Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Icy.

The boundless cold and darkness, like a heavy shroud, tightly bound Jiang Nian.

For every meter you sink, the pressure on your body increases exponentially.

The deep-sea suit creaked under the strain, and the pressure reading on the mask had already spiked to red.

The flashing warning symbols stung my eyes.

The wound on his back, soaked in highly saline seawater, caused excruciating, tearing pain.

Blood was still slowly seeping out, leaving a faint pink trail behind him.

"Uh……"

He gritted his teeth, suppressing a muffled groan of pain in his throat.

His internal energy was nearly depleted, and he could only maintain the most basic circulation between his internal organs and major meridians to resist the terrifying water pressure that was enough to crush steel.

The dark spots at the edge of my vision kept spreading and converging.

Aside from the roar of rushing blood and the strange noises caused by water pressure, almost no other sounds could be heard.

Can't stop!
Several clear sonar pulse signals were firmly locked onto his position overhead.

"Whoosh-!"

A beam of blazing white light tore through the darkness, grazing the outside of his left arm before shooting into the abyss below.

It instantly illuminated a small area of ​​the surrounding sea.

It reflects the even deeper, seemingly endless darkness below.

The intense heat generated by the beam of light caused the seawater to vaporize instantly, producing a brief hissing sound.

It's the organization's deep-sea pursuit unit!

They are equipped with high-performance underwater pulse weapons!
Jiang Nian suddenly twisted his body, using the ocean current and his remaining strength to plunge into the shadow of the underwater reefs that resembled mountains to his side and below.

The movement aggravated the wound on his back, and the excruciating pain caused his vision to go black, almost making him lose consciousness.

He jerked his head to stay awake and swiftly ducked into a crevice in the rock.

Almost the instant he hid, two more pulse beams struck the spot where he had just been standing.

It blasted up a patch of seabed sediment, and murky seawater instantly spread out.

"Cough cough..."

Jiang Nian curled up in a crevice in the reef and coughed violently.

The inside of the mask was splattered with tiny specks of blood foam.

He pressed hard on the still-bleeding wound on his back, struggling to gather his inner strength to try and temporarily seal the blood vessels to slow the bleeding.

"Advisor Jiang! Jiang Nian! Please respond! Your vital signs are deteriorating rapidly!"

From the throat communicator came Captain Zhang Hai's anxious call, the signal intermittent due to depth and interference.

"We have detected at least four high-speed underwater targets closing in on you! You must move towards us immediately! Report your location!"

Jiang Nian was breathing heavily, his gaze sweeping over the simple navigation device integrated into his diving suit on his wrist.

The screen is flickering, and the depth displayed is -1127 meters.

The coordinates kept changing, but the general location was still within the base's monitoring range.

"I am in the target sea area, at a depth of one thousand."

His voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows, "I've been bitten and can't get away for now."

"Hold on! Hailong No. 1 and No. 3 are approaching you at full speed! Estimated arrival time: 25 minutes!"

"We've deployed decoys and jammers to try and distract them!" Zhang Hai's voice carried an unwavering determination.

"The Ghost Squad has also departed in their high-speed underwater vehicle! You must hold on!"

Twenty-five minutes...

Jiang Nian looked at the few red dots rapidly approaching on the navigator and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

In the deep-sea environment, they faced four well-equipped pursuers.

Let alone twenty-five minutes, even five minutes could feel like an eternity.

He must save himself!
He forced himself to calm down.

Despite being severely injured and under immense pressure, his divine sense was still subtly extended outwards like a spider web.

Four pursuers.

They are forming a standard fan-shaped encirclement formation and are carefully scanning this reef area using sonar.

They were cautious and did not rush in rashly.

He looked down at the life-saving deep-sea suit in his arms.

In my haste, I only managed to put it on most of the way; the crucial neck sealing ring and leg buckles weren't fully secured yet.

The icy seawater was seeping in through the cracks, taking away his already dwindling body heat.

First, we need to put on our gear!

Otherwise, without the enemy even having to do anything, the pressure and environment of the deep sea would be enough to kill him!
He leaned against the cold rocks and carefully began to move.

Every tiny movement aggravated the wound on my back, causing excruciating pain.

My fingers were stiff from blood loss and low temperature, making my movements unusually clumsy and slow.

"Click..."

With a soft click, the sealing ring around his neck was finally fastened by his force.

The built-in flexible material expands rapidly, conforms to the skin, and temporarily blocks the intrusion of seawater.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief; at least he could breathe safely for the time being.

Just as he was trying to secure the leg locks.

"call out!"

