The entire snow mountain seemed to tremble before Teng Qingshan's most potent, continuous roar. Rumble~~~~ The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast lifted its massive head, its crimson pupils gazing up at the collapsing snow above, letting out a low, indignant growl: "Roar~~~" It was truly enraged.
In its view, having been noble enough to retreat in defeat, why was this human pursuing it so relentlessly? "Rumble~~~" The avalanche of snow from the collapsing mountain engulfed the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast like a roaring tide.
Even the beast's colossal bulk appeared minuscule beneath the endless cascade of falling snow! The snow tumbled downward!
The claws of the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast were utterly useless against the sheer force of the collapsing drifts. At the foot of the mountain.
Teng Qingshan watched the scene, yet frowned in confusion: "That’s not right. The moment the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast sensed the avalanche, it should have leaped up!
With its physique, jumping thirty to forty feet high shouldn't be difficult! It could leap immediately upon landing, allowing it to escape upwards!" Teng Qingshan had originally intended to pursue with great leaps himself!
He was confident he could catch up using such bounding leaps. But he never expected the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast to tumble downwards along with the snow: "Could it be?
My Samsara Spear heavily wounded the beast? Is it close to death?
No, if it were near death, it couldn't have run so fast before!" "Can't let my guard down! If I do, the one dying won't be it...
but me!" Teng Qingshan launched himself upwards, clearing over twenty feet of height in a single bound. Whoosh!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Like a humanoid grasshopper, it leaped again the moment it touched the snow, continuously surging upward. …… Amidst the violently tumbling snow, the massive Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast curled up tightly, resembling a small cat.
Finally, one of its forepaws managed to grasp the Samsara Spear embedded in its flank! In its normal running posture, pulling out the spear was impossible.
But in this curled, grounded position, using its forepaw, it could! "Thwack!" The Samsara Spear was finally pulled free!
"Roar~~~" The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast let out a cry of exhilaration, its pair of wicked red eyes now showing a flicker of joy! Heavens, having that thing lodged near its hip made every step an agony.
It was finally free. But immediately afterward, the beast’s pupils constricted— High above the tumbling snow, a human figure leaped extraordinarily high, diving straight towards it!
Seeing this detestable human, the beast, whose mood had just improved immensely, became even more enraged—why couldn't this human just go away? "Roar~~~" The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast leaped up suddenly.
Man and demon beast met above the rolling snowpack. Teng Qingshan gripped the handles of the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe with both hands, his cotton robe sleeves bulging from his arms as he raised the axe high!
The blade, reflecting the white snow, flashed with an icy glint. "Hah~~" Teng Qingshan's gaze was wild and arrogant.
With the combined force of both arms, he brought the axe down! "Roar roar~~" The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast swung both massive foreclaws simultaneously, intending to tear Teng Qingshan to shreds.
"Boom!" The Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe in Teng Qingshan’s hands struck the beast’s sharp claws. A wave-like shockwave erupted across the flat ground.
"Rumble~~~" The surrounding snow was blasted away, revealing a clear expanse. Teng Qingshan and the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast were both hurled backward, tumbling downwards.
However, Teng Qingshan's gaze suddenly locked onto a silver spear rolling amidst the snow below! The Samsara Spear!
"I can't lose the spear." The moment Teng Qingshan landed, he lunged towards the weapon. If he didn't retrieve it now, once the snow covered everything, who knew where the spear would be buried on that vast mountain?
As Teng Qingshan reached for the Samsara Spear, the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast also turned its head. "Roar~~~" Seeing the human wasn't pursuing, the beast immediately bolted away with fierce speed.
In truth, it felt a tinge of regret—if it had known this human valued that weapon so highly, it probably would have intentionally thrown it far away earlier. The exhilarated beast leaped several times, clearing the area of the avalanche, and then sped off, quickly reaching the upper slopes of the mountain.
"Finally got it." Teng Qingshan still held the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe in his left hand and the Samsara Spear in his right. "You think you can escape too?" Teng Qingshan sprinted toward the summit.
After the first couple of leaps, he simply ran for a short while before reaching the very peak of the snow mountain. From the summit, Teng Qingshan looked down— Far below, a massive silhouette was sprinting rapidly, clearly heading down the mountain.
Its descent speed was noticeably faster than its climb. "It certainly is fast!" A slight smile touched Teng Qingshan's lips.
…… The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast, having fled down the slope, looked back up proudly and let out a defiant roar! For demon beasts, only powerful humans earned their respect.
Ordinary humans were merely food in the eyes of the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast. But Teng Qingshan?
The beast now regarded him as a true opponent! "Vermin, still trying to run?" A great shout echoed from the snow peak, the sound rapidly descending.
The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast's eyes widened, filled with shock and fury. A black speck was plummeting from high above.
Teng Qingshan had actually leaped off the summit of the snow mountain... He landed heavily at the foot of the slope like a massive stone, sending a "Boom" that cracked the earth.
But Teng Qingshan easily sprang out from the impact crater, fixing his gaze on the beast ahead. "Roar~~" The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast was genuinely enraged and stunned.
