Gods at Work

The fear of death gripped his heart once more.

And this time, Wu Zhong was helpless.

Just as he began choking on water, light suddenly appeared beneath the surface.

In the murky filth, Yang Chunsha held her breath and activated a glow stick, illuminating the surrounding water.

When she saw Wu Zhong underwater, she kicked off at once, her slender body darting toward him like a fish.

She grabbed Wu Zhong and pulled with all her strength!

He did not budge...

She pulled harder. Wu Zhong came to his senses, exploded with all his strength, adrenaline surging as he frantically kicked upward too.

Fortunately, the water was not deep. It only came up to his waist, and with both of them working together, his head finally broke the surface.

"Cough, cough, cough... Hah..."

Wu Zhong coughed and gasped, feeling as though he had come back to life. No breath had ever felt so good.

Yang Chunsha surfaced as well, gasping before screaming, "D-Don't kill me, or I'll kill him!"

She was actually holding a knife to Wu Zhong's throat.

So she had not come to save Wu Zhong. She had mistaken Endless Summer for someone trying to kill her, so she had taken Wu Zhong hostage.

Wu Zhong was speechless. Just as he was about to say something, Night Wanderer shoved him underwater again.

In the darkness, Yang Chunsha seemed to spot a figure. Thinking it was Endless Summer, she shrieked repeatedly, "Don't come any closer!"

At the same time, when Wu Zhong sank again, she assumed this ordinary person was trying to break free and pulled him with all her strength.

After great difficulty, she pulled him up, only for Wu Zhong to sink again.

After the two of them struggled about, choking and coughing, they reached the car. Wu Zhong finally grabbed the door, found something to brace against, and barely managed to hold on.

"Cough, cough... Blegh..." Wu Zhong breathed and coughed wildly.

Yang Chunsha had choked on a few mouthfuls of water too. With her knife still at Wu Zhong's throat, she stared at the figure in the dim light. "Don't come over! Killing me won't do you any good! We need to figure this out together!"

Wu Zhong shouted, "Don't move around! That isn't Endless Summer."

Yang Chunsha looked on the verge of tears. "Being trapped here isn't my fault! I'm just too unlucky! Why am I so unlucky?!"

"I know, I know. Stop shouting already," Wu Zhong said.

Yang Chunsha had one arm around her own neck, while the knife scraped frantically against Wu Zhong's throat. "I really didn't know this would happen! You can't blame me! The tunnel I dug was good quality!"

"Enough! I believe you! This isn't your fault!" Wu Zhong shouted.

Yang Chunsha froze and stared blankly at him.

Seeing that she had finally quieted down, Wu Zhong warily watched the darkness. "I believe you, sister. This accident wasn't your fault. A god is messing with us."

Yang Chunsha did not understand what he was saying. Her knife tightened. "Make Endless Summer show himself first!"

Wu Zhong did not know whether to laugh or cry. "He isn't here. Put down the knife first, and don't fucking slice open my artery. Night Wanderer is best at creating accidents."

"What Night Wanderer? What are you talking about?" Yang Chunsha screamed. "Make Endless Summer come out first!"

"I saw you, Endless Summer! Don't think I won't recognize you just because you turned into smoke!"

Wu Zhong was utterly speechless, but he could tell Yang Chunsha was extremely nervous.

Underwater, her other hand had been clutching her own arm, her fingers digging into it frantically.

"Haah..."

Wu Zhong raised his hand from beneath the water and pressed a pistol directly to Yang Chunsha's forehead.

"Sister, I'll say this one last time. Please take the knife off my neck."

"..." With the gun barrel against her forehead, Yang Chunsha was dumbfounded.

She silently moved the knife away and raised both hands.

Her face was blurred. "Killing me won't do you any good either. Only my ability can open a path..."

"How about you let me cultivate for a few days? Maybe I can learn some other magic before we suffocate to death. Then we might have a way out..."

Wu Zhong ignored her and immediately turned his gun toward the darkness. "Night Wanderer! You know what happens—I'll put two holes in you with one shot!"

The glow stick had already dimmed considerably, and it was underwater in the murky water.

Wu Zhong could not catch sight of Night Wanderer in the cave. He said quietly, "Sister, do you have any more glow sticks? Light one and toss it onto the roof of the car."

After catching her breath, Yang Chunsha pulled out another glow stick and lit up the cave.

Wu Zhong pointed his gun upward and scanned all around.

But there was not even a ghostly shadow.

His pupils contracted. He abruptly looked down into the water and leaped up, trying to climb onto the car roof.

But he was already too late. It felt as though a pair of icy hands had grabbed his ankles underwater and yanked hard.

The force was so great that he was dragged straight to the bottom in an instant.

Yang Chunsha saw it and jumped in fright.

She finally realized that was not Endless Summer.

"There's a ghost?"

Though the water was muddy, she could vaguely make out a human figure. It was strange and flickering, clearly inhuman at a glance.

She hurriedly climbed onto the car roof. She had not wanted to care about Wu Zhong, but then she thought, After this ghost kills him, I'll be next.

