Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Jiang Nian's consciousness was violently struggling on the edge of lucidity and confusion.

Each attempt to gather internal energy brought excruciating pain to his meridians, as if pierced by countless fine needles. His once surging internal energy was now reduced to a nearly dried-up stream, weakly protecting his heart and major organs.

The wound on my back had become numb from the combined stimulation of the extremely high water pressure and salt, and instead felt a deeper, dull pain.

He knew that excessive blood loss was pushing him toward death.

Inside the mask, his own heavy, bloody breathing was amplified.

Mixed with the faint hum of the deep-sea suit's circulation system.

On the navigation screen, the dot representing himself was stubbornly moving southeast at a not-so-fast pace.

Behind them, four scarlet lights were hot on their heels, closing the distance little by little.

"Cough...cough..."

Another violent coughing fit struck, and a strong, metallic taste rose in my throat.

He forced it back down, but new dark red spots appeared on the lower edge of his mask.

The bullet wound on his leg caused him excruciating pain with every push he made while swimming, severely impacting his speed.

He glanced back.

In the dark seawater, the beams of searchlights emanating from the Pursuer's diving armor could already be faintly seen.

Can't stop!
He gritted his teeth and gripped the strangely shaped underwater assault rifle he had captured even tighter.

The gun was heavy, and its structure was unlike any standard weapon he was familiar with. Its ballistic characteristics underwater were also unknown.

Now, the price has come.

"call out!"

A blinding pulse beam shot out from the side and rear without warning, at an astonishing speed!

Jiang Nian almost instinctively sank downwards!
The beam of light grazed less than half a meter above his head.

"boom!"

A blinding burst of lightning erupted, instantly vaporizing most of the coral that had grown for who knows how many years, leaving only a charred base and charged particles scattered everywhere.

It caused the surrounding seawater to make a soft hissing sound.

What incredible power!
Jiang Nian felt a chill run down his spine.

If it were a direct hit, even with a deep-sea suit to protect it.

They would probably lose their fighting ability instantly.

"The target's reaction speed has decreased, and its evasive maneuvers are sluggish. Group B, try to flank it from the left to limit its movement space."

A calm, almost ruthless voice faintly came through the water, clearly the commander of the pursuers giving orders.

Instead of rushing to kill in one fell swoop, they began, like experienced hunters, to calmly compress the prey's range of movement.

Jiang Nian could even sense the unnatural disturbances coming from the water on both sides, indicating that the enemy was making a flanking maneuver.

He suddenly lunged forward, trying to use the dense stone forest in front of him to break free of the lock.

However, just as they rushed into the stone forest, a dark figure that had been lying in ambush behind a stone pillar suddenly launched an attack!
It wasn't a firearm, but an underwater combat dagger that gleamed with a high-frequency vibration!

The opponent was clearly an expert in underwater combat, and his movements were ruthless and cunning.

He thrust directly into Jiang Nian's right leg, which was immobilized due to injury!

Jiang Nian's pupils contracted sharply. It was too late to raise his gun. He slammed his left hand out, barely gathering his inner strength in his palm, and struck the other man's wrist holding the knife hard!

"boom!"

The dull thud echoed underwater.

The attacker clearly hadn't expected Jiang Nian to unleash such power in this state; his wrist went numb, and he nearly dropped the fighting dagger.

But he reacted extremely quickly, spinning around and smashing his other elbow like a heavy hammer into Jiang Nian's face!

Jiang Nian had just unleashed a palm strike, but his old strength was exhausted and no new strength had been generated. He could only barely raise his right arm to block.

"Boom!"

A tremendous force struck him, and his entire right arm instantly went numb. His body flew backward uncontrollably, crashing heavily into a large stalagmite.

"cough!"

The wound on his back was violently struck, and the excruciating pain almost made him faint.

He finally couldn't hold back and spat a mouthful of blood onto his mask, instantly staining his vision red.

"He's failing! Grab him!"

The attacker growled through the masked communication and lunged again.

From the other two directions, two more pursuers also appeared, forming a triangular encirclement.

Desperate situation!

Jiang Nian leaned against the cold stalagmite, breathing heavily, his vision blurring.

The rifle in his hand seemed to have become incredibly heavy.

Three enemies, from three directions.

