74: The only way to survive

Gunshots!

It was that sharp, piercing "shoo-shoo" sound of a Gauss sniper rifle that Lin Feng had heard in the indigenous village!

Immediately after came another, more muffled and explosive "Bang! Bang! Bang!" roar—the unmistakable sound of heavy weaponry!

The two types of gunfire, coupled with the earth-shaking roars and impacts of that prehistoric Emperor Crocodile, wove together a violent and bloody movement of death in the jungle not far outside the temple.

"They... they're here..." Wang Dalong's voice shook uncontrollably as he slumped onto the ground, the last trace of color draining from his face.

Having just escaped the jaws of the giant crocodile, the bone-deep terror hadn't even dissipated before another, even deadlier wave of enemies arrived!

And judging by the noise, this group was not only well-equipped but also numerous!

They were out there right now, going head-to-head with that prehistoric monster whose hide even bullets couldn't pierce!

Lin Feng's expression was also incredibly grim.

He walked quickly to the stone door and cautiously poked half his head out to look.

In the distant jungle, flames soared into the sky!

Several beams from high-intensity flashlights swung wildly through the trees, which were collapsing in swaths. Explosive flashes lit up periodically, painting half the sky in orange-red.

The Scorpion Squad!

Not only had they pursued them here, but it looked like their entire main force had arrived!

These lunatics were truly investing everything they had just to get to El Dorado!

Lin Feng's heart pounded wildly.

He knew very well that once the Emperor Crocodile outside was dealt with or temporarily pinned down, these fully-armed professional killers' next target would be him and Wang Dalong!

Falling into their hands would be a hundred times more miserable than being eaten by the Emperor Crocodile!

They needed him as a "Pathfinding Stone," but they would never allow this stone to know too much, let alone let him leave alive with the secrets of El Dorado!

"Brother Feng... what... what do we do?" Wang Dalong asked with a sob, completely despondent. "Wolves in front, tigers behind... no, murderers in front, a prehistoric crocodile behind... we're dead..."

What to do?

Lin Feng's brain whirred at maximum capacity under the extreme overload.

Run?

Run where? This temple had only one entrance: the stone door they came through. Rushing out now would be walking into a trap—he'd either be riddled with bullets or crushed into meat paste by that enraged Emperor Crocodile.

Wait?

Wait for the Scorpion Squad to finish off the Emperor Crocodile and then pick them up like little chicks?

Both paths were dead ends!

No!

There was one more way!

Lin Feng spun around abruptly, his gaze locking onto the ink-black deep pool behind the altar!

That was the entrance to El Dorado!

It was their only way out!

"Dalong, get up!" Lin Feng's voice was cold and resolute, without a hint of hesitation.

"Huh?" Wang Dalong looked up blankly.

"If you want to live, follow me!"

Lin Feng hauled him up and strode to the edge of the deep pool. He pointed at the dark surface and said word for word, "This is the way down!"

"Go... go down?!" Wang Dalong looked at the pool, which was deeper than the night itself, and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Brother Feng, are you crazy?! We don't know what kind of hellhole is down there! What if there are other monsters? What if there's no way out? Isn't this just jumping to our deaths?!"

"Jumping is a gamble for our lives! Staying here is waiting for death!" Lin Feng stared into his eyes, his words like knives. "You know what kind of people are out there better than I do! Are you willing to be caught by them, tortured for the secrets here, then shot in the head to let your corpse rot in the woods?"

Wang Dalong was left speechless, his body trembling violently.

Of course he wasn't!

"But... but we don't have any diving equipment! If we jump like this, how long can we hold our breath? A minute? Two?" Wang Dalong still couldn't accept this insane plan.

This was indeed the biggest problem.

Lin Feng glanced at Wang Dalong's bulging, waterproof camera bag that he almost never left behind, and a spark of inspiration hit him.

"Throw out everything useless in your bag!" he commanded.

"Huh? Oh, okay!" Though Wang Dalong didn't know what he was doing, he followed suit subconsciously, frantically pulling out spare batteries, lens cloths, snacks, and other junk.

Lin Feng snatched the nearly empty, tough waterproof bag. He took a deep breath, pulled the bag open, swung it through the air a few times, and then suddenly tied the opening shut tight!

An extremely crude "air bag" was completed just like that.

He handed the waterproof bag to Wang Dalong, a look of unquestionable madness in his eyes. "Listen! This is a simple oxygen bag. There isn't much air inside, so use it sparingly. It could save your life at a critical moment! Once we're in the water, stay close to me and don't panic no matter what you see! We only have one chance!"

Who would have thought? To think of using a waterproof bag as a makeshift oxygen tank at a time like this—what was Brother Feng's brain made of?

Infected by Lin Feng's composure and decisiveness, the fear in Wang Dalong's heart subsided slightly. He clutched the bulging waterproof bag as if it were a literal lifesaver and nodded vigorously.

"Alright! Brother Feng! I... I'll gamble with you! If I die, I die! It's better than falling into the hands of those bastards!"

Just then!

BOOM—!!

A deafening roar came from outside the temple. The entire structure vibrated violently, and dust cascaded down.

Immediately after, the Emperor Crocodile's earth-shattering final wail of pain and resentment echoed through the night sky, then stopped abruptly.

The gunfire stopped too.

The jungle fell back into a deathly silence.

Lin Feng and Wang Dalong looked at each other, both seeing extreme shock in the other's eyes.

That prehistoric beast... had been dealt with!

The Scorpion Squad was coming in!

"No more time! Jump!"

Lin Feng growled. Without another moment of hesitation, he grabbed Wang Dalong's arm and leaped into the dark pool that symbolized both the unknown and survival!

Splash! Splash!

Two dull thuds.

The two figures were instantly swallowed whole by the ink-black water.

Less than ten seconds after they jumped.

Several ghost-like black figures, holding sci-fi-looking tactical rifles, appeared at the entrance of the Sun God Temple.

Leading them was the captain of the Scorpion Squad.

He glanced at the empty temple, then at the two clear, wet footprints on the ground. Finally, his gaze landed on the pool that had just regained its calm.

He slowly raised his hand and spoke into his headset in a low, emotionless voice.

"Sir, the targets have entered the 'Sacred Pool'."

Through the headset came Osiris's playful and approving laughter.

"Very good... as expected of the 'Key' I chose. He didn't disappoint me."

"He has found the right path for us."

"We're going down too." Osiris's voice turned cold and full of anticipation. "I'm a bit eager to see the expression on our pathfinding pioneer's face when he realizes all his efforts were merely paving the way for me."

"Yes, sir!"