Douluo: I become stronger when I take in disciples!

Chapter 251 The Spirit Masters Turn Against Each Other

As the three cautiously advanced, a faint rustling sound came from the bushes on their right. Feng Yang abruptly stopped, blue flames instantly rising in his palm, transforming into a flaming longsword that gleamed with a cold light. A monkey-like soul beast covered in dark golden fur was crouching low, approaching stealthily with extremely light steps, its scarlet eyes flashing with cunning killing intent.

The clever monkey was clearly adept at sneak attacks, its every step landing almost silently. However, it underestimated Feng Yang's keen senses. Almost the instant it was about to pounce, Feng Yang's Blue Flame Sword flashed out like lightning, the fierce flames instantly igniting the surrounding air and forming a blazing arc of light.

The mischievous monkey let out a shrill scream as its body, not yet fully launched, was pierced by the Blue Flame Sword. Its massive form crashed heavily to the ground, twitching a few times before life was extinguished. The air was thick with the stench of burning flesh, mingling with the biting cold wind.

Ren Yaoyao's eyes widened, her face filled with shock, her voice filled with disbelief and astonishment: "A 30,000-year-old intelligent monkey, just like that, was killed."

She gazed at the gradually dissipating blue flame sword in Feng Yang's hand, a deep sense of awe welling up within her. Mo Lingyun also nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation flashing in her eyes. It seemed that they needed to reassess the challenges they faced in this perilous Cold Wind Ridge.

The biting wind sliced ​​through the air like blades, and deep within Frosty Wind Ridge, the raging snowstorm seemed poised to devour everything. Thick clouds hung low, casting an eerie bluish-gray hue over the icy plain, shrouding it in a mysterious and oppressive veil. Several meters of snow and ice piled up on the ground, sculpted by the fierce wind into various shapes of icicles and snowdrifts, reflecting a chilling, eerie light.

From the moment Feng Yang stepped onto this icy plain, he deliberately concealed his brilliance. Except when encountering truly formidable soul beasts, he silently observed, reserving every opportunity for battle for Mo Lingyun and Ren Yaoyao. Through battles with ferocious soul beasts and life-or-death trials, the three of them overcame numerous obstacles and finally arrived at the deepest part of Cold Wind Ridge.

A towering ice wall, like an ancient behemoth, loomed before them, soaring into the clouds and stretching for miles. Its surface gleamed with an eerie blue light, a hue acquired through millions of years of tempering by ice, exuding a chilling aura. Countless ice crystals condensed into strange patterns on the wall, shimmering with a cold light in the dim light, like some kind of mysterious rune, guarding the secrets behind it. Feng Yang focused his senses, keenly perceiving an ethereal echo emanating from within the ice—meaning the ice was hollow, and the legendary 100,000-year-old soul beast might very well be lurking there.

To avoid disturbing the slumbering soul beast, Feng Yang suddenly unleashed a blazing blue flame from his palm. The intense heat, like an ancient divine beast awakening, instantly dispelled the surrounding chill. The surrounding ice and snow sizzled and melted under the intense heat, visibly turning into white mist and rising upwards. The heatwave from the blue flames collided violently with the cold air, creating a violent vortex that whipped up the ice and snow from the ground, forming swirling ice crystal tornadoes in the air. Mo Lingyun and Ren Yaoyao were startled by the sudden heatwave, their pupils shrinking sharply. The scorching air rushed towards them, instantly flushing their cheeks crimson, and tiny ice crystals condensed on their eyelashes. A profound sense of awe washed over them.

Feng Yang's eyes blazed, his hands moving swiftly, forming hand seals that condensed blue flames into a gleaming flaming longsword. Then, with lightning speed, he swung the sword at the ice wall. "Boom!" A deafening roar echoed through the valley. Wherever the flaming sword struck, the ice cracked, a series of sharp, spiderweb-like fissures spreading rapidly. The moment the ice wall shattered, countless tiny ice crystals burst forth, scattering like glittering stars or darts of sharp projectiles. In a flash, a passage wide enough for three people to pass through appeared, filled with white mist, exuding a mysterious and dangerous aura.

“This ice wall is nourished by the power of extreme cold and has been endowed with a miraculous self-healing ability. Once it leaves the breach, it will repair itself. We must hurry!” Feng Yang reminded him solemnly.

Mo Lingyun and Ren Yaoyao exchanged a glance, a hint of tension and anticipation flashing in their eyes, before stepping into the passage without hesitation. Feng Yang followed closely behind, and once all three were inside, he gently clenched his fist, and the blue flames instantly dissipated. The next second, an astonishing scene unfolded—the broken ice blocks seemed to be guided by an invisible hand, rapidly reforming themselves. The cracks healed at a visible speed, and in the blink of an eye, the ice wall was restored to its original state, as if it had never been damaged at all. Only a lingering chill remained in the air, telling the story of the breathtaking moment just moments before.

