This sea spider was about the size of a washbasin. Its strength wasn't great, and its defense wasn't high either. What truly made it formidable was the neurotoxin in its mouthparts and its agile speed.
Gong Xiao's machete thrust missed. The sea spider spiraled downward, opened its mouthparts, and lunged at her face.
Ding Longyun was right beside her. Without time to swing his steel shovel, he switched it to his left hand and riskily swung his right hand out.
This time, they were close. The sea spider clearly hadn't expected anyone to dare reach out directly. Before it could bite Gong Xiao, Ding Longyun's right hand smacked its head.
"Soul Devour" activated. The sea spider's body suddenly stiffened, its eight thin legs contracted, and it flipped over belly-up, already dead.
Ding Longyun had saved her. Gong Xiao broke out in a cold sweat, her phoenix eyes shooting a grateful glance at him. She thought to herself that Brother Ding, as a level 4 Source user, was truly the strongest leader among them.
Just as Ding Longyun killed this sea spider, two more burst out from the other side, and even more were awakening behind them, about to charge out.
Gong Xiao, now experienced, didn't recklessly thrust her machete again. These sea spiders were too agile in the water; hitting them from a distance was nearly impossible. Only when they got close could she kill them.
Two sea spiders rushed at Gong Xiao together. She sped up her ascent while slightly extending her left hand. As the two sea spiders closed in to about a meter, she spread the five fingers of her left hand. From her palm suddenly shot a green vine-like substance, about as thick as an index finger, with a few small green leaves on it. It moved like a nimble python, instantly shooting out, wrapping around the two sea spiders, and binding them tight in the blink of an eye.
Su Li, afraid she might be in danger, had just surged upward at full speed and arrived beside her. Seeing this, his heart stirred. He realized this must be her special ability. It seemed her evolution to level 3 and surviving alone to reach here weren't just luck—she possessed considerable strength.
As he thought this, he extended his left hand. Four "Gluttony Fangs" appeared and slashed toward the head of one sea spider.
Its head was severed, and immediately a Source orb appeared, merging into Su Li's forehead. Information surfaced in his mind.
"Level 3 Source user: Source 12/30"
Gong Xiao's right hand thrust her machete out, piercing the belly of the other bound sea spider, cutting it open.
Swinging the machete in the water faced strong resistance, so thrusting was more powerful. Gong Xiao used it like a spear or lance. Fortunately, the machete's tip was sharp, and her forceful thrust packed a punch.
The two sea spiders died instantly. They had already surged up to the 28th floor, but below, from the 27th floor's windows and balconies, sea spiders were stirred up and pouring out in a dark, dense mass.
At least twenty or more. If surrounded, it would be extremely dangerous.
With the commotion below, the sea spiders on the 28th floor also stirred unusually. Soon, one appeared on a balcony and charged out.
Ding Longyun, the fastest, had quickly risen to the 28th floor and soon reached the 29th, where he could already see the water surface above.
Gong Xiao and Su Li surged upward at full speed, with a swarm of sea spiders chasing from below.
Suddenly, from the 29th floor's balconies and windows, corpse beasts appeared. They wobbled, moving slowly in the water as if floating.
Ding Longyun charged among them, weaving through like a fish. He lifted a foot and kicked one corpse beast, sending it downward.
The corpse beast sank, heading straight for the pursuing sea spiders below.
Several sea spiders immediately pounced on it, biting down, while the corpse beast fought back fiercely.
The sea spiders' deadliest weapon was the paralyzing neurotoxin in their mouthparts, but it was useless against corpse beasts. Losing their greatest weapon, their attacks could hardly inflict fatal damage.
The corpse beast seemed naturally suited to counter sea spiders. Though far lower in level, it showed no fear, striking back with its hands and swatting the sea spiders away.
Su Li and Gong Xiao surged upward one after another. Su Li wasn't as strong a swimmer as Gong Xiao and lagged behind. A sea spider caught up, opening its mouthparts to bite his left leg.
Su Li quickly pulled his legs in, extended his right arm, and thrust the iron rod in his hand downward, hitting the sea spider. He then kicked his legs down, propelling himself upward, and followed Gong Xiao into the swarm of low-level corpse beasts above.
These low-level corpse beasts, stirred up, drifted out from the 29th floor's balconies and windows. The sea spiders below rose and clashed with them.
Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao swung their steel shovel and machete, attacking the low-level corpse beasts in the water around them as they ascended toward the surface.
Su Li looked down at the dense mass of sea spiders rising and charging into the corpse beast swarm, creating chaos below.
Though there were many low-level corpse beasts around, they were weak. Su Li didn't take them seriously. Killing such beasts yielded Source orbs with little effect, so he didn't want to waste energy fighting them. Just as he was about to rise to the surface, he sensed a disturbance below. His heart stirred, and he looked down.
Below, the dense sea spider swarm suddenly scattered. A commotion broke out among them as a massive black shadow appeared, crashing through the gathered sea spiders and surging upward at incredible speed.
"Not good!" Su Li's heart tightened. He immediately shot upward at full speed, swinging his iron rod to smash a low-level corpse beast blocking his path. Bursting out of the water, he saw Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao already surfaced, casually climbing onto a balcony. He shouted, "Danger below! Get up there!" He kicked off, grabbed the balcony edge with his left hand, and prepared to flip over.
Seeing Su Li so tense, Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao were startled. They immediately used their strength, leaped, and vaulted over the balcony.
At almost the same moment, Su Li felt the water surge beneath his feet. A massive black shadow emerged from below. Several corpse beasts were shoved aside by the powerful undercurrent.
This was an incredibly fearsome force. Su Li knew something was wrong. With a low growl, he gripped the balcony with both hands, pulled his entire lower body out of the water, sending up a spray, and did a somersault in midair, flipping backward over the balcony.