Death... and me

*Boom, boom, boom!*

*Shhhwaaaaa*

"A little more. We are almost out! Decaying Devourers can't keep their forms if the Decaying Fog concentration decreases."

*Arrgh!*

Silo and Calina paled as they looked at Erna. Just now, she was hit by one of the Decaying Devourers. They could even see the Decaying Fog entering her body through the injury.

"Erna!"

However, Erna gritted her teeth and pressed forward.

"I'm fine! Go, don't stop!"

Silo and Calina nodded as they continued to run and use their skills. Eventually, the Decaying Devourers stopped in their tracks and looked as those three left.

"We're out!"

Silo's Hell Judgement Tornado only had around one-tenth of its initial size. Two of Erna's Three Water Thunder Dragons had already disappeared as well. She could barely keep the form of the last one. Calina was a little better off, though. Erna and Silo still prioritized protecting her over themselves. Calina knew that trying to stop them would be useless, so she could only help as much as possible. Because of that, she still had some Spiritual Energy to spare.

Finally, both Erna and Silo's Skills disappeared as they dropped on the ground, gasping. However, Erna vomited dark blood and fell on the floor.

"Erna!"

Calina immediately approached her and looked at her injury. She then took one of her own Anti-Decaying Fog pills and fed Erna. Soon after, she used her own Spiritual Energy to create a barrier around Erna other than herself.

Silo wanted to help, but he was almost entirely spent. All he could do was approach the two girls and sit beside them while using the little bit of energy he still had to barely hold his Spiritual Energy Barrier.

Finally, the dark energy inside Erna's body began to leave her body, much to Calina's relief.

"Fortunately, the Imperial Family's alchemists are the best we can find in the empire. Their pills are much more potent than common ones."

Silo also sighed in relief after seeing that. 

Erna didn't pass out, though.

"Thank you- cough, cough... Princess."

She then tried to sit once more.

"Don't force yourself too much. Your injuries are no joke."

Erna shook her head as she also sat beside Silo, who started to recover his energy with Spirit Stones.

"I'm okay. That pill was enough to stop the Decaying Fog from entering my body and began to drive out the energy inside. I can start recovering already."

Calina was still somewhat concerned, but she nodded and sat down to recover as well.

Suddenly, Silo and Erna opened their eyes at the same time and looked to the other side. Just now, someone had entered their Spiritual Sense. However, they relaxed right after.

It was then that Valeu appeared from the middle of the fog. His robes were ragged, his hair disheveled, and there were several blood marks everywhere. He walked while holding one of his arms. It looked more like he had just come back from a war.

Silo shook his head before saying.

"As I thought, you were also caught by those Decaying Devourers. Don't ask for help since we also are almost dead here."

Valeu bitterly smiled as he approached their group.

"Seems like your journey was not that good either. It was as you said. I encountered a lot of Decaying Devourers after I entered the other path. What is happening here? Did they move their territory?"

Erna and Silo didn't suspect anything. After all, they had the 'same' map as Valeu. Of course, Calina didn't either.

"We have no idea. We almost died back inside."

Calina nodded in response.

"It might have something to do with the Surge. We were already told that it will definitely come while the trial is ongoing."

Silo, Erna, and Valeu nodded. 

Valeu finally arrived at their side when suddenly, he drew his sword in a flash.

*Swich!*

Erna and Silo didn't even know what hit them before their heads were sent flying! In normal circumstances, they would be attentive enough and try to react. They would even have a good chance of escaping the sneak attack. However, they were at their weakest at the moment, while Valeu was, in fact, completely fine. The injuries on his body were nothing more than just a pretense.

"Ah!"

Calina couldn't believe what she saw. However, she didn't have time to think about it. As soon as Valeu cut Erna and Silo's head, he turned in her direction, aiming his sword for her neck as well! But it was at this moment that Erna and Silo's efforts to protect her paid off. She still had around half of the Spiritual Energy remaining, and she didn't have any severe injuries either. It gave her enough time to react and jump back as fast as she could!

*Swich!*

A small trace of blood came from Calina's neck. Seeing that, Valeu smiled as Calina's expression transformed into one of fear. 

'Water Frame!'

A wall of water immediately appeared between Valeu and her, blocking his path. However, Valeu simply snorted as he sent her a Spiritual Sense message.

"Princess, you are incredibly talented. Unfortunately for you, you're still too young!"

'Lightning Flash!'

Valeu's sword began to draw on the Lightning Element as he used it to pierce through the Water Frame.

*Zap!*

*Splash!*

Sure enough, Calina's Water frame wasn't able to hold Valeu's Sword attack even for a second. However, as soon as Valeu passed through the Water Frame wall, he noticed a few shards of blue light on his way.

