Small World Amidst Spatial Turbulence

"That's right?" Jiang Mian clasped his fists and looked at the empty snowfield in front of him, asking, "May I ask who you are?"

"You can call me Ice Empress." A snowstorm tornado rose from the ground. When the snow and wind dissipated, a beautiful woman with a cold, handsome face, wearing a green long dress, appeared out of thin air. She carefully examined Jiang Mian and the Emperor Auspicious Beast beside him, and said faintly, "Are you the nominal master of the Snow Empress?"

"Indeed." Jiang Mian nodded and said, "Where is the Snow Empress now?"

"She was attracted by a spatial turbulence. When I went to check with her, she was accidentally sucked in," the Ice Empress confessed frankly. "At that time, the Snow Empress pushed me out and told me to wait for your arrival."

"So that's how it is." Jiang Mian's tone suddenly became unusual as he asked, "You're telling me this so frankly, aren't you afraid I'll have ulterior motives towards the Snow Empress?"

"I still trust those whom the Snow Empress approves of." The Ice Empress pointed to the snowflake mark between Jiang Mian's eyebrows and said, "Since the Snow Empress is willing to leave a trace of her Origin Ice Core with you, I can entrust my life to you."

"Is the Snow Empress in danger?" Jiang Mian frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "I didn't bring many Fierce Beasts with me this time. Should I call some more people over?"

"No need," the Ice Empress shook her head and said, "This spatial turbulence is no small matter. The Snow Empress is not in immediate danger, but we don't know what this turbulence does. It's better not to call too many Fierce Beasts to help."

"Alright," Jiang Mian said, "Then please lead the way and take us to where that spatial turbulence is."

"If there is real danger, I will protect you with my life," the Ice Empress said calmly. "This is my promise to the Snow Empress. I hope you can lead her to a height that we Spirit Beasts can never reach in our lifetime."

"Don't worry, not only the Snow Empress will reach that height, but all of you will," Jiang Mian guaranteed with a firm tone.

"We'll talk about it when you actually achieve it," the Ice Empress clearly wasn't buying Jiang Mian's promises. She said, "Just reduce the number of lightning strikes during my tribulation."

"Definitely, definitely," Jiang Mian laughed heartily and followed the Ice Empress with the Auspicious Beast to the location of the spatial turbulence.

"There are indeed very strong spatial fluctuations. Could it be formed by the fall of an Ancient Deity from years ago?" Jiang Mian stood on a mountaintop, looking at the constantly distorting environment in front of him, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised. "But why did I only discover it now?"

"This place has only become like this in the past few days. It was never like this before," the Ice Empress explained. "The Snow Empress sensed something abnormal and immediately invited me to investigate together, but a strange suction force tried to pull us in."

"I have no idea what this thing is," Jiang Mian looked at the spatial turbulence, feeling a little apprehensive. He looked at the Auspicious Beast and said, "Little Meng, can you try to contact Di Tian?"

"Di Tian and I have a connection, so it should be possible," Nan Meng nodded and said, "I'll try."

"Okay, as soon as possible," Jiang Mian frowned. The reason he asked Di Tian to come was because Di Tian, as a Beast God, was powerful and knowledgeable. He probably had some ideas about this spatial turbulence.

"Is this the Auspicious Beast from the Star Dou Great Forest?" The Ice Empress looked at Nan Meng, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground and summoning Di Tian, with surprise. "No wonder I only felt my Soul Power increasing much faster than before."

"The Auspicious Beast is closely related to Di Tian. Let's make plans after Di Tian arrives," Jiang Mian said.

"Di Tian." The Ice Empress frowned. It wasn't that she had a problem with Di Tian. This Beast God didn't have much conflict with her Extreme North, so the Ice Empress didn't object to Di Tian.

If the Evil Emperor Tyrant, the ruler of the Sun Moon Forest, encountered Di Tian, they would have to fight to the death to live up to their names.

Of course, the Ice Empress felt that the Snow Empress would help Di Tian beat up that Evil Emperor.

After all, they were both from the Douluo Continent, and that Evil Emperor was from the Sun Moon Continent.