The chill inside the passage was even greater than outside. A howling wind, carrying tiny ice crystals, swirled and echoed in the spacious area, emitting a sharp whistling sound, like the wails of countless wronged souls. The walls were covered with stalactites of various shapes, gleaming eerily in the ghostly blue light. The floor was a thick layer of ice, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the slightly tense figures of the three. The three walked along the passage, their footsteps echoing in the empty space, intertwining with the howling wind to create an unsettling rhythm. A few minutes later, Ren Yaoyao suddenly slipped, letting out a scream as she fell backward. Feng Yang reacted swiftly, his long arm reaching out to catch her soft body in his embrace. Ren Yaoyao looked up, meeting Feng Yang's cold, handsome jawline, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. She hurriedly steadied herself, her voice barely a whisper: "Thank you..."

Feng Yang simply hummed in response, his expression remaining blank. However, before he could take two steps, Mo Lingyun's startled cry rang out again, and she too fell backward. Feng Yang caught her once more, and Mo Lingyun's delicate body crashed into his arms, their eyes meeting.

"Did you do this on purpose?" Feng Yang asked calmly, with a hint of teasing.

Mo Lingyun's face instantly turned bright red, both embarrassed and flustered. She quickly stood up straight and retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? The ground is really too slippery!"

"That's right!" Ren Yaoyao's face turned as red as a ripe apple as she pointed to the ice under her feet. "Look, there's ice everywhere! It was really an accident!"

Feng Yang didn't press further, but simply listened intently. Suddenly, a faint "drip-drop" sound reached his ears. He looked up alertly and saw countless icicles hanging upside down above him. Under the influence of the remaining blue flames on his body, some of the icicles had begun to loosen. A thin layer of frost had condensed on the surface of the icicles, shimmering coldly in the dim light, as if they might fall at any moment and riddle him with holes.

"Get out of here!" Feng Yang shouted.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the massive ice spike crashed down. Feng Yang's palm blazed with blue flames as he slammed out a palm strike. "Bang!" The ice spike instantly shattered into dust under the powerful force of his palm, the shards scattering like snowflakes. With his strength, if he were to unleash his full power, he could melt all the ice and snow in this frozen land, but he knew that excessive intervention would only undermine the meaning of the training. To ensure that Mo Lingyun received genuine training, he had to exercise restraint.

The three stopped running and headed deeper into the passage. Ice spikes cracked intermittently on the ice walls on either side, making crisp sounds. They ran for an unknown amount of time until the falling ice spikes finally stopped, but the path ahead grew increasingly narrow and cramped, resembling a dark, unknown tunnel under the eerie blue light. The howling wind, like a thousand icy blades, whipped through the narrow passage, tearing their cloaks and making them flutter loudly. The ice beneath their feet shimmered with a ghostly blue light, thick and bottomless, each step accompanied by a subtle cracking sound, as if it might burst open and devour everything at any moment. The rock walls and ground on either side seemed meticulously sculpted by ice fairies; ice crystals formed coral-like tendrils, blooming ice lotuses, and scattered mineral crystals shimmered with a cold light in the dim environment, like stars embedded in an ice curtain—breathtakingly beautiful yet exuding a chilling aura.

The path ahead was blocked by a massive, transparent ice barrier. These ice blocks resembled solidified amber of time, containing ancient bubbles and floating dust, shimmering with a mysterious aura. Mo Lingyun gritted her teeth, drew her longsword, and the cold light sliced ​​through the ice surface. With a crisp "clang," only a few spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ice. Before she could react, the seeping icy mist quickly filled the cracks, restoring it to its original state.

Seeing this, Ren Yaoyao swiftly formed hand seals, and crimson flames erupted from her palms, lashing towards the ice surface like serpents. The blazing flames collided fiercely with the frigid ice, sending up plumes of white mist. However, after five minutes, only a single drop of water had dripped from the ice, creating a barely visible crater in the ground. Compared to the massive ice barrier, this trace of melting was insignificant. Even though fire could overcome ice, in this place steeped in ten thousand years of frigid air, the effect was minimal; completely melting these ice blocks was practically impossible.

The two girls turned away dejectedly, their eyelashes covered in tiny frosty flowers, their flushed cheeks stinging from the cold wind, their eyes filled with helplessness. They called out in unison, "Brother Feng Yang," their voices tinged with coquettishness and dependence.

