Chapter 4089 — Battle Against a Golden Core
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
The purpose of this outing had been twofold: to find the Life-Form Mushroom, and to temper himself through trials until he broke through. If he simply rode a flying spirit beast back, that second goal would come to nothing.
"Then... very well, Senior. We shall take our leave now. If ever you have need of us in the future, come find us at the Azure Cloud Pavilion—the two of us will gladly go through fire and water for you." [Huang Xiaotao] immediately gave a shrill whistle skyward, summoning down the spirit bird that had been circling overhead, and helped [Cong Zhima] up to leave.
But just then, [Wei Zhao] suddenly reached out and barred their way, his expression grave. "Wait!"
[Huang Xiaotao] and his companion started in alarm, a flicker of dread rising in their hearts. They thought [Wei Zhao] had changed his mind and meant to take back the Myriad Crossing Golden Core Fruit in their possession.
Yet the very next moment they heard [Wei Zhao] say, "Someone's coming. Don't take off yet—run in that direction for a ways first, then go. I'll hold them off here for you."
The jade pendant was already giving warning, and within [Wei Zhao]'s own perception he could indeed sense an exceedingly powerful aura rapidly approaching. If [Huang Xiaotao] took flight now, they would be far too conspicuous and would easily draw unwanted attention.
Only then did the two realize they had misjudged [Wei Zhao], and shame flooded through them. But seeing how grave his expression was, they knew the situation was urgent, and so they said nothing further. After a word of caution to the senior, they hurried off with the spirit bird.
Watching the two of them recede into the distance, [Wei Zhao] remained where he was and kept waiting. Judging by the way the other party was closing in with such obvious intent, he had a premonition that they too had come for the Myriad Crossing Golden Core Fruit.
Soon a middle-aged man, his appearance that of a man in his forties, appeared overhead astride a flying spirit beast. After surveying the scene below, he descended from the sky and landed before [Wei Zhao].
The middle-aged man gave [Wei Zhao] a cold glance and said with a teasing lilt, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—but who'd have thought a little sparrow like you would beat me to it. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and hand it over!"
"Hand what over?" [Wei Zhao] feigned bewilderment.
"Heh heh, a mere peak late-stage Foundation Establishment, and you dare play games with me? Fine, then you needn't bother handing it over—once you're dead, I'll search your corpse myself!" With that, the middle-aged man's aura surged violently, his already formidable presence turning in an instant even more terrifying and savage.
[Wei Zhao] was greatly shaken. Judging by that aura, this middle-aged man's strength was likely at least that of a mid-stage Golden Core expert!
[Wei Zhao] had assumed that those who came to Mount Hucai Tianwu for trial missions would at most be cultivators at the great perfection of Foundation Establishment, and that he was unlikely to encounter a Golden Core expert. After all, what Golden Core expert would lower himself to gather spirit herbs in a place like this?
Yet who would have thought that not only had he run into a Golden Core expert, but one at the mid-stage—an opponent of unprecedented ferocity!
Even as [Wei Zhao] reeled in shock, the middle-aged man had already made his move. With a casual wave of his hand, a hideous giant claw condensed from true qi appeared without warning above [Wei Zhao]'s head.
Had [Wei Zhao]'s reflexes been any slower—had he not driven the Butterfly Microstep to its utmost and escaped in that split second when there was barely a hair's breadth to spare—that single claw alone would have gravely wounded him, and might even have killed him outright!