Compared to the sea, the river water was somewhat warmer, and the river wasn't very deep. However, fine golden sand rippled around the surface where the water flowed...

After all that commotion last night, Wan'er was able to swim smoothly and effortlessly, though she wasn't quite a pro.

Submerging her entire body in the water, Wan'er swam upstream towards the river. When she was about ten meters from the bank, she plunged in. In the shallow water, less than five meters deep, she swam a few steps forward when she suddenly noticed the current around her was swift and rapid, carrying a long, serpentine chain of loose stones that was moving against the current at breakneck speed…

Upon closer inspection, a whirlpool about the size of a foot basin can be seen in the middle of the pebbles. As the whirlpool flows, the pebbles turn into a circle and rotate around it. Occasionally, a piece of pebble will fall into the center and then tumble back up...

A clump of golden sand, about the size of a fist, floated steadily in the center of the vortex, neither rising nor falling, looking rather strange.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wan'er turned her head and saw two relatively large rocks standing abruptly about a meter to the right of the whirlpool. One was buried in the sand and its shape was indistinguishable, while the other was shaped like a "7" and stood on a rock on the riverbed. At a glance, a cloud of black mist could be seen in the gap between them...

Wan'er twisted her body to avoid the whirlpool and circled around from the other side. Only then did she see that the connection point of the boulders was complete, and they were not two separate boulders.

No wonder they couldn't be separated over time.

When Wan'er was only about a meter away from the black mist, she reached out and stopped by holding onto the boulder. She felt the yin energy suddenly intensify, stimulating every inch of her skin.

Sensing what was about to happen, Wan'er took a deep breath. A glint of light flashed in her eyes, and her gaze pierced through the black mist. At the center of the mist, beneath the recessed "7," a strange figure vaguely appeared. Upon closer inspection, long hair floated in the water—it was indeed a woman. The woman wore a black, tight-fitting bodysuit, her head facing inwards and her buttocks outwards. She was wrapping her arms around her hips, covering her private parts, her entire body folded from the waist towards both sides, trapped between the rocks, unable to move. She was curled up like a toad…

Upon seeing this bizarre posture, Wan'er felt a chill run down her spine. She remembered her mother telling her that if a drowning person was controlled by evil magic, regardless of gender, they would be shrouded in black mist and forced into a strange position. Even if their clothes turned to ashes and their body became a fossil, the controlled person would remain in this humiliating posture for eternity…

The souls of those who drown will never be reborn and will suffer endless torment, always waiting to act as vanguards for those who cast curses, committing all sorts of evil deeds.

In other words, without the help of a wise person, this person will never have a chance to turn their life around.

No wonder the cries for help just now were so mournful and urgent!

The person who orchestrated this was so vicious and despicable that Wan'er, who was also a woman, felt a chill run down her spine and her arms tremble. She secretly rejoiced that she had ultimately gone into the water.

Having witnessed countless deaths, Wan'er felt only respect for the dead, not fear. She took a deep breath through her nose, found a spot to lean against a large rock, and...

"Hey! I'm here to save you. If you want to get out, come with me." Wan'er opened her mouth, focused her mind slightly, and reached out to touch the woman's right arm, which was wrapped around her hips. With that touch, a stream of spiritual energy flowed from Wan'er's fingertips and pierced the black mist beside the woman...