Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

Li Di's speech became increasingly rapid:

"Luo Xiao's Blood Shark Guards can create Blood Shadow Clone Techniques in the water. Once we get entangled, we'll be worn down and killed on the seabed!"

Before the words were finished, the blood-red shuttle in front suddenly split apart, and dozens of blood shadows surged in from all directions like ghosts.

Each one carried an eerie, bloodthirsty aura and moved with incredible speed, instantly blocking any possible escape routes for the Abyss Ship.

The skeleton cultivator cackled, and nine skulls, each the size of a millstone, blazed with a ghastly blue phosphorescent flame from their eye sockets, forming a bizarre nine-palace prison formation.

The ghastly green flames intertwined into a net, emanating a chilling aura that could freeze the very soul, descending upon them.

Further back, Luo Xiao, wielding a halberd, grinned and accelerated, his blood-red trident locking onto the Abyss Ship from afar, its tip gleaming with crimson light, preparing for a fatal blow.

"It's over..." Li Di's face turned ashen, and his flute playing became slightly disordered due to the shock of his mind.

Ruanqin's fingertips swiftly brushed across the strings, attempting to sever the blood shadow with a sonic blade.

But when the sound blade pierced the blood shadow, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, only causing the blood shadow to sway slightly before solidifying back to its original state.

At the critical moment, a fierce glint flashed in Chen Xu's eyes, and he suddenly pressed his palm against the control core of the Abyss Ship.

The energy of most of the defensive array patterns was forcibly drained instantly and injected into the propulsion array at the stern of the ship.

"Hold on tight!" He only had time to growl.

hum...

A blinding silver light erupted from the stern of the Abyss Ship, and the hull groaned under the strain as it slammed into the nine skulls in a near-self-destructive manner.

"You're courting death!" The skeleton cultivator's eerie laughter grew even more ferocious as he urged the fire net to close in faster.

Dozens of bloody figures rushed forward like a leech.

Boom! Crack!

The protective shield of the Abyss Ship shattered the moment it collided with the first blood shadow.

Immediately afterwards, the sturdy hull smashed into several blood shadow clones, and fragments mixed with blood energy scattered everywhere.

The cost was that a huge gash was torn open on the left side of the hull, and icy seawater rushed in.

At the same time, two pale blue phosphorescent flames grazed the damaged hull, leaving behind sizzling corrosion marks.

A chilling, bone-piercing shock penetrated their souls, causing Ruan Qin and Li Di to groan simultaneously, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, and the spiritual light emanating from their instruments dimming slightly.

Amidst the violent tremors, the Abyss Boat narrowly escaped through the last gap in the net of nine skulls of fire that was about to close.

However, the hull was severely damaged, losing its ability to hide and most of its defensive capabilities, making it a sitting duck in the deep sea.

"Chase them! Don't let them get away! Dead or alive!" Luo Xiao's roar came through the seawater, filled with rage.

He hadn't expected the other side to be so fearless, breaking through the first encirclement in such a near-suicidal manner.

The crimson shuttle and the nine skulls accelerated their pursuit once more.

The icy seawater quickly submerged their ankles; it was only a matter of time before the submarine sank.

Chen Xu glanced at the pale-faced Ruan Qin and Li Di, and spoke very quickly:

"Abandon the ship! Junior Sister Ruan, use [Chaotic Tide Sound] to disrupt the target with maximum range, especially those nine skulls!"

"Junior Sister Li, please enhance the speed of our Water Release techniques!"

"Yes!" At the critical moment of life and death, the two women suppressed their injuries and unleashed amazing resilience.

Ruanqin suddenly bit her tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the seven-stringed zither.

The guqin suddenly hummed, emitting a sharp noise with no discernible pattern.

The noise ignored the resistance of the seawater, bursting out in a ring, like an invisible hammer, slamming into the consciousness of all the pursuers.

Luo Xiao's figure swayed, and his Blood Escape Technique paused briefly.

The blood-red flying shuttle cultivator let out a muffled groan, and the blood shadow that separated from it became blurred.

The monk who controlled the skull was struck as if by a heavy blow.

The phosphorescent flames in the eye sockets of the nine skulls flickered violently, their formation began to break apart, and their pursuit speed decreased sharply.

At the same time, Li Di played a rapid yet ethereal melody on his jade flute.

The flute music transformed into three pale blue water ripples that instantly enveloped Chen Xu, herself, and Ruan Qin.

As the halo entered their bodies, the three of them felt a sudden lightness, as if they had merged with the surrounding seawater, and their water escape speed increased several times over.

"Walk!"

Chen Xu gave a low shout, and the three of them, like three wisps of green smoke merging into the sea, abandoned the sinking Abyss Ship and plunged down into the deep, dark trench below.

"Trying to run? Not so easy! Blood Shark Soul Devourer!" Luo Xiao roared, forcibly calming his mind, and hurled the blood-red trident forward with all his might.

The trident, once released from his hand, instantly transformed into a ferocious blood shark phantom ten zhang long.

This blood shark was not a physical entity, but it exuded a more ferocious aura of bloodlust than the previous blood shadow.

