Yu Qingyu and Liu Wei withdrew a few steps back from the edge of the forest, so that their movement would be less noticeable from outside, and sneaking between the clovers, they made their way to the dip in the terrain.
It turned out to be a small stream, filled with scintillating, transparent liquid. It resembled water, if it wasn't for its surface, which seemed to shine like diamonds. Which didn't make sense, considering there was no sun or moon, or other bright light that could be reflected like that. The atmosphere around was dim, and relatively dark.
The stream looked pretty, but at the same time, unsettling. It would probably be safer not to touch… But the liquid was so clear, and Yu Qingyu's throat parched. There was nothing to drink in the labyrinth, and the water they brought with them to the demon realm was scarce…
After a moment of hesitation, he loosened the cloth he had previously tied around his face, and knelt down on the bank. The green luminescent lake was even more ominous, but Yu Qingyu was still going to dive into it later, so might as well just take a risk. Cupping a small mouthful of water in his hands, he took a sip.
His eyes immediately widened. The liquid didn't have any distinctive flavor, but it was cool and refreshing, immediately dispelling all of the dizziness he felt. Gesturing Liu Wei to follow his example, he immediately took a few more sips.
Liu Wei observed his actions carefully. He stared at Yu Qingyu's neck, seeing his Adam's apple move up and down as he gulped. Only when he confirmed that Yu Qingyu did, indeed, swallow the liquid, he uncovered his face to drink. Of course, there was still no guarantee that the liquid wasn't toxic, but at least he knew that Yu Qingyu wasn't trying to stealthily get rid of him.
Once they satisfied their thirst and refilled their bottles, they started crawling on the ground, following the stream to the lake. The progress was incredibly slow. The dip in the terrain wasn't that significant, so they had to keep their bodies low on the ground to avoid being spotted. They also had to be mindful of the stream, which flowed right next to them, with only a quiet murmur. If they were to suddenly make a splash, it would catch the demons' attention for sure.
Eventually though, they made it past the sloth. As the demons were left behind their backs, and the dip in the terrain increased, becoming wider at the same time and allowing them to move in a slightly more comfortable manner, Yu Qingyu breathed out in relief.
But he was too quick to celebrate. Just as he thought they were safe, he heard some low grunting coming from behind.
He slowly turned his head around, and gulped loudly. One of the demons got up, and started walking toward the stream, presumably to drink.
Yu Qingyu glanced back at Liu Wei, who was also staring at the demon with a dark expression in his eyes. Thanks to the liquid, their dizziness was dispelled and they would be capable of fighting, but they were still in the demon territory, and they were vastly outnumbered. There was no guarantee they would win. So, it was better to avoid fighting whenever possible.
Catching Liu Wei's eyes, Yu Qingyu opened up his palm, and slowly lowered it on the ground, signifying to lay down low. Liu Wei nodded lightly in agreement, and they both sprawled flat on the ground, unmoving. Luckily, they exchanged their purple uniforms for dark clothing before entering the demon realm, allowing them to blend in with the terrain.
Everything else seemed to come to a stop for Yu Qingyu. In the deafening silence, he heard the demon come down to the creak, and drink some liquid. And then, it suddenly stopped.
The seconds seemed to drag on forever. And after what felt like an eternity, the demon started moving again… but this time, walking straight in their direction!
Yu Qingyu forced himself to remain in place. He heard the demon's footsteps getting close, then he felt the wet, hot nose pushing his calf… He was so terrified that he didn't even dare to breathe. But no matter how hard he was trying to play dead, it was no use. The demon let out a low growl, and the intensity of the demonic qi in the air surged.
Sensing the incoming attack, Yu Qingyu clenched his teeth and jumped straight back on his feet, unsheathing his sword at the same time. Without a second of waste, he launched forward, slaying the demon with two quick, powerful strikes.
The demon fell down on the ground, but their troubles were only about to start. The scuffle ended up alarming the rest of the sloth resting nearby.
Yu Qingyu wasn't about to take his chances dealing with such a large group. "Let's just run," he called to Liu Wei, and they started sprinting toward the lake. If they were to dive in, the bear demons might not follow after them.
But he greatly underestimated the demons' speed. He barely made it halfway there, and a few demons had already managed to catch up. He kicked off the ground, avoiding the sharp claws, and landed on the beach.
A big mistake. The black sand moved underneath his feet, greatly hindering his speed. And when he attempted to make another big jump, his foot slipped, and he almost ended up losing his balance.
He cast a quick glance at Liu Wei, who was doing even worse than him. Although Liu Wei had much more fighting experience than Yu Qingyu, and he tried to remain on the steadier ground around the stream, the body he possessed was weaker. His current strength was comparable to the demons they were facing against. He would be able to hold on against one or two, but fighting seven of them at the same time was just too much.
He blocked the attack launched at him with one of the demon's claws at the last second, but the impact threw him up in the air. Right after, a smash from the side knocked his sword out of his hands. He got tossed onto the beach, and rolled on the sand several times, before finally coming to a stop.
Supporting himself on his hand, Liu Wei quickly crawled back to his feet, wincing from pain, and made a sword seal to summon his weapon back.
But it was no use. The sword had fallen to the lake and disappeared from sight. No matter how hard Liu Wei tried to summon it back, his spiritual energy just didn't seem to be enough.
Without his sword, all he had left was hand-to-hand combat. He kicked away a demon attacking him, but at the same time, another one jumped right at him, with his claws stretched out…
Just as Liu Wei thought that he was done for, somebody jumped right in front of him, taking the attack on himself.