Chapter 22: Twin Lion Earth

Standing at the entrance of the cave, Song Xiangchen felt a dark blur flash past him. Moments later, a loud splash echoed from the water-filled cavern below, sending droplets spraying two stories high.

Song was stunned. After observing the spot where the figure had vanished into the pool, he suddenly exclaimed, "Damn it! That’s Lu Xingzhou, and he isn't wearing a diving suit!"

A flurry of panic broke out among the police officers on the shore. Lu Jiangying being trapped underwater was already a nightmare, but now, in the blink of an eye, Lu Xingzhou had jumped in after her!

An officer ran up to Song. "Captain Song, I checked with the equipment vehicle. Lu Xingzhou ran down carrying one air cylinder on his back and another in his arms. He must be going to save Officer Lu!"

Song furrowed his brows. "That is absolute madness!"

Despite his words, there was nothing he could do now but pray that Lu Xingzhou would succeed. In truth, only Lu Xingzhou was capable of such a feat. The air pocket where Lu Jiangying was trapped was incredibly narrow, and the oxygen levels were dangerously low. Had it been any other diver requiring standard preparation, Lu Jiangying would have been long gone. Only Lu Xingzhou would dare to dive straight in without a second's hesitation.

The underwater cave was pitch black, but that presented no obstacle for Lu Xingzhou. Lu Jiangying’s path was easy to trace; he simply had to follow the safety line she had secured.

Shortly after activating his [Water Affinity] ability, a system chime rang out.

[Task Three: Dive 100 meters into the uncharted waterway (Completed)]
[Iron Lungs: Breath-holding duration 60 minutes (Equipped)]

However, Lu Xingzhou felt no joy upon completing the task, nor did he care to test his new skill. He simply pushed forward like a fish, darting along the safety line.

Before long, he reached the end of the line. Lu Jiangying was rhythmically slapping the surface of the water, struggling to keep her head above the waterline to catch her breath. She was already lightheaded and delirious from the lack of oxygen.

Lu Xingzhou quickly discarded the backpack containing her empty cylinder and shoved a new respirator into her mouth. After a few moments of rest, Lu Jiangying’s head cleared. Upon realizing it was Lu Xingzhou who had brought her the oxygen, her eyes filled with a mix of relief and resentment, as if demanding to know why he hadn't listened and had come down himself.

Lu Xingzhou just offered a smile, pretending he hadn't noticed, and plunged back into the water to lead the way to the surface.

Lu Jiangying followed closely. Although she had a fresh air supply, her physical strength had been drained by the brief period of hypoxia, making it impossible to continue her search. The operation to uncover Tang Hongguang’s illicit drug stash would have to be abandoned for the day. Of course, she still had plenty of energy left to discipline Lu Xingzhou once they reached the surface.

As Lu Xingzhou swam ahead, a dark shadow over three meters long appeared in his field of vision. A closer look revealed it to be a massive Wels catfish, exceeding three meters in length.

The Wels catfish is the largest and most aggressive species among all catfish. Its body nearly filled the entire width of the underwater passage, and its gaping maw could easily swallow a person whole. If the name sounds unfamiliar, in "Journey to the West," they are the ones tasked with "taking out the Tang Monk and his disciples."

Lu Xingzhou’s eyes widened. The only thought in his mind was: "Succulent."

After all, while catfish might not be the most delicious fish, they certainly have the fewest bones! However, in their own element, fish are far more dangerous than humans—as any fisherman who has returned empty-handed can attest. There have even been reports of large catfish dragging people underwater.

Lu Jiangying noticed Lu Xingzhou’s strange behavior and swam to his side, only to be equally shocked. She reacted instantly, pulling Lu Xingzhou behind her and drawing her police knife, ready to strike.

Lu Xingzhou grabbed her arm. To an ordinary person, a police knife is a non-lethal tool, but against a three-meter-long catfish, it would be no more effective than a mosquito bite.

He handed the safety line to Lu Jiangying. Once the fight began, the sediment on the riverbed would be kicked up, turning visibility to zero. Losing the line in an underwater cave meant getting lost. Unlike on land, where one might survive for days or weeks, getting lost underwater leaves only hours of air—the limit of the cylinder’s capacity.

With the safety line in Lu Jiangying’s hand, Lu Xingzhou charged at the catfish. As Wang Xifeng said in "Dream of the Red Chamber," "greatness has its difficulties." Its massive size, while formidable in open water, made it impossible for the creature to move quickly or turn around in the narrow passage.

With the dual buffs of [Water Affinity] and [World-Class Muscle Control], Lu Xingzhou drew the fish's attention and darted away. The catfish gave chase, churning up the silt and blinding them both.

Seeing the fish had taken the bait, Lu Xingzhou executed his plan. He had entered the water prepared for contingencies, his lungs filled with air. He couldn't beat the fish in a wrestling match, but he had tools. He instantly unclipped his air cylinder and ruptured the pressure valve.

*Hiss—!*

Driven by the high-pressure release, the steel cylinder shot forward like a cannonball.

*BOOM!*

A massive impact shook the waterway. The cylinder smashed into the catfish, caving in its skull and sending it belly-up, stunned.

Strike while the iron is hot!

Lu Xingzhou swam forward, jammed the steel cylinder deep into the fish’s throat, and began raining punches onto its head until it stopped moving entirely. During the struggle, they drifted from the main tunnel into a different, unknown passage.

By the time he regained his senses, Lu Xingzhou realized he had no idea where he was. The fish was dead, but he was lost.

However, his previous rescue of Chen Yueliao and the way Lu Jiangying had found the air pocket reminded him that this cave system had complex terrestrial sections. As long as he could find dry land, he would have fresh water and—thanks to the catfish—plenty of sashimi. He could survive for a month if he had to. Of course, he trusted the rescue team would find him within the day.

He wasn't disappointed. He soon discovered a large air pocket with a stone platform jutting out of the water. He climbed up and laboriously dragged the 300-kilogram carcass onto the bank.

He spat out his respirator and looked at the live-streaming equipment hanging on his chest. "This thing is system-made; it should have a signal even in a cave, right?"

He turned the dial to start the stream. In underwater rescues, teams often call off the search if they assume the victim has succumbed to hypoxia. As long as he was streaming, he could prove he was alive, and the rescue would continue. Lu Xingzhou was a challenge streamer, not someone with a death wish; he wasn't reckless enough to gamble with his own safety.

He aimed the camera at the massive fish and went live.

<Wait, streamer, weren't you taken away by the police? How did you break out?>
<Holy crap, look at that fish on the ground! It's at least 300 kilograms!>
<That's probably just a small prop to make the fish look bigger.>
<It would be one thing if it were a photo, but he's streaming live with other objects for scale.>
<Streamer, where are you? Give us an address. I’m not asking because I want to fish, I’m just purely concerned for your safety!>
<I'm not as good as the streamer, but did I mention I caught a 50-kilogram fish yesterday?>
<Nobody asked you!>
<Heh, based on the 'fisherman's inflation index,' he caught a 50-kilogram fish, which means it weighed less than two kilos.>

In an instant, the chat room was flooded with anglers airing their grievances about coming home empty-handed.

Lu Xingzhou smiled faintly and began to scan the cave for potential dangers. Just then, he noticed a pile of white plastic bags discarded on the ground nearby.

He approached cautiously and crouched down. On the packaging, he saw four red characters: *Double Lion Earth*.