Fall of the Netherlight

The sand beneath Xiao Ning'er's feet suddenly caved in. It looked no different from the surrounding ground, but the instant she stepped on it, it was like stepping into quicksand.

She reacted swiftly, immediately rolling to the side, but it was already too late. A grayish-brown tentacle shot out of the sand and coiled around her ankle like a snake.

The instant it caught her, Xiao Ning'er merged with the Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow.

A pale blue-green phantom spread out behind her, its wings flickering with tiny sparks of lightning that illuminated several yards around her. She flipped the short sword in her hand, wrapped its blade in wind and thunder power, and slashed hard at the tentacle.

The tentacle was severed. Xiao Ning'er had barely breathed a sigh of relief when more tentacles erupted from the sand. Two wrapped around her left arm, one around her waist, and another around her neck.

The tentacles secreted a slick fluid with a faint, sweet, bloody smell.

Xiao Ning'er's movements visibly slowed. The Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow's phantom began to flicker, and her struggles grew weaker and weaker as the paralytic toxin ate away at her ability to move.

Just before she fainted, she looked toward Shen Fei. Then she could hold on no longer.

Shen Fei had already charged forward.

The Shadow Mantis's power flooded his limbs, more than doubling his usual speed. He reached Xiao Ning'er in a few strides, his sword wrapped in the Dark Prison Reincarnation Art's darkness spiritual power, and severed the tentacle around her waist with a single slash.

The Shadow Mantis's Blade Forelimbs extended from the shadows behind him and sliced through the two tentacles around her left arm, severing them at once.

Xiao Ning'er's body went limp. The Wind-Thunder Sky Sparrow's phantom vanished completely. Her face was frighteningly pale, her lips tinged purple, and her gaze unfocused. She was already slipping out of consciousness.

The paralytic toxin had entered her body, draining all strength from her limbs.

Shen Fei caught her. Her body sagged against him, soft as a wad of cotton, her head resting in the hollow of his shoulder. Her breathing was shallow and rapid.

More tentacles burst from the sand and lunged straight at Shen Fei. Holding Xiao Ning'er with one arm and his sword with the other, he twisted aside to dodge the first tentacle and severed the second with a backhand slash.

The Shadow Mantis's Blade Forelimbs slashed furiously at every approaching tentacle.

But there were too many. One coiled around his right leg, two around his left arm, and another swept in from the side, lashing hard across his back.

Shen Fei grunted and stumbled half a step forward, but his hold on Xiao Ning'er never loosened.

The Shadow Mantis's Blade Forelimbs cut through the tentacle around his leg. He steadied himself and kept swinging his sword at the tentacles surging toward him.

He stopped moving. Planting his feet firmly in the sand, he sank slightly, lowering his center of gravity and shielding Xiao Ning'er in his arms. With the Shadow Mantis's senses fully engaged, every tentacle's movement appeared clearly in his mind.

He stood his ground, alternating strikes from his sword and Blade Forelimbs, severing one approaching tentacle after another.

Dark green slime spurted from the severed ends, splashing onto his clothes and face with a pungent, bloody stench.

He had no time to wipe it away. Every slash struck a tentacle's weakest point, precise and clean, without a single wasted movement.

The Shadow Mantis's Blade Forelimbs struck alternately behind him and to either side, blocking attacks from every angle.

But the tentacles seemed endless. Every time he severed one, another immediately emerged from the sand. Shen Fei's soul force was draining rapidly, each swing of his sword drawing more from his dantian.

His right arm had begun to ache. Dark green slime coated the blade, and his swings were gradually slowing.

Several yards away, the black blade formed by the Shadow Demon constantly shifted in Nie Li's hand, becoming a saber one moment and a whip the next as it severed tentacle after tentacle.

But the Netherlight Behemoth was simply too large, and its tentacles regenerated faster than they could sever them. Nie Li's expression grew increasingly grim, and maintaining the Shadow Demon's form became more and more difficult.

Shen Fei severed two more tentacles, only for a fresh one to coil around his right leg again. The Shadow Mantis's Blade Forelimbs were half a beat late in cutting toward it, allowing the tentacle to tighten until his leg bones ached.

He did not look down. He kept slashing at the tentacles surging toward him from the front, his left hand supporting Xiao Ning'er's back steadily throughout.

