Chapter 151 One Step Ahead of Him

Chapter 151: A Step Ahead

The figure, clad in black tactical gear, stumbled a few steps before collapsing into the bushes.

"Thud!"

A cloud of dust billowed from behind the shrubbery.

Despite the distance and dim light, Fang Ran still recognized the silhouette.

Was it Lu Wenchuan?

Or Lu Wenshan?

He seemed gravely wounded…

Fang Ran instinctively took two steps in that direction but was halted by the person beside him.

"Guide Fang Ran, wait!" Wen Qi seized his wrist. "It's too dangerous here. This might be a trap."

A trap?

Wen Qi frowned, his eyes clouded with anxiety and unease, clearly disapproving of Fang Ran's impulse.

"No." Fang Ran exerted a slight force, freeing his wrist.

"I have to go check."

Though Wen Qi had a point, if it truly was Lu Wenchuan, he couldn't simply abandon him.

Lu Wenchuan and Zhong Wan had already completed their lifelong bond. Should anything happen to him, Fang Ran couldn't bear to imagine if his friend would survive.

"But…"

Seeing Fang Ran's resolute expression, Wen Qi stopped himself, yet didn't follow. Instead, he remained rooted, watching Fang Ran with a deep, uneasy gaze.

Ignoring Wen Qi's expression, Fang Ran hurried toward the bushes, almost reaching the fallen figure.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle…"

A sound, piercing through the leaves and branches, suddenly echoed, as if something was swiftly moving through the undergrowth, heading in their direction.

Fang Ran instantly grew wary and halted.

Sure enough.

A dark silhouette suddenly rose from behind the bushes, its crimson, beast-like eyes fixed intently on the fallen sentinel, its tongue flickering like a snake, emitting a low hiss.

It was the giant lizard from the earlier video!

No!

Perhaps not the same one, but equally horrifying and spine-chilling.

Fang Ran's heart trembled, but he dared not move a muscle.

Reptiles like this were particularly sensitive to movement. If he turned to flee, this creature would most likely lunge suddenly and sink its teeth into him.

A guide's strength and speed were no match for such a physically powerful monster.

The only option now was to maintain his posture and slowly back away until he reached cover behind some vegetation.

Using his peripheral vision to scan the surroundings, he held his breath and cautiously took a small step backward, trying not to make a sound.

But just at that moment.

Wen Qi's puzzled voice suddenly rang out.

"Guide Fang Ran, why did you stop all of a sudden? Is there something wrong with that person?"

He had somehow ended up right behind Fang Ran.

Fang Ran froze in terror, but it was too late to stop him.

Wen Qi's voice had already caught the giant lizard's attention.

Its triangular head slowly turned, crimson eyes narrowing as it stared fixedly at Fang Ran and Wen Qi behind him.

"Hiss~"

The giant lizard's blood-red tongue flickered between its sharp teeth. Its stout claws took a step forward as it shifted direction, its upper body slightly arched, poised to strike as if it would pounce at any second.

"Watch out!!!"

Wen Qi suddenly shouted, grabbing Fang Ran's hand and turning to run.

"Stay calm! Stop now!"

Fang Ran yelled.

Running faster now would only get them killed faster. Reptiles typically prioritized attacking fast-moving prey. But Wen Qi seemed not to hear Fang Ran's words, instead gripping his hand tightly and pulling him backward.

In the struggle, Fang Ran lost his balance and fell forward, both of them tumbling to the ground one after the other.

The giant lizard had already opened its gaping maw, propping itself up on all fours as it swiftly crawled toward them.

The blood-red tongue was about to swipe Fang Ran's right foot.

At that critical moment.

A blast of purplish-blue energy shot over, striking the giant lizard squarely on the head.

The lizard roared angrily, twisting its neck to look backward.

This gave Fang Ran a chance to escape, and he scrambled away, putting about seven or eight meters between them.

The fallen sentinel, one hand clutching his chest and the other still in the position of releasing energy, shakily rose to his feet.

He was covered in blood, clearly severely injured, and still breathing heavily.

Only then did Fang Ran get a clear look at his face.

It was Lu Wenshan!

The giant lizard stared at him for a moment before slowly turning back, its predatory gaze once again settling on Fang Ran.

Fang Ran felt chills run down his spine under its stare.

Those eyes were bloodthirsty, hungry, enough to make one's bones freeze and hair stand on end.

No escape now.

He felt pinned in place, his limbs refusing to obey him.

The giant lizard coiled its forelimbs, clearly preparing to lunge at him.

"Fang Ran…"

Lu Wenshan suddenly called out.

His gaze fixed on Fang Ran, the usual composure on his face vanished, replaced by a darkening intensity that swiftly transformed into desperate madness.

An astonishing surge of energy erupted from the S-class Sentinel. A purplish-blue chill burst forth like a wave of frost, causing the temperature around them to plummet. Everything within sight was instantly coated in a layer of frost.

A large area of trees and plants around Lu Wenshan rapidly frosted over and froze solid. The giant lizard, having taken only a single step, was immobilized on the spot.

Ice-based energy spread across its body with lightning speed, and in less than half a second, it had turned into an ice sculpture.

"Crack."

It didn't even have time to struggle; only its crimson reptilian eyes managed a faint twitch.

The next second.

The monstrous creature, which had been ferocious just moments before, shattered into icy fragments right in front of Fang Ran.

Fang Ran froze completely, his eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the shattered ice fragments before him.

*Is it over?*

"Crash!"

Not far away, Lu Wenshan collapsed once again.

Fang Ran hesitated for a moment but slowly rose to his feet and rushed over.

"Sentinel Lu Wenshan… are you alright?"

Lu Wenshan's head hung low, offering no response.

His expression was one of extreme anguish, brows tightly furrowed, eyes shut. The energy radiating from him remained turbulent, and he clenched his fists tightly, as if struggling to suppress something.

"Is that… Sentinel Lu Wenshan?"

Wen Qi approached Fang Ran with a look of surprise. "I didn’t get a clear look earlier—I thought it was someone else."

He glanced at Fang Ran. "Sentinel Lu Wenshan’s condition is very unstable. If we leave him like this, he’ll go berserk."

"Should we… help Purify him?"

Purify?

Fang Ran frowned upon hearing this.

Lu Wenshan’s condition… really couldn’t wait any longer.

His compatibility with Fang Liyu was low, and the previous Purification had virtually no effect.

Already severely injured, he had now expended tremendous energy to save him.

He had to save him first…

Fang Ran crouched down, reaching for Lu Wenshan’s hand.

But Wen Qi beside him moved quicker.