Chapter 36: Dead but Not Stiff, Still Feigning Death?

Xiao Yifeng pulled Ling Sisi high into the air, narrowly dodging the massive currents that erupted outward and the menacing Water Tornadoes spinning in their wake.

They were fortunate; the water level in the cave was low to begin with, and the tornadoes had consumed most of the remaining volume. Apart from a few splashes, they remained relatively dry.

Lin Mi and the others were not so lucky. They were swept up instantly, thrashing helplessly inside the churning vortices.

As the chaotic currents ravaged the cave, Xiao Yifeng’s sharp eyes spotted movement in the shallow water below. The Heavenly Luo Crocodile, battered and bleeding, was attempting to limp back toward the safety of the underground river.

Not this time.

Xiao Yifeng moved with the speed of lightning. He poured his spiritual power into the Top Grade Magical Artifact in his hand—a heavy longsword—and hurled it with all his might.

The sword transformed into a streak of light, expanding into a massive blade mid-flight. It struck with the force of a falling star, plunging straight through the beast’s spine and pinning it to the rocky riverbed.

The Heavenly Luo Crocodile was already at the end of its strength. It barely had time to let out a miserable gurgle before its massive body went limp, motionless.

Bright red blood billowed out, dyeing the shallow water crimson. With the beast’s consciousness seemingly extinguished, the Water Tornadoes lost their cohesion and slowly dissolved, dropping the disoriented disciples into the knee-deep water.

The floodwaters receded, flowing out of the cave.

Apart from Xiao Yifeng and Ling Sisi, who hovered gracefully above the carnage, the rest of the team stood up in the muck, looking utterly wretched.

Tang Pei and Li Lifang, who had been closest to the blast zone, had taken the brunt of the impact. Their robes were shredded, their hair plastered to their skulls, and they were shivering from the chill. Zhu Ming and Lin Mi, though soaked to the bone, had managed to activate their defensive artifacts just in time, sparing them the worst of the physical battering.

Xiao Yifeng glanced at Ling Sisi, and the two exchanged a knowing smile. Seeing the sorry state of the “experienced” seniors made their own dryness feel like a silent victory.

Realizing her hand was still firmly clasped in Xiao Yifeng’s grip, Ling Sisi blushed crimson and quickly pulled away.

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” she whispered. “If not for you, I’d be a drowned rat like them.”

Xiao Yifeng shook his head. “It’s a small matter. Let’s go down. We need to make sure that beast is truly dead. There’s an old saying: a centipede dies but never falls down.”

They descended slowly. The water on the cave floor was only palm-deep now. The team gathered, the atmosphere heavy with awkwardness.

Tang Pei and Li Lifang wore expressions dark enough to blot out the sun. Their dignity had taken a heavier beating than their bodies.

Zhu Ming, however, wiped the sludge from his face and let out a bitter laugh. “That beast was terrifying! Luckily, Junior Brother Xiao killed it. If not… we might have been stuck in those tornadoes forever.”

Li Lifang’s face turned even blacker. He had lost face in front of the woman he desired, and now a junior was being praised for saving them. His expression was so gloomy it looked like water could drip from it—which, ironically, it actually was.

“Was that the Water Tornado spell you mentioned?” Lin Mi asked, her voice trembling with lingering fear. “The power is horrifying. How did you two survive it earlier?”

“Yes,” Ling Sisi nodded. “And it’s even stronger underwater. I was caught in it before, and if Senior Brother Xiao hadn’t saved me—wasting a precious Talisman in the process—I wouldn’t be here.”

As she spoke, Ling Sisi noticed the men’s gazes were drifting toward Lin Mi. Being perceptive, she looked over and saw that the wet robes were clinging tightly to Lin Mi’s curves, leaving little to the imagination.

She leaned in and whispered, “Senior Sister, your clothes…”

Lin Mi looked down and gasped, her face flushing red. She immediately circulated her cultivation technique. Fire Qi surged through her meridians, and steam hissed off her body as her robes dried in an instant.

She couldn’t offend the Enforcement Squad leaders, so she turned her embarrassment into rage against the easiest target. She glared at Zhu Ming. “What are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll dig your eyes out!”

Zhu Ming laughed awkwardly and reluctantly averted his gaze.

Xiao Yifeng glanced at the scene, then shot a strange, unreadable look at Ling Sisi. She caught it and blushed deeply.

“That Heavenly Luo Crocodile is truly terrifying,” Tang Pei interrupted, his voice gruff as he used his own Fire Qi to dry his uniform. “It lives up to the reputation of a Foundation Establishment demon beast. Let’s secure the corpse. Everyone, stay alert!”

He retrieved a thick Demon-Binding Rope from his storage bag. With a flick of his wrist, the rope snaked out and wrapped tightly around the motionless crocodile, binding it snout to tail.

The group approached cautiously.

The once-majestic predator lay still, its breath barely perceptible, its single remaining eye shut tight.

Seeing the beast helpless, Li Lifang’s suppressed anger erupted. He marched forward and kicked the carcass viciously.

“Damn crocodile! Lousy beast!”

Thud! Thud!

The crocodile didn’t twitch. It seemed truly dead.

Still unsatisfied, Li Lifang drew his longsword and hacked at the thick scales, sparks flying as steel met hide. “You think you’re tough? Huh?”

