Chapter 344: Either Die Together!

Snort!

A sound that made one's teeth tingle, like cutting through thick leather, rang out.

On the side of the giant salamander's head, a vast area of tough skin and flesh covered with dark‑blue scales, together with the massive muscles below, was slashed by an invisible blade, instantly tearing a huge wound deep enough to expose bone.

Following it, a gush of dark‑red, fetid blood erupted like a fountain, instantly staining the hot spring water crimson.

Aaaah!

The giant salamander let out an earth‑shaking, agonized roar; its massive head thrashed wildly, the resulting wave pushing Lin Yifan and Ling Ling aside again.

Its huge yellow vertical pupils instantly locked onto the tiny, dim silhouette on the water's surface, filled with rage and inconceivable pain.

It could never have imagined that this seemingly insignificant little thing could inflict such terrifying damage on it.

Lin Yifan was equally stunned; although he had long realized that his newly contracted little pet had an extraordinary background.

He knew it probably had some strength, but never expected its power to be this terrifying!

The ancient salamander's Life Tier had already reached the sixth Transcendent stage, two stages above Lin Yifan's.

Even at his prime, facing such an ancient salamander would require him to exhaust all his strength just to contend with it.

He hadn't expected Xiao You, barely hatched, to already possess such terrifying combat power.

And once Xiao You landed a hit, it didn't linger, immediately seeking an opening for the next strike.

Its tiny form leapt lightly across the water a few times, instantly distancing itself from the raging beast.

Starry Nebula Eye coldly locked onto the target, its stellar‑river pattern flickering on its body; clearly the previous claw, imbued with primal power, had taken a heavy toll on it.

"Cough... cough cough..." Lin Yifan struggled to surface, wiping the blood‑soaked mixture from his face, and saw the horrific wound on the side of the giant salamander's head.

But he couldn't worry about that much; he hurriedly looked at the little fox in his arms and shouted repeatedly:

"Ling Ling! How are you?"

Ling Ling's once soft, glossy fur was now a tangled mess, blood seeping from the corner of its mouth; clearly the earlier collision had left its body barely upright and badly wounded.

Yet it forced itself to endure, a flash of resolve in its eyes, gritting its teeth as it said:

"I—I'm fine, Brother Yifan, we must leave quickly; it—it's not dead yet, and it… is calling its companions. If we don't leave now, we'll be surrounded!"

Lin Yifan's complexion changed instantly upon hearing that.

In fact, his sixth sense vaguely sensed a deadly threat drawing near.

As if to confirm Ling Ling's words, amid the giant salamander's anguished roars, several low, resonant snarls echoed from the depths of a distant, dim water region.

Lin Yifan lifted Ling Ling and tried to leave, but it was already too late!

Splash! Splash!

Through the mist‑filled surface, several massive, bone‑spiked, snarling heads soon broke the water.

In the dim light, those huge yellow vertical pupils, like hellish lanterns, greedily and ferociously locked onto the only "prey" in the water.

That is Lin Yifan, Ling Ling, and the Xiao You that exuded a peculiar aura, instinctively threatening yet intensely coveted!

More than one!

Beneath the water lies the nest of an ancient giant salamander!

Lin Yifan's heart sank to the bottom of a valley; having just escaped the lava giant's claw, he now fell into an ancient beast's hunting ground—this was a death sentence!

And with a blockade ahead and no retreat behind!

The collapsed opening above was out of reach, the surrounding strange rock walls emitted dangerous glows, the hot spring beneath was bottomless, and its floor likely connected to subterranean magma.

Even if they could reach the bottom, their chances of survival were slim!

Desperation! This is a true dead end!

"Xiao You, I know you're no ordinary one; we're at the brink of life and death—if you have the ability, unleash it all for me!" Lin Yifan gritted through excruciating pain, roaring toward the tiny dark silhouette on the surface.

He didn't know whether Xiao You could comprehend, nor whether the cold soul link could convey his frantic thoughts.

He forcefully sank his consciousness into the raging energy furnace of his right arm, where the white light of the Dawn Sword Brand clashed with the dark will of the dark‑golden vines.

He ceased trying to suppress it, instead pouring all his mental energy, like tossing a spark into a hot oil pan, fiercely agitating the two opposing forces.

"Either we die together! Or… unleash your power for me!" At the life‑or‑death moment, Lin Yifan could no longer hold back.

At worst it's death; he had to give it his all!

Buzz!

The dark‑golden vines on his right arm seemed to sense their master's near‑death frenzy, erupting instantly.

Dozens of vines, like awakened poisonous dragons, swirled wildly, emitting brilliant dark‑gold light.

And the Dawn Sword Brand burst forth with unprecedented, fierce white light, attempting to restrain the runaway power.

The two forces, driven by Lin Yifan, clashed even more violently in his right arm.

The agony nearly knocked him out, but he clenched his teeth.

"Give me... entanglement!!"

Puff puff puff puff!

A portion of the rampaging dark‑golden vines thrust like spears into the nearest underwater rock wall, anchoring firmly.

Another part writhed like a raging giant python, its shrill roar tearing the air, spiraling wildly toward the injured giant salamander nearest them.

Meanwhile, Lin Yifan's left hand clutched Ling Ling tightly; he kicked off a floating slab of rock, using the tension from the vines' anchorage to narrowly evade another giant salamander's underwater lunge!

Boom! Sprays of water erupted over ten meters high!

"Xiao You! Attack!" Lin Yifan roared amid the chaos, pinning his hope on that cold link.

On the surface, Xiao You's Starry Nebula Eye twitched slightly, seeming to grasp the core of Lin Yifan's chaotic intent—combat.

Facing the encircling behemoths, its tiny body not only refused to retreat but radiated an even colder, more solitary aura.

It lowered its body again, emitting a low, rumbling charge sound like a muffled thunder.

This time, the stellar‑river pattern flowing over its body was no longer silvery‑blue, but faintly revealed a hint of… deep dark‑gold?

It seemed to be drawn by an invisible pull from the ferocious vine power of Lin Yifan's right arm, and it aimed at the most severely wounded, slightly slower giant salamander, opening its mouth.

A single point of extreme concentration, its core as black as ink, its edges entwined with fine strands of dark golden light, rapidly gathered and compressed in its mouth.

A breath far more dangerous than before, a terrifying aura mingling the annihilating star and savage devouring, instantly spread out.

Even those ferocious giant salamanders seemed to instinctively sense the lethal threat, and the momentum of their charge showed a hint of hesitation.

In the dim underground waters, a life‑and‑death battle was about to erupt.