Chapter 300: Chapter 300: Sacrifice (2)

Every impact against the floor sent tremors up their legs, throwing them off balance.

The Apostle’s pyramid heads trembled violently, black liquid splashing everywhere as it clawed forward.

But even in its desperation, it didn’t stop pursuing them, its gazes locked on Yue Lan with that unshakable fixation.

“Almost there… keep going!” the old man gritted through clenched teeth.

His energy was nearly spent, but he refused to slow down.

Soon, under that desperate chase, they finally saw the exit in the distance.

But they couldn’t relax yet.

Because behind them, they could still hear the Apostle’s desperate cries and the thunderous tremors of it chasing after them.

Shui Ruo almost cried when she glanced back and saw the Apostle crawling toward them at an incredible speed.

Its sobs were horrific, guttural, and relentless.

“Mommy!” she screamed, panic lacing her voice.

“Why are you looking back?! Keep running!” Jian Ruyi shouted from beside her.

Soon, the black water gradually filled the tunnel, rising to their knees.

Writhing tendrils began to emerge from it, but they were immediately frozen by Yue Lan, giving them a brief moment to keep running.

But then one of them managed to slip past the ice.

It shot forward like a thin jet of water straight toward her.

Yue Lan’s eyes widened.

And then—

SPURT!!

Blood splashed across Yue Lan’s face.

But it wasn’t her blood.

“You…!”

“Hehe… leave the defense to me. After all, this is my job.”

Shui Ruo gave a pained smile.

Somehow, she had once again appeared at Yue Lan’s side and blocked the hidden attack with her own body. The black water pierced through her arm, missing Yue Lan only because she had taken the hit.

Just as Yue Lan was about to say something, Shui Ruo suddenly pushed her forward.

“Run! This injury is nothing!”

Shui Ruo grabbed Yue Lan and continued pulling her along as they escaped.

Yue Lan looked at the blood flowing from Shui Ruo’s arm.

Her teeth clenched.

Then she nodded and kept running.

Soon, after what felt like an eternity to them, under the constant tremors and the monster’s cries behind them, they finally reached the exit.

They could even see the sky from here.

“We’re almost there!” Yue Lan shouted.

And then—

Just like that, all of them managed to escape as they leapt out of the entrance.

“W-We’re out!!”

Shui Ruo looked up at the sky, taking in a deep breath of fresh air with teary eyes.

After so long, she was finally seeing something other than darkness.

Yue Lan glanced at Shui Ruo’s bloody condition and then noticed her pale skin slowly beginning to turn purple, as if poison were spreading through her body.

“Shui—”

BOOOOMM!!

SPLASH!!

The ground beneath them suddenly shuddered violently, sending loose stones and black water cascading outward.

The Apostle’s massive body slammed against the tunnel mouth behind them, cracking the surrounding stone as it tried to force its way out.

At the same time, the formation surrounding the temple suddenly lit up.

Ancient patterns spread across the ground, forming a glowing diagram as a transparent barrier of light rose to seal the entrance.

BOOOOMMM!!

The Apostle, along with the massive wave that had flooded the entire tunnel, crashed against the barrier.

The earth trembled from the impact.

CRACK…!

But the formation shield… fractured slightly.

Through that small break, the Apostle’s massive arm forced its way out, reaching toward Yue Lan, who had just glanced back.

[…Please..!]

Her golden eyes widened.

But then—

“…!”

Yue Lan suddenly felt someone shove her hard.

Her body was pushed out of the way just as the giant hand swept past.

She quickly turned back.

It was Shui Ruo.

“Shui Ruo!!”

“Ughh!”

Shui Ruo gritted her teeth as the Apostle’s massive hand closed around her.

The pressure was crushing.

Pain flooded through her entire body as the strange poison spreading inside her began to surge violently, making her qi spiral out of control.

Then two figures flashed forward.

Jian Ruyi and Liu Yanyue raised their drawn swords high and struck the Apostle’s arm with their most powerful attacks.

CLANG!

CLANG!

Unlike before, when they had been able to cut through it, the purple flesh was now as solid as steel.

Their blades bounced off without leaving even a scratch.

The old man, seeing the dire situation, tried to help as well.

But his translucent body suddenly flickered violently before he fell from the air.

“Not… now!!”

He gritted his teeth in frustration as he felt his soul growing weaker and weaker.

The Apostle ignored the others.

Its second hand suddenly shot toward Yue Lan at terrifying speed.

It was clear now that the creature had grown stronger than before.

Yue Lan felt as if the world had slowed down.

She could only watch as the giant hand reached toward her.

But just then—

“…Oi. You’re not done with me yet.”

A familiar man’s voice echoed out.

Behind the Apostle’s pyramid heads, Li Feng suddenly appeared.

He looked miserable as one of his arms was missing, and half of his face was torn and covered in blood.

Yet his remaining arm bulged with strength as he wrapped it around one of the pyramid heads and yanked it backward.

[..Ugh..!]

The Apostle’s hand reaching for Yue Lan missed her by only a small distance.

“UGHHH!!”

Li Feng gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold the monster back while it desperately tried to reach forward.

Then he heard Yue Lan shout.

“Li Feng!”

He turned his remaining eye toward her.

Seeing that cold and aloof face now filled with worry, he couldn’t help but smile.

For some reason, he found this expression much better than her usual cold indifference, as if she were finally letting go of the heavy burden she always carried.

“…I guess this is it for me, Senior Sister.”

Li Feng gave her a small bright smile despite the blood and pain smeared across his face.

“No-No!!” Yue Lan shouted as she stepped forward.

But Jian Ruyi and Liu Yanyue quickly restrained her.

“Let go! What are you doing?!”

Yue Lan turned toward them in fury.

But then she froze when she saw Jian Ruyi’s eyes were filled with tears.

“…Why—”

At that moment, the formation flared brightly once more.

HUMM…

A powerful sealing force surged out, trying to trap the immortal monster once again.

Slowly, the Apostle’s massive body began to be dragged back toward the entrance along with Li Feng and Shui Ruo.

Li Feng met Yue Lan’s eyes one last time.

Memory seem to flashed through Yue Lan’s mind.

His shameless attitude.

His strange, carefree smile.

’Hehe, Senior Sister, I want to see you rise in my place! So you’d better work hard!’

That same soft, blood-smeared smile lingered on his face now… gentle, almost apologetic as if he were simply saying goodbye after a long day of training.

“Li Feng!!” Yue Lan screamed, reaching out.

But it was too late as the entrance slammed shut with a thunderous BANG that shook the earth.

…and silence fell.

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