Into The Sea

Ji Lingyue helped her up with a grunt. “How did you end up provoking something like that?” she asked, eyeing the monstrous vine warily.

“What do you mean we provoked it?” Lan Wu protested, her voice laced with disbelief. “Shanye and I were just sitting here peacefully, and it suddenly dropped down from above and scared us half to death.”

Yu Shanye, who had caught up to them, chimed in between breaths. “It’s all because of your cursed talk!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Lingyue frowned. With a swift motion, she drew her black sword strapped to her back and slashed behind her.

A thick vine thudded to the ground, severed, red sap oozing from the cut. To their horror, the exposed cut wriggled like flesh, rapidly growing a new tip.

Lan Wu’s face paled. “What in the world is that thing?”

Ji Lingyue made a quick decision. “Run!”

“Run? Run where?” Yu Shanye squeaked, her eyes darting around frantically. “Back into the water?”

“If it’s not afraid of water, and we can’t find a way out, jumping in would be a dead end!” Ji Lingyue pointed into the darkness. “This way! We just need to buy some time. Once Chu Ji gets out and notifies the Island Master, we’ll be saved.”

Without waiting for a response, she grabbed Lan Wu’s hand and sprinted towards the collapsed palace.

Their footsteps echoed in the eerie silence of the underground palace. The scattered night pearls illuminated patches of dark, crusty stains on the floor. Lan Wu noticed that these dried blood-like marks were everywhere, suggesting a brutal, bloody battle that had taken place here long ago.

Could it be that the demons from six years ago had actually attacked this place?

The three of them ran up the stairs, heading towards the tallest and most intact palace. The vine demon, as if enraged by their escape, let out a guttural shriek. Its pale, human-like face contorted in a silent scream as its thorny tendrils lashed out with renewed ferocity, pulverizing the stone floor behind them.

Ji Lingyue kicked open the palace doors and charged in, only to be met not by the expected grandeur of a palace interior, but by a circular altar made of stone.

A stone statue stood atop the altar, its hands raised as if holding something aloft. But now, the space between its hands was empty.

Lan Wu hesitated for a moment when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ankle. A vine as thick as a wrist had coiled around her leg several times, its sharp thorns piercing into her flesh, instantly yanking her away.

“Ah!”

Ji Lingyue spun around, reaching for her, but she missed. She drew her spirit sword and gave chase, leaping onto a fallen stone pillar. With a powerful push off her foot, she launched herself over Lan Wu’s head. Two golden rings of light materialized behind her as she descended, her face hidden in the shadows like a fearsome warrior descending from the heavens. Her sword plunged down, piercing the vine and pinning it to the ground.

A deafening boom echoed through the palace as golden spiritual light erupted from the point of impact. The shockwave, centered around the embedded sword, blasted outwards, momentarily illuminating the entire underground palace in a blinding flash.

The vine around Lan Wu’s leg disintegrated instantly, leaving behind several bleeding wounds, quickly soaking her entire lower leg. She staggered to her feet and collided with Yu Shanye, who was running towards her, clutching a handful of talismans on each hand.

“Get down!” she roared, her voice echoing through the palace.

Ji Lingyue reacted instantly, sheathing her sword and rushed forward, and grabbed Lan Wu’s waist, pulling her down to the ground.

Yu Shanye threw all the talismans she had in her hands, then dove to the ground, covering her head. In the next moment, a series of deafening explosions rocked the palace, followed by a piercing shriek that seemed to split their eardrums. The blood vine was blasted backward by the fire and lightning talismans, thrashing wildly and causing the entire underground palace to tremble, with stones raining down around them.

“Get up!” Ji Lingyue shouted, her voice barely audible above the roar of collapsing stone. “The whole place is coming down!”

“What?” Yu Shanye shrieked, “What do we do?”

“Up there!” Ji Lingyue pointed towards the grand hall, its structure somehow still intact amidst the chaos. A plaque hung above its entrance, and even in her panic, Lan Wu noticed it, her pale lips moving silently as she read the inscription: “Hall of Eternal Life…”

“Eternal life my foot! If we don’t run now, we’re all done for!” Yu Shanye, fuming, got up and, along with Ji Lingyue, supported Lan Wu as they ran into the hall.

As they stumbled onto the altar, Yu Shanye let out a string of curses. “Never in my life have I seen such an ugly monster! It’s neither human nor demon! If I die here because of this thing, I’ll…” Her words were cut short as her foot hit empty air.

A gaping black chasm had opened up beneath her feet without warning. Lan Wu reached out instinctively, but it was too late. She spun around, searching for Ji Lingyue, only to see the bloody vine looming menacingly behind her.

When… when did it get there?

Lan Wu’s eyes widened in terror. She staggered forward to push Ji Lingyue out of the way. Ji Lingyue looked at her in confusion for a moment, but quickly her expression changed. She stepped forward and hugged Lan Wu tightly, exposing her own back to the danger.

“Don’t…”

The word died in her throat as the thorny vine lashed down, exploding against Ji Lingyue’s back in a shower of blood.

