Chapter 380 - 355: Skeletons at the River Bottom
Chapter 380: Chapter 355: Skeletons at the River Bottom
Zhao Lin clenched his jaw, one hand gripping his iron ruler, the other pressed tightly against his wound. He gasped in pain with every step.
Blood gushed from the wound, and several of his ribs were broken. If it weren’t for the inner armor he wore, the blow would have likely gone straight through him.
Hearing the SHUFFLE SHUFFLE SHUFFLE of footsteps behind him, Zhao Lin formed a spell with his hands, preparing to use the Void Trapping Skill to stop his pursuer.
But just as the magic was about to take shape, he dispelled it.
His Spiritual Power was limited; he had to be frugal with it, saving every last bit.
More importantly, the Pipa Catfish Essence Soul he had once consumed was taking effect. A white mist gathered at his wound. The bleeding quickly stopped, and the injury began to rapidly heal.
Tao Huang, urging his flying hammer to rise above Zhao Lin’s head for an attack, suddenly noticed something odd: Zhao Lin was no longer bleeding, and his slightly stooped back had straightened.
What’s more, he was running faster and faster, as if he were completely fine.
"Impossible!"
Tao Huang’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
He had clearly seen his flying hammer grievously injure Zhao Lin, sending blood flying. Even if the blow wasn’t fatal, it should have left him half-dead. How could he be up and running around in the blink of an eye?
Even using his Divine Movement Skill at full power, the distance between them was growing. Zhao Lin was gradually moving out of his magic’s attack range.
CRACK!
A crisp sound echoed from the sky.
The Foundation Establishment elder cast the Spirit Cage Skill, trapping the Hongyan Talisman securely.
As the cyan pillars of light contracted, the cage shrank. With nowhere to run, the Hongyan Talisman was struck from the side by the fan-shaped magical treasure.
The runes on the Hongyan Talisman flickered as if about to collapse, and its Spiritual Light dimmed considerably.
Just as he was about to succeed, the Foundation Establishment elder finally had a moment to spare a glance below. What he saw sent him into a rage.
"Useless! Stop him!"
The churning waters of the wide, rushing Feituo River appeared before him.
Zhao Lin had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the elder’s roar. He shivered, cast the Water Manipulation Skill, and leaped into the water...
"You think you can escape just by getting in the water?"
A dozen breaths later, Tao Huang reached the riverbank. He sneered, slapped a talisman, and a torrent of water swirled into a ring around his body.
Three Mountains County was adjacent to the Feituo River. Almost every cultivator in the county with a Water Spirit Root studied Water Element Skills, and the Water Manipulation Skill was a mandatory course.
However, although Tao Huang knew the Water Manipulation Skill, he had only cultivated it to the Minor Achievement level. Thus, he carried a high-grade Water Talisman, which was equivalent to the proficiency level.
’Zhao Lin has already cast two proficiency-level skills. It’s impossible for him to have achieved the same level with the Water Manipulation Skill.’
But after entering the water, Tao Huang discovered he was wrong.
Zhao Lin’s speed through the water was actually on par with his own, which meant his Water Manipulation Skill was also at the proficiency level!
’How is this possible?’
’How can a mere Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator know so many proficiency-level skills?’
’I’m at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and I’ve only mastered two proficiency-level skills—one for offense and one for defense.’
After a period of pursuit, not only had the distance between them failed to close, but it was actually starting to increase.
The reason was that whenever they reached a bend in the river, Tao Huang, worried that Zhao Lin might be waiting in ambush, had to slow down and take a wide detour.
He could only watch helplessly as Zhao Lin gradually disappeared from sight.
Zhao Lin did indeed have the idea of ambushing Tao Huang, but considering the lesson from Li Yuanlie, he knew his opponent would be extremely cautious, making the chances of success slim.
Besides, the Foundation Establishment elder would soon be free. Every moment he lingered meant another moment of danger.
FWOOSH...
The torrent of water around Tao Huang’s body vanished. The river’s current rushed in, pressing against him, and a string of bubbles rose to the surface.
This was the difference between a talisman and a personally cast skill. A Water Manipulation Skill cast by a talisman could last for a quarter of an hour at most. Once the time was up, the runes would lose their effect.
Tao Huang fumbled in his storage pouch and found no second Water Talisman. His heart sank. He could only cast his own Water Manipulation Skill and follow from a great distance.
Every twenty breaths or so, he shot a burst of Spiritual Qi toward the surface so that if his grandfather arrived, he could be found immediately.
Zhao Lin noticed his pursuer had slowed down, but he didn’t dare relax in the slightest. He continued to push his Water Manipulation Skill to its limits.
He took out a Spirit Stone and pressed it against his abdomen, slowly absorbing its Spiritual Qi. Although the rate of replenishment was far slower than his consumption, every little bit helped.
BANG!
A five-colored light flashed in the sky. The Hongyan Talisman was finally struck squarely by the fan-shaped magical treasure, shattering into countless fragments.
The Foundation Establishment elder retrieved his magical treasure, shot over to the river, and looked out at the vast, empty surface. Without a moment’s pause, he sped off in the direction Zhao Lin had fled.
「Four hours passed...」
Zhao Lin felt his Spiritual Power draining, and he was gradually unable to maintain the Water Manipulation Skill.
But he didn’t dare surface. The crisis was not over; in fact, this might be the most dangerous moment yet.
’The three of them must be searching for me with all their might. I don’t have a Hongyan Talisman anymore. If I run into them again, they won’t hold back.’
The pressure from the Foundation Establishment cultivator was just too immense.
RUMBLE...
A massive ship sailed by on the river.
’I could swim over, grab onto the bottom of the ship, and hitch a ride.’
However, before he could get close, he realized it was impossible.
The Water-Splitting Array carved into the ship’s hull parted the waves, creating massive vortexes and countless spinning blades of water.
He couldn’t even get close; even from dozens of zhang away, he could feel the powerful Water Element Mana.
Zhao Lin personally saw a large fish get sucked into a vortex, where it was instantly shredded into a cloud of gore by the water blades.
His Spiritual Power was exhausted, and he couldn’t go ashore. Zhao Lin decided to just stay underwater.
Even without using magic, his breath-holding ability as a martial artist would allow him to stay under for several hours without breathing.
The Feituo River was wide and profoundly deep. Zhao Lin dove down dozens of zhang, stopping only when the crushing pressure of the water squeezed his entire body, pressing his muscles tightly against his bones.