Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten strongest experts of the previous generation, was aloof and proud. His signature active skill was Mysterious Ice Dragon Soaring, while his god-tier passive skill was Clear Mind and Fresh Spirit.
After running through what he knew about the man, Chen Cang looked at the old man who had already fled a kilometer away and seriously wondered whether this was truly the Ice Emperor.
Something's wrong. There's more to this!
"Horse, catch him!"
At his command, the Void Pegasus Beast instantly soared forward in pursuit, closing most of the distance to the figure ahead almost in the blink of an eye.
In speed alone, even an ordinary Dou Huang expert would struggle to match the Void Pegasus Beast beneath Chen Cang, let alone this weakened Ice Emperor, who had fallen so low that he could not even unfurl his Dou Qi Wings.
In fewer than ten breaths, horse and rider were already behind Hai Bodong.
Sensing the presence rapidly approaching, Hai Bodong tensed, yet still did not dare turn his head.
"Medusa, I haven't set foot in the desert for ten years! Do you really have to hunt me down and wipe me out?"
"Mysterious Ice Thorn!"
His question had barely left his lips before a shout followed. Convinced there was no escape, Hai Bodong abruptly turned and launched a surprise attack, sending a bitterly cold ice thorn straight at Chen Cang's face.
Even Chen Cang, as he was now, dared not take a Dou Ling's all-out surprise attack lightly. He instantly circulated his Dou Qi to its limit, formed a seal with both hands, and thrust them forward.
The next moment, the incoming ice thorn abruptly changed direction under an external force and shot back toward Hai Bodong.
Borrowing force to counter force, reflecting the attack.
This was Swallow Return Strike!
This sudden turn was utterly beyond Hai Bodong's expectations. Seeing his pursuer clearly only stunned him further. By the time he reacted, the ice thorn was a hair's breadth from his face.
Fortunately, although he was no longer at his peak, his combat experience remained unaffected. His body's instinctive response allowed him to narrowly escape dying on the spot.
The price was a searing wound across his face.
Mistaking someone's identity and fleeing in panic had already made him a complete embarrassment. Being wounded by a Da Dou Shi only stoked the fury of this Ice Emperor who had lain dormant for years.
"Tell me, who are you?"
"None of your damn business. We'll fight first!"
Chen Cang leaped off the Void Pegasus Beast's back and flipped his hand. A spear instantly appeared, and he charged at Hai Bodong without another word.
Even a clay figure had a spark of temper. Had an ordinary Nine-Star Great Dou Master faced the old man's earlier ambush, they would likely have died already. Having inexplicably walked along the edge between life and death, Chen Cang was equally enraged.
As for why the man had mistaken him for Queen Medusa, he could ask after giving him a beating!
Even without the Void Pegasus Beast, Chen Cang remained as fast as lightning. His domineering crimson-gold Dou Qi exploded through the air as he reached Hai Bodong's side in an instant.
His spear moved like a dragon, sweeping in broad, forceful strokes, its ferocious power seeming capable of shattering the stars.
From his very first move, he held nothing back, determined to vent every last bit of his anger!
One slow step led to another. Having lost the initiative, Hai Bodong suddenly found himself so thoroughly suppressed that he could not lift his head, forced to keep defending in frustration.
This brat is pushing me too far!
Fortunately, as the renowned Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Even though he could not use many of his Dou Techniques, he would not lose his composure.
Maintaining his defensive stance, Hai Bodong repeatedly retreated, his hands never stopping as they formed seals. Several thick layers of ice mirrors condensed around him to block the spear's edge.
A temporary advantage in attack or defense could not decide the outcome. The first drumbeat roused courage, the second weakened it, and the third exhausted it. He firmly believed Chen Cang could not sustain such a ferocious assault for long.
Once he exhausts his Dou Qi, it'll be my turn to strike back!
Thus, Hai Bodong was not impatient in the slightest. He could already see how this battle would end.
Young people... a little talent, but still far too young and hotheaded.
What Hai Bodong had not anticipated, however, was that Chen Cang had far more endurance than he had imagined.
Moreover, his techniques came in an endless stream.
He had assumed Chen Cang only knew how to wield a spear, but when Chen Cang unleashed his ocean-wave-like Bagua Palm, the pressure it placed on him was no weaker than the spear's.
He had thought this was Chen Cang's trump card, only to discover soon afterward that he was wrong-outrageously wrong.
This fellow was practically a monster with no weaknesses. Fists, palms, fingers-he excelled at them all!
Even the sheer abundance of his Dou Qi defied belief!
Although he was not at his peak, he was still a genuine Dou Ling. And since he had been defending passively the whole time, his expenditure was nowhere near that of Chen Cang's furious assault.
Yet bizarrely, maintaining his defenses had already consumed more than half his Dou Qi, while Chen Cang remained as lively as a dragon and vigorous as a tiger, showing not the slightest trace of fatigue.
Which of us is the Dou Ling here?
Crack!
Another ice mirror shattered. Hai Bodong hurriedly snapped back to his senses and condensed several more to fill the gap. Only thirty percent of his Dou Qi remained.
Yet it was precisely then that Chen Cang pulled away and let out a long, stale breath.
"Pounding a punching bag for a while really makes you feel better."
Fighting feels great!
A smile returned to his face. Clearly, he had no intention of continuing his attack.
Hai Bodong dismissed the ice mirrors around him and looked at the utterly refreshed young man opposite him, nearly grinding his teeth to pieces.
Chen Cang had enjoyed venting his anger, but Hai Bodong was still seething.
Hai Bodong stared fixedly at that young face. In the end, reason claimed the high ground. His Dou Qi settled, and he chose to stop there.
He truly had no idea how much Chen Cang was still holding back, but he could be certain that his defensive abilities were no slouch either. The strange Dou Technique that had reflected his Mysterious Ice Thorn was proof enough.
If they continued fighting to the bitter end, he might not win. More likely, he would only end up even more frustrated.
There's no need.
I, Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, know when to bend and when to stand tall!
Most importantly, both he and Chen Cang understood that this entire situation had arisen from a misunderstanding. They were not truly mortal enemies.
"Can you tell me who you are now? I know a thing or two about those experts in the Jia Ma Empire. Which one is your teacher?"
"My name is Chen Cang. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have a teacher. Everything I've achieved came from gathering the strengths of a hundred schools."
Lies were smooth on every side; the truth had sharp edges.
Hai Bodong remained skeptical of Chen Cang's words.
Still, they were not acquainted, and had even had a misunderstanding. Hai Bodong would not probe deeply when their relationship was so shallow.
"You asked me a question, so you should answer one of mine. Fair and square."
At those words, Hai Bodong looked at Chen Cang. His lack of objection counted as tacit agreement.
"Why did you mistake me for Queen Medusa earlier? Don't try fobbing me off with some pathetic excuse about old, blurry eyes that can't tell a man from a woman."
Queen Medusa of Tagor was unquestionably the person Hai Bodong feared most, bar none.
After all, it was Queen Medusa who had reduced him from the mighty Ice Emperor to his current miserable state.
That woman had left a shadow on his mind that could never be erased.
That was precisely why, when he had thought Queen Medusa had arrived, Hai Bodong had fled in such a sorry state. He had not even dared spare the attention to look back, not even for a furtive glance.
Hearing Chen Cang's question, Hai Bodong remained silent for a long while before speaking.
"You bear her mark. Though it can't be seen or touched, or even detected by ordinary sensing, I'm far too familiar with her aura. There's absolutely no mistaking it."
"And when you chased me, your speed was no lower than a High-Rank Dou Emperor's. Other than her, I couldn't think of anyone else."
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