Chapter 281: After the Ordeal

The expansion wasn't limited to the ground; the danger in everyone's eyes grew as well.

A feeling of extreme terror suddenly enveloped everyone.

"Run!" Gu Lianni shrieked, her eyes wide with fear. A group of people immediately followed her, scrambling towards the sky, completely forgetting about Shi Chun.

"Run!" Shi Chun yelled.

"Run!" Xu Anchang echoed.

As their group darted out, they all mounted their Wind Scales and fled.

Wu Jinliang, who happened to have Wind Scales, quickly manipulated them to sweep up Shi Chun and the Ming Mountain Sect group, rapidly making their escape. He didn't concern himself with Xu Anchang and his party.

Xu Anchang, reacting even faster, used his Wind Scales to whisk away the Four Tripod Sect group first, leaving Shi Chun and his companions behind.

Their worst fears were realized.

The inverted bowl-shaped light barrier suddenly disintegrated the moment everyone had fled, erupting like a volcano.

*Boom!* The sky trembled, and the ground shook. An unimaginable, countless volume of icebergs and ice chunks exploded skyward, appearing to fill the entire ice plain. Propelled by the ice dragon's full force, they soared into the sky and blasted outwards in all directions with unparalleled power.

A significant number of those who flew skyward or fled into the distance were still caught in the blast.

Shi Chun and his fleeing companions watched several icebergs hurtle past them. Their bodies then began to sway violently within the Wind Scales. A deafening clanging sound erupted behind them; upon looking back, they saw an iceberg rapidly approaching, tearing through the rotating Wind Scale plates at the rear. The flying group immediately lost balance.

The iceberg descended directly, threatening to crush them. If struck by such an enormous mass, their cultivation levels offered no hope of survival.

This sight nearly scared everyone out of their wits, leaving them utterly helpless.

Only Shi Chun, with a desperate, grim expression, twisted his body in mid-air, using every possible method to save himself. In a hurried, almost magical fashion, he extended a palm into thin air, launching a large gourd that *crashed* and shattered against the colossal, descending iceberg.

The iceberg, however, continued its descent towards them.

The disintegrating Wind Scales also sent the Ming Mountain Sect group tumbling to the ground. With their vision obscured by the swirling snow, they watched in horror as the oncoming iceberg descended directly upon them, making them frantically roll and crawl away.

Suddenly, they realized something was amiss. Turning their heads, they saw that the massive iceberg, which had already made contact with the ground, had abruptly halted its descent, not completely crashing down.

All around them, the air was filled with the roaring sounds of bombardment. Ice chunks of all sizes incessantly slammed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently. The ice layer on the surface shattered into a chaotic mess, and the accompanying whistling shockwaves were strong enough to blow away lower-ranked cultivators.

Incredibly, the Ming Mountain Sect group, sheltered in the crevice beneath the massive, suddenly stationary iceberg, managed to evade the furious, overwhelming impacts and shocks that sounded like mountains collapsing and oceans roaring. Looking left and right, caught in the fierce winds, they felt as if they were witnessing the end of the world, with the stinging snow and wind capable of tearing through skin.

They could hear and feel numerous attacks, large and small, dense and relentless, all blocked by the tilted iceberg, which protected them like a mother hen sheltering her chicks.

Even as the ground beneath their feet shattered or buckled from the surrounding attacks' residual force, the large iceberg above their heads remained perfectly still, shielding them from all harm.

This was the lingering aftermath of the ice dragon's ferocious attack.

Wu Jinliang propped his great saber on the ground, his hand on the hilt trembling slightly, relieved that the massive iceberg had saved their lives.

The situation had been too critical just moments ago. The Wind Scales were unbalanced and flipping wildly, and the swirling snow obscured their vision. Everyone's view was a blur, and no one, not even Wu Jinliang, had clearly seen what Shi Chun did in his moment of desperation.

Chu Jingting, Tong Mingshan, Hao Ji, and Shen Momings legs were also trembling slightly, as if buffeted by the intense winds that had rushed in.

Their faces were all pale; each of them was thoroughly terrified.

Tong Mingshan was somewhat better off; he had prepared himself for a life-or-death struggle when he initially sought to enter and find the divine flame.

