Step by Step Ascend to Immortality

Chapter 5: Eagle's Howl

"Hmm..." Gu Yinghua had just been considering how to reward the overly courageous Liu Suiyun with a pill of Xuan Yun Jade Cauldron Elixir, when Liu Suiyun surprised her by asking for only three to five thousand coins as payment. She scoffed and spat, "Not a single coin more!"

Lowering her voice, she added, "Just make sure you stay alive."

The two young men carrying the sedan chair shrank back at her words. While Gu Yinghua was undoubtedly a beauty, she was also infamously frugal. Liu Suiyun risked his life for her, yet she refused to increase the paltry sum he requested. They wondered if the original offer of a thousand coins per day was too generous after all.

Despite their thoughts, the group quickened their pace. The monstrous serpent that had been chasing Liu Suiyun slithered after him like an arrow, momentarily relieving them of their fears while also heightening their anxiety for his safety. They hoped that Liu Suiyun's skills would see him through this ordeal.

Liu Suiyun ran swiftly, leaving the Xuan Shui Serpent far behind by some twenty or thirty zhang. Had Gu Yinghua and Huo Qianshu been following, they would have been astounded by his speed—something beyond the capabilities of a mere Bo Hu (Tiger Wrestler) realm martial artist.

Perhaps it was due to old injuries, but his steps and breathing were perfectly synchronized, each stride accompanied by a precisely timed breath, minimizing his energy expenditure—a feat even some in the formidable Ge Shan (Mountain Splitter) realm struggled to achieve.

Xuan Shui Serpent flicked its blood-red tongue, attempting to unleash its deadly venom or fiery breath, but Liu Suiyun always stayed a step ahead. Even as the serpent pushed its speed to the limit, it could only just keep up with him.

The serpent recognized its old adversary and, consumed by a burning desire for vengeance, twisted its massive body with relentless determination. It left Gu Yinghua's group far behind, confident that today it would finally feast on this elusive prey.

Man and beast raced through the rugged terrain for over a quarter of an hour, yet the distance between them remained constant. Neither could gain an advantage. For the wounded Liu Suiyun, this chase was unsustainable. Despite his perfect coordination of breath and stride, fatigue began to weigh heavily on him after the prolonged sprint.

His chest burned like a furnace, and sweat dripped from his brow. Liu Suiyun knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. Continuing this chase would only end in disaster for him.

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He was well aware of the serpent's deadly prowess. Although Xuan Shui Serpent wasn't the strongest creature in Luoxing Mountain, in his current state, a direct confrontation was hopeless. Moreover, the serpent possessed an incredible vitality. With a quick decision, Liu Suiyun changed course, sprinting towards a nearby peak.

Xuan Shui Serpent wasn't far behind. By the time Liu Suiyun reached the summit, the serpent had already climbed halfway up. The creature could almost taste its victory, envisioning Liu Suiyun's helpless form being crushed beneath its fangs. The moment it reached the summit, the serpent was ready to strike.

But Liu Suiyun's steps faltered as sweat poured down his face. His breath was no longer fire, but scorching flames that seared his lungs, and even his legs began to tremble. He cursed under his breath, "Damn this injury!"

He glanced at the serpent, now halfway up the mountain. Even without reaching the summit, a blast of its venom or fiery breath would be fatal. He couldn't afford to wait for death.

His hand moved to the two-foot-long sword strapped to his back, but after a moment of hesitation, he released it.

Now was not the time to draw his weapon. Liu Suiyun didn't regret the burden he had taken on. Without it, the entire group might have already fallen prey to the serpent. Although Gu Yinghua and Huo Qianshu were mere acquaintances, the others were his fellow villagers and good friends—though they were unaware of his true intentions.

Even if it were just Gu Yinghua and Huo Qianshu, Liu Suiyun couldn't stand by and let them die. Gu Yinghua, with her privileged background, would likely be swallowed whole by Xuan Shui Serpent, while Huo Qianshu, though slightly more skilled, would stand no chance against the creature.

