Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 137

Volume 5 Chapter 137: Racing Through the Snow, Observing the Master’s Battle

The "Ice Giant Elephant," towering like a mountain, is immensely strong and has solid defenses; it can freeze the world and everything in it. It is said to have transformed from the seven stars of Bei Dou, along with the six demon beasts of the other stars, making it the most powerful presence in North Iceland. Its strength lies between Earth level and heavenly level; although it may not be a match for heavenly level demon beasts, it can easily kill any Earth level demon beast. It is truly powerful.

This is all the information Xu Qingfan knows about the "Ice Giant Elephant."

Perhaps the "Ice Giant Elephant" is not a heavenly level demon beast, but with its strong body, cold bloodthirsty eyes, and wild nature combined, the power it exudes is not any less than that of a heavenly level demon beast.

And the heavenly level demon beast is a being with strength equal to that of a Mahayana Stage master!

In that moment, under the cold gaze of the "Ice Giant Elephant," with its overwhelming presence, both Xu Qingfan, who was used to seeing powerful beings, and the proud Jin Qinghan found their bodies stiffening and unable to move.

Others, like Lv Qingshang, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong, showed even more distress.

In their hearts, an inexplicable fear began to spread.

Yet, along with this rising fear, Xu Qingfan felt a deep puzzlement: the "Ice Giant Elephant" had turned into an iceberg, seemingly asleep for hundreds of years; why would it awaken now?

Xu Qingfan did not believe their arrival had awakened the "Ice Giant Elephant," after all, it was the closest being to a heavenly level demon beast. Generally, a peak of the Golden Core Stage cultivator could only escape when facing it, and Xu Qingfan and his companions had deliberately suppressed their own aura, making them no different from ants to the "Ice Giant Elephant."

Could it be Little Gold? But after Little Gold’s aura was sealed by the Sealing Ring, all the demon beasts lost interest in it, didn’t they?

Is there another reason to awaken this terrifying being from its endless slumber?

Just as Xu Qingfan was filled with doubt, the "Ice Giant Elephant" finally moved.

It seems that every demon beast has this habit of letting out a loud roar before attacking, as if warning their opponent that they are about to strike.

This habit is much more honorable than the cultivators who sneak attack without warning, even though Xu Qingfan himself has sneaked attacked more than once.

At this moment, however, Xu Qingfan and the others wished that the "Ice Giant Elephant" did not have this habit.

"Hmm…"

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the mouth of the "Ice Giant Elephant," shaking the ground, changing the weather, and causing the ice on the earth to crack. Huge fissures appeared beneath its feet and quickly spread for miles. The roar even triggered an earthquake in North Iceland, and for a brief moment, the fierce wind and snow around Xu Qingfan and the others seemed to pause.

Finally, Xu Qingfan and the others recovered from their shock at the sudden appearance of the "Ice Giant Elephant," struggling to cope with the vibrations in their bodies as they hurriedly flew into the air to escape the collapsing ground.

Among them, the weakest, Xu Xiurong, could not help but spit out blood from the immense roar of the "Ice Giant Elephant," and the others suffered varying degrees of internal injuries.

The power of a roar was unexpectedly strong.

After flying high into the sky, Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan furrowed their brows as they looked at the giant creature before them, thinking about their strategy. Two clones were carrying Little Gold and Master Bo Guangyan, while Dongfang Qingling and Lv Qingshang were taking care of the most injured Xu Xiurong. In fact, they had also suffered serious injuries from the roar.

At that moment, the wild blizzard, which had briefly paused during the roar, suddenly became even more fierce, gathering together and rushing quickly towards Xu Qingfan and the others. The raging winds mixed with huge ice blocks, and their power was greater than any magical force.

It was after the "Ice Giant Elephant" showed its strength that it began to control the blizzard to attack everyone.

Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of helplessness. They had come seeking the masters but had unwittingly provoked this "Ice Giant Elephant," and now they feared they might be in serious trouble.

After nodding to each other, the two showed no hesitation and began to resist the blizzard controlled by the "Ice Giant Elephant."

Jin Qinghan’s body shone with golden light, and with a flick of his fingers, countless golden sparks suddenly appeared, piercing through the raging wind and shattering the gigantic ice blocks mixed in the storm, greatly reducing the power of the blizzard.