Chu Jingting, Hao Ji, and Shen Moming felt completely innocent, utterly overwhelmed by the terror. In their previous sects, at most they would participate in minor skirmishes against other factions or undertake somewhat risky missions. Most dangers they encountered were manageable, and their sects would never have easily exposed them to such undefendable risks. Typically, tasks were assigned based on their actual strength and capabilities.

Playing like this was simply impossible. The current situation was indescribable; they were constantly hurtling down a path to certain death, recklessly inviting their own demise.

What was happening? They had only been here a short while, and this was already the second time. Earlier, they had fled in terror, chased by scorching flames beneath the Iron Forest. Now, they could thankfully, for the moment, count themselves lucky to be alive again.

Shi Chun pulled out his Ice Ram, quickly taking a deep breath to compose himself. He, too, had been thoroughly shaken.

The cultivators from Summer Dao Mountain who had flown skyward were not so fortunate. The chaotic, surging impact eventually knocked some of them back down.

As a group of people rushed towards the ominous clouds above, the shockwave from below dispersed them, instantly revealing a brilliant galaxy. Exquisite starlight descended like luminous pillars from the broken clouds. Gu Lianni and the others, sensing this, immediately looked up at the vast, starry sky.

The fleeting beauty momentarily distracted them from the danger below.

"Wooooosh!" An angry roar echoed.

The ice dragon, like a flying beast, surged into the air from the exploding ice, seemingly flying or perhaps scrambling over the massive, ruptured ice chunks. When necessary, it treated the obstructing icebergs as if they were nothing, piercing straight through them as if diving into water.

Evidently, its speed when traversing through ice was much greater.

The ice dragon immediately pursued Yuan Yao, who held the divine flame.

Witnessing the "flying dragon in the sky," the hilt of a sword on Gu Lianni's back erupted with a green glow. With a *swish*, it was suddenly drawn, unleashing a streak of emerald light.

With a cold, stern gaze, Gu Lianni pointed her fingers into the air. The rotating Wind Scales quickly parted, and a beam of emerald light shot forth, descending from the heavens like a meteor. With earth-shattering force, it slammed heavily into the ice dragon's head.

*Boom!* A horn snapped, and the ice dragon's head sagged heavily.

The emerald light, like a streak of pure energy, instantly pierced through the ice dragon's head. The passage of the light through its skull was clearly visible within.

The attack elicited a pained whimper from the ice dragon, which then tumbled and crashed towards the ground...

The Four Tripod Sect group was fortunate; they weren't initially struck by the exploding icebergs and chunks. After a brief reprieve, once their Wind Scales accelerated, they raced against the incoming projectiles, ultimately escaping the shockwave's aftermath without being knocked down.

Having escaped without major harm, they all turned back, watching Shi Chun's group being engulfed by the devastating force. They gasped in unison, certain that no one could survive such an onslaught.

"Ah!" Xu Anchang sighed. Seeing that the expansive destructive force had ceased and its lingering power could no longer harm them, he maneuvered his Wind Scales to a halt.

Then, the group witnessed the emerald light gravely injuring the ice dragon in the distance.

Someone asked, "Senior Brother, should we take this opportunity to search for Shi Chun and his companions?"

Xu Anchang countered, "Do you think they could still be alive? They possessed Wind Scales; if they were alive, why wouldn't they have reappeared? No, let's go. Whether Summer Dao Mountain wins or that monster does, if we're discovered, we'll be in deep trouble. Let's leave immediately before the Summer Dao Mountain cultivators get a clear look at us and realize we're associated with Shi Chun's group."

He had previously rushed to save them only because Wu Jinliang had pressured him, fearing Shi Chun might fall into the hands of Summer Dao Mountain and reveal secrets. Now that both Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were incapacitated, there was no longer any concern about leaks, and thus, no need for him to take further risks.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but inwardly curse Shi Chun. He had also overheard Gu Lianni's exasperated curses. He truly couldn't fathom what Shi Chun had been thinking. He had explicitly warned him not to provoke Summer Dao Mountain and to avoid reckless actions, but Shi Chun had insisted on meddling. What was the point of ending up in a situation where he couldn't even beg for mercy?

