Roar…
A low growl echoed in Jiang Mian's ears. Jiang Mian didn't even dare to look back. He quickly pulled up his pants and sent out a Tearing Sky Claw with a backhand.
This Tearing Sky Claw was just a test, using less than one-tenth of his usual spirit power. However, even so, this Tearing Sky Claw was not something ordinary creatures could withstand.
The Tearing Sky Claw struck the hard lower jaw of the creature behind him, and sparks flew, yet it didn't even break its defense.
"Crystal Emperor Lion?" Jiang Mian used the recoil to return to Kloss's side. He kicked Kloss's body hard and angrily said, "Wake up, we've been attacked by a Crystal Emperor Lion!"
"Hmm?" Kloss, still groggy, glanced around haphazardly and met the Emperor Lion's gaze. "Oh my, what a big tabby cat?"
"Its defense is very high," Jiang Mian said, frowning slightly. "My Tearing Sky Claw couldn't even budge it."
"Interesting," Kloss suddenly crouched low. He pushed off with all four limbs, shooting towards the Crystal Emperor Lion like a cannonball.
Jiang Mian was dumbfounded. How tough must his body be to be used like that?
The defense of that Crystal Emperor Lion already had the level of a Spirit Douluo, and it was a Spirit Douluo specialized in defense.
Clang!
A dull sound like a great bell reverberated between heaven and earth. Kloss's body was as hard as steel. When he collided with the Crystal Emperor Lion, he felt as if they were evenly matched.
"If we disregard the means, Kloss also has the strength of a Spirit Douluo." Jiang Mian inexplicably thought of Tai Tan's Strength Clan's methods, which were very similar to Kloss's.
The Strength Family pursues extreme power methods. They will only absorb the spirit rings of the same type of Spirit Beast to maximize the effect. Kloss has some of this intention.
"Emperor Palm, Great Cold Without Snow!"
Seeing Kloss and the Crystal Emperor Lion in a stalemate, Jiang Mian's hands instantly exuded extreme cold.
He quickly moved forward, striking the Crystal Emperor Lion with both palms. In an instant, the Crystal Emperor Lion's entire body was frozen. This Emperor Palm was the Snow Empress's famous ultimate skill, capable of instantly killing an Ultimate Douluo at its peak.
Even a powerful Spirit Beast like Emperor Tian was severely injured by this Emperor Palm back then!
As soon as this palm was unleashed, the Crystal Emperor Lion's internal organs were directly shattered by the ice and snow. Although Jiang Mian could not unleash the Snow Empress's true strength, how could a ten-thousand-year spirit ring and four fierce beast spirit rings, which amplified his damage, be resisted by this single Emperor Lion?
What's more, this Emperor Lion was only tough on the outside, with very weak internal organs, and it had no protective measures, so it was reasonable for Jiang Mian to kill it with one palm.
Thousands of miles away, the Snow Empress suddenly opened her eyes. She had already sensed Jiang Mian's aura, as Jiang Mian had just unleashed her famous ultimate skill, a feeling she was all too familiar with.
The Snow Empress gently exhaled, and immediately, dark clouds gathered around her. A Blizzard descended without any warning, and the Snow Empress's figure slowly disappeared within the Blizzard.
"Jiang Mian, who exactly are you?" Kloss looked at the Emperor Lion, whose life force had been extinguished. He stiffly turned his neck to look at Jiang Mian, utterly dumbfounded, "A Diamond-level creature, and you instantly killed it with one slap?"
"This palm also consumed a lot of my energy," Jiang Mian sat down on the ground, pretending to be out of breath. He didn't want to expose his trump card too early.
"That's amazing," Kloss swallowed hard, saying with an expression of admiration, "To be able to instantly kill a Diamond-level creature with one palm, you're definitely the Champion of this Warrior Competition."
"I hope so." Jiang Mian wasn't really interested in being a Champion. He just wanted to find the Snow Empress quickly and leave this place. Participating in the Warrior Competition was just a matter of convenience.
"Should we carry this Crystal Emperor Lion to the Adventurers' Guild to exchange for a higher rank?" Jiang Mian inquired.
"No need." Kloss pulled out a dagger and chopped off the Crystal Emperor Lion's teeth and claws. "Just use these to exchange; they can tell."
"That's convenient," Jiang Mian chuckled. With such a terrifying presence no longer guarding the Barren Beast Wasteland, it would surely regain its former vitality soon.
Jiang Mian hadn't expected this Crystal Emperor Lion to deliver itself to his doorstep. In fact, with Jiang Mian's current strength, what could even a Titled Douluo do?
He could attack from near or far, had defense and healing, and lacked neither magic nor mental attacks, making him a solid all-rounder.
Kloss and Jiang Mian guarded the Crystal Emperor Lion's corpse until dawn. They wasted no time and set off for the Adventurers' Guild.