Endless Summer had vanished for no reason, and the cave had become haunted for no reason.

She did not want to face it alone. After all, the strength that had held Wu Zhong underwater earlier was not something she, a woman alone, could withstand.

"Grab the rope!"

Yang Chunsha's car was right there, and it had all sorts of miscellaneous supplies inside.

Though she was not skilled at fighting, as a small-time mercenary, keeping medicine, blades, and ropes in her car was basic preparation.

"Gah..."

Wu Zhong surfaced again. With both of them working together, he finally climbed onto the car roof.

"Fuck! Aren't you a god? So you're playing water ghost now?"

After facing danger again and again, he felt no fear. Instead, he was furious.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! He fired in rage, shooting four times at the shadow underwater!

Well, he did not hit a damn thing.

But the bullets were powerful, blasting four pits into the water's surface.

Those pits did not close. They remained sunken there, and no matter how the water rippled, the rings stayed perfectly still.

"Huh?" Yang Chunsha exclaimed in surprise.

Wu Zhong did not explain. His eyes remained fixed on the water.

The figure beneath the water did not emerge. It simply swam around, waiting for an opportunity.

"What is that?" Yang Chunsha asked in alarm.

"Night Wanderer, one of the ghost gods that appeared at Mount Lu. It's here to hunt me down," Wu Zhong answered.

Yang Chunsha blinked and pointed at the pits in the water. "Then what are these?"

Wu Zhong said coldly, "Asking about someone else's ability is very rude."

"Don't you know the rules of the Calamity Realm?"

She fell silent. Damn it, she had been put in her place by a newcomer again!

Yang Chunsha adjusted her glasses and looked deeply at Wu Zhong. Sure enough, he was not simply an ordinary person. Endless Summer and 985 must have fought because of him.

At that moment, Wu Zhong held his gun as he faced off against Night Wanderer.

Night Wanderer had clearly learned its lesson. This time, it was fully taking advantage of the environment and never confronting him head-on.

But unfortunately, it was still a little lacking in strength.

With Wu Zhong's strength combined with Yang Chunsha's, who was not exactly weak herself, the two were already strong enough to contend with Night Wanderer.

Whoosh!

In the middle of the standoff, a figure suddenly appeared beside them.

Yang Chunsha jumped in fright. Wu Zhong instantly aimed his gun at it, only to see that Endless Summer had returned.

"Brother Xia!" Wu Zhong cried happily.

Endless Summer had changed into clean clothes. His hair was neat and fluffy, as if it had just been blow-dried and styled...

He held a book in one hand and a cup of milk tea in the other.

Completely unafraid of the gun pointed at him, he casually tossed the book to Yang Chunsha. With a straw between his teeth, his voice came out muffled. "Here. Your book."

Wu Zhong lowered his gun, about to say something.

At the same time, Night Wanderer in the water realized it had no chance. It shot out of the water and dove toward a crack in the rock wall.

"Hm?"

Endless Summer noticed instantly. He sprang forward, snapped his fingers in midair, and transformed into a warrior clad in purple armor.

With one hand, he grabbed at it. Purple plasma energy surged in his palm, and the cloud-like body shattered on the spot.

"Brother Xia, this time it was—"

Wu Zhong was about to explain when Endless Summer figured it out himself. "Night Wanderer?"

"Yes, Night Wanderer. It came to hurt me again!" Wu Zhong gritted his teeth, his expression dark.

Endless Summer looked deeply annoyed. "I was careless. I didn't expect that in such a short time, it would take advantage of my absence to come after you—and become this strong."

"It's much stronger. The tunnel collapse and the underground river flooding in were probably its doing too," Wu Zhong said.

"It must have been following us the whole time, creating accidents ahead of us to drown me."

"After that failed, it waited for you to leave and came to kill me itself... It's twice as strong as last time. That was really close..."

Endless Summer's expression turned serious. "It still got away. At night, Night Wanderer can abandon its physical body and travel freely. That cloud-like body is only a physical form it condenses when it needs physical strength."

Wu Zhong frowned in frustration. Night Wanderer might be fragile, but it was truly hard to deal with.

It came and went without a trace, able to roam freely at night.

It had followed him from Mount Lu all the way here without anyone noticing. Though its power was limited, it could use little strength to achieve great results, patiently creating accidents in the shadows and using the environment to kill.

If once did not work, then twice. If twice did not work, then three times. It grew stronger by the day, clinging to him without end.

This was practically Final Destination.

"Forget about it for now..."

Endless Summer turned to stare at Yang Chunsha. "I brought you the book. Stop standing around and use your magic to open a path!"

Yang Chunsha gripped the book hard enough for her nails to dig in. "You suddenly appeared just now... How did you do that...?"

"As if you don't know," Endless Summer sneered.

Yang Chunsha swallowed. Teleportation. That was teleportation.

And when Endless Summer returned, he had not been in his Multiversal Moment state. He had only snapped his fingers afterward, meaning this was one of his absolute traits.

She had never heard that Endless Summer possessed such a trait. This was clearly his secret.