Its speed was astonishing; it opened its massive mouth, filled with fangs, and lunged straight at Ruan Qin's back, who was moving slightly slower.

This is Luo Xiao's killing move, containing a trace of his original blood essence. Once bitten, not only will the physical body collapse, but the soul will also be contaminated and devoured by the blood essence.

"Senior Sister Ruan, be careful!" Li Di turned around in shock, her flute playing distorted.

The ferocious blood shark, formed from Luo Xiao's trident and carrying the primordial blood evil of a filthy divine soul, had already pounced to within three zhang of Ruan Qin's back.

The stench of death almost froze Ruan Qin's blood; she could even "hear" the blood shark's silent, greedy roar.

The backlash from forcibly using [Chaotic Sea Tide Sound] caused her excruciating pain in her sea of ​​consciousness, sluggish spiritual energy circulation, and rendered her completely powerless to dodge or defend.

Just at this critical moment, a figure in azure blue suddenly crashed into Ruan Qin from below.

As Chen Xu descended at high speed using water escape techniques, he forcibly changed direction and slammed his shoulder and back into Ruan Qin's side, pushing her towards Li Di.

This action left him completely exposed to the blood shark's bite path.

"Senior Brother Xu!" Ruan Qin screamed, her eyes instantly filled with despair and guilt.

The blood shark's massive maw, carrying an aura of annihilation, had already enveloped Chen Xu.

There was no fear in Chen Xu's eyes, only extreme calmness.

The "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" and the "Pure Origin Technique" within his body were operating at an unprecedented speed.

He didn't try to withstand this Nascent Soul level killing move head-on, as that would be tantamount to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

His only goal was to create disruption and seize a sliver of hope.

"Freeze!"

Chen Xu formed a profound hand seal in front of his chest, and the azure water light all over his body instantly compressed and condensed into a point at his fingertips, which he then pointed forward sharply.

hum...

A thin, azure ice mirror instantly solidified in front of him.

This was a life-saving secret technique he created on the spot, combining his understanding of the changes in water from the "Mysterious Water Dragon-Opening Technique" with his keen perception of energy from the "Pure Origin Technique," at a huge cost.

The blood shark's massive jaws slammed into the ice mirror.

The surface of the ice mirror was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and the mirror surface was violently distorted, as if it were under unimaginable pressure.

The image of the blood shark reflected in the mirror also became bizarre and fantastical.

Chen Xu felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. His face turned ashen, blood seeped from all seven orifices, and his mind felt as if it were being torn apart.

However, this desperate move ultimately had an effect.

The ice mirror shattered instantly, turning into countless ice crystals that dissipated.

But the phantom of the blood shark was also forcibly deflected by an inch!

It was this mere inch of distance between life and death that allowed the blood shark's gaping maw to graz Chen Xu's left shoulder and the afterimage of Ruan Qin!

"Sizzle!"

Chen Xu's left shoulder was instantly corroded and melted along with a large patch of flesh by the blood evil, revealing stark white bones. The black and red blood evil energy at the wound was frantically eroding it.

The excruciating pain made his vision go black, and he almost fainted, but he bit his tongue tightly.

Using the violent air currents and water pressure from the passing blood shark, the body accelerated and crashed into the bottomless trench below like a cannonball.

At the same time, he swung out two ropes of spiritual energy, which wrapped around Ruan Qin, who had been knocked away, and Li Di, who was still in shock.

"Pfft!" Luo Xiao also suffered a slight backlash from the forced interference with the Blood Shark, letting out a muffled groan, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and anger.

He actually managed to evade the Blood Shark's Soul Devouring Technique?! What a strange kid! Chase after him! They can't escape!"

The blood-red shuttle cultivator and the skull-headed cultivator suppressed the soul-shaking effects of the [Chaotic Sea Tide Sound] and accelerated their pursuit once more.

Nine skulls glowed eerily, locking onto the three figures falling awkwardly below.

"Senior brother! Your injury!" Ruan Qin looked at the horrific wound on Chen Xu's left shoulder, her voice trembling with tears.

"I won't die!" Chen Xu's voice was hoarse.

"Junior Sister Li, activate [Tidal Perception] to its maximum range and find cover! Junior Sister Ruan, prepare [Silent String] to disrupt the nearest skeleton!"

He endured the excruciating pain and the weakness in his consciousness, frantically circulating the "Qingyuan Technique" to suppress the spreading blood evil from the wounds while simultaneously activating his Water Escape technique with all his might.

Li Di's flute music rang out again, this time not to enhance speed, but to transform into countless tiny sound wave threads, rapidly scanning the dark and complex terrain below.

Ruanqin then focused her spiritual energy, rapidly plucking the few remaining intact strings with her fingertips.

The silent sound waves transformed into invisible ripples, precisely targeting the closest skull.

"Buzz!" The phosphorescent light on the skull, struck by the sound wave, dimmed abruptly, slowing its pursuit and affecting the other eight skulls as well.

"There it is! To the lower left, a huge reef group!" Li Di urgently transmitted his voice, pointing to a huge black reef forest extending from the cliff of the trench.

