The bushes were slowly parted by a deformed hand, revealing an ugly head with burning, greedy eyes fixed upon us.
Damn it, it's a Sea God's Servant!
How could this Sea God's Servant be so fast, and without making a sound?
I immediately entered combat mode, my body tensing, intent on striking first and quickly dispatching this Sea God's Servant.
But it wasn't over. As one Sea God's Servant revealed itself, more emerged from the undergrowth, encircling us!
With every step the Sea God's Servants took, the ground trembled.
This silent pressure weighed heavily on my heart, forcing me to make a swift decision. If I waited until their encirclement was complete, we would have no chance!
There were six of them!
I forced myself to calm down. A frontal confrontation would be suicidal. I had to find a way to escape!
Every second that passed meant a smaller chance for Zhuoya and me to escape alive.
Without a word to Zhuoya, I made a "follow me" gesture and instantly bolted downstream along the creek!
Seeing the two of us flee, the group of Sea God's Servants roared and gave chase.
Only two paths lay before me.
One was to continue running downstream along the creek, using speed to outrun our pursuers. The other was to plunge into the forest and try to outmaneuver them.
I quickly weighed the pros and cons of each path in my mind. At this moment, every decision I made concerned our lives, mine and Zhuoya's!
If we plunged into the forest to engage the Sea God's Servants, we didn't know if there were other pursuers lurking within.
And if we lost our way and stumbled into a Kasa tribe trap, it would be all over!
Continuing along the creek seemed the safer option for now, but we had already endured a fierce battle with the Sea God's Servants, severely depleting our strength.
If we kept running like this, we would likely be caught and torn to shreds before long.
Although it seemed we had two choices, we were effectively cornered.
Either path was a near-certain death!
I quickly turned my head to share my thoughts with Zhuoya, hoping she had a plan to break free from this predicament.
Zhuoya pondered for a moment, then suddenly seemed to recall something. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the adjacent jungle.
"Brother Xiaoye, there's no other way. We can only go to that place!"
The situation was dire, and I didn't have time to question where Zhuoya was taking me.
All I could do now was trust her judgment and hope she could lead us to safety!
Leaves brushed against my face, leaving tiny scratches.
Zhuoya and I moved rapidly through the forest, but not being at full strength, our speed gradually decreased. The roars behind us grew louder, and the situation had reached its most critical point!
If this continued, the Sea God's Servants would surely catch us!
My pace slowed, and I couldn't help but pant.
I had already made up my mind: if they caught up, I would stay behind to hold them off, allowing Zhuoya to return to the cave and lead everyone to safety.
It would be the least I could do.
Just then, after leading me through a dense thicket, Zhuoya burst into a clearing!
This is!!!
I was somewhat stunned by the sight before me. The place Zhuoya had brought me to was the temple of the Sea God, about which she had spoken before!
The dim, yellow sunlight streamed onto the glazed ceiling, making the temple appear incredibly sacred.
The stone materials used in its construction were neither gold nor wood, yet they possessed a mysterious dark yellow hue. The two stone statues of Sea God's Servants were not as grotesque as their living counterparts, but rather exuded an aura of majesty and solemnity, inspiring reverence in anyone who beheld them.
However, the most captivating feature was the heavy stone door, covered in intricate and peculiar runes.
Zhuoya and I approached the door. As I looked at the stone door, I suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease, a strange… oppressive feeling.
It felt as though these stone figures were not guarding a deity, but rather suppressing malevolent spirits.
I turned to Zhuoya. "Didn't you say this temple was forbidden to mortals?"
Zhuoya's expression was grave. She gently ran her hands over the patterns on the stone door and said helplessly, "The Sea God's Servants have been ordered by the High Priest not to enter the temple grounds. I could think of no other place to hide from their pursuit, so I've brought you here. We'll temporarily use the temple to deter them."
Just as Zhuoya finished speaking, the group of Sea God's Servants behind us emerged from the bushes. Upon seeing the temple, they all halted. They stood at a distance, their blood-red eyes fixed upon us with fierce intensity.
I managed a wry smile. Indeed, if we hadn't reached this temple, we would have been caught and torn to shreds by the Sea God's Servants by now.
With the temple's deterrent presence, we could finally catch our breath.
But the surrounding Sea God's Servants still glared at us menacingly. As time passed, more and more Sea God's Servants converged, surrounding us completely.
This wasn't a viable long-term solution. I didn't know if the Sea God's Servants were still considered human, but Zhuoya and I needed to eat.
If we remained surrounded like this, we would be like frogs in boiling water, slowly starving to death!
Before us lay despair, and behind us, the temple's imposing stone door, devoid of any handle, far too heavy for the two of us to push open.
Nowhere to turn, above or below!
I clenched my fist and smashed it against the nearby stone door.
Damn it, at worst, we'll fight them head-on! If my head falls, it'll be a big scar, and eighteen years later, I'll be a hero again!
But as my hand struck the stone door, the sensation that traveled through my fingers made me pause slightly.