Kuang Dou, Shi Yin, and Shi Pan Were Harboring Resentment!

The territory of the Frostwing Clan is located in the Boundless Lake.

Shi Jian stood high in the sky, his Divine Sense sweeping over the continuous ice mountains below; those mountains were entirely ice-blue, their surfaces covered with Mysterious Ice that had never melted for thousands of years.

Beneath the ice layer, several ice- Spirit Vein can be faintly seen flowing through the rock strata.

A Spirit Transformation aura rose from the depths of the mountain range.

A moment later, a giant bird, pure white in color, broke through the ice; the bird's wingspan was hundreds of feet, and its feathers gleamed with a cold, icy blue light.

Frostwing Clan, the patriarch of the Shuang Yu Clan.

He was at the Early Spirit Transformation [Frost and Snow Intent in the Snow] Immortal Foundation, which was below the [Frost and Snow] Fruit level.

Shuang Yu to within a few miles of Shi Jian before folding its wings and stopping; its icy blue vertical pupils scrutinized Shi Jian, its eyes filled with vigilance and apprehension.

"Are you a fellow Daoist from the Giant Bear Clan?"

His voice was cool and clear, yet carried a hint of respect.

Purple-gold lightning arcs flickered slightly around Shi Jian's body, and the power of the Spirit Transformation was released outwards; that vast and boundless Dao of Lightning aura instantly enveloped tens of thousands of miles around.

Shuang Yu's expression changed. She could sense that although the pale giant bear in front of her was also at the Early Spirit Transformation, the sheer power of its aura was subtly superior to hers.

"Shi Jian, of the Giant Bear Clan." Shi Jian's voice was calm. "I've come seeking an old friend."

Shuang Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly transformed into human form, bowing respectfully and saying, "So you are Fellow Shi Jian of the Barbarian Bone Giant Bear Clan. My apologies for my rudeness."

She paused, then tentatively asked, "The person you are looking for, fellow Daoist..."

"After the battle on Profound Spirit Island years ago, did any Bear Race cultivators come here to seek refuge?"

Shuang Yu narrowed her vertical pupils slightly, then nodded. "That is indeed true. Two hundred years ago, Profound Spirit Island was massacred by the Black Flood Dragon; a remnant of the Bear Race escaped to our territory, and our clan took pity on them and took them in."

Shi Jian felt a sense of relief, but his expression remained unchanged. "Where are they now?"

"The eastern border of our clan, Ice Abyss Valley." Shuang Yu dared not delay. "If you wish to see them, fellow Daoist, I will lead the way."

Shi Jian nodded, saying nothing more.

Shuang Yu turned and transformed into a beam of light, rushing eastward, with Shi Jian close behind.

After flying tens of thousands of miles, a bottomless Ice Abyss slowly emerged on the horizon ahead; the Ice Abyss was thousands of miles in circumference and tens of thousands of feet deep.

The valley floor was shrouded in cold mist, and several ice cave abode could be faintly seen.

Shuang Yu stopped at the edge of the Ice Abyss and sent a Divine Sense towards the bottom of the valley.

A moment later, an aura rose from the bottom of the valley.

The aura was extremely familiar.

Shi Jian's vertical pupils narrowed slightly.

The next instant, a giant dog with a jet-black body burst out of the mist; the dog was massive in size, and its body was filled with surging Fire Dao energy, clearly indicating that it was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

Kuang Dou.

The patriarch of the Sun Devourer Black Hound Clan, who once fought alongside Shi Jian in the Profound Spirit Continent, has now broken through to the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul.

The moment Kuang Dou burst out of the mist, he sensed the power of the Spirit Transformation Dao; he suddenly looked up and his gaze fell on Shi Jian.

A man and a dog stared at each other.

Kuang Dou froze, his blood-red vertical pupils wide open, his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't utter a sound for a long time.

"Sir... sir?"

His voice trembled violently.

