Chapter 15 White Water Lily

• The snake's lair was incredibly deep, and he had already spent too much time getting there. If he ended up cornered by the Black Blood Snake, this place would surely become his grave.
• Francis seemed to sense the ground trembling beneath him. He knew it wasn't a figment of his imagination. The Black Blood Snake was hurriedly making its way back. This kind of demonic beast had a connection with the spiritual objects around it. Since the white water lily had been plucked by Francis, it must have sensed it.
• Sprinting frantically, Francis activated all his vital energy, moving at an incredible speed.
• At last, he burst out of the cave, caught sight of the sunlight, and swiftly dove into the dense forest.
• At that very moment, the Black Blood Snake had slithered out of the dense forest. It saw the tiny human who had dared to intrude upon its territory. Sensing the familiar oscillations of the white water lily emanating from Francis' chest, the snake let out a sharp, furious hiss. It charged madly at Francis.
• Francis took off running. Feeling a gust of wind slicing through the air toward him, he tried to dodge, but it was already too late.
• He was harshly struck by the gigantic tail of the Black Blood Snake, as thick as a water barrel.
• Francis let out a dreadful scream, blood gushing from his mouth. Like a golf ball struck with force, he was sent flying at an incredible speed, only to crash heavily onto the ground.
• Francis felt as if every bone in his body had been shattered. The pain was unimaginable, seemingly rendering even the slightest movement of a finger impossible.
• The strike from the snake's tail possessed the force of at least ten thousand pounds.
• The power was truly terrifying. With Francis' strength at that moment, there was simply no way to resist.
• Luckily, he had achieved Sky Gate Realm Level Four. Otherwise, he would have been killed by a single blow.
• He could only endure such an assault thrice. After being struck by the snake's tail, even his meridians seemed somewhat fractured.
• Racked with intense pain, feeling as if he was on the brink of death, Francis could barely muster any strength. Yet, he still managed to force himself to his feet, pushing forward in a determined run, all the while coughing up blood as he went.
• Right then, an idea sparked in his mind. As he activated Bedoro Leaf Scripture, his vital energy circulated, and he surprisingly felt a warm sensation within his body. His broken meridians began to repair and replenish themselves. Overjoyed, Francis quickened his pace, fleeing for his life.
• The Black Blood Snake was in hot pursuit, its massive body continuously crashing into large trees, breaking them apart.
• However, its size was too massive, always obstructed by trees and rocks. Moreover, its belly was swollen, appearing as if it had just swallowed a large prey, which also affected its speed. On top of that, a previous swipe of its tail had sent Francis flying far away, making its pursuit of Francis surprisingly strenuous.
• A man and a beast, one in pursuit and the other in escape, it was hard to tell how long this had lasted. Finally, Francis felt the thunderous noise behind him fade away. From a distance, he heard a roar filled with extreme fury.
• For safety's sake, Francis ran a considerable distance before he finally halted. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air in large, ragged breaths. His body felt like jelly, on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. His mouth was parched and dry, as if every part of him, from his lips to his inner organs, was cracking and bleeding from dehydration.
• He felt like he was on the brink of death.
• Francis had never been so gravely injured, nor had he ever felt such exhaustion. Yet, as he cradled the emerald box in his arms, a dazzling smile graced his lips. I've obtained this white water lily! It's totally worth it!
• He wished he could just sleep there and then.
• Despite his struggles, he managed to sit up and swiftly found a secluded cave. He moved a large rock to block the entrance and settled cross-legged inside the cave.
• His meridians were on the verge of collapse, his vital energy almost entirely depleted, and his physical strength nearly exhausted. His body had reached its limits, but paradoxically, this presented an excellent opportunity for cultivation. Practicing and breaking through under such circumstances would yield twice the results with half the effort.
• He cautiously opened the emerald box, gently removing the white water lily within. Holding it in his hands, he then took a deep breath. The spiritual energy of the white water lily seemed to fill his senses, making him feel as though his health had significantly improved.
• He gritted his teeth, swallowing the entire white water lily, stem and root included. He barely chewed, and as soon as the white water lily entered his mouth, he felt a bone-chilling, icy fragrance spread throughout his body. His hot, dry body was instantly soothed. The relief was beyond words.
• The white water lily surprisingly melted directly in his mouth, transforming into a stream of icy cold energy that rushed straight into his lungs and made its way into his elixir field.
• He was careful to prevent the ancient cauldron from absorbing the chill energy. If the ancient cauldron did, he would only receive half of it. The ancient cauldron was extremely domineering. It would undoubtedly take half of the energy for itself whenever it absorbed something.
• Within him, a surge of icy yet incredibly potent vital energy started to rise from his elixir field, beginning to circulate through his meridians. This cold, vital energy was several times more powerful than what he had previously experienced within him. The frosty vital energy, though chilling him to the bone, had a tremendous healing effect on his internal injuries.
• Wherever the chill reached, all his injuries within his meridians were healed. His meridians became incredibly stable, and all the stagnated blood within his body was cleared. Even the internal injuries were cured.
• After ten minutes, Francis let out a gasp, coughing up two clumps of dark blood, remnants of internal clotting. His skin also expelled many black impurities filled with a foul stench, coating him in a layer of grime.