Chapter 879 Start of the Duel
As Zhu Bufan ventured deeper, he noticed that the Ice Forest around him became increasingly majestic, and the temperature also plummeted quickly, to the point where one's breath could almost freeze. Eventually, even Zhu Bufan, a cultivator of the Cold Ice Technique, had no choice but to slowly circulate his Inner Qi to fend off the bone-chilling cold.
Half an hour later! The endless, deep thuds suddenly ceased~~
"Not right!"
Zhu Bufan's complexion changed. At this moment, he also felt a surge of energy! Although the energy currently felt faint, Xia Yan could sense the powerful intent it contained. This energy, it definitely belonged to a powerful being! And it was one that he had never encountered before!
As he moved on, Zhu Bufan's expression grew increasingly grave.
"Boom~"
A slight noise came from ahead! The energy, growing stronger!
"Boom Boom Boom~"
The ground shook more and more violently, and Zhu Bufan even felt like he was seeing countless snow mountains collapsing. Even though he couldn't see them, he could imagine it.
"Could it be... Could someone be fighting up ahead? Such immense power, I fear it's not something that a Postnatal Tenth Rank could achieve, right? Could it be an Innate Realm expert, or a Fierce Beast?" Zhu Bufan pondered, but nonetheless, his feet continued to slowly move towards the center of the energy source.
And at this moment, columns of thick mist rose up, completely enveloping the center of the energy. Even with Zhu Bufan's current sharp eyesight, he could only see a distance of five or nine meters.
The energy around his body grew stronger and stronger, and the mist increasingly fluctuated more violently.
The white mist, originally passive, now danced and floated up and down under the influence of the energy.
Zhu Bufan held his breath, treading lighter than a cat, curling his body and continuing to move forward.
After the time it takes one incense stick to burn, Zhu Bufan noticed that the fog here had actually thinned. Previously, he couldn't see any objects beyond five meters, but now he could see up to ten meters away.
"Roar~"
The angry bellow of a wild beast!
"Boom Boom Boom~"
"Evil creature!"
A human voice!
Zhu Bufan was taken aback, his eyes widening, now completely clear on the situation: a human and a beast were in combat! No, this wasn't an ordinary beast; it was very likely a Fierce Beast!
Zhu Bufan's body shook, his expression somewhat panicked. Fierce Beasts...
To him, they were almost a thing of legend, and perhaps he was about to witness one with his own eyes. Moreover, there was also a human combatant present who could fight a Fierce Beast. Zhu Bufan became somewhat impatient. However, Zhu Bufan was not reckless. What if he carelessly bumped into them and the Fierce Beast or the human decided to kill him; wouldn't that be sending himself to death? Zhu Bufan was self-aware, if it were a Postnatal Tenth Rank expert, he had the confidence to successfully escape, albeit at a cost. But against an Innate Realm master, he had no chance of defending himself.
However, Zhu Bufan was not willing to just turn back and retreat. After all, the duel at the Innate Realm provided indescribable benefits to his cultivation and even his advancement.
After much deliberation, Zhu Bufan decided to still approach slowly, holding his breath, making no sound, just watching and absolutely not disturbing them.
"Boom~"
With the severe trembling transmitted from underfoot, Zhu Bufan's body also jolted violently, his muscles quivering. Nearby, the fog had become very sparse, and this thin mist was continuously dispersing into the surroundings or drifting upward, the flow of air clearly turbulent. On the ground, large chunks of ice seemed to have been freshly broken off from the ice walls on either side.
Within Zhu Bufan's line of sight, a very bizarre-looking monster lay ahead. Its body resembled a fluffy snowball, thirty meters in diameter, its long fur entirely covering its eyes and nose. Half of its body was hidden in a massive ice cave, two white, whip-like appendages—uncertain whether they were legs or arms—three meters thick and nearly a hundred meters long, flexibly swung through the air like giant whips, emanating a deep rumble.
Such a creature was unheard of and unseen by Zhu Bufan.
"Roar~"
A thunderous roar erupted from the beast's mouth, its sound hitting Zhu Bufan's eardrums so forcefully that, despite being hundreds of meters away, his ears buzzed!
Yet Zhu Bufan looked left and right and still couldn't see where the creature's mouth was. However, from the fierce aura that filled the sky and the overwhelming pressure, Zhu Bufan was certain that the creature was indeed a Fierce Beast.
At this moment, not only was there a Fierce Beast ahead of Zhu Bufan in the sky, but also a man in black! Through the hazy mist, Zhu Bufan could barely make out the man's face. With grey-white whiskers and long hair, he wielded a broadsword that glowed red, yet as it danced in his hand, it made no sound.
Generally speaking, any weapon in motion, when it contacts the air at a certain speed, would inevitably produce a sound. But this man's broadsword movements were so swift and seamless that no sound could be heard, an extreme peculiarity.
Were it not for Zhu Bufan's exceptional eyesight, much stronger than the average person, he probably wouldn't be able to see the red broadsword whirling through the air!
"Can his body actually float in the air?" Zhu Bufan was momentarily stunned, his heart shaken, "The legends say that even masters of the Innate Realm cannot levitate or fly. Could it be that this elder in black has a realm far surpassing the Innate Realm?"
Upon this realization, Zhu Bufan's expression became completely stiff! To surpass the Innate Realm? What kind of realm and power would that entail?
Then, just how powerful is the Fierce Beast that's clashing with such a formidable opponent?
"Splash~"
Another thunderous noise echoed as the Fierce Beast's long tentacles fiercely struck the thick ice wall, tearing open a huge black fissure. Zhu Bufan was at least five hundred meters away from the Fierce Beast, but he could still clearly see through the thin mist, indicating just how large that fissure was!
"Heaven... This power is terrifying!" Zhu Bufan couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"Evil creature, won't you concede yet?" the man in black floating in the air said solemnly, his broadsword suddenly sweeping towards the Fierce Beast as he swiftly lunged forward.
That speed was beyond what Zhu Bufan could see. He could only discern that the figure was at one spot one moment and then suddenly at another point meters away. Such a mysterious speed made it impossible for Zhu Bufan's eyes to track his movement, and thinking about his own pride in the Floating Snow Step Technique, he could not help but feel his face flush with embarrassment. However, when he thought of the man's Martial Arts Cultivation, Zhu Bufan's excitement gradually subsided.
"If I could reach his realm, the Floating Snow Step Technique would definitely surpass him!" Zhu Bufan was extremely confident.
"Roar!" The Fierce Beast's snowball-like body shook non-stop, bellowing angrily, its tentacles moving back and forth like scissors in the air. Large ice chunks, about ten meters in size, were being drawn toward the man in black under some indifferent force.
In the face of the ice chunks flying towards him, the elder in black slightly curled one corner of his mouth in a disdainful cold smile, his figure not moving an inch.
Boom.