Chapter 103: Jade-Crowned Serpent Tiger
I sent my awareness into the surrounding plants, preparing them for what was to come. Then, with a thought, I caused a branch to snap loudly on the far side of the clearing.
The reaction was immediate.
The Jade-Crowned Serpent Tiger's eyes snapped open, pupils flashing like polished jade in the light. It rose in one fluid motion, muscles coiling beneath its scaled hide. Then, between one heartbeat and the next, it vanished.
"Above!" I called out, already summoning my first vine. "Split up!"
Wei Lin and Lin Mei dove in opposite directions as the beast crashed down between them, its jade claws leaving deep furrows in the earth. The vine I'd called shot up like a spear, aiming for its exposed flank, but the tiger twisted away, its scales gleaming as it gathered power.
The beast's tail whipped toward Wei Lin, jade barb glowing with a greenish qi. Instead of dodging, Wei Lin squared his stance, his body taking on a subtle brown glow. The tail struck his raised forearm and... seemed to sink into it, the jade energy disappearing like water into sand.
"First trade of the day," Wei Lin grunted, his merchant's method converting the absorbed power. Multicolored qi swirled around him as his inner world processed the energy.
The tiger didn't wait for him to finish. It spun toward Lin Mei, probably marking her as the next easiest target. Two quick slashes of its claws sent waves of jade energy cutting through the air.
I knew Lin Mei would not be able to take the full force of a Qi Condensation Stage 5 beast without serious injury or even death. So, I sent my second vine surging up from the ground between Lin Mei and the attack. The jade energy sliced clean through it, but the momentary barrier gave Lin Mei time to gather moisture from the air.