Above the mage

Chapter 222 Stealing the House

Gao De's eyes brightened slightly.

To be honest, he was tempted.

And they are also preparing to take action.

If killing the "guardian beast" is the only way to obtain the magical plant, then Gao De will reconsider.

The problem is that snow leopards, as carnivorous predators, do not typically hibernate.

This means that it still needs to hunt on a daily basis.

In the snow-capped peaks of Dandong, conventional food is not common.

Therefore, this "snow leopard" creature must have a very wide range of activity in order to obtain food, and it may be away from the cave for a long time.

"Only one big cat?" God asked Flora for confirmation.

"Lady Flora is very clever."

It means she wouldn't misread it, much less miscount it.

That's a lone leopard. A lone leopard is good.

A single Tier 2 magical plant can fetch 70 gold or more, which is equivalent to the value of a Tier 1 spell recipe plus the corresponding spell potion.

Moreover, the second tier is just speculation; it could even be a higher-tier magical plant.

After all, it's not surprising to find third- or fourth-tier magical plants in remote and desolate places.

For Gaode Maps, which has always been short of funds, this was too tempting.

Once the thought arises, it can no longer be stopped.

"Where is the cave located?" Gao De asked.

Flora first pointed out the directions to Gaode, then lowered her voice.

"Master, are you going?"

"Um."

"The big cat is bigger than you!"

"Don't worry, we'll wait until it goes out hunting before we act."

"Great idea!"

The cave is perched on an extremely steep cliff, and most people would avoid it if they saw it.

Looking up from below, the cave is difficult to spot because of the protruding ice layer that blocks the view.

In other words, Flora is able to fly and has a strong sense of curiosity, which is why she was able to discover it.

Once they reached the vicinity of the cliff, Gaode Maps did not approach it again.

He believed that if a snow leopard, preparing to go out hunting, discovered him, it would definitely not mind taking advantage of its own territory.

What we need to do now is wait.

Gao De simply found a secluded spot, first burying his luggage in the snow, and then burying most of his body in the snow, leaving only half of his head out to observe the situation.

From his current perspective, he still couldn't see the cave, but whenever the "snow leopard" went out, it couldn't escape his sight.

In such low temperatures, only Gaode Maps could bury most of its body in snow for an extended period of time.

If it were anyone else, let alone for a long time, they would turn into ice blocks after being buried for an hour or two.

What followed was a long wait.

Snow leopards typically hunt at flexible times, not fixed times.

To put it more simply, these creatures generally don't follow any set plans; they go out to hunt whenever they're hungry.

And when it gets hungry depends on the hunting situation of its last meal.

Therefore, there is almost no way to predict its movement trajectory and timing; we can only wait and see.

I don't know whether to call it good luck or bad luck.

After waiting for about two hours, as darkness fell, a lithe figure appeared in Gaode's sight.

Standing over two meters tall, with a slender and agile physique, its entire body is covered in flawless white fur, as pure as freshly fallen snow, which faintly glows with a blue light in the dark sky.

Its head is small and round, and its ears are pointed and erect.

It has a wide mouth, with sharp fangs on both the upper and lower jaws.

The good fortune refers to the fact that this "snow leopard" creature, as soon as it appeared in Gaode's sight, leaped down the cliff with lightning speed as if walking on flat ground, and then headed down the mountain.

Without a doubt, they were going to hunt in the lower-altitude, half-mountain location.

It failed to discover Gaode, who was hiding in the snow, and was unaware that someone had set their sights on its lair.

Unfortunately, the reason for the bad luck was that this "snow leopard" creature's appearance was too extraordinary.

Gaode Maps can determine that its level is far more than one level simply by looking at its appearance and the speed at which it just moved.

The higher the rank of a ley line creature, the more powerful its extraordinary abilities.

This means that after "stealing the base," Gaode has a high chance of being caught by this powerful ley line creature, which is extremely risky.

After hesitating for a moment, Gaode made a decision.

This job is a must!

Is there anything in this world without risk?

With such a great opportunity right in front of you, why be afraid of this and that? You might as well stay home and wait to die.

