Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear

Facing the terrifying pressure of Gu Yue's Thousand-Year Soul Ring, Xu Xiaoyu gritted his teeth and rapidly formed seals with both hands, trying to muster every bit of Soul Power in his body to resist. Gu Yue, however, gave him no chance to counterattack.

"Wind, rise."

Gu Yue's expression remained indifferent as she gently raised her slender hand. The violent Wind Element instantly answered her summons, surging wildly through the icy domain.

"Ice Seal."

The bone-piercing chill deepened once more. Wind and ice, two utterly different elements, fused perfectly in her hands, becoming a devastating catastrophe.

"Ice Storm!"

At Gu Yue's sharp cry, swirling snow and razor-sharp ice blades swept up in the raging winds, forming an enormous tornado that bore straight down on Xu Xiaoyu and his sister.

This was no mere gust of wind, nor simple freezing, but a terrifying Rending assault in which wind strengthened ice and ice borrowed wind's might! Wherever it passed, even the air seemed to tear apart, letting out a howl that set everyone's teeth on edge.

Xu Xiaoyu's pupils contracted sharply. He could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within the storm. With a furious roar, he unleashed all his Soul Power, trying to hold his ground within the tempest and even force his way against its current.

"Break!"

He gathered an enormous ice shield between his hands, trying to withstand the impact of the Ice Storm.

Yet the instant the Ice Storm struck, the ice shield he took such pride in lasted less than a second before shattering under the bombardment of countless Wind Blades and ice cones. The terrifying impact drove Xu Xiaoyu back several steps. A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

But what filled him with greater despair was his sister behind him.

"Brother... I'm so cold..."

Xu Xiaoyan's voice was faint and trembling, tinged with tears. She was only a support system Soul Master, her constitution weak to begin with. She simply could not withstand this crushing assault on both mind and body.

Under this absolute elemental suppression, a layer of white frost instantly formed over Xu Xiaoyan's clothes. Her petite body shook uncontrollably, her teeth chattering. The light of the Star Wheel Ice Staff in her hand dimmed; she had clearly reached her limit.

"Xu Xiaoyan!" Xu Xiaoyu's expression changed drastically. Ignoring the blood at the corner of his mouth, he hurriedly turned to shield his sister.

He could feel his sister's vitality draining rapidly. If they held on any longer, it would likely be more than a matter of injury—her life could be in danger.

"Stop! We surrender!" Xu Xiaoyu roared, his voice filled with frustration and urgency.

At his words, Gu Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, then waved a hand and dispersed the terrifying Ice Storm. The wind fell still and the snow ceased, but the lingering chill in the air still made them feel as though they had plunged into an ice cellar.

Xu Xiaoyu looked at Xu Xiaoyan in his arms, her face blue from the cold and her consciousness already gone. His eyes filled with anguish and regret. With difficulty, he lifted his sister and gave Gu Yue a long look, his gaze brimming with complicated emotions.

"Today's humiliation—I, Xu Xiaoyu, will remember it."

With that, he did not linger another moment. Carrying his sister, he swiftly retreated toward the Spirit Ascension Platform's exit. Every additional second here posed a lethal threat to her.

Watching the two retreat in disarray, Xie Xie could not resist whistling. "Tsk, tsk. Running already? I hadn't even had my fill of fighting."

Tang Wulin walked over to Gu Yue. Seeing her slightly pale face, he asked with concern, "Are you all right? Forcing two elements to fuse must have taken a lot out of you, right?"

Gu Yue shook her head gently, a faint smile curving her lips. "I'm fine. I just didn't expect that girl to be so weak."

Wang Jinxi grinned good-naturedly beside them. "Boss, Gu Yue, you two were way too fierce! That guy seemed pretty capable to me, but in front of Gu Yue, he might as well have been made of paper."

Looking at the Thousand-Year Soul Ring beneath Gu Yue's feet, Tang Wulin sighed inwardly. Her strength was far more unfathomable than they had imagined. Today's battle had not only intimidated the Xu siblings but also given everyone a new understanding of Gu Yue's power.

As Xu Xiaoyu and his sister vanished completely into the depths of the dense forest, the tension abruptly eased. That brief yet overwhelmingly oppressive clash had made everyone realize just how unfathomable Gu Yue's strength was.

Xie Xie reacted first. With an exaggerated bound, he rushed up to Gu Yue and gave her a textbook ninety-degree bow, his face plastered with a flattering smile. "Mighty Gu Yue! That Ice Storm just now was unbelievably cool! From now on, here in the Spirit Ascension Platform, I, Xie Xie, will be your little shadow. Wherever you point, I'll strike!"

"Pfft." Gu Yue could not help laughing at his ridiculous display. Then she shook her head gently, the frost in her eyes fading completely as she returned to her usual cool demeanor. "Get up. You never take anything seriously."

Standing nearby, Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi curled their lips disdainfully and cursed in unison, "Shameless!" Inside, however, both were filled with regret. Damn! How did that guy beat me to it? I wanted to cling to her coattails too!

