Freezing Hell

Impel Down, Level 5, Freezing Hell.

The pirates imprisoned here all had bounties exceeding a hundred million. The prisoners on this level lived in temperatures even lower than those of a giant freezer, suffering severe frostbite until they died.

Most dangerous of all, the forests of Freezing Hell also housed a large number of Army Wolves!

Normally, aside from Level 2, Wild Beast Hell, the other hells contained no magical beasts. But the Army Wolves' combat power was simply too terrifying. If they were kept on the second level, they would devour Sphinx and Basilisk alive! Thus, the Army Wolves had been forced to relocate here.

Snowflakes danced as frigid winds howled!

As far as the eye could see, the land was covered in ice and snow, a vast expanse of white.

"Tap, tap, tap!"

Several Army Wolves raced across the snowy ground at incredible speed. Their bodies were powerfully built, their fur snowy white, and their crimson eyes sharp and savage. Their cold gazes swept the surroundings in search of prey. With a few leaps, they crossed the snow slope and quickly vanished into the blizzard.

"Damn, it's not just cold here."

Ye Qiong walked through the snow in thin clothing. Freezing wind poured through the holes torn in his clothes, exposing his bronze skin to temperatures dozens of degrees below zero.

Ye Qiong trudged forward, one foot deep and one foot shallow, facing tremendous resistance. In some places, the snow reached his knees, and it seemed as though the endless white snow would bury him whole.

As he shivered, he also felt fortunate. If he had been thrown directly into Freezing Hell back then, his heavily injured body probably would not have lasted more than a day or two.

Ye Qiong felt that amid this ice and snow, his joints had begun to stiffen and the circulation of blood and qi within him had slowed.

He had come out this time because his Ancient Martial Arts Vajra Body had reached the bottleneck of the first level's completion, and he wanted to find the path to the second level.

In his previous life, no one had cultivated Vajra Body to the completion of the first level. There was not the slightest experience for him to draw upon.

The first level made one impervious to blades and spears; the second made one immune to water and fire.

"Could breaking through to the second level really require water and fire to temper the body?"

Ye Qiong could not figure it out, but that was precisely what had brought him to Level 5, Freezing Hell.

Freezing Hell generally had no guards, and because the temperature was too low, not even Den Den Mushi had been installed.

Could using such extreme cold to stimulate his body actually work?

He had just swung his arms, intending to loosen his stiff body, when a gust of icy wind carrying snowflakes swept past him, piercing him to the bone.

"Fuck!"

Ye Qiong shivered repeatedly and hunched his body.

He felt that the powerful physique he had cultivated for years was completely insignificant in this hellish environment.

"Hm, Army Wolves?"

Ye Qiong turned his gaze toward a distant snow slope. Amid the swirling snow, several Army Wolves suddenly appeared and raced toward him at top speed.

"Here come some sparring partners. Just what I needed to loosen up."

Ye Qiong showed no fear. He pulled his feet from the snow and stepped forward to meet them.

The Army Wolves were completely unaffected by their speed in this icy landscape. Instead, they moved even more nimbly. Their paws struck the snow, and within a few breaths, they had charged before Ye Qiong.

Their eyes were crimson and violent, their fangs viciously bared.

Ye Qiong threw a punch, sending the two Army Wolves that pounced at him flying. He bent slightly and dodged another Army Wolf's airborne pounce.

Pfft!

The two Army Wolves struck by Ye Qiong's fists rolled across the snow. After tumbling several times, they shook the snow from their bodies and rose as though nothing had happened.

Their expressions were terrifyingly savage. Their crimson eyes stared straight at Ye Qiong, filled with bloodlust and brutality.

"Hm? As expected of magical beast Army Wolves. They're not comparable to ordinary wild beasts."

Ye Qiong silently praised them. If they were ordinary beasts, how could they still stand after taking one of his casual punches, each carrying over a thousand jin of force? Much less emerge uninjured.

He shifted lightly to the side, avoiding an Army Wolf that had ambushed him from behind. His elbow slammed out with force, sending the airborne wolf flying into a pile of snow.

