The Snowfang Direwolf let out a guttural growl, its breath curling into mist with each exhale. Unlike the Frosthide Panther, this beast was not only larger, but it carried a more refined aura—intelligent, cautious, yet brimming with primal killing intent.
It stood poised between the glacier walls, its eyes glowing like twin moons under the snowlight.
Shi Tian stepped forward, his robes fluttering in the cold wind. He calmly rotated his wrist, the Chaotic Spear emitting soft pulses of qi that distorted the surrounding air.
Behind him, Shen Xiaoli leaned against a jagged ice wall, wrapping her furs tighter. She had retreated to a safe distance but kept her senses active. She wouldn't be able to help in her current condition—but she would still observe every movement. The way Shi Tian moved now, the energy that gathered around him—it was unlike anything she had seen in cultivators of his realm.
The wolf crouched low, frost gathering around its paws.
Shi Tian's eyes narrowed.
"Let's begin."
Whoosh—!
The beast pounced, leaving deep claw marks as it pushed off the glacier wall. It shot forward like an icy arrow, jaws wide open, targeting Shi Tian's neck with lethal precision.
But Shi Tian was already moving.
Phantom Steps activated—his body shifted like a wisp of wind. He appeared a few meters to the left, evading the wolf's fangs by a breath. Snow exploded behind him from the force of the beast's impact.
He spun in midair, spear dragging arcs of chaotic energy behind him.
"Chaotic Spear Art—Second Form: World Splitter!"
A horizontal sweep of the spear released a wave of chaotic qi. The strike didn't just cut—it distorted space in its wake. The Snowfang barely managed to erect an ice shield from its spiritual energy, but the spear cleaved it in two and sent the beast skidding back, blood spraying across the snow like crimson ribbons.
But the wolf was resilient.
With a feral snarl, it planted its feet and howled.
A sharp pulse of spiritual energy shot outward.
The howl echoed through the basin—so powerful it cracked nearby ice ridges and made Shen Xiaoli wince from its pressure. From beneath the wolf's paws, ice chains erupted, aiming for Shi Tian's legs, intending to immobilize him.
But Shi Tian didn't flinch.
"Trying to bind me?" he murmured.
He raised his palm.
Chaos Flame—Ignition.
In an instant, gray fire surged from his body, and the freezing spiritual chains dissolved into steam the moment they touched his aura. The very earth beneath him hissed, melting as the temperature warped wildly around his form.
The Snowfang paused.
Its pupils constricted. That flame—it wasn't ordinary. It was… unnatural.
Fear. For the first time, the beast hesitated.
Shi Tian stepped forward, eyes calm, spear glowing.
"Don't run now."
He gathered qi into the spearhead.
Blazing Fire Spear Art—Flame Lance!
He hurled the spear like a bolt of divine lightning. Infused with Chaos Flame, the lance roared through the air, a comet of destruction aimed straight at the beast's chest.
The Snowfang dodged, barely avoiding the core strike—but the flame ignited upon contact with its fur. Gray fire licked across its body, burning away its spiritual resistance.
It rolled in the snow, howling, but the Chaos Flame was too tenacious.
Shi Tian appeared above the writhing beast in a blink, spear once more in hand.
"Let me end your pain."
He raised the weapon.
"Chaotic Spear Art—Third Form: Calamity Breaker."
This time, the qi condensed into a small point at the tip—silent, heavy, deadly.
He thrust downward.
The tip pierced the beast's skull, slipping through bone and spirit. There was a moment of stillness.
Then—BOOM.
A shockwave exploded outward, flattening the nearby snow and sending shards of ice flying in all directions.
When it settled, Shi Tian stood still, panting lightly.
The Snowfang lay unmoving beneath him, the flames already dying down.
The fight was over.
He pulled his spear free and flicked it once, blood spraying into the snow.
Behind him, Shen Xiaoli stepped out from behind the glacier wall. She walked slowly, her steps light. "That beast… was stronger than I expected."
Shi Tian nodded, rotating his shoulders. "It was faster too. But fire beats ice."
Shen Xiaoli didn't respond immediately. Her gaze settled on his back—the calm confidence, the mastery of movement, the raw power of his flame. He wasn't just stronger now.
He was awakening.
A cultivator meant to defy the heavens.
A few moments later, Shi Tian walked toward the blue glimmer nestled between the glacier walls.
There, encased in a crystal-clear ice lotus, was the Frostheart Jade Lotus. Its petals shimmered with translucent blue light, and a cold mist curled around it protectively. A fragrance rose from it—faint, calming, and pure.
Shi Tian took out a small jade blade from his storage ring and approached carefully.
"Sister Xiaoli, come here. This is for you."
She approached quietly, crouching beside him.
"I'll melt the ice. The herb will remain untouched."
Shi Tian summoned a thin strand of Chaos Flame—barely the width of a thread—and directed it toward the base of the lotus.
The surrounding ice hissed, retreating immediately. The Chaos Flame was so precise, not a single petal was touched.
Soon, the Frostheart Jade Lotus was free, and Shi Tian gently plucked it and handed it to her.
"Refine it. I'll guard."
Shen Xiaoli looked at the lotus for a long moment. Then she nodded and sat down cross-legged nearby.
As she began the refining process, Shi Tian remained seated beside her, his spear across his lap. The cold wind brushed past him again, but it no longer felt distant or strange.
He looked at Shen Xiaoli as her body glowed with radiant yin light, the Frostheart Jade Lotus melting into her meridians.
"Recover well, Sister Xiaoli. I will take you home soon." Shi Tian whispered softly, "This trip is going better than I expected. My martial skills are advancing rapidly due to continuous battles."