No wonder. No wonder he could always return safely from every mission with such ease.

After all, in the Calamity Realm, everyone had to consider their escape route. No matter what they did, they had to prepare in advance and make absolutely certain of success before daring to provoke major forces or take on dangerous missions.

But Endless Summer was different. His missions were famously efficient and fast. He never dragged things out.

So it was because he could teleport—and it was an absolute trait. That meant no multiversal secret art could stop or isolate him!

If he had not brought along an ordinary person this time, then after provoking 985, he would not have needed to ask anyone for help. He could have simply left with ease. While 985 was still searching everywhere for him, he would probably already have been sunning himself by the Mediterranean and drinking juice.

The only reason he was still here, fleeing by car, was entirely for Wu Zhong's sake.

"Hurry up. Stop standing around!" Endless Summer stared at her and urged again.

Yang Chunsha trembled. She immediately cast her spell, splitting open the rock wall from the side.

The rocks rumbled and flowed like a mudslide, slowly opening up a path.

She carefully walked ahead, while Wu Zhong and Endless Summer followed behind.

As the space widened, the water level inside dropped sharply as well.

Endless Summer picked something up beside the car and tucked it into the pouch at his waist. Wu Zhong caught a glimpse and his pupils shrank—it was a dead man's head.

Yes, a human head. It had been preserved with saltpeter and was somewhat shriveled.

"Huh? What a freak..." Wu Zhong's heart skipped a beat.

Then he remembered that this was what Endless Summer had thrown into the water before leaving, and understanding dawned on him.

Could it be... I get it. It's... his teleportation point.

Wu Zhong's expression turned strange as he realized that this was Endless Summer's teleportation medium.

Probably any corpse or severed head would do. That was why they had met in a funeral hall, and why Endless Summer had told him to wait near the corpses at the funeral home.

Seeing that Endless Summer had no desire to explain, Wu Zhong wisely did not ask.

Instead, Endless Summer looked at the four rings on the ground and asked, "What are these?"

He picked up one of the rings. Only after looking at it did Wu Zhong realize. "I made them..."

They were four rings of water—or perhaps water bracelets! They were entirely formed from murky water.

They had been created when he fired four shots into the surface of the water... Water Gates!

Now that the water level had receded, the four Water Gates had not vanished.

Endless Summer turned them over in his hands and studied them. At first, he was surprised—Wu Zhong's ability really did have plenty of room for further development. Then his gaze became conflicted, gloomy, and regretful.

"You really can't undo them?"

Wu Zhong took one and crushed it casually in his hand. It dribbled away through his fingers. "I can't undo it, but I can destroy it. If you insist on calling that undoing it, then sure. Once I damage it until it is no longer a gate, that naturally counts as undoing it."

"Mm, this kind of unconventional gate isn't passive. Normally, when I shoot water, this doesn't happen. It only happens when I strongly believe I'm opening a gate."

That fit the nature of Calamity artifacts perfectly. Some weird things just worked that way. Endless Summer nodded helplessly and put away the remaining three abnormal Water Gates.

"It seems that if you open a gate where there was no gate before—or rather... create a gate—then that gate's state of existence becomes locked."

"Other than you, no one can change its properties, much less destroy it."

Wu Zhong thought back, and that was indeed true. Based on the gates he had opened before, the gates he used could be damaged by others. They simply could not alter how open or closed they were.

But the Water Gates he had created earlier remained even after all the water was gone. This "opening a hole" effect was not as simple as opening a gate—it first created a gate.

That was why even the water's properties had been anchored. The state at the moment the gate was created could not be changed, including its material composition.

Wu Zhong tilted his head. "I understand, but indestructible? No, it feels soft to the touch. It can still be damaged."

Endless Summer gave a hum. "It's elastic, not an absolute rigid body. It can be damaged and develop cracks, and energy can even be injected into and conducted through it, so it isn't truly indestructible like Best Metal."

"You can think of it as being able to take damage, but no matter how badly it's damaged, it's still that same door."

"Mm, a kind of soft invincibility."

"Don't use this move lightly in the future."

"Understood." Wu Zhong nodded.

Endless Summer spoke softly again. "Did she see it?"

Wu Zhong nodded again.

The look Endless Summer gave Yang Chunsha's retreating back immediately turned sharp.

As if sensing something, Yang Chunsha abruptly turned around. "Earth Flow Wall!"

The book in her hand flipped open without wind. She had already gone more than twenty meters away, and now she turned to seal off the path behind her.

A massive wall rose up, separating her from the two men and trapping them in a dead end.

"Heh."

Endless Summer smiled disdainfully, purple light flowing around him as he sprinted forward at extreme speed.

His body became a pale-purple afterimage, almost invisible. With explosive speed, he charged up to the rock wall and threw three consecutive punches.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The rock wall exploded on the spot, blasted apart before Yang Chunsha could raise a second wall.

"Ah!"

She let out a startled scream as the flying stones cut her face and arms.

The next second, her vision blurred, and Endless Summer seized her with one hand.

He gripped her by the throat and lifted her high.