Xu Qingfan, on the other hand, waved his hands as black and white energy began to spread from his palms. When the two energies merged, they formed a black and white Taiji diagram, ten feet wide, shielding everyone behind it, and as it spun, the violent blizzard melted away as if it had never existed.

Seeing these two tiny creatures so easily block its attack, the "Ice Giant Elephant" flashed with anger in its eyes, its blood-red aura growing stronger, and it charged towards Xu Qingfan and the others. The ground trembled even more under its feet, and the already cracked glaciers began to shatter further.

Seeing the "Ice Giant Elephant" charging towards him and his friends, its powerful presence made the world around them change colors. Xu Qingfan quickly retreated with the others; facing such a creature directly would be asking for trouble.

However, even though the "Ice Giant Elephant" was huge, it was not clumsy at all. In fact, it moved very quickly. Xu Qingfan and the others had pushed their speed to the limit, yet they were still being rapidly approached by the "Ice Giant Elephant."

Just as the "Ice Giant Elephant" was about to reach Xu Qingfan and the others, it encountered another foe.

That foe was Xu Qingfan’s spirit pet—Little Black.

Since Little Black had consumed the blood of Little Gold, it had undergone a change. While its strength had not greatly increased, it now carried an air of pride that should not belong to a demon beast, almost like a king.

The earlier roar from the "Ice Giant Elephant" nearly knocked Little Black off Xu Qingfan’s shoulder, making it very angry. Before Xu Qingfan could give a command, it charged ahead towards the "Ice Giant Elephant."

In front of the hill-sized "Ice Giant Elephant," if Xu Qingfan and his friends looked like ants, then Little Black was no more than a speck of dust. In terms of power, Little Black was far weaker than the "Ice Giant Elephant," yet it showed no fear, transforming into a black lightning and rushing towards the "Ice Giant Elephant," unaffected by the powerful winds.

Seeing Little Black charge forward, Xu Qingfan was initially worried, fearing that Little Black might not be strong enough, since its strength was only comparable to a middle-stage Golden Core cultivator.

But when Little Black made its move, it left Xu Qingfan utterly astonished.

As Little Black charged towards the Ice Giant Elephant, a thick cloud of black mist suddenly surrounded it. This mist gradually separated from Xu Qingfan’s body, drifting away in pieces, yet it could not be blown away by the wind. Instead, it transformed in mid-air, eventually taking the shape of many Dark Crows. Their eyes were devoid of life, and with each peck and flap of their wings, they looked just like Little Black did before it fed on Little Gold’s flesh and blood.

Speaking of which, Little Black had not engaged in a proper fight with anyone since its transformation. This power must have come to Little Black after it changed.

When Little Black flew in front of the Ice Giant Elephant, hundreds of Dark Crows followed closely behind it!

The Ice Giant Elephant paid no attention to Little Black’s arrival and simply charged towards Xu Qingfan and the others.

During the collision, the force was tremendous, and many of the Dark Crows were knocked back into their original form, turning into black mist and disappearing into the air.

However, more Dark Crows, under Little Black’s leadership, began to peck at the Ice Giant Elephant.

Normally, considering Little Black’s size, even if it pecked at the Ice Giant Elephant, it would be like a mosquito bite and wouldn’t bother the Ice Giant Elephant at all.

But this time was different. Each Dark Crow that pecked at the Ice Giant Elephant made it let out a thunderous roar of pain, and when Little Black itself pecked, the Ice Giant Elephant’s body would twitch in agony.

Under the distraction of the seemingly tiny Little Black and the group of lifeless Dark Crows, the Ice Giant Elephant came to a sudden stop, its charge towards Xu Qingfan and the others halting as it began to spin in place, trying to shake off Little Black and the others.

Xu Qingfan and the others stared in shock. Could such a powerful being, like an ancient beast, really be defeated by Little Black?

"Oh no!"

As the "Ice Giant Elephant" roared louder, the blood in its eyes grew darker, and the Water Spirit Qi in the air became more chaotic. A faint ring of sparkling silver light began to appear around the "Ice Giant Elephant," and Xu Qingfan suddenly yelled out.

"Junior Brother Jin, take care of the others!"

Saying this, Xu Qingfan quickly rushed towards Little Black.

The "Ice Giant Elephant," even if not a heavenly level demon beast, was definitely one of the closest to it, much stronger than a peak Earth level demon beast. Although Little Black was at a disadvantage due to its small size, in terms of pure strength, Little Black was no match.

