Life Countdown

When Qian Bing opened his eyes again, dawn had yet to break.

Turning his head, he saw Tang San sleeping soundly against the rock wall beside him. There was no snoring, only steady, even breaths.

He looked completely different asleep from his usual calm, mature self—just an adorable little kid.

Qian Bing had not wanted to disturb Tang San's sleep. He had only intended to quietly get up and check their surroundings.

But the moment he tried to rise, his legs suddenly gave out, and he dropped back onto the ground on his butt.

The vigilant Tang San immediately opened his eyes and looked over.

Seeing that it was Qian Bing who had made the noise, he withdrew his sharp gaze and sighed in relief.

"Boss, you're awake?"

"I just woke up too. Did I wake you?"

Tang San rubbed his eyes, rolled over, and stood up.

"No. I've always been a light sleeper. Even the slightest movement wakes me up.

Besides, we're out in the wilderness. We have to stay alert at all times. How could I dare sleep deeply?"

Uh...

I slept pretty peacefully...

Qian Bing grumbled inwardly, though he naturally voiced his agreement.

"You're right. I was careless. I'll keep watch now, so you can sleep a little longer without worry."

Tang San shook his head as he checked the remaining Realgar Powder on the ground.

"Snakes are cold-blooded animals. When the temperature drops below ten degrees, their activity is greatly limited. We should take advantage of the low temperature and hurry to find the Snake Den.

After all, no one knows whether there was only one Mandala Snake. If we run into another one, my hidden weapons will be more effective against it at this time.

Oh, right. Let me see the arm that was poisoned."

After saying that, Tang San turned around, took out a tinderbox from his bundle, lit it, and held it before Qian Bing's outstretched left arm.

By the firelight, Qian Bing got a clear look at his exposed arm as well.

At that moment, nearly the entire area from his shoulder to his elbow had turned a pale purple.

The area around the wounds splashed by the venom was an even deeper purple.

Seeing this, even an amateur like Qian Bing, who knew nothing about identifying poisons, understood that not only had the poisoned area spread far beyond what it had been before they slept last night, but the toxin had clearly penetrated deeper as well.

Tang San took only one look before his brows knotted together, his tone full of gravity.

"This is bad. The Mandala Snake's venom is far more potent than I expected.

Although I removed most of the Snake Venom for you in time yesterday, the tiny amount left in your body that I couldn't eliminate is still extremely lethal.

I estimate that if we can't find something to suppress the Snake Venom within six hours, this arm of yours will be ruined.

If we still can't find anything after half a day, you'll likely be in mortal danger.

So we can't delay. Let's go find the Snake Den now."

Qian Bing naturally valued his own life even more than Tang San did. Hearing this, how could he dare linger for even another second?

At that moment, he did not want to say anything at all. He only wanted to follow Tang San and leave this place.

Before long, the two returned to the place where they had killed the Mandala Snake yesterday.

Qian Bing looked around. The snake's corpse had long vanished, and only the dark red bloodstains left on the ground proved that everything had not been a dream.

Tang San stopped, let out a long breath through his nose, and fully activated the Mysterious Heaven Skill.

The Mysterious Heaven Skill had many functions. Not only could it speed up the cultivation of Soul Power, it could also greatly enhance a cultivator's six senses, including sight, hearing, smell, and touch.

As the Mysterious Heaven Skill began to circulate, Tang San, who had originally been unable to see clearly beyond a dozen meters, suddenly saw the entire world around him become distinct. He could even make out the central veins on distant leaves.

His sense of smell sharpened greatly as well, and he immediately caught that familiar fishy fragrance again—the scent of the Mandala Snake!

"Boss, follow me."

Tang San's nose twitched. After calling out, he led Qian Bing into the woods ahead.

The two traveled through the forest for some time. By the time the eastern sky had begun to pale, Qian Bing's head was covered in gleaming sweat, and his legs had buckled several times, nearly causing him to fall.

Tang San saw that Qian Bing's breathing was growing more and more ragged and that his strength had reached the brink of collapse.

Yet he still gritted his teeth and stubbornly followed close behind him, stirring a trace of admiration in Tang San's heart.

Tang San stopped of his own accord, turned, and said to Qian Bing.

"Boss, let me carry you."

Qian Bing immediately shook his head and stubbornly replied.

"No need. I can still keep going."

But Tang San ignored his insistence. He stepped forward, hoisted him over his shoulder in one motion, and continued onward with great strides.

However, so that Qian Bing would not struggle any further on his shoulder, he immediately explained.

"Boss, this Mandala Snake venom seems very complicated.

At first, I saw only external symptoms in you: swelling around the wound, nonstop bleeding, and purplish-black skin. Your mental state seemed completely unaffected.

I judged it to be a circulatory toxin, and my cultivation method is most effective at suppressing that type of poison.

But now, your footing is unsteady and your stamina has fallen sharply. That doesn't match your original physical condition at all.

So I'm certain that you've begun to lose control of your muscles. That is a symptom of cytotoxins.

If the Mandala Snake venom contains such a toxin, then we have at least half as much time as I estimated before. We absolutely can't waste another moment now."

After hearing Tang San's words, Qian Bing was completely dumbfounded!

Am I really going to die?

How could this be? This seriously doesn't follow the original story's logic.

Yu Xiaogang was completely fine after being poisoned. Why did it become so serious when I took the poison for him?

Web novels really are all lies. What a damn scam!

Qian Bing secretly swore that he would never again trade something that endangered his own life for Tang San's sincere feelings.

At the same time, he stopped struggling against Tang San's shoulder carry.

In truth, Qian Bing felt somewhat despairing and regretful at that moment, but fortunately, his mental fortitude was not bad.

He tried hard to convince himself that he had to trust the ability of Tang San, the "Child of the World." As long as hope had not vanished, he absolutely could not become negative. After hiding the worry in his heart, he said.

"Xiao San, am I a carrying pole? What kind of way is this to keep hauling me over your shoulder?

Can't you carry me properly on your back?"

Hearing that, Tang San adjusted his posture and continued following the lingering scent of the Mandala Snake.

This time, the two did not travel much farther. Tang San pushed aside a cluster of branches blocking the way and entered an open patch of grass within the forest.

Qian Bing poked his head out from behind Tang San's back and looked over. He saw a thorny vine covered in spikes, its patterns and colors eighty or ninety percent similar to those of the Mandala Snake, winding and growing like a serpent.

Somewhat at odds with its fierce appearance, three palm-sized white flowers bloomed midway along the thorny vines.

The petals were still covered in sparkling morning dew, looking delicate and lush.

Because the vines were coiled together, Qian Bing could not determine their length for the moment. But judging by their nearly bowl-sized diameter, they had grown for at least a hundred years.

At that moment, Qian Bing's left palm grew hot, and information about the plant before him entered his mind.