The enormous roar of the beast echoed like a tidal wave, reverberating across the surrounding area for miles.
"Has it been provoked?"
Xu Que kept his guard up, tightening his grip on the black sword as he observed the seven snow bears charging towards him.
Despite their immense strength, they couldn't land a blow on him.
With swift movements, Xu Que evaded and struck back, slaying four of the snow bears.
Just as he was preparing to deal the final blow to the largest of them, the sound of a horn echoed from afar.
The three remaining snow bears halted abruptly, turning to retreat into the underbrush. Xu Que quickly realized what was happening.
"Move quickly, into the thicket!"
Liang Jinyu reacted instantly, leading her two subordinates toward the direction the bears had fled.
Although Han Xiaoyu was slower to respond, she followed closely behind, still unsure of the situation but obedient in the moment.
As they entered the thicket, countless black dots emerged from the heavy snow in the distance—it was the army of white ghosts pursuing them.
---
Half an hour later.
"No... no, I can't go any further... I can't move!" Han Xiaoyu panted, leaning against a dead tree and waving her hand.
"I'm almost at my limit as well," Liang Jinyu said, attempting to rest against a nearby tree.
Before she could, Xu Que seized her arm and pulled her up.
"Hmm?" Liang Jinyu was confused.
"Here!" Xu Que pointed at the tree she had been about to lean on.
Beneath it, large claw marks, unmistakably left by a massive beast, were visible.
"Did those bears leave this?" Liang Jinyu asked.
"Yes, they're called snow bears, an ultra-class異生物," Xu Que replied. "These marks mean we've entered their territory, so from here on, stay close and follow me."
Everyone was stunned by the mention of ultra-class...
They had never even encountered anything above B-rank before and had come to see creatures stronger than B-rank.
"But this is a B-rank dimensional space... how could—"
Before Han Xiaoyu could finish, Xu Que interrupted her. "The space must have malfunctioned, or perhaps it's folding. I don't fully understand it, but what I do know is that the primary space is still B-rank, but this folded part could be ultra-class or even S-rank."
"Did you notice this earlier?" Liang Jinyu inquired.
"Yes, when the return stone stopped working, I had an inkling. After eliminating the white ghosts, my suspicion was confirmed," Xu Que replied.
"Is there a way out?" Han Xiaoyu asked, her voice full of concern.
She was young, with many opportunities ahead, and she certainly didn't want to die here.
Xu Que smiled at her. "There's only one way."
"Kill the ultimate boss?" Liang Jinyu asked, already guessing.
"Indeed, you're a sharp one," Xu Que praised.
Han Xiaoyu looked at the two of them, her face filled with frustration. "But we're only B-rank! We can barely handle A-rank creatures, and the boss... I'm afraid..."
Before she could finish, Liang Jinyu cut in. "As long as you don't cause trouble, I trust he will lead us out. Right, First of the Heavenly Rankings?"
Everyone turned their gaze to Xu Que.
"Sometimes, I find I don't like clever women," Xu Que said with a feigned helplessness.
"But my cleverness will be useful to you, won't it?" Liang Jinyu responded with a smile.
"Maybe," Xu Que muttered. "But from now on, you all must listen closely. This is not a fight for you to join."
"Understood!" Han Xiaoyu replied immediately.
However, the next moment, her eyes widened in horror as she saw the massive creature behind Xu Que.
"Th... that's a bear, isn't it?"
Xu Que furrowed his brows, then quickly rolled away, narrowly avoiding a blast of wind.
As he stood and saw the enormous creature, its size took him by surprise.
A snow bear boss, as large as two adult elephants!
"Roar!"
The snow bear boss bellowed, its gaze fixed firmly on Xu Que.
"Everyone, retreat carefully and stay silent," Xu Que warned, gripping his black sword.
As Han Xiaoyu and the others slowly backed away, Xu Que carefully observed the massive creature.
The snow bear boss advanced slowly, its eyes locked on Xu Que, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Xu Que quietly tossed two spirit crystals to the ground, and in an instant, the entire area within a hundred meters was enveloped in a formation.
Sensing over thirty snow bears to the southwest, Xu Que's lips curled into a smile.
He hadn't expected there to be so many, and now, he had something to occupy himself with.
As he prepared to deal with the boss, the snow bear boss made its move.
Its speed wasn't extraordinary, but its paw strikes were incredibly swift.
With a gust of wind, Xu Que rolled again, dodging the attack.
As the snow bear boss lunged toward him, Xu Que revealed a chilling grin.
"Draw Sword!"
"Whoosh!"
A streak of sword light flew toward the air, slashing through the snow bear boss's body.
"Thwack!"
The ultra-class snow bear boss was cleaved in two with a single stroke.
Watching Xu Que dispatch the enormous bear, Han Xiaoyu's eyes were filled with stars.
"Mm... so handsome, and so powerful... I mustn't let this one get away!"
Xu Que, unaware of Han Xiaoyu's daydreaming, collected three spirit orbs before turning his attention to the bear's corpse.
"Take whichever part you want, or eat it now."
"Eh?"
Everyone was stunned by Xu Que's words, not understanding what he meant.
Seeing their confused expressions, Xu Que sighed and explained, "This snow bear was a boss-level creature. Its meat can enhance cultivation."
At last, they understood, and they began dismantling the bear's body.
They chose not to eat raw flesh, as the thought was still too much for them to handle.
Xu Que, however, paid no mind to them, tearing off a piece of bear meat and chewing it raw.
"Why don't you light a fire? Didn't the store sell fire starters?" Han Xiaoyu asked.
"Have you ever made a fire in a dimensional space?" Xu Que asked deliberately.
"I have," Han Xiaoyu answered.
"And what happened?" Xu Que asked again.
"A group of异生物 chased me..." Han Xiaoyu muttered, her head lowered.
"You see? You already know the reasoning. Do you think I don't?" Xu Que retorted, popping another bloody piece of meat into his mouth.
"This boss is dead, so why can't we return to the city?" one of the team members asked.
Xu Que glanced at him without answering, instead stowing the remaining meat in his inventory.
"Hey, why aren't you answering me?" the man shouted at Xu Que.
Xu Que turned to look at him, a smile playing on his lips. "When I was meditating, didn't you say you wanted to kill me?"
At these words, everyone turned to look at Xu Que and the man.
"Brother, don't misunderstand. I was just joking!" the man quickly protested, waving his hands in panic.
"Yes, I stopped them back then, and besides, you're fine, aren't you?" Han Xiaoyu quickly added.
Liang Jinyu rolled her eyes, muttering inwardly, "Silly girl, are you trying to stay here?"
Xu Que looked at Han Xiaoyu and spoke calmly. "Don't let this happen again."
Han Xiaoyu blinked in confusion, her expression filled with question marks.
Xu Que turned away from the group, his back to them. "Stay here. Under no special circumstances, do not leave."