Chapter 306 The Superior Vital Energy Crystal (Part One)

When Austin noticed that there was a level two double-headed snake hawk inhabited in a cave at the end of a steep and slippery cliff high up the mountain, he headed towards the direction in a rush.

Since he could use his vital energy to fly, he didn't have to toil up the steep cliff and within minutes, he could see the cave in sight. However, as he got closer to have a better look, a sudden gust of piercing wind blew out of the cave. He took a step back in caution and then peered at the cave from a safe distance. He saw that deep in the cave, in complete darkness, four green balls glinted and twinkled at him.

Suddenly, Austin heard roaring and rustling sounds. The green balls started to enlarge and the wind became even stronger. Something was moving and slithering out of the cave. Undeterred, Austin waited to see what it was. In a blur, the creature shot out from the cave, whizzed over Austin's head and circled in the air before landing in front of him. From its appearance, Austin instantly recognized the animal as none other than the double-headed snake hawk that he had been looking for. True to his expectation, the animal had two snake heads while its torso was that of a hawk. The four green balls he had seen earlier were its eyes producing a green light in the darkness of the cave.

The double-headed snake hawk felt threatened at Austin's unexpected arrival. With cautious eyes, it glared at Austin for a moment before making a loud, shrill sound of threats. Austin neither stepped back nor walked forward. For a moment, both the animal and Austin stood facing and seizing each other, gauging the opponent's strength. Suddenly, the animal unfurled its wings and flew straight towards Austin.

"Yes, come, you ugly thing. Show me what you have got," Austin murmured.

In an instant, Austin took a fighting stance and pulled out his Violet Royal Sword. He rapidly put the level two sword intent into action. Suddenly, thirty rays of sword-light emitted from the sword as Austin transferred his vital energy to it. He brandished his sword and waved its rays of light over the impending beast.

The double-headed snake hawk sensed the danger at once, but it was a tad too late. In fear,

vital energy cultivation base that would inevitably lead to crippling injuries for the rest of his life. The situation was comparable to a plant that was being pulled to grow by some external force, since the root was not mature and stable enough, the plant could therefore not sustain such an unnatural force and the plant would wither eventually.

There was a popular myth among fighters that due to the limited capabilities of most of the pill refiners, the elixirs they produced usually contained some toxic substances. As much as the elixirs would cure diseases, they also would leave some harmful residual elements in the cultivator's body. If the elixirs were taken for a long time, the harmful residues would increase and cause incurable diseases to the recipient.

Given this reason, Austin did not use the elixirs often although he had plenty of them in his Space Rings. He only used them for emergency situations, like if he got injured or if the timing was urgent, then he would take a few.

Considering that he had consumed too much of his vital energy and was being hunted by so many fighters, he felt that he should replenish his vital energy and regain his strength as early as possible. Although the cave was a safe place to hide, without food and water, he could not survive for long. Besides, before he got back into battle, he needed to be both mentally and physically prepared. So considering the situation he was in, he took the elixirs he had.