A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6810

Hum!

Gray chaotic force surged out of Jared's meridians and core. It spread into a pair of thick, tightly condensed wings of light that swept him forward at terrifying speed.

He tore through the air above the water and burst through the surrounding currents, becoming a concentrated gray streak that shot more than three hundred miles across the sea in an instant.

He left no lingering afterimage and showed no sign of slowing as he raced toward the rescue site in the northern depths.

At that moment, he ignored his exhaustion after a sleepless night, the lingering injuries he had yet to recover from, and the drain on his spiritual energy from pushing his origin power so hard. He drove his speed and ability to cut through space to their utmost limits.

Only one thought remained: reach Violet, protect her, and bring her back from the brink of death.

Within a handful of breaths, he had crossed hundreds upon hundreds of miles of ocean and reached the waters Kael had described, where a vast undercurrent whirlpool churned.

The region was extraordinarily dangerous. Fierce undercurrents collided and twisted through countless trenches of varying depths. A massive whirlpool turned slowly in the deep sea, pulling at every current and piece of debris nearby with terrifying force.

Dense coral reefs stood tangled together, their surfaces hard and razor-sharp. Layer after layer of narrow, dark crevices formed one of the most concealed and treacherous places in the ocean.

Peering through the dim but clear water, Jared spotted a figure in purple curled in a gap between the reefs.

His heart tightened painfully at the sight.

Violet's once-elegant purple immortal robes had been torn apart by the fierce currents and jagged coral. Long rents ran across her collar, sleeves, waist, and skirt. Loose threads fluttered at the edges, leaving none of the flowing grace or splendor she had once carried.

Beneath the torn fabric, her formerly flawless, jade-pale skin had become almost translucent and completely bloodless. Fine abrasions, dark bruises, and cuts of varying depth covered her body. Traces of salt and bits of broken coral still clung to her skin, making her look heartbreakingly fragile.

Her long, deep-purple hair, once smooth and lustrous, was soaked through and tangled by the icy water.

She lay curled deep within the narrow, dark reef crevice, her limbs hanging limply and her body unable to support itself.

Several boulders weighing over a million pounds apiece blocked the space above her. They kept the strongest currents away but also shut out sunlight and spiritual energy, trapping her alone in the dark, close to death.

Her chest barely rose and fell. Her breath was so faint it was almost impossible to detect. The last flicker of life within her seemed as fragile as a candle flame exposed to the wind, ready to go out at any moment.

Only a thin, intermittent wisp of immortal aura still lingered around her, proof that she had not yet died.

A wave of fear and heartache swept through Jared. Seeing her so helpless and close to death brought every terrible possibility he'd imagined crashing back over him.

He slowed and settled gently in the water beside the reef, drawing in his fierce aura and suppressing the turbulence caused by his arrival.

He was afraid that even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy or movement of the water might harm Violet in her fragile state and extinguish the little life she had left.

He bent down and crouched, moving as slowly and carefully as he could.

Avoiding both the sharp coral and every visible wound, he reached in and gently supported her narrow back and the backs of her knees.

She was freezing cold to the touch.

Her body was so light that it frightened him, like a battered leaf about to fall from its branch. There seemed to be none of the living warmth and weight he remembered.

Hum!