Evan Chu could only watch in bitter frustration as Gavin Wei lay unconscious. Both the Mystic Ice Toad and the Flame Spider unleashed their core energies, and in a single instant, every tree within a twenty-meter radius was reduced to ashes.
Evan gritted his teeth and endured the torment. If he hadn’t already broken through to the third layer of Starforge Body, he’d be lucky to be more than a breath away from death.
“Evan, this is a heaven-sent opportunity. Neither the Mystic Ice Toad nor the Flame Spider are ordinary monster beasts—they’re ranked among the top ten ancient ferocious beasts. Who knows why they’ve appeared here?” Luna, the sword spirit, said gravely.
Evan stared grimly at the distant scene. At that moment, the invisible Flame Spider revealed its body—its basin-sized form radiated a fierce crimson glow.
Evan couldn’t wrap his head around how a creature as vividly crimson as the Flame Spider could still vanish from sight. It was utterly uncanny.
“Luna, why are these two ferocious beasts locked in a battle to the death? Are they sworn enemies by nature?” Evan pressed urgently.
“Exactly. In ancient times, there were the Five Great Venomous Fiends—all monstrous ferocious beasts. The Flame Spider, Mystic Ice Toad, Goldvenom Blood Serpent, Netherwing Centipede, and Three-Headed Scorpion King are all innate sworn enemies. Whenever any two of them cross paths, it’s a death struggle—never-ending, never yielding.”
Otherwise, you’d have died a thousand deaths already. The white mist from the Mystic Ice Toad is even more terrifying than Coldflame, and the Flame Spider’s fire is more domineering than a Fire Dragon’s dragonflame,” Luna warned.
Suddenly, Evan spotted something bizarre—a radiant orb, about the size of a pigeon egg, glimmered on the ground between the Mystic Ice Toad and Flame Spider.
“Luna, what’s that thing on the ground?” Evan asked, voice taut with urgency. He could sense it was a heaven-sent opportunity for him.
“Heh, you finally noticed. That’s exactly why I wanted you to stay put. That’s an energy crystal born from the clash between the Mystic Ice Toad and Flame Spider—it’s called Heaven Crystal, a naturally formed energy crystal of pure power.”
This Heaven Crystal is much like the Iceflame Crystal you obtained before—its energy is comparable. But the Iceflame Crystal’s ice and fire must be painstakingly neutralized before absorption, while the Heaven Crystal’s harmonized power can be absorbed directly. Understand?” Luna smiled.
“This really is a precious treasure. But how much longer are those two going to keep fighting? If this drags on, I won’t be able to hold out much longer,” Evan said with a bitter smile.
“It’ll probably last another hour. Right now, neither dares to make a move—the Heaven Crystal is incredibly valuable to them both, and whoever claims it will be the ultimate victor.”
If either one moves, the other’s assault will immediately seize the advantage. Even snatching the Heaven Crystal won’t guarantee a reversal—they’ll have to rely on their own strength and see who can endure to the bitter end.
The ultimate victor won’t just get the Heaven Crystal to restore their vitality—what matters even more is the beast core inside the loser. The energy in that core is many times greater than the Heaven Crystal. That’s why their battles are always to the death.
Evan gained new insight, his mind ablaze: “So when they die, I can claim two beast cores? If I absorb them, wouldn’t I ascend directly to the Divine Martial Realm?”
“You’re far too naive. Humans can’t absorb the beast cores of ferocious beasts like these, no matter how strong you are. It’s a law of balance between heaven and earth—just like how you ended up like this after using the Timewheel Bracelet.”
But those beast cores can be refined by your little fox and little bird, and the corpses can be devoured by your lion—they’ll all gain tremendous breakthroughs. The fox and bird should easily ascend to King Rank, and the lion could very likely break through a realm or two,” Luna explained.
Evan nearly burst out laughing—this was a heaven-sent opportunity. He’d truly hit the jackpot this time; soon he’d have two more formidable allies by his side.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. The sooner you absorb the Heaven Crystal, the greater the surge in your realm. Its energy will bleed away over time. In your current state, you’ll be lucky to break through two minor layers once you’re able to absorb it.”
That’s why I said your luck is both a blessing and a curse,” Luna immediately doused Evan’s excitement with a cold splash of reality.
Evan didn’t feel disappointed in the slightest. If he could break through two layers, he’d reach the eighth layer of the Earth Martial Realm—and then, he could challenge Heaven Martial experts, maybe even those at the second layer.
Time crawled by. The alternating agony of ice and fire left Evan’s body wracked with pain, and the inability to circulate Chaos Qi gnawed at his sanity.
Perhaps Luna saw that Evan truly couldn’t endure any longer. A flash of light shimmered from his brow, and a faint, ethereal shield enveloped him, instantly dulling his pain.
The Mystic Ice Toad’s mist and the Flame Spider’s fire had grown noticeably weaker. It seemed their energies were nearly exhausted, but neither showed any sign of relenting.
Meanwhile, the Heaven Crystal forming on the ground continued to swell—now it was the size of a chicken egg, and the sight filled Evan with exhilaration.
Just then, Evan saw the Mystic Ice Toad and Flame Spider begin to move simultaneously, creeping slowly toward the Heaven Crystal. It was obvious—they both hungered to replenish their spent energy.
Evan’s heart lurched with dread. If either of those monsters seized the Heaven Crystal, his hopes would be shattered—and he might well lose his life here.
Just as his desperation peaked, a flash of light burst from his brow—a tiny white sword materialized, followed by the hazy, ethereal form of a girl appearing before him.
This was Luna’s fourth manifestation before Evan. Though her form was indistinct, her snow-white dress and world-toppling beauty were still unmistakable.
Luna’s misty figure danced before Evan, her tiny white sword swirling with boundless sword intent. Evan heard her cold declaration: “Immortal-Slaying Sword Formula, Ninth Form—Ten Thousand Swords Slay the Immortals!” In the next instant, Luna’s form vanished.
She had already reached the heart of the battlefield between the Mystic Ice Toad and Flame Spider. Evan watched in awe as a rain of sword shadows filled the air between the two beasts, each one carrying enough force to pulverize him in an instant.
“Is this Luna’s true power—even in soul form? What realm did she reach when she still had a body? Could she have been at the Saint Martial Realm? Immortal-Slaying Sword Formula… what a domineering name!” Evan muttered in stunned admiration.
Suddenly, two indescribable death cries rang out. Evan saw both the Mystic Ice Toad and Flame Spider freeze, their bodies shattering into countless fragments—dead beyond any hope of resurrection.
Luna’s body flared with light and transformed back into a tiny sword, shooting into Evan’s brow once more.
“Lin Feng, take out the soul-nourishing herb from the Fire Dragon’s treasures—I remember there’s a soul medicine inside. I need to restore my soul power. Send your little lion to retrieve the beast cores and the Heaven Crystal…”