Cold air blew all over the place, accompanying ice blades in flight. Steel fists howled in the wind, and fangs growled their fury.
Xiong Li and the other's fight against Bai Ning Bing had reached its climax.
Not much time had actually passed since the battle began, but under Bai Ning Bing's mounting pressure, Xiong Li and his group felt as though every second dragged on, weighed down by the sheer difficulty of the fight.
Xiong Jiang's expression was dark as still water, Xiong Lin's forehead was beaded with cold sweat, and even Xiong Li's eyes showed a rare seriousness.
At this moment, even Xiong Li had to put aside his pride and acknowledge Bai Ning Bing's overwhelming strength. Despite suppressing his cultivation to Rank two and only using Rank two Gu worms, Bai Ning Bing still had the upper hand over their entire group.
The truth, however, was even more alarming—Bai Ning Bing wasn't even using his full strength. This wasn't to flaunt his power, but a tactical move born out of caution.
While the Xiong Li group had a single goal—to capture or kill Bai Ning Bing—his situation was far more complex.
He was fighting off the Xiong Li group while also staying alert for a sneak attack from Fang Yuan.
After all, he had witnessed Fang Yuan's use of the Stealth Scales Gu and knew that a surprise assault was possible at any moment.
But strangely, Fang Yuan still hadn't made a move.
"Did he leave? Impossible! Although it is our first meeting, he is not the type to retreat! He will definitely act. He is just biding his time." Bai Ning Bing waved his ice blade and suppressed Xiong Li, while his thoughts raced in his mind.
Not only was Bai Ning Bing forced to rely on his strength to battle the Xiong Li group, but he also had to stay mentally sharp to counter Fang Yuan's schemes.
Fang Yuan's refusal to strike only added to the pressure on him. A sword still in its sheath is always the most dangerous—its strike cannot be anticipated.
Even without making a move, Fang Yuan's silent presence watching from the shadows kept Bai Ning Bing constantly on edge. This constant distraction was the only reason the Xiong Li group had lasted this long. Without it, they would have been defeated a long time ago.
"It should be time for me to appear." Under the shadow of a nearby tree, Fang Yuan crossed his arm as he watched.
It was not that he did not want to strike, but he just could not find an opportunity to.
He was not anxious though.
The longer this dragged on, the more battle strength would be drained from Bai Ning Bing. The Ten Extreme bodies had a supreme primeval essence recovery rate, much more than A-grade, but it still was spent up over time.
The longer Fang Yuan held back, the more primeval essence drained from Bai Ning Bing's aperture, gradually tipping the balance of victory in Fang Yuan's favor.
Once Bai Ning Bing's aperture was emptied of primeval essence, his Northern Dark Ice Soul Physique wouldn't matter—just one Moonblade would be enough to take his head.
Fang Yuan was fully aware of this advantage, and Bai Ning Bing clearly understood it too.
"I cannot continue like this!" Bai Ning Bing's blue eyes shone as he took a large step back, pulling some distance from the Xiong Li group.
Next, he swallowed hard, his throat bulging as if something had surged up from his stomach to his mouth.
Tilting his head back, he slowly pried his jaws open with difficulty.
From within, a tiny, icy-blue bird emerged, its head peeking out between his white teeth. It scanned its surroundings before locking onto a specific target.
The little bird leapt from Bai Ning Bing's mouth, beating its wings forcefully as it soared straight toward Xiong Li.
Though it looked like a harmless pigeon with its delicate blue feathers, Xiong Li and the others turned pale the moment they saw it.
"Rank three Blue Bird Ice Coffin Gu?"
"Get away from it, quickly!"
The Xiong Li group frantically tried to dodge around, but this blue ice bird was not like the moonblade; once sent out, it was locked on to the target.
Boom
It collided directly with the support-type Gu Master in Xiong Li's group, erupting on impact.
A surge of icy wind swept through the area as a piercing blue light burst forth, illuminating the entire battlefield in a chilling glow.
Moments later, the light faded, revealing a semi-transparent ice block tinted with a cold, watery blue hue.
Encased within the frozen mass was the Gu Master, his expression still twisted in fear and panic from just before the moment of death — but all signs of life had vanished.
Despite Bai Ning Bing being a Rank three Gu Master, using a Rank three Gu worm while restricting his strength to Rank two consumed his primeval essence at an alarming rate. Not only that, but he couldn't bring out the full potential of the Gu worm's power, and using it left a temporary window for enemies to retaliate.
However, instead of seizing the opportunity, Xiong Li's group stood rooted in place, shocked by the sheer might of the Blue Bird Ice Coffin Gu.
Taking advantage of their hesitation, Bai Ning Bing didn't press the attack. Instead, he turned away, swiftly retreating from the battlefield.
It was the smart choice — had he stayed any longer, the situation might have quickly turned against him.
"Damn it…"
"Bai Ning Bing, don't run if you have guts!"