Tang Wulin watched with a helpless smile. Just as he was about to say something to ease the atmosphere, disaster struck!

"ROOOAR!!!"

A deafening roar exploded above their heads like a thunderclap, making the entire ground shudder violently. An utterly savage Soul Beast aura surged from the depths of the forest like a black tide.

Everyone's expression changed instantly, and they immediately assumed combat stances.

An enormous paw easily ripped apart the bushes ahead, and a colossal creature slowly emerged.

It was a terrifyingly massive bear, covered in thick brown fur that looked as though it had been cast from steel. Most striking of all were its forepaws—these were no ordinary bear paws, but golden claws gleaming with a cold metallic luster! Each claw was half a foot long, faint dark-gold patterns flowing across its surface, as though it could Rending through any defense in the world.

A Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!

Judging by its enormous size and ferocious aura, it was nothing like the ordinary Soul Beasts they had encountered before. It was probably at least a thousand-year lord, perhaps even stronger!

Tang Wulin's pupils contracted sharply, and the blue silver grass in his hands instantly pulled taut. "Everyone, stay alert! It's a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear! Its physical attacks are incredibly powerful, and its defenses are astonishing. Watch out for its claws!"

The smile had long vanished from Gu Yue's face, replaced by solemn concentration. She raised her hands slightly, and the wind and ice elements gathered in her palms once more.

With a miserable expression, Xie Xie sprang up from the ground, both blades in hand. "Seriously? I'd only just finished bragging, and now something this tough shows up? This monster's known as the bane of strength-type Soul Masters!"

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's huge, bell-like eyes fixed on the humans who had intruded into its territory. Two streams of scorching white vapor blasted from its nostrils, and its golden claws scraped heavily across the ground, leaving four deep furrows.

With a shriek that Rending through the air, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's golden claws smashed toward the group. In that critical instant, blue light blazed in Tang Wulin's eyes—not for an attack, but purely for support.

"Blue Silver Redemption: Guard!"

He thrust both hands forward, and the Soul Power in his body poured out like floodwaters bursting through a dam. Countless pale-gold motes appeared out of thin air, instantly sinking into Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Wang Jinxi, and Zhang Yangzi.

Hum!

A visible pale-blue halo instantly covered everyone's bodies. Their movements, which had grown sluggish after successive battles, became light and nimble at once. Even the minor injuries left by their earlier fights swiftly healed under the nourishing light.

"Defense boosted! Take it head-on!" Tang Wulin shouted hoarsely, his face turning pale at once from the tremendous expenditure of Soul Power.

Feeling power surge within her, Gu Yue formed seals twice as fast. The Ice Storm that had originally required time to build now took shape instantly, crashing into the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear amid raging winds.

Xie Xie felt as though a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his body, his legs so light that he could almost fly. With a loud cry, his twin blades became two streaks of light, carrying the keen edge of Light Dragon Transformation as they slashed at the giant bear's legs.

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi roared and charged forward as well, their heavy sword and spear smashing toward that enormous body with deep whooshes.

Yet these support-enhanced attacks, powerful enough to severely wound an ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Beast, produced only metallic clangs when they struck the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear. Beneath its thick brown fur, it seemed to wear a layer of divine iron. They could not breach its defenses at all.

"ROAR!"

Thoroughly enraged, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear slashed both claws downward. A crescent-shaped dark-gold Wind Blade swept out so quickly that there was no time to dodge.

"Watch out!" Tang Wulin's pupils contracted sharply as he activated his Soul Power again. "Blue Silver Redemption: Heal!"

Pale-gold motes instantly flared at everyone's injured areas. As the dark-gold Wind Blade swept past, Gu Yue felt her chest seize, as though she had been struck by an enormous hammer. But a cool force instantly soothed the sharp pain, allowing her to endure the blow without falling.

Tang Wulin, the source of their support, abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered. Forcing himself to overdraw his Soul Power to provide powerful defense and healing for the entire group was practically suicidal for him in his current state. His meridians felt as though they were burning, and his Soul Power was almost instantly drained dry.

"This won't work! Its defenses are too strong! We can't hurt it at all!" Xie Xie wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, horrified to discover that even with Tang Wulin's support, their attacks were little more than scratches to this monster.

"Its attack power is ridiculous! If we don't leave now, we're all going to die here!" Zhang Yangzi's scalp prickled as he watched the giant bear raise its claws again.

"Run! Head for the gorge!" Forcing his weakened body to hold on, Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and mobilized the last scrap of his Soul Power, applying Blue Silver Dash to everyone.

At his words, no one dared linger in battle another moment. They turned and sprinted toward the deep gorge within the dense forest. The roars behind them were deafening, and the earth shook violently beneath the giant bear's pounding charge.

As Tang Wulin ran, he also had to divide his attention to maintain the support aura. Every step felt as though he were treading on cotton. He could feel that his Soul Power had bottomed out. If they did not shake off this monster soon, he would collapse from exhaustion before it even had to attack.

Before such absolute strength, the coordination and tactics they took such pride in now seemed utterly laughable. Flight alone offered a path to survival.