The next step was to shake off the hunchbacked masked man and escape to safety.
And the direction of escape was chosen earlier when the waves were surging toward them.
If the previous waves were indeed created by Yuan Dongzhi using his powers,
then moving in the direction of the incoming waves there was a high probability of encountering Yuan Dongzhi.
Lin Zichen guessed.
Although Yuan Dongzhi had been defeated, he most likely hadn't died.
Instead, he was like Lu Tianrong before him, ensnared by the enemy with vines.
This guess was founded on solid ground.
The evidence lay in the fact that the hunchbacked masked man did not seem badly injured, indicating that his battle with Yuan Dongzhi was not fierce.
A fight between equal powerhouses could not be non-intense if intent on killing the other.
After all, they were combatants of the same level and the disparity was unlikely to be so great that one could kill the other without sustaining any injuries.
Therefore, the possibility of Yuan Dongzhi dying in battle was almost zero.
It was highly probable that he was just trapped by the hunchbacked masked man with vines, unable to escape for the moment.
Based on this, the next plan was to figure out a way to rescue Yuan Dongzhi.
After that, let Yuan Dongzhi fight the hunchbacked masked man again and reciprocally help him to his release.
"I hope Principal Yuan was really trapped by vines, and not killed in battle..."
"I hope this newly acquired Biometric Attribute, [Forest Lord], can control the Divine Plant Cult Ninth Elder's vines that impeded Principal Yuan..."
"I just hope I won't be caught by the Divine Plant Cult Ninth Elder before I can find Principal Yuan..."
Lin Zichen prayed silently in his heart as he swam forward with all his might, his nerves stretched tight, greatly fearing that he would fail.
...
Above the water.
The hunchbacked masked man was rapidly chasing after Lin Zichen.
When Lin Zichen dove under the water and his swimming speed suddenly exploded to an extremely exaggerated level, the hunchbacked masked man's face was filled with shock.
How could an ordinary-level creature swim so fast?!
Moreover, this ordinary-level creature took the Pureblood Human Path and had never fused with any Exotic Beast Gene related to water.
What in the world was going on?
Such performance was far too illogical.
Even in Origin Land, most would pale before Lin Zichen.
"Boom... Boom... Boom!"
The hunchbacked masked man summoned a host of vines, which shot into the water intensively like rain, surging rapidly towards Lin Zichen.
If a few vines couldn't catch Lin Zichen, then dozens or hundreds would.
No matter how agile Lin Zichen was underwater, facing the vines coming from all directions, he could only be neatly captured.
...
Underwater.
All of Lin Zichen's blood vessels dilated as he continuously exerted his Blood Qi Power.
With the blessing of [Blessing of Water Fusion].
He swam faster than the marlins in the ocean of his previous life.
His swimming speed neared one hundred meters per second.
Yet even so, the vines coming from behind continued to close the distance.
One was at the ordinary level.
The other at the rare level.
The disparity in Biological Level between the two was just too vast.
The resulting power gap could not simply be bridged by a mere [Blessing of Water Fusion].
"Swoosh... Swoosh... Swoosh!"
Accompanied by a series of piercing sounds,
The vines controlled by the hunchbacked masked man had caught up with Lin Zichen ahead.
After catching up, they did not twist around him immediately.
Instead, some accelerated ahead of Lin Zichen.
Not until there were vines in all six directions – front, back, left, right, above, and below – completely blocking Lin Zichen's escape space, did they strike all at once like swift pythons wrapping around him.
Lin Zichen wanted to dodge, but there was nowhere to hide.
The vines were too numerous, leaving no room for maneuver.
Without even a chance to struggle, he was instantaneously ensnared by the surging vines, immobilized.