Ji Lingyue gasped, a choked cry escaping her lips as blood splattered across Lan Wu’s face. The force of the blow sent them both tumbling backward, plunging into the darkness of the chasm.

Water. They landed in water.

Lan Wu struggled to get her head above water, coughing harshly before shouting, “Ah Yue! Ah Yue!”

Her cries echoed through the narrow tunnel, soon drowned out by the rushing water. Fortunately, there were no chaotic currents here, and although she was quickly swept away, she managed to stay afloat.

She scanned the water frantically, but there was no sign of Ji Lingyue, no response to her calls. Clenching her teeth, she dove back underwater, scanning the depths.

This time, she saw a white figure floating in the water.

Lan Wu quickly swam towards her, finally managing to grab her hand and pull her closer. But as she did, she saw that Ji Lingyue’s eyes were tightly shut, blood trickling from her nose and mouth. Panicking, Lan Wu held her and swam to the surface.

As soon as they broke through the water, the metallic scent of blood intensified. Lan Wu pushed Ji Lingyue’s wet hair behind her ears and cupped her pale face, “Ah Yue,” she cried, her voice thick with fear, “wake up… please don’t scare me…”

Ji Lingyue remained unresponsive. Tears welled up in Lan Wu’s eyes as she frantically rummaged through her bag for medicine. Her fingers closed around a bottle of medicinal pills. She poured a few into her hand and pushed them into Ji Lingyue’s mouth, but she remained unresponsive, the pills simply resting on her tongue.

“Don’t do this, Ah Yue… Ah Yue,” she pleaded, her voice choked with sobs. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she lifted her injured right hand and squeezed, letting the blood drip into Ji Lingyue’s mouth.

“Swallow, Ah Yue,” she begged, her voice a desperate whisper. “Please, just swallow…”

But aside from the splashing of water, there was no response.

Blinking back tears, Lan Wu took a few deep breaths, then leaned down, pressing her lips against Ji Lingyue’s.

Biting her own tongue, she filled her mouth with the metallic taste of blood. With trembling arms, she held Ji Lingyue’s tightly, desperately trying to force the pills and blood down her throat. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Just when Lan Wu was about to lose hope, Ji Lingyue’s eyelashes fluttered, her eyelids slowly parting.

Not fully aware of what had happened, she saw the crystal-clear teardrops hanging at the corners of Lan Wu’s eyes. The face that was always smiling now full of fear—it was almost unrecognizable.

“You…”

Ji Lingyue tried to speak, feeling the soft touch of Lan Wu’s tongue. Before she could react, she instinctively swallowed, taking the pills and warm liquid down.

Lan Wu’s eyes widened in relief. “You’re awake!”

Ji Lingyue lifted a hand, her fingers brushing against Lan Wu’s flushed cheek. “Why are you crying?” she asked weakly.

“You scared me to death,” Lan Wu said, her voice quivering. She wanted to hug her tightly but was afraid of hurting her back. “Does it hurt? Can you circulate your energy to heal?”

“I…” Ji Lingyue started but was overcome by a fit of coughing, blood bubbling from her mouth again. Lan Wu panicked. “It’s alright, don’t talk!”

“But…”

“Don’t talk!” Lan Wu rummaged through her things again, pulling out a bottle of common healing pills from her storage ring. They were of average quality, but better than nothing. “Here, swallow these.”

Ji Lingyue obediently opened her mouth, swallowing the pills with difficulty.

Only then did she register the sticky feeling in her mouth. She wanted to ask what Lan Wu had given her, but seeing Lan Wu’s large, worried eyes, she decided not to speak.

Seeing Ji Lingyue being so compliant, Lan Wu sighed with relief. She looked around and noticed that this part of the wall also had night pearls embedded in it, flickering and illuminating several dark passage entrances.

They couldn’t stay in the water forever. Lan Wu helped Ji Lingyue drape her arms over her shoulders. “Hold on tight,” she instructed. “I’ll carry you up.”

Ji Lingyue nodded weakly, wrapping her arms around Lan Wu’s neck and lying limply against her back.

With her hands free, Lan Wu paddled towards the nearest opening. As soon as they were close enough, she grabbed hold of the edge and, with a grunt of effort, dragged them both onto the dry floor.

Catching her breath, she gently lowered Ji Lingyue onto her lap, using the faint light to inspect her injuries.

What she saw made her gasp.

Three long gashes, deep enough to expose bone, marred Ji Lingyue’s back. The flesh was mangled, blood oozing steadily, staining her white robes dark red.

To have endured such horrific injuries without a sound… Ji Lingyue’s was too strong-willed.

“Try to see if you can seal your acupoints to stop the bleeding,” Lan Wu said, helping Ji Lingyue sit up against her.

Ji Lingyue nodded, her hand trembling as she tried to summon her spiritual energy. A faint light flickered at her fingertips, weak and unsteady like a dying flame. She managed to touch two pressure points on her chest before her hand dropped limply. “D-done,” she whispered weakly.