Shi Jian looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, "It's been a long time."

Kuang Dou shuddered and then transformed into human form; he was a burly man over ten feet tall, with muscles bulging like mountains beneath his jet-black hair.

He knelt down.

"Your subordinate, Kuang Dou, greets Your Excellency!"

His voice was loud and clear, but tinged with a sob.

Shi Jian raised his hand, and a purple-gold lightning arc danced in his palm; the lightning arc transformed into an invisible force, lifting Kuang Dou up.

"Rise, no need for such formalities."

Kuang Dou stood up, his vertical pupils already turning red. "My lord, you've finally returned..."

Shi Jian didn't reply, but instead glanced into the depths of the Ice Abyss: "Are Shi Yin and the others down there?"

Kuang Dou nodded hurriedly. "Yes, everyone's here!"

He turned and sent a Divine Sense towards the bottom of the valley, his voice carrying the power of Nascent Soul, resounding throughout the entire Ice Abyss.

"Shi Yin! Shi Pan! The Ancestor has returned!"

That roar shook the ice wall.

At the bottom of the valley, several auras erupted simultaneously.

A streak of icy blue light burst forth from the mist, its speed almost tearing through the void; the light abruptly stopped in mid-air, transforming into a giant bear with an entirely icy blue body.

Shi Yin.

That young bear from back then is now at the Nascent Soul Early Stage stage of the Nascent Ice Dao aura is so solid that it has cultivated the [Mysterious Ice] Immortal Foundation, which is below the [Mysterious Ice Essence] Immortal Foundation.

Shi Yin stood in mid-air, his vertical pupils fixed on Shi Jian.

Those eyes held a complex mix of emotions: shock, elation, grievance, and a hint of barely concealed blame.

"Ancestor..."

The sound was extremely soft, yet as heavy as a mountain.

Shi Jian looked at him and remained silent for a few moments.

Then several more auras burst forth from the mist.

An extremely thin old bear flew up shakily; the old bear was grayish-white all over, with sparse fur and an extremely weak aura, clearly only at the Golden Core Late Stage.

Shi Pan.

The once powerful Golden Core Realm Bear King is now very old; his lifespan is running out, and he will probably pass away in a little over a hundred years.

Shi Pan flew to a point several miles in front of Shi Jian and then stopped; he looked up at Shi Jian, a complex expression flashing in his turbid vertical pupils.

"Ancestor, you... you've really returned."

His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

Shi Jian looked at the old bear, and his heart sank.

Back then, Shi Pan was full of vigor and had reached the Golden Core stage. He was one of the most capable Bear Kings under his command. But now, he clearly looks like he has exhausted his life force and is about to die.

"Why has the source been so depleted? What happened back then?"

Shi Pan gave a bitter smile, "It's just that I risked my life a few times. I'm lucky to have survived this long."

He spoke of it casually.

But Shi Jian could imagine what they had gone through over those hundreds of years.

Behind them, several more auras flew out one after another; they were all bear demons at the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Realm, numbering no more than thirty or forty.

As Shi Jian's Divine Sense swept over the area, his heart grew heavier.

Back then, he had more than a dozen Golden Core Bear Kings under his command, and thousands more Foundation Establishment Realm; now, only a handful remain.

Shuang Yu stood to the side, noticing the heavy atmosphere, and tactfully spoke up, "Fellow Daoist Shi Jian, since we are old friends meeting again, I will not disturb you any longer; if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."

Shi Jian nodded. "Thank you for taking them in all these years, fellow Daoist."

Shuang Yu quickly waved her hand, "No, no, it was nothing at all."

After speaking, she vanished in a flash of light.

Above the Ice Abyss, only Shi Jian and his old followers remained.

The atmosphere became eerily silent.

Kuang Dou stood to one side, wanting to say something, but not knowing where to begin; Shi Yin lowered his head, his vertical pupils glowing red, but he clenched his fangs and refused to utter a sound.

This person is angry!