Drifting Down the Underground River

A hiss exploded, and three gray-white silhouettes suddenly stood up.

Lu Yuan's mind raced. Retreat? A dead end. Stay? Suicide.

There's only one road left.

"Jump!"

Lin Xiao had already moved. He pushed off the ground with his left leg and leaped towards the edge of the waterfall like a cheetah. His right arm was still in a sling, but the explosive power made Lu Yuan's pupils shrink.

Wow, that was fast.

Lu Yuan followed closely behind. He pushed his Soul Power to its limit, and the Blue Silver Grass vines carved a path on the slippery stone beach. A foul wind rushed from behind, and the rocks crumbled.

The Soul Beast are coming.

The waterfall roared deafeningly. Lin Xiao rushed to the edge of the cliff, glanced down at the darkness below, and licked his canine teeth with his tongue.

There's the sound of water below.

"Jump!"

The two jumped down.

A feeling of weightlessness gripped his entire body. Darkness engulfed him. Lu Yuan barely managed to protect his head and face.

Thump!

The icy water submerged his head. The impact made his chest feel tight. He struggled desperately to the surface, coughing violently.

Water splashed up beside him, and Lin Xiao popped his head out, his face pale, his eyes shining frighteningly in the darkness.

"I'm not dead," he gasped for breath.

Lu Yuan wiped his face. He looked up and saw the waterfall cascading down like a white ribbon. They landed in a deep pool, the water dark and flowing towards a cave entrance beneath the rock wall.

The cave entrance was about ten feet wide and less than two people high. The water flowed rapidly, swirling and pouring inside. It was pitch black inside.

But the air flows.

Lu Yuan swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. Lin Xiao followed, his right arm in a sling, moving clumsily.

"Dark River." Lu Yuan stared at the cave entrance.

Lin Xiao leaned closer to listen. The sound of water echoed in the cave. "There's wind. It's open."

Where does it lead?

Lu Yuan checked his Soul Power. The jump and swim just now had consumed a lot of it, leaving him with just over 20%. Lin Xiao was in slightly better condition, but his right arm was a burden.

Going back is impossible. There are three Soul Beast guarding it up there, and people from the Hundred Refinements Pavilion might also come down.

We can only move forward.

"Build a raft."

The two picked up seven or eight dead trees scattered around the pool and tied them together with vines. Lu Yuan's Blue Silver Grass came in handy—the vines were stronger than ropes and could be infused with Soul Power to make them more resilient.

Lin Xiao helped secure it with one hand. His fingers were nimble, and he tied the knot quickly.

"Your family is quite strict," Lu Yuan suddenly said.

Lin Xiao paused. "What do you mean?"

"The knot-tying technique is a military sailor's knot. Civilians can't learn it."

The boy was silent for a few seconds, then scoffed. "My father forced me to learn it."

He didn't say anything more. Lu Yuan didn't ask either.

The raft was quickly assembled; it was simple but sturdy. Lu Yuan then wove two simple oars.

"You draw to the left, I'll draw to the right. Watch out ahead."

Lin Xiao took the oar. "It's very dark inside."

You have night vision.

"It's not all about the eyes." Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "Scent, water flow, echo... the intuition of Beast Martial Soul."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Then it's up to you."

The two pushed the raft into the water and climbed aboard. The current immediately spun the raft, rushing towards the cave entrance. Lu Yuan steadied himself, and the Blue Silver Grass in his palm emitted a faint glow, illuminating a foot or so in front of him.

Lin Xiao's pupils contracted slightly, a faint glint flashing in their amber color.

We've arrived at the cave entrance.

Darkness rushed in. Cold steam mixed with the smell of mildew filled my nostrils. The raft suddenly sank, dragged into the channel by the rushing water.

The fluorescent light only illuminates the surrounding area. Beyond that lies endless darkness.

The sound of water amplified in the narrow space, rumbling and echoing. The rock walls were wet and covered with slippery moss. Water droplets fell from the stalactites, hitting their shoulders, icy cold.

Lin Xiao suddenly raised his hand. "Turn left."

Lu Yuan immediately began paddling, and the raft narrowly avoided a protruding rock on the right.

"There's a fork in the road ahead." Lin Xiao squinted. "The current is strong on the right, and gentle on the left. Which way should we go?"

Lu Yuan stared at the water's surface. The current was rapid on the right, but bubbles were rising to the surface—there was air exchange. The left side was calm, the water surface lifeless.

"Right."

The raft turned into the right-hand waterway. The space narrowed abruptly, and the rock walls almost brushed against them. The current became more rapid, and the raft was tossed up and down like a leaf. Lu Yuan clung tightly to the vines and ropes binding it.

Lin Xiao hissed, "Lower your head!"

The two men simultaneously bent down. Huge stalactites hung down, their tips less than half an inch from their scalps. The raft rushed past, splashing water all over them.

cold.

A bone-chilling cold. His clothes were soaked through, drawing away his body heat. Lu Yuan's teeth chattered. His Soul Power was being depleted rapidly, and the fluorescent light flickered on and off.

I don't know how long we drifted.

Time loses its meaning in the darkness. Only the sound of water, an endless, monotonous sound of water.

Lin Xiao twitched his nose.

"There's something," he said in a low voice, "In the water."

Lu Yuan's heart tightened. The Blue Silver Grass vines drooped into the water, spreading their senses in all directions.