He seemed to hear the approaching footsteps of death.

Do not……

still have a chance!

His gaze swept sharply across the navigation device.

The screen showed that he was very close to the edge of the area marked as an anomaly in hydrothermal activity!

That area was formed by underwater volcanic activity.

It is filled with high-temperature fountains, toxic chemicals, and complex, turbulent water flows and magnetic fields!

That place is a no-go zone for any deep-sea vehicle that relies on sophisticated equipment and a stable environment!

Similarly, it's a huge problem for the pursuers!

Take a gamble!
Just as the three enemies pounced at the same time, Jiang Nian made a move that surprised everyone!
He did not attempt to fire or parry.

Instead, he used all his strength to slam the heavy underwater assault rifle in his hand into the enemy directly in front of him!
At the same time, he pushed off hard with both feet on the stalagmite behind him, not backward or to the side, but towards the darker area below, where white, fluffy things were floating, and plunged down without hesitation!

"He wants to run!"

"Stop him!"

The enemy clearly did not expect Jiang Nian to abandon his only weapon, and their movements faltered.

In that fraction of a second, Jiang Nian broke through their encirclement and disappeared into the area filled with the smell of sulfur and murky seawater.

"Chase him! He's at his last gasp; he can't get far!"

The commander's voice carried a hint of exasperation.

The three pursuers did not hesitate and immediately followed.

However, the situation changed immediately upon entering this area.

The water temperature began to rise rapidly, quickly changing from bone-chillingly cold to warm, even scalding hot.

The surrounding seawater became extremely turbid, with large amounts of minerals and chemical deposits spreading like smoke, and visibility plummeted to less than ten meters.

The searchlight beams were largely ineffective in the thick fog, illuminating only a small, chaotic area ahead.

Even more troublesome was that the water flow became extremely turbulent, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes up, sometimes down, and it was mixed with hot liquid that was hot enough to scald the skin, gushing out from the seabed fissures.

"Caution! This is a hydrothermal vent area! Avoid the hot water and toxic gases!"

One of the pursuers noted that his sonar and detector screens were beginning to show numerous interference patterns.

Jiang Nian was also having a hard time.

The high temperature of the seawater made his already weak body even more uncomfortable, and sweat soaked through his inner lining.

The murky seawater severely impaired his vision and spiritual perception.

He could only rely on a general sense of direction and a vague intuition of danger to struggle forward in this perilous area. "Pfft—"

Suddenly, from an inconspicuous crack to the side, a stream of hot, white gas and liquid mixture gushed out, like a geyser on the seabed!
Jiang Nian narrowly avoided the attack, but the edge of the hot air current still grazed his left arm.

The outer layer of the deep-sea suit instantly showed slight signs of melting, and a burning pain followed.

He groaned, but dared not pause for a moment.

He knew that his pursuers were right behind him, and although this area was dangerous, it was also his only chance of survival.

He must take advantage of the complicated environment here to get rid of them!
"Target is evading using hydrothermal vents! Sonar is severely jammed! Precise location is impossible!"

"Group A, report your situation!"

The commander's voice came through the pursuers' communication channel, tinged with obvious anxiety.

"Visibility is extremely poor, the water flow is turbulent, and we almost crashed into a large geyser! Please proceed with caution!"

"The same applies to Group B; their detectors are almost completely malfunctioning, and they can only rely on visual observation!"

The pursuit was forced to slow down.

Jiang Nian took the opportunity to create some distance, but he dared not relax, because the dizziness caused by blood loss was getting stronger and stronger.

He needed to find a place where he could hide temporarily and observe the enemy's movements.

His gaze searched laboriously in the murky seawater.

Suddenly, a relatively open area appeared ahead.

In the center stand several huge, chimney-like black rock structures.

These black chimneys are continuously spewing out thick smoke rich in sulfides, and the surrounding area is filled with strangely shaped sulfide deposits, forming a landscape that looks like an alien landform.

That's it!

Jiang Nian's spirits lifted, and he swam vigorously toward the largest black chimney.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the base of the chimney had formed a platform of sediment due to years of eruptions.

There are some gaps and depressions between the edge of the platform and the chimney body that can provide cover.

He carefully avoided the main eruption opening, choosing a relatively hidden recessed spot where he curled up and hid.

