Seizing the Right Moment (As usual, I hope for your support and recommendations!)

The Deeprock Earthwyrm, a Tier One, Level Three Luminous Beast, dwells within subterranean stone, its body incredibly tough and its lifespan exceedingly long. It matures at an excruciatingly slow pace, its rank rising sluggishly, but the longer it lives, the harder its body becomes—making it an exceptionally troublesome foe.

Jiang Feng had only recently read about this sort of Luminous Beast; it was not mentioned in the Compendium of Exotic Beasts of Taiwu. He never expected to encounter one here, and was wholly unprepared.

Ping Luanshan’s expression had shifted as well.

The Deeprock Earthwyrm’s rank surpassed even his; to say nothing of how difficult it was to deal with. Moreover...

He shot a sidelong glance at Jiang Feng.

This youth had not yet advanced to the Dawn Realm. Once battle commenced, the boy would be in grave danger...

Ping Luanshan shielded Jiang Feng as he retreated, lowering his voice. “You know which way is which, right?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll go hold it off. You’re to run southwest, immediately. Remember—southwest, and go fast. There’s a small river there, with Level Three fish in it; those you can handle. Don’t come ashore, just follow the river downstream and you’ll escape.”

Though Taiwu Mountain had its own territory, the creatures of the sky and water were generally not counted as part of it. It was no surprise that the fish in the creeks here were Level Three.

Jiang Feng asked, “And what about you?”

A grin split Ping Luanshan’s beard. “I’ll be fine—I'm fast. As long as you escape, I can outrun it!”

His gaze was warm and sincere. Jiang Feng looked at him deeply, then nodded. “Very well. I won’t hold you back.”

With that, he turned and ran—indeed, straight to the southwest!

Ping Luanshan scratched his unruly hair, muttering, “I may have told him to go, but did he have to run that quickly…”

He turned, inhaled deeply.

The Deeprock Earthwyrm, apparently unsatisfied after devouring the Gryphon, looked about. Upon seeing Ping Luanshan, it lunged toward him with ferocious intent.

Ping Luanshan listened as Jiang Feng’s footsteps faded, then pushed off the ground with his toes, charging forward like a streak of lightning!

…

As he ran southwest, Jiang Feng’s mind worked calmly.

Was he truly escaping?

Of course not.

Ping Luanshan was risking himself to hold back the Earthwyrm for his safety; Jiang Feng would not abandon him and flee alone.

Watching Ping Luanshan’s earlier combat, Jiang Feng had already formed a preliminary estimate of the man’s abilities. He could tell Ping Luanshan’s strength lay in speed, while the Earthwyrm’s massive size and impenetrable defense made it his nemesis. Not to mention, the man had already exhausted much of his Luminous Power battling the Gryphon; he was far from his peak.

Perhaps, if Jiang Feng managed to escape, Ping Luanshan could also make his getaway. But more likely, the Earthwyrm would entangle him, leaving no route for escape!

Jiang Feng circled back, laying some preparations, then returned from afar, climbing halfway up Elephant Trunk Mountain to observe below.

As he expected, even though he had vanished from Ping Luanshan’s line of sight, the latter was still locked in battle with the Earthwyrm—not for lack of will, but because he was ensnared.

The Earthwyrm resembled a gigantic earthworm, stretching some fifty meters long and nearly a century old, its body as indestructible as steel. Living underground for so long, its movements were sluggish, but its sheer mass meant that even the slightest shift brought it a great distance—enough to keep Ping Luanshan boxed in.

Ping Luanshan’s body darted like a blue bolt, weaving around the Earthwyrm, but with a lazy twist, the beast could block him back to his starting point.

Jiang Feng’s expression remained calm. Eyes narrowed, he scrutinized every inch of the Earthwyrm, noticing that though Ping Luanshan was trapped, he was not merely flailing at random. He relentlessly attacked every part of the Earthwyrm, probing for weaknesses.

Ping Luanshan’s speed was extraordinary, but his attack power only average; strikes at weak points were his main strategy.

Streams of data poured into Jiang Feng’s mind—figures for both Ping Luanshan and the Earthwyrm.

Unconsciously, his Luminous Power began to drain; the vortex within his Heartseed spun faster; the Celestial Mechanism Cube started to revolve.

Gradually, in his eyes, the Earthwyrm transformed into a cylinder composed of countless lines, with Ping Luanshan a single streak weaving around it, the two interacting in a shifting dance.

Suddenly, his gaze snapped to a spot on the Earthwyrm’s lower half. In his vision, a bright point emerged there, impossible to ignore!

He shot upright, crying out, “Ping Luanshan, strike the center of the Earthwyrm’s fifty-fifth segment!”

Ping Luanshan started at the shout, freezing. His first thought: The boy didn’t run? His second: Is he in danger?

Only with his third thought did Jiang Feng’s words register: The fifty-fifth segment—how am I supposed to count them?

With a thud, a stone tumbled down from Elephant Trunk Mountain. At that instant, the Earthwyrm stretched out, exposing its belly. The stone struck a precise spot—Ping Luanshan counted from the head, and it was indeed the fifty-fifth ring.

