"Get out of here first!"
Underwater, Ji Zhixing stroked the Frog Pendant on his chest.
This pendant was the Gene Equipment he had obtained by refining the Giant-Footed Frog.
Unlike the Army-Breaking Staff and Yellowstone Staff, equipment he had refined himself needed no further refinement. He could use it simply by putting it on.
This feeling... Ji Zhixing swam through the water, his limbs moving in smooth coordination, as though he had been born an aquatic creature.
Every kick and every stroke propelled his body forward with perfect precision, without wasting a scrap of strength.
If someone on shore looked down into the water, they'd probably think I was a Giant-Footed Frog, he thought. The Frog Stroke ability may only have one star, but in the water, it works better than any speed ability.
He sped through the lake, emerald currents slipping past him. Occasionally, a few small fish of unknown species startled and scattered.
He looked into the distance and could still faintly see Gu Zheng's boat. After considering it, he decided not to approach.
Gu Zheng and the others might not be able to dive, but their abilities were still unknown.
If he drew close and they trapped him by some means, he would be in trouble.
He had gained so much this time. Finding a way back and improving his strength was the sensible course.
After swimming for a few minutes, Ji Zhixing suddenly felt the water temperature plummet.
The chill came without warning, as though it had surged up from the depths of the lakebed. He shivered, slowed down, and peered ahead warily.
The water ahead had become unusually clear, offering excellent visibility. Through the emerald water, he could faintly make out a massive shadow coiled on the lakebed up ahead.
The shadow remained motionless, yet gave off an aura that made his heart tremble.
That area was also eerily silent, devoid of any other life.
That's... Ji Zhixing's heart suddenly raced.
He could not make out what it was, nor did he want to.
Its aura was even more terrifying than the feeling the Twin-Wing Thousand-Steel Python had given him.
He immediately changed direction and swam desperately to the side, skirting that area.
The icy water gradually fell behind him, and the temperature returned to normal. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
There's something in this lake too, he thought. Luckily, I didn't disturb it.
Time ticked by, and his twenty-minute diving limit was nearly up.
Ji Zhixing felt his chest begin to tighten, the urge to breathe growing ever stronger. He picked up speed and swam in another direction.
At last, a stretch of shallows appeared ahead. The water grew shallow and clear, revealing the sand and stones below. He cautiously poked his head out and looked around.
The lake's surface was empty. The wooden boat carrying Gu Zheng and the others was nowhere to be seen.
The battle between the Twin-Wing Thousand-Steel Python and the Black Eagle in the distance also seemed to have subsided. Only the occasional roar of a beast proved that other dangers still lurked within this Secret Realm.
Gu Zheng and the others have left, Ji Zhixing concluded. He quickly swam ashore and lay at the water's edge, catching his breath.
He stood up, shook the water off his body, and began searching for a passage out.
The forest was quiet, but Ji Zhixing dared not lower his guard. He took every step with utmost care.
He avoided places where sounds emerged, skirted areas with strong odors, and chose only concealed routes.
After walking for roughly half an hour, he suddenly spotted a hazy patch of space ahead.
The air there shimmered slightly like steam. Through the distorted area, he could vaguely see the scenery outside.
A tranquil lake, its surface glittering with ripples.
"Stone Lake!" Ji Zhixing's eyes lit up, and he immediately quickened his pace, running toward it.
The spatial passage was only a few dozen meters ahead. All he had to do was run through it to escape this dangerous place.
"Ji Zhixing!"
A harsh shout rang out behind him. Ji Zhixing's heart tightened, and he whipped his head around.
Four figures charged out from the edge of the woods.
It was Gu Zheng and his three companions.
Who knew where they had circled around from? They had run straight into him.
The moment the four spotted him, their expressions darkened, and they immediately sped up, charging toward him.
The young man holding the Elf Bow even drew his bow on the spot, aiming the arrowhead at him.
"Damn it!" Ji Zhixing's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he accelerated straight toward the spatial passage.
After a few sprinting strides, he leaped, plunging bodily into that hazy patch of space.
His vision blurred, and the world spun around him.
The next instant, solid ground met his feet. He was standing on the shore of Stone Lake.
Behind him, the spatial passage still shimmered slightly, like an unstable mirror reflecting the forest on the other side.
The passage remained, but its edges had begun to blur, as though it might dissipate at any moment.
I'll probably have to wait a while longer! Ji Zhixing glanced back and gritted his teeth. Rather than leave, he quickly ran to the edge of Stone Lake nearby.
"Ji Zhixing?"
Just then, a figure stepped out from behind a large tree not far away. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a fitted green outfit. It was Yu Zhirou.
Yu Zhirou watched Ji Zhixing emerge from the spatial passage, then took in his drenched, disheveled appearance. Her eyes filled with surprise.
"Yu Zhirou?"
Hearing her, Ji Zhixing glanced back and saw that it was Yu Zhirou. But he had already leaped into the air and had no time to say anything.
Splash!
Water sprayed as his figure plunged straight beneath the surface.
The instant he jumped into the water, the spatial passage flashed sharply, and four figures rushed out one after another.
Gu Zheng, Liu Qing, the young man holding the Elf Bow, and one other person landed steadily on the shore of Stone Lake.
"Where is he?" The young man holding the Elf Bow looked around, his gaze vicious.
But they could not find even a trace of Ji Zhixing.
Their gazes swept the surroundings, finding only Yu Zhirou.
"Yu Zhirou?"
Gu Zheng frowned slightly when he saw her. He scanned the surroundings and asked in a low voice, "Did you see someone come out of here just now?"
Yu Zhirou glanced at the four men, all bristling with murderous intent, and her face paled a little.
She hesitated, but still raised a hand and pointed at Stone Lake ahead. "I was just here and saw someone come out, then jump into this lake. But I didn't get a clear look at who it was."
Her heart raced as she spoke.
After all, Ji Zhixing had been her classmate for three years, and they had gotten along fairly well before.
But... Gu Zheng was a favored son of heaven who had fused with a Fourth Order Sword-Feather Peacock Gene. Before long, she would also be entering Rain City University alongside him.
Ji Zhixing, on the other hand, had completely ruined his prospects by choosing the Three-Inch Stone Monkey Gene. Even mastering the First Order, two-star Army-Breaking Staff Technique could not change that.
"Just as I thought." Gu Zheng frowned at her words.
When he emerged from the spatial passage and saw no one around, he had guessed that Ji Zhixing might have dived into the lake again.
But there was nothing he could do.
Ji Zhixing had diving equipment. He did not.
Yu Zhirou... Beneath the lake's surface, Ji Zhixing heard the conversation on shore and glanced back at Yu Zhirou, his heart turning cold.
He and Yu Zhirou had gotten along fairly well before.
They had been classmates for three years, after all.
He had never expected her to show him no consideration whatsoever just to curry favor with Gu Zheng.
She had even pretended not to recognize him.
He withdrew his gaze and kicked off, shooting forward like a frog as he swiftly swam underwater into the distance.
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