As Jiang Mian and the Ice Empress had just sat down to guard Nan Meng, the spatial turbulence behind them showed signs of movement. It opened without warning, and a torrent of chaotic energy erupted, engulfing the three of them.

"Ah!" Jiang Mian was caught off guard and was sucked in before he could even mobilize his Soul Power to defend himself. "Ice Empress, you and the Auspicious Beast wait for Di Tian here. You must wait until Di Tian arrives."

"Brother Mian!" The Auspicious Beast's eyes snapped open. She leaped up, wanting to follow Jiang Mian in. Fortunately, the Ice Empress was quick and decisive, grabbing the Auspicious Beast, preventing her from being sucked into the spatial turbulence along with Jiang Mian.

"The suction force has weakened?" The Ice Empress hugged the Auspicious Beast and released her Soul Power to resist the suction force. The first time she came, she and the Snow Empress could barely resist it together, but now she could resist it with just herself.

Could it be that the Snow Empress was helping her from the other side?

"What are you doing?" Nan Meng watched Jiang Mian disappear and immediately shouted angrily, "Don't you know Jiang Mian is the hope of the Spirit Beast race? If you don't save him, fine, but why didn't you let me save him!"

"Didn't you hear what he just said?" The Ice Empress's expression changed, and she said coldly, "If you followed him in, how would Di Tian be able to find this place?"

"Why couldn't you pull him out?" the Auspicious Beast questioned furiously.

"This is his own plan!" The Ice Empress was clearly also angry, and she said sternly, "Didn't you see that he didn't even resist?"

"What do you know!" the Auspicious Beast shouted angrily.

"Wait for Di Tian to arrive obediently. This is his plan," the Ice Empress said with a full face of displeasure. "If your actions cause him and the Snow Empress to be unable to get out, I will make you pay with the Snow Empress's life!"

"I want you to pay with Jiang Mian's life right now!" The Auspicious Beast suddenly released her Soul Power, and a divine Soul Power pressed down on the Ice Empress, covering the sky and earth!

"You want to fight?" The Ice Empress showed no mercy and released her Soul Power as well. The two energies, capable of destroying heaven and earth, clashed, as if the very world had changed color!

The Auspicious Beast was blessed with extraordinary talent, and her strength could not be measured by years. Moreover, her attributes naturally countered the Ice Empress. With this plus and minus, she actually had the momentum to suppress the Ice Empress.

However, the Ice Empress was in her own territory, surrounded by dense ice attributes. Coupled with her own cultivation of 380,000 years, the two Spirit Beasts were locked in a fierce struggle.

If Jiang Mian could see these two fighting as soon as they disagreed, completely disregarding the need to save him and the Snow Empress, he would probably be so angry that he would pass out on the spot.

"Auspicious Beast, stop!" Di Tian's voice echoed in the Auspicious Beast's ears. Ever since she had contacted Di Tian, he had been maintaining the connection. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sense the conflict between the Auspicious Beast and the Ice Empress.

"You withdraw first," the Auspicious Beast pouted and said, "If you withdraw your Soul Power, I'll withdraw mine."

"If you withdraw first, I'll withdraw," the Ice Empress would never give in to the Auspicious Beast; she wasn't some delicate queen.

Upon hearing this, the Auspicious Beast ignored Di Tian's advice and released even more Soul Power. The Ice Empress was not to be outdone, and the two Spirit Beasts actually started arguing in the ice and snow.

Jiang Mian, within the spatial turbulence, had no idea what was happening outside. He looked at the brand-new place in front of him and was somewhat hesitant to move forward. However, with no one beside him to protect him, he could only cautiously explore this space.

Moreover, ever since he entered, his connection with the Snow Empress had completely vanished, as if there was a natural barrier in this space that directly severed his connection with the Snow Empress.

"There's no mistake," Jiang Mian sensed the divine aura permeating the space and immediately concluded that this must be an independent space formed after the fall of some Ancient Deity.

It was just that it had only recently collided with the Douluo Continent space and appeared in the Extreme North, creating a gateway into this space.

