The mountain rat had no time to scream before it went rigid and toppled over.
Hidden nearby, Wang Xuan's heart lurched.
On the deadwood, the little violet snake slowly drew itself upright.
It was barely a foot long, with fine scales that glimmered purple. Tiny arcs of electricity still coiled around them, crackling.
A Thunder Dao Treasure Art.
One that fused speed and penetration into a single bolt of thunderous force.
The snake's body twisted through the air, changing direction instead of traveling straight. Like a true bolt of lightning, it turned again and again, impossible to predict, before striking without warning and piercing its target in one vicious blow.
Wang Xuan's interest stirred.
Thunder Dao Treasure Arts excelled at speed and attack, precisely what he lacked most. If he could master one and push it to its limit, he would gain another trump card for both fighting and escape.
Unfortunately, he could not get his wish right away.
He watched intently, but the strike had taken only an instant from launch to impact. It was so fast that he saw nothing but a purple blur; he could not make out the runes.
Only a few incomplete fragments of the art remained in his mind. Naturally, the System Panel could not form a complete entry for this Treasure Art.
Unlike the centipede that guarded its nest and greeted the sun, this purple snake roamed unpredictably across a vast hunting range. Once it landed a strike, it always fled far away.
He noted the general area and kept watch in that stretch of forest for several days, but never caught another glimpse of it. Now and then, he spotted a flash of Violet Lightning in the distance, but by the time he focused, it had vanished among the mountains.
Wang Xuan