After talking with Empyrean God Xiuke for a while, Zhou Qing proposed testing the strength of the guardian Snowfiend.
Empyrean God Xiuke readily agreed. He happened to want to see Zhou Qing's strength as well.
He had spent countless years on Snow Mountain Island and had long since lost the heart to reach the next island on his own.
If Zhou Qing had a chance of defeating the Snowfiend, he would enter Zhou Qing's estate treasure and travel to the next island without a second thought.
So, led by Empyrean God Xiuke, the two crossed Snow Mountain Island and arrived at another floating log bridge.
This floating log bridge was no different from the previous one, except that the sea around it was covered in layers of ice.
After hearing a few instructions from Empyrean God Xiuke, Zhou Qing flew alone toward the floating log bridge over the frozen sea.
The moment he stepped onto the bridge, a great deal of the power of heaven and earth rapidly gathered, forming a white-furred ape holding a staff.
"Finally, another newcomer."
The white-furred ape bared its teeth at Zhou Qing.
"All these years, I've been playing cat and mouse with that little fellow Xiuke. I'm getting a little tired of it."
"Hey, kid!" The white-furred ape pointed its staff at Zhou Qing. "Show me what you can really do and fight me!"
Hearing that, Zhou Qing chuckled, then attacked with zero startup frames.
Sky Rend Claw!
Gold and silver intertwined around his sharp claws, which were comparable to a mid-grade Xiantian spirit treasure, as he viciously clawed at the Snowfiend.
The Snowfiend swung its long staff to block.
Although the Snowfiend's strength was far inferior to the Golden Yaksha's, it had mastered the fourth level of Taiji Power.
And Taiji Power was best suited to defense.
So the Snowfiend did not take Zhou Qing's attack too seriously.
But when Zhou Qing's fierce attack landed, the Snowfiend's expression suddenly changed.
This is...
Before it could react, however, Zhou Qing tore it to dust.
The next moment, surging power of heaven and earth gathered and took the form of the Snowfiend once more.
This time, the Snowfiend's white fur had turned gold, and the presence of its divine body was much stronger than before. Clearly, this was no longer an avatar, but its true body.
Just as the Snowfiend was about to swing its staff and attack, Zhou Qing retreated from the floating log bridge.
"Junior Brother Taixu, you actually killed the Snowfiend's avatar in one move!"
Empyrean God Xiuke looked excited as he watched Zhou Qing return.
He had long known that Zhou Qing's strength was extraordinary. After all, Zhou Qing had given him a sound beating in the palace.
But Empyrean God Xiuke had not expected Zhou Qing to kill the Snowfiend's avatar in a single move.
Now, Empyrean God Xiuke recalled what he had said about Zhou Qing to himself earlier, and shame flooded his heart.
How could an ordinary man like him presume to judge a disciple whom Senior Uncle Three Pure Ones had taken a liking to?
Zhou Qing understood Empyrean God Xiuke's reaction.
After being trapped on Snow Mountain Island for hundreds of millions of years, worrying day and night about a sneak attack by the Snowfiend, Empyrean God Xiuke was probably exhausted in both body and mind.
Now that he had a chance to leave this godforsaken place and reach the next island, it was only natural for Empyrean God Xiuke to be excited.
Then Zhou Qing asked, "Senior Brother Xiuke, are you sure you want to enter my estate treasure and travel to the next island?"
"If you choose that, you'll have no chance at the treasures of the Moonlit Pool."
"Junior Brother Taixu, say no more."
Hearing this, Empyrean God Xiuke spoke with self-mockery.
"With my strength, I can't even defeat the Snowfiend head-on. What right do I have to talk about the treasures of the Moonlit Pool?"
"If I'd known I would be trapped in the Moonlit Pool for so many years, I should have stayed put in the Three Realms."
A trace of regret appeared in Empyrean God Xiuke's eyes as he spoke.
All the Empyrean Gods who had entered the Moonlit Pool had believed they could make it through like Jue Ming and become True God Dao Ancestors.
But the truth had shown that Jue Ming was far beyond their reach.
Hearing Empyrean God Xiuke's words, Zhou Qing said no more.
After taking Empyrean God Xiuke into his estate treasure, Zhou Qing returned to the floating log bridge in the frozen sea.
He then rode his flying boat onward along the bridge.
After an unknown length of time, Zhou Qing saw a golden-furred ape sitting on the bridge not far ahead.
"You've finally come."
The Snowfiend, seated cross-legged on the bridge, opened its eyes and slowly rose to its feet.
"Last time, my avatar was careless for a moment and you killed it in one move."
"This time, I'll fight you myself and see what you're made of."
With that, the Snowfiend pointed its long golden staff at Zhou Qing. "Make your move."
Zhou Qing immediately unleashed Great Extinction Divine Power.
The next moment, he first used Three Heads and Six Arms, then spread his five fingers wide. Golden Space Power and silver Time Power burst forth, warping time and space everywhere they passed.
Heaven-Exterminating Claw!
Facing his fierce strike, the Snowfiend flicked its long staff, and faint black and white currents coiled around it.
Boom!
As the Snowfiend brought its staff crashing down, Zhou Qing felt a tremendous force strike him.
With a thunderous crash, he was forced back several steps.
Fourth-level Taiji Power...
Zhou Qing's expression turned grave as he looked at the black and white currents coiling around the Snowfiend's staff.
Sure enough, no kind of fourth-level Primordial Power could be underestimated.
He had combined third-level Space Power and Time Power, and although they were barely comparable to a fourth-level Primordial Power, they still fell short against the real thing.
With that thought, Zhou Qing acted on a whim.
Dark World!
In an instant, a vast world containing earth, mountains, rivers, raging winds, lightning and flames descended.
Under the suppression of this world, the Snowfiend felt as though it were carrying a mountain on its back.
But then the Snowfiend let out a strange, cackling laugh.
"Not a bad move. It can actually reduce my combat power by a tenth, just barely."
Sure enough, against a being like the Snowfiend, the Dark World's suppressive power was no longer enough to matter.
Rather, the third-level Space Power was holding the Dark World back.
If he could comprehend Space Power to the fourth level, the Dark World's suppressive power could weaken the Snowfiend's strength by at least thirty percent.
"Then what about this move?"
As he spoke, Zhou Qing used a Heartforce illusion on the Snowfiend.
After falling under his illusion, the Snowfiend's expression flickered, and it began scratching its ears and cheeks.
"Kid, why do you have so many irritating tricks?!"
Zhou Qing laughed inwardly as he watched the Snowfiend fly into a rage.
He had been worried that illusions would not work on beings like the Yaksha and the Snowfiend, since neither looked like a normal living creature. But now, it seemed he had worried too much.
"Let's fight!"
With his preparations complete, Zhou Qing launched a fierce attack.
The Snowfiend had just been annoyed by his Dark World and illusion, and as soon as it heard him, it raised its staff and smashed it down.
In this head-on clash, both retreated, neither gaining the upper hand.
Zhou Qing and the Snowfiend then became locked in a fierce battle.
Although he had used a divine ability to burst forth with divine power, and had the aid of third-level Space Power and Time Power, his strength was about equal to the Snowfiend's.
But in terms of combat skill, the Snowfiend, which had mastered fourth-level Taiji Power, was far superior to Zhou Qing.
Normally, even if he could avoid defeat against the Snowfiend, he would still be at a disadvantage.
But now, with the Dark World suppressing it and the illusion aiding him, he could fight the Snowfiend on equal terms.