A very faint sound of something cutting through the air came from behind!
It's not a pulsed beam!

It's a physical warhead!
High-speed armor-piercing projectile!

Jiang Nian's scalp tingled instantly!

Without thinking, he suddenly rolled to the side!

"puff!"

The spot where he was leaning against the reef was instantly pierced by a slender alloy bullet, leaving a smooth-edged hole!

The bullet continued its trajectory, embedding itself deeply into the rocks behind it.

The other person has changed clothes!
They used live-fire weapons that are better suited for underwater penetration and precision strikes!
Moreover, the shooting angle was extremely tricky, which clearly indicated that the approximate hiding place had been determined!

Can't stay here anymore!

Ignoring the leg locks, Jiang Nian pushed off the rocks with both feet and, still clutching his not-yet-fully-put-on deep-sea suit, rushed into the depths of the reef!
"He's moving! At three o'clock! He's moving very fast!"

"Block the exit! Group A on the left flank, Group B on the right flank, Group C on the front! Group D, take the high ground and provide sniper support!"

"understand!"

"Roger that!"

The four red dots immediately changed their formation.

Like sharks that have smelled blood, they begin to cut into the reef area from different directions.

Jiang Nian frantically darted among the jagged rocks and enormous underwater plants.

The lack of leg support in his diving suit severely hampered his mobility, and he nearly tripped over protruding rock edges several times.

The wound on his back reopened due to the strenuous exercise, and blood gushed out, turning the surrounding seawater even redder.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A barrage of live ammunition followed, hitting the rocks and plants behind him, sending rubble and broken branches flying everywhere.

The bullet's velocity decreases underwater.

But the kinetic energy was still terrifying; the water that brushed against the body felt like a whip.

He managed to dodge bullets with difficulty, relying on his faint premonition of danger and his remaining instincts.

With a "whoosh," a bullet grazed past his unsecured wetsuit leg.

The special material was torn apart, and a deep gash was cut into the skin of the calf, exposing the bone!

Jiang Nian grunted, staggered, and nearly fell over.

"Target hit! He's slowed down!"

The sniper calmly reported, "Team C, push forward! Take them alive!"

The commander's voice carried a hint of excitement.

Directly ahead, two pursuers dressed in black, streamlined diving armor emerged from the gap between two boulders.

The gun barrel locked onto him instantly!

There were obstacles blocking their way ahead and pursuers behind.

There are also snipers lurking on the flanks!
Desperate situation!

A hint of despair flashed in Jiang Nian's eyes, but more than that, it was a kind of madness driven to the brink of despair!
He suddenly stopped running and turned around.

Facing the two approaching Group C members head-on.

His right hand silently reached for the tactical dagger strapped to his thigh.

The cold touch gave him a slight jolt.

"Give up the resistance! You have nowhere to escape!"

A member of Group C shouted through an external loudspeaker, his voice sounding muffled and distorted underwater.

The two men approached slowly from a pincer formation, their guns always aimed at Jiang Nian's vitals.

They had clearly received orders to capture him alive, and did not fire immediately.

Jiang Nian was breathing heavily, her face as pale as paper beneath the mask.

But his eyes were like tempered ice, fixed intently on the other person.

Distance... ten meters... eight meters...

It's now!

The moment the two stepped within five meters of him, Jiang Nian moved!

Instead of lunging at anyone, he suddenly hurled the deep-sea suit he wasn't fully on at the face of the team member on his left, like a slingshot!
The team member clearly hadn't expected Jiang Nian to retaliate in this way, and instinctively raised his arm to block.

In that very instant when the view was blocked!
Jiang Nian exerted force with his feet; despite his leg injury, his explosive power was still astonishing!

His body shot forward like an arrow, hurtling straight at the teammate on the right!
With his right hand gripping the tactical dagger in reverse, he used all his strength and determination to slice through the seawater and pierce the gap between the opponent's neck armor and helmet!
The player on the right reacted extremely quickly. Seeing Jiang Nian rushing towards him, he immediately pulled the trigger!

"Da da da!"

A short burst of fire!
Jiang Nian neither dodged nor avoided, but simply tilted her head slightly!
"Thud! Thud!" Two bullets flew past his shoulder blades and ribs, leaving a trail of blood!
But his momentum showed no signs of slowing down!
"die!"

With a hoarse roar, the dagger pierced the vulnerable joint with perfect precision!

"Ugh!"

The team member let out a short scream as blood gushed from his neck.

The weapon slipped from his hand, and his body convulsed violently as he staggered backward.