It's safe for now.

He leaned against the cold, rough sulfide rock wall, breathing heavily, barely able to lift his arm.

The vital signs monitor on the mask kept issuing low warnings.

Heart rate too fast, blood pressure too low, blood oxygen saturation continues to drop...

He struggled to raise his hand, trying to retrieve the hemostatic gel and stimulant from the first-aid kit inside his diving suit, but his fingers trembled uncontrollably.

"Huh...huh..."

He forced himself to calm down, adjusted his breathing, and tried to mobilize his meager internal energy to stabilize his injuries.

However, as soon as his internal energy was activated, his meridians felt like they were being burned by raging fire, causing him to almost vomit blood again.

The injuries were too severe...

He leaned against the rock wall, tilted his head back, and looked through the blood-stained mask.

Looking up at the billowing black smoke and murky seawater above.

An unprecedented feeling of exhaustion and powerlessness.

Like the pressure of the deep sea, it squeezes in from all directions.

Is this really where it all ends?

Countless images flashed through my mind.

Do not!
We can't give up yet!
He bit his tongue hard, and the intense pain stimulated his almost numb nerves once again.

He can't die!

At least, we can't die so meaninglessly!
He hasn't found the Void yet, hasn't uncovered the organization's ultimate conspiracy, and hasn't ensured Zero's safety!
The will to survive, like a last flame, reignited in the cold abyss.

With trembling hands, he finally reached for the first aid kit and took out the only vial of highly concentrated stimulant and a vial of hemostatic gel.

Without hesitation, he injected the stimulant into his carotid artery.

A surge of scorching heat instantly coursed through my body, temporarily suppressing the excruciating pain and weakness, and bringing an almost false sense of energy.

He quickly applied the hemostatic gel to the wounds on his back and calves.

The gel solidifies rapidly upon contact with water, temporarily sealing the wound and slowing blood loss.

After doing all this, he felt better; at least he wouldn't faint immediately.

He cautiously peeked out to observe the situation outside.

The pursuers clearly hadn't given up; four beams of searchlight were slowly moving through the thick fog not far away.

They seemed to realize the danger of the area and became unusually cautious, not daring to disperse too much.

"The target signal disappeared in this chimney area; he must be hiding somewhere."

"Search separately, maintain communication, be mindful of distance, and avoid being picked off one by one!"

The commander issued new orders.

The four pursuers began to split up, working in pairs, and cautiously approached the chimney area.

Jiang Nian held her breath, pressed her body tightly against the recess in the rock wall, and concealed all her presence.

A pursuer slowly swam toward the huge chimney where he was hiding.

The searchlight beam swept across the chimney wall and the platform, nearly illuminating the recessed area where Jiang Nian was hiding several times.

Jiang Nian could even see the clear patterns on the enemy's underwater armor and the cold glint of their weapons through the murky seawater.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, relying on the pain to maintain his last vestiges of consciousness.

Cannot move...

Going out now is a dead end.

He was waiting, waiting for an opportunity.

The pursuer lingered near the chimney for a moment, found nothing amiss, and began searching the other side.

Jiang Nian breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding.

The other two groups of enemies are also gradually approaching.

Time passed second by second, each second feeling like being tortured on a knife's edge.

The effects of the stimulant are gradually wearing off, and weakness and coldness are returning.

He knew that he couldn't hold on for much longer.

We must take the initiative to do something!
His gaze fell on a small hydrothermal vent that was erupting intermittently not far away.

Every minute or so, the nozzle would spew out a powerful stream of heat.

An adventurous plan took shape in his mind.

He carefully moved out of the crevices where he was hiding, and, using the chimney and sediment as cover, silently approached the small vent.

He moved extremely slowly, as if afraid of stirring up even the slightest unnecessary flow of water.

Fifty meters... thirty meters... ten meters...

He finally reached the vicinity of the vent and hid behind a huge sulfide rock.

He calculated the intervals between eruptions.

It's now!

Just as the vent was about to erupt again, he suddenly leaned out from behind the rock and, with all his might, hurled a fist-sized sulfide rock at another group of enemies who were searching nearby!
"puff!"

The stone wasn't moving very fast in the water, but it was fast enough to attract attention.

"There's movement over there!" (End of Chapter)