Chapter 40 - Height of weakness

"Help, you say?" Said the voice and the door to the hut opened as if to wholeheartedly invite the two masters inside.

Inside they were hit with a metallic-garlic oder of the irons mixed with various different kinds of smell. The room temperature was raised well above a normal.

Clank Clank Spark!

The person was a very short old man with impressive muscles and short hair, almost close to none. He was...

The Dragon smith

The Dragon smith continued to shape the 'already well made' armor to hone it just a little bit more.

"Isla, the young miss of the Jiang family. A great warrior who most admire and look up to. Her half sister Jiang Xinyi, a well known figure as the "Heavenly doctor"..." He glanced at them and asked, "What might it be?"

"We are here to request you to lend us the Plum Blossom Glove." Isla asked.

He went back to smacking the armor, "Plum Blossom Glove is one of my treasured possession, you know that right?" He asked.

The two felt disappointment from his words, even though they knew it won't be this easy.

"What do you from the 10 flower sect, dragon smith? We will do anything in our capability to bring it to you." Isla asked.

"What I want?" The dragon Smith asked and stared through the window at a distance, "... I suppose, a prodigy. Who can handle the power of my weapons. I would love to make a weapon for them." He said to himself quite enough to not be heard by the other two.

??

"What did you say...?"

"Oh, nothing." He replied "About Plum blossom glove, Surely, I can lend it to you, but why are you in need of it so urgently?"

The two hesitated for a mere second and Isla replied, "Apparently an Ancient dungeon has opened in the Tafil city in the Gwayong State. And our Disciples are caught up in the mess."

?

"You don't look surprised?" She asked.

"I've heard it from Asher, the world is changing. I already expected something like this to happen.-----What did you say was the dungeon?!" He asked with late realization.

"Ancient dungeon." They said.

"How did something like that appear again?!" He slapped his forehead in disbelief, "A death trap like that?"

He started mumbling to himself.

"So.... Can we have it?"

"Oh, yeah...You can have the glove, just don't break it." Dragon Smith said.

"Rest assured that won't happen!" Xinyi stated and they started moving out of the hut.

"Oh and one thing." The Dragon Smith said while grinning, "Tell the old man that he has to buy me booze later!"

"O-Old man?" Asked Isla in confusion. The Dragon smith warmed his expression from his somewhat cold demeanour earlier, surprising even Xinyi.

"Of course your sect master!" He replied.

The Dragon Smith is a good friend of the Sect Master. Many say that they have trained for several decades together and their friendship is like that of brothers. Even though they have gone down a different path.

While Isla was wondering these things, Xinyi was relentlessly getting nervous and anxious with every passing second. She taped the ground of bricks continuously while hitting

"Of course." Isla said.

After having small talk with the dragon Smith the two started flying back.

"Hopefully we manage to get back in time!" Said Xinyi with a restless expression, "How are you so calm sis?!" She asked Isla who was startled by the question.

"I'm not....I can feel my heart popping out of my chest any minute now." She replied, "But, it's not really going to help the disciples in any way... That's why, as their masters we have to represent ourselves at our best at all times." Then she said to herself in a lower tone, ''Hey.... I didn't hesitate...."

Her speech left Xinyi speechless and she could only look at Isla dumbfounded and felt shame at herself a little bit.

"What's important now is to get the disciples out of the ancient dungeon. Before a catastrophe like THAT time happens."

"You mean...?" Asked Xinyi.

"Um." Isla said, "The rampage by HIM. Nobody knows what happened in that dungeon, but only one person came out of it alive."

Xinyi trembled and hugged herself midair, "I still remember that feeling...We were told to stay in our homes. Every single clan, whether they be close or far to the incident." She said.

"By the way, did you give report of this sensitive matter to the sect master?" Xinyi asked.

"Yeah. I've sent it through telepathy." Isla said.

...

"Anyways where are we going now?" Wang book said. The same guy who was 'looking after the Genseng' found by the kid in the Treasure gathering team.

Now the treasure gathering team had almost two bags of herbs and minerals. The two bags were held by Luo Xiaobo for the time being. Although the struggle from Wang book was real, Luo "politely" told him to not worry about anything.

"According to the map and some rumors of that treasure, our next destination is a river close by here." Alden said, "There we might find the "Ever Glowing Fruit" and "Elixir"."

"Ohh~ What's that fruit now?" Wang book asked him.

"It-"

"It's a plant that glows at night for several hours after consuming it. That plant only grows near a lake with abundant Qi and natural minerals."

Instead of Alden, Xiaobo answered the question.

"...?" Alden knows something is up between the two but he didn't ask them yet. He also realized Wang book was stealing from them but he didn't directly tell him that.