The power of the "Snow Leopard" leyline creatures represents increased risk, but also increased potential profits.

This typical predatory creature generally does not have a fixed habitat, and its activity range is constantly adjusted according to the prey.

The fact that it chose a cave as its lair can only mean that the magical plants in the cave are extremely precious and very important to the "snow leopard," allowing it to change its lifestyle.

Seeing that the "snow leopard" had been gone from the cave for more than ten minutes, and confirming that it was indeed going hunting and would not be returning anytime soon, Gao De leaped out of the snowdrift.

"We must hurry."

He could not predict when the "snow leopard" would return.

Even the snow leopard itself probably doesn't know when it will be able to hunt for food.

Upon reaching the foot of the cave's precipice, Gao De took a deep breath, a flash of magical energy passing through his hand.

Then, his fingernails became sharp and hard, shimmering with a magical luster.

Cat Claw Technique!

Using an ice pick is too time-consuming; in such a time-pressed situation, spells are the most reliable option.

With the blessing of the "Cat Claw Technique," Gao De's hands seemed to transform into Wolverine's claws, easily piercing into the thick ice wall.

Click! Click!

Without hesitation, Gao De embedded the sharp "claws" deep into the ice wall, each exertion accompanied by the flying of ice shards and a crisp cracking sound.

He used both hands and feet, his movements nimble and powerful, like a nimble cat leaping between cliffs, climbing the precipice with a swift and steady gait.

A cold wind whistled, seemingly urging him to quicken his pace.

About thirty seconds later, Gao De braced his palms against the edge of the wall, leaped up, and landed steadily on the protruding ice layer.

"Done." Standing on the ice, he was slightly out of breath.

The dark cave entrance was now right in front of Gaode.

Gao De didn't dare to waste any time, so he quickened his pace and went straight into the cave.

"It stinks!" As soon as he entered the cave, a strong, fishy stench hit him, almost suffocating Gao De.

The smell, a mixture of decay, blood, and the snow leopard's own scent, was so strong it almost enveloped him.

This "snow leopard" looks cool and beautiful on the outside, but its den smells so bad. Gao De secretly complained to himself, and his tense mind relaxed a little.

"Where is that demonic plant?" He scanned the dimly lit cave and quickly located the demonic plant.

Firstly, the cave itself wasn't very big, and secondly, the magical plant was so conspicuous that it's no wonder Flora spotted it from afar.

It was a strange magical plant that glowed with a ghostly blue light, like a blue lotus blooming in a dark abyss.

Its leaves are slender and sharp, with edges that seem to contain a sharp edge, and when they sway gently, they seem to be able to cut through the air.

Even more strangely, its petals are crystal clear, like gemstones, each emitting a faint blue light, making the ice walls of the cave look like a dream.

Such a strange magical plant, even when hidden in a cave, cannot hide its radiance.

"Master, it can only grow here. If you pick it, it will become worthless."

Flora had already flapped her little wings and approached the magical plant, sensing its condition.

Gao De frowned upon hearing this.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this magical plant was rooted in an entire layer of ice.

And within this ice layer, there was a flowing blue liquid.

Clearly, these liquids are even more remarkable.

The magic in Gaode's hands is revealed once again.

【Cat Claw Technique】.

Then let's pack it up and take it with us, roots and all!

But this time, the usually invincible "Cat Claw Technique" didn't work as well as before.

The sharp claws touched the ice as if they were hitting a thick layer of metal, producing a faint, crisp clanging sound, unable to advance even an inch.

He couldn't pick it off, and the ice was so strange that he couldn't cut it, so he didn't dare to stay there any longer. Gao De was unwilling to give up.

Just as Gao De was feeling somewhat desperate, thinking that he was going to have worked for nothing, Flora seemed to have noticed Gao De's predicament, and her clear voice suddenly rang out.

"Master, eat it!"

"Huh?" Gao De was taken aback at first, hesitated for a moment, but finally chose to believe Flora and her seemingly absurd command.

He bent down, approached the demonic plant, aimed at its crystal-clear stem, gently bit down with his teeth, and bit it off.

Then, Gaode swallowed the entire "lotus" without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)