Xuefeng In Danger

"Xuefeng!" Wuying's scream echoed off the rock walls. Without a second's hesitation—without a thought for her own life—she hurled herself into the dark pool. The icy water shocked her system, but she kept swimming downward, eyes stinging from the murky current, searching desperately for any glimpse of him.

A split-second too late, Xiao Wen lunged to stop her. "Dammit, you fool…," she hissed under her breath, cursing Wuying's recklessness. She spun on her heel, ignoring Murong's wide-eyed stare, and tore off her black outfit in a fluid motion. Only a fine lace undergarment clung to her now, hugging her slender figure, but she paid it no heed. Clothes would only slow her movements in these treacherous depths.

Behind her, Murong's jaw dropped as if unhinged. The flickering light of sunset played across her bare shoulders and the cascade of red hair tumbling to her back, highlighting every graceful contour of her body. He swallowed hard, pressing the image into his memory. A goddess indeed…

But Xiao Wen spared him no glance. Steeling herself, she leapt into the pool with the fluid grace of a diver. The cold water closed around her in a rush, almost numbing her limbs, yet she forced herself deeper into the silent gloom.

Deep underwater, Xuefeng flailed in a swirl of chaotic bubbles, heart pounding. His lungs burned from lack of air, and a powerful force dragged him deeper into the dark. Focus, Ling's voice pricked at his consciousness, cutting through the panic like a scalpel. Use your Lightning Qi—Thunder Strike!

In that moment, Xuefeng remembered that he was not just an ordinary man anymore. I'm a cultivator. I have powers. Despite the suffocating dread, he coaxed the shape of a battle art from his mind: Thunder Strike. Crackling arcs of electricity surged around his arm, glowing faintly even in the murky water. He caught sight of a green vine coiled around his calf—a twisting serpentine plant that seemed all too alive.

He thrust his sparking fist at the vine. A jolt of raw power sizzled through the liquid, meeting the vine's slimy flesh with a harsh crack. Somewhere in the pool's depths came a shrill, inhuman screech that vibrated through his bones. Instantly, the vine slackened, allowing Xuefeng to tear free. His lungs screamed for oxygen. He kicked frantically toward the lighter patch overhead—toward the world of air.

Above, an angular shape swam toward him. Wuying? The thought sparked hope in his chest. He reached out, stretching his trembling fingers to meet hers. Their fingertips brushed, just for an instant—then the vine came whipping back, anchoring him once more around the ankles. The sudden tug forced him deeper, and his mouth opened in a silent cry as precious air escaped in a stream of silver bubbles.

"Xue~feng!" Wuying's muffled voice was lost in a swirl of water. She watched helplessly as he vanished into the inky blackness below. Despair twisted her stomach. She wanted to chase him, to tear him free, but her lungs burned. Another figure streaked past her—Xiao Wen, her red hair floating like a banner in the watery gloom.

Realizing she'd never catch them, Wuying aborted her dive and broke for the surface, chest seizing in protest as she gulped a breath of cool air.

Xuefeng struggled at the edge of consciousness when Xiao Wen came into his field of vision, a sleek silhouette slicing through the dark. Her face, contorted in determination, was the last image he saw before the vine yanked him through an opening at the bottom of the pool—a tunnel that sealed behind him with a rumble of stone. He exhaled the last bit of air in his lungs, vision going dark.

Xiao Wen nearly crashed face-first into the rock as it slammed shut. She halted just in time, pressing her palms to the barrier. A pattern of unfamiliar runes glowed across its surface. She could practically feel an alien energy humming through it, like a sinister heartbeat. Her teeth clenched.

I can't leave him down there! The thought spurred her to action. She raised her fist, wreathing it in a golden flame that refused to sputter out even underwater. The impact reverberated through the water, sending shockwaves in every direction—but the barrier held without so much as a crack. Damn it!

She prepared a second strike, but the runes on the stone flared bright. A surge of sizzling force arced up her arm, propelling her backward through the water like a rag doll. Before she knew it, she was launched clear out of the pool, airborne for a heart-stopping moment before slamming into the ground with a jarring impact.

"Goddess Wen!" Murong shouted, his face blanching when he saw her rocket out of the water. She'd landed in a tumble of limbs, gasping as she fought off the backlash of whatever energy had struck her.

Xiao Wen spat a mouthful of water, her cheeks hot with anger and embarrassment. "Damn it," she growled, flexing her hands as though to confirm she was still in one piece. "I had to burn my life-saving artifact just to survive that. Otherwise, it would've ripped me apart."

Wuying, hair slick and dripping, rushed over. She barely noticed her soaked clothes clinging to every curve of her body. "What about Xuefeng?" she asked, voice cracking with dread.

"I— I couldn't reach him," Xiao Wen admitted. "He was pulled into some tunnel at the bottom. A stone door sealed it. Whatever formation was on it… I've never seen anything like it."

"W-we have to save him," Wuying stammered, cheeks pale. Already, she gathered what little breath she had left, ready to plunge back in, but Xiao Wen snatched her arm.

"Stop!" Xiao Wen barked, voice sharp. "If it could repel me that easily, it'll kill you outright. Let's not lose ourselves in blind heroics."

Wuying let out a choked sob. "B-but—he might—he might—" She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowing the lump in her throat. In calmer moments, Wuying was level-headed, able to plan for any crisis. But with Xuefeng missing, possibly drowning, her reason threatened to collapse.

"We will save him," Xiao Wen said firmly. Then, in a gentler tone: "He'll be fine, do you hear me? We'll figure it out."

From her storage ring, Xiao Wen produced a small red crystal. She crushed it between her fingers, sending a sparkling cloud of energy into the air. "I just alerted my father's guardians. One of them will arrive soon to assist."

Before she could elaborate, a masked man in black robes plummeted from the sky, landing in a spray of pebbles. His Spirit Qi flared in a brief shockwave that made Murong stagger backward.

"Princess Wen," the newcomer gasped, bowing stiffly. "What's happened? Your red crystal—"

At that moment, he noticed her minimal attire, eyes darting away in embarrassed shock. Then he spied Murong ogling Xiao Wen with unconcealed admiration, and a dark scowl crossed the masked man's face. "How dare you—!"

Murong opened his mouth, but didn't even manage a squeak before the masked man thrust a palm outward. A golden barrier snapped around Murong, catapulting him hundreds of meters away with a shriek. He soared like a ragdoll, vanishing among the trees.

"Now," the masked man said, turning back to Xiao Wen and dipping his head in respect, "I assume that lecher wasn't the reason you signaled for me, Princess."

Struggling to her feet, Xiao Wen slipped back into her black outfit, flicking her wrist to conjure a brief flame that dried Wuying's sodden clothes as well. "We have a bigger problem: my friend was dragged underwater by some vine into a hidden passage. A stone door sealed behind him, protected by a powerful formation. I tried to break it and got blasted out."

Stepping closer, the masked man pressed a hand to his heart. "I'll do all I can, Princess Wen. Where exactly is this underwater formation?"

Xiao Wen pointed at the pool's surface, its calm appearance belying the horrors beneath. "Right there at the bottom," she said, a hard glint coloring her eyes. "We have to get him back—no matter what it takes."