Chapter 945: Helper |
The pale white flames continued to spread.
Half of Xindra's body had already turned to ash, the remaining part writhing frantically within the flames, emitting desperate, piercing shrieks.
The sound tore through the sky, so shrill and mournful it made one's scalp go numb.
Just three more breaths.
This monster cursed by the Golden Dragon God would be completely erased from the world.
But right at this moment—
Boom!
From the depths of the seafloor, countless verdant vines shot skyward!
Each of those vines was thick enough for three people to wrap their arms around, their entire bodies a lush, dripping green, with a faint cyan glow shimmering across their surfaces. They emerged from the deep sea, instantly entangling Xindra's body and also coiling around that mass of pale white fire.
The flames sometimes took the form of a Phoenix, sometimes the form of a Vermilion Bird, continuously clashing with the vines, emitting a sharp, scorching sound.
Countless vines instantly turned charred black, withered, and turned to ash.
But even more vines surged up.
Wave after wave.
Endless and inexhaustible.
That mass of pale white fire was actually forcibly entangled!
Although it was still burning, still devouring every vine that drew near, its spreading speed was slowed for an instant.
Just an instant.
But for Xindra, it was enough.
This monster, now only half its body remaining, mustered its final strength and plunged fiercely into the deep sea.
Its remaining tentacles thrashed wildly, dragging its broken body as it fled into the distance, disappearing into the pitch-black sea abyss in the blink of an eye.
Chen Huaian frowned slightly.
"Trying to run?"
He formed his fingers into a sword and casually flicked them.
A Sword Qi shot out from his fingertips.
That Sword Qi was extremely sharp; wherever it passed, the seawater parted, and space itself was torn open, leaving a dark fissure.
The Sword Qi chased straight after Xindra.
No matter how it dodged, even if it burrowed into undersea caves, the Sword Qi seemed to have a tracking function, clinging to it like maggots in the bone, impossible to shake off.
Its escape speed was fast.
But the Sword Qi was faster.
It was on the verge of being sliced in two by this sword strike.
But the vines appeared again.
Whoosh!
Countless verdant vines surged from all directions,
weaving into an impenetrable, dense net around Xindra, also intercepting the path of the Sword Qi.
Ssssh—
The Sword Qi slashed into the vines.
Shattering them like rotten wood.
Vine after vine snapped, shattered, turned to dust.
Verdant sap sprayed out, staining the entire stretch of sea green.
This sap contained no poison; instead, it revitalized the plants on the seafloor, each one growing at a visible rate, becoming increasingly lush and dense. Some plants even joined the army obstructing the Sword Qi.
There were too many of these plants.
Destroy one layer, and another remained.
Destroy ten layers, and a hundred more remained.
That peerlessly sharp Sword Qi, after shattering who knows how many vines, finally exhausted its strength.
But at the very last moment, it still pierced through the vines' blockade, catching up to the panicked, fleeing Xindra—
Thud!
A sword mark slashed across Xindra's back, flesh curling outward.
Jet-black blood gushed out wildly, spreading through the seawater.
Xindra let out a shrill, miserable scream but dared not pause for even a moment, dragging that bone-deep wound as it disappeared into the far reaches of the deep sea.
It escaped.
In the end, it wasn't killed.
Chen Huaian withdrew his hand, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Chasing it down forcefully was possible.
But...
There was no longer any need for that.
He looked toward those verdant vines slowly receding,
especially focusing on the mist-like, rippling radiance on those vines. That was—
"Divinity."
He murmured to himself.
Those vines contained Divinity.
Otherwise, with the power of the sword strike he had just unleashed, it would have been impossible for mere vines to block it.
And the source of that Divinity—
Chen Huaian turned his head, his gaze falling on a certain spot on the sea's surface.
There, a small wooden raft floated quietly.
On the raft stood a woman.
That woman had a tall, slender figure, an ethereal bearing, pointed ears, exquisite facial features, her entire body exuding a beauty that did not belong to the mortal realm. She just stood there quietly, the towering waves, the sky-filling flames, the endless oppressive aura around her seemingly having no effect on her whatsoever.
At this moment, she was also looking at Chen Huaian.
Their gazes met.
Chen Huaian did not speak.
Because he remembered—before he had made his move, this woman had also raised her hand, preparing to act to protect Li Qingran.
Li Qingran held a favorable impression of this woman.
He also did not sense any hostility from this woman.
So even though she had now let Xindra escape, he did not act against her immediately.
That Divinity flickered across the woman's body for a moment, then dissipated without a trace, as if it had never appeared. At this moment, she appeared to be just an ordinary person without any power.
Chen Huaian raised an eyebrow slightly.
To be able to conceal Divinity within his perception, this woman was definitely not simple.
But since she had concealed it, he wouldn't expose her on the spot.
After all, she had wanted to save Li Qingran.
Just for that point, he could temporarily hold his position.
"Husband—"
Li Qingran's voice came from behind.
Chen Huaian turned his head; the girl had already rushed over.
She threw her arms around his arm, hanging onto him with her whole body.
"What took you so long to come out!" Li Qingran looked up, her eyes sparkling brightly, her face full of joy, not a trace of the murderous aura she had when fighting the sea monster earlier.
The corner of Chen Huaian's mouth twitched.
This girl changed expressions faster than flipping a book.
"Husband? Why do you look unhappy?"
Li Qingran tilted her head, reaching out to gently stroke his brow:
"Why are you frowning? Is it because that monster got away?"
Chen Huaian didn't speak.
But Li Qingran had already snuggled close, pressing her whole body against his chest, looking up at him with a giggling smile. "It's fine, husband~ So it got away, it got away!"
She shook Chen Huaian's arm, her voice soft and sticky, coquettishly saying, "After that sword strike of yours, it must be scared half to death, it won't dare come again!
Look at how pathetic it was when it finally fled...
Half its body is gone, and you opened such a huge gash on its back.
It's probably hiding in some sea trench right now, trembling in fear!"
"Even if it dares to come again—" Li Qingran stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Chen Huaian's chin, her eyes curving into happy crescents. "Aren't you here? My husband is so amazing, what's a mere sea monster?"
Chen Huaian looked down at her.
This girl's eyes were so bright they seemed to hold stars, her face full of dependence and delight.
The gravity in his eyes slowly melted away, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"You're the only one who knows how to talk."
Li Qingran narrowed her eyes, like a kitten being petted comfortably, nuzzling further into his embrace.
"Of course~"
In the distance, the elven woman on the raft watched this scene quietly.
Her gaze lingered on Li Qingran for a moment, then fell on Chen Huaian.
She said nothing.
Only slightly lowered her eyelashes, concealing the flash of shock and complexity in her eyes.
This... this man gave her the feeling of being a Battle Soul!
And that girl called him—husband!
So her husband wasn't dead, nor did he not exist.
But for some reason, he had become her Battle Soul?
Even with her extensive experience, this was the first time she had encountered such a bizarre situation.
"Sister, let me introduce you."
A soft, sticky voice sounded by her ear.
Li Qingran, having somehow already pulled Chen Huaian along, was now standing right in front of her.
"This is my husband, see? I didn't lie to you, right? My husband's sword skills are incredibly powerful!"
The woman raised her eyes and met Chen Huaian's gaze, her heart instantly turning cold.
Those eyes were full of killing intent and suspicion.
Clearly, he had already discovered that she had helped Xindra escape earlier.