Chapter 135: Cold Pool, Startling Thunder

The aura at the bottom of the lake was awakening. It was a slow, heavy awakening. Like a volcano that had been dormant for a thousand years, it began to tremble from the very depths. The lake surface began to undulate; the pale green water rippled, spreading outward in circles. The ripples grew denser and more urgent, until finally, the entire surface of the lake was trembling.

Su Yun placed the ten-thousand-year ganoderma into his Storage Ring and turned to leave.

"Run."

He did not say another word. The four of them soared into the air simultaneously, rushing out along the ice crevice they had come from. Behind them, the ice lake exploded.

With a deafening boom, the hundred-zhang-wide lake surface was completely overturned. The lake water turned into a sky full of icy rain, mixed with shattered ice blocks, shooting out in all directions. The speed of that icy rain was astonishing; every drop was wrapped in terrifying spiritual power, leaving a deep pit wherever it struck the ice hills.

Fairy Jianyun swung her sword, the sword light weaving into a barrier that blocked most of the icy rain. However, a few drops still penetrated the sword light, grazing her shoulder and leaving behind several bloody gashes. The bloodstains instantly froze, and the skin around the wounds turned a bruised purple.

Valley Master Su Yao's expression changed: "It is the Thunder Beast's cold poison."

Fairy Jianyun did not make a sound, continuing to swing her sword.

The four of them rushed out of the ice hill area and stepped onto the ice plains.

Behind them, a massive figure rose from the ice lake. It was a giant beast, silver all over, shaped like a Qilin with a single horn on its head, its body wreathed in silver lightning. Its size was several tens of zhang, and as its four hooves stepped onto the ice, the ice layer instantly shattered. Its eyes were golden, with vertical pupils devoid of emotion, filled only with coldness.

Thunder Beast. Mid Spirit Severing Stage.

It lowered its head to look at these four tiny humans and opened its mouth. A low roar surged from its throat, the sound waves wrapped in lightning spreading in all directions. The ice plains began to collapse, the ice layer shattering into countless blocks to reveal the deep blue lake water beneath. The lake water was boiling, agitated by the lightning, evaporating into large swathes of white mist.

Su Yun did not look back. He carried Bai Shuang and flew at full speed. Valley Master Su Yao and Fairy Jianyun followed closely behind, both of their faces pale. The pressure of the Mid Spirit Severing Stage was too strong; even from a mile away, that suffocating feeling made it hard for them to breathe.

The Thunder Beast moved. It stepped on the ice with its four hooves and chased after them. Its speed was not fast, but every step spanned tens of zhang, its massive body gliding across the ice like a moving mountain.

Su Yun glanced back. The Thunder Beast was less than three miles away. At this speed, they would be caught in at most half an incense stick of time. He looked at Fairy Jianyun.

"Take them and go first."

Fairy Jianyun's expression changed. "Master…"

Su Yun did not explain, simply tossing Bai Shuang to her. Fairy Jianyun caught Bai Shuang, gritted her teeth, and continued to rush forward. Valley Master Su Yao hesitated for a moment before following.

Su Yun turned around to face the Thunder Beast.

The Thunder Beast stopped a hundred zhang away. It looked down at this human, a trace of confusion flashing in its golden vertical pupils. A Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivator dared to stand in front of it?

Su Yun raised his hand. Ice-blue and blood-red light intertwined around him; these were the powers of True Monarch Bingpo and the Blood-colored Girl. Two phantoms appeared behind him, one as cold as frost, the other as eerie as a phantom.

The Thunder Beast's vertical pupils constricted slightly. It sensed the aura of those two phantoms. It was neither Nascent Soul nor Spirit Severing; it was a power it was unfamiliar with. But it was only confused for a moment. It raised its front hoof and brought it down on Su Yun.

That stomp was wrapped in a sky full of lightning, covering several tens of zhang in the surrounding area. The ice surface shattered instantly, countless ice blocks pulverized by the lightning. Su Yun did not take it head-on; his figure turned into a stream of light, grazing the edge of the lightning to circle to the Thunder Beast's side, and struck out with a palm.

The palm force struck the Thunder Beast's ribs, producing a muffled sound. The Thunder Beast did not Move a muscle; its scales were too thick. The full-force strike of a Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivator did not even leave a white mark.

Su Yun did not stop. Fist after fist, palm techniques, fist techniques, finger techniques—all the Moves he could use were poured onto the Thunder Beast. Every strike was delivered with full force, and every blow struck precisely the same spot. Finally, a tiny crack appeared on the Thunder Beast's scales.

The Thunder Beast was enraged. It shook its head, the lightning on its single horn exploding, and a silver bolt of lightning as thick as a water bucket struck toward Su Yun. Su Yun could not dodge in time, crossing his hands to block in front of him, the ice-blue and blood-red light condensing into a shield.

