On the way back, Mr. He, the class supervisor, couldn't help but ask, "Kent, how did you know the Knife Scales Blood Serpent was there? And what did you use on it?"
Hearing this question, the members of the Snow Bull Mercenary Group, including Captain Gao, all turned to look at him with curiosity.
What Mr. He asked was exactly what they were wondering.
Kent smiled and replied, "I don't think that's important now, is it?"
At his words, everyone gave him a sharp look, clearly annoyed by his teasing and reluctance to answer.
"Even though it's over, I'd still like to know. I've been wondering about it," Mr. He said, knowing that Kent was a tough nut to crack, and soft-spoken words might get him to open up.
Since Mr. He was speaking so kindly, Kent, enjoying the attention, thought for a moment before answering, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth."
He then explained the two weaknesses of the Knife Scales Blood Serpent.
After hearing this, the group finally understood why Kent was confident he could find the Blood Serpent. But how had he seen through its camouflage?
Kent explained, "My Beastmaster ability has a skill that allows me to see through disguises, so I immediately noticed that the branch was actually the Blood Serpent. As for the bottle I used, it contained a high-grade tranquillizer, which made it lose strength for a while and slowed it down."
"Ah, now I understand! Fortunately, the Blood Serpent doesn't have a scent-detecting ability, or it would have smelled the faint scent of the tranquillizer," Mr. He said, clapping his hands.
Kent simply smiled without saying anything further.
The members of the Snow Bull Mercenary Group looked at him with new respect. They were astonished, amazed, and no longer looked down on him.
Captain Gao, on the other hand, lowered his head as if reflecting on something.
"Have I been too arrogant, thinking that he's just a student who hasn't even fully grown? Did I underestimate him? But the reality gave me a resounding slap in the face!" he thought.
Back at the camp, all the students gathered around, asking questions non-stop.
Kent just smiled and stayed silent, not wanting to gloat too much and make some people mad enough to spit blood.
Seeing this, Mr. He smiled broadly and said, "The danger has been eliminated, and we can continue with the trial. There's still time, so let's pack up and head out. Today's goal is to reach the halfway point of the mountain and enjoy the snow scenery."
The mountain path was rugged, making progress difficult, but fortunately, no one was in poor health. With the help of their Beastmaster abilities, they were able to move much faster.
About two hours later, they left the forested area and reached the mountainside, where snow covered the ground. The higher they went, the thicker the snow, and the colder the temperature.
"At the Bullhorn Mountain Secret Realm, the most dangerous creature is the Knife Scales Blood Serpent, but it's been mostly cleared out. Even if there are a few left, they rarely appear in places with snow. The strongest creature here is the Snow Bull, but it only eats snow, so as long as you don't provoke it, you'll be fine," Mr. He explained, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "This is a trial, but also a graduation trip. For the remaining two days, everyone is free to move around. You can team up to catch the Phantom Bug Spirits, or just enjoy the scenery. No restrictions."
The students immediately cheered; who wouldn't enjoy some fun, especially in such a beautiful place?
"Alright, go ahead, but remember, we'll meet here at dawn two days from now, then we'll head down the mountain together and return to Microglow City," Mr. He said with a smile.
The group immediately dispersed.
Kent, however, was unsure of what to do. The sudden announcement left him with no plans. Everyone else was already gathering in groups, while he was left alone.
"Why aren't you leaving?" Suddenly, a clear voice rang out beside him.
Kent didn't need to look to know who it was.
"Aren't you too? Are you planning to join up with someone?" Kent teased.
"Tch, I'm not going anywhere with you, you wooden block. I'm afraid I'll die from frustration," Zhao Mengxi snorted, waving her hand with a light laugh. "I'm leaving, have fun by yourself."
Kent couldn't help but find her words odd, but decided to take them at face value.
He watched as she disappeared into the snowy mountains, leaving behind a trail of footprints. Kent shrugged and thought to himself, Let them take their sunny path, I'll take my own narrow bridge. I won't be worse off than them.
He picked a direction where no one had gone yet and started walking, moving at a pace suited for sightseeing.
Suddenly, he spotted a set of tracks in the snow, smaller in size—likely from a young Snow Bull.
