Qi Xu had noticed it following behind for a while now. After all, such a large energy fluctuation was quite obvious.
"You want to come aboard too?"
"Ao."
"How come you still can't talk? Alright, come on up. We're leaving."
Upon hearing this, the Mountain-Dominating Tiger immediately jumped onto the boat excitedly. It very perceptively crouched in the farthest corner, looking towards the direction of the bridge, the worry in its eyes exceptionally clear.
Qi Xu sighed. Such a good kid, how did it end up with such an unreliable master?
However, he had absolutely no intention of meddling in other people's business. Everyone has their own path to walk. If you hit a wall and still refuse to turn back, then you're just fated to meet your end.
The small boat, as if fitted with some kind of mechanism, moved forward automatically without needing to be rowed.
But when it reached the center of the lake, it stopped moving.
Qi Xu prepared for battle, his eyes fixed intently on the lake surface. Unexpectedly, the monster known as the "Lake Freak" descended from the sky.
The lake surface remained perfectly calm, without a single ripple.
Just then, a notification sound came from the light screen.
[Quickly rowing the oars can avoid combat with the monster. The monster will turn to attack the three people on the bridge above.]
Qi Xu ignored this prompt.
I can scheme against people, I can set traps for them. But after scheming and trapping them, I have to keep the promises I made. If I can't keep them, at least I won't go back and stab them in the back.
It's not about conscience. It's just an attitude towards how one conducts themselves and handles matters.
Qi Xu swung his [Crimson Assault] twice forcefully and rapidly into the air. What he struck was a sphere completely enveloped in water weeds, its original appearance utterly obscured.
Finding that his full-power strike only made the water-weed monster's health bar decrease by a tiny sliver, he raised his finger without any hesitation, pointed at it, and declared, "You're just trash!"
There was no other way. The water surface really wasn't suitable for combat, especially with Xiao Qi, Sweet Girl, and the Mountain-Dominating Tiger on the boat. Judging from the past two days of travel since entering the Taobao Map secret realm,
this didn't seem to be a secret realm focused on combat.
Instead, the light screen prompts had repeatedly mentioned trust and unity. So, there probably weren't many opportunities to rely purely on extreme individual strength.
Using necessary means was nothing to regret.
The water-weed meatball instantly lost its life energy fluctuations and fell directly from the air into the water. But the small boat was not far below, so Qi Xu could only speed up his rowing.
At the same time.
The three people on the bridge also received a broadcast on their light screens.
[Player Invincible Black Whirlwind has accelerated rowing the boat. The monster is likely to turn around and attack the bridge instead. Do you wish to use the teleportation item to cross the bridge? If used, the bridge will break.]
Upon receiving the notification, Xie Shaoning and the other two clicked "Use" without a moment's hesitation.
Better you die than me. This notification was definitely received by all three, and the other two would make the same choice.
This bridge was also a trap. At the beginning, it was about three meters wide, allowing two people to walk side-by-side with plenty of room. But gradually, it became narrower and narrower.
Now it had shrunk to the width of a single foot, and the end was completely out of sight. Having a teleportation item, only a fool wouldn't use it.
But the instant all three clicked "Use," the bridge did break, yet they weren't teleported to their destination. Instead, they all fell straight into the river!
[Oopsie, all three chose to use the teleportation item, but there aren't enough items to go around! So you can all swim together~]
Damn it, this must be a new rule added by Qiuqiu! Proper rules are in classical Chinese, yet these few sentences are in plain vernacular. This contemptuous tone, it's definitely Qiuqiu.
“What's the damn use! The bridge is still gone. If I had known, I wouldn't have chosen this. At least with a pole, we could have climbed across!”
"Save me..."
Cheese Milk Cap Eight Parts Sugar couldn't swim and almost sank straight to the bottom and drowned. In the end, Ember Kiss Starlight Moon remembered how she had helped yesterday when he was surrounded by vines.
After a moment's hesitation, he still reached out and hauled her up. A drowning non-swimmer is the heaviest. So, before Xie Shaoning could swim too far away, Ember Kiss Starlight Moon directly propped Cheese Milk Cap Eight Parts Sugar between the two of them.
Xie Shaoning was speechless. "If you want to save her, save her! Why drag me into it!"
"Brother Ning... thank you!"
Cheese Milk Cap Eight Parts Sugar thanked him while summoning her weapon, a long whip, and tightly wrapping it around Xie Shaoning's waist.
"You two are really going to be the death of me! Swim faster! Once the monster comes, no one will escape! So damn annoying, not even knowing how to swim, what face do you have entering a secret realm! If the monster really comes later, don't even think about dragging me down. I'll definitely kick off your foreheads to swim ahead!"
Xie Shaoning was a chatterbox, cursing while he swam, but he ultimately didn't untie the whip from his waist.
The three of them swam clumsily towards the shore, terrified that the monster from Invincible Black Whirlwind's side would catch up. Even Xie Shaoning, this eight-gold-medal Olympic swimmer, almost swam until his limbs cramped and he was completely exhausted...
When they finally saw the shore, they felt like crying!
Especially because... Invincible Black Whirlwind, she! Was actually! Setting up a large beach umbrella! Lying on a lounge chair under the umbrella, eating watermelon! Pleasant music was even playing from a speaker beside her!
Seeing them, Qi Xu excitedly stood up, pushed his sunglasses up, and waved at the three poor souls. He had thought his three partners were gone and the treasure would be lost!
Thank goodness, thank goodness they all swam back.
After arriving, Qi Xu first explored the surrounding area. There was only one colorful treasure chest, nothing else.
And to open this colorful treasure chest, the palms of all 4 people were required.
Helpless, Qi Xu had no choice but to return to the shore and wait. A full two hours later, he finally saw the figures of the three emerge.
When the three "water ghosts" made it ashore, they were already exhausted, twitching all over, unable to utter a word. Qi Xu kindly gave each of them a slice of watermelon to eat, free of charge.
He casually threw in some sarcastic remarks, "Clearly, I was the one fighting the monster. Why do you three look so embarrassed? Did you make the wrong choice and abandon your teammate?"
The rules stated it clearly: if united in strength and effort, you can successfully cross the bridge. How come not one of you has a brain that works? Xie Shaoning is dumb, and you two got infected by him?
And Little Xie, what happened to the promised eight-gold-medal swimmer? Swimming is your forte. You really need more practice, huh..."
Qi Xu's mouth kept rattling on and on, leaving the three people with buzzing ears!
It took them a long time to recover enough strength to talk back.
"You only know how to make sarcastic remarks... Where's the monster? Why didn't we see you fight it?"
“Of course I fought it! I, the top player in the entire server, with formidable strength, brave and skilled in battle, a mere little monster? Of course I took care of it in minutes!”
Perhaps because the treasure was about to be opened, Qi Xu was in a good mood and felt like joking.
Seeing the colorful treasure chest right before them, the three people's feelings of despair finally felt a bit better. But for safety's sake, they didn't choose to open the treasure chest immediately, first recovering and adjusting their states individually.
..........
