Free Web NovelChapter 325: Danger
The silver light shuttle sped across the plains, with Fang Hao sitting cross-legged inside the cabin, his expression appearing somewhat relaxed.
Leaving the Sunset Cloud Mountain Range meant he had overcome another dangerous hurdle.
The vast body of water ahead, shimmering like crushed gold under the sunlight, was another key node of this journey—the Golden Sand River.
This river was over a thousand miles wide, its waters vast and mighty, with golden sand deposited at the bottom, hence its name.
The river water contained Spiritual Qi of the metal element, nourishing many unique aquatic species.
There was even a type of spiritual fish called the "Golden Thread Carp," whose scales were excellent Materials for refining high-level defensive Magical Artifacts, attracting many a Cultivator to fish for them, but this also led to frequent conflicts.
Fang Hao checked the map to confirm his position was correct.
According to records, the safest way to cross the river was to head to "Golden Wave Ferry" three hundred miles downstream, where large ferries traveled back and forth, carrying Cultivators and cargo.
However, after a moment’s thought, he abandoned this option.
The ferries were crowded with people, and since he carried valuable treasures, he did not want to invite unnecessary trouble.
"Fly across directly!" Fang Hao decided.
With the speed and concealment capabilities of the silver light shuttle, as long as he did not disturb the powerful beings in the river, crossing the thousand-mile river surface would take no more than half an hour.
He took a deep breath and pushed the concealment Formation of the silver light shuttle to its limit; the entire shuttle turned into a nearly transparent phantom, silently skimming toward the river surface.
At first, everything went smoothly.
The river breeze blew gently, the water rippled, and the silver light shuttle sped along just a few zhang above the water, like a dragonfly skimming across a mirror.
Fang Hao’s Divine Sense flowed like quicksilver, cautiously scanning the water below.
He could sense the presence of many aquatic creatures, but most were weak, so he paid them no mind.
However, just as he flew deep into the heart of the river, a sudden change occurred!
The originally calm river surface began to churn violently without warning.
A massive vortex with a diameter of over a hundred zhang formed out of thin air, and a terrifying suction force emanated from the center of the vortex, as if it wanted to drag the very sky down into the depths of the water!
The silver light shuttle’s concealment Formation was instantly broken, the hull vibrated violently, and it was uncontrollably pulled toward the vortex!
"Not good!" Fang Hao’s expression changed drastically; this force far exceeded his expectations and was definitely not naturally formed!
He fiercely stimulated his spiritual power, causing the silver light shuttle to shine with a brilliant silver light, emitting a sharp sound as it cut through the air in an attempt to break free from the suction.
But the force of the vortex was like countless giant hands, tightly gripping the shuttle, making it unable to move an inch, and instead, it fell toward the bottomless dark center at an even faster speed!
"Open for me!" Fang Hao shouted sternly.
The golden puppet appeared instantly, its dark golden body erupting with an Aura as heavy as a mountain.
With both fists carrying the force of ten thousand jun, it fiercely smashed toward the vortex water surface below!
Boom—!!!
A water column shot a hundred zhang into the sky!
This punch from the golden puppet, capable of collapsing mountains, only caused the vortex to pause slightly before it began to spin with an even more violent posture!
Countless undercurrents containing sharp metal Qi were like an underwater array of blades, crazily cutting at the silver light shuttle’s protective spiritual light.
The hull groaned under the unbearable strain, its spiritual patterns flickering unsteadily, on the verge of collapsing!
"Something underwater is controlling this!" Fang Hao realized instantly.
This was by no means an ordinary vortex, but a Divine Ability driven by some powerful being!
His thoughts raced; he no longer tried to resist the vortex head-on but instead poured all his Earthly Fiend Golden Flame into the core of the silver light shuttle!
Hum—!
The entire silver light shuttle ignited with flames interwoven with dark gold and blazing white.
The high temperature instantly evaporated the surrounding water, forming a brief vacuum zone.
Fang Hao seized this fleeting opportunity and controlled the shuttle like a fish swimming against the current, fiercely charging outward along the tangent direction of the vortex’s rotation!
Sss, sss, sss!
Countless undercurrents of metal Qi were burned away by the exotic fire, and the silver light shuttle finally broke free from most of the suction, shooting toward the edge of the vortex like an arrow released from a bowstring!
