Chapter Fifty-Three: Hanging by a Thread

Gulp! Gulp!

Su Ye drank down several mouthfuls of water, his nose stinging painfully. After falling from such a great height, every inch of his body throbbed with sharp, splitting pain.

He had sunk ten meters deep, and as he opened his eyes he found the water here was unusually clear. He could distinctly see many people desperately swimming, and the brightest thing in the water was, astonishingly, a glowing jellyfish that resembled some kind of sea beast.

“Ah—run! Quick, get to the surface!” many people were still shouting, trying to fight their way upward.

Though the steel cable had snapped, there were still ropes they had descended on—those ropes were their only real chance to escape!

Su Ye broke through the surface, suddenly noticing Mu Xia not far off, struggling to swim but clearly exhausted, while the glowing jellyfish was pursuing her.

“Dodge it!” he shouted, swimming with all his strength toward her. He grabbed her by the arm, and just as he did, a jellyfish tentacle lashed over their heads with a whoosh.

On the other side, Li Haoxuan and Song Chenxin were clearly terrified, but unexpectedly, Zhou Yuyang still had the nerve to fire a few arrows from an ancient hand crossbow at the glowing jellyfish, shouting, “Die, you beast! You monster!”

Su Ye looked away, taking Mu Xia with him as he swam toward the ropes, shouting, “What are you doing? What in the world is that thing?”

“Don’t ask—just go!” Mu Xia urged, starting to climb up the rope.

Everyone was scrambling, fearing they’d be eaten by the glowing jellyfish. The pace was frantic; the first climber was nearly at the top already.

At that moment, a strange cry echoed.

The water, which had flooded to over ten meters, began to gurgle and recede, flowing back into the surrounding caves. In moments, the water was less than a meter deep.

The glowing jellyfish seemed bound to the water. With an eerie cry, it slid back into the cave but left its glowing tentacles outside, ready to surge out again at any moment.

Many people who had nearly drowned now staggered to their feet, coughing violently.

Zhou Yuyang glanced toward where the jellyfish had vanished, bursting out in laughter. “Don’t panic, everyone! That beast’s already been poisoned by my arrows. It’s as good as dead!”

He actually charged at the cave, intent on finishing it off.

Su Ye was furious. He realized now that their supposed training had merely been a trap, and Zhou Yuyang and his companions cared nothing for anyone’s life but their own.

To provoke a sea beast here without warning anyone—who knew if anyone had already died?

“Stop right there!” Su Ye yelled. Enraged, he lunged forward and kicked Zhou Yuyang square in the back.

“You little brat, do you want to die?” Li Haoxuan cursed, rushing over to block Su Ye.

Zhou Yuyang’s group, seven or eight in all, immediately turned on Su Ye.

“You little bastard, I’ll kill you first!” Zhou Yuyang shouted, loosing an arrow at Su Ye. The arrow was so fast that even Su Ye couldn’t evade it.

Thud!

It sank straight into Su Ye’s chest, the arrowhead wedging between his ribs. Instantly, a wave of numbness and exhaustion crashed over him. His vision blurred, eyelids growing heavy as if weighed down by a thousand pounds.

“Useless wretch!” Song Chenxin stepped forward and kicked Su Ye.

Splash!

Su Ye sank beneath the water. Suddenly, he felt a stirring inside his body, like thunder rumbling, and the image of the two characters “Yan Huang” flashed in his mind. His blood began to boil.

Within moments, the numbness and exhaustion vanished.

He heard terrified screams and the monstrous cry of the glowing jellyfish.

Roar!

With a furious roar, the seawater surged back from the caves, more violent than before, waves tumbling over themselves.

Su Ye burst out of the water, spotting Zhou Yuyang and the others frantically fleeing. Closest to him was Song Chenxin. There was no room for mercy—these people had just tried to kill him.

“Die!” Su Ye lashed out, punching Song Chenxin in the head. With a thud, Song Chenxin was sent flying five or six meters through the air.

“Su Ye—” Zhou Yuyang and the others were shocked. He had just been shot with a poisoned arrow; how could he still be standing?

But there was no time to think. They scrambled up the ropes.

“Help me! Zhou, save me!” Song Chenxin cried, struggling helplessly. Su Ye’s punch hadn’t killed him, but he could no longer swim.

The massive glowing jellyfish surged forward, coiling its tentacles around Song Chenxin and tearing his body apart with a sickening crack.

Blood mingled with the sea.

Everyone’s eyes widened in horror. Someone was truly dead! The monstrous jellyfish really killed.

“Run!” Zhou Yuyang reached the rope first, bracing his feet on the cliff and climbing swiftly. Li Haoxuan, Chen He, and the others followed.

Su Ye would not be left behind—if the jellyfish caught him, he’d be torn apart.

The jellyfish let out another strange cry, and the water receded again into the caves. Everyone knew: at the next cry, the water would surge back.

It was like a fountain responding to the jellyfish’s call; if it screamed, the water would gush forth.

Escape—immediate escape was the only option.

Su Ye seized the rope and scrambled up, Chen He close behind.

Much as Su Ye might wish Chen He dead, survival came first; everything else could wait.

Crash—

As expected, with another monstrous cry, the seawater surged upward.

Zhou Yuyang glanced down and saw Su Ye climbing after him. He shouted, “You brat, you think you can follow? Dream on!” He drew a sharp dagger from his boot and twisted to cut the rope.

Li Haoxuan, right below him, shouted, “Zhou, don’t! Let me do it—wait for me!”

“Fine! If you won’t, I will!” Zhou Yuyang grumbled, handing the dagger to Li Haoxuan.

Chen He, last on the rope, wailed in terror. “No! What are you doing? Zhou, I’m still here! I don’t want to die! Li Haoxuan, you call yourself my brother—don’t do this!”

But Li Haoxuan was unmoved. He swung himself up and shouted, “Sorry, brother! You’re just at the end of the line!”

Su Ye was still a hundred meters below Li Haoxuan, unable to stop him. All he could do was slide down, trying to reduce the impact of the fall.

“Li Haoxuan, Zhou Yuyang! I’ll kill you both!”

“In your next life!” Li Haoxuan’s eyes flashed with malice.

With a swift slash, he cut the rope behind him.

Su Ye could only watch as the rope was severed, rage boiling in his chest, his eyes bloodshot. Suddenly, his body dropped straight down.

Splash!!

He and Chen He plunged into the water. From this height, who knew if they’d broken any bones.

“Aah, aah…” Chen He screamed beside him.

Su Ye surfaced, and a spray of blood splattered his face. He watched helplessly as the jellyfish tore Chen He apart…

The creature spun around, its terrifying eyes locking on Su Ye…