The cavern, though spacious, had been utterly silent. The sudden crash of a rock falling from high above shattered that silence, the sound piercing and unnaturally loud.
Lin Feng's heart leaped into his throat. Cursing inwardly, he desperately prayed, 'It didn't hear it, it didn't hear it…' He whipped his head towards the center of the lava pool…
And found himself staring directly into the eyes of the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King — well, eye, to be precise. The beast only had one left…
The number of eyes was secondary. The crucial point was… the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King saw him!!
"Damn it all!! RUN!!"
Lin Feng felt like cursing the heavens, but there was no time. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed Changgong Xiaojing's arm and sprinted wildly towards the tunnel exit!!
"Screech!!"
Lin Feng reacted fast, but the scorpion king was equally swift. As Lin Feng bolted, it unleashed a shriek of pure fury. Its massive pincers slammed down onto the lava's surface. Two huge plumes of molten rock erupted, and its colossal body surged forward like a speedboat, hurtling towards Lin Feng with terrifying velocity!
"Bloody hell!! Not THIS fast!"
Catching the movement in his peripheral vision, Lin Feng's face turned deathly pale. He pushed his legs harder, running as if his life depended on it — because it did. The mere twenty to thirty meters to the tunnel felt agonizingly long. He wished for extra legs, anything to gain more speed.
"Swish-swish-swish-swish…"
Lin Feng and Changgong Xiaojing hadn't reached the tunnel yet, nor had the scorpion king closed the gap completely. But then, its massive tail snapped forward. A flurry of sharp whistles filled the air as a barrage of fireballs, preceding the beast itself, screamed towards the two fleeing figures!
"Careful!!"
Changgong Xiaojing's face paled, a cry of warning escaping her lips.
"Tch!!"
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. His left hand flipped out, producing the high-grade treasure artifact — the circular jade talisman. True essence surged, and a shimmering golden barrier instantly enveloped them both.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!…"
Fireballs the size of water jars exploded violently. Two slammed directly into the golden barrier. The rest detonated against the cavern floor and walls ahead and behind them. Stone fragments flew everywhere; rubble rained down like hail.
"So close… SO CLOSE!!"
Frustration flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. The bombardment had forced him to slow down, just slightly. That tiny delay was all the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King needed. It closed the distance rapidly!
The tunnel mouth was barely ten meters ahead. But at their current speed, the scorpion king would intercept them before they could plunge into its safety…
"Screw this!! All or nothing!"
A look of fierce resolve hardened Lin Feng's features. He abruptly skidded to a halt, spinning around and throwing out an arm. He caught Changgong Xiaojing, who was still lunging forward past him, pulling her hard against his chest!
"Ah!" Changgong Xiaojing gasped, utterly unprepared for the sudden stop or the embrace. "What are you—"
"You go first!!"
Lin Feng's roar cut her off mid-sentence. She felt his arms tighten around her waist, then a powerful spin as he used his own momentum. An instant later… she was flying through the air!!
Lin Feng had thrown her with all his strength. Thrown her… straight towards the tunnel entrance!
"You—"
Shock and sudden understanding warred in Changgong Xiaojing's eyes as she soared. Her words died unsaid. She shot through the air like a white bird, vanishing into the dark maw of the tunnel in the blink of an eye.
Having flung Changgong Xiaojing to safety, Lin Feng had no chance left to follow. To his right, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King, having 'surfed' its lava wave, surged onto the rocky shore. Its multiple legs churned the ground beneath it, crushing stone with a sound like cracking tank treads. It charged him like a runaway locomotive!
"Hmmmm…"
Lin Feng held the circular jade talisman in his left hand. His right hand flashed again, pulling out the nearly depleted exquisite treasure artifact jade pendant. He activated both simultaneously! A golden barrier and a cyan barrier flickered into existence, layered before him.
"KRA-KOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!"
The next instant, an earth-shattering collision shook the cavern. The Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's leading pincers smashed into the layered barriers with colossal force. The beast's charge halted abruptly… but simultaneously, both glowing shields exploded into shards of dissipating light!
As the barriers shattered, Lin Feng's right hand swept out. A massive, door-sized golden square shield materialized before him, covering almost his entire body.
"KLAANNGGGG!!!!"
The deafening clang of metal striking metal echoed next. The scorpion king's pincer slammed into the shield… and the shield slammed into Lin Feng. He was hurled backwards like a discarded ragdoll…
"Lin Feng!!"
Further ahead, Changgong Xiaojing had just scrambled to her feet inside the tunnel entrance. She looked up in time to witness Lin Feng being catapulted through the air.