In its rage, the chaotic Water Spirit Qi and the ice-colored halo forming around the "Ice Giant Elephant" clearly showed that this "Ice Giant Elephant" was about to unleash its ultimate move.

Sure enough, just as Xu Qingfan reached Little Black and blocked its attack, the ice-colored halo around the "Ice Giant Elephant" suddenly blazed brightly and spread rapidly in all directions.

With no chance to escape, Xu Qingfan helplessly transformed the life and death energies into a Taiji diagram, blocking the way between himself and Little Black.

Then, something shocking happened to Xu Qingfan.

Everywhere the icy light ring spread, the "Dark Crows," which had transformed from death energy, instantly turned into black ice sculptures. Without the power to fly, they quickly fell to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces of ice.

These "Dark Crows" were purely made of death energy! Could they really be frozen into ice?

But at that moment, Xu Qingfan could not think about that. He focused on using "Cycle of Life and Death," standing protectively in front of himself and Little Black.

In the blink of an eye, the icy light ring reached the front of Xu Qingfan’s "Cycle of Life and Death," but it was firmly blocked. Xu Qingfan noticed, however, that his "Cycle of Life and Death" was operating more and more slowly, and it gradually stopped. Looking around, he saw that it had turned into a black-and-white ice sculpture, which then fell to the ground and broke into pieces.

Xu Qingfan was even more shocked, and even the fearless Little Black seemed stunned.

Fortunately, Xu Qingfan’s "Cycle of Life and Death" was still powerful enough to stop the icy light ring from turning him and Little Black into ice sculptures. Jin Qinghan, Lv Qingshang, Dongfang Qingling, and others were lucky to be behind Xu Qingfan, so they were not harmed by the ice ring; otherwise, it would have been truly difficult to handle.

At the same time, tiny ice particles kept falling to the ground. Xu Qingfan knew these ice particles once had a name, "wind"!

The icy light ring created by the "Ice Giant Elephant" could freeze this life and death energy and even something as formless as the wind!

In this world, everything suddenly became still. Things that could move either turned into ice sculptures or were frozen in shock by the "Ice Giant Elephant’s" power.

After a moment, the snowstorm outside the circle of ice blew back into this frozen world.

Although this icy world became wild again, both Xu Qingfan and the others felt much safer than in the still world before.

Everyone focused their eyes on the "Ice Giant Elephant," waiting for its next move and preparing to run away at any moment.

It was not fear, but this power was beyond what they could fight against.

This was only a demon beast close to celestial level, but who knew what a true celestial level demon beast could do?

However, the "Ice Giant Elephant’s" reaction was very strange; it simply looked deeply at everyone, especially pausing for a few seconds on Little Black, as if it wanted to remember them all.

Then, the "Ice Giant Elephant" surprised everyone present.

The "Ice Giant Elephant" suddenly turned its massive body and ran swiftly into the depths of North Iceland.

Did that seemingly invincible "Ice Giant Elephant" really run away? After using that terrifying icy halo, has the "Ice Giant Elephant" already exhausted its strength?

Yet the Water Spirit Qi on the "Ice Giant Elephant" is still fierce and has not weakened much after using that icy halo, making this reason somewhat unconvincing.

Looking at the expression of the "Ice Giant Elephant," it seemed more like it had something important to do and did not want to waste time with everyone.

Thinking of the sudden appearance and departure of the "Ice Giant Elephant," along with why everyone came to North Iceland, Xu Qingfan suddenly had an idea, his face changing dramatically as he ordered Little Black, "Stop that ‘Ice Giant Elephant’ for a moment!"

At the same time, he turned to Jin Qinghan and the others behind him and said, "Climb onto the back of that ‘Ice Giant Elephant’ with me; it can take us to the masters!"

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone was slightly taken aback by the puzzling reason, but trusting Xu Qingfan as always, they suppressed their fear of the "Ice Giant Elephant" and flew towards the "Ice Giant Elephant," which had been blocked again by Little Black.

At this moment, Little Black used the same trick again, creating countless Dark Crows that surrounded the Ice Giant Elephant, pecking at it repeatedly. The "Ice Giant Elephant" roared in pain, but it could do nothing about those Dark Crows, which were no bigger than dust in its eyes. Just as the "Ice Giant Elephant" was about to unleash that terrifying icy halo again, Little Black suddenly stopped the attack and disappeared.

