"Die! These wretched beasts have ancient bloodlines!"
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King Ying slid down from the ice wall and spat out a mouthful of blood. Only after five of his ribs had shifted out of place did he stop.
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That ice dragon's control was far too powerful. Moreover, it was unbelievably fast, leaving him no chance to unleash his counterattack.
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"Ugh!"
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The beast king finally seized the opportunity, but before he could react, the third Soul Fragment struck him again. The cold light of the ice dragon's son pierced straight toward King Ying's throat.
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"Third Soul Fragment, Giant Bear Collision!"
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With a roar, Zhou the Old Axe swung his axe. The third silver Soul Seed Light burst forth, while a thick shield of soul power blocked King Ying.
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Bang!
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The sharp claws and tail of the ice dragon collided with the shield, erupting with a thunderous crash that made everyone's ears ring.
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The shield trembled violently. Its surface instantly filled with spiderweb-like cracks.
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Zhou the Old Axe roared as the enormous force of the impact shook him backward.
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The other ice dragons also attacked at that moment. Ice spears, ice blades, poison mist, and countless other attacks surged over them like a flood, forcing the two men into a desperate corner.
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In an instant, the entire valley was filled with the explosions of Soul Fragments colliding and the furious roars of the ice dragons.
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King Ying and Zhou the Old Axe were completely suppressed. They could only struggle to support the Soul Sect's cultivation formation while new wounds continued appearing on their bodies, draining their soul power at an astonishing rate.
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They were beaten until they were in a sorry state. Their left arms and right legs were injured, and there was nowhere they could escape from the beast king's relentless attacks.
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Mu Rong, who was hiding in the distance, felt his heart pounding as cold sweat covered his palms.
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This is too terrifying. There's no way to win!
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How could this be a battle between the beast king and the Soul Sect? It's clearly a one-sided beating by the Soul Fragment!
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If this continued, the two old men would not even survive long enough to leave the valley. They would be completely devoured!
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"Old King! No! We have to retreat!"
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Zhou the Old Axe roared and swung his axe to block another attack, then let out a furious shout.
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"The beast king and the Soul Fragment have already formed a perfect combination. If we keep fighting, we'll all die here!"
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King Ying naturally understood this reasoning, but he had already been surrounded by the beasts. How could retreating possibly be easy?
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His body flickered rapidly. He glanced at Mu Rong hiding among the Soul Fragments, seemingly intending to deal with the ice dragon that had guarded this place for nine hundred years.
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A fierce and berserk killing intent took shape in the sea of his consciousness.
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"Old Zhou! Cover me! I'll kill that nine-hundred-year-old ice dragon and run!"
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King Ying shouted loudly.
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"You've gone crazy?!"
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"I'm not crazy! Only by killing that ice dragon can we split the Soul Fragment group apart! Otherwise, neither you nor I will escape!"
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As his voice fell, King Ying's fourth silver Soul Seed Light suddenly ignited.
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"Fourth Soul Fragment, Phantom Maze!"
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His body instantly transformed into dozens of afterimages. The Soul Fragments spread in all directions, and the ice dragons attacking them were momentarily unable to lock onto his true body.
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"Second Soul Fragment, Gravity Suppression!"
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Zhou the Old Axe also understood his intentions. The second yellow Soul Seed Light shone brightly, and an invisible gravity field instantly enveloped the entire Soul Fragment group.
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The movements of the ice dragons slowed violently.
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That was the opening!
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King Ying's true body pierced through the gap created by the gravity field. His speed exploded as he shot forward like an arrow, crossing the distance in an instant and heading straight for the eyes of the nine-hundred-year-old beast king.
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The nine-hundred-year-old ice dragon never expected anyone to break through its defenses. Its reaction slowed by half a beat.
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By the time it sensed the danger, King Ying's sharp axe had already smashed viciously into its eye.
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"Got it! Run!"
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King Ying was overjoyed. He did not dare linger. He grabbed the enormous ice dragon by the neck and turned to flee toward the entrance of the valley.
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"Roar—!"
