mtl008 Chapter 412 - 412: Extreme North (3)
Chapter 412 - 412: Extreme North (3)
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--- Chapter 412 ---
"Oh no, the Mirror Image Beast is attacking!" Xiao Wu suddenly shouted, pointing her finger at Shui Bing'er and the others.
The Ice Phoenix Lord's eyes narrowed at the nervous Shui Bing'er with a cold and observing gaze. "Let me see your potential, human girl."
Shui Bing'er immediately faced the harsh reality as a nearly 20,000-year-old Mirror Image Beast appeared before her group. Standing before this ferocious creature filled her with dread and suffocated every fiber of her being.
The rest of the team fared no better, as their mental fortitude was weaker than Shui Bing'er. It was already a small miracle that none of them fainted in this life-and-death situation.
As the Mirror Image Beast roared in their faces, Shui Bing'er clenched her hands and bravely summoned her Ice Phoenix martial soul. Her fourth spirit ring lit up.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Ice Phoenix's Chilling Cry!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.
A shadow of the majestic Ice Phoenix appeared behind her, letting out a loud cry that echoed through a ten-meter radius, allowing her teammates to regain their composure and neutralizing the intimidating roar of the Mirror Image Beast.
"Move! Snowbreak Formation!" Shui Bing'er then shouted again.
The rest of the team nodded in agreement, forming a protective circle around Shui Bing'er and another team member, Xue Wu.
Xue Wu's martial soul was Dancing Snowflake, a powerful auxiliary spirit capable of providing an ice-based environmental buff and terrain cover for her teammates.
She was also a Spirit Ancestor like Shui Bing'er, though at a lower level of 41. Dancing Snowflake was a unique martial soul, able to transform into many different forms of 'snowflake' in nature.
Xue Wu summoned her martial soul and activated her spirit skills, "Dark Cloud, Rain, Icy Snow."
A small formation of dark clouds appeared above them, showering icy rain and snowflakes down.
The temperature dropped sharply, encasing the Mirror Image Beast in a thin layer of snow. The members of Skywater Academy's team received buffs from the even colder battlefield.
While the Icebound Forest was already frigid, it felt significantly colder now. However, it was still far from the Ultimate Ice.
"Attack! Buy us some time!" Shui Bing'er commanded, extending her hand to Xue Wu.
Xue Wu nodded and grasped Shui Bing'er's extended hand, allowing their martial souls and spirit energy to fuse.
Roar!
The Mirror Image Beast roared at them, a group of five—comprising one Spirit Ancestor and four Spirit Elders—actually harassed it with water-ice elemental burst attacks.
When the dangerous beast attempted to break free from the ice encasing its body, an agility-system spirit master named Gu Qingbo targeted its limb joints, temporarily immobilizing it.
This odd kiting strategy proved effective, and the teamwork among these young spirit masters was impressive.
However, the Mirror Image Beast was still a formidable 20,000-year-old spirit beast at heart.
Their attacks failed to harm it. Yes, it merely bought time for Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu. Moreover, their spirit energy couldn't outlast the Mirror Image Beast's power.
Suddenly, the appearance of the Mirror Image Beast changed slightly, its mirror-like scales gleaming with an emerald sheen. Then, many emerald spikes burst from the ground, launching an attack on them.
"Ice Armor!" Shui Bing'er felt a jolt in her spine, activating her spirit skill to provide extra protection for her teammates.
BANG!
The ice armor shattered instantly upon impact, sending all five members of Skywater Academy's team flying backward. They coughed up blood and fell unconscious.
"Everyone!" Xue Wu cried out in horror.
Shui Bing'er grimaced, "Is this the might of a ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast?"
"But..."
"I won't give up."
"I won't back down without a fight."
"Xue Wu, brace yourself."
Xue Wu trembled but steeled her resolve. "Yes, Captain."
Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu exchanged determined glances before turning their gazes toward the Mirror Image Beast. "Spirit Fusion: Ice Phoenix Dance in the Drifting Snow!"
In an instant, the figures of Xue Wu and Shui Bing'er vanished.
