Sudden Danger

Before Yang Heng's eyes, a small silver snake flickered its tongue, its green eyes glinting coldly. It writhed its body, like a straight silver arrow, and rapidly struck towards his neck.

Seeing this, Yang Heng let out a cold laugh, thinking to himself, I've been waiting for you for a long time.

In a flash, Yang Heng's right hand suddenly clenched, like an eagle's talon, exuding a metallic sheen. He grabbed the Silver Ring Snake at the seven-inch mark and tore it apart.

Tear!

The Silver Ring Snake's body was ripped open like silk, and snake blood splattered everywhere.

The snake's body split in two and fell to the ground.

Seeing the snake's body still writhing, Yang Heng brought down a large foot and stomped down hard.

Squish!

The Silver Ring Snake's remains instantly turned into a bloody pulp, as if crushed by a thousand-pound weight, becoming a thin, bloody sheet stuck to the ground, leaving no bone fragments behind.

Before Yang Heng could savor his joy, his sixth sense suddenly sent a warning. Vaguely, Yang Heng sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching from behind.

Instantly, Yang Heng felt his heart pound, his hair standing on end!

With no time to deal with the scene, Yang Heng snatched the Intermittent Flower and threw it into his medicine basket. He then used the Levitation Technique, moving forward rapidly. He leaped three Zhangs in a single bound, and with a few more leaps, his figure disappeared into the depths of the jungle.

A few breaths later, a figure gracefully descended from the sky, landing precisely where Yang Heng had been standing.

Strangely, as the person walked through the mountains, not a speck of dirt stained their feet.

The person had a face like that of a thunder god, with prominent cheekbones, long hands and feet, and an extremely tall and burly physique. Standing there, the surrounding plants swayed and bowed towards him, as if in reverence.

If Yang Heng were present, he would have recognized the newcomer as Master Lei from the apothecary shop.

Looking at the messy scene, with the Intermittent Flower nowhere in sight, Master Lei's brow furrowed. He muttered, "Who could have picked the Intermittent Flower?"

"Was it an apprentice from the apothecary shop?"

As far as he knew, only the apothecary shop apprentices had entered the mountains to gather herbs today.

He had been away on business for the past few days and was not at the camp.

He had just returned that morning and heard from the apothecary shop master that an Intermittent Flower had been discovered deep in the mountains, guarded by a Silver Ring Snake. They had asked him to go and retrieve it.

Upon hearing it was an Intermittent Flower, he didn't have time to rest. After clarifying the location, he rushed over without delay.

Who would have thought he would be a step too late?

"Who could have killed the Silver Ring Snake and taken the flower?"

Master Lei pondered.

Among the group from the apothecary shop, only he possessed the ability to kill a Silver Ring Snake without sustaining any injuries. The other Blood Brave Disciples were simply incapable of it, let alone the apothecary shop masters, disciples, and apprentices who knew no martial arts.

If the apothecary shop masters had this ability, they wouldn't have asked him to come.

Attempting it by force would have most likely resulted in being bitten by the Silver Ring Snake, poisoned, and losing their lives.

The reason he rushed over was that he urgently needed the flower to heal his injuries.

During a gang mission, Master Lei's chest had been struck hard by an enemy. Although he had killed his opponent, he had suffered severe internal injuries. Upon returning to the gang, he had taken some medicine to treat his internal injuries, but the effect was minimal and could not fully heal him.

According to the gang physician, he had to find an Intermittent Flower. With the Intermittent Flower as the main ingredient, the medicinal concoction made from it would be able to fully cure him.

He had searched all over Qinghe City, but the Intermittent Flower was precious and rare. It was always bought by someone else as soon as it appeared, leaving no chance for a mere Blood Strengthening Realm martial artist like himself.

As a Blood Strengthening Realm martial artist, he could be considered a king in Qingyang Town, but in Qinghe City, he was nothing.

A Blood Strengthening Realm martial artist was at most a nobody in Qinghe City, not even a significant figure.

It was Qi Refining Realm martial artists who were considered significant figures in Qinghe City, possessing a certain status.

Those who truly held power were the Iron Bone Realm martial artists.

