When the massive golden fist came crushing down, the surrounding space-time began to stagnate. Before the fist even arrived, an invisible shockwave had already reached them. Such overwhelming force left Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu utterly powerless. When the gap in strength was truly insurmountable, any resistance seemed laughable! To this day, the two of them couldn’t understand—they hadn’t even ventured deep into the ruins of the Lakeheart Island, so why had they encountered such danger?
Was it just terrible luck?
Facing the fist, Yu Jingqiu manipulated nine slender swords, transforming them into a dazzling vortex of starlight that surged forward.
Meanwhile, Dongbo Xueying spread his Taihao power, barely interfering with the enemy using his domain secret technique, *Prison*. At the same time, he unleashed the secret technique *Life* with his spear. He didn’t dare use *Destruction* to clash head-on, knowing full well that a direct confrontation would only result in him being effortlessly crushed.
Emperor Qiu Yu charged ahead, his form suddenly shifting into a massive four-legged beast with two soft antennae on its head. The beast lowered its head and rammed forward through the void.
**BOOM!**
The colossal golden fist collided head-on with the beast’s skull. **BANG! BANG! BANG!** The resulting shockwaves shattered the surrounding void. Dongbo Xueying’s spear spun rapidly, piercing through layers of shockwaves, but its speed was greatly diminished.
The golden fist recoiled from the impact.
But the four-legged beast, transformed from Emperor Qiu Yu, trembled violently under the force of the golden fist before its entire body began to crumble and shatter. The sight horrified Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu—Emperor Qiu Yu was the strongest in their group. If even he fell, there would be no hope of escape.
**”Swoosh—”**
In midair, Emperor Qiu Yu’s collapsing body dissolved into a surging black current, which then rolled and condensed back into the form of the beast.
“That beast’s survival technique is quite impressive,” the tallest blood-armored warrior frowned and transmitted mentally, “My methods can suppress him, but killing him will require teamwork.”
“Agreed.”
The seductive woman and the burly black-furred warrior nodded in unison. Their keen eyes discerned that while this four-layered Heaven God in beast form had combat power merely approaching that of a Great Being, his survival technique was far superior, cultivated to an extremely high level. Without a countermeasure, even a typical Great Being would struggle to kill him.
“Only three of them remain. They’re yours,” the blade-wielding man stood aside, unwilling to engage further, as if disdainful of ganging up on the outnumbered.
…
“Impressive,” Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu watched as Emperor Qiu Yu fully recovered, inwardly overjoyed. They could tell that transforming into water meant his power remained completely intact.
“Emperor Qiu Yu is truly formidable. He’s usually so carefree, yet his survival skills are this strong,” Dongbo Xueying marveled silently.
“Let’s go!”
The beast-formed Emperor Qiu Yu, his body wreathed in flowing water, completely enveloped Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu before fleeing once more.
“Escape?” The seductive woman’s forehead shot forth another crimson beam, striking Emperor Qiu Yu’s watery form—yet the rippling currents remained unbroken.
The blood-armored black-furred warrior shook his head, refraining from attacking. He knew his techniques were useless against such a resilient foe.
**”BOOM!”**
The terrifying golden fist struck again, shattering Emperor Qiu Yu’s body once more—but the dispersing waters still shielded Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu as they desperately struggled onward.
**”RIP—”**
The seductive woman reappeared, her emerald-glowing claws raking through the watery form of Emperor Qiu Yu. Instantly, countless green threads seeped into the currents.
**”ROAR—!”**
Emperor Qiu Yu let out a maddened bellow.
He didn’t even counterattack.
Relying solely on his formidable survival technique, he desperately pressed forward. After over a dozen exchanges, Emperor Qiu Yu finally burst out of the cavernous mountain belly with Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu in tow, racing down the corridor to escape.
“They got away?”
“Just like that?”
The four blood-armored warriors hovered midair within the mountain belly, watching the receding currents without pursuit.
“Seems they knew nothing of the Bloodfire Gate—just passing through,” the seductive woman chuckled lightly. “Third Brother, had you acted, they wouldn’t have escaped.”
Among the four, the blade-wielder was the fastest. Had he intervened fully, Emperor Qiu Yu would have had little chance.
“Hmph,” the blade-wielder shook his head.
“Rather weak,” the tallest warrior remarked. “Had they known of the Bloodfire Gate, they wouldn’t have dared trespass.”
“If they’d charged in deliberately, all four would’ve died. Now, only two perished—the other two survived. Decent luck,” the black-furred warrior added.
…
**Whoosh.**
After putting considerable distance between them and sensing no pursuit, Emperor Qiu Yu finally halted. The waters coalesced back into human form, restoring his original appearance. Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu exhaled in relief.
“No chase,” Dongbo Xueying glanced back.
“Thanks to Emperor Qiu Yu. Without him, Dongbo and I would’ve died there,” Yu Jingqiu said.
“Pity Brother Fu Qiong didn’t make it,” Dongbo Xueying sighed.
The brush with death left the two unsettled, their hearts still pounding. The threat had been absolute, their disadvantage overwhelming. Only Emperor Qiu Yu’s resilience had saved them.
Emperor Qiu Yu sighed. “The enemy was too swift. That blade-wielder appeared before Fu Qiong in an instant, obliterating his body. That woman’s eerie crimson light annihilated him completely. One strike, and he was gone. I couldn’t even react in time to save him. But… he was doomed anyway. Even if he hadn’t died then, survival would’ve been unlikely.”
“What?” Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu were stunned.
“Emperor Qiu Yu, why so pessimistic?” Dongbo Xueying asked, puzzled.
After the battle, Dongbo Xueying held deep respect for Emperor Qiu Yu. Such survival skills were on par with a Great Being’s—in ordinary regions, he should’ve been unshakable.
“That woman wasn’t just skilled with her crimson light—she’s also a master of venom,” Emperor Qiu Yu said helplessly. “I’ve been poisoned. I won’t last much longer.”
“What?!”
“It’s true. The venom has seeped into every part of my body. My strength is draining fast—soon, my form will collapse,” Emperor Qiu Yu admitted. “The venom is too potent. Even my incomplete *Blackwater True Body* can’t withstand it.”
With a wave of his hand, Emperor Qiu Yu summoned several black rulers, storage treasures, and other items.
“These are some treasures Fu Qiong and I carried,” he said, sitting in the corridor. “Lord Dongbo, if you two are fortunate enough to survive, please deliver these to our clans. At least the losses won’t be as severe.”
“Of course,” Dongbo Xueying nodded, then sighed. “Entering the Lakeheart Island ruins made me realize how weak I still am. The odds of surviving are slim. If I fail to deliver these, don’t blame me.”
“Haha, just do your best,” Emperor Qiu Yu chuckled, his face suddenly tinged with green.
He looked at Dongbo Xueying. “We’ve faced death together, Lord Dongbo. Can we call each other friends now?”
“Of course. Having a friend like you is my fortune,” Dongbo Xueying replied earnestly.
“Ha! To earn Lord Dongbo’s friendship—this death is worth it,” Emperor Qiu Yu laughed heartily.
Amid his laughter, his body dissolved into nothingness, vanishing without a trace.
Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu watched, hearts heavy.
Brother Fu Qiong was dead. Now, Emperor Qiu Yu too. Only the two of them remained.
How much further could they go on this path?
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