6) The Black frost wasteland

Hooo~

The cold wind howled within the battlefield, sweeping layers of snow over the frozen rocks.

Zhao Fan whi was still sitting, as if he were a statue carved from ice, continued to watch the battle between the Nine-Tailed Frost Fox and the Shadow Leopard.

They were equally matched despite the fact that nine tailed beast seemed to be just promoted.

However, he was simply waiting for a perfect time, exhausting half of his Qi on talismans, runes, and arrays.

Unlike Zhao Meng, who rushed forward the moment the opportunity presented itself, Zhao Fan played the long game.

He had already set up his plan long before Zhao Meng even thought of entering the cave.

He has already deployed the traps and is now, just waiting for the fish to take the bait.

There were three talismans hidden at the entrance of the cave, layered beneath the snow, masked by "invisible runes", making the talisman, undetectable to the naked eye or even spiritual senses from someone like Zhao Meng.

He even deloyed a spiritual gathering array, just in case somehow, Zhao Meng detects the talisman through some profound means, that way, the spiritual sense of the protagonist will first detect the array and not the trapping talisman, making him lose his guard.

However, if somehow his protagonist's sense can penetrate the array, then the explosive talisman among the three talismans will explode immediately sensing the spiritual fluctuation.

Which will attract the attention of both beasts.

A simple yet effective trap.

However, Zhao Fan was also prepared in case despite the explosion, the beast continued to fight among themselves and did not attack Zhao Meng.

Zhao Fan didn't need to see Zhao Meng to predict his actions.

He understood how protagonists like him operated.

Their arrogance, their confidence, their reliance on fate itself, all of it, made them predictable.

They were like open books and he was a profound reader.

The omniscient, watching the ants entertaining him.

A treasure appears in the midst of battle?

Zhao Meng will believe it was left for him.

Another cultivator in the distance? He'll dismiss them as insignificant.

A cave filled with ancient power?

He'll assume there are no risks because he is the chosen one.

...

Zhao Fan's lips curled into a faint smirk.

'It's almost laughable how easy it is to read him… perhaps, he must have already seen me, sitting here, before, he even entered the cave, and must be cussing me to make himself feel better like a pathetic uneducated protagonist, because isn't this how it exactly go?'

He flicked his fingers, activating the formation array he had meticulously placed beforehand, seeing how clueless the protagonist was, as he could feel the pressure on the talisman he had placed.

Pathetic.

He didn't even bother using his spiritual sense to check the surroundings properly.

...

At that exact moment,

BOOM!

An explosion erupted from the cave's entrance.

Zhao Fan didn't even need to look. He could already imagine the scene in his mind.

Zhao Meng being too self-assured to check for traps, stepped right into the talisman while trying to run away, with a smug on his face.

Yet, the delayed reaction must be because when his protagonist instincts kicked at him, it was already too late.

The moment of disbelief before realization must be hard for him as, the world wasn't handing him the treasure without consequences.

..

Then came the second activation.

Zhao Fan formed a single-hand seal, his fingers moving with practiced precision.

Shackling Chains Rune.

Crack!

From within the cave, faint golden chains burst from the snow-covered ground, winding around Zhao Meng's legs and sealing his Qi circulation.

Zhao Fan sighed.

'If he had spent even a second checking his surroundings, this wouldn't have worked perfectly…'

...

Zhao Meng's screams echoed faintly.

"WHO DARES?! COME FORWARD AND SHOW YOURSELF!!!"

Zhao Fan chuckled.

Zhao Fan's honest reaction: "..."

What a dialogue.

If someone is trying to sneak attack and trap you, why would they even show themselves?

As just as predicted, the beast didn't even bother checking the explosive, to know, if what they were fighting for was still there.

They were like NPC only programmed to fight, each other.

Zhao Fan: "..."

What an interesting sight.

Hiding behind the large stone, Zhao Fan continued to control the formation and runes.

...

Swoosh!

Zhao Meng despite being a man, was bound by chains in a pathetic manner just like how women are bound in fantasy novels.

The chains glowed bright red while suppressing his cultivation.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Two Qi-gathering arrays appeared on his heart and navel.

Let the protagonist experience what a normal cultivator experiences.

Swish!

The cold Qi envelops his body, forcefully entering into his dantian.

Eesh!

His body shivered while his body glowed with the green aura, trying to fight the Cold Qi.

But the blood-red qi from the runes fought with his green aura.

Zhao Meng felt a chill run down his anus.

He could feel cold icy qi entering his dantian, making it feel like he was cut by sharp icy blades.

Both painful and cold.

If it was any normal person, he might be already dead or severely injured being attacked into Dantian like that.

But he is the protagonist, he might get ice affinity or some sort of blessing despite the pain, he is suffering.

And later develop an ice golden core of calamity ice and might get accepted into the ice peak of some sect, where there are only women.

All beautiful and prideful.

However, Zhao Fan doesn't care much about it.

He just wants Zhao Meng to feel pain at the moment.

"DAMN IT, SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD, FIGHT LIKE A MAN, DON'T YOU HAVE ANY DIGNITY?" Zhao Meng roared furiously despite the chilling pain coursing through his bones.

Yet, no reply came.

Bang!

Another talisman was activated.

Swoosh!!!

Another explosion.

The first explosion was blocked by the heavenly bell defensive technique.

But now?

He can't use it.

"Damn it... It must be that Zhao Fan, aside from him, there is no one here, aren't we sons of the same father? Why is he attacking me? Outrageous!!! Simply outrageous!!! Don't tell me, he thinks my inheritance will make him lose face so, he wants to kill me? Damn it, Zhao Fan, hope you die a brutal death,"

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( Today: 1/9 )