Time passed slowly, and the beast remained undisturbed in its sleep. Wen Ran couldn’t afford to wait any longer—he had to act. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his newly acquired sword, ready to strike should the beast awaken. His pulse quickened as he prepared for the worst, but he didn’t want a fight if he could avoid it.
The difficulty lay in the fact that he couldn’t feel the creature’s strength. There were no telltale signs, no aura radiating from the serpent as there was with other creatures. Wen Ran’s eyes narrowed in frustration. He had tried and failed to gauge its aura, something that never happened to him before. Even ordinary mortals gave off a faint energy, a subtle presence that could be sensed. But this creature? Nothing.
What kind of beast is this? Wen Ran wondered, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. It’s hiding its aura even while asleep. That’s a dangerous trait.
His mind raced with the implications. A creature that could conceal its aura so well was not something he could approach carelessly. He would have to gamble everything on a single move, and if he miscalculated even the slightest, his life would be on the line.
Slowly, Wen Ran began to adjust his stance, focusing all his energy into concealing his own aura. He made sure to suppress even the faintest flicker of killing intent, knowing that any sign of hostility might stir the serpent from its slumber. One wrong move... he thought, feeling the weight of his decision. He had to move swiftly, decisively, but without alerting the beast.
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His breaths were slow and measured as he crept forward, his sword poised for a quick strike. The flower was within reach, the prize so close he could almost taste it, but the serpent’s proximity made it all the more dangerous. Your next chapter awaits on Freewebnovel
The closer Wen Ran got to the fiery flower, the more he could feel its aura intensify, its warmth spreading in the air like an invisible wave. It pulsed with power, and the very air around it seemed to shimmer with heat. He took slow, deliberate steps, but then, something caught his attention. The serpent, though still asleep, was radiating a chilling aura, a stark contrast to the warmth of the plant.
So it’s the warmth of the flower that draws the beast in, Wen Ran deduced. It likely finds comfort in the heat, perhaps even needs it to rest. If I disturb the flower, the beast might wake up—or worse, it might lash out at me in a panic.
Wen Ran paused in his tracks, squatting down to observe the situation more closely. He wasn’t afraid of the serpent—not from this distance. He had come prepared, and his aura was perfectly concealed, so he knew that the creature likely wouldn’t detect him. The beast seemed completely unfazed by his presence, almost as if it didn’t recognize him as a threat.
But that didn’t mean he could afford to be careless.
It’s too risky, Wen Ran thought, the situation turning more complex by the second. The last thing he wanted was to provoke the beast when it was so close to the fiery flower. While it hadn’t reacted to him yet, it was clear that if he disturbed the source of its comfort, everything could go south in an instant.
He couldn’t take the risk of being caught off guard by a waking serpent, so close to its territory. Wen Ran’s gaze flicked between the flower and the serpent, analyzing his options carefully. There was no way to approach this without provoking the beast in some way.
For now, he had to wait. The key to claiming the flower wasn’t rushing in—it was timing. If the serpent remained still and unaware, he might just have the opportunity to snatch the flower without drawing attention. But the moment it sensed any disturbance, his chances of success would plummet.
Patience, he thought, settling back into a crouch, his focus now entirely on the serpent. I’ll wait for the right moment.
Wen Ran studied the intensity of the heat the plant radiated, observing how it fluctuated over time. He began to understand its pattern, and with that knowledge, a daring idea shot into his mind. He had been practicing his fire arts for over a month, and though it was still relatively new to him, he felt confident that his control over it was now sufficient to carry out his plan.
Feeling assured, Wen Ran slipped his sword away and carefully approached the flower. With focused precision, he uprooted it, taking great care not to step on the serpent’s tail. The last thing he wanted was to provoke the beast prematurely. He also made sure not to damage the root of the plant, as it might diminish its value or use in the future. He dug into the earth with his bare hands, scooping out the dirt like sand. His current strength made the task relatively easy, but this was only the beginning. The real challenge lay in the next step.
In a swift motion, Wen Ran summoned a flame that mimicked the plant’s heat, creating a perfect replica to place in the hole where the flower once stood. To his relief, the plan worked—there was no immediate reaction from the serpent.
However, in the blink of an eye, everything fell apart. From somewhere in the distance, a loud, bone-shaking roar erupted, reverberating through the entire mountain range. The sound was powerful, primal, and unmistakably threatening. Wen Ran turned, and he could see the serpent’s massive form stirring, its eyes snapping open as it roused from its slumber.
"Shit!" he muttered under his breath, his heart pounding as he realized the beast was fully awake. The delicate balance of his plan had collapsed in an instant, and the consequences of his actions were about to hit hard. With the plant still in his hand, there was no hiding the fact that he was the one responsible, and now, he had no choice but to face another life-and-death battle.