"Want to leave? Stay!"
A cold, hoarse voice, sounding like countless grains of sand rubbing together, exploded directly in Fang Hao’s Sea of Consciousness!
Immediately after, a massive black shadow slowly rose from the center of the vortex.
It was a giant python over several dozen zhang long, its entire body covered in dark golden bone armor, with a single horn on its head!
On the giant python’s single horn, lightning coiled, and its whole body exuded a suffocating Demonic Qi.
It had clearly reached the Peak of the Fourth Stage, just one step away from the Fifth Stage transformation!
"Golden Horned Thunder Python!" Fang Hao’s pupils constricted, and his heart was filled with horror.
Such a ferocious creature had strength comparable to a Great Perfection Nascent Soul Cultivator, and it possessed the geographical advantage, controlling the metal element Spiritual Qi and water momentum of the entire Golden Sand River.
On this river surface, it was almost an invincible existence!
The Golden Horned Thunder Python’s cold vertical pupils locked onto Fang Hao.
Lightning flashed violently on its single horn, and a dark golden thunderbolt as thick as a child’s arm tore through the air, carrying an Aura of absolute destruction, and struck in front of Fang Hao in an instant!
Its speed far exceeded the limits of Fang Hao’s reaction!
At the critical moment of life and death, Fang Hao only had time to block with the golden puppet in front of him, while simultaneously frantically operating the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Art, causing a brilliant white-gold light to erupt from his body!
Boom-crack—!!!
The thunderbolt fiercely struck the golden puppet’s chest!
The golden puppet’s dark golden chassis, capable of resisting attacks from the Middle Nascent Soul Stage, was actually scorched black, the core Formation in its chest flickered violently, and its massive body flew backward like a meteorite, slamming heavily into the river surface hundreds of zhang away, splashing up monstrous waves!
The remaining power of the thunderbolt did not diminish; it passed through the golden puppet and fiercely struck Fang Hao!
"Pfft—!"
Fang Hao, as if struck by a heavy blow, sprayed a large mouthful of blood, the blood even mixed with tiny fragments of internal organs and specks of white-gold luster!
His entire body, like a kite with a broken string, was thrown out of the out-of-control silver light shuttle.
His chest was scorched, his Meridians were snapped inch by inch, his consciousness instantly blurred, and he fell toward the surging river surface below...
The Golden Horned Thunder Python let out a triumphant hiss, and with a sweep of its giant tail, it prepared to completely devour these two ants that dared to intrude into its territory.
At the critical moment, deep within Fang Hao’s Dantian, the silent battle heaven axe shook violently.
A desolate and domineering Battle Intent erupted, forcibly awakening Fang Hao’s consciousness, which was on the verge of annihilation!
At the same time, the faint Chaos vortex in his Sea of Consciousness spun crazily, releasing a power of Chaos that encompassed and evolved, protecting his last trace of life!
"I... cannot... die!"
A nearly insane light of survival erupted in Fang Hao’s eyes.
Using his last bit of strength, he injected his remaining Divine Soul power into an inconspicuous jade pendant at his waist—it was a random teleportation talisman he had obtained in his early years, originally meant as a life-saving item, but he had never thought he would use it in such a desperate situation!
Hum—!
The jade pendant erupted with a blinding white light, and a chaotic spatial fluctuation enveloped the water area where Fang Hao and the golden puppet were sinking.
The next moment, Fang Hao, the golden puppet, and the broken silver light shuttle, along with a large area of river water, vanished into thin air!
The Golden Horned Thunder Python’s giant tail slammed fiercely onto the empty water surface, stirring up a thousand layers of waves.
It roared angrily, the lightning on its single horn raging, turning the entire water area into a pool of thunder, but it could no longer find the traces of those few ants.
A thousand miles away, on a desolate river beach downstream of the Golden Sand River.
The space twisted for a moment, and Fang Hao’s charred, dying figure fell heavily into the mud, beside him were the equally charred and damaged golden puppet, and the silver light shuttle, which was almost broken in two.
He struggled to lift his head, took a glance at the unfamiliar environment, and then his vision went black, and he completely fell into a coma.
Blood slowly stained the golden sand beneath him red...