Having landed a successful blow, Jiang Nian didn't stop. Using the momentum of his forward charge, his left elbow slammed into the left team member who had just pushed aside the deep-sea suit!

"boom!"

A dull thud echoed through the water.

The team member's helmet jolted violently, and he slumped to the ground as if his bones had been removed.

In the blink of an eye, the two were dealt with!
But Jiang Nian also paid a price.

The gunshot wounds to his shoulder and ribs were excruciating, and the wound on his back had completely reopened, with blood staining almost half of his back.

A strong sense of weakness washed over him like a tidal wave, his vision blurred, and he almost couldn't stand up.

"Team C has lost contact! Target is counterattacking! Repeat, target is counterattacking! Authorization to use lethal force!"

The commander's voice, a mixture of shock and anger, rang out in the channel.

"Whoosh!"

The sniper on the high ground opened fire again!
This time, the bullet was aimed at Jiang Nian's head!
With his last shred of awareness of danger, Jiang Nian suddenly crouched down!

"when!"

The bullet grazed the top of his head and struck the coral stalagmite behind him, shattering it into a large pile of debris!

Can't stay any longer!
He forced himself to grab the underwater assault rifle that the dead team member had dropped, and without even checking the ammunition, he staggered and fled desperately deeper into the reef area.

Behind them, the remaining A and B teams and snipers were hot on their heels.

"Advisor Jiang! Hold on! Our jamming is working! The enemy's sonar signal is malfunctioning! Hailong-1 will arrive in eighteen minutes!"

Zhang Hai's voice rang out again, carrying a glimmer of hope.

Eighteen minutes...

Jiang Nian leaned against a huge underwater volcanic rock, breathing heavily.

My lungs felt like a broken bellows, and every breath was filled with the smell of blood and a burning pain.

The coldness from excessive blood loss spread from my limbs to my bones, and my consciousness began to gradually fade.

He looked down at the rifle in his hand.

The model was unfamiliar, and the magazine was half full.

He touched the dagger on his side again; it was his only weapon at the moment.

He tried to mobilize his internal energy, but his meridians were like a dried-up riverbed, with only a weak flow of air struggling to circulate, which was far from enough to repair his injuries.

Are you really going to die here?
Do not!
He suddenly looked up at the GPS navigator.

The green dot representing the receiving submarine was steadily moving in his direction.

There are countless people waiting for him to return.

He can't die!

At the very least, one cannot die without purpose!
A crazy idea flashed through his mind.

He took a deep breath and, with his last strength, spoke into the communicator in a hoarse but clear voice: "Captain Zhang, listen to me... I might not be able to hold out until the rendezvous."

"Don't talk nonsense! Consultant Jiang! You can definitely do it!" Zhang Hai interrupted him urgently.

"Listen to me!"

Jiang Nian growled, which aggravated his wounds, causing him to cough again.

"I will lead them to the hydrothermal vent area to the southeast, where the environment is complex and the interference is intense."

He quickly gave out a coordinate.

“You can set up an ambush there, or follow their return path to find the Ruins of Return.”

"Jiang Nian! What are you trying to do? Don't do anything stupid!" Zhang Hai's voice changed.

"This is an order!"

Jiang Nian's voice carried an undeniable resolve.

After saying that, without waiting for Zhang Hai's response, he abruptly shut down the communicator that was actively transmitting signals, leaving only the passive receiving mode.

He couldn't allow his position to be exposed by the base's signals.

He leaned against the rock, slowly slid down to the ground, gathering his last bit of strength.

His gaze swept around and finally landed on the deep-sea suit he had thrown away.

He crawled over with difficulty, picked it up again, and with his last bit of strength, fastened the leg locks one by one.

Although movement is still inconvenient, at least basic protection and mobility are guaranteed.

After doing all this, he was almost completely exhausted.

After resting for less than thirty seconds, he suddenly stood up, picked up the captured rifle, pointed it in the general direction of the pursuers, and pulled the trigger!

"Ta-ta-ta! Ta-ta-ta!"

A short, provocative shot broke the brief silence.

"He's over there! He's still resisting!"

"Attention everyone! The target may be attempting a breakout! Press southeast! Snipers, take him out when you get the chance! We don't need any survivors!"

The commander completely lost his patience.

Jiang Nian emptied half a magazine, immediately turned around, and charged forward without hesitation, dragging his battered body.

He wasn't moving fast; in fact, he was a little unsteady.

Blood continued to flow from the wounds on his back and calves, leaving clear tracking marks behind him.

But his eyes were firm, and his steps were unwavering.

He knew this was a road of no return. (End of Chapter)