The lightning struck the shield. The shield shattered, and Su Yun was blasted away, crashing onto the ice surface and sliding for tens of zhang before stopping. Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, his arms were numb, and his internal organs were churning. He had barely managed to take a strike from a Mid Spirit Severing Stage, but the price was not small.

The Thunder Beast did not give him a chance to catch his breath. It trampled over the broken ice as it charged over, lightning condensing on its single horn once more. This time it was thicker and brighter than before, carrying an aura that threatened to destroy everything.

Su Yun gritted his teeth and stood up. He could not retreat. If he retreated, Valley Master Su Yao and the others would not be able to escape. He closed his eyes, and the two figures in his Sea of Consciousness opened their eyes simultaneously. True Monarch Bingpo and the Blood-colored Girl poured all their power into his body.

He opened his eyes. Ice-blue and blood-red light surged, condensing into two distinct figures behind him. One ice-blue, one blood-red. His aura climbed: Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak, half-step Spirit Severing Stage. Although it was only temporary, it was enough.

The Thunder Beast's lightning struck down. Su Yun raised his hand and punched out. This punch condensed all his power: Power of the Five Elements, Thunder Spirit Power, Ice Soul Power, and Blood Fiend Power—the four powers merged into one, transforming into a blinding pillar of light.

The pillar of light collided with the lightning. With a deafening boom, the entire ice plain trembled. Air waves surged, the ice surface collapsed, and the ice layer for several miles around shattered completely, revealing the deep blue lake water beneath.

Su Yun flew backward, crashing into a pile of broken ice. He was covered in blood, with no idea how many bones were broken, but he was still alive. The Thunder Beast was also knocked back several steps; a deep wound had appeared on its front leg, and ice-blue blood dripped down, solidifying into ice beads on the ice surface.

The Thunder Beast looked down at the wound and let out a low roar. It raised its head, its golden vertical pupils staring at Su Yun. This time, there was no longer confusion in its eyes, only rage.

It stepped forward toward Su Yun. Every step made the ice surface tremble, and every step carried the terrifying pressure of the Mid Spirit Severing Stage. Su Yun struggled to stand up, his arms trembling, his spiritual power almost exhausted.

The Thunder Beast stopped before him, looking down at him. It opened its mouth to reveal a mouthful of sharp teeth, lightning condensing in its throat.

Just then, a clear, resonant sword hum came from the distance. A white sword light descended from the sky, piercing straight toward the Thunder Beast's eyes. The Thunder Beast tilted its head, the sword light grazing its cheek and leaving a bloody gash.

Fairy Jianyun. She had not run; she had returned. She stood a hundred zhang away, her white clothes stained with blood, holding a long sword, her gaze firm. Valley Master Su Yao had also returned; she stood behind Fairy Jianyun, clutching a handful of Medicinal Pill, ready to provide support at any moment. Bai Shuang was there too; her face was pale, but there was no fear in her eyes.

The Thunder Beast looked at Su Yun, then at Fairy Jianyun, and let out a low growl. It took a step back, turned, and walked toward the ice lake. After walking a few steps, it looked back at Su Yun, a complex gleam of light flashing in its golden vertical pupils. Then it accelerated, its massive body disappearing at the end of the ice plains.

Su Yun knelt on one knee on the broken ice, gasping for air. Fairy Jianyun and Valley Master Su Yao ran over to support him.

"Master, are you alright?"

Su Yun shook his head and stood up. He looked back toward the ice lake. The Thunder Beast had left. It had not pursued them, not because it could not catch them, but because it did not want to. It was guarding something, and that thing was more important than hunting them down.

"Let's go." He said in a hoarse voice. The three of them supported him and flew toward the edge of the ice plains. Behind them, the shattered ice surface slowly froze over again, the lake water solidified into ice, and everything returned to tranquility.

They flew for a long time, until the ice hills were no longer visible, and only then did Valley Master Su Yao stop. She gave Su Yun a handful of Medicinal Pill to ingest and treated Fairy Jianyun's wounds. Bai Shuang stood to the side, silently watching all of this.

Su Yun leaned against an ice wall, closing his eyes. Inside his Dantian, the feedback of spiritual power was slowly recovering his injuries. The spiritual power generated from the Cultivate of those Enslavement gathered from the distant Central Region and Southern Region, like a trickling stream, filling his dried-up Dantian bit by bit.

He opened his eyes and took the ten-thousand-year ganoderma from his Storage Ring. The ganoderma cast a golden halo in the moonlight, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance. He looked at it for a while, then put it back into the ring.

"Master, where shall we go next?" Valley Master Su Yao asked.

Su Yun looked toward the south. That was the path back. Qinghe City, Zhao Lanxin, Zhou Ruoyun, Liu Wugou, Elder Han Yue, and those who were waiting for him to return. He still had to go to the Western Region to find the nine-turn dragon saliva. He still had to return to the Central Region to have Valley Master Su Yao refine the Divine Pill. He still had to undergo the Divine Tribulation and Breakthrough to the Soul Transformation Stage. The road was still long.

"Let's go back." He stood up and walked south.