I don't talk about love with my Martial Sister

Chapter 128

"She really has terrible luck with water."

Was it because she wielded fire? Shang Can wondered. Why was it that every time she found herself in trouble, it always seemed to involve falling into water? First it was Wangchuan, and now here, in Qinglian Lake.

Even though drowning wouldn't kill her, this method of attack remained simple yet effective. Shang Can, pressed down into Qinglian Lake, felt like she'd been slammed into the water, her mind buzzing. The water of Qinglian Lake seemed different from ordinary lake water—bone-chilling cold, mercilessly burrowing into the wound on her right arm. In just a few breaths, the spiritual energy surrounding her body had already started to stagnate. Shang Can gritted her teeth and struggled to the surface.

But now that she had been caught, escaping wasn't going to be easy. What should have been the surface, close at hand, suddenly seemed impossibly distant when she looked up. She could only see the faint, blurry light far above. She tried swimming closer, but when she noticed the distance remained unchanged, she stopped. She knew now this was probably Yu Jiu's spell, and that light was just an illusion to deceive her—chasing it would likely only drag her in deeper.

Though Yu Jiu was a madwoman, the rumors of her being the one closest to ascending to immortality weren't for nothing. As a phoenix half-demon with exceptional talent, Shang Can was still young and far less experienced in battle compared to Yu Jiu. A moment's distraction had led to this predicament, and she couldn't help but furrow her brows in frustration.

...Duan'er, she thought anxiously. I wonder how Duan'er is faring?

The thought of her lover facing such an enemy alone made her heart burn with worry. Although Shang Can was wounded, she could still move freely and cast spells. She couldn't understand why Yu Jiu hadn't taken the opportunity to finish her off—perhaps she was too preoccupied with Yun Duan.

Despite the bright daylight outside, the bottom of Qinglian Lake was unusually dark. Maybe it was another of Yu Jiu's spells. Shang Can tried forming a few dispelling hand seals, but they had no effect. Her spiritual power flowed, but it wasn't as smooth as before. She sighed, bubbles rising in the water as she exhaled.

There's no time to waste here. Clenching her fist tightly, she pressed her hand to the bleeding wound on her arm, feeling the pain—now dull—helping her to stay clear-headed. Her spiritual power was still circulating, but she knew she couldn't afford to waste too much of it. The path ahead was unclear, and she couldn't risk making any reckless moves. Her biggest priority now was finding a way to escape this place. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Shang Can scanned her surroundings.

The lakebed was vast, dominated by the tangled roots of lotus flowers stretching in all directions. Can lotus flowers really grow such long stems? she wondered, peering into the seemingly bottomless depths below. The deeper it went, the colder it seemed to get.

She swam toward the thickest root, soon realizing it was connected to the lotus leaf where Yu Jiu had been sitting. With no blade on hand, Shang Can summoned heavenly fire in her palm and grasped the root. But as soon as she touched it, it felt like ancient ice—frozen for thousands of years. Even the power of her heavenly fire only melted it slowly, inch by inch. Still, the fact that it was giving way at all meant there was a chance for her to do something.

Just as a flicker of hope rose in her heart, Shang Can sensed an icy presence approaching from below. Instinctively, she shifted to the side, but her movements were sluggish underwater. As she glanced down, everything seemed to unfold in slow motion.

A woman in a red dress appeared, out of place in the pitch-black depths of the lake, like a flower blooming where it didn't belong.

Her long black hair floated behind her like seaweed, her features so strikingly beautiful that it was hard to look away. Beneath her eye was a small mole, adding a mysterious allure to her already mesmerizing appearance.