In truth, Chen Guan had felt the upper limits of a Three-Star Dou Zhe half a month ago. He was balanced on the precipice of a breakthrough, just one light push away from ascending to the next level.
He held back, however, sensing that his rapid progress had left his foundations slightly unstable. The temptation to advance was strong, but he resisted.
His patience was rewarded. After another two weeks of intense, high-stakes battles with the Red-Ice Snake King, his foundation had been tempered and solidified into something truly formidable.
Tonight, he could no longer suppress the surging power within him. He didn't even have to try. The moment he began to circulate his Supreme Saint Heavenly Heart Refining Art, his Dou Qi responded, and he broke through naturally.
The sky dawned clear and blue—another perfect day to hunt Fire Foxes.
As he headed into the mountains, following his usual routine, Chen Guan felt a sense of conflict. Now that he was a Four-Star Dou Zhe, the Red-Ice Snake King was no longer a match for him. Continuing their spars would be a waste of time, offering him no real challenge or experience.
But he was a sentimental person. After fighting the same opponent for over two weeks, a strange bond had formed. He wasn't sure how to deal with his old foe. Should he steam it? Or perhaps stir-fry it?
Ahem.
He decided he would let the snake's attitude determine its fate.
At the foot of the mountain, the two guards—one tall, one short—watched the young man disappear into the forest before setting up a chessboard to pass another boring day.
"That kid is a monster," the short man mused, his curiosity palpable. "What do you think his relationship is with Her Highness? Surely he's not secretly involved with His Majesty, is he? But his surname is Chen... perhaps it's an alias?"
The tall man, who understood the intricate rules of court and station far better, shot him a weary look. "What does it have to do with you? Do you have a death wish? Stop spouting nonsense and set up the pieces. It's my turn to go first today."
While the two guards settled in for their game, Chen Guan had already arrived at his old friend's territory.
The Red-Ice Snake King was not particularly intelligent. After nearly a month, it still greeted him in the same straightforward, aggressive manner.
Bang!
Chen Guan met its charge with a swing of his broadsword. He only unleashed thirteen successive waves of his Boundless Sea technique before the snake's defenses shattered. Its massive body was flung backward, crashing through several large trees. A wound more than a foot long gaped on its side, nearly cleaving it in two.
It was the most grievous injury it had ever suffered at Chen Guan's hands.
Shock rippled through the great snake. Its cold, reptilian pupils widened in disbelief, a primal fear slowly beginning to eclipse its rage.
Chen Guan pressed his advantage, striding forward with his sword held ready.
"Let's stop fighting," he said, his voice calm. "I can tell you're more intelligent than a typical Rank 3 beast. You should be able to understand me. How about you submit? It would be easy for me to kill you now. To be honest, I was only using you for training."
He was giving it a chance.
Perhaps their "old friendship" played a small part, but the true reason was the snake's inherent value. It was a mutated Red-Ice Snake, a serpent-type Magical Beast with strength comparable to a Three or Four-Star Da Dou Shi. In the Jia Ma Empire, that was enough to be considered a minor master. To put it in perspective, Xiao Yan's own father was merely a Da Dou Shi.
Keeping it as a spirit pet would be of little use to him personally, but it would be a perfect gift for the Little Fairy Doctor. Or perhaps Qing Lin.
That's right. Though he had yet to meet the girl, Chen Guan had already factored her into his plans. The legendary Triple Jade-Green Snake-Flower Pupils held a potential no less terrifying than the Innate Poison Body. Only a fool would pass up the chance to recruit such a powerful future ally.
While Chen Guan was mentally assigning the snake's future, he was met with an embarrassing reality: the beast had no intention of surrendering.
Squeak! Squeak!
Three streams of venom shot from its fangs. As Chen Guan gracefully dodged the attack, the Red-Ice Snake King coiled and launched itself into the dense forest.
It couldn't win the fight, but that didn't mean it couldn't escape.
The chase was on once more. This time, however, the roles were reversed. It was the Red-Ice Snake King that fled for its life. Truly, the tides had turned.
A desperate will to survive fueled the snake's speed. Even with his Wandering Cloud Step, Chen Guan was only slightly faster. A gap of more than ten meters separated them, and while he was slowly closing it, catching the beast would not be instantaneous.
Feeling a flash of humiliation at being forced into a chase, Chen Guan showed no mercy. As he pursued his quarry, he condensed his Dou Qi into sharp, sword-like projectiles, firing them one after another. While the attacks weren't powerful enough to be fatal, the snake king didn't dare turn to block them. It could only rely on its tough hide to weather the storm, its body quickly becoming a bloody mess of cuts and gashes.
The wounds weren't lethal, but they were excruciatingly painful, each one feeling like a burning knife slicing into its flesh.
The snake knew it was slower. It knew that if it kept running, it would be caught sooner or later. Its simple mind latched onto one desperate idea, one final hope for survival.
With its course set, the Red-Ice Snake King plunged deeper into the Magical Beast Mountains.
Soon, other Rank 3 beasts could be seen roaming the area. Chen Guan slowed his pace slightly, a frown creasing his brow. After a moment's thought, he pushed onward.
A Rank 3 Magical Beast was equivalent to a Da Dou Shi. He was confident in his ability to protect himself. He figured the snake king would go this far and no further. Deeper still, and it wouldn't be escaping—it would be serving itself up as a meal for a higher-ranked beast.
His assessment was correct. The Red-Ice Snake King finally stopped when it reached a small, secluded lake on the very edge of the Rank 4 territory. Without hesitation, it dove into the water and disappeared beneath the surface.
After all that fuss, this is its plan?
Chen Guan stood by the lake, sighing at the snake's lack of cunning. The beast's ice attribute might give it a slight advantage in the water, but it wouldn't be nearly enough to close the gap between them. And now that it was in the lake, it had nowhere left to run.
He casually tossed a pill into his mouth, sat down on the bank, and began to recover his spent Dou Qi while he waited.
The time it took to drink a cup of tea passed. The lake remained perfectly calm.
That meant there were no other powerful beasts in the water; otherwise, a territorial fight would have already erupted. Having made his judgment, the skilled and courageous Chen Guan decisively leaped into the lake.
The lake wasn't large, and though the water obscured his vision, it only took him a few minutes to explore it thoroughly.
But strangely, he couldn't find the Red-Ice Snake King.
He was certain the snake hadn't left the water, yet it had vanished without a trace. The mystery was infuriating.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Guan dove again, beginning a meticulous, grid-by-grid search of the lakebed, vowing to uncover the truth.
Finally, on his seventh dive, he found a clue.
Hidden beneath a small, rocky slope on the right side of the lakebed was a stone gate.
There was a secret at the bottom of this lake.
Chen Guan was now certain this was where the Red-Ice Snake King had gone. He recalled that the common Red-Ice Snake was a mere Rank 1 beast. This one had mutated into a powerful Rank 3, a true genetic marvel. Looking at the stone door, he felt the pieces click into place. A thrill of excitement and anticipation shot through him. He decisively pushed the stone gate open and stepped inside.
If the Red-Ice Snake King could enter and remain unscathed, then he was more than confident he could do the same.
***********
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