As for the Organ Tempering Realm martial artists, they remained behind the scenes, diligently cultivating, striving to break through to the Body Tempering Realm as soon as possible, and were rarely seen.

He learned that Qingyang Town was a high-yield area for Intermittent Flowers. A large portion of the Intermittent Flowers flowing into Qinghe City each year came from Qingyang Town.

Therefore, he took on a position within the gang and became the captain of the guards for the Hundred Herbs Pharmacy, escorting medicinal materials to Qinghe City every month. During his free time, he would venture into the mountains where Intermittent Flowers had been found.

Unfortunately, after a year, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of an Intermittent Flower.

If he couldn't find an Intermittent Flower in another six months, his internal injuries would never heal, and he would never be able to improve his cultivation, forever being stuck in the Blood Strengthening Realm.

Master Lei was a martial arts fanatic. If he were to remain in the Blood Strengthening Realm for his entire life, he would not hesitate to end it.

After finally getting news of an Intermittent Flower, he rushed over, only to have someone else pick it before him. Was it fate's decree that he should perish?

Master Lei sighed to the heavens.

He looked at the bloodstains on the ground and realized the person had left not long ago.

Unfortunately, he was not skilled in tracking, and in this vast mountain, where could he search?

Now, he could only hope that the person who picked the Intermittent Flower was an apprentice from the apothecary shop. If so, he might still have a chance to obtain it. If it was an outsider, he would have no chance at all.

There was more than one path down the mountain, and he couldn't block them all.

Moreover, he didn't even know who had picked the Intermittent Flower.

Master Lei thought to himself, If only I could get the Intermittent Flower, I would agree to any condition they ask.

Master Lei returned to the camp with a dejected look, realizing the task was impossible.

Yang Heng had no idea what happened after he left.

He ran for about ten kilometers in one go before stopping.

Yang Heng rejoiced inwardly. Fortunately, he had cultivated the Levitation Technique, and his movement skills were already at the beginner level. His steps were light, leaving only shallow traces on the ground. It would be difficult for anyone but a master tracker to find him.

When he had run a few miles and saw no one was chasing him, Yang Heng knew he was safe.

However, to be sure, he continued to run deeper into the mountains.

He didn't completely relax until he had run a full twenty miles.

Now even a god couldn't find me, Yang Heng thought.

After resting for a while, Yang Heng reached into his medicine basket, took out the Intermittent Flower, and admired it in his palm.

Under the sunlight, the Intermittent Flower emitted a silver glow, flashing and dazzling the eyes.

Anyone who saw this scene would know it was an exceptionally rare and miraculous herb.

Yang Heng definitely wouldn't hand over the Intermittent Flower to the apothecary shop. He decided to keep it for himself, as it might prove useful later.

After resting for a bit, Yang Heng didn't return the way he came. He feared the dangerous presence he had felt might be waiting in ambush.

Going back now would be walking right into a trap. He wouldn't do anything so foolish.

What's more, he needed to find a hidden place to stash the Intermittent Flower and retrieve it later after the herb gathering was finished.

Yang Heng worried that if he brought the flower down the mountain, the apothecary shop might search them. If they found the flower on him, it would be trouble.

He wouldn't be able to explain how he killed the Silver Ring Snake.

If Master Lei, a Martial Artist, noticed him, his cultivation would be exposed, and he would surely be doomed.

No matter how eloquently he spoke, he couldn't explain how he had transformed from an ordinary person into a Blood Brave Disciple in the Accumulating Qi and Blood stage in less than two months.

Shopkeeper Chen had examined his bone structure, and it was only of inferior quality, indicating poor cultivation talent.

With such trash talent, it was impossible to break through to the Blood Brave Realm, specifically the Accumulating Qi and Blood stage, in just two months.

There must have been an incredible fortuitous encounter, something a Marrow Cleansing Pill couldn't explain away.

If such a situation arose, Yang Heng would have no chance of survival. He would undoubtedly face severe torture, and might even be dissected.

For his own safety, he would never bring the Intermittent Flower down the mountain.

He wouldn't even bring it down the mountain if he had to destroy it.

The risks were simply too great.

He had to be cautious!