"You two idiots!" he said, as a ghostly blue flame rose from his palm, within which countless sprites seemed to leap and dance. The heatwave instantly swept across the surroundings like wildfire. The moment the blue flame touched the ice barrier, the ice groaned under its strain, and with a deafening roar, the ice barrier shattered. The flying ice crystals refracted a dazzling array of colors in the air, like a magnificent rain of ice flowers.

After breaking through the ice barrier, the three continued to venture deeper into the heart of Coldwind Ridge. The further they went, the more desolate the surroundings became. No trace of any spirit beasts could be seen. Only the scattered beast bones on the ground and the deep claw marks on the rock walls silently testified to the terror and majesty of the overlord of this place, making other spirit beasts fearful and not daring to approach even a step closer.

As the last ice wall collapsed amidst the blue flames, a huge circular arena appeared before them. The smooth, mirror-like ice surface reflected the slightly weary figures of the three. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only their heavy breathing echoing in the empty space.

Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound shattered the silence, and a gale arose out of nowhere, instantly transforming into a Category 12 hurricane that spun wildly. Ice shards and snowflakes danced in the wind, forming a sky-covering, ice-blue vortex that emitted a deafening roar. Moments later, the wind gradually subsided, and on the eastern ice platform, a colossal creature stood proudly. It resembled a tiger but was not quite a tiger; its three-meter-long body was covered in snow-white fur that shimmered like pearls in the interplay of light and shadow; a diamond-shaped ice crystal was embedded on its forehead, like a king's crown; its amber vertical pupils exuded a chilling pressure as it coldly stared at the three, its voice booming like a bell, carrying an undeniable majesty: "Who goes there? How dare you break through layers of formations and step into this place?"

Mo Lingyun and Ren Yaoyao dared not be negligent in the slightest, and hurriedly clasped their hands in greeting, their voices trembling slightly: "Senior Ice Immortal Tiger, we have come for you."

"Call me Mountain God!" Ice Immortal Tiger roared, the sound waves causing ripples to spread across the ice surface.

“Yes, Senior Mountain God!” Mo Lingyun took a deep breath and mustered her courage to say, “We juniors are deeply honored to have reached this point. Over the years, few have been able to pass through this place. Our treacherous arrival today is a hope…”

"You just said, whose sect are you from?" As soon as Mo Lingyun uttered the words "disciple of the Yu Ling Sect," the Ice Immortal Tiger's originally calm eyes were instantly filled with rage, and his aura changed drastically, becoming cold and terrifying.

"Boom!" A suffocating pressure swept over her, and Mo Lingyun felt as if a boulder was pressing down on her chest, making it difficult to breathe, and her legs began to tremble slightly. She was filled with terror and couldn't understand why the mountain god had suddenly turned on her.

"Mountain God, I am from the Yu Ling Sect. I have come here hoping to receive your assistance..." Mo Lingyun continued, forcing herself to speak.

Ice Immortal Tiger's fur stood on end as it roared to the sky, its eyes burning with fury: "You traitors from the Spirit Control Sect, how dare you appear before me! Get lost!" Before it finished speaking, a blizzard mixed with sharp ice blades, like a ferocious beast, rushed towards the three of them.

Feng Yang lightly touched the ground with his toes, his figure flashing out like a ghost, steadily blocking Mo Lingyun and Ren Yaoyao. In an instant, a wall of blazing blue flames shot into the sky, the surface of the flame wall churning with fire patterns, like a fire beast awakening, radiating a heart-palpitating heat wave.

"Bang bang bang-"

Ice blades and blizzards, carrying a chilling aura, rained down on the wall of blue flames. The collision of ice and fire unleashed a deafening roar, and sparks and ice shards intertwined in the air, creating a dazzling rain of light. The wall of blue flames twisted and deformed violently under the impact, yet it remained as firm as a towering mountain, blocking out all the raging power of ice and snow.

The Ice Fairy Tiger's amber vertical pupils suddenly contracted, a hint of surprise flashing in its eyes. It flicked its fluffy white tail, and the chill around it intensified: "A mere human can actually control such domineering flames?"

Hidden behind the wall of flames, Mo Lingyun gazed at the Ice Immortal Tiger's face, contorted with rage, and a cloud of doubts rose in her mind. She gripped her sword hilt tightly, biting her lower lip, her thoughts racing like a tangled mess: the Mountain God clearly harbored a deep hatred for the Spirit Control Sect, even its name could instantly drive it into a frenzy. Yet, the sect's ancient texts recorded that their ancestor had formed a pact with a powerful Spirit Control, working together to protect this continent. Could this Ice Immortal Tiger be that Spirit Control? If so, what caused these former partners to turn against each other? What untold secrets lay hidden within?
(End of this chapter)