Chapter 155: Fang Hao’s Action
Fang Hao hid in a crevice between the rocks, feeling his heart nearly leap out of his throat. What the hell was this! In a tiny place like Meteor Star Lake, no bigger than a palm, there were actually five groups of people and beasts lurking, including himself. This wasn’t treasure hunting; this was a Martial Forest convention!
On the lake’s surface, the three from Xuan Shui Pavilion were like startled rabbits, huddled back-to-back on their small boat, their faces pale. The square-faced Senior Brother still had bloodstains on his chest, his breathing shaky with a tremor; he had taken a heavy blow from the water python’s tail earlier and was seriously injured. The tall, thin man and the Female Disciple were also as if facing a formidable enemy, one holding a compass and the other clutching a Talisman, their eyes darting between the giant python and the Black-Clothed Cultivator, terrified of who might strike first.
The Grade Four Medium Grade Star-Spotted Water Python occupied the water’s surface, with half its body still hidden beneath. Its silver-shimmering scales looked ridiculously hard. Its cold, vertical pupils glared at the Xuan Shui Pavilion’s boat one moment and peered at the Black-Clothed Cultivator it had slapped out with its tail the next. A low ’hiss’ issued from its throat, full of warning. This beast had guarded the Star Core for who knows how many years; it clearly considered the thing its private property and would snap at anyone who touched it.
The most awkward one was the Black-Clothed Cultivator. He had originally intended to be the oriole, quietly making off with the treasure, only to be seen through by the water python and forced to reveal himself. Now he hung in mid-air, his expression so gloomy it could drip water. He held a pair of pitch-black short spikes in his hands, his aura slightly turbulent; having just taken a direct hit from the water python, he likely wasn’t feeling great. He was now in a dilemma: if he fought, he might not beat the water python and had the Xuan Shui Pavilion people watching him like hawks; if he ran, he wasn’t willing to give up with the Star Core right before his eyes.
But what made Fang Hao’s skin crawl the most was the one underwater! A fourth ’old fox’! That fellow’s concealment skills were simply incredible, merging with the lake water and concealing his aura without a single leak. Like a water snake, he was pressed against the silt at the bottom of the lake, inching toward the meteorite bit by bit! His speed was agonizingly slow, but it excelled in safety and stealth! If Fang Hao didn’t have the cheating Divine Ability of the Clear Spring Spirit Eyes, he wouldn’t have discovered him at all!
"Five parties! A full five parties!" Fang Hao cursed inwardly. This water was far too muddy! He was now the fifth party, hiding on the shore watching the play. What should he do? Get involved? With his current Early Golden Core Stage cultivation, taking on the water python alone would be a struggle, and he had no advantage against the other two groups, not to mention the even shiftier one underwater. If he failed to get the treasure and ended up getting himself killed, he’d be the ultimate sucker!
But if he didn’t get involved... could he just watch a treasure like a Star Core slip away? That was a Grade Four Material! And a rare variety containing the Power of the Stars! It would be of great benefit to his cultivation of the Starfall Sword Art and his Body Refining! If he just gave up, he’d have to slap himself in the face before bed tonight!
"Damn it, the bold feast while the timid starve!" Fang Hao gritted his teeth. Wealth is found in danger! He would wade into these muddy waters! But he wouldn’t be so foolish as to rush out now and become a target.
His mind raced. The current situation was delicate, a four-way standoff where no one dared to move first for fear of being ganged up on. The old fox underwater wanted to steal the prize, but he was too slow. What was his own advantage? It was being hidden in the dark! No one knew there was a fifth oriole! Also... he had the trump card of the golden puppet! A Middle Nascent Soul Stage fighter; releasing it would definitely suppress the scene! But that was his final life-saving card; unless absolutely necessary, he must not expose it!
"Wait! I must wait!" Fang Hao made up his mind instantly. Wait for them to start fighting! Wait for the water to get muddier! Wait for that underwater old fox to either succeed or be exposed! That would be the best time for him to strike!
He held his breath, circulating the Ethereal Art to its limit to hide himself perfectly. His Clear Spring Spirit Eyes were locked onto the three parties on the lake and the blurry shadow underwater, not missing a single change.
Time passed bit by bit, and the atmosphere on the lake became so tense it could be wrung for water. The tall, thin man from Xuan Shui Pavilion was losing his patience and whispered to the square-faced Senior Brother, "Senior Brother, this stalemate isn’t the way. Your injury..."