Tumbling through the air, Lin Feng fought for control. His face flushed an unnatural crimson. Blood churned violently within him; a hot, metallic taste filled his mouth. He clenched his jaw, forcing the blood back down. Simultaneously, his right hand plunged into the front of his robe, yanking out Xiaoqiu. Still airborne, he twisted his body and flung the little creature like a pass!
"Qiu!!"
Squealing, Xiaoqiu became a streak of pale yellow light, arcing directly into Changgong Xiaojing's arms.
"GET OUT OF HERE!!! NOW!!"
Lin Feng's bellow tore from his throat the instant after releasing Xiaoqiu. He saw the cavern wall rushing up behind him. Twisting violently, he planted a foot against the stone surface and kicked off with explosive force, propelling himself sideways like a ricocheting bullet.
"BOOM!!"
Almost the moment he pushed off, a massive fireball slammed into the exact spot where his foot had been. Stone vaporized, leaving a smoldering crater.
From the scorpion king's interception, to Lin Feng throwing Changgong Xiaojing, being smashed away, and then flinging Xiaoqiu — it all happened in a handful of frantic heartbeats. By the time Lin Feng landed again, scrambling for footing, the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King had already positioned its immense bulk squarely between him and the tunnel where Changgong Xiaojing stood…
"Lin Feng!! Hurry! Get over here!!"
Changgong Xiaojing's heart had nearly stopped when she saw the fireball slam into the wall behind Lin Feng. Relief flooded her as he dodged, but it was instantly replaced by renewed terror as she saw the scorpion king blocking his path. She screamed desperately from the tunnel mouth.
"I TOLD YOU TO GO!"
Seeing her still waiting, Lin Feng felt a surge of frantic anger. He roared back at her. At the same time, his right hand snapped forward. A streak of silver light shot from his position — his flying sword — aimed directly at the scorpion king. He'd seen the beast's head twitch towards Changgong Xiaojing's voice.
"Screech!!"
The scorpion king, wise to the sword's danger now, reacted instantly. Both massive pincers swung up defensively. Yet, it didn't ignore the threat behind it. Its huge tail whipped around, launching two more searing fireballs screaming back towards the tunnel entrance!
"Swish…"
The flying sword, swift as an arrow, reached the scorpion king in an instant. It met the first pincer, darting and weaving with uncanny agility to slip past. But then, the second pincer swept in…
"CLAAAAAANNNNGGG!!!"
Without spiritual sense, Lin Feng relied solely on sight to control the sword. Once it dodged the first pincer, his line of sight was blocked. He couldn't react fast enough to avoid the second crushing blow. The sword was struck head-on, sent spinning wildly off course.
"BOOM! BOOM!!"
Simultaneously, at the tunnel mouth, Changgong Xiaojing saw the two incoming fireballs and gasped in horror. She had no choice but to leap backwards, deeper into the passage. One fireball slammed directly into the tunnel entrance. The other struck the cavern wall above the entrance. Two thunderous detonations merged into one. The entire tunnel structure convulsed violently…
"Crack… Crack-crack…"
The sharp, sickening sound of splitting stone filled Changgong Xiaojing's ears. Her face went instantly white. She stared in disbelief as spiderweb cracks raced across the walls and ceiling surrounding the tunnel entrance!
"RUUUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLE… CRRRRUUUUNNNNCCCHHH…"
Then, before her horrified eyes, the entire entrance collapsed in a roaring avalanche of rock and dust!
"NO!! LIN FENG!!!"
The collapse thundered inward. Changgong Xiaojing stumbled back again and again, the entrance vanishing behind a curtain of falling debris. Despair, not for herself but for Lin Feng, flooded her eyes — the tunnel was sealed! Lin Feng was trapped on the other side with the monster!!
"Qiu! QIU QIU!!"
In Changgong Xiaojing's arms, Xiaoqiu writhed and screeched, claws flailing wildly, eyes wide with frantic urgency. The little creature strained to break free, to charge back towards the blocked entrance.
"We… we can't…" Changgong Xiaojing's voice trembled, tears glistening unshed. She tightened her grip on the struggling Xiaoqiu. "He said… he said to go first!! We have to go!!"
Hugging Xiaoqiu fiercely to her chest, she turned away from the sealed tomb of rubble. She began to run, stumbling at first, then faster, down the dark tunnel, away from the collapse. Muffled roars and impacts still echoed faintly through the tons of fallen rock behind her.
She didn't dare imagine what was happening on the other side. Staying here was useless. The only thing she could do now… was what Lin Feng had ordered. Get away.
At least find Lu Yang and the others… and then… come back. Come back and find Lin Feng!