Feedback has arrived.

It wasn't alive. It was a huge, submerged skeleton. The moment the vines touched it, a hollow, decaying vibration emanated from it.

He pulled the vines back. "It's been dead for a long time."

Lin Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, but his brow remained furrowed. "Something's not right here."

How so?

"It's too clean." The boy licked his canine teeth. "There should be fish, insects, and algae in the underground river. There's nothing here. The water is stagnant."

Lu Yuan was stunned.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed true. Apart from the sound of flowing water, there was no sign of any living creature. Even the moss diminished as one went deeper, leaving the rock walls completely bare.

This is not normal.

The raft continued forward. The waterway was sometimes wide and sometimes narrow. In the places illuminated by the fluorescent lights, ancient chisel marks on the rock walls could occasionally be seen.

We drifted for a while longer.

Lin Xiao suddenly raised his hand to signal to stop. The raft spun in the current.

"There's no road ahead." His voice was dry.

Lu Yuan's heart sank. He shone the fluorescent light forward and saw that the end of the waterway was a solid rock wall. The water swirled and sank down there—a bottomless whirlpool.

Dead end?

He forced himself to calm down. The Blue Silver Grass vines clung to the rock face as he probed.

On the right side, close to the water's surface, vines reached into the crevice.

It was narrow, but it existed. The water was squeezing through it, hissing and whistling.

"There's a gap," Lu Yuan said. "We have to squeeze through."

Lin Xiao leaned closer to look. The crevice was less than two feet wide and no more than three feet high, and it was pitch black inside. The raft couldn't fit through.

The two looked at each other.

Abandon the raft.

Lu Yuan turned the fluorescent light to its brightest setting and went into the water first. The water was icy cold. He clung to the rock wall and squeezed into the crevice. Lin Xiao followed behind, his right arm protecting his chest.

The water flowed even faster in the crevice, as if a hand was pushing him from behind. The rock wall was slippery, offering no foothold. Lu Yuan relied entirely on the vines clinging to the protruding rocks to move forward little by little.

They squeezed for over ten feet.

The space ahead suddenly opened up.

Lu Yuan lost his footing and fell into a larger pool of water. He surfaced, gasping for breath. Lin Xiao followed, falling in and choking on water.

The fluorescent light illuminated the surroundings.

A massive underground cavern. The dome is so high it's invisible, and scattered luminous minerals are embedded in the rock walls like dim stars. The pool is wide, the current slows down, and flows towards a larger opening in the distance.

There was a fresh scent in the air.

Like a forest after the rain.

Lu Yuan's spirits lifted. "There's an exit."

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, his pupils gleaming even brighter. "Not far."

The two swam to the edge of the pool and climbed onto the rocks. Their physical strength was almost at its limit, and their Soul Power was almost depleted. But the fresh air was like a stimulant.

The entrance at the other end of the cave was larger, and the water flowed more gently. They found a piece of driftwood for support and moved forward, half swimming and half drifting.

The fluorescence is getting dimmer.

Lu Yuan gritted his teeth and persevered. His Soul Power was almost depleted, and his meridians were throbbing with pain. He dared not stop.

They drifted for an unknown amount of time.

Ahead, a different kind of light appeared.

Natural, soft, sunlight filtering down from above.

Although faint, it exists.

Lin Xiao suddenly sat up straight. "Almost there!"

The current quickened, propelling them forward. The light grew brighter, and the fresh scent in the air intensified. They could even faintly hear the wind and the chirping of insects.

Hope, like a flame, ignites in my heart.

Lu Yuan paddled the driftwood, using his last bit of strength to rush towards the light. The cave entrance was just ahead, and the glowing ring grew larger and larger.

They were about to rush out.

Lin Xiao suddenly froze.

He jerked his head up, his amber pupils shrinking to pinpoints, and his throat uttered a hoarse growl, "Watch out above you!"

Lu Yuan subconsciously looked up.

Above the cave entrance, countless wet stalactites hung down. Among the stalagmites, dozens of huddled, dark figures hung upside down.

About the size of a fist, with a tightly wrapped wing membrane.

Startled by the noise, the dark shape began to wriggle. Its wing membranes unfolded, revealing tiny claws and a sharp beak. In the darkness, a patch of scarlet dots lit up—eyes.

"Squeak..."

A faint, teeth-grinding chirping sound came from overhead.

More and more shadowy figures were awakened and began to stir. The sound of flapping wings echoed throughout the cave.

Bat-type Soul Beast.

Judging by its scarlet eyes and sharp beak, it's definitely not a vegetarian.

Lu Yuan's heart sank. He'd just escaped one danger only to fall into another. The exit was right in front of him, but above him...

He gripped the driftwood tightly, pushing his Soul Power to its limit. Blue Silver Grass vines sprouted from his palm, weaving into a sparse net above his head.

not enough.

The vines were too thin to withstand the onslaught of dozens of Soul Beast. Only a wisp of Soul Power remained.

Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth, his left hand's five fingers slightly curled, a dark luster flowing from his fingertips. His right arm was still in a sling, but the ferocity in his eyes was undeniable.

"Charge through?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Lu Yuan stared at the approaching exit, then glanced at the restless swarm of bats overhead.

The light is outside.

Fresh air, freedom, a way to survive.

But this final waterway is destined to be anything but peaceful.

He took a deep breath.

"Rush."