Her breathing was still shallow, but her heart was still beating. Shen Fei could feel the faint pulses in her chest through her clothes against his palm, beat after beat. They were slow, but they had not stopped.

Nie Li's voice came from several yards away, low and urgent. "Everyone, get back!"

As Shen Fei heard those words, he caught a golden glow rising from Nie Li's palm out of the corner of his eye.

The yellowed Fragment Page lay against Nie Li's palm. Intricate patterns spilled from its surface, spreading up his arm before gathering at his fingertips. The golden light grew brighter and brighter, increasingly blinding.

Holding Xiao Ning'er, Shen Fei threw himself to the side and shielded her with his back. The Shadow Mantis's Blade Forelimbs withdrew into the shadows. He lay flat on the sand, sheltering Xiao Ning'er completely beneath him.

A golden beam shot out from behind him. It was not thick, only the width of an arm, but it moved so fast that its path was almost impossible to see.

The beam crossed dozens of yards and struck the precise center of the Netherlight Behemoth's body.

Time seemed to freeze for an instant. Then the Netherlight Behemoth's enormous body began to disintegrate from within. Golden light shone through its body, like countless fine needles piercing its skin from the inside.

Its glowing feelers shook violently several times. Their light rapidly dimmed, and they drooped one after another.

The Netherlight Behemoth's body slowly toppled forward and crashed onto the sandy ground with a thunderous, muffled boom. Dust billowed several yards high, obscuring most of their view.

The tentacle wrapped around Shen Fei's leg loosened and fell limply onto the sand, moving no more.

Shen Fei braced against the ground and tried to stand, but his arm trembled and gave way. His soul force was almost depleted, his dantian empty. He could not muster even a trace of spiritual power.

His right arm still trembled slightly beyond his control, a physical reaction to overdrawing his soul force.

He lowered his head to look at Xiao Ning'er in his arms. Her eyes remained closed, but her breathing was steadier than before, and the purple tinge on her lips was slowly fading.

The paralytic toxin would not disappear immediately, but at least her life was no longer in danger.

Lu Piao and Xiao Xue ran through the dust, each taking one of Nie Li's arms.

Nie Li's face was frighteningly pale, with a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. The Fragment Page in his hand had dimmed, returning to an ordinary scrap of yellowed paper. Supported by Lu Piao and Xiao Xue, he was unsteady on his feet, but still standing.

Du Ze ran over from the other side and crouched beside Shen Fei. He checked Xiao Ning'er's breathing beneath her nose, then looked at her complexion. "The toxin is wearing off. She's all right."

Shen Fei nodded without speaking. He tried pushing against the ground again. This time, his arm was steadier, and he slowly sat up. Xiao Ning'er leaned against his shoulder, her head tilted to one side. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, but she did not wake.

The dust was still settling slowly. The Netherlight Behemoth's corpse lay across the sandy ground like a collapsed hill. Its glowing feelers had gone completely dark, buried in the dust, with no trace of their former appearance.

In the distance, the Red Ghost horde let out a jumble of gurgling cries. Startled by the commotion of the Netherlight Behemoth's collapse, they were retreating farther away. No one would approach for the time being.

Shen Fei rested against the ground for a few breaths. A little of his soul force recovered, enough for him to move, at least.

He shifted his position and lifted Xiao Ning'er into his arms, letting her lean against his chest. His left hand supported her back, while his right remained poised defensively, his elbow slightly bent and his fingers loosely curled, as though ready to seize his sword hilt again at any moment.

Lu Piao and Xiao Xue supported Nie Li as they headed back. Du Ze followed behind them, still clutching the thin iron needle. They stumbled through the billowing dust toward the passage entrance.

Shen Fei brought up the rear with Xiao Ning'er in his arms. His steps were slow, each foot planted firmly before he took the next. The place where the tentacle had constricted his right leg burned with pain, and the wound on his left arm was seeping blood, but he walked reasonably steadily.

When he reached the passage entrance, he glanced back. The Netherlight Behemoth's corpse lay across the plain, and the dust was still slowly settling. The Red Ghost horde huddled in the distance, their dark red outlines crowded together, not daring to approach.

He looked away and entered the passage.