As the serpent drew closer, its vicious eyes and sharp fangs became clearly visible, but Liu Suiyun had found his target. With a swift push, he sent a boulder, weighing at least thirty jin, rolling down the slope.

Xuan Shui Serpent reacted swiftly, its body twisting left just in time to avoid the boulder, which thundered past its side.

Triumphant, the serpent flicked its tail, ready to unleash its deadly fire. The mere touch of its breath would be lethal, even to a warrior in the Bone Refinement realm, let alone Liu Suiyun, who was only in the Tiger Wrestler realm. The serpent's mouth opened wide, its forked tongue flicking out, until another boulder, this one weighing sixty to seventy jin, crashed down, striking its midsection and sending it tumbling down the slope.

The grinding stone, having gathered immense momentum during its descent, nearly snapped the serpent's body in half. By the time it regained its senses, it had already tumbled to the base of the mountain along with the stone.

Lifting its head, the serpent saw its adversary standing smugly at the summit, glaring down at it. Furious, the creature let out a series of shrill cries, its black scales suddenly streaked with a fiery red hue. Even the bulge where the boulder had struck flattened out.

"Troublesome..." Liu Suiyun's chest still burned with intense heat, but at least he had some knowledge of the terrain. Using those two boulders had bought him a brief respite, allowing him to catch his breath. However, he realized that this tactic wouldn't work again.

Xuan Shui Serpent's most frustrating trait was not only its formidable strengths as a serpent but also its ability to imitate a rooster's crow. When its scales turned red, its power and mass would increase dramatically, making it nearly unstoppable. Hurling stones now would be futile.

The serpent crowed for a good while, revitalized, and then surged forward with renewed speed, its red eyes glowing like lanterns, filled with a single-minded determination to tear Liu Suiyun apart.

Liu Suiyun didn't hesitate. He pushed two more boulders down the slope, but the serpent didn't slow down. It crashed through the rocks, shattering them, and charged up the mountain, only to see Liu Suiyun as a distant black speck.

You can't escape! The serpent accelerated, certain that in another quarter of an hour, it would bite its despised foe in half and crush him with its coils. But just as it reached this conclusion, it saw Liu Suiyun vanish into a dense forest, disappearing from view.

You won't get away! The serpent's fangs glinted as it smashed through two large trees in pursuit, determined to catch Liu Suiyun.

Liu Suiyun was just twenty or so paces ahead, and with a single blast of venom or fire, he would be doomed. Suddenly, he clenched his fists, gathered his strength, and let out a powerful roar.

An eagle's cry pierced the air, echoing throughout Luoxing Mountain. Startled, the serpent rammed its head into a massive boulder, shattering it. Dazed, it retreated in a panic, moving even faster than it had when chasing Liu Suiyun.

It retreated nearly a li before it regained its composure and returned to the summit, furiously snapping a thirty-year-old tree in half as it prepared to reenter the forest in pursuit of Liu Suiyun.

But the serpent was still shaken by the earlier eagle's cry. As it cautiously entered the forest, it quickly withdrew, hesitating for half a moment before mustering the courage to press on.

Its resolve was weak, and as it approached the shattered boulder, it recoiled upon discovering a pool of blood and a half-li trail of it leading away.

Yet the serpent's vitality was astonishing. Despite losing so much blood, it recovered most of its strength after two quarters of an hour of crowing. Then it resumed its pursuit into the dense forest.

Its scales, once black, now glowed a fiery red. Xuan Shui Serpent was furious and vowed to crush its old foe, who had dared to use such tricks against it.

But after pursuing for three or four li, the serpent lost the trail at a stream. It searched both banks for hours, but Liu Suiyun's scent had vanished.

Realizing its prey had escaped, the serpent thrashed in frustration, its head colliding with another massive boulder, splitting it in two.