The journey there and back would take another three or four days, not to mention Kloss said that this Warrior Competition was to be held in the Queen of God's main city. It would take them several more days to reach there, barely making it in time for the competition.
Kloss once said that among the thirteen main gods here, the most powerful were the Father God and the Mother God. They were born when heaven and earth first opened, and the remaining eleven main gods were their children.
Jiang Mian's understanding of the 'beginning of heaven and earth' was when that Divinity's body and thoughts first formed this small space. He was currently pondering whether he could claim these small spaces as his own private domains.
If so, this small space would be of great use. Not only could Hu Liena and the others cultivate inside, but it would also be very convenient for storing things normally.
After a long and dusty journey, Jiang Mian and Kloss delivered the Crystal Emperor Lion's bounty to the Adventurers' Guild, and as they wished, their rank was elevated to Emerald.
At the same time, Jiang Mian also learned that above the Diamond rank, there was also a Grandmaster rank, and some terrifying existences offered as Grandmaster-level bounties were even beyond the reach of gods.
Jiang Mian felt that the Grandmaster-level bounties were equivalent to the strength of a Titled Douluo. With his current strength, it was better not to touch them, as a single misstep could lead to a disastrous defeat.
If Bear Lord, Red King, or Auspicious Beast were here, Jiang Mian would dare to turn the entire space upside down.
"Let's go to the Queen of God's main city," Kloss said anxiously, calculating the time. "We still have six days for travel, and the Warrior Competition will begin after six days."
"Alright." Jiang Mian nodded. He had a faint premonition, feeling that the Snow Empress's location was getting closer and closer to him.
And the shielding function of this space should have been set up by the gods on those divine mountains. He didn't know their purpose, but it certainly caused Jiang Mian a lot of trouble.
Suddenly, a peculiar roar came from afar. Before Jiang Mian could react, everyone in the Adventurers' Guild began to flee, moving incredibly fast, like a real-life temple escape.
"What's going on?" Jiang Mian looked at Kloss in surprise. The Adventurers' Guild was not lacking in strong individuals; there were three or four Diamond-level experts. Why did they scatter and flee upon hearing that sound?
"Man-eating horse herd!" Kloss's eyes revealed fear. He grabbed Jiang Mian's arm and shouted, "Run, let's run!"
"Man-eating horse herd?" Jiang Mian scratched his head, following Kloss without understanding. "Are they Grandmaster-level in strength?"
"No, they're only Emerald-level," Kloss said in terror. "You don't know, the most terrifying thing about the man-eating horse herd is that no one dares to kill them."
"Why?" Jiang Mian asked, puzzled.
"They are pets raised by the gods. Killing them is equivalent to being an enemy of the gods," Kloss said. "My master once told me that if even one man-eating horse dies, a divine punishment will descend upon the place of its death, turning everything within a ten-mile radius to dust, leaving no blade of grass."
"What kind of god is this?" Jiang Mian immediately stopped, cursing, "To raise such detestable creatures and find amusement in human lives?"
"Run, quickly!" Kloss urged, "Do you really want to be eaten by the man-eating horses?"
"Am I afraid of them?" Jiang Mian snorted coldly, his body unmoving like a mountain, quietly waiting for the man-eating horse herd to arrive. Kloss, seeing that he couldn't pull Jiang Mian, took a deep breath and also stopped beside Jiang Mian.
"You're not running either?" Jiang Mian showed a slight smile and asked, "Aren't you afraid of death?"
"If you're not afraid, why should I be?" Kloss clenched his fists, his legs still trembling, but his words showed no weakness. Jiang Mian saw his reaction and understood a little; the people of this World had been dominated by the gods for too long, to the point where they dared not resist.
Gods are, after all, flesh and blood. What's there to be afraid of? Moreover, they even raise man-eating horse herds that specifically feed on humans. Their intentions are truly despicable!
Jiang Mian pushed Kloss aside. Looking at the dozens of sturdy man-eating horses charging towards him, he waved his hands, and Tearing Sky Claws layered upon each other.
The leading man-eating horses instantly turned into chunks of meat. The remaining man-eating horses hesitated slightly, then, in a fit of madness, devoured their companions' flesh completely before charging even faster towards Jiang Mian.
"Emperor Cold Heaven, Snow Dance Dazzling Sun!"
Jiang Mian pressed his hands to the ground, and in an instant, all the man-eating horses were frozen, lifelike ice sculptures of man-eating horses appearing before the two. Kloss slumped to the ground; in truth, he had exhausted all his courage when he decided to help Jiang Mian just now.
Jiang Mian was not in the mood to attend to Kloss. He was currently very puzzled as to why his moves had become so powerful.
Logically speaking, no matter how powerful Emperor Cold Heaven, Snow Dance Dazzling Sun was, with Jiang Mian's current raw strength, it should be impossible to freeze all the man-eating horses at once.
