Chapter 46: A Love as Deep as the Sea

“Old Hu!”

Beside him came Sun Ruohua’s heart-wrenching cry, sending chills down Song Yi’s spine. While he desperately freed Rong Xue’er from the grasping vines and flung her onto his back, he retreated frantically. Only then did he have a moment to glance toward Sun Ruohua—

At some point, another swarm of flat-headed, red-eyed, four-winged bomb ants had emerged, shadowy and swarming from the other side of the underbrush.

Damn it!

Hadn’t the majority of the ant horde already been lured away by Master? Where had these come from, and why did it never end?

“Sun Ruohua, have Huanhuan release Frost Breath, now!”

Zhao Kai’s hair stood on end, his face pale as he clung to the hysterical, sobbing Sun Ruohua, who was about to dash forward. “I can’t hold out much longer, what on earth are you spacing out for?” Zhao Kai was nearly furious enough to explode. This woman! Usually so clever—how could she be so useless at the critical moment?

“As long as Huanhuan releases Frost Breath, your husband still has a chance!”

These bomb ants looked terrifying, but they didn’t explode at random; explosion meant certain death, a desperate move for mutual destruction.

Just give him a few Ice Blades—create an opening.

Zhao Kai was confident that, guided by that mysterious, spiritual sixth sense, he could find the best rescue route.

Sun Ruohua stared blankly at her husband about to be swallowed by the ant swarm. “It’s too late. My husband… he can’t be saved. Huanhuan… Huanhuan can’t release Frost Breath anymore.”

The creature in Sun Ruohua’s arms stuck out its tongue with difficulty, fur matted, eyes dull and lifeless—a clear sign of depleted spiritual power.

Zhao Kai was speechless, struggling to hold back a curse.

Their numbers were dwindling rapidly. Rong Jingtai, along with the strongest members of the team, was leading away the largest group of bomb ants. By now, their fate was probably sealed.

In this short time, Zhao Kai’s group had lost two more. Only he and Song Yi had any fighting strength left.

Song Yi had Rong Xue’er slung over his back.

If he could, he’d do everything in his power to save Hu Jianming—not just for the sake of decency, but because only if Hu Jianming survived would Sun Ruohua have the will to live and fight. And Sun Ruohua’s abilities were too important to the team’s survival.

A shrill cry pierced the air just as Sun Ruohua fell into despair and Zhao Kai was about to curse aloud.

A clear, piercing bird call rang out, making Song Yi and the others freeze in place. In this perilous scenario, none of them naively believed that any newly arrived bird could be harmless.

Creatures that could fly were almost always more deadly than arthropods.

They preyed on insects—so the swarming bomb ants had likely attracted this new presence.

And any bird that could prey on bomb ants was bound to be formidable.

It was over.

They were barely surviving the ant swarm’s pursuit. If they were also targeted by an “airborne” predator, what hope of survival remained? Even Qu Zimo, whose will to live was so strong she’d sacrifice those dearest to her, now wore a mask of utter despair.

“Run!” Song Yi shouted.

Even in the face of death, he refused to stand idle and await his end.

A fierce glint flashed in Song Yi’s eyes.

Damn this dungeon, damn these monsters! If they wanted his life, they’d have to come and take it. He’d see how many monsters would be dragged down with him. Even if there was no escape, he’d make sure he died on his own terms!

His outburst jolted the others to their senses. Qu Zimo didn’t hesitate—a quick sprint after Song Yi.

Zhao Kai dragged the dazed Sun Ruohua close behind Qu Zimo.

No one noticed that Sun Ruohua, as she fixed her empty gaze behind her, suddenly showed a spark of hope in her eyes—a hope that rapidly grew, turning into a blazing joy. Sun Ruohua began to struggle fiercely.

Zhao Kai, without hesitation, struck down with his palm; Sun Ruohua—

“You’re insane!” Sun Ruohua glared at Zhao Kai in fury. “Let go of me! I’m going to find my husband!”

Zhao Kai was at a loss. He’d failed to knock her out—awkward.

Given her current state, another surprise attack was impossible. Zhao Kai scratched his head, feeling guilty. “I’m trying to save you. Don’t you get it? Your husband is already dead. Do you want to die too? Planning to die with him out of love?”

“You’re the one who’s dead! Your whole family’s dead!” Sun Ruohua’s eyes, already etched with the lines of age, blazed with anger.

Zhao Kai nearly staggered backward in exasperation. Wasn’t he doing all this for her? This woman was too stupid! Did she really think he couldn’t survive without her? He already recognized the most common edible berries—he wouldn’t starve even without Sun Ruohua.

Zhao Kai let go of Sun Ruohua. “If you’re so eager to die, suit yourself, I—”

If I care about you again, I’m a dog!

But he didn’t get to finish. The moment Sun Ruohua was free, she shot off like an arrow toward the ant swarm. Zhao Kai was left fuming.

Serves him right for meddling.

Yet after a long moment, there was no scream from behind—no dying woman’s wail.

Puzzled, Zhao Kai turned back. What was happening?

The expected scene—a woman shredded by an explosion, a mutilated body devoured by ants—was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a semi-transparent vine, speckled with golden dots, about as thick as a thumb, dragged a bloody, mangled human figure out of the ant swarm and dropped it to the ground.

Sun Ruohua knelt before the figure, sobbing, frantically applying something. Even from a distance, Zhao Kai knew it was the precious medicinal herbs Sun Ruohua had collected throughout the dungeon.

Behind her, the ant swarm had lost their earlier frenzy. Now, they milled aimlessly like headless flies. Then, something even stranger happened: they began to withdraw, abandoning their pursuit. Zhao Kai’s jaw dropped in shock.

Song Yi, attracted by the commotion, stopped and looked back. He too was startled and uncertain.

He hesitated, retraced a few steps, and saw the ants ignoring him. Without another thought, he shrugged off Qu Zimo’s restraining arm and, still carrying Rong Xue’er, walked toward Sun Ruohua—hoping Hu Jianming could still be saved.

He still had some of the healing herbs Sun Ruohua had given him; she’d surely need them now.

“Thank you.”

Sun Ruohua took the herbs, choking back tears, chewed them thoroughly, and pressed them to Hu Jianming’s chest.

Hu Jianming’s body was covered with countless wounds from the bomb ants, but the most serious were on his chest. He must have enraged one or two bomb ants enough to provoke their suicidal explosion.

A gaping hole had been blasted through the right side of Hu Jianming’s chest. Had he not dodged in time, he’d already be dead.

Even now, the situation was dire. The heart was on the left, but the massive wound on the right had caused him to lose so much blood that, with wounds all over his body, he was barely breathing, his face ashen as gold leaf—a man with one foot in the grave.