Without hesitation, he lunged like the wind, golden Luminous Power gathering between his palms, slamming them onto the spot the stone had marked!

A guttural roar split the air.

Throughout the battle, the Earthwyrm had been numb and silent, as if Ping Luanshan’s attacks were mere scratches. But now, as the Luminous Power touched its skin, the Earthwyrm howled in fury, the ground shuddering violently, nearby saplings torn from the earth and hurled aside.

Its eyes blazed red, fixing Ping Luanshan with a murderous glare, its speed abruptly doubling.

Both Ping Luanshan and Jiang Feng realized in that instant: This is bad—the attack wasn’t strong enough. It hadn’t hurt the beast, only enraged it!

Jiang Feng shouted, “Again!”

Ping Luanshan dodged frantically beneath the Earthwyrm’s furious onslaught, forcing a wry smile. That last strike had drained most of his Luminous Power; now, simply avoiding being crushed was an ordeal—how could he possibly attack again?

He simply lacked the strength…

Was this the end, death awaiting him here? He could only hope the boy escaped in time…

From his vantage, Jiang Feng saw all too clearly Ping Luanshan’s predicament, his brow furrowing in concern.

His sharp gaze swept the area, striving to take in every detail, analyzing all possible factors.

Time ticked by; Ping Luanshan’s movements below grew slow and weary.

Suddenly, Jiang Feng’s brows arched, a glint like a knife in his eyes. He moved.

He leapt from the mountainside, plunging straight for the Earthwyrm.

Ping Luanshan, with barely a tenth of his Luminous Power remaining, still noticed Jiang Feng’s descent. His face changed, and he shouted, “You reckless brat!”

Jiang Feng hadn’t even reached the Dawn Realm, yet now he was charging a Tier One, Level Three Luminous Beast—this was not a rescue, but suicide!

But something astonishing occurred: Jiang Feng, in freefall, “miraculously” evaded the Earthwyrm’s every attack. He was slower and less agile than Ping Luanshan, yet each of the Earthwyrm’s blows narrowly missed him, failing to touch him at all.

In that moment, Ping Luanshan had the sudden impression that an open, unerring path had appeared in the air—a straight avenue to Jiang Feng’s target. So long as he stayed on it, nothing would go awry.

He realized at the same time: Jiang Feng was aiming for the very spot he had attacked moments before.

Ping Luanshan’s breath caught.

Even if Jiang Feng reached it, so what? A boy not yet initiated could never breach the Earthwyrm’s hide!

Jiang Feng neared the beast’s underbelly, his palm moving through the air in a slow, deliberate arc.

A faint crackle built in the air, like a string of lightning flashes. The sound layered, growing louder and louder, until it resembled distant rolling thunder, awe-inspiring and ominous.

Suddenly, a thunderclap exploded—Ping Luanshan squinted, dazzled by a flash of searing lightning.

The bolt pierced the Earthwyrm’s skin, driving straight into its gut. The beast howled, a cry far more shrill and desperate than before.

Four muffled booms sounded from within its belly, then with a final, resounding blast, its abdomen split open, a jet of blood shooting skyward.

The Earthwyrm rolled violently, then finally stilled. Its massive body sprawled across the ground, gradually fading to gray, lifeless.

As it ceased, so too did the tremors in the earth. The grasslands at Elephant Trunk Mountain’s base returned at last to their original calm.

Ping Luanshan paused, landing in astonishment. Unable to believe it, he stepped forward and tested the creature’s skin.

It was as cold and rigid as stone—utterly devoid of life.

The Earthwyrm was truly dead.

A Tier One, Level Three Earthwyrm—killed by a boy who had not even reached the first realm?

He stared at Jiang Feng in disbelief, hesitating before asking, “Who… who are you, really?”

Through his recent training, Jiang Feng had used the improved Pointing Technique to further refine his control over Luminous Power. Now, he could unleash five consecutive Falling Thunder Palms.

A single such palm was already formidable; five, delivered in succession to the beast’s weak point, had achieved instant lethality.

Yet this attack had also drained him completely. He collapsed like a stone, darkness swimming before his eyes.

He shook his head vigorously, adjusting to the discomfort of total depletion, and smiled. “If you hadn’t been there, I couldn’t have done it.”

He spoke the truth.

With the Celestial Mechanism Cube, he could deduce both the enemy’s weak points and his own optimal path—but both required vast amounts of data.

If Ping Luanshan hadn’t held off the Earthwyrm for so long, he could never have collected enough information, let alone calculated the result.

Ping Luanshan gazed at him for a long moment, then finally let out a long sigh. “Young people these days are truly remarkable…”

He trudged over to Jiang Feng, unfastened his wine gourd, and offered it. “Here, have a drink and recover.”

The pungent aroma of liquor wafted out; Jiang Feng took the gourd and broke into a smile.

—Many thanks to fatfox911 and Zhesha for their ongoing support, and a warm welcome to our new friend, Bishifefei!