"Big brother Xiong Xin was killed by him, kill him, take revenge for brother Xiong Xin!!!"
Xiong Li's group shouted angrily, but they were unable to give chase.
They had barely managed to surround Bai Ning Bing with four people, and now, with one of their members gone, their formation had collapsed completely, making it easy for Bai Ning Bing to break through their encirclement.
Just as Bai Ning Bing was about to escape the battlefield, a crescent-shaped moonblade suddenly shot out from the bushes, and a figure emerged, swiftly pursuing him.
Bam
Bai Ning Bing's ice blade waved, and dispelled the moonblade. But his abdomen was hit by someone, throwing him back by three large steps.
Bai Ning Bing stares at the newcomer instead, chuckling. "So you finally appeared . . ."
"It's Fang Yuan!" Xiong Lin's eyes shone, seeing a glimmer of hope.
"Fang Yuan, good job!" Xiong Jiang was overjoyed, shouting.
Xiong Li stayed silent; although he seemed rash, his thoughts were more meticulous than anyone else. Fang Yuan did not strike earlier, but suddenly appeared . . . was he watching the battle all along? The thought of this possibility brought him unease.
"Rest assured everyone. I've informed the clan, just hang in there for a little longer, reinforcements are coming!" Fang Yuan smiled mildly, showing a victorious appearance.
Xiong Li was relieved at once.
Xiong Lin and Xiong Jiang's battle spirits were ignited.
Bai Ning Bing suddenly laughed loudly, "Haha, so he's called Fang Yuan, such an interesting guy… I only want to kill you even more now!!!"
"I'm afraid you're not capable enough to achieve that." Fang Yuan's eyes shone with cold light, taking a step forward.
"Bai Ning Bing, the heavens want you dead, you're finished!" Xiong Jiang gritted his teeth, running into Bai Ning Bing.
"Bai Ning Bing, you are too arrogant, you will pay the price today!" Xiong Lin growled, moving towards Bai Ning Bing's back.
"Fang Yuan, stay back a little, back us up and prevent Bai Ning Bing from escaping." Xiong Li said.
If Fang Yuan got involved, it would disrupt the coordination between the three remaining members.
The battle raged on.
Fang Yuan's face remained calm as he continued to strike, completely ignoring Xiong Li's warnings.
The Xiong Li group furrowed their brows; interference from an outsider would normally throw their teamwork into chaos and make cooperation fall apart.
However, Fang Yuan's attacks were sharp and calculated, perfectly timed, and instead of hindering them, he became a great asset in the fight.
At first, Xiong Li growled in protest, but he quickly fell silent. His stern expression softened, his eyebrows lifted, clearly surprised by Fang Yuan's combat sense.
Though Fang Yuan didn't attack often, each move was impactful. His expert-level techniques gave him immediate control over the rhythm of the battle.
Originally, Xiong Li's team of five had been losing to Bai Ning Bing, suffering two casualties. But after Fang Yuan joined in and worked with the remaining three, they successfully pushed Bai Ning Bing into a tight spot.
"Bai Ning Bing, just go and die!"
Xiong Li growled loudly, jumping up and landing heavily. His ten fingers intertwined to form a punch, slamming toward Bai Ning Bing.
Bai Ning Bing wanted to dodge, but Fang Yuan appeared at that moment, and at the same time shot out a moonblade, blocking the direction where he wanted to leap.
Bai Ning Bing had no choice but to endure Xiong Li's attack.
"Water Shield Gu!"
Two streams of water vapor flowed from Bai Ning Bing's nostrils, swirling around him to form a condensed, spherical moisture barrier.
With a loud crash and a muffled pop, Xiong Li's powerful punch struck the barrier, shattering it instantly.
However, the punch lost all its momentum in the process, giving Bai Ning Bing just enough time to avoid a fatal blow.
Even so, Xiong Li shot a quick look at Fang Yuan, a hint of respect in his eyes.
Without Fang Yuan's precise support, that strike would've missed entirely and Bai Ning Bing wouldn't have been forced to block it head-on or drain his primeval essence.
It was this Water Shield Gu that alleviated Bai Ning Bing's predicament. The defensive power of the water shield was superior to even the White Jade Gu.
However, this defense had a flaw — it required Bai Ning Bing to maintain a spherical form and use the circulating water to redirect and diffuse the incoming force in order to maximize its effectiveness.
If he were ever backed against a wall, unable to form that round shape, the shield's defensive strength would drop significantly.
Qing Mao Mountain was covered in dense forests, yet despite this, Bai Ning Bing always moved with caution, taking care never to corner himself.
Suddenly Bai Ning Bing's mouth opened, and a new blue bird flew out.
Xiong Li and the others were fearful of this attack, but Fang Yuan was not flustered in the least.
He snorted coldly, shooting a moonblade.
With a bam, the moonblade hit the ice bird, causing it to explode.