Chapter 73: Burning the Boats

"Old Li, how is it?" Yu Jing was the first to notice me. I leapt straight out of the water, ignoring the soaked clothes clinging to me, and said, "There's indeed something strange underwater. There's a barrier at the bottom, and it seems someone is below it, but I couldn't get past the barrier."

Qin Tian, blowing smoke like a curious child, asked, "You mean there's someone under the sea?"

I nodded. Qin Tian fell silent, pacing back and forth along the shore. Watching his focused expression, I thought he'd come up with a solution. But to my surprise, he tossed away his cigarette butt, rubbing his hands together, and asked, "Do you think they're suffocating down there?" So that's what he was pondering! I shot him a glare. "Be serious. I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it'll work," I said solemnly.

Yu Jing folded his arms, waiting for my answer, while Qin Tian, ever the slacker, kicked pebbles into the sea. By now, the sun had fully set, and the sea breeze carried a faint salty tang. I voiced my thoughts. My plan was this: I could conjure a protective shield, which could be expanded. I had never tested its limits, but it could be formed halfway or completely, enveloping us. The shield's ability to withstand water pressure depended on its size—the larger it was, the weaker its defense. But it couldn't be too small either; if it was, the air inside wouldn't last for the three of us to breathe for more than an hour underwater. Well, the shield could be resized at will, so we'd figure it out once we were below.

Truthfully, I wasn't sure the shield could block water—I hadn't tried before. But when we fought zombies, it had kept their blood at bay, so I assumed it would work. I summoned the shield, and the others prepared themselves. We huddled together and walked toward the boundless sea. At first, Qin Tian was hesitant, dragging his feet and refusing to enter the water, until Yu Jing gave him a firm shove. Only then did the three of us wade in. My hunch was correct—the shield kept the water out. However, the air inside made us float, unable to sink. That wasn't much of a problem for us; each of us possessed cultivation, allowing us to shift our weight onto our feet—at least several thousand pounds each. Together, our combined force approached ten thousand pounds. Surely, we'd sink.

The shield descended like a battered ship toward the seabed, not quickly, taking more than an hour to reach the spot where I'd lingered earlier. There, an invisible barrier awaited. The shield came to a halt a thousand meters above the bottom, at the barrier. I stepped out.

Qin Tian and Yu Jing stared wide-eyed, as if unable to believe what was happening. No wonder—since losing my heart, I'd discovered I could go without breathing, not entirely, but at least hold my breath for over three hours. I hadn't told them; their astonishment was understandable.

The urgent matter now was to break through the barrier. First, I didn't know how long I could hold my breath. Second, the air inside the shield might not last. If I reached my limit, I could retreat inside the shield. But if its air was depleted, what would happen to Qin Tian and Yu Jing? They couldn't hold their breath underwater as I could. Even if they managed, it would be brief.

"Old Li, you're something else! You can hold your breath—where did you learn that?" Qin Tian, sprawled on the shield like a fly on glass, asked.

"No need to learn. If you lost your heart and survived like me, you'd be able to hold your breath too," I replied, turning slightly. At that moment, I was wondering if Qin Tian's 'Heaven-Shattering Fist' could break through the shield.

"Brother Qin, Brother Yu, no time for chit-chat. Let's act," I said, pulling out a revolver from my spatial ring. A sudden flash of inspiration had reminded me of the gun—after so long in another world, I'd almost forgotten such high-tech tools. If the revolver could break the barrier, so much the better; if not, I'd use the Gun God. Qin Tian also carried a Desert Eagle. Qin Tian spread his hands, saying, "Old Li, how am I supposed to use it now? I can't get out."

"Just step out," I replied impatiently. Qin Tian could be so infuriatingly slow at times.

"You mean walk out?" Qin Tian asked uncertainly.

"Enough, just hurry up," I snapped, exasperated—my nerves were frayed, and he was still dawdling.

Finally, Qin Tian gathered his courage and stepped out of the shield. I backed up five or six paces. Qin Tian kept his mouth tightly shut and gestured to his feet, indicating he was ready. I nodded. He began to gather his true energy, his right hand gradually glowing gold, with faint traces of black—perhaps due to being underwater, giving it a sinister look. When his energy was sufficiently gathered, Qin Tian clenched his fist and struck the barrier below him with tremendous force. Instantly, underwater currents surged. Despite anchoring myself with a thousand pounds of force, I was swept up by the currents, inevitably pulled into a whirlpool. After several struggles, I managed to steady myself.

When the whirlpool subsided, I looked toward the spot where Qin Tian had unleashed his Heaven-Shattering Fist. There seemed to be no change. Did he fail? What now—if we couldn't break through, we'd never get in, and if we couldn't enter, we couldn't rescue Xu Qinghuan. No, there had to be a way—there must be a way. In the water, I clutched my not-so-long hair, now tangled and sodden, my mind racing with thoughts.

Qin Tian quickly returned to the shield, gulped down fresh air, and said, "Old Li, don't worry. I only used half my strength just now, testing how strong the barrier is. Unless absolutely necessary, I don't want to go all out—it would drain my energy, and I'd need time to recover. I didn't want to make things harder for you. I'll try again, this time with everything I've got."

So he hadn't used his full power—no wonder. With the strength he showed when fighting the Zombie King, how could he not break this barrier? Even half his power had caused such turbulence; he was formidable indeed.

I stepped back inside the shield. "Use your full strength—we wouldn't leave you behind, would we?" I said, clapping Qin Tian on the shoulder and glancing at Yu Jing. Yu Jing smiled knowingly, as if smiles were his trademark. This time, I stayed inside the shield, unaffected by whatever Qin Tian did. He didn't disappoint me. With his powerful punch, the barrier opened into an irregular hole, and water rushed through with a roar.