With nothing else to do, Kent decided to follow the tracks.
Ten minutes later, he found the Snow Bulls—three of them. Two large ones, a male and a female, and one small one.
Snow Bulls were strange creatures, pure white with a cow-like appearance, but with six legs and two silver horns curving toward the sky. Their eyes were white as well, and their bodies were about three times the size of a normal cow. They were intelligent and fed on snow.
Kent couldn't help but scan them, reading their attributes.
Monster Name: Snow Bull
Monster Rank: Golden Low Tier
Monster Level: 42 (Lord-level for the large bull)
Abilities:
Control of ice and snow, capable of creating powerful effects.Can transform its body into snowflakes to avoid attacks.Ice Snow Gaze—when a Snow Bull gazes at you, you feel a sudden chill, and your body may turn into a snowman or even an ice sculpture.
Kent was amazed. The Snow Bull was indeed a special creature, almost transcending the realm of flesh-and-blood animals. It could be classified as an ice and snow entity.
As he watched, the three Snow Bulls suddenly vanished from his sight.
"How did they do that?"
Kent quickly activated his Fire-Eye ability and soon saw a snow mound with a dark cave beneath it.
The three Snow Bulls had certainly gone inside the cave.
Kent's curiosity flared. With his skills and confidence, he decided to sneak over and investigate.
Inside the cave, it wasn't completely dark, as the walls were covered in ice crystals that reflected faint light.
Kent moved silently, walking with caution.
However, the cave was deeper than he imagined. He walked for three minutes before reaching the end.
Suddenly, he heard a light crack, like ice crystals breaking.
His heart raced, and as he rounded a corner, he was stunned by the sight before him. The cave opened into a massive cavern, like a molten chamber, about ten meters high. Inside, the three Snow Bulls were eating something.
Upon closer inspection, Kent was left breathless.
In the center of the cavern grew a five-square-meter Snow Lotus. It was in the shape of a lotus flower, completely transparent like ice. The Snow Bulls were eating its petals, clearly enjoying the taste, and their bodies shimmered with snowflakes, growing slightly larger.
Kent's mind raced. "Is this… the Snow Mountain Ice Lotus?"
He immediately scanned it.
Name: Snow Mountain Ice Lotus
Rank: Saint Rank Mid-Tier
Age: 500 years
Effect: Contains mysterious ice and snow power. If consumed by a living being, it grants control over ice and snow, making it easy to manipulate.
Kent was stunned. This was a spiritual herb—a Saint Rank herb at that!
Spiritual herbs didn't exist on EarthStar; they only appeared in alternate spaces due to the influence of X gases over long periods. Spiritual herbs were incredibly rare and valuable. They were ranked by Silver, Gold, Saint, Heavenly, and Divine tiers. The higher the rank, the more powerful the herb and the better its effects.
This Snow Mountain Ice Lotus was a Saint Rank Mid-Tier herb, and though its age was only 500 years, its value was immense.
On the market, spiritual herbs were rare and could be sold for millions of credit points, with the most valuable ones going for billions.
Kent immediately realized that if he consumed the Snow Mountain Ice Lotus, he would gain the ability to control ice and snow, and with further training, this power would grow stronger.
Kent gradually calmed himself down. He knew he had to obtain this Ice Lotus, but the three Snow Bulls would be a problem. They clearly considered the Lotus their territory.
"This Ice Lotus… the Snow Bulls must have found it a long time ago, but they haven't eaten it all at once," Kent thought. "After all, Snow Bulls are ice and snow creatures. Eating the Ice Lotus would only enhance their power, but the effect wouldn't be significant for them."
Thinking quickly, Kent quietly retreated. He had to wait for the Snow Bulls to leave before he could sneak in to grab the Lotus.
After exiting the cave, he hid behind a snow mound, silently waiting.
About ten minutes later, the three Snow Bulls emerged, using their ice powers to cover up the entrance. They looked around cautiously before slowly leaving the area.
Kent waited another five minutes to be sure there was no danger, then he quickly returned to the cave, his heart racing.
"Stay calm, stay calm, calm down," he repeatedly reminded himself in his mind, but his breath was still rapid, and his heartbeat quickened.