Chapter 360: The Colossal Creature
“Xiao Luo, our right hands are bound together. If they weren’t, I could have carried you forward properly…”
“Forget it, I’ll swim on my own!”
“Don’t push yourself. Your stamina is already mostly drained, and the real danger is still ahead.”
In the water, Yu Luo shoved Chi Jincheng away. If they continued like this and he decided to hold her accountable later, wouldn’t she have to take responsibility for his purity?
Even though Chi Jincheng probably wasn’t that kind of person, she still had a sense of shame!
“I will take responsibility for my own life. If it really comes down to it, just protect yourself. Even if you have to cut the rope between us, I don’t want to drag you down.”
Yu Luo insisted, prying off the large hand gripping her waist and swimming ahead.
Chi Jincheng hadn’t expected her to be this stubborn.
Watching her determined figure move in front of him, a wry smile tugged at his lips.
Perhaps she had already forgotten how, when the aphrodisiac poison had taken effect, she had completely lost control in his arms.
With a resigned sigh, he caught up to her and grabbed her hand again, ensuring that he could still help drag her forward.
Soon, they reached the section of the passage where they had to dive underwater.
Taking a deep breath, they both plunged down, pushing forward through the submerged tunnel.
Holding their breath for two and a half minutes was a tremendous strain.
By the time Yu Luo finally broke the surface, she felt like she was gasping for life itself.
She had managed to endure, though. Despite the challenge, she had made it through.
“How are you holding up? Not far ahead is the whirlpool. You can step on me to rest for a moment.”
Chi Jincheng’s voice was laced with concern as he observed her tilting her head back, greedily sucking in air.
And perhaps he alone understood just how much he regretted bringing her down this path.
But there was no turning back now. Retracing their steps through the cave was impossible.
“No need. I’ll rest like this for a moment.”
She could never bring herself to step on him for support.
It might ease her exhaustion, but it would make things harder for him.
If Chi Jincheng lost his strength and couldn’t handle what was coming, they would both be doomed.
Having spent a day and a night together, Chi Jincheng had come to understand Yu Luo a little better.
Seeing her determination, he didn’t push the matter further.
Less than fifteen minutes later, she signaled that she was ready to continue.
In the pitch-black underground river, she could barely see anything.
Only the sound of their swimming echoed in the silence, occasionally accompanied by the sensation of fish brushing past.
Chi Jincheng always warned her in advance, preventing her from being startled.
“Xiao Luo, do you feel the pull?”
“There’s some suction. Have we reached the whirlpool?”
“Yes. It’s massive. We need to stick tightly to the right-side rock wall as we move forward. Can you do that?”
“You lead, and I’ll follow. I shouldn’t drift off course.”
“Good.”
With that, he guided her closer to the right wall.
Within moments, Yu Luo felt the jagged stone occasionally grazing her shoulder.
As they moved forward, the water they displaced splashed back against the rocks, sending small waves splashing against her face.
At times, the passage narrowed, and she would bump into the rock wall, the hard surface jarring against her body.
It hurt, but she bit her lip and endured, afraid to distract Chi Jincheng.
The further they went, the stronger the pull became.
A few dozen meters ahead, Chi Jincheng suddenly stopped swimming and grabbed onto the rock wall.
“Xiao Luo, we can’t swim through this part. You’ll have to grab onto the wall and kick your legs to move forward.”
“Alright.”
She agreed quickly, but she knew it would be incredibly difficult.
Trying to move forward using only arm strength—on an uneven rock wall—while submerged in water?
It was going to be tough.
And sure enough, even though their hands were tied together and Yu Luo had the advantage of enhanced strength from the system, she was basically moving blind.
One slip—
And she lost her grip.
The moment her left hand slid off the rock, she felt herself sinking.
Before she could react, an immense force tugged at her, dragging her toward the whirlpool’s center.
With a loud splash, she was yanked back as Chi Jincheng grabbed her in time.
Yu Luo’s instincts kicked in, and she clawed her way back to the wall, steadying herself once more.
“Be careful. This space is barely enough for one person to cling to the wall. If I had leaned back even slightly to grab you, the whirlpool would have swallowed us both.”
She nodded, still shaken.
“Got it. I’ll be careful.”
They continued forward in complete silence, holding their breath.
Another fifteen minutes passed.
Finally—
Chi Jincheng caught sight of the end of the whirlpool.
“Just a bit further. Hang in there.”
Hearing this, Yu Luo finally felt some relief.
As they moved forward with renewed determination, she suddenly spotted something—Light.
“Chi Jincheng! I see light ahead! Is there an exit?”
Now past the whirlpool’s grasp, Yu Luo could barely contain her excitement.
After being trapped in darkness for so long, any sliver of light was exhilarating.
But as soon as she spoke, Chi Jincheng froze.
“Chi Jincheng…?”
He didn’t respond.
Then—
He slowly turned around.
And in that instant, Yu Luo’s pupils contracted in shock.
Before she could react, Chi Jincheng grabbed her and launched them upward, using his light-footed technique to escape the whirlpool’s reach.
Yu Luo was stunned.
He could use his light footwork here?
If that was the case, why hadn’t he carried her across the whirlpool from the start?
But now wasn’t the time for questions.
Because—
The light ahead was growing closer.
What had seemed like a small glow now flickered into a pale green radiance.
Yu Luo’s mind went blank.
Still in Chi Jincheng’s grasp, she instinctively summoned her crossbow.
She raised it—And aimed at the colossal creature that was chasing them.