Tch

Wang book clicked his tongue and nagged, "I see." He could not say it or do anything directly but if he had the ability to, he would have killed Luo Xiaobo many times over, 'You bastard!!! Just you wait! I'm the young master of the Wang family!!!! My clan must be outside planning to barge in here and when that happens I'll specifically KILL YOU!!!'

"However only if the conditions are perfect can the plant be planted let alone grow." Luo Xiaobo continued speaking to further annoy Wang book, "As for the elixir, it's also made naturally and people could never lay their hands on the rare ones...We think that this place might even have rare elixirs." He looked at Wang book to see his veins popping out. "Heh." He chuckled.

"We're here!" Just then, the voice of the kid grabbed their attention and soon they found themselves standing in front of the big lake.

"Damn! It's enormous." Xiaobo said.

"Haha, this is amazing!" Alden admired and they ran towards the cold and fresh water. Pebbles getting under their shoes.

"It's been a while since we've been to a lake! Right Xiaobo?" Said Alden with excitement.

"Yes leader, it has been a while."

"Krss"

While they were enjoying a few minutes in the wonderful lake, there was an uninvited guest close by. The enormous snake saw the heat coming from them.

"This is so annoying." Wang book greeted his teeth and walked away from them.

Swiish! Thump!

"Even if I'm from a good clan, those Ginseng are at least 10 thousand years old! Who couldn't want them?!"

"If I even had one of the bag, I would have ran away a long time ago!" He kicked a tree and it fell right away.

"Kssss."

"W-What?!"

The giant snake's enormous body was on one of the tree and now the it was facing Wang book straight on when the tree fell off.

...

'I wonder where the thief is.' Luo Xiaobo thought.

Splash! Splosh!

"Ah!"

With a smug face Alden's hands moved under the water and in an rapid movement splashed water on Xiaobo.

"Hoo-Hooo Xiaobo don't think too deep when I'm here!" He said.

"Leader, although you were known as the Water king that was before we became cultivators!" Luo Xiaobo kicked the water surface and made an entire chunk of it go Alden's way.

Thump! Swoooo

"Ehhhhh, isn't...That...a bit too much?" Alden gulped, "Oof."

"Haha! How was that? They didn't call me "God of Water" for no reason!" He said to Alden who was acting like he was "unconscious" on the surface of water.

"Blub...Blub."

"?! Leader there is something coming this way!" Luo Xiaobo shouted and Alden jumped awake as well.

"What?"

"SHIT!!! YOU FUCKERS KILL THAT BASTARD OF A SNAKE RIGHT NOW!!!" Wang book shouted from his lungs.

The snake destroyed the trees it came in contact with, then it finally revealed it's whole body after a few seconds. That was a Qi gathering 4 beast.

"Leader get behind me! I will handle him." Luo Xiaobo said. He prepared to throw his spear straight at the eyes of the snake.

"Kssss!!"

"You bastard!! If you hit me you're dead!!!"

"Ha!" He threw the spear with using Qi to enhance his body.

Swoosh

"Hssss!" The snake avoided it narrowly with his speed went straight at him.

"Ha.I knew this would happen." Luo Xiaobo said to himself. He went in the opposite direction of the group and sprinted with everything he had.

"Xiaobo! be careful!" Alden said.

The figure who was watching them for a few minutes now was closely observing their actions [Sacrificial intent? Is that how it is? He can't fight the snake in forest, nor water.]

"Come here pretty snake! Follow me away from them!" Luo Xiaobo yelled and thought, 'I didn't wanted for the leader to get hurt, but how can I handle a powerful beast like that? He's stronger than most of the beasts in the cave. I guess for now I can only tire him from circling the lake.'

In the midst of his thought, the beast rapidly closed in on him to the point it even scared Xiaobo.

"Hssa!!" The snake wide opened he's mouth and tried to bite Xiaobo, who, narrowly avoids the bone crushing strength of the jaws of the snake, but it still reached his muscle and took a small chunk of it away.

"Argh!" Luo Xiaobo said with sweat drops, 'Whoa that was too close!' He could barely hold on the previous sprinting speed because of his injury, thus giving the snake a tremendous advantage.

At the same time Alden wasn't watching this scene from the sideline, he took Luo Xiaobo's spear and went from the other side of the lake, "I don't know if I'm any help but at least I can give Xiaobo this spear!" He said.

[Why is he doing that? Charging on the snake with his low cultivation base?] The figure thought, [He's not using his potential of leading...even a fraction of it.]

"L-leader?! Don't come here!" Luo Xiaobo exclaimed with pain from his injury. But then he saw his spear on him.

"Here!" Alden thew the spear at him and Luo steadily grabbed it in midair.

He turned around the instant he had it and with full force, threw it to the snake's eyes.

"Kreek?!" Although, the snake was too close to Luo Xiaobo, he was BARELY able to protect his vitals. But that didn't help him stay uninjured from the attack.

