If the truth be told, Young Master Liu knew he was currently just scrambling desperately, which amounted to little more than waiting to die—it was only a matter of time. He suddenly felt they resembled the Five Heroes of Langya Mountain: when their ammunition and provisions were exhausted, they would leap into the chasm behind the ice cliff to end it all, which would surely be better than the agonizing torment of being gnawed apart by these salamanders!

At this moment, the salamander army, after launching five successive waves of assaults, unexpectedly refrained from launching a sixth.

Cai Qingchong asked, "Could it be that they are backing off after realizing the difficulty?"

Fan Debiao retorted, "I doubt it's that simple. Perhaps they are gathering strength, and the next assault will be even more ferocious!"

As the group debated the salamander army's next move, the ice sheet about thirty meters in front of them began to shake violently.

Their first instinct was an earthquake, but they immediately realized it wasn't, as the ground beneath them barely trembled. The only possibility was that something beneath that section of ice was trying to burst forth.

They watched the shaking ice area with astonishment, unsure what creature was attempting to break through.

Crack!

A fissure suddenly appeared on the ice surface. Immediately following, more cracks spread rapidly like tendrils, instantly weaving a spiderweb pattern across the ice sheet. With a deafening boom, the web-like fissures shattered, the entire section of ice was hurled upward, and amidst the spray of shattered ice, a massive monster emerged from beneath.

The group stared dumbfounded at the creature breaking through the ice, nearly forgetting to breathe!

The monster was a Giant Ice Salamander, as large as a small car. It was entirely snow-white and translucent, resembling a colossal block of glacial ice, with wisps of cold mist rising from its body. Its pair of red eyes were like two rolling fireballs, contrasting sharply with its snowy white form, exuding a chilling aura of death. The black moles protruding from its dorsal skin had evolved into black scales, each shimmering with a sharp, cold gleam, like several steel blades thrust into its back.

Hoo! The colossal Ice Salamander, perhaps having slept beneath the ice for too long, let out a long yawn, sending shards of ice scattering violently before it. The massive creature lay still on the ice surface, its crimson eyes fixed coldly upon them.

"H-how... how could there be such a huge salamander?" Fan Debiao swallowed with difficulty.

Jia Zhuangyuan declared, "This giant Ice Salamander must be the Salamander King of this place!"

Yang Weidong shook his head repeatedly, murmuring, "It's over, we're definitely finished. I thought these salamanders had retreated because the going was too tough, but now a Salamander King shows up. We're certainly going to meet our end here!"

Cai Qingchong urged, "Everyone, stop staring blankly, we need to think of a countermeasure!"

Fan Debiao scoffed, "What countermeasure? We only have two entrenching shovels. Are we supposed to fight the Salamander King with those?"

Cai Qingchong clarified, "Who said anything about fighting the King? I meant we should quickly figure out a way to leave this place!"

Fan Debiao laughed bitterly, "Leave? How? The front is the chasm, and below are the salamander hordes. I think even if we had wings, we couldn't fly out of this!"

After a long pause, the Salamander King began to move its heavy, yet surprisingly agile body. Its tail swayed constantly, and with every swing, its body lurched forward several meters. It moved like an unstoppable tank; as it advanced, the thousands of Snow Salamanders automatically parted ways for it, demonstrating the King's supreme status. On the ice where it crawled, it left a track about half an inch deep.

The Salamander King pressed forward heedlessly. Many of the Snow Salamanders caught off guard were crushed into pulp beneath it, while many others were flung against the nearby rock walls by the sweeping motion of its tail, their skulls smashing open upon impact. The King paid no heed to the lives of these lesser salamanders; its eyes were fixed solely on Liu Dashao and his companions, and the greedy intensity in its gaze filled everyone with profound terror.

The Salamander King soon reached the ice cliff where the group was situated. The blades on its back reflected a dazzling cold light. It then halted its advance, swaying its tail while cocking its head, staring at them with those terrible, scarlet eyes.

A thick, foul stench washed over them, almost making them faint, filling them with disgust.

