The river's current was not swift, and its width was only over thirty meters.
If Xu Mu had not been unsure of the river's depth, it might have only been called a slightly large river.
At this scale, a fourth-stage ability user could leap across with a single bound, negating the need to hold their breath. However, the current situation was obvious: they could not do that.
Because a flock of circling great demons were in the sky, jumping up meant death. They had to maintain their formation, dive beneath the water, and cross with extreme caution.
Because underwater, whether human or bird, combat effectiveness was greatly reduced. But this was already the fairest battlefield they could find.
"I... I'm afraid of water!"
The river water was azure, the surface clear. Near the center and moving outwards, as soon as they entered the water, one person's face turned pale, and he began to retch uncontrollably.
That person's name was Cheng Lu. He was afraid of water, especially rivers and seas.
Because during his childhood, his entire family had perished in a shipwreck.
Only he was luckier, managing to cling to a piece of broken wood. After choking on an unknown amount of water, he was brought ashore by a fisherman.
And now, even though he had become a fourth-stage lord, possessing abilities beyond ordinary imagination, he was still afraid of water. That was why he, a southerner, had chosen to live in this relatively dry and desolate northwestern region.
"Afraid or not, you have to endure. If you don't go into the water at this moment, no one can save you!"
Nan Feng stood on the periphery, his face grim. Because Cheng Lu was in the same line as him, he had stopped, and if he couldn't go into the water, he couldn't either, causing him to fall behind the entire team.
This was extremely dangerous, because once left behind, without mutual cover, the attacks he faced would be more than ten times what they were before!
"But I really can't bring myself to go into the water. Can't we think of another way?"
Cheng Lu cried out mournfully. Nan Feng had pushed him step by step into the river.
After a few steps, the river water reached his waist.
Thus, his entire body began to grow weak.
Cheng Lu couldn't overcome his deep-seated fear, and even breathing became difficult.
As they were about to enter the deep water area, the attacks from the bronze red crows became even more ferocious. Yet, the rear was still dragging. Xu Mu gritted his teeth and shouted:
"Yan Yu, retreat fourteen steps, and use your sword to block those two red crows for three seconds!"
"Yin Zhongxiu, advance five steps to the right, cover Nan Feng."
"Nan Feng, hold Cheng Lu and carry him across the river. Do not heed his resistance."
"Those in my row, do not cross the river yet. Stay in place and provide dual cover to the front and rear. Wait until the group ahead of us finishes holding their breath and resurfaces, then cover each other, and we will push forward!"
Xu Mu, standing in water that reached his neck, issued commands rapidly. The bronze red crows flying all over the sky, seeing them wading through the water, understood this was a good opportunity for predation. Thus, they dived down almost simultaneously.
"Come here, you!" Nan Feng, remembering something, a sinister grin spread across his plump face. Then, with his right hand, he grabbed the man's head and violently shoved him into the deep water.
"No..."
Cheng Lu tried to struggle, but how could he possibly match Nan Feng's strength? He was directly pulled underwater.
Clang clang clang!
The first group crossing the deep water area were diving. The vast majority of the ability users remained in place to deal with the bronze red crows. Countless brilliant and terrifying abilities erupted in the space. The battle was fierce, but there were no major casualties, entirely due to Xu Mu's precise command and distribution of firepower, turning danger into safety.
There were no major issues outside. The most dangerous part was still for the ability users crossing the deep water area.
They dived underwater. Although the swim would not exceed five seconds, and there was support from other abilities from above, under such a large-scale attack, Xu Mu could not intercept everything. Many bronze red crows still managed to penetrate the water's surface, attempting to rip them open like catching fish.
Gurgle gurgle...
Underwater, Nan Feng held Cheng Lu tightly with his right hand. Due to the excessive abilities around them, his domain could not be effectively deployed, and Cheng Lu was also choking on water uncontrollably.