If Summer Dao Mountain discovered they were allied, they would almost certainly not spare them either.

Another person inquired, "Senior Brother, where should we go now?"

Xu Anchang retorted impatiently, "Where else? Back to the Iron Forest to continue our mission."

Without hesitation, they swiftly mounted their Wind Scales and vanished into the night...

The moment the intense bombardment ceased, Chu Jingting looked at the iceberg hovering above them and remarked sardonically, "If we had died here just now, I guarantee we wouldn't have felt a thing."

Frankly, he was complaining, expressing his resentment. Constantly risking their lives like this filled them with dread in hindsight.

The words had barely left his lips when booming sounds of combat and the ice dragon's mournful roars erupted from outside. They immediately scrambled out from under the iceberg, one by one leaping onto its surface to gain a vantage point and observe the spectacular battle between the emerald light and the ice dragon.

Only Wu Jinliang hesitated to climb up. He had just realized that the iceberg that had sheltered them from the wind and snow was only resting on a small area of the ground, and that contact point was clearly not its center of gravity.

With such minimal support, the iceberg itself couldn't have possibly stood stable, let alone steadfastly block those fierce attacks for them.

Only now did he realize that it wasn't merely good fortune; it was Shi Chun who, at a crucial moment, had pulled them back from the jaws of death.

He then flew onto the iceberg and cast a few extra glances at Shi Chun, but said nothing in front of the others.

At the distant battle site, the ice dragon was repeatedly struck down by the emerald light, yet it repeatedly soared back up to continue its relentless assault, appearing utterly unyielding. The strong winds from the battle's aftermath, accompanied by snowflakes, continuously cut like knives. Even from their distant vantage point, they had to cast protective spells to withstand it.

While the ice dragon's terrifying power was undeniable, Shi Chun was more perplexed by the emerald light's offensive might. He couldn't help but ask, "What is that emerald light that repeatedly strikes down the ice dragon?"

Tong Mingshan replied, "It must be a fifth-grade magic treasure with a fused artifact spirit. Anything less than fifth-grade likely couldn't bring the ice dragon down so easily. However, this ice dragon simply refuses to die, fighting to the bitter end. If the fifth-grade magic treasure is used for too long, it might not be able to endure. If the artifact spirit's power is depleted before it can recover, they might even be defeated by the ice dragon."

"A fifth-grade artifact spirit magic treasure..." Shi Chun murmured, lost in thought. This was the first time he had ever witnessed such an item.

Similar to an immobilization talisman, a fifth-grade item corresponds to the Earth Immortal level.

Indeed, immobilization talismans are also magic treasures, but they are single-use. They cannot compare to treasures fused with artifact spirits, which are like cultivators who have acquired metal bodies, capable of self-recovering their energy and being used repeatedly.

Such treasures are truly beyond the means of ordinary people. Possessing one is akin to having an Earth Immortal level expert providing constant, personal protection; the item's value is immense.

Shi Chun nearly salivated with envy just thinking about it, exclaiming, "No wonder it cuts down this ice dragon as if it were chopping vegetables."

Chu Jingting cautioned, "Leader, let's not watch any longer. We should seize this opportunity to make our escape."

Shi Chun replied, "No rush. Judging by this situation, there's still a chance to mend our cooperation with Summer Dao Mountain. Once that woman Gu Lianni slays this ice dragon and sees the five divine flames, she'll naturally realize the truth of my words. Her initial misunderstanding, combined with her desire to find more divine flames, will lead her to forgive and forget."

The mention of cooperation made him think of the Four Tripod Sect. He suddenly looked back. "It's over," he murmured. "After that last bombardment, I wonder if the Four Tripod Sect group is still alive."

Seeing that he still didn't want to leave, Chu Jingting sighed helplessly. "Leader, never mind the Four Tripod Sect. An Wuzhi is likely already gone."

At this, Wu Jinliang and the others, who typically gathered and dispersed without much concern for a missing member, all froze. They looked around but indeed found no trace of An Wuzhi, only the distant battle's lingering aftershocks carrying cold wind and snowflakes.