Wang Lin POV
Wang Lin came to terms with the end of his life as he gazed at the dart that resembled the ones nailing his body to the wood.
However, death didn't come as quickly as expected. Curiously, he looked at his killer for any clues. At close range, the teenager seemed to be deep in thought, standing there in a daze.
Wang Lin's life hung by a thread as the seconds ticked by. He observed the teenager through a foggy mind, feeling death approach.
Behind the teenager, Wang Lin noticed a massive heat signature clouding the other heat signatures emitted by the group.
The heat signature resembled a humanoid figure, filling his vision. The beast began rampaging, sending dust and debris flying around it.
Just when Wang Lin thought he might escape death at the hands of the human group, the titanic beast pummeled the ground, causing an earthquake. The immense force sent trees flying, including the one holding Wang Lin. It was uprooted entirely and flung towards the core region of the Star Dou Forest.
This massive force hurled the nearly dying Wang Lin into unconsciousness as he was flung along with the tree, which hit the ground after several long seconds.
When the tree landed, the impact dislodged the hidden weapons that had pinned Wang Lin to it. He lay beside the tree, with his puncture wounds bleeding.
Time passed, and Wang Lin regained consciousness, observing his surroundings with a bloodied body.
He looked at his bleeding wounds, dazed, searching for any solution that might save his life. If he didn't act quickly, he might not live to see the sunrise.
The only thing that came to his mind was the system.
On Hook Panel
Name: Wang Lin Attribute: Poison Age: 1037 Grid 1: Bright Light Deer (60.5k years) Grid 2: Empty Grid 3: Locked
The only possible help was the Bright Light Deer. Wang Lin summoned it from the system.
Lying before him was the corpse of the beast, larger than it was when it died. Its vibrant hide reflected all the light shining upon it, a magnificent sight when it had been alive.
But now, it lay dead with a mutilated torso and its guts spilled, yet no visible blood. All of the deer's blood had been consumed during hibernation.
The blood of the spirit beast had a nourishing effect. Consuming it increased Wang Lin's vigor, and according to the system panel, frequent consumption increased his age.
If an increase in age also meant an increase in strength, it would be an ideal way to grow stronger by consuming other spirit beasts.
To Wang Lin's disappointment, there was no more blood for him to consume. He had rationed all the blood during his hibernation. His snake physiology prevented him from directly consuming the flesh. If he tried, it would be fatal.
So, he did the only thing he could. He entered the gutted opening in the torso of the corpse and slithered towards its chest.
After quite a struggle, he reached the heart of the beast. Sinking his serpentine teeth into it, he made a small hole in the heart and entered the chambers that held the last bit of blood.
He plunged into the blood headfirst and drank all the remaining essence, unknowingly consuming the most potent blood of the Bright Light Deer—blood from a 60,000-year-old spirit beast.
As soon as the blood essence entered his body, his wounds healed, and new scales grew in place of the old ones. His size increased from one meter to three meters.
In a matter of minutes, he transformed from a dying state to one of renewed vigor.
Tang San POV
"This can't be happening. It should have been me, not Xiao Wu. If only I had been faster, if only I had been stronger," Tang San thought, guilt and regret clouding his mind.
Tang San attacked the Titan Giant Ape with his Zhuge Crossbow, but the ape swatted the arrows away effortlessly.
The Titan Giant Ape left with Xiao Wu in its hands, her helpless expression burning into Tang San's heart as it disappeared, leaving only destruction in its wake.
Without a second thought, Tang San ran after it, driven by nothing but impulse, but Zhao Wuji stopped him.
"Xiao San, get yourself together! You can't rescue her if you blindly follow without a plan," Zhao Wuji said in a reprimanding tone.
He turned to the Shrek group. "Everyone, recover your strength. We'll move camp and plan the rescue."
"Oscar, if you think of me as a brother, give me some mushroom sausages," Tang San whispered to Oscar without anyone else hearing.
"Xiao San, you know it's foolish to go after the Titan Giant Ape. Teacher Zhao said we'd make a plan for the rescue," Oscar replied.
"Oscar, would you say the same thing if someone from your family was abducted? I need to go after Xiao Wu, even if it costs me my life. If I survive, I'll remember this favor," Tang San said, determination in his voice.
With a sigh, Oscar chanted his vulgar incantation without alerting anyone else and handed Tang San a couple of flying mushroom sausages.
Tang San ate the mushroom sausages and dashed in the direction the Titan Giant Ape had gone. The Shrek group and Zhao Wuji were shocked. Zhao Wuji sprinted after him, but just as he was about to reach him, a pink glow enveloped Tang San—a speed boost from Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial spirit. The second ring's speed boost was activated, and Tang San disappeared into the forest.
"You reckless fool!" Zhao Wuji roared at both Oscar and Ning Rongrong. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this forest is? Anything could kill him in an instant!"
Grumbling, Zhao Wuji muttered, "Flender will kill me if I return with two missing people, especially with the Clear Sky Douluo's son…"
He clenched his fists in frustration. "Give me one of those sausages! Let's follow him. If we die, we'll die together."
The Shrek group ate their flying mushroom sausages and followed behind Tang San, unaware they were heading toward a familiar pink snake hiding inside a corpse.
On Hook Panel
Name: Wang Lin
Attribute: Poison
Age: 3923
Grid 1: Bright Light Deer (60.5k years)
Grid 2: Empty
Grid 3: Locked