This was because Xu Qingfan and the others had already climbed onto the back of the "Ice Giant Elephant" and were hiding. The "Ice Giant Elephant," focusing all its attention on dealing with Little Black, did not notice them at all, as they seemed even smaller than ants to it.

Meanwhile, the missing Little Black was now standing on Xu Qingfan’s shoulder again.

Then, the "Ice Giant Elephant" stood still for a moment and seemed a bit confused, but it ignored them and continued to run wildly deeper into North Iceland.

Once they reached the "Ice Giant Elephant," Jin Qinghan and the others began to ask Xu Qingfan about his reasons for making the decision.

Xu Qingfan explained it this way:

The group’s purpose in coming to North Iceland was to find the various masters.

The reason the masters came to North Iceland was to capture one of the four spirit beasts, "Xuanwu." This means that at this moment, many masters might be somewhere in North Iceland, engaged in an earth-shattering battle with "Xuanwu."

The "Ice Giant Elephant" could not have suddenly woken up after endless years without any reason. After it realized that it could not deal with Xu Qingfan and the others quickly, it judged that its awakening was not because of them, so it ignored their urgent situation and left.

Since it was not because of Xu Qingfan and the others, what caused it to wake up? And what made it hurry away?

It is said that Xuanwu is the god of the north, while the "Ice Giant Elephant" is one of the Seven Beasts of North Iceland, transformed from "Dou," and has protected "Xuanwu" for generations.

This means it is very likely that the "Ice Giant Elephant" suddenly woke up because it was summoned by "Xuanwu," who was struggling in the battle against the masters. After waking up, the "Ice Giant Elephant" learned that "Xuanwu" was being hunted by humans, and it saw Xu Qingfan and the others as accomplices. Or perhaps, it was simply cruel by nature and wanted to eliminate Xu Qingfan and the others. But when it found out that they were not so easy to kill, it became worried about the safety of "Xuanwu" and decided to run towards "Xuanwu" to offer support instead of paying attention to Xu Qingfan and the others.

Although this is just Xu Qingfan’s guess, considering everything, it is likely true.

In other words, the "Ice Giant Elephant" is currently leading everyone toward the battlefield of "Xuanwu" and the masters, and by following it, everyone can find the masters as quickly as possible.

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s guess, Jin Qinghan and the others showed a mix of belief and doubt.

Although they trusted Xu Qingfan and admired how quickly he thought of so much, if the "Ice Giant Elephant" was not going to support Xuanwu as Xu Qingfan thought, would they not get taken somewhere unknown? In the end, they would not even know how to get back? Would they just waste time like that?

After Dongfang Qingling asked this question on behalf of everyone, Xu Qingfan smiled bitterly and explained that searching aimlessly in the vast North Iceland was also pointless. Using the power of the "Ice Giant Elephant" might have a better chance of success, as there were still some reliable guesses, which was better than blindly searching.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s explanation, no one dared to argue, and they all followed Xu Qingfan, crouching behind the Ice Giant Elephant, wondering where it would take them.

I must say, the "Ice Giant Elephant" was incredibly fast, moving twice as quickly as everyone could fly, and it was not affected at all by the fierce storms in North Iceland. In just two or three days, they covered the distance that would have taken them ten days.

However, the speed of the "Ice Giant Elephant" meant that the wind they felt was even stronger, threatening to blow them beneath it, leaving them unsure of where they would end up. At first, everyone tried to use various barriers to block the wind, but the fierce force of the wind overpowered any magic. After two or three days, everyone felt their Spirit Qi running out.

Only Little Gold, no matter how strong the wind became, was not affected at all and happily ran and rolled on the "Ice Giant Elephant," making the others, who were struggling, very envious.

Finally, with no other choice, Xu Qingfan could only command everyone to hide in the deep fur of the "Ice Giant Elephant," using its thick hair to block the wind.

The "Ice Giant Elephant" was as huge as a hill, with its snow-white fur being two or three meters thick, and each hair was as thick and long as a rope. Once they hid deep in its fur, the wind immediately became much calmer. As long as they held onto a hair, they would not be blown away, and soon everyone was able to recover some of the Spirit Qi they had lost while being carried by the "Ice Giant Elephant."

