him.

The two walked back-to-back, supporting each other through this darkness and deathly silence, moving forward with difficulty.

Unknown dangers lay ahead of them.

But with each other, they felt an unprecedented sense of peace in their hearts.

Beneath the Abyss of the Dead, there was no concept of time.

Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi did not know how long they had been walking through this darkness.

One day, two days, or even longer?

They only knew that while the wraiths around them were becoming fewer, the desolation and deathly silence in the air were growing thicker.

Li Xiaoyu's injuries had mostly recovered under the dual effects of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd and medicinal pills.

Meanwhile, the spiritual energy Lu Xueqi had consumed was also replenished with Li Xiaoyu's help.

The two took turns keeping watch, supporting one another as they tenaciously fought to survive in this wasteland.

"Look, what is that?"

Lu Xueqi suddenly stopped in her tracks and pointed toward the darkness ahead, speaking in a low voice.

Li Xiaoyu followed the direction she pointed, and at the edge of the darkness, he saw a faint light.

The glow was a ghostly blue, like a lake reflecting the starry sky.

"It's water!"

Joy flashed in Li Xiaoyu's eyes.

Where there was water, there was change and vitality; it was far better than this unchanging, deathly silence.

Their spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace toward the light source.

As they drew closer, a damp, watery mist rushed toward them.

They finally stepped out of the black land and arrived at the shore of a massive underground lake.

The lake was vast and boundless, with no end in sight.

The lake water was as black as ink and bottomless, yet the surface emitted specks of ghostly blue phosphorescence, illuminating the entire expanse and creating a bizarre, magnificent spectacle.

This was the heart of the Abyss of the Dead: the Sea of Heartlessness.

A forbidden land where, according to legend, even time itself was swallowed by these waters.

The two stood by the shore, gazing at the magnificent sight before them, their hearts filled with awe.

"What do we do? Should we cross it?"

Lu Xueqi asked.

Li Xiaoyu shook his head, his expression graver than ever before.

He stared at the calm surface, yet he could sense a terrifying aura emanating from the depths of the lake.

That aura was desolate, ancient, and filled with a sense of destruction.

It was as if a primordial beast that had slumbered for ten thousand years was lurking beneath these waters.

"There is something in this lake."

He said in a low voice, "And it is something truly terrifying."

The moment his voice fell:

"Splash—"

A thunderous roar erupted.

The calm surface of the lake suddenly exploded, sending towering waves into the air.

A massive head lunged out from the pitch-black water!

The head was five zhang high and three zhang wide, shaped like a dragon's but far more hideous.

Its skin was as black as ink, covered in hard, armored scales.

A pair of enormous eyes, like two green suns, radiated a cold, chilling light.

It opened its blood-red maw, revealing fangs as sharp as blades, and let out a roar that shook the heavens and the earth.

"ROAR—"

The sound waves turned into a tangible shockwave, sweeping toward the two people on the shore.

Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi's expressions changed drastically as they hurriedly channeled their spiritual energy to set up a defense.

But in the face of this terrifying sonic blast, their defenses were like paper, shattering instantly.

The two were sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground. Their blood surged, a sweetness rose in their throats, and they both spat out a mouthful of blood.

Black Water Profound Snake!

The name, which existed only in ancient legends, flashed instantly through Li Xiaoyu's mind.

An ancient magic beast, living for ten thousand years, immortal even after consuming divine herbs.

They had actually encountered such a legendary existence here!

"Run!"

This was the only thought left in Li Xiaoyu's mind.

Facing such an existence, any resistance was futile.

Their only chance of survival was to flee!

Li Xiaoyu struggled to climb to his feet, pulled up the equally injured Lu Xueqi, and turned to flee back into the darkness from which they had come.

However, the Black Water Profound Snake was countless times faster than them.

Its massive body, over a hundred zhang long, emerged completely from the lake.

Its enormous tail swept out with a mere flick.

"BOOM!"

An irresistible force slammed violently into the ground behind them.

The earth cracked, and shattered stones pierced the air.

The two were once again sent flying by the terrifying shockwave, crashing heavily to the ground, their injuries compounded.

Despair.

An unprecedented sense of despair shrouded their hearts.

In the face of absolute power, all their struggles seemed pale.

The Black Water Profound Snake's massive head slowly drew closer.

Its giant green eyes stared coldly at the two tiny, ant-like creatures on the ground.

There was no anger in its eyes, nor any mockery.

Only the indifference of looking at food.

It slowly opened its maw, wide enough to swallow mountains, and a foul, fishy gale rushed toward them.

Death was so close at this moment.

Lu Xueqi watched the blood-red maw drawing ever nearer, yet there was no fear in her eyes.

She merely turned her head to gaze deeply at Li Xiaoyu beside her.

A poignant, beautiful smile touched the corners of her lips.

"It is truly good to die with you."

She said softly.

Li Xiaoyu's heart was pierced with sharp pain.

No!

He could not die!

And he absolutely could not let her die here!

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Xiaoyu's mind.

His master's expectations, the glory of Morning Sun Peak, and the woman before him who was willing to walk into the afterlife by his side.

He still had too many things left undone, too many responsibilities he had yet to shoulder.

How could he just give up like this!

A surge of the will to survive welled up from the depths of his heart!

Madness and resolve flashed in Li Xiaoyu's eyes.

He still had one final trump card he had never considered using!

"Xueqi, close your eyes!"

He roared at Lu Xueqi.

Immediately, he used all his strength to shove Lu Xueqi, who was in his arms, toward the cover of a giant boulder in the distance.

As for himself, he stood up resolutely, facing the incoming aura of death head-on.