The jagged rocks and deep crevices make them an excellent hiding place.

Without hesitation, the three of them plunged into the dark, jagged maze of reefs like three startled fish.

The icy seawater, carrying with it a heavy darkness and pressure, instantly swallowed their figures.

"Damn it!" Luo Xiao and his two companions cursed as they chased the group to the edge of the rocky forest.

When divine sense probed into it, it was immediately disturbed by the complex terrain and the faint ghostly force field contained in the reef itself, becoming blurry and unclear.

"Search separately! They're badly injured, they can't have gone far!" Luo Xiao's face was so gloomy it could drip water, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Yes!" The two subordinates responded, each controlling their magical artifacts, and carefully squeezed into the crevice of the reef, which resembled the gaping maw of a monster.

Inside the reef labyrinth, light almost completely disappeared, with only some deep-sea moss emitting a faint fluorescent glow providing a glimmer of light.

The water flow becomes extremely turbulent here, with undercurrents surging.

Chen, Xu, and the other two huddled close to the back of a huge reef, holding their breath and trying their best to conceal their presence.

Ruan Qin and Li Di were pale, their spiritual energy greatly depleted.

Chen Xu's left shoulder wound continued to worsen under the corrosive influence of the black and red blood, and waves of excruciating pain and weakness came over him. He could only rely on the "Qing Yuan Jue" to barely hold on.

"They've separated." Li Di closed his eyes and focused his mind, using [Tidal Perception] to capture the subtle changes in the water flow and the faint spiritual energy fluctuations coming from afar.

"The most recent one is...on a rocky platform about fifty feet above us."

"We can't just sit here and wait to die." A cold glint flashed in Chen Xu's eyes, and he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Junior Sister Ruan, can you use [Chaotic Tide Sound] one more time? The range doesn't need to be large, but the intensity needs to be concentrated, just to interfere with the one above."

Looking at Chen Xu's pale face and the wound on his shoulder, Ruan Qin nodded firmly, a resolute glint in her eyes: "I can!"

"Alright! Junior Sister Li, prepare to use [Echo in the Valley] to create a brief illusion of spiritual energy fluctuation in the opposite direction to attract attention."

Chen Xu quickly made arrangements: "Once Junior Sister Ruan successfully interferes, we will immediately pass through this gap below. There seems to be a narrow passage over there."

He pointed to a narrow crevice at the bottom of the reef, covered by seaweed, that was only wide enough for one person to pass through.

With the plan finalized, Li Di took a deep breath and brought the jade flute to his lips.

A faint, yet rhythmic, sound wave silently pierced the seawater and shot toward a rocky area about a hundred feet to the right rear of the three people.

The sound waves collided and echoed between specific rock structures, simulating the disturbance of water flow and the dissipation of weak spiritual energy caused by a cultivator moving rapidly.

Almost simultaneously, the ruanqin suddenly plucked its strings.

"Buzz..."

This time, the sharp noise of [Chaotic Tide Sound] is no longer an area-of-effect attack.

Instead, she forcibly compressed it into an invisible sonic cone, which pierced fiercely into the sea of ​​consciousness of the skull-headed cultivator above who was carefully investigating.

"Ugh!!!"

A mournful scream, so shrill it became distorted, echoed muffledly in the deep sea.

The late-stage Core Formation demonic cultivator was struck dumb, and he clutched his head with both hands.

The nine skulls surrounding him flashed with spiritual light, their phosphorescent glow flickering erratically, and the formation completely collapsed.

The intense shock to his soul caused his mind to churn, and hallucinations began to appear before his eyes.

His magical artifact went out of control, and the nine skulls bounced around in the water like headless flies. Two of them even crashed hard into the rocks next to him, making a dull thud.

This sudden change and violent fluctuation of spiritual energy were immediately sensed by Luo Xiao and the blood-red shuttle cultivator who were not far away.

Luo Xiao's pupils contracted, and his fierce gaze swept towards the direction from which the screams came, before suddenly turning to the right rear where Li Di was creating the illusion.

There were only faint ripples and hollow echoes left behind by the sound waves disturbing the water; there was no sign of any cultivator.

"A feint! You cunning brat!" Luo Xiao instantly realized he had fallen for a trap, and his anger was so intense it almost burned through the sea.

He let out a fierce roar, ignoring the skeleton cultivator who had temporarily lost his fighting ability, and once again obtained the blood-red trident.

He transformed into an even more ferocious blood rainbow, rushing straight towards the huge reef where Chen Xu and the other two were hiding!

"Hurry up!" Chen Xu shouted in a low voice, his voice urgent.

Ruan Qin endured the dizziness caused by the exhaustion of her spiritual energy, and Li Di also quickly stopped casting the spell.

Like three shadows clinging to the reef, the three men, taking advantage of the chaos above, darted into the narrow crevice that Chen Xu had pointed out at top speed.

The crack was extremely narrow, allowing only one person to barely squeeze through sideways.

The cold, rough rocks rubbed against his body, and every time Chen Xu's left shoulder wound touched the rock face, it brought excruciating pain and a burning sensation of bloodlust...