Thud! Thud!
Heavy footsteps echoed through the valley, growing louder with each passing moment.
Ye Qingshuang's face paled as she felt the ground tremble beneath them.
Within moments, a towering, gray-and-white, lion-like beast appeared in Jiang Chen's line of sight.
The monster stood over three meters tall, its entire body radiating a chilling aura. Its massive, dark-blue eyes glowed with a terrifying, cold light, staring down at Jiang Chen, Ye Qingshuang, and Meng Qingxue with predatory intent.
"This… this Nether Snow Lion has really advanced to the third rank!"
Ye Qingshuang's voice quivered with shock and fear.
Jiang Chen's expression remained calm. "It's just a newly-advanced third-rank monster. Nothing to worry about."
He met the beast's gaze, his voice ringing with confidence. "The Heavenly Bamboo Shoot Spirit Milk here is mine. No third-rank monster will stop me!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Chen retrieved a pre-prepared formation array and tossed it into the air.
Anticipating danger in the Thunder Cloud Mountain Range, he had crafted several formations in advance. The arrival of the third-rank Nether Snow Lion was the perfect opportunity to use them.
The beast's eyes flared with fury at the audacity of this human.
It roared, opening its mouth to unleash a volley of icy arrows towards Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen remained composed. With swift hand gestures, he activated the floating array.
"Triple-Seal Formation, activate!"
A dazzling light descended from above, enveloping the Nether Snow Lion in a protective barrier.
The icy arrows collided with the barrier, disintegrating on impact.
The Nether Snow Lion's eyes narrowed with rage as it saw its attack thwarted. Roaring again, it launched a ferocious assault on the shimmering barrier.
Each strike from the beast shook the formation, causing the light to flicker under the relentless onslaught.
Ye Qingshuang's brow furrowed. "The Triple-Seal Formation… it won't hold for much longer."
"Of course not."
Jiang Chen's smile was calm and confident. "I never intended for the Triple-Seal Formation to defeat it. But it'll take some effort for the beast to break through."
Meng Qingxue's eyes sparkled with understanding. "So, you have a follow-up plan?"
Jiang Chen's gaze sharpened. "Once it breaks the formation, I'll give it an even bigger surprise."