When the monster appeared, the surface of the sea surged as if the tide were rising, flooding upward all at once. At the same time, a thunderous roar echoed in Evan Chu and Roxanne Lin's ears.
Soon, the monster's entire body emerged—it was a tortoise, but completely snow-white and unimaginably huge. This might be the second-largest creature Evan had ever seen; the largest was the one he and Ouyang Qian once witnessed being slain by that mysterious palace. But in terms of power, this tortoise might be even more formidable.
"What kind of monster is this? It's terrifying! Looks like Darkfrost Island really is a dangerous place," Roxanne Lin exclaimed as she hovered in the air.
"I don't know what this thing is either. It looks like a tortoise—could it be from the Obsidian Tortoise Clan? We really shouldn't offend it. Otherwise, getting Ethan Fenn out of here will be even harder," Evan Chu said.
Even though he didn't know this creature's true origins, Evan was determined to be cautious. If it weren't for Ethan Fenn, he wouldn't care about killing it—but right now, he had to hold back.
"Evan, for once you’re actually thinking straight. That creature is a branch of the Obsidian Tortoise Clan—its bloodline isn’t pure, like the Fire Dragon or Ice Dragon offshoots in the Dragon Clan. It’s called a Mystic Ice Tortoise. Its attack power isn’t all that, but its defense is off the charts—don’t underestimate it," Sword Spirit Luna explained.
"Mystic Ice Tortoise? Why is everything here tied to ice? Is it because we're on Darkfrost Island? What’s this thing doing surfacing—trying to block us from entering, or does it think we’d make a tasty snack?" Evan said, staring at the giant beast.
Just then, the icebergs dotting the sea began to shake violently. Within a few breaths, an even bigger monster appeared—its head alone was the size of a small mountain. Compared to this one, the Mystic Ice Tortoise that surfaced earlier was nothing; the difference was like night and day.
"You’ve got to be kidding! Something that huge is basically invincible. Roxanne, I think we should get out of here fast. A beast like that is way out of our league—it’s smarter to bail now," Evan said.
Roxanne nodded, and the two prepared to leave. But just then, a massive suction force swept over them—the Mystic Ice Tortoise that had surfaced inhaled sharply toward the sky. Even with Evan and Roxanne’s strength, they couldn’t hold their positions and started to get dragged backward.
"Careful, Roxanne! This thing actually wants to swallow us. If I don't show it some backbone, it'll think I'm easy prey!" Evan cried, hurriedly summoning the Frostbane Sword. He unleashed Earthsplitter, sword-qi roaring with wind and thunder, aiming straight at the Mystic Ice Tortoise.
He hadn’t intended to injure it—just to break its suction and buy time for himself and Roxanne. But when the attack landed, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, leaving not a ripple. Evan’s composure cracked; faced with a monster this colossal, he felt helpless. Escape was impossible, and anxiety gnawed at him.
If this creature ever made it to the Divine Battlefield, it’d be a natural hegemon. He couldn’t understand why the Obsidian Tortoise Clan hadn’t sent one of these to fight back then, especially since their side suffered heavy losses.
In truth, Evan had no idea that Mystic Ice Tortoises could only survive in water—specifically, water saturated with Mystic Ice. If one ever entered the Divine Battlefield, it might not even need to be killed; the harsh climate alone would finish it off.
Its enormous bulk made it impossible to take human form or even speak. That was both its greatest weakness—and its greatest strength. As long as it stayed on Darkfrost Island, it was perfectly safe; killing one was harder than scaling the heavens.
Evan and Roxanne were dragged backward at alarming speed. In just a few breaths, they’d be sucked inside the beast. Evan wasn’t worried for himself—he could use Watershift to merge with its body—but Roxanne was another story. She was his biggest concern right now.
In moments like this, panic was the last thing you wanted—it only made things worse. Evan made a snap decision and shouted, "Roxanne, hit me with a palm strike! I’ll use the rebound to blast you out of the suction zone. Don’t worry about me—Watershift will keep me safe. This time, I’ll let myself get swallowed and see what’s inside."
Roxanne was stunned by Evan’s words. "If you go, I go! There’s no way I’m leaving you behind. I won’t strike you," she protested.
Evan snapped, "I really won’t be in danger! This thing’s body is the size of a city—there’s no way we could kill it from the outside. Trust me, there’s no time to argue. You can’t be stubborn right now!"
Seeing the anxious look on Evan’s face, Roxanne finally nodded, then struck out with a powerful palm. Evan did the same—both put all their strength into it. The collision produced a deafening boom between them.
Evan was blasted backward by the rebound, landing less than ten meters from the Mystic Ice Tortoise’s mouth. Roxanne, meanwhile, was sent flying dozens of meters away, escaping the beast’s suction.
Just then, a flash of light shot from Evan’s brow as Sword Spirit Luna flew out and landed beside Roxanne. "Roxy, get out of here—Evan will be fine. He might even surprise you with what he finds inside," Luna said.
Roxanne didn’t understand Luna’s words and hesitated. "Big Sis Luna, Evan’s already been swallowed and you’re saying he’s not in danger? What’s going on? Why did you leave his side? You’re supposed to protect him!" she protested.
"Let’s talk on shore. The Mystic Ice Tortoise is strong, but it can’t stay on land for long. Don’t worry about Evan," Luna replied, flying off with Roxanne toward the coastline.
Meanwhile, Evan was sucked into the beast’s body. The gigantic Mystic Ice Tortoise slowly lowered its head beneath the waves, and Evan felt as if he’d fallen into a bottomless, water-filled abyss—water everywhere, with no end in sight.
"So much water—is this its stomach? If all this flooded out, it could drown a whole city. Just how big is this thing’s body?" Evan muttered, activating Watershift.
Soon, something strange caught his eye—there were fish and shrimp swimming in the water, each one surprisingly large, the smallest weighing several pounds. Evan was stunned.
"Fish living in a stomach? That’s unreal!" Evan exclaimed. Just then, a massive gray tortoise—dozens of meters long—appeared and swam rapidly toward him.
"Frostbane, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you. Come with me!" the giant tortoise called out.
Evan froze, staring in disbelief. "You can see me? And you knew I’d come here?" he asked, utterly shocked.