Observation Haki, as close-range combat detection support, was far more useful than R.

Snow scattered everywhere. Ye Qiong threw another punch, blasting an Army Wolf into the snow and burying it completely beneath the white.

Awoo!

An Army Wolf bit down on Ye Qiong's right arm. Its bite force was incredibly powerful, denting his skin, yet it could not pierce his resilient bronze-colored body.

"Not enough..."

Ye Qiong shook his head and flung it away with force. His left fist smashed into its head, and the Army Wolf released its bite in pain, rolling across the snow.

He leaped into the air, driving his knee down at an angle. The force of his entire body and leg came crashing onto the Army Wolf's neck.

With a crack, the Army Wolf spat blood, its neck twisted crookedly.

"Not bad combat power, but still too weak to be my opponent. Only numbers can make up for it."

Ye Qiong looked at the three Army Wolves lying dead on the ground and could not help shaking his head.

"Huh!"

He suddenly cried out in surprise and clenched his hands. A warm current surged from within his body, slowly driving away the invading cold.

It was different from the self-healing vitality provided by the plant tattoo. This was a deeper transformation of his physique itself.

"Could fighting in this environment temper my body?"

Ye Qiong was somewhat delighted. Once he knew the method, it would be easy to handle.

"In Freezing Hell, the only opponents available are Army Wolves."

Ye Qiong thought for a moment, then gathered the corpses of the three Army Wolves.

"R."

His spatial ability activated. A sphere of light opened a hole as large as a well mouth. This was a spatial ability he had recently mastered, allowing him to use engraved Space Marks to open a connected passage between two spaces.

It was somewhat like opening a door that could lead directly between two locations, though it had limits on distance and duration.

"Crow King, clean up the prey."

Ye Qiong called toward the opening. After tossing the three Army Wolf corpses inside, he withdrew his ability.

"R."

He expanded a massive spatial field, its radius growing continuously until its boundaries could no longer be seen, enveloping more than half of the snow-covered forest.

After scanning the area, his figure flashed, and he teleported away from the snow.

Five or six Army Wolves raced through the snowy forest.

Whoosh!

Ye Qiong suddenly appeared before the pack of Army Wolves, startling them into stopping in their tracks.

When they saw that he was human, they viciously pounced again.

"Do I really look that harmless?"

Ye Qiong helplessly shrugged, clenched his fists, and strode forward.

Smack!!

The first two Army Wolves were sent flying, crashing into nearby trees. With a rustle, countless snowflakes shook loose.

Ye Qiong shook his head. The snow had completely covered it.

They quickly rose without the slightest fear, baring their fangs as they continued attacking alongside the other Army Wolves.

Although the Army Wolves could not harm Ye Qiong, neither were they so easily killed. Their vitality was among the finest of magical beasts, and their fearlessness of death was their most terrifying trait.

"Come again!"

Ye Qiong grinned broadly. It had been a long time since he had fought so freely and thoroughly.

Observation Haki sensed in every direction. Even surrounded by the wolf pack, Ye Qiong was not at any disadvantage.

Two Army Wolves opened their jaws wide and bit down on his left and right arms respectively.

Ye Qiong slammed his hands together, smashing the Army Wolves until they were dazed. Then he raised his foot and stomped down, pinning their entire bodies into the snow.

"Keep going!"

Ye Qiong only felt the hot current within him surging, leaving him incomparably exhilarated. After exhaling a breath of heat, he tangled with the remaining Army Wolves once more.

The Army Wolves were savage to the extreme, but they were ultimately no match for Ye Qiong. Their strengths were not even on the same level.

After a while, Ye Qiong killed the Army Wolves one after another. He opened a Space Wormhole and tossed their corpses into the Level 55 space as stored food.

Afterward, Ye Qiong used his spatial ability to scan the surrounding area and continued searching for traces of Army Wolves.

Even the guards and prisoners of the fifth level probably never imagined that the savage predator Army Wolves would become someone else's sparring partners and prey.