In mid-air, the snowflakes gathered to form a phoenix, measuring seven meters long. The Ice Phoenix appeared illusory, its bright blue eyes and long tail feathers enchanting. As it descended without warning, it transformed into a shimmering ice-blue light.
CAW!
The 'Ice Phoenix' slowly let out a piercing cry directed at the Mirror Image Beast, which responded with a roar and unleashed an emerald crystal shower in return.
The 'Ice Phoenix' skillfully dodged and swung its wings, releasing a blast of icy waves.
BOOOOOM!!
Unfortunately, the Mirror Image Beast's scales are too damn tough. The emerald transformation is a copied ability from the formidable Crystal-Eating Armored Beast of the same realm.
The 'Ice Phoenix' grimaced, realizing it had no choice but to take a huge risk. It controlled the surrounding snowflakes and blue frost to slow and restrain the Mirror Image Beast.
With the Mirror Image Beast seemingly under control, the 'Ice Phoenix' focused on gathering the remaining frost and energy within its body to prepare a final attack.
As the last remnants of energy condensed into a throwing lance made of pure ice and swirling snowflakes aimed at the Mirror Image Beast, it suddenly broke free from its restraints.
The Mirror Image Beast transformed once again, taking on the form of an ice flood dragon. The cold air surrounding it was no longer under the Ice Phoenix's control and coalesced into a ten-meter-long ice flood dragon.
The 'Ice Phoenix' stared dumbly at this and felt a sense of helplessness in its heart.
They had indeed fallen to the Mirror Image Beast's scheme. As expected, the momentum of the Ice Phoenix's last attack diminished significantly compared to before.
Even so, the Ice Phoenix was determined not to give up.
"Cold Spear of Skywater!" A clear voice rang out in the air. When the cold spear collided with the ten-meter-long ice flood dragon, the latter got slightly pierced before completely obliterating the former.
The Ice Phoenix then watched in dread as the ice flood dragon opened its maw at it.
"Am I going to die?" This thought crossed the Ice Phoenix's mind in that fleeting moment.
Suddenly, a piercing howl of a phoenix echoed through the air. It was not a sound the Ice Phoenix could produce, but rather a grand and noble cry from a True Phoenix!
A stunning crimson plume of fire rushed through the air, striking down the ice flood dragon. Everything happened so quickly that even the Mirror Image Beast couldn't react to its powerful attack getting foiled.
Like an eagle seizing a snake, the plume transformed into a fire phoenix that brandished the ice flood dragon with its sharp talons and exploded with immense force.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The Mirror Image Beast watched the fiery explosion unfold before its very eyes, only to find three more feathered arrows aimed directly at it.
In a panic, it activated its copying power to transform yet again, this time morphing several of its mirror-like scales into a turtle shell barrier above its head.
However, like a hot knife through butter, the barrier melted upon contact with the fiery plumes.
If the Mirror Image Beast could curse, it would certainly do so at this moment.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Once the barrage of attacks ended, the Mirror Image Beast collapsed to the ground, its body scorched but merely unconscious rather than dead.
The Ice Phoenix observed this and instantly noticed a handsome young man in purple standing in the distance. His silver hair danced wildly in the cold air as he wielded a beautiful golden-white long bow.
Swoosh!
The 'Ice Phoenix' split into two beings again.
The fainting Xue Wu and Shui Bing'er were also on the verge of losing consciousness. Shui Bing'er gazed at the handsome young man and recognized him—no, she recognized that face.
"Godspeed, Prince of Lightning..."
"Han... Yuan..." As those words escaped her lips, Shui Bing'er eventually fainted. Nevertheless, before either Xue Wu or Shui Bing'er could hit the ground, Han Yuan appeared and caught them.
"Tsk, tsk, a Spirit Fusion skill that could contend with a nearly 20,000-year-old spirit beast."
"Such potential. Not bad at all."
"So, are you going to turn her into your concubine?" Di Yating teased in Han Yuan's mind.
"I am not!" Han Yuan replied, his forehead twitching slightly.