"Shit!"

*Boom! Boom! Boom...*

Each of them exploded with Calina's Yin Energy power, freezing the surroundings instantly. This was one of her trump cards that could deal a lot of damage even against someone in the Core Formation Realm. However, that forced Calina to lose a lot of Yin Energy she had accumulated after so long. She wouldn't be able to do it again anytime soon.

Unfortunately, the difference in cultivation was just too big. Not only Valeu was at the very peak of the Core Formation Realm, but he could also fight average Core and Soul Fusion Realm cultivators with his power. Thanks to that, Valeu was still able to create a Lightning Element barrier in front of himself that blocked most of Calina's attack. Sadly for him, it sent him flying back. 

On the other hand, that bought enough time for Calina to dash away. She knew she wasn't a match for Valeu, so she had to flee straight away.

'Hahaha! Princess, that was quite a nice surprise. If you were in the Core Formation Realm, you might have caused some serious damage to me. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.'

Calina's heart went cold as she received that Spiritual Sense message. Since she could hear it, it meant that she was still inside Valeu's Spiritual Sense Range.

"Why are you doing this?"

Valeu snorted after hearing that question. Right after, a flash of Lightning appeared on Calina's side, making her face go pale. However, the moment that flash appeared, several water icicles descended on it.

Valeu thought he had taken her by surprise, but she still prepared a trap for him in that situation.

"Hmph!"

Valeu then changed the direction of his attack, hitting one Water Icicle after another.

*Bang, bang, bang, bang...*

Of course, he did not let Calina leave his Spiritual Sense range. In the next second, Valeu's body flashed, leaving his position once more. In the place he was just at, an enormous Sphere of Water appeared.

'Water Prison!'

Calina wasn't hoping to hold Valeu inside it to start with. She just needed enough time to escape this place. That water prison was the plan she came up with, using the Water Icicles as a distraction. As long as she locked Valeu inside, even if his cultivation was an entire realm above her, she would still gain a few seconds. That should be enough for her to leave his Spiritual Sense range after considering how limited it was in the Profound Abyss. 

Unfortunately for her, Valeu wasn't a run of the mill cultivator. He was part of the subordinate clans under the Imperial Family's rule. From the moment he blocked the Water Icicles, he already thought about the possibility of Calina trying something else. 

He quickly regained his balance and used the chance that Calina was surprised by his escapade to deliver a fatal strike.

Unfortunately, it was at this moment that the earth began to tremble! Just as Valeu was about to reach Calina, an enormous surge of Decaying Energy came from deeper inside the Decaying Cave.

"What?!"

*Shuwaaaa!*

Calina and Valeu were hit by that wave of Decaying Fog simultaneously, which sent them flying in different directions!

"The Surge!"

Indeed, the Surge had just started. And with it, the concentration of Decaying Energy in the entire Profound Abyss began to rise nonstop. But that wasn't all. It also meant the Decaying Demon Beasts that couldn't leave the caves before now could do so!

Calina ignored that thought, though. She immediately recovered her balance and used the flow of Decaying Energy to rush out.

"Princess, you aren't the only one who can use the Surge's wave, you know?"

Calina's heart almost stopped. She was sure she saw Valeu being swept away in another direction. How did he appear beside her this fast?

Of course, Valeu wouldn't give her time to find the answer.

'Thunder God Slash!'

"Bye-bye, Princess."

However, just as the attack was about to connect, Calina heard another Spiritual Sense message.

"Get down!"

Calina couldn't even process whose voice it was before her body acted automatically, throwing herself on the ground. She only had time to see two flashes of dark and white lights passing over her head!

'Life Style, First Form, Enhancement!'

'Death Style, First Form, Stellar Piercer!

*Clang!*

"What?!"

Who else could it be other than Rean and Roan?

Valeu was taken aback as those two rays of light hit his Thunder God Slash!

Unfortunately, Rean and Roan were still several meters ahead, while Valeu was just beside Calina. Not only that, but the Stellar Piercer lost power the further it went. Even though Rean and Roan used it together to stop the Thunder God Slash, they were only able to slow it down a little bit.

"Too late, brats! Die!"

However, that small moment was all that Roan needed!

Roan extended his free hand forward as the Dark Element gathered in the surroundings.

Out of nowhere, several shadows that looked like dark ropes, or perhaps vines, appeared around Calina's body! Before Valeu could even react to the sight, the ropes pulled Calina, sending her flying in Roan's direction.

"Ahhh!"

Calina screamed as her body was dragged away at a frightening speed.

*Thud!*

It was then that she felt her body stop as it was grabbed by something. When she opened her eyes again, she was already in Roan's embrace.

'Death Style, First Energy Form, Shadow Bind!'