Chapter 194 - 182: A Cold Gleam

Chapter 194: Chapter 182: A Cold Gleam

Although Jiang Hongtao had volunteered, he was still somewhat wary as he slowly walked toward the pile of stones.

Seeing Jiang Hongtao walk ahead alone, Li Heng and the other two readied their weapons, prepared for anything.

Walking on the pile of stones revealed nothing unusual, nor did he feel anything strange. Jiang Hongtao periodically reported back to his teammates, confirming that it was safe to walk on.

If walking on them was not the issue, then the focus shifted to the colored stones themselves.

’The university’s hint was that the larger the volume, the higher the score for the Spring Outing event?’

Thinking of this and recalling Li Heng’s earlier warning, Jiang Hongtao felt more and more that something was off. He then picked a relatively small stone.

Jiang Hongtao was extremely cautious while choosing the stone. Only after temporarily confirming there was no danger did he reach for a green stone, preparing to pick it up.

The stone was light, and there was nothing strange about it. In fact, with its vibrant colors, it was quite pretty. After about ten seconds, Jiang Hongtao decided there was probably no problem and spoke up.

"My three experts! It should be fine! Hurry over and pick a stone, then we’ll quickly—HISS~"

Just as Jiang Hongtao, thinking everything was fine, was about to report back to his teammates, he suddenly felt a burning heat in his palm and instinctively threw the stone away.

The other three witnessed Jiang Hongtao’s sudden reaction. Li Heng seemed to have anticipated it, so he remained calm, but the two girls tensed up, their nerves stretched taut as they stared intently at the unfolding situation.

The stone Jiang Hongtao had thrown began to glow brightly on the ground, and a roar erupted along with the light.

As the roar echoed, the light gradually condensed into a monkey-like form. Once the shape solidified, the light vanished completely, revealing a simian Soul Beast with a ferocious expression.

Without any warning, this Soul Beast, a Coconut Tree Monkey, charged straight for Jiang Hongtao’s abdomen.

Although Jiang Hongtao had been cautious, the lack of any incidents, combined with the presence of his teammates, had caused him to lower his guard slightly. He never expected these colored stones to hide such a deep trap, one with a delayed trigger.

Jiang Hongtao was dumbfounded at the sight of the suddenly appearing simian Soul Beast. By the time he snapped out of it, the creature was already dangerously close.

At this distance, although his mind had reacted, his body couldn’t keep up. Besides, even if he did manage to react in time, nocking and firing an arrow from this range wouldn’t have much power.

Jiang Hongtao immediately panicked. Aside from his bow and arrows, the only other useful thing he had was the small dagger he used for collecting medicinal herbs to soak in wine.

But with his skill in close-quarters combat, he would have trouble cutting down even an ordinary Secret Realm Creature. In this situation, Jiang Hongtao could only place his hopes on his teammates, especially the expert, Li Heng.

But the monkey Soul Beast was very close to him, while his teammates were some distance away. At this range, even for a Soul Warrior, it would be difficult to rush over and save him in time. Only an expert specializing in speed-type Soul Energy Skills could manage it.

It all happened so suddenly, yet a flood of possibilities flashed through Jiang Hongtao’s mind in an instant. He reacted quickly, gripping his small dagger and assuming a defensive stance.

’Damn it! Looks like I’m going to get hurt today! I just hope this thing doesn’t hit too hard!’

Recognizing the situation, Jiang Hongtao concluded that he wouldn’t be able to dodge the monkey Soul Beast’s first attack. As for the second attack, the expert Li Heng and the two girls should be able to arrive by then.

In reality, the moment the Soul Beast solidified, Bai Shasha had already moved. With a flick of her two scimitars, she charged toward the creature.

The Coconut Tree Monkey’s appearance had been too sudden. Bai Shasha was one of the quickest to react, but even as she did, a sense of powerlessness washed over her. ’This distance... Damn it! I can’t make it!’

Bao Yaoyao’s reaction was just as fast. She was about to draw her blade and move, but the flat-chested girl’s sprint was a bit faster than hers. Seeing a teammate already on the move, she held back.

But looking at the distance, at the gap between Jiang Hongtao and the Soul Beast, Bao Yaoyao also felt it was a lost cause. She couldn’t help but murmur worriedly, "It’s over! It’s too close!"

Bai Shasha, sprinting at full speed, saw the man and monkey getting closer and closer. Realizing she wouldn’t make it, she hardened her resolve and threw one of her scimitars straight at the creature.

In that split second, Bai Shasha’s thinking was very simple: the throw just needed to create a distraction. As long as it bought some time, it would be the best possible outcome.

The scimitar flew from Bai Shasha’s hand, carving an arc through the air. Just as the blade took flight, a flash of cold light suddenly shot past the flat-chested girl’s eyes!

The cold light flashed by in an instant, and along with it, snowflakes materialized out of thin air and began to drift down.

"What... is... this?"

The flat-chested girl suddenly felt a chill. The abrupt appearance of the cold light, though momentary, made her instantly halt her rescue charge.

If it had just been the cold gleam, she might have dismissed it. But when she saw the snowflakes, an inexplicable fear welled up from the depths of the flat-chested girl’s heart.

This fear, while not as intense as what she felt seeing the spear-wielding soldier in the illusion before, was still a clear sign that this was something she absolutely could not parry.

’And it was so fast, I couldn’t even see what it was! I couldn’t even see an afterimage!’

After stopping, she immediately stared, stunned, in the direction the cold light had vanished. Her heart churned with turmoil, accompanied by waves of fear.

And just as the flat-chested girl was staring at the fading cold light, another flash of light crossed her vision. But compared to the previous, unidentifiable cold gleam, this "light" was all too familiar to her.

Li Heng!

Li Heng, with snowflakes still falling upon him.

—

The moment Li Heng had seen the Coconut Tree Monkey’s name and status, he had thrown a knife.

The distance was simply too great; even using the Wolf Walk Technique, he wouldn’t make it in time. Considering Jiang Hongtao’s position, a sudden attack would result in a serious injury at a minimum. Therefore, he chose to "travel" by throwing knife!

He quickly threw the knife and simultaneously teleported. Worried that the distance covered by one knife wouldn’t be enough, Li Heng planned to throw another knife and teleport again after the first jump.

But just as he was about to throw the second knife, Li Heng’s left hand suddenly froze. He looked stunned, his eyes widening in an instant, as he subconsciously muttered, "Is this... my fated moment?"