Chapter 78: Ice Luan

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Ice Luan

Bao Yaoyao felt it was a real shame she hadn’t bought a lottery ticket.

It was only under the assault of the biting wind and the unprecedented pressure that Bao Yaoyao remembered something important.

She remembered that before entering the Desolate Moon Islands Secret Realm, her family had told her the exam inside was easy—with a few exceptions.

1. Islands with mountain ranges.

2. Islands with altars.

3. Islands with both mountain ranges and altars.

Especially the "third type of island." If she ever came across one, she was to do everything in her power to lie low and survive. If that wasn’t possible, she was to tear up her Teleportation Talisman and leave immediately!

Never mind the other scenarios—the mountain right in front of her was glaringly obvious.

Supposedly, there were only about ten such islands with mountains in total. The odds of finding one were one in ten thousand, and yet she’d managed to hit the jackpot!

With luck like this, Bao Yaoyao truly felt she could have become a millionaire by now if she’d just bought that lottery ticket.

But on second thought, Bao Yaoyao decided it wasn’t her fault.

She hadn’t been in the secret realm for long before she was captivated by Li Heng’s barbecue, and she hadn’t paid any attention to the mountain since.

Only now did she abruptly recall her family’s "guidance"!

’Good food has been my downfall!’

’But Li Heng’s roasted leg of lamb was so, so good!’

"Li Heng! I think we just hit the jackpot!" Bao Yaoyao said, her expression grim as she tightened her grip on her Longsword.

"Hit the jackpot?"

Li Heng didn’t know what she meant. Besides, compared to the time that pack of Cold Ice Pythons in the Ice Jiao Lake Dungeon unleashed their Soul Energy Skills all at once, this biting wind was nothing.

He didn’t feel much pressure, just a faint sense of wonder. ’So there’s an Ice-type Soul Beast on this island too.’ But then again...

’It’s a secret realm, after all. You can run into any kind of Soul Beast.’

"Let me explain quickly," Bao Yaoyao said in a rush. "There’s a mountain on this island, which means our exam is probably much harder than everyone else’s! No wonder I felt the difficulty was a little high here."

’This island... is the exam really that hard?’

Li Heng had made up his mind from the start. As long as he didn’t run into a Tier Three Soul Beast, nothing else mattered.

So far, at least, Li Heng had found it all quite pleasant and relaxed.

SCREEE~

A sharp, bird-like screech cut through the air right after a frigid gust of wind, reaching the ears of Bao Yaoyao and Li Heng.

The sound made Bao Yaoyao’s heart clench. All the pressure that had been building up inside her suddenly erupted at once.

A wave of horror washed over her.

’What... what in the world is this Soul Beast?’

It wasn’t that Bao Yaoyao had never seen a Tier Two Soul Beast before, but none had ever exerted this much pressure on her!

’Could it be... a... a Tier Three Soul Beast?’

The thought flashed through Bao Yaoyao’s mind, and she froze on the spot.

She didn’t dare speak or even reply to Li Heng. Her face had gone deathly pale.

SCREEE~

Accompanied by another screech, a deep blue shadow suddenly shot out from the mountain.

Ice Simurgh: Berserk

Level: 28

Rank: Tier Two High-Grade Soul Beast

Strength: 32 (+3)

Agility: 28 (-2)

Spirit: 22 (-7)

Soul Energy: 680

Soul Energy Skills: Frost Wind, Ice Spikes, Flurry, Simurgh’s Cry.

Its feathers were all formed from frost, especially its two long tail plumes, which reflected the moonlight. Setting all else aside, the Ice Simurgh was breathtakingly beautiful.

But beauty was one thing; neither Bao Yaoyao nor Li Heng were in any mood to appreciate it.

The moment Li Heng saw the Ice Simurgh, he immediately began to analyze its strength relative to his own.

Li Heng’s own stats were 32 Strength, 38 Agility, and 18 Spirit.

The Ice Simurgh, in its berserk state, had 32 Strength, 28 Agility, and 22 Spirit.