Just then, the water surface suddenly turned grim. Nan Feng sensed danger and instinctively raised his hand. Before he could make any other move, his body was violently struck by a bronze red crow that entered the water headfirst.
Plop!
Even at a depth of over five meters, the bronze red crow's speed was still astonishingly fast.
Its sharp beak plunged into Nan Feng's back shoulder, blood blooming. The terrifying sonic wave stirred up countless bubbles, and the water behind it, pushed aside by its high-speed charge, was actually in a vacuum!
"You dare!" Nan Feng was not afraid of injury; his heart was filled with rage.
His body was slammed by immense force into the purple mud ground of unknown depth. At the same time, he began to swing his fists. Underwater, he fought against the terrifying great demon.
Fists flew, wings were like knives. Both of their movements were significantly slower than on land, but their power was undiminished. They fought so fiercely that the riverbed began to tremble, sinking deeper into the mud, and their wounds gradually increased.
Both sides had their victories and defeats, the river water stained red with blood.
Thump thump thump!
Nan Feng struggled with the bronze red crow for over ten seconds. Seeing that the people crossing the river with him had already surfaced, he grew anxious in his heart.
Due to his fear of the river, Cheng Lu had directly fainted.
And while fainting, he was still choking on water.
"Useless!"
Nan Feng cursed inwardly, then directly released him, engaging the bronze red crow with both hands.
Crack!
Nan Feng's combat power surged. The bronze red crow, caught off guard, had half of its wings torn off. It no longer dared to linger, and quickly retreated from Nan Feng, rushing towards the surface to attempt a sneak attack.
Xu Mu, who had been watching the situation underwater, immediately shouted:
"Changsun Wuji, lower right, at the five o'clock direction, punch."
"Understood!" Hearing this, Changsun Wuji did not hesitate. Power gathered at his fist, and without thinking, he smashed it towards the water surface beside him.
"Boom crack!"
The water surface was as hard as iron, and his punch shattered that iron.
"Screech!"
A piercing shriek sounded. Changsun Wuji's powerful punch collided heavily with the bronze red crow's sharp beak. The domineering force crushed all its bones.
The already injured red crow did not expect its sneak attack to fail. With a mournful cry, it sank completely into the river.
"Let's go, the remaining people cross together. Those on the other side are responsible for receiving us!"
Having resolved the immediate danger, Xu Mu saw that the time was right and immediately dived into the water.
All of them dived into the water. Nan Feng and the others stood on the riverbank on the opposite side, covered in blood, but their fighting spirit was even more ignited.
He looked at the increasing number of bronze red crows in the low sky, gathered his blood qi and malevolent intent, then with a ferocious expression, slashed out a blade.
Thus, a hundred-meter-long phantom blade appeared horizontally in the sky, emitting an eerie red glow. Its killing intent was like thunder, and its fierce spiritual energy made people gasp for breath.
Countless people were shocked by this single blow.
Even Xu Mu, who was stealthily moving underwater, raised his head in surprise.
He could sense that Nan Feng's strength was far superior to the eunuch killed by Gray White Eyes. As expected of the leader of the Northwest Four Eccentrics, he was on an entirely different level!
With a single slash, countless bronze red crows were instantly stunned.
They dodged, flapping their wings in unison, causing the water of the entire river to be blown away by the fierce wind. This transformed the once deep river into a small stream.
But this made escape even easier.
Xu Mu's heart rejoiced, and his forward momentum quickened. Soon, everyone reached the shore.
"Maintain the previous formation and continue forward. Do not fall behind!"
Xu Mu and his group swiftly plunged into a patch of jungle, his nerves taut, daring not to relax for a moment.
"We don't have many people to begin with, so we must cherish every living strength," he said gravely, looking at Nan Feng. "Unless it is absolutely necessary, I do not wish for any of us to abandon our allies."
"We are all grasshoppers on the same rope; only by helping each other can we escape."
"There is still a long way to the safe location. After crossing this river, our difficulties have only just begun!"