Black Lotus

11

Just as he finished his words, everyone suddenly felt their boats sinking.

Water immediately started to spread into the boats. Wei WuXian suddenly noticed that the color of Biling Lake's water wasn't dark green any more, but almost black. Surrounding the area close to the center, a large whirlpool had formed without anybody realizing. The ten-or-so boats circled around, following the currents of the whirlpool. They sunk as they spun, as if they were going to be sucked inside a gigantic, black mouth!

The clang-s of drawing swords chorused in the air. One after another, everyone mounted their swords and flew upward. Wei WuXian already hovered above. He looked downward, only to see that the disciple who drove his sword underwater, Su She, was already knee-deep inside the water, the board of his boat already engulfed in Biling Lake. Although his face was full of panic, he didn't call for help, possibly frightened rigid. Without hesitation, Wei WuXian bent down and stretched his arm out, grabbing Su She's wrist and pulling him up.

Having added another person, the sword under his feet dipped abruptly, but it continued to ascend. However, not long after, a strong force suddenly came from Su She, almost pulling Wei WuXian off of his sword.

The lower part of Su She's body was already submerged inside the black whirlpool in the lake. The whirlpool spun faster and faster, and his body also sunk deeper and deeper. There seemed to be something hiding underwater, holding onto his legs and pulling them down.

Jiang Cheng originally stood on his Sandu and calmly ascended to about seventy meters above the surface of the lake. As he looked down, he dashed toward them with an annoyed expression, "What are you doing, now?!"

His yell alerted Wei Ziyou, who followed his gaze and immediately zipped back down to help.

The sucking force of the lake became stronger and stronger. Wei WuXian's sword was superior in terms of agility, but inferior in terms of strength. He was almost weighed down to the point of hovering right above the surface of the lake. He steadied himself while using both hands to haul Su She, and shouted, "Can somebody come here to help?! If I still can't pull him up, I'm gonna let go!"

Suddenly, Wei WuXian felt his collar tighten, and he was lifted into the air. He turned around to see Lan WangJi holding the back of his collar with one hand. Although Lan WangJi merely looked into another direction with an indifferent look, he and his sword carried the weight of three people, and fought with the mysterious force of the lake at the same time.

Moreover, their position was still rising at a steady pace. Jiang Cheng was rather shocked, If I went down to pull Wei WuXian before him, using Sandu, I probably couldn't have ascended so quickly and steadily. Lan WangJi is only around my age...

Wei Ziyou stopped about 30 meters above the two and let out a breath of relief.

At this point, Wei WuXian spoke, "Lan Zhan, your sword is quite strong, isn't it? Thank you, thank you. But why did you pull my collar? Can't you hold on to me? I don't feel comfortable if you do this. Why don't I stretch my hand to you and you can grab it?"

Lan WangJi replied with a cold voice, "I do not have physical contact with others."

Wei WuXian, "We're already this familiar with each other, so how am I 'others'?"

Lan WangJi, "We are not."

Wei WuXian pretended to be hurt, "You can't do this..."

Jiang Cheng really couldn't hold it any more. He scolded, "You can't do this!!! Can't you speak a few sentences less while you're held in mid-air by your collar?!"

The group travelled on their swords and evacuated Biling Lake as fast as they could. When they landed, Lan WangJi let go of Wei WuXian's back collar and calmly turned to Lan XiChen, "It is a waterborne abyss."