"Why the hell is it being violent right after saving?!" Kage Ou cried out, his voice cracking with desperation.
His sword rushed toward him, a streak of silver against the dark sky. Kage Ou grasped the hilt and swung himself onto its back, Lìngxi still secure in his arms. His head pounded with each heartbeat—he feared he would lose consciousness before they reached safety.
And now this statue—which had seemed so gentle from a distance—was proving to be anything but.
It followed them.
Each footfall was like a thunderclap over the river, sending waves crashing against the banks. Water swirled around its massive feet. The single old boat that had been tied at the riverbank was pulled into the vortex and disappeared.
Its crimson eye sockets never left them. Its bound arms rose toward them—so large they could crush them in one press.
Kage Ou's jaw clenched as he urged his sword faster. But compared to the statue's slow, deliberate movements, he felt like a fly trapped in amber. He did not know where to escape—this thing would find them no matter where they went.
And why not?
It was as tall as the mountain they had just fallen from. He still could not believe that humans of this era had the dedication and energy to create such a thing.
'It cannot have been made by any human. I do not believe it. Even thousands of cultivation cores could not make it move like this.'
He thought with desperation and disbelief, dodging the statue's massive hand with each twist and turn. He hoped that if they reached the human area, the Mèi Rén and Lànxiè clan disciples would be able to help.
"Almost there. Then you will inform the others," he said to his owl sword, which responded with a soft cry—something between an owl's hoot and an eagle's screech.
Just when he thought he had passed the dangerous area, he felt a sharp impact against something solid in the sky. He was thrown backward, falling a short distance before catching himself.
Thankfully, he did not fall into the cursed water again.
"Ah—" He rubbed his head and looked forward, one eye squinting.
He saw something transparent yet faintly glowing—a shield. Someone had erected a barrier.
"A fucking shield. Is this—" Before he could finish his frustration, the statue had returned, reaching for them again.
Kage Ou dodged once more, dropping low to avoid the massive hand. His hair streamed upward from the force of the movement—he almost feared it would catch him by his hair instead.
"I cannot escape this place," he hissed to himself, glancing back at the statue's face.
Its cruelty felt forced, as if it was not made to be this way. He analyzed its movements, its reactions to them. It was more focused on Lìngxi than on him. Its massive hands trembled with each strike, and the heavy chains never allowed them to open fully.
'Why is it so obsessed with him?'
"The chains…"
Kage Ou breathed thoughtfully. He focused on the chains while still dodging up, down, left, and right.
The chains looked old and heavy, as if their weight was not just physical but carried something deeper—perhaps a mystery he did not yet understand. There was also not much time.
The statue sometimes stopped mid-strike to hit its hands against the mountains, as if trying to break the chains, only to send large rocks tumbling into the river below.
An idea formed in his mind. 'What if the chain is the demonic part controlling it?'
He looked at Lìngxi's pale face, then back at the chains. His grip tightened lightly on Lìngxi's dump shoulder.
If he was right… this might work.
'I should definitely try it. Or else I have to try something more dangerous—which might break such a beautiful statue.'
He did not wait for a single second. First, he checked if the statue was still distracted.
It was.
It was rubbing the chains violently against the mountain rocks, growing more annoyed with each failed attempt. A low, guttural growl escaped its throat—a strangely familiar sound—before it shattered whatever mountain peak did not work for it into pieces.
'It is too desperate to be freed. Who knows if it will stop this chaos once the chain is gone? Then I would not need to do anything worse—especially while my own head is still pounding.'
He moved toward the land as quickly as possible—somewhere safe where the statue could not find Lìngxi. He flew down and scanned the area until he spotted a small cave. Not too deep, not too dark or cold. Just a warm shelter, with nothing more harmful than a few groups of red ants in the corners.
He closed the mouth of the cave temporarily with his illusionary spiritual energy.
Kage Ou searched for a fine place inside—somewhere he could trust.
'Ah, found it. Perfect like a bed—but rock-hard.'
He found a long, flat rock that could hold Lìngxi's full height without any problems. It was also raised higher than the ground, safe from anything poisonous that might crawl up within a few minutes.
He gently laid him down on the stone bed, brushing the half-damp white hair from his face. His skin felt cold—but not completely dead.
'I hope I am not too late…'
He tilted his head to the side. Lìngxi's head lolled heavily, his mouth parted, a few drops of poisoned water dripping from his lips. His chest rose and fell—tight, silent, full.
Kage Ou bit his tongue, glancing outside in anxiety. This was getting bad. The statue was still searching for them. The sounds of breaking mountains grew louder with each passing moment.
'He seems to have swallowed too much water.'
He pressed his thumb over Lìngxi's pulse. It was there—but troubled. Then he pressed his hand flat over his chest, a little firmly. A few more drops of poisoned water escaped from the corner of his mouth.
"Shit…" Kage Ou facepalmed. The damage had increased from that desperate, deep dive into the water he had never wished to take.
'His lungs seem full—and his stomach too. I should remove the water first. I am already late. He has not even moved in a while.'
He swallowed hard before gently tilting Lìngxi's head straight. Then he gripped his nose.
'Forgive me, Lìng. I have to touch you now. Qì will not work if this water stays inside you.'
He pressed his warm mouth over Lìngxi's cold one, testing how much water had gone in. Lìngxi's chest rose from the breath—and stayed there, suspended, until Kage Ou released his nose and pressed slowly but firmly over his chest. The air slowly expelled through his nose and mouth.
Water bubbled out repeatedly, accompanied by unconscious coughs and uneasy inhales. He was still unconscious—but alive.
Kage Ou rubbed his back as he coughed, pressing one last time to expel the dangerous amounts of water. Then he moved to the spiritual part.
'Is his gem working even now?'
He focused on the temple gem on Lìngxi's forehead. His stomach almost dropped.
The gem was lightly cracked—and no longer properly protecting him.