Jiang Mian was at a loss, when suddenly, a fairy-like beauty appeared behind him. That beauty was incomparably pure and untainted, like a snow lotus, astonishingly beautiful.
When Kloss saw the beauty's appearance, he immediately forgot where he was. Absolutely stunning!
Her slender jade hand rested on Jiang Mian's shoulder, and her cheek pressed against Jiang Mian's ear. She softly said, "Such an icing range, is it worthy of being called Emperor Cold Heaven?"
"Snow Empress." Jiang Mian gently exhaled, smiling, "I finally found you."
The Snow Empress gently hummed. She walked in front of Jiang Mian, raised her hand, and pinched Jiang Mian's chin, saying, "Should I call you Master?"
"It's not impossible," Jiang Mian smiled slightly. He touched the Snow Empress's hand, feeling as if he were touching a cold piece of jade.
"Snow Empress, have you seen the gods here?" Jiang Mian asked curiously.
"No," the Snow Empress shook her head. "I only arrived in this World a few days ago. I happened to feel you using my skill, which is how I was able to follow the trail and find you."
"Are there also overlapping spaces here?" Jiang Mian was stunned, disbelievingly saying, "Is this a divine tomb?"
"Something like that," the Snow Empress nodded. She walked on the ground, and wherever she stepped, there was ice and snow. Jiang Mian followed behind her, muttering to himself, "I also notified Emperor Tian to come and Helping Hand. I wonder if he has arrived."
"Emperor Tian?" The Snow Empress frowned slightly. "With his strength, finding us should be very easy."
After all, he's comparable to a demigod. Jiang Mian's mouth twitched slightly. No one knew Emperor Tian's strength better than him; if there was, the one in front of him counted as one, and the one in the Sun Moon Forest also counted as one, after all, they were old rivals.
"Since you're here, I'm relieved," Jiang Mian smiled. "I'm going to cause a big commotion here!"
"Do you want to kill those gods?" The Snow Empress said nonchalantly, "With me here, it might be very simple."
"This…" Kloss heard their conversation and felt as if the sky was about to collapse. He had long seen that Jiang Mian was no ordinary person, but he never expected him to be so extraordinary, even talking about killing gods. Was he boasting?
"This is?" The Snow Empress glanced at Kloss, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She said, "Little fellow, what do you seek by following Jiang Mian?"
"He wants to participate in the Warrior Competition to obtain a Divinity Berry to save his master," Jiang Mian explained. "I thought the Warrior Competition might have good intelligence, and perhaps news of you, so I agreed to help him compete together."
The Snow Empress nodded slightly. From the Snow Empress's reaction, it seemed Kloss was not simple, or rather, Kloss's master was not simple.
"Kloss, I have a suggestion." Jiang Mian's smile was a bit chilling. He said, "How about we attack the divine mountain and directly snatch the gods' Berries?"
"You're not serious, are you?" Kloss felt as if the sky was collapsing. He stammered, unable to speak for a long time.
The Snow Empress chuckled softly. She stroked Jiang Mian's cheek, her eyes filled with tenderness: "The incident in the Extreme North has been resolved. After this is over, I can always follow you."
"It would be disrespectful not to comply." Jiang Mian clasped his hands and respectfully replied.
He truly wished for the Snow Empress's accompaniment. After all, where could he find such a good thing as having an expert whose strength was comparable to an Ultimate Douluo as both a wife and a bodyguard?
"Something's coming," the Snow Empress turned to look at the sky. The clear blue sky was now covered with dark clouds, and a majestic voice came from above the clouds, "Who killed my man-eating horse herd?"
"This is a god?" Jiang Mian felt the changes in the surrounding spirit power and realized that the newcomer's strength had already surpassed that of a 95-level Titled Douluo, and was only higher, otherwise, it wouldn't cause such a celestial phenomenon.
Although there was another possibility that his Spirit was one that specifically controlled celestial phenomena, like clouds and such, this guy was clearly not that kind of Spirit.
"Your grandpa killed them," Jiang Mian said, completely unfazed. He pointed at the sky and angrily cursed, "What kind of god are you, raising man-eating horse herds and forcing the common people to cry out in despair? Today, your grandpa will properly teach you, this high and mighty god, a lesson."
"Arrogant."
Thunder rumbled in the sky. A god clad in golden armor, holding a thunder spear, emerged from the clouds. He walked on air, his expression solemn and stern.
Jiang Mian propped his chin, commenting, "His pretense isn't even as good as that evil Spirit Master. He doesn't even know how to show off. What a waste."
Kloss, seeing the god's anger, was already paralyzed with fear on the ground. The Snow Empress's expression remained calm as she lightly said,
"My Master wants to kill you, so I need to borrow your head for a bit."