On the way to search for the masters, they thought it would be very difficult, but with the help of the "Ice Giant Elephant," it suddenly became very relaxing.

※※※※

However, this relaxation lasted only ten days.

After ten days, everyone’s Spirit Qi was mostly restored, but the "Ice Giant Elephant" still showed no sign of stopping. It had traveled more than a hundred thousand miles in those ten days.

Watching the "Ice Giant Elephant" run so wildly, even Xu Qingfan began to doubt if his guess was wrong. Was the "Ice Giant Elephant" running like this simply because it was moving after sleeping for countless years?

But just when Xu Qingfan planned to discuss strategies with the others again, his body suddenly shook. A look of shock appeared on his face.

Along with him, Jin Qinghan also turned pale.

After two or three more hours, Dongfang Qingling and Lv Qingshang also began to change colors on their faces.

Because they all sensed that a powerful force, stronger than anything they had felt before, was coming from a great distance. The Spirit Qi in the world seemed to grow more chaotic and violent as it got closer to the source of that power. Although it still felt far away, it gave everyone a sense of their blood freezing.

When Xu Qingfan glanced at everyone, he noticed that their eyes showed signs of excitement.

Masters!

Only those masters who had nearly reached the Unity of Sky and Earth could create such a strong force during battle.

Xu Qingfan was right; the "Ice Giant Elephant" was indeed heading towards the battlefield between the Xuanwu and the masters of the Righteous Alliance.

After this was confirmed, the admiration and trust in Xu Qingfan’s eyes grew even stronger, but Xu Qingfan could only breathe a sigh of relief in secret.

In any case, Xu Qingfan was correct.

However, although everyone sensed the masters’ power early on, it was not until three whole days later that they heard the earth-shaking sounds of battle. This shows how far the power of the masters could spread.

For the past three days, everyone felt their blood freeze, their souls tremble, and their bodies grow stiff under the strong pressure. Although this power was not aimed at them, it was far beyond what they could bear.

After hearing the booming sound, everyone managed to move their stiff bodies and quickly left the Ice Giant Elephant’s body, flying up into the air.

Then, they stared blankly into the distance with wide eyes.

The battle of the masters!

Although everyone was still far from the battlefield, the twelve masters floating in the air were clearly visible, as if they were ancient gods. They were small without any glowing aura, yet they were so dazzling that they couldn’t be overlooked; even from a great distance, everyone couldn’t help but see them clearly.

They appeared calm, as if they were not fighting but playing a game or chatting. However, with every movement, they directly summoned the power of heaven and earth. The icy sea roared, the ground cracked, thunder and lightning flashed, and their power was more than a hundred times stronger than the abilities of a Condensed Core Stage cultivator. All attacks directed at them silently vanished into the world, becoming the most primitive Spirit Qi of heaven and earth for their use.

From afar, the twelve masters seemed to be not just ordinary cultivators, but representatives of the entire world. To oppose them was to oppose heaven and earth itself, leaving only a deep sense of powerlessness apart from submission.

But what attracted Xu Qingfan and the others even more was the opponent of the twelve masters—the "Xuanwu," one of the legendary Four Mythical Beasts!

As in legends, the "Xuanwu" is a gigantic black turtle, entwined with a black snake, appearing as one. Its shell bore mysterious silver patterns, and its power was even greater than that of the masters on the battlefield. No matter what abilities the twelve masters used, they were completely blocked by the Xuanwu’s shell. The flashing lightning and flying stones—powerful enough to easily destroy a city—could not harm the shell at all.

Compared to the turtle that was responsible for defense, the connected black snake was in charge of attack. Although the various powers of the heavens and earth it stirred up could easily be transformed by the masters, its body seemed to stretch endlessly, and it moved as fast as lightning. Every time it charged at a master, that master had to retreat several dozen steps, disrupting the formation.

Beside Xuanwu, there were six incredibly strong demon beasts, including the imposing white snow bear, as large as an "Ice Giant Elephant," the ice-colored snow eagle that could summon the powers of wind and thunder with lightning speed, and the small yet fierce snow leopard. Together with the "Ice Giant Elephant," they were known as the North Iceland Seven Beasts.

The "Ice Giant Elephant" was the last to arrive, but after it got there, it showed no hesitation and immediately joined the battle.

The battle grew increasingly intense.