After venting his frustration, he turned to the group with a forced, arrogant smile. “Well, it’s dead as a doornail. I was just careless earlier, allowing it to sneak attack me. Isn’t that right, Zhu Ming?”

He expected the sycophantic disciple to agree immediately. Instead, Zhu Ming was staring past him, eyes wide with horror, mouth hanging open.

“Vice-Captain… it’s… it’s feigning death! IT’S FEIGNING DEATH!”

Zhu Ming didn’t wait for an answer. He turned and bolted.

Li Lifang whipped his head around.

The Heavenly Luo Crocodile had opened its single golden eye. It wasn’t dim with death; it was burning with a manic, destructive light. A terrifying aura of blood-red energy began to surge from its body, boiling the water around it.

“Not good! It’s going to Self-Destruct!” Tang Pei screamed.

Without a second thought, Tang Pei flashed backward, putting as much distance between himself and the beast as possible. Li Lifang was even faster; he didn’t even speak, simply jumping onto his flying sword and transforming into a green streak of light as he fled.

“Why is there a barrier?!” Zhu Ming’s panicked shriek echoed from the tunnel entrance.

The others turned pale. A translucent, blood-red dome had risen around them, sealing off the area.

“Come to me! Form a defensive formation!” Tang Pei shouted, his voice straining to maintain calm. The disciples scrambled toward him, raising their shields and artifacts in a desperate bid for survival.

But Xiao Yifeng didn’t move toward them.

His mind raced. A Foundation Establishment beast’s self-destruction… At this range, inside a sealed barrier? A hastily assembled formation won’t save us. We’ll be dead, or crippled at best.

The barrier was too strong to break in the few seconds they had. Retreat was death.

If I can’t run, I must attack.

Xiao Yifeng made his decision instantly. Instead of fleeing, he lunged toward the ticking time bomb.

“Senior Brother Xiao, what are you doing?!” Ling Sisi screamed, terrified.

Xiao Yifeng leaped onto the crocodile’s head. He grabbed the hilt of the giant sword he had pinned it with—the one still stuck in its eye socket—and punched it down with all his strength.

Crunch.

The sword sank all the way in, leaving only the pommel visible.

The crocodile let out a garbled, miserable howl, its golden eye staring hatefully at the human standing on its face. It tried to accelerate the self-destruction, the blood energy swelling to a critical point.

Too late.

Xiao Yifeng placed his palm flat against the pommel. He didn’t pull the sword out. instead, he poured his spiritual energy into it in a violent, chaotic torrent. With his other hand, he slapped a heavy shield artifact from his storage bag in front of him.

Detonate.

“BOOM!”

A muffled, concussive explosion rocked the cave.

The disciples flinched, bracing for the end… but the earth-shattering blast they expected never came. It wasn’t the apocalyptic force of a Foundation Establishment core detonating.

Slowly, they lowered their arms and looked toward the center of the cavern.

Xiao Yifeng stood amidst the shallow water, holding a large, cracked shield. The water around him was a gruesome soup of red blood and white brain matter. His shield was plastered with gore.

The Heavenly Luo Crocodile’s head was simply… gone.

The headless carcass lay limp, the self-destruction process aborted by the sudden removal of its brain and core.

The group stood in stunned silence. Ling Sisi was the first to react, running over with wide eyes. “Senior Brother Xiao! What happened? Was that the self-destruction? Are you okay… why didn’t you run?”

The others cautiously approached.

Xiao Yifeng wiped a speck of blood from his cheek and shook his head. “If I had let it self-destruct, we’d all be dead. A defensive formation wouldn’t have held.”

“Then… that explosion just now?” Ling Sisi asked, confused.

“If it wanted to blow itself up, I figured I should beat it to the punch,” Xiao Yifeng said with a faint smile. “I detonated my sword inside its head.”

“You… what?!”

Li Lifang stepped forward, his face twisted with rage. “Don’t spout nonsense! If we had formed the formation, we would have been fine! You… you actually detonated a Sect-issued High Grade Magical Artifact? Do you have any idea what the Penalty for destroying sect property is? You did this purely to steal the credit! I’m reporting this to the Elders. You just wait for the punishment!”

Xiao Yifeng’s expression cooled.

“Does the Vice-Captain have extensive experience surviving Foundation Establishment explosions? I admit, I am lacking in knowledge. In the heat of the moment, I made a tactical decision. As for the sect, I will explain it myself. Whatever penalty comes, I will bear it. I don’t need you to worry about me. At worst, I’ll simply pay for a replacement artifact out of my own pocket.”

Even a clay figurine has a temper, and Xiao Yifeng had reached his limit. Li Lifang had provoked him repeatedly; there was no need to save him any face.

“You!” Li Lifang sputtered, his face flushing red. “I will definitely tell the Elders you are reckless and glory-hungry! Hmph, a True Disciple really is arrogant with his wealth, isn’t he?”

“Enough!”

Tang Pei walked over slowly, stepping between them. “Two Junior Brothers, stop arguing. Junior Brother Xiao lacks experience, and the situation was critical. Impulsive action is understandable. I believe the sect won’t punish him for saving lives. If they try, I will plead with the Elders on his behalf myself.”