Chapter 72: On the Edge of Death

He gasped for breath, feeling that almost no combat energy remained in his body. Using this damned Autumn Wind Sword consumed even more energy than the Shadowless Sword. If he had been at the strength of a high-level warrior, he would surely be too exhausted to use the Autumn Wind Sword after using the Shadowless Sword.
With inward concern, he immediately turned around to check on the Red-Scaled Snake, desperate to know its condition. He had exerted all his strength to launch this attack—surely it wouldn’t be ineffective like the Shadowless Sword. If that happened, things would get troublesome.
“Hiss… hiss…” As he swallowed hard, he saw the Red-Scaled Snake’s eyes widen in terror as it lay weakly on the ground, letting out strange cries. Its body was covered in gruesome wounds, with dark red blood slowly flowing out as it writhed weakly. Seeing this, Rod finally breathed a sigh of relief—the danger seemed over. That damned Red-Scaled Snake was indeed a tough opponent. If not for his breakthrough the previous day and his lucky use of the Autumn Wind Sword at that critical moment, they might have become food for it today.
“Bad! Rod, get out of the way quickly!” Bit shouted anxiously.
At the moment he screamed, the Red-Scaled Snake, whose eyes had been fading, let out a roar and suddenly leaped up, opening its massive mouth to pounce on Rod.
Bang! Just as he turned around, he saw the snake’s body expanding before his eyes. By the time he realized what was happening and tried to dodge, it was already too late.
He was crushed to the ground, with both hands firmly gripping the snake’s vital points, pulling at the wounds he had inflicted earlier to keep its mouth away from him. His body was tightly wrapped around him, getting closer and closer, making breathing increasingly difficult. His face turned red as he tried to breathe, but he was too weak.
“Bit… Bit!” Rod shouted desperately, his face turning red in hope.
Bit, who rushed to rescue him, tried to attack but was sent flying by the snake’s tail swipe. The two mages were anxious but helpless, watching helplessly as Rod and the snake entangled together. They couldn’t intervene—although their magic was precise, it couldn’t be aimed accurately while they were moving. Accidentally hitting Rod would be a disaster.

His mind gradually went blank, with veins on his forehead becoming visible one by one. “Damn you, you beast! If we’re going to die, let’s die together!” In despair and helplessness, Rod let out a silent roar, suddenly releasing his hands and using all his strength to bite down on the red-scaled snake’s body before him. Since he knew he might die anyway, he might as well take one with him. At least the others should be able to get out alive. The greatest pity was dying here. Coincidentally, right in front of him was a spot just below the snake’s vital area, and there happened to be a bloody wound there. Closing his eyes, he bit down hard. Instantly, cold blood flowed into his mouth, bringing a stimulating sensation and taste. Poison, perhaps. Damn it, he was still a virgin! He sighed inwardly, but his mouth kept sucking in the blood, gulping it down with difficulty. “Rod…” “No!” Vaguely, he heard Ada and Bit’s cries in the distance, tinged with sorrow. After all, the red-scaled snake was covered in poison, including its blood. By sucking it in like this, not to mention dying from being entangled by this beast, even just this blood would be enough to kill him. With a bitter smile, instead of stopping, he accelerated his sucking. More and more blood flowed into his body, causing intense burning pain, yet the cold blood made him feel as if he were by a river. The red-scaled snake, struck so hard, clung tightly to Rod, writhing in pain and rolling on the ground, leaving blood everywhere. The blood stained everything black, with thick smoke rising. As he sucked hard, Rod’s consciousness grew blurred. He felt as if his body were melting, overwhelmed by unbearable heat and pain. In addition to blood, he could even taste bits of flesh—his force had been so great that he had sucked out fragments of flesh from the wound and the snake’s internal organs. “Damn it, master, you’re seeking death!” Xuan Yuan inside him was anxious but helpless. No matter how he called out, he couldn’t get a response from Rod. He tried to channel his remaining energy to cover Rod’s entire body in an attempt to save him, but it was utterly insignificant—the poison was too strong! His consciousness grew increasingly blurred. The whole world seemed to be centered around Xuan Yuan. The once noisy world became extremely quiet at that moment. The unbearable pain in his body also seemed to fade gradually, his eyelids growing heavier, pulling him to close them.