Lan Wu nodded, retrieving a jar of healing salve from her ring. She carefully applied it to the wounds, before wrapping them tightly with strips of clean cloth. Ji Lingyue trembled with pain but stayed silent, biting her lip so hard it nearly bled.

“It’s alright to cry out, you know,” Lan Wu said, wiping the cold sweat from Ji Lingyue’s forehead and gently prying her mouth open. “That was incredibly reckless of you.”

“I wasn’t reckless,” Ji Lingyue protested weakly. “I knew what you were about to do. But you’re so weak… it’s better for me to take the hit.”

Lan Wu’s heart ached at her words. “You…” she began, but no words came out. Instead, she gently lifted Ji Lingyue onto her back and, with a hand on the wall for support, slowly stood up.

“Shanye must be here somewhere. Let’s find her.”

Ji Lingyue nodded, obediently leaning on her shoulder. “Your leg…”

“It’s fine,”

Lan Wu adjusted her grip, her fingers touching a hard object hanging at Ji Lingyue’s waist. She glanced at it and saw it was the identity token she wore. The name engraved on it was much dimmer than before, and a crack had appeared on the smooth surface.

When they had joined the sect years ago, the sect leader had said these identity tokens could protect the disciples once. It seemed the token had absorbed much of the damage from that attack, allowing Ji Lingyue to survive.

Lan Wu fell silent, limping as she walked deeper into the dark passage.

The path stretched onward, an endless maze of darkness illuminated only by the faint glow of night pearls embedded at regular intervals in the walls. Each turn led to another fork in the path, a labyrinth with no apparent end. Lan Wu carefully marked their route as they went, wandering for what felt like hours until she stumbled into a small, square room.

She looked around and found that the room was scattered with a few iron chains, and there was a table in the corner. Other than that, it was empty.

Lan Wu sighed and turned to speak to Ji Lingyue, only to find her unconscious, slumped against her shoulder.

They needed to find a way out quickly.

Feeling anxious, Lan Wu’s eyes fell on the dried blood on the iron chains. Driven by a strange compulsion, she approached them.

Lan Wu reached out and touched the dried substance, then sniffed it, and her face changed instantly.

This is… merfolk blood!

She quickly stepped back a few paces, her mind racing with confusion and fear. A soft shuffling sound echoed from the passage behind them. She froze, and she frantically looked around for an escape but found none. With no other option, she dragged the unconscious Ji Lingyue behind the table, holding her breath and staying perfectly still.

A moment later, a thin, shadowy figure slowly emerged from the tunnel, its movements eerily silent, as it slowly crept towards where bloodstained chains hung.

It raised a hand, long nails scraping against the wall, scratching at the darkened bloodstains as it muttered to itself, “Merfolk blood, my blood… mine…”

Lan Wu’s heart pounded, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away. She saw that the shadowy figure was small, with only a few sparse white hairs on its head. It moved on all fours, like an animal.

Suddenly, the figure stopped, hesitated for a moment, then lifted its head, sniffing the air as it turned its head to smell around.

Not good!

Lan Wu was alarmed, her eyes falling on her still bleeding right hand, feeling an intense sense of danger.

When she looked up again, she met a pair of blood-red eyes.

The creature’s eyes bulged grotesquely from its face. It let out a shriek, a sound of pure, unadulterated madness, and lunged.

“Merfolk blood!” it screeched, its voice a guttural roar.

“My merfolk blood!”

Lan Wu reacted instantly, scooping Ji Lingyue into her arms and ran. A cold wind approached from behind as the creature caught up in an instant, its withered, branch-like fingers clamping around her throat.

She was forced forward, struggling to throw Ji Lingyue ahead before losing control. Her throat emitted choking sounds, “Ah Yue…”

Ji Lingyue rolled on the ground, coughing softly as blood welled up in her mouth again. Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes. In her blurred vision, she saw what was happening.

Lan Wu choked, her airway cut off by the creature’s vice-like grip. Her face turned a sickly shade of red, and her eyes bloodshot. Ji Lingyue let out a whimper, forcing herself to lift her hand. The black spirit sword flew out of its sheath with a swish, shooting straight toward the dark figure on Lan Wu’s back.

The creature’s ear twitched, and it dodged, but its grip loosened just enough for Lan Wu to gasp for air. She quickly turned over and drew her short sword, thrusting it towards the creature. But it was faster, grabbing her wrist and twisting it until there was a sickening crack, causing the sword to fall.

The impact of Ji Lingyue’s spiritual sword shattered the stand holding the night pearls. The pearls rained down, bouncing and rolling across the floor. One came to rest beside Lan Wu’s head, illuminating both faces.

The shadow pinning Lan Wu down suddenly froze. Lan Wu, gasping in pain, looked up and discovered it was a skeletal old man. His face was sunken, and only his bloodshot eyes protruded eerily, revealing a beast-like bloodthirsty cruelty and madness.

But now, those same eyes were wide with terror.

He trembled all over, staring at her as he cried out in a piercing voice, “Chu Chunhan!”