"KERRESRFA!!" With ferocious rage and an half cut eye, the snake sprinted to Luo Xiaobo who was also running away from him. Everywhere the snake went, it would rumble the ground because of it's immense weight and size.

Huff, Huff!

"That was dangerous leader!" Luo Xiaobo said.

"I know, but I'm not that weak you know?!" Alden replied, "Besides the Attack team would be here any moment now! I've told the boy to send out the signal to the communication team!"

"Then we just need to hold the snake for a while right?" Luo Xiaobo said, "Got that!"

Alden gritted his teeth and said, "Go take your spear I'll hold the snake until then!"

"Wha--?" Luo Xiaobo spoke.

Then Alden went directly at the snake with his fist up high, he was ready to punch the snake.

Lup composed himself and without wasting any time went to retrieve his weapon, that landed in the edge of the lake.

Alden punched the snake with his enhanced fist... But it did very less damage.

"Kreee!"

"Grkh!"

The snake whooshed him away with it's tail and he landed on one of the tree.

Then the snake started going towards Luo Xiaobo, who was a greater threat to him than anyone else.

Swoom! Thuk!

"Hssssss?"

Alden's ribs broke and blood came from his head. He had shooting pain all over his body and whenever he tried to move it only worsen it. Despite this fact, he was able to throw a big rock at the snake to grab it's attention.

"Come here." He said.

"Hss!" The snake who was not too far went in his direction and again, whooshed him away with it's tail. This time, with even greater force.

"Grak!"

Swoom! Thuk!

When the snake was about to resume his fight, he was hit by another rock but not with enough strength.

"Hss?"

Alden staggers against a tree and tries to pressure pressure on his wounds but can only feel warm blood with dust in between his fingers.

"You're.... A funny.... snake." He said with half closed eyes with blood.

"Hss!!" Just when the snake was about to finish his job, he heard a screeching sound behind him.

"Take this pretty snake!" Luo Xiaobo's spear came flying with great speed.

KRR GRR GRR

"Hssk!! The spear went deeply inside the snake's body to the point where you couldn't even see it from the outside. The attack just now was too effective and would surely leave the snake vulnerable as it goes out of control.

With going out of it's mind, the snake charged at Luo Xiaobo. Blood covered it's body and eyes like fire. It was too angry to stop now.

Although the previous attack was successful, Luo lost the spear in the process and he too was vulnerable to the attacks.

Lup Xiaobo ran to where the Ginseng and other treasures were. The snake followed him every step.One of the two bags were gone but Xiaobo didn't notice that and took the one which wasn't. He started eating the Ginseng as fast as he could. And he immediately felt it's abnormal effects.

His injury started healing way too fast for anyone in the Qi gathering realm, as well as Meridian opening realm. Luo Xiaobo's wound on the leg Disappeared right in front of him. He felt warm and calm even in this dangerous situation.

"Hya!" When the snake came close to him, he punched the beast with all if his inner Qi.

BOOM! THUSS

It messed up the entire body of the snake from the inside. The snake was stunned for a few second to stabilize it's body from the outside Qi. Not only that, but the attack was too strong that it made the snake think many times if it should run or not. Then it remembered Luo Xiaobo shouldn't have any Qi on him.

Luo Xiaobo couldn't do anything but watch. Every last bit of his Qi was gone and normal punches even though they were alot more powerful than a non cultivator's wouldn't do anything to an energy beast.

"Haha, pretty beast. Don't you think you're too angry at us for no reason?" He said excepting his fate in an "energetic way".

The beast after stabilizing and becoming too tired because of the two, finally had it's chance to kill them.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR MESSING WITH ME YOU FUCKERS!!! NOW DIE IN THIS TRASH PLACE!!" Wang book who was watching the fight in the distance said with intensely twisted and creepy grin on his face.

Whoosh Swoosh!

And then, behind him, one person went past, then another and another. Total of 5.

'W-Who are they?!" Wang book couldn't even see the body of the people, let alone their faces or what clothes they wore. But that wasn't the issue, he saw one of them look at him like he were some kind of an ant. Wang book felt an overwhelming...Fear. Fear that you feel being a prey in front of an predator.

...

Luo Xiaobo fell on the ground and said to himself, "I couldn't leave a mark in the history..."

Swoosh! BOOM! Thump! Thump! Thump! Boom!

One after another various different kinds of weapons pierced the snake's skin like butter. The weapons were two swords and a whip. The swords keept the snake's tail in check and the long whip closed it's mouth. Making it harmless instantly.

"It took us a while to get here." Said Yan ling.

"Indeed, but at the end of the day, we succeeded." Said Tan Wen.

Behind them were two other people, but instead of the snake, they went to check Luo Xiaobo. And the last one went to Alden.