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The beast king saw its kin being injured and instantly flew into a rage. Its roar shook the entire valley.
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It abandoned its attack on Zhou the Old Axe. Its huge body transformed into a streak of silver light and charged after the fleeing King Ying and the others.
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Zhou the Old Axe struggled desperately and did not dare hesitate. He immediately followed.
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A swarm of terrifying Soul Fragments turned into a vast tide of death, transforming the valley into a great escape.
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King Ying dragged the nine-hundred-year-old ice dragon that refused to yield and fled for his life.
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Zhou the Old Axe moved backward while fighting, releasing soul techniques to obstruct the pursuing soldiers.
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As for Mu Rong, he had long since taken advantage of the chaos to run away with all his might.
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The three men fled with the furious ice dragon behind them. Everywhere they passed, ice collapsed, rocks shattered, and snow churned violently.
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Countless ice blades shot toward them like a torrential rain. King Ying and Zhou the Old Axe could only dodge frantically, occasionally being struck and blasted several meters away.
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After running several dozen miles, the roars behind them gradually weakened.
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King Ying suddenly stopped and ruthlessly slammed the nine-hundred-year-old ice dragon struggling in his grasp against a huge ice pillar. The beast spat out a mouthful of blood, and its aura instantly weakened.
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The three men leaned against the ice pillar and panted heavily. Their bodies were covered in dense wounds, and their soul power had been almost completely exhausted.
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King Ying looked at the beast he had restrained himself. A trace of a bitter smile appeared on his face.
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"His grandmother's... if it weren't for that... if it weren't for that, I would have been able to take it down..."
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The wounds on Mu Rong's body were similar to those of a starving wolf, and he could not help groaning at the sight of the beast.
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"Stinky brat, recover your soul power first. After you're fully restored, absorb it at your best condition. Don't rush!"
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Mu Rong nodded silently. A faint light flashed in his eyes as he sat down cross-legged and entered meditation.
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Nearby, Zhou the Old Axe sat heavily on the ground, rubbing his aching waist after the collision.
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"I have to say, Old King, that nine-hundred-year-old Soul Fragment you caught is quite impressive. It even managed to make that ice dragon flee. That counts as getting something good out of the trip."
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"The leader of that nine-hundred-year-old ice dragon is only around fourteen hundred years old. You and I are both soul masters, yet we still had to flee from it. That was truly dangerous."
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King Ying also felt lingering fear. He forced out a bitter laugh while staring at the beast.
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"That thing has fused with the bloodline of an ice dragon and possesses a Soul Fragment. Its strength is comparable to an ordinary Soul Beast that has cultivated for five thousand years!"
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"If not for the combined tacit understanding of our clans, how could you and I have seized it? Being able to escape alive already counts as a stroke of luck!"
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After speaking, he looked at the nine-hundred-year-old ice dragon lying on the ground and slowly withdrawing its aura. A trace of fear appeared in its eyes.
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Zhou the Old Axe chuckled and rubbed his hands together. His face was filled with anticipation.
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"Once this kid finishes absorbing the Soul Seed Light, I must see what effect the Soul Technique has. Absorbing the Soul Seed Light of a beast king will surely be exciting!"
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After a short while, Mu Rong's tightly shut eyelids suddenly opened. His essence, energy, and spirit had all returned to their peak.
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He stood up and walked before the ice dragon whose soul power had been bound. He drew the short blade from his waist. A red glow flashed, and with a single strike, he pierced its heart.
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The Soul Fragment let out a miserable roar. Its body convulsed violently before collapsing, finally losing all signs of life.
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A deep yellow Soul Seed Light slowly rose from its corpse.
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Mu Rong took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and used his soul power to draw the Soul Seed Light toward himself before beginning to absorb it.
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King Ying and Zhou the Old Axe stood nearby, their expressions solemn. They stared at Mu Rong without blinking, not daring to miss even the slightest change.
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The Soul Seed Light entered Mu Rong's body. A domineering, violent force mixed with bone-piercing cold surged through him like a flood, furiously washing over his limbs and spirit.
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