Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon, ranked seventy-third on the Myriad Beasts Record Earth Ranking.
Born in lands of extreme cold, it could summon wind and snow. It shed its skin once every hundred years and reached maturity after its third shedding.
A mature Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon rivaled a late-stage Fusion Realm cultivator in strength, and its innate abilities received a further boost in snowy terrain, making it even more troublesome.
However, the one in the valley probably had yet to reach maturity. Otherwise, Chu Lin and his companions could never have escaped.
After pondering for a moment, Su Qing said, "I'll investigate and see whether his story checks out. Watch this fellow and don't let him get away."
"Don't worry. Even if it's a mature Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon, I can get away unscathed."
"If it's only at the early stage of the Fusion Realm, I can slaughter it myself. If I can't handle it alone, we'll discuss our options after I get back."
With that, Su Qing tossed three Jade Talismans to Mu Chen, Tang Qian'er, and Ye Qingling, then instructed them.
"These are Communication Jade Talismans. I'll use them to notify you if anything happens. When a message arrives, they'll emit a distinctive spiritual energy fluctuation to alert you."
The three accepted the Jade Talismans and rubbed them curiously before nodding their agreement in unison.
Then Su Qing waved his hand, embedding several golden needles in the surrendered student's meridians to seal his spiritual energy, and threatened him.
"Behave while I'm away. Otherwise, even after you get to the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, I won't let you off."
Hearing Su Qing's murderous declaration, the fellow trembled. "Y-yes. Of course."
Su Qing smiled at him, then stood, waved goodbye to Tang Qian'er and the others, and walked out of the tent.
He had just lifted the tent flap when Tang Qian'er's concerned voice came from behind him.
"Be careful!"
Su Qing looked back with a smile and gave her a thumbs-up. "Will do!"
Within Ice Valley, snowflakes drifted down in profusion from some unknown source, accumulating day after day to shape the area's unique terrain.
Standing atop a snowy mountain, Su Qing gazed at the magnificent scenery, unable to keep a swell of emotion from rising within him.
Whether in the Northern Spiritual Realm or in his previous life, he had never seen snow-covered mountains with his own eyes.
Though this place could not compare to the legendary Kunlun Mountain's three-thousand-mile jade dragon of boundless snow, its mountains still stretched unbroken for hundreds of miles.
"The northern land's scenery: a thousand miles sealed in ice, ten thousand miles of drifting snow. Within and beyond the Great Wall, only vast whiteness remains; upstream and down the great river, its surging waters suddenly still."
"Mountains dance like silver serpents, plains race like wax-white elephants, seeking to vie with heaven in height!"
Moved deeply by the sight, Su Qing could not help reciting this poem written by a great man from his previous life.
"Who wrote that? It's so... mm, majestic."
Nine Nether asked curiously from within Su Qing.
"A great man, a noble man, a pure man, a moral man, a man free of vulgar tastes, a man who benefited the people."
Su Qing reminisced for a moment, then sighed.
"Sadly, I can no longer meet him."
"That really is a shame."
Nine Nether sighed.
"All right, enough of that."
Su Qing exhaled a cloud of white breath.
"Time to get down to business. Can you sense the Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon?"
At his words, Nine Nether gathered her thoughts, closed her eyes in concentration, and extended her spiritual sense.
A long while later, she suddenly spoke to Su Qing in a grave tone. "Something's not right."
"What is it?"
"I found the Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon, but there's something underground. The flood dragon is facing off against it."
Nine Nether withdrew her spiritual sense, her expression solemn.
"Which direction?" Su Qing asked intently.
"The Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon is in a valley a hundred and twenty miles northwest. That thing is within thirty miles of it. Be careful."
"All right."
With that, Su Qing immediately concealed himself and darted away through the wind and snow, vanishing without a trace; the footprints he had left behind were soon buried beneath the drifting, goose-feather snowflakes.
"Su Qing! Stop!"
Nine Nether's voice was urgent.
Su Qing immediately halted at her warning and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I know what that thing underground is."
Nine Nether spoke in a low voice.
"It's an Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard, ranked seventieth on the Myriad Beasts Record Earth Ranking."
"This is bad. Two high-tier spirit beasts."
Su Qing murmured.
"But the good news is that they're both at the early stage of the Fusion Realm."
Nine Nether shrugged her wings.
"Can the two of us handle them?"
Su Qing asked her.
"I can take care of one. Can you handle the other?"
Nine Nether considered for a moment before speaking.
"I can deal with the Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard. My flames are of a higher grade, so I have the advantage over it."
"I'll leave the Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon to you. We'll have to finish this quickly, or we'll probably attract a lot of people."
"Don't worry," Su Qing said as he drew a Jade Talisman from his sleeve.
He then composed messages on the Jade Talisman and sent them over.
Su Qing - Bad news: there are two high-tier spirit beasts. Su Qing - Good news: both are at the early stage of the Fusion Realm. Tang Qian'er - What are you going to do, then? Mu Chen - Bro, can you beat both of them? Mu Chen - Do you need our help? Ye Qingling - What's the other spirit beast? Su Qing - The other one is an Earth Core Flame Dragon Lizard. I have a way to deal with them. Su Qing - Sorry for the trouble, but please intercept anyone who comes to investigate the commotion around the outskirts of Ice Valley. Su Qing - You don't have to stop everyone. Just slow them down. Mu Chen, Tang Qian'er, Ye Qingling - Okay! Su Qing - Oh, and don't let that fellow go yet... Mu Chen - Finish him off, right? I'm on it. Su Qing - Stop! I mean let him go after I've dealt with these two spirit beasts. Su Qing - (sweating) Mu Chen - Oh. Mu Chen - Bro, have you started reining yourself in and cultivating your character? Su Qing - ... Su Qing - Rein in your #%*~ Mu Chen - Bro, I was wrong. Su Qing - Letting him out will make it easier to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. Mu Chen - Got it, bro! Su Qing - All right, get into position outside Ice Valley first. Message me when you arrive. All three - Okay!
Su Qing put away the Jade Talisman.
"Spirit flood dragon... flood dragon?"
After putting away the Jade Talisman, Su Qing murmured those words to himself, then suddenly asked Nine Nether a question.
"Say, does a flood dragon count as a dragon?"
"A flood dragon?"
Nine Nether hesitated, then slowly replied.
"Generally, these spirit beasts have some dragon blood in them, so they should count as distant relatives."
"Then do you think it has a dragon liver?"
"Huh? A dragon liver? It probably does, but I'm not sure. Why are you asking?"
Su Qing's questions left Nine Nether rather bewildered.
"To eat. There's a legendary dish called Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow. It's the ultimate delicacy."
"I just wonder what this Ice Profound Spirit Flood Dragon's liver tastes like."
"Ugh! You humans are terrifying."
Nine Nether rolled her eyes at Su Qing and said irritably.
"I'm related to the Phoenix Clan myself, you know. Are you planning to eat me too?!"
"Heh, you never know. Maybe one day I'll gobble you up and lick you clean."
Su Qing chuckled.
It took Nine Nether a moment to catch his meaning, then she cursed in embarrassed fury.
"What are you saying?! You wretch! Drop dead! Drop dead!"
"Hehe! Angry now?"
"Drop dead!"