"I can still use my Soul Power, but Xiong Jun and the others are not here, so it's best to proceed with caution," Jiang Mian rubbed his forehead, regretting not bringing Xiong Jun and the others.

He had originally planned this trip to the Extreme North to deepen his relationship with the Auspicious Beast as a man and a woman, but he didn't expect to fall into a trap he dug himself.

Jiang Mian looked at a village in the distance and decided to head in to gather some information. After all, he was a Soul King, and his combat strength was such that he wouldn't even flinch facing a Soul Douluo. Inquiring for information in a village shouldn't pose any risks.

"Is this a bounty board?" Jiang Mian walked to the village entrance and noticed a large sign next to it, displaying various bounty posters.

"Seeking Bone Spirit Flower, Brass-tier mission, reward: three Gold Soul Coins."

"Kill the Cold Iron Raven that's invading the village, Silver-tier mission, reward: thirty Gold Soul Coins."

"Help Grandpa Wang by the village entrance find his lost dentures, no rank mission, reward: a meal."

"What level of Spirit Beast is this Cold Iron Raven to offer such a high bounty in Gold Soul Coins?" Jiang Mian mused, recalling the rewards Spirit Masters received from Spirit Hall. A Soul Elder earned a hundred Gold Soul Coins a month, so this Cold Iron Raven was likely around the Soul Elder level.

Jiang Mian made a quick decision. He would first find someone in the village to gather information. If the Cold Iron Raven turned out to be too powerful for him to handle, he didn't want to endanger the entire village.

"Old man, is this Cold Iron Raven powerful?" Jiang Mian spotted an old man smoking a pipe by the roadside and immediately went up to ask.

"Cold what raven?" The old man squinted, slowly exhaling a puff of smoke.

"Cold Iron Raven."

"What raven?"

"Never mind then, you rest, grandpa."

"Alright."

Jiang Mian pouted slightly, feeling a bit speechless. He was about to find another household to ask when suddenly, a gasp came from a nearby doorway. Immediately after, a burly young man, his body covered in muscles, strode in holding the bounty for the Cold Iron Raven.

"Villagers, I accept this bounty." The young man was incredibly large; Jiang Mian was a good head shorter than him.

"Buddy, why are you cutting in line?" Although Jiang Mian hadn't intended to take the mission, he put on a fierce expression and questioned, "Do you know I was just about to take this mission?"

"After I kill the Cold Iron Raven, the reward is yours." The young man was very forthright. Instead of getting angry, he smiled and said, "I just want to improve my rank."

"Rank? What's that?" Jiang Mian was quite confused and immediately leaned closer to the young man to ask in a low voice.

"After every adventurer completes a bounty mission, they can take the bounty poster to the Adventurer's Guild to improve their rank," the young man explained. "The higher your rank, the more activities and status you'll have."

"Why does this sound so confusing?" Jiang Mian scratched his head and muttered to himself, "After this Deity fell, what kind of things did his thoughts manifest in this space?"

After every Ancient Deity fell, their physical bodies would perish, forming the kind of space Jiang Mian was currently in. Their spiritual thoughts would then manifest all beings in this space.

Some Deities might manifest vast landscapes, while others might only manifest a courtyard or a tavern. Beyond these places, all one could see was chaos.

Therefore, such Divine Fall Spaces were also known as Small Worlds.

Clearly, the world manifested by this Deity's thoughts was incredibly vast, having even formed a complete system.

"Friend, I consider you a friend," Jiang Mian said, patting the big guy's shoulder. "What's your name?"

"My name is Kloss," the big guy replied with a shy smile, scratching his head. "When I kill the Cold Iron Raven, you can just ask the villagers for the bounty."

"I'm not after the money," Jiang Mian shook his head, acting as if he was serving the people. "I just can't stand seeing these villagers living such difficult lives and want to get rid of this menace for them."

"Friend, you're so noble," Kloss's eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at Jiang Mian with admiration. "Your adventurer rank must be very high."

"Is having a high rank that important?" Jiang Mian spoke nonsense with a serious face. "I can't stand adventurers who only pursue rank and don't do practical things for the villagers. They're all incredibly hypocritical. We should help villagers wholeheartedly, without expecting anything in return!"