Jia Zhuangyuan pulled a pouch of Nantong Snake Medicine from his robes, handing about ten pills to each person. "Judging by this foul reek, the Salamander King's saliva must be highly toxic. Everyone, keep these pills in your mouths to prevent the noxious fumes from entering your bodies."

They thanked Jia Zhuangyuan and placed the medicine inside their mouths. The initial taste was slightly bitter, which soon transformed into a cool, mint-like refreshment, flowing like a spring down their throats into their vitals. Everyone instantly felt their minds clear, and the symptoms of dizziness and nausea from poisoning eased considerably.

Fan Debiao held the snake medicine, pinching his nose, and asked, "Why does this medicine smell like cow dung?"

Jia Zhuangyuan replied dryly, "It actually contains ingredients derived from cow dung!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nearly spat out the pills they held. Fan Debiao, hearing this, became even more hesitant to chew.

Jia Zhuangyuan urged, "If you don't want to be poisoned, swallow it quickly!"

Fan Debiao squeezed his eyes shut, tossed the pill into his mouth with a gulp, his expression one of utter agony, as if he genuinely had just ingested a lump of cow dung.

Although the current situation bore some resemblance to when the group encountered the Nine-Headed Serpent on Volcanic Island, the disparity in strength between the opposing sides was vastly different. Back then, they still possessed powerful Type 56 submachine guns and the Xiong Huang Boat, whereas now, they were armed with only two entrenching shovels, a military tungsten steel dagger, and a jammed rifle. Against a behemoth like the Salamander King, they stood almost no chance of victory.

However, with the great enemy upon them, Liu Dashao absolutely could not show even a flicker of fear. To do so would be to concede defeat before the battle even began.

"It... it's crawling closer..." Fan Debiao stammered, his voice trembling.

The Salamander King was clearly intelligent; before fully assessing their strength, it remained cautious. It crawled slowly, using those terrifying scarlet eyes to study them as it advanced.

The Salamander King crept slowly beneath the ice cliff. The dense, foul odor descended like a tidal wave, forcing the group to involuntarily step back.

Suddenly, the King raised its forepaws, letting out a whoosh as it heaved its body up, gripping the edge of the ice cliff. Then, stepping atop the thick, layered corpses of the Snow Salamanders, it slowly began to climb onto the ledge.

Everyone's hair stood on end in terror. If the Salamander King truly managed to climb up, wouldn't they all become its next meal?

"Dashao, think of something fast! That... that thing is climbing up!" Cai Qingchong cried out to Liu Dashao in panic.

Fan Debiao declared, "I don't want to end up as a meal for this moron! I'm ready to jump off right now!"

Cai Qingchong sighed, "If only I could sprout wings right now, I could fly right over this chasm!"

Fan Debiao snapped, "We're facing death, and you're still daydreaming!"

At this moment, the Salamander King lay motionless on the edge of the ice cliff, staring at them. It was like a predator lurking in ambush, and they were the targeted prey it was savoring in its final moments of struggle.

Fan Debiao lamented, "Hey, which one of us do you think that old brute will eat first?"

Fan Debiao's words made everyone feel like pork laid out on a cutting board, or chickens awaiting the slaughter.

Cai Qingchong boasted, "It certainly won't eat me, I'm covered in foul sweat!"

Yang Weidong snickered from the back, "The creature itself stinks to high heaven. Why would it prefer things that smell good? In my opinion, the stinkier something is, the more likely it is to attract its attention!"

"Huh?!" Upon hearing this, Cai Qingchong immediately grabbed Fan Debiao, craned his neck to sniff him, and then exclaimed joyfully, "That's great! Fatty smells even worse than I do! Looks like I get a couple more minutes to live! Hey, Paizi, why don't you volunteer to go first and feed the Salamander King? Maybe after it eats you, it'll be full and won't bother us! Sacrificing yourself for the greater good is a noble thing. Think about it—your sacrifice saves the lives of the four of us. That's a fantastic deal! Don't worry, every year, I'll bring joss sticks and candles to visit your grave, and I'll even burn some girls, cars, houses—you name it. Life there will be much more interesting than it is now. What do you say?"