Damn it! Even the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast wouldn't dare jump from a height of over two hundred feet off the mountain peak!
But it wasn't surprising. Given its immense bulk, the beast’s strength was only slightly over a million jin.
Teng Qingshan was much smaller, yet possessed comparable strength. Clearly, in terms of raw physical endurance, Teng Qingshan far surpassed the Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast!
The beast only had the advantage of its tough outer hide and a thick layer of muscle. Furthermore, the heavier the body, the greater the impact force!
The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast was too heavy; if it jumped, the impact it suffered would be far greater than Teng Qingshan’s. "Roar~~" The Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast scattered its four legs and fled desperately.
Teng Qingshan, with the Divine Axe in one hand and the Samsara Spear in the other, chased right behind! Perhaps not even a peak Golden Core expert would dare treat a peak Red-Eyed Snow Lion Beast this way!
Teng Qingshan, with his powerful physique, was somewhat similar to a demon beast! Thus, when facing a beast, he actually held the advantage!
Swish! Man and beast blurred into streaks of afterimages.
"This fellow is getting faster the more he runs!" Teng Qingshan watched the beast ahead, seeing the distance between them widen. Teng Qingshan wanted to accelerate...
but the throbbing pain in his waist when attempting to unleash his full physical power gave him a headache. The waist is the body's center!
To exert maximum running force, the waist is crucial. Teng Qingshan had sustained a waist injury previously, and the beast couldn't run fast while the spear was lodged in it.
Now that the Samsara Spear was pulled out, the beast's speed naturally increased. But Teng Qingshan’s speed hadn't increased.
Therefore, he couldn't catch up! "Roar~~~" In the distance, a triumphant and excited roar carried back.
It seemed the beast was quite pleased to have left Teng Qingshan behind. "Consider yourself lucky this time!
Don't let me catch you again!" Teng Qingshan could only snort angrily and stop. He carefully assessed the injury to his waist.
Internal martial arts cultivation was inherently about nurturing life; the internal Gang Jin deeply rooted in his body had a healing effect far superior to innate Zhen Yuan: "This injury, even with the internal Gang Jin, will likely take two or three days to heal completely." "I must find a place to enter secluded training now!" * The next morning. Frost still dusted the green grass covering the plains, and gentle breezes swept through, lending an air of tranquility.
Several felt tents stood nearby; a small tribe was camped here. Residents began emerging from the tents, already preparing breakfast.
Suddenly, a faint tremor shook the ground. The residents all turned to look far into the distance.
In the distance, a vast column of cavalry appeared. "So many...
are they bandits?" "Too many." The residents, perhaps numbering only a few hundred in their small tribe, stood stunned. If this sweeping army was coming for them, they stood no chance of survival.
Under their gaze, the massive army swiftly passed by their small encampment. "It's the Gale Tribe!" "It’s the Gale Tribe’s army!
There must be several thousand men." "Several thousand armored warriors on horseback... Who could possibly command such a powerful force from the Gale Tribe?" …… Leading the magnificent army was a man clad in luxurious golden-yellow fur robes, his iron helmet topped with a ruby inlay.
His expression was solemn as he gazed forward. He sat astride a warhorse the color of deep crimson— It was one of the Three Great Dragon Horses: the Blood Dragon Horse!
The Blood Dragon Horse was also known as the 'Crimson Wind Beast,' one of the most elite warhorses on the entire continent of Jiuzhou. Only the Black Dragon Horse, the 'Black Nightmare,' and the White Dragon Horse, the 'Heavenly Steed,' could compare.
Only those of extremely high status could ride such a beast. "Menggen!" The man in the opulent fur robes spoke.
"General!" Beside him stood the knight leader who had previously besieged Teng Qingshan. "How much further to the Qilian Tribe from here!" The General asked coldly.
The Knight Leader bowed respectfully: "General, we are still four or five hundred li from the Qilian Tribe. Our army should arrive there by noon!" "Mm." The General nodded and fell silent.
The Knight Leader remained diligently obedient by his side. They proceeded onward!
Not long after, the General gazed at the continuous stretch of snowy mountains ahead and exclaimed in admiration: "So pure, so sacred—these snow mountains are a gift from the Heavenly Gods! We must be grateful to the Gods and never forget their boundless grace." The Knight Leader could only offer agreement.
Suddenly, the General’s gaze locked onto a low snow mountain nearby. Upon its peak sat a human figure cross-legged.
The wind blew, making his hair dance, yet amidst the harsh, cold gale on the summit, the figure remained as steadfast as a rock. "It seems he has spent the entire night cultivating atop the peak, much like those ascetic cultivators on the Heavenly God Mountain—truly admirable." The General commented favorably.
The Knight Leader beside him took a closer look, and upon observing, he frowned in confusion. Even though they were two hundred feet away, and the Knight Leader was an Inner Strength expert, he could only vaguely make out the silhouette.
"Giddy-up!" The Knight Leader abruptly spurred his horse and galloped toward the snow mountain. The General's expression shifted, and he roared angrily: "Menggen!" Moments later— "General!" The Knight Leader, far in the distance, turned back and shouted in delight: "It’s him!
That murderer, it is him!!!"