Damn, he clearly doesn't have a high rank. If Jiang Mian's rank was high, he would have shown it off long ago.

"Friend, your ideals are truly lofty," Kloss said, feeling a bit inferior. "I've been too superficial. What's your name?"

"Just call me Jiang Mian," Jiang Mian said with a slight smile, patting Kloss's shoulder again. "Don't worry, brother, I won't let you face the Cold Iron Raven alone. Shall we fight side-by-side?"

"I couldn't ask for more," Kloss extended his hand, and Jiang Mian clasped it. He grinned, "Indeed, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Friend, your body appears quite frail, yet your hand is so strong."

Jiang Mian smiled slightly. Of course, I'm a dignified Soul King.

Because Jiang Mian and Kloss accepted the bounty, they naturally received the village's "highest" treatment, residing in a dilapidated outhouse by the entrance.

Did you really think the villagers were that easy to fool? If some adventurers were just there for the excitement, the villagers would provide food and lodging, only for them to eat and drink their fill before leaving. Where would the villagers go to seek justice then?

Therefore, without completing the bounty, Jiang Mian and Kloss had no source of income.

Jiang Mian lay on the bed made of piled straw, his mind filled with worries. He wondered about the flow of time in this space compared to the outside. What if the time flow here was much faster? If he returned after a long time, Zhu Qing and the others might have aged considerably.

If it was slower, it wouldn't be a big problem to stay here for half a year or a year and then return, as if only a day had passed.

Jiang Mian was filled with anxiety, while Kloss was carefree. He didn't overthink things. Once the Cold Iron Raven appeared and was dealt with, that would be it. So, he was fast asleep.

Jiang Mian stayed awake all night, unable to sleep. As dawn broke, Jiang Mian emerged from his cultivation state. After all, if he couldn't sleep, he could meditate to improve his Soul Power, which served as a substitute for sleep.

"Brother Jiang Mian, time to eat." Kloss had already woken up. He had exchanged some work for the villagers for two flatbreads, just enough to fill their stomachs.

"Thanks for your hard work, brother," Jiang Mian expressed his sincere gratitude. He felt that Kloss was truly simple and unpretentious, unlike people from the outside world with their complicated schemes. Jiang Mian vowed to treat such a friend with genuine sincerity.

"What was that cultivation method you were using earlier?" Kloss asked curiously. "I've only seen deities use such cultivation methods."

"There are gods in this world?" Jiang Mian was surprised inwardly, but he feigned an air of knowing everything. "This is a cultivation method I developed myself, with some inspiration from deities."

"You're amazing," Kloss's eyes widened suddenly. He gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Those deities can summon wind and rain. Since you know their cultivation methods, can you also summon wind and rain?"

"How do you cultivate?" Jiang Mian asked back.

"By tempering the body," Kloss replied with a look of surprise. "Haven't you tried it?"

So, the people here didn't have Soul Skills; they gained strength by tempering their bodies. This method was unlike that of Spirit Masters and was quite similar to Spirit Beasts!

Jiang Mian rested his chin on his hand and smiled slightly. "I tried tempering my body a few times when I was young, but I haven't done it since."

"I see," Kloss nodded. Just as he was about to show Jiang Mian his muscles, a strong wind howled outside.

A black raven, its body glistening with cold light and metallic luster, appeared above the village. Relying on its robust physique, it began to wreak havoc within the village.

"It's our turn." Kloss took out two daggers from his pocket; these were his weapons.

Jiang Mian hadn't expected that such a burly man would use such small and exquisite weapons.

Kloss hurled his left dagger with all his might. The dagger hit the raven with a bang. Sparks flew from the friction, but they didn't cause any substantial damage to the raven.

"Its defense is that strong?" Jiang Mian looked at the raven, estimating its age. This Cold Iron Raven appeared to be around three thousand years old, its strength already surpassing most Soul Elders.

However, it was quite clumsy. Besides using its physical body to attack, it didn't seem to know any magical attacks. This truly opened Jiang Mian's eyes, as all Spirit Beasts in the Douluo world knew at least some magical attacks.

