Chapter 140: Rot Shepherd's Gaze, the Elf's Rescue

Cold fear, like a venomous snake, instantly coiled around Xiang Lingna's heart, nearly suffocating her! The corruption on her right arm was spreading wildly; the cold numbness had already passed her elbow and was assaulting her shoulder! Even more terrifying, the hounds formed of white-bone vines had dark-green phosphorous flames burning in their eye sockets, locked dead-on at the rock she was hiding behind, and the dark-green mucus dripping from their mouths was corroding the ground with a sizzling sound! The brutal aura they radiated was far more condensed and aggressive than the Corrupted Claw Beasts she had encountered before!

And the two Rot Shepherds who stepped out from the shadows — their turbid, grayish-white eyes peered through the shadow of their hoods like cold probes, stabbing into Xiang Lingna. That gaze was filled with greed, scrutiny, and a trace of… wariness toward the origin power of the Corrupted Claw Mark? The dark-green orbs atop the twisted staves in their hands slowly rotated, emitting controlling and binding spiritual fluctuations, like an invisible spider web enveloping the entire area.

Run! She had to run immediately!

That was the only thought left in Xiang Lingna's mind. Enduring the searing pain and numbness in her right arm, she suddenly darted out from behind the rock, sprinting toward the river with all her might! If she could just leap into the river, there might still be a slim chance of survival!

"Squee-awk—!" The leading Rot Shepherd let out a sharp shriek, like bones being scraped!

At the command, the three white-bone vine hounds launched themselves like dark-green arrows leaving the bowstring! Their speed far exceeded Xiang Lingna's expectations! One of them leaped high, its vine tail bristling with bone spurs cutting through the air with a whoosh, lashing viciously at Xiang Lingna's back! Another streaked low along the ground, its corroding-glowing claws lunging straight for her ankle! The third craftily circled to the flank, cutting off her escape route toward the river!

Their coordination was seamless! Killing intent was laid bare!

Xiang Lingna sensed the vicious wind attacking from behind! She instinctively dove forward! The vine tail whistled past her scalp with a piercing shriek, slamming into a nearby tree — the sturdy trunk was instantly corroded into a huge chunk, wood chips flying everywhere!

However, though she dodged the tail, she couldn't dodge the claws coming low along the ground! The dark-green corroding claw-blades were already within inches!

"It's over!" Xiang Lingna closed her eyes in despair!

At this hair-raising critical moment—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three emerald-green streaks of light, like lightning tearing through the darkness, shot out with pinpoint precision from the dense forest behind and to Xiang Lingna's side!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Three muffled sounds of blades piercing flesh rang out almost simultaneously!

The hound lunging at Xiang Lingna's ankle was pierced straight through its phosphorous-flame-burning eye socket by one green streak, dark-green "blood" and shattered phosphorous flame spraying everywhere! The one that had leaped to lash its tail was shot through the core joint controlling the vine tail by another green streak, the tail drooping limply! And the one circling to the flank had one of its white-bone hind legs — the one supporting its body — pierced by the third green streak, and it howled miserably as it tumbled on the ground!

Precise! Lethal! The timing was exquisite to the utmost!

Xiang Lingna's eyes snapped open, and seeing this sudden reversal, she was both shocked and overjoyed!

"This way! Hurry!" A familiar, urgent voice rang out from the direction the green streaks had come!

It was Lei En! And also… Wrench, limping, his face still pale with fright but waving a thick bone club!

"Xiang Lingna girl! Run!" Wrench bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Xiang Lingna had no time to think. She unleashed her survival instinct, scrambled up on all fours, and sprinted madly toward Lei En and Wrench! The numbness in her right arm seemed to be temporarily suppressed at this life-or-death moment!

"Squee—!!!" The leading Rot Shepherd let out a shriek of fury at its peak! He hadn't expected there to be an ambush, and that his hounds had been critically wounded in an instant! He violently raised the twisted staff in his hand, and the dark-green orb at its tip erupted with blinding light! A powerful, chaotic spiritual shockwave, like an invisible sledgehammer, slammed viciously into the fleeing Xiang Lingna, as well as Lei En and Wrench, who had revealed themselves!

Hum!

Lei En took the brunt of it! He grunted, his movements instantly stiffening, a trace of blankness appearing in his eyes — clearly affected by the spiritual shock. Wrench, even worse, clutched his head with a scream and crashed to the ground!

Xiang Lingna also felt her brain pierced by agonizing needles, and her running steps stumbled!

"Disturb… them… grab… that girl!" the other Rot Shepherd issued the command in a hoarse, dry voice. With a wave of his staff, he pointed at Xiang Lingna. The wounded bone hounds, along with two more intact hounds that darted out from the bushes, driven forcibly by the Rot Shepherd's spiritual power, ignored their injuries and let out frenzied roars once more, lunging at the three! Their target was clear — they would break her legs if they had to, but they would keep Xiang Lingna!

Lei En, enduring the dizziness of the spiritual shock, flashed a fierce glint in his eyes! He knew he had to cover the rear! "Goblin! Take Xiang Lingna and go! Back to where we came from! Hurry!" he roared at Wrench, while once again drawing his only remaining bone blade. Instead of retreating, he advanced, taking the initiative to meet the charging hound pack! The elven ranger's figure, in the dim light, became a flickering emerald-green phantom — bone blades flashing, precisely parrying and thrusting, firmly blocking the hounds' pounce routes! Trading injury for life, he fought desperately to buy time for Xiang Lingna and Wrench!

Wrench also came to his senses, scrambling on all fours to Xiang Lingna's side, grabbing her with his uninjured hand: "Go! Girl! Hurry! Don't let the elven lad die for nothing!" Dragging Xiang Lingna, he limped toward the direction where they had previously hidden — that riverbank with relatively clean water and concealed rock crevices!

Xiang Lingna, being dragged by Wrench, looked back. She saw Lei En's figure, under the pincer attack of several ferocious hounds and the Rot Shepherd's spiritual shock, like a lone skiff in raging waves, beset by danger at every turn. His leather armor was torn, fresh blood staining the emerald-green cloth. But his gaze remained sharp, his movements still swift, and he held his ground firmly, fighting for every precious second of their escape!

Tears blurred Xiang Lingna's vision. Another figure, battling bloodily to protect her…

"This way! Jump down!" Wrench's voice pulled her back to reality. They had already run to a stretch of river with swifter currents; on the bank, there was a narrow entrance to an underwater rock crevice, concealed by a massive tree root! This was the temporary hiding spot Lei En and Wrench had discovered earlier!

Xiang Lingna took one last look at Lei En, fighting bloodily in the distance, gritted her teeth, and together with Wrench, plunged into the bone-chilling dark-green river water, squeezing into that concealed underwater rock crevice!

The river water temporarily cut off the sounds of combat on the bank. The inside of the rock crevice was cramped and damp, barely enough to hold them. The two surfaced, gasping violently in the darkness, listening to the hounds' roars and the Rot Shepherds' furious shrieks on the bank, gradually fading into the distance.

Lei En… how was he doing?