The square-faced Senior Brother swallowed a Medicinal Pill, his complexion looking slightly better. He gritted his teeth and said, "Wait a bit longer! This water python and that black-clothed Loose Cultivator are wary of each other; whoever moves first loses! Perhaps... there are others hiding!" He was actually quite alert, guessing there might be hidden forces.
The Black-Clothed Cultivator had clearly thought of this as well, his eyes flickering as he seemed to weigh the pros and cons.
Just at the moment this delicate balance was about to be broken!
Another change occurred!
The blurry shadow that had been moving slowly underwater seemed to have finally reached a position directly beneath the meteorite! He (or she) quietly pulled out something and pressed it against the bottom of the meteorite!
Hum—!
A strange ripple instantly spread out! That massive floating meteorite shook violently! A complex rune suddenly lit up at its base, followed by a dazzling silver pillar of light that shot up from the bottom of the meteorite like a fountain! Within the pillar of light, a silver crystal the size of a fist, emitting dense Power of the Stars and a scorching aura, could be seen slowly rotating!
The Star Core! It had been forcibly triggered by some means and revealed itself!
"Star Core!" The three parties on the lake cried out simultaneously! Their eyes turned red with greed!
"Roar!" The Star-Spotted Water Python was even more enraged! The treasure it guarded had been touched! Its massive tail slammed onto the lake’s surface, kicking up a towering wave. Its bloody maw opened, and a cold breath mixed with a powerful suction force swept toward the Star Core in the pillar of light! At the same time, it discovered the troublemaker underwater, and its other claw, carrying the power to tear through the currents, struck down fiercely!
"Move!" Seeing the Star Core appear, the Black-Clothed Cultivator could no longer restrain himself. His body turned into a black line, lunging straight for the pillar of light! The short spikes in his hands erupted with dark light, stabbing toward the water python’s vitals, hoping to force it to defend so he could snatch the Star Core!
"Form the array! Grab it!" The square-faced Senior Brother of Xuan Shui Pavilion also grew frantic. Ignoring his injuries, he roared. The small boat beneath the three of them glowed with intense blue light, forming a triangular light array. A condensed water tornado surged from the bow, swirling toward the Star Core! They also wanted a piece of the pie!
Chaos! It was complete chaos!
The water python’s breath pulled at the Star Core while its claw struck the underwater shadow; the Black-Clothed Cultivator attacked the water python; and the Xuan Shui Pavilion’s water tornado tried to snatch the Star Core! The attacks from the three parties erupted almost simultaneously, their energies clashing wildly!
Rumble—!!!
The lake surface exploded! Various lights detonated, and water waves shot into the sky! A terrifying shockwave spread in all directions!
Under the cover of this extreme chaos, the shadow underwater moved like a ghost, perilously evading the water python’s sharp claws. He seemed to throw out a net-like Magical Artifact, instantly catching the Star Core that had been shaken by the suction of the breath, and then shot toward the depths of the lake without looking back! He actually intended to take advantage of the chaos to escape with the Star Core!
"You want to run?! Leave the Star Core!" The Black-Clothed Cultivator reacted the fastest, abandoning the water python and turning into a black light to pursue the shadow underwater! The Xuan Shui Pavilion’s water tornado also changed direction, entangling toward the fleeing shadow!
"Roar!" Seeing its treasure stolen, the water python went completely insane. Its massive body churned the lake water, creating even greater waves while simultaneously attacking the Black-Clothed Cultivator and the Xuan Shui Pavilion boat!
A great battle had completely erupted! Spells flew wildly across the lake, and roars shook the heavens!
"Now is the time!" Fang Hao, who had remained motionless, had a sharp glint in his eyes! The opportunity had come! Everyone’s attention was drawn to the fleeing underwater shadow and the Star Core, locked in a chaotic brawl! This was his god-given chance to fish in troubled waters!
Without any hesitation, he activated both Divine Spirit Steps and Shrinking the Ground to an Inch. His figure seemed to merge into the wind, quietly skimming across the lake’s surface. He didn’t rush toward the center of the battlefield but instead... took a large detour, racing toward the most likely escape route in front of that underwater shadow!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? No! He wanted to be the hunter who finally casts the net! Let those fellows ahead fight like dogs; he was going to the front... to intercept.