Jiang Mian understood. The difference between this space created by a Deity and Douluo was that the people and Spirit Beasts here relied solely on their formidable physical bodies, whereas people and Spirit Beasts in the Douluo world were developed in all aspects: intelligence, morality, physique, aesthetics, and labor.

"Attack its eyes," Jiang Mian stopped watching the show and shouted, "Kloss, its eyes are its only weak spot."

"I understand." Kloss roared, his muscles tensing. He strode towards the raven, intending to engage in close combat with this Spirit Beast.

The raven flapped its wings and soared high, then suddenly dove down, intending to ram Kloss with its falling momentum.

Kloss took a deep breath and firmly gripped the Cold Iron Raven's wings with his bare hands.

"Magnificent." Jiang Mian's eyes widened. Picking up the dagger that had been flung away, he charged forward. With a swift step, he leaped onto the raven's back and plunged the dagger directly into its eye.

"Aow!"

The raven cried out in pain and became still.

"No wonder this thing is Silver-tier," Jiang Mian muttered to himself. "It can fly, and its body is strong. It's truly worth its price."

If Jiang Mian had simply inserted the dagger into its eye, he wouldn't have been able to kill it completely. What truly killed it was the Hellfire Jiang Mian unleashed through the dagger.

The flame didn't manifest outwardly; it directly burned through the raven's eye and incinerated its brain.

It was fortunate that Jiang Mian intervened. Otherwise, with Kloss's fighting style that relied purely on physical strength, he might not have been able to kill this raven.

However, the ending was good. Kloss dragged the raven, with Jiang Mian following behind him. After receiving their payment from the village chief, the two happily took their bounty poster to upgrade their ranks at the Adventurer's Guild.

"Why do you adventurers primarily upgrade your ranks?" Jiang Mian asked curiously. He didn't feel that Kloss was someone who pursued fame for its own sake, so why was he so insistent on improving his adventurer rank?

"I don't know about them, but I'm upgrading my rank for someone." Kloss's expression turned serious. He said, "Jiang Mian, I implore you to keep this a secret for me, as it concerns that person's life."

"Kloss, since you trust me, I will definitely keep your secret," Jiang Mian promised.

"Actually, I'm an orphan. The reason I have my current strength is because an old man taught me," Kloss said frankly. "He's very powerful, but he's sealed in a place, and only the fruit of a Deity can save him."

"What exactly are the Deities in this world?" Jiang Mian couldn't help but feel curious. It seemed they weren't as rare as the Deities in the Douluo Continent.

Moreover, the common people in this world were ultimately manifestations of that ancient Deity's thoughts. The so-called Deities were merely false gods created by thoughts.

"Only by winning first place in the Hero Competition will the Deity grant the winner three Diamond-tier missions. After completing the missions, one can make a request to the Deity, which is how I have a chance to obtain the Deity's fruit," Kloss said. "Of course, one of the requirements to participate in the competition is that the adventurer rank must reach Gold Rank."

"I see." Jiang Mian suddenly understood. The Deities here were not only not rare, but they could also descend to bestow sacred artifacts upon warriors. This was quite interesting.

Furthermore, he had seen Kloss's fighting style just now, and it felt like a crude, unrefined combat method with no technique whatsoever.

Could he also participate in the competition, understand the nature of this world, or perhaps, through the competition, find any trace of the Snow Empress?

Although doing so was a bit risky, Jiang Mian had to take a chance. He didn't know how powerful the Deities in this world were, but judging by the Silver-tier mission just now, they might be comparable to Titled Douluo.

After all, no matter how much an ancient Deity's thoughts materialized, they couldn't possibly create beings stronger than themselves, right?

Besides, Di Tian was already on his way. When Di Tian brought the Ice Empress, Auspicious Beasts, and the others in, even if Jiang Mian turned this place upside down, no one would be able to threaten him!

Jiang Mian made up his mind to participate in this Hero Competition. Therefore, the immediate priority was to raise his rank to Gold Rank.

"Kloss, let's take on a big mission."