"How is that possible?"
Ye Lingling heard Xiao Lin's claim about an offensive soul skill and simply didn't believe it. She just smiled and shook her head.
Their Nine-Heart Begonia martial spirit had been passed down almost every generation.
It wasn't like no one had tried before.That being said, almost every inheritor of the Nine-Heart Begonia martial spirit harbored the desire to be able to attack.
Ye Lingling was no exception.
Soon, the five members of the Emperor Battle Team became fully focused.
It was because the Ultimate Ice Xiao Lin had produced was far too enticing in this mixed zone of the Extreme North.
In an instant, all the soul beasts around the Xuanming Ice Lake fixed their eyes on the block of ice in Xiao Lin's hand.
Even many soul beasts from the bottom of the lake surfaced to stare at it.
The Cold Wind wasn't an exception either.
Its limited intelligence told it that if it could absorb the power of Ultimate Ice, it could break through to become a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
Of course, that was assuming the Ultimate Ice block Xiao Lin created was real and not fake.
Xiao Lin placed the ice block on the ground, then retreated over ten meters with his teammates, quietly waiting for the soul beasts to start fighting over it.
"How about it? Any sign of the Xuanming Snake Turtle?"
Xiao Lin hadn't seen the turtle appear, so he asked the others.
"No."
Everyone shook their heads, and the Shi brothers' eyes revealed a trace of disappointment.
The Xuanming Snake Turtle was an extremely suitable soul beast for them. If it didn't show, they'd have to pick something else.
Soon, under the watchful eyes of Xiao Lin and his team,the soul beasts around the lake were on guard against each other—none daring to be the first to snatch the Ultimate Ice.
Still, it didn't take long for one impatient beast to act.
It was a Snow-Hidden Leopard, around four thousand years old, said to be able to hide itself in snowy environments and to be extremely fast.
Before their eyes, the Snow-Hidden Leopard let out a long roar toward the sky, and snow began to fall around the Xuanming Ice Lake.
The next second, the leopard's figure blended into the ice and snow.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Xiao Lin was dumbfounded. Were these soul beasts really going to let such a weak leopard run off with the treasure?
However, the very next moment, the other soul beasts all moved.
First were the most numerous creatures around the lake: the Angry-Sky Blood Cattle.
There were over a hundred of them, all over a thousand years old—a true dominant force in this part of the lake.
Xiao Lin knew this species—when their herd moved together, the sun might not appear for months.Blizzards were their trademark.
But clearly, this herd wasn't particularly strong; they hadn't managed to completely blot out the surrounding aurora-lit sky.
Still, the herd's impulsiveness triggered a rush—other soul beasts surged forward.
They charged en masse toward the spot where Xiao Lin had placed the ice block.
Even though none of them could see the hidden leopard, they could all sense the aura of Ultimate Ice.
If the leopard wanted to take it away, it couldn't remain hidden.If it didn't take it, staying hidden would be pointless.
In no time, a group of soul beasts reached the ice block and began violently fighting over it.
At the center stood a massive soul beast—three meters tall at the shoulder, and five meters tall standing upright—a Frost Giant Spirit Bear.
Its massive body was covered in thick ice-blue fur.
Its eyes gleamed with a cold blue light, as if they could freeze anything they gazed upon.
Its limbs were immensely powerful, claws sharp as ice blades, able to easily tear through thick ice layers to catch fish-like soul beasts beneath.
Right now, it casually swatted the Angry-Sky Blood Cattle leader to the ground—its terrifying claws pierced the bull's neck, instantly freezing its blood and even its brain.
"Roar!!"
The bear's deafening roar exploded outward with overwhelming presence.
It turned out to be a soul beast well over ten thousand years old, while the fallen bull leader had been at least seven thousand years old.
In an instant, the herd scattered in panic, other soul beasts fleeing madly—only a few unwilling ones remained.
"Xiao Lin, what kind of soul beast is that?"
Danni, impressed by the bear's terrifying strength, asked curiously.
Not only her—the Shi brothers were also very interested.
If it weren't already over ten thousand years old, they might have tried for it themselves.
"Frost Giant Spirit Bear," Xiao Lin explained."A branch of the Ice Bear Clan of the Extreme North, one of the most powerful predators there. They don't just have terrifying strength, but also the ability to enlarge their bodies, and their defense is incredible.
"See the ice-crystal shields on its arms? They're not just strong in defense—they're powerful weapons too.
"It's said that when wounded, this beast becomes frenzied, and its body doubles in size—though I can't say for sure if that's true."
As Xiao Lin finished, Danni's eyes gleamed slightly.
The attributes didn't match her own very well, but she liked its extreme strength, its strong defense, and the body-enlargement ability.
She wondered if her physique could handle absorbing a soul ring with such an incompatible attribute.
In the distance—
Thanks to the bear's terrifying power, only four soul beasts remained on the field:besides the Cold Wind, there was a blue-eyed giant crocodile from the bottom of the lake with ice-crystal scales (a sub-dragon species),and a two-headed Xuanming Water Snake.
Except for the Cold Wind, whose cultivation was quite low, the other two weren't any weaker than the bear—they were all ten-thousand-year beasts.
"Damn, there's no Xuanming Snake Turtle at all," Shi Mo grumbled.
Not only was there no turtle, but the Blue-Silver Giant Crocodile present was also at the ten-thousand-year level—far beyond what they dared absorb.
"The Cold Wind can't possibly compete with those three. Let's just move on it directly and lure it over," Xiao Lin said, shaking his head.
Even though there was nothing suitable for the Shi brothers right now, the Cold Wind was perfect for Ye Lingling—it couldn't be wasted.
"Got it. Leave it to us."
The brothers nodded seriously, and with the Xuanwu Turtle martial spirit possessing them, their already-strong bodies grew even sturdier.
"Third Soul Skill—Xuanwu Absorption!"
Their soul skill setups were identical; almost simultaneously, their third soul rings (purple) flashed.
A faint light halo appeared around them, spreading outward until it reached the not-so-bright Cold Wind.
Do you want me to keep translating the following chapter so the fight scene continues smoothly?