’Our Strength is equal, my Agility is 10 points higher, and our Spirit stats are about the same!’

’This is doable!’

’However... if this Ice Simurgh stays in the air and attacks from above, I’ll have to make a run for it.’

’But if it comes down to the ground to fight me head-on, I have to seize the opportunity.’

Li Heng wasn’t being reckless; he was just tempted by the 680 Soul Energy points. Besides, he was sure that a Tier Two High-Grade Soul Beast like this had to be worth some exam points.

’Probably a lot of points, too!’

Li Heng had already formulated a battle plan. If the Ice Simurgh stayed in the air, he would flee immediately without a second’s hesitation.

But if it dared to fly low, he would seize the chance and beat it to a pulp!

If he could win, there was no reason to pass up on points that were practically serving themselves up on a platter.

So, Li Heng didn’t see it as a huge problem. As long as he got an opening, he was good to go.

In Li Heng’s eyes, the Ice Simurgh was a meal delivered right to his doorstep. In Bao Yaoyao’s eyes, she was the meal being delivered.

’An Ice Simurgh!’

’The absolute pinnacle of a Tier Two High-Grade Soul Beast!’

In a way, a berserk Tier Two High-Grade Soul Beast could already be considered a low-level Tier Three Soul Beast!

The moment Bao Yaoyao saw the Ice Simurgh, she recalled the information about it from her college entrance exam materials.

Ice Simurgh Bird: 218 Points!

Note: This Soul Beast is extremely dangerous. Do not approach without a party of at least ten Soul Disciples. If a team of fewer than ten encounters this Soul Beast, please ensure your own safety and immediately exit its line of sight, or use a talisman to teleport out of the secret realm!

’A whopping 218 points!’

"Li Heng, that’s a Tier Two High-Grade Soul Beast, an Ice Simurgh! We’re no match for it, let’s split up and run! From there, it’s just a matter of who has the worse luck!"

Bao Yaoyao didn’t hesitate. After rapidly processing the information in her head, she knew instantly that she couldn’t handle the Ice Simurgh overhead. It would be an absolute slaughter. She prepared to bolt.

But considering she still had a "companion" with her, she decided to warn Li Heng before she ran. However, the moment she turned her head, she saw him holding his Longsword, staring unblinkingly at the Ice Simurgh above.

"Li... Li Heng? Let’s go!" Bao Yaoyao grew anxious. Afraid he was frozen in shock, she shouted again.

"Thanks! You go on ahead. I’m going to watch it for a bit longer!"

Li Heng knew she was worried he’d been struck dumb, so he thanked her.

This also showed that Bao Yaoyao was a decent person.

Hearing Li Heng speak, and seeing he wasn’t in a daze, Bao Yaoyao decided not to press the issue. She didn’t want to linger until it was too late to escape.

It was only the first day of the exam. If she, who had come in stocked with medicinal herbs, tore up her Teleportation Talisman and left today, she’d get zero points.

"I’m in Peony City! My number is 191-XXXX! Take care! If you can’t handle it, just teleport out! Your life is more important!"

With those parting words, a faint breeze materialized under Bao Yaoyao’s feet. Riding the current, she seemed to float away, her speed more than doubling.

’Hey now, how am I supposed to remember a phone number when you say it that fast!’

Li Heng didn’t feel much about Bao Yaoyao’s retreat. In fact, with no one watching, he felt he could let loose a little more.

In any case, the moment the Ice Simurgh had appeared, Li Heng had activated his Wolf Walk Technique. With his Lv10 Wolf Walk Technique, even if he couldn’t gain an advantage over the Ice Simurgh, when it came to escaping, Li Heng had no fear.

Besides, facing a single Ice Simurgh wasn’t nearly as pressuring as facing that entire swarm of Cold Ice Pythons.

And just to be safe, as Bao Yaoyao was leaving, Li Heng took the Heavy Armor Arm Guard out of his Space Stone.