“Damn it, go to hell!” With both hands applying more force, he ripped open the wound again and pushed in further. As he took a deep breath, he suddenly felt something about the size of a fist being drawn into his mouth. Not knowing what it was—probably some internal organ—he swallowed it without hesitation, too lazy to chew before starting to cause further damage. Gradually, the Red Armored Snake’s struggles ceased until it disappeared, and Rod’s sucking also stopped slowly. At that moment, the world became utterly silent. In the last moments of silence, faint cries of pain could be heard from over there. “Guys, I’m going first. If you care, try to send fewer beauties down for me—I’ve been a virgin my whole life!” A serene smile appeared on his lips, lingering for a moment… … “Rod, how are you?” Realizing that both the Red Armored Snake and Rod had stopped moving, Bit finally found the chance to approach Rod and shout loudly. He shook Rod’s body, but got no response. At that moment, his heart sank, and his voice took on a hint of sorrow. “Rod, you can’t die! Wake up quickly! Have you forgotten? You were tasked by the captain to lead us through this mission—how can you…?” Then Ada rushed over, her face pale as she saw Rod unresponsive. “He’s not dead! He still has a pulse—there’s hope!” Cheri said urgently, and after chanting, two spells of water healing and purity covered Rod’s body. Lucia and her maids stood quietly aside, not saying a word, their expressions complex as they looked at Rod lying on the ground. The impact this man had had on them was immense. For the first time, they realized that a person could be so insane, that sometimes one could truly sacrifice their life for friends, and that these mercenaries, whom they had once dismissed, could possess such genuine loyalty. Rod’s gaze before battle, his stance during combat, his screams as he fought, and his appearance in the midst of struggle—all of it touched Lucia’s heart. At that moment, she was stunned by this blood-soaked man. She knew then that this man lying motionless on the ground deserved admiration and respect. The others kept shouting, but Rod remained completely unresponsive, his eyes closed, a look of relief on his face, unaware of what was happening around him.

“It’s useless! His vitality is fading faster and faster. We need to find a quiet place right away for proper treatment!” After casting the magic, Cheli’s expression turned serious as she frowned. Her two healing spells were the most effective ones available, yet none of them had worked. She knew how poisonous the blood of the Red Armored Snake was—how could her magic possibly have any effect? The only solution for now was to find an antidote.

“We must leave this place quickly, or the smell of blood will attract other magical beasts, and that will be troublesome! Let’s find a safe place to settle down and figure out what to do!” At the same time, Bit suddenly realized a serious problem and spoke in a grave tone.

“What about Rod?” Aida asked, looking up at Bit. Bit was right—they had been too devastated earlier and had forgotten about this matter, only realizing it now.

“Take him away, fast!” Bit said firmly, looking at Rod, who had been cleaned up by Cheli. He then bent down, picked up the weak Rod, and got ready to leave.

This wasn’t the time to grieve or treat Rod—leaving as soon as possible was the only option; otherwise, they would truly be in danger. The faint sound of music in the distance proved this point.

……

Cold! It felt extremely cold. His body, which had been scorching hot just moments ago, now felt icy. Was it the effect of that internal organ? The burning sensation had turned into coldness. Yes, it was definitely the effect of that internal organ. Rod knew this all too well—such a huge change had occurred just moments after swallowing it.

At this moment, his entire body seemed frozen, cold to the core, cold to the very bones, causing him to panic.

“Am I still alive? Or am I dead?” Not knowing his own condition, Rod murmured to himself in confusion. The world around him was silent.

“Hmph, you’re lucky. You managed to find that guy’s snake gall and it saved your life. Otherwise, do you think you’d still be alive?” The voice of the Sword Spirit of Xuanyuan made Rod’s heart jump, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

I’m still alive. The Sword Spirit’s words meant he wasn’t dead. No matter how much the Sword Spirit complained, this news was definitely a surprise and thrilled Rod. He wasn’t dead—he was truly alive. As long as he was alive, there was hope.

Never before had Rod felt life to be so precious, or realized that survival could be such a wonderful thing.