I had encountered no danger on my journey!
This was not because I had a masochistic tendency, but rather because since entering this underground palace, we had already experienced all sorts of bizarre events, requiring constant vigilance.
And now, I found myself deep within the underground palace, all alone. Logically, I should have been the perfect target for those lurking in the shadows.
Yet, I had walked along the river for several hours and hadn't encountered a single monster.
Moreover, I had a premonition that something was watching me from the darkness.
But for some reason, they hadn't attacked me.
This feeling even came and went, as if there was something terrifying about me that kept them at bay!
And my thoughts were soon confirmed. Later on, I encountered a giant crab.
Its pincers were thicker than my thighs.
Its carapace alone made one involuntarily gasp.
As soon as this creature appeared in my sight, I became fully alert. After all, if it managed to land a blow, I would likely lose some limbs.
However, to my surprise, the behemoth did not attack me upon seeing me. Instead, it seemed to regard me as a fellow creature. It slowly rose and entered the underground river, disappearing without a trace.
What had happened to me?
When I was clearing the path for Xivier and the others before, I already had this feeling. It seemed I had some kind of pheromone that made weaker underground creatures dare not approach me.
If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't have made it alive to the depths of the underground palace.
I wondered if this change that had appeared in me was a good thing or a bad thing.
For now, I decided to put it aside and not dwell on it.
I continued along the underground river for another half day. Without the harassment of monsters, I could rest for a while after walking for a bit. Just like this, as I was starting to feel weary, I suddenly saw a light in the distance ahead!
There... was the exit!
I was finally going to leave this accursed place!
With the exit in sight, I eagerly moved my body and plunged into the river.
The icy river water calmed my mind. Ahead was the estuary of this underground river, and the sunlight, even refracted by the seawater, was still blindingly bright.
As I swam forward with all my might, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Since I had emerged, though only a few days had passed, so many things had happened that it made me feel as if I had lived through another lifetime.
They say a day apart feels like three autumns.
If I were to see Luo Yaqin and Shangguan Yao again now, I would probably give them a deep, passionate kiss.
As my thoughts drifted away, reality suddenly struck me with a harsh blow. I realized a serious problem!
I had completely submerged myself underwater, and even with a rough estimate, I had swum over a hundred meters. Yet, the light ahead didn't seem to be any closer!
While my physique now far surpassed that of ordinary people, I wasn't Superman. I couldn't possibly swim all the way out in one go.
The air in my lungs was dwindling. Due to oxygen deprivation, black spots were appearing before my eyes, and my limbs were growing heavier, as if they would soon cease to obey me!
Could it be that after weathering so many storms and overcoming numerous obstacles, I was to perish in this vast ocean just as I was about to escape?
No!
I struggled with all my might to control my body, forcing myself to calm down.
But as time passed, my face became flushed, my swimming speed slowed considerably, and I even felt cold seawater uncontrollably pouring into my nose.
In a daze, I thought I saw death beckoning to me. My mind grew increasingly muddled, and my vision gradually lost its light. The surging seawater poured into my mouth, feeling like scorching flames burning all the way to my chest.
Farewell, my love...
In the moment before I lost consciousness, I vaguely saw dazzling sunlight shining down from the sky onto the seabed, sweeping away the darkness hidden in the shadows.
After that, I fell into a surreal dream.
Countless figures passed before me. Some were laughing, some were crying, some were frantic, some were uneasy.
I seemed to know these people, yet they felt profoundly strange. I wanted to call out to them, but when I opened my mouth, I found I couldn't speak.
And in their eyes, it seemed I didn't exist at all. I was like an observer abandoned by the world. This world, in my eyes, was like a frozen box, and I was outside of it.
I didn't know how long it lasted, perhaps an eternity, perhaps just an instant.
Just as I was about to completely give up thinking and forget who I was, I suddenly felt someone violently shaking my body.
"Wake up!"