Chapter 3902 — Off You Go, Safe and Sound
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Wei Zhao observed carefully for a while, then fixed his gaze on a nearby tree. Compared with the other trees around it—which were often dozens of meters tall—it was not much to look at, its crown only ten meters or so above the ground. But it was the closest tree on the shore to the cedar in the lake: the gap between its outermost trunk and the cedar's trunk was only seven or eight meters. For a cultivator at the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage like Wei Zhao, that was a simple step away.
Having chosen his position, all that remained was to wait patiently for the right moment. By day, the lake bottom was utterly invisible, the danger impossible to foresee, and so no opportunity could even be discussed. But now, at night, the lake's glow let him pinpoint the creature's location.
Down at the lake bottom was a terrifying existence capable of killing even Golden Core experts. Wei Zhao had not the slightest intention of trading blows with it, for if they truly met face to face, the outcome was already decided. So he must stay as far from it as possible, and only when it swam to the farthest end of Half-Moon Lake would it be time to act.
"Then you and Little Circle Bear stay here. From what we saw today, so long as you don't do anything unnecessary, this place should be safe. Wait here for me to come back—and remember to hide well. There may be some commotion in a bit." Wei Zhao rose to his feet.
"Don't worry, don't worry. With Little White protecting me, I won't be in any danger. Off you go, little junior brother, safe and sound!" Shangguan Lan'er waved cheerfully.
Off he goes, safe and sound? Wei Zhao's face darkened. He glanced at Little Circle Bear, that adorable, dopey lump of a creature—this thing was supposed to protect her? If he actually believed that, a few lives wouldn't be enough to throw away.
Watching Little Circle Bear puff itself up and flex its muscles in a show of might, Wei Zhao rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned to climb the tree.
Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he carefully watched the movements of the black shadow at the lake bottom. He needed not only to make sure it swam to the farthest end, but also to grasp the pattern of its movements—the bare minimum of preparation before acting. Slack off even slightly, and the result might well be a death with no place to bury the body.
This process went on for a full hour. Even Shangguan Lan'er had begun yawning from the wait before Wei Zhao finally made his move.
Now! Wei Zhao's eyes flew wide, and his Butterfly Microstep burst forth at full power, his figure streaking across the lake surface like a phantom.
Eight meters—a distance that, in Wei Zhao's eyes, he could once cross in a flash without the aid of anything at all. Yet now he had to scheme so painstakingly for it, and even then, whether he could succeed remained unknown.
Closer! The cedar's trunk was already within reach. Just as Wei Zhao thought he might succeed, the once-placid surface of Half-Moon Lake suddenly convulsed violently!
And then, a blood-red tentacle, thick as a washbasin, came shooting up from the depths of the lake with horrific speed too fast for the eye to follow, aimed straight at Wei Zhao.
Leaping eight meters—the span of that moment was, needless to say, brief. Moreover, Wei Zhao had already figured out the movement pattern of that nameless, powerful spirit beast below, and had deliberately chosen the moment it swam to the farthest point, where it could least afford to pay attention. The straight-line distance between them at this instant was at least a thousand meters. RS