Mark tightly grasped the mane on the back of the Ice Abyss Beast, signaling it to prepare for battle. The Ice Abyss Beast let out a low roar, two streams of white air spurted out of its nostrils, and its limbs were tense, ready to attack at any time. The lake water around the island rippled, reflecting the gloomy clouds in the sky, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Mark pulled out the ice sword from his back, and the ice sword reflected the cold light in the sun. He looked at the black-clothed man on the other side of the lake vigilantly, his eyes as sharp as a falcon.
There were about a dozen black-clothed men on the other side of the lake. They were scattered by the lake, holding weapons in their hands, and each of them looked solemn and murderous. The leader of the black-clothed men was tall. He raised his hand and signaled his men to stop moving forward. Then he shouted loudly: "Give up resistance! Hand over the map, we can spare your life!" His voice echoed on the empty lake, with a hint of unquestionable majesty.
Mark ignored it and began to observe the surrounding environment and look for a retreat route. The island is surrounded by water. The only way is the lake where they came from. The black-clad men on the other side of the lake have obviously blocked this retreat. He cast his eyes on the dense forest by the lake. The dense trees may provide some cover.
"It seems that we can only fight with our backs to the water." Mark whispered to himself. He stuffed the sheepskin map in his hand into his arms, patted the neck of the Ice Abyss Beast, and signaled it to jump into the lake. "Go!"
One man and one beast quickly swam to the dense forest by the lake. The huge body of the Ice Abyss Beast drew a white water line in the water, stirring up layers of waves. The lake water was icy and soaked Mark's clothes, but he didn't feel cold at all. He had only one thought in his mind: escape from here!
When the black-clad men saw Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast jumping into the lake, they also jumped into the water and chased them closely. The lake was suddenly filled with people and splashed with water. The leader of the black-clad men shouted loudly: "Don't let them run away! Chase!"
Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast swam hard to the lake, and the distance between them and the black-clad men was getting closer and closer. Mark could clearly hear the paddling sound of the men in black behind him, as well as their loud shouts.
"Hurry!" Mark urged the Ice Abyss Beast. He looked back and found that the men in black were close at hand.
The Ice Abyss Beast roared and sped up. Its strong limbs paddled vigorously in the water, and the man and the beast quickly approached the lakeshore.
Finally, they reached the dense forest by the lake. Mark climbed ashore first, and he turned around and pulled the Ice Abyss Beast up. The man and the beast quickly got into the dense forest. The dense trees blocked their figures and blocked the sight of the men in black.
The men in black also came ashore one after another. They dispersed and searched for the traces of Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast in the dense forest.
"They must be nearby, search carefully for me!" The leader of the men in black shouted loudly, and his voice echoed in the dense forest.
Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast hid behind a huge tree. They held their breath and dared not make any sound. Through the gaps in the leaves, Mark could see the men in black walking back and forth nearby, their weapons flashing coldly, which was chilling.
"What should I do?" Mark asked in a low voice, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.
The Ice Abyss Beast let out a low roar, and it sniffed the air with its nose, as if looking for a way to escape. It suddenly raised its head and looked in one direction, where there was a path leading deep into the dense forest.
"Let's go!" Mark immediately understood what the Ice Abyss Beast meant. He grabbed the Ice Abyss Beast's mane, and the man and the beast moved quickly along the path.
The path was rugged, the trees were dense, and the light was dim. Mark and the Ice Abyss Beast shuttled through the dense forest, their footsteps rustling on the fallen leaves, startling a group of flying birds.
The men in black soon found their tracks, and they chased them closely, and the shouts were getting closer and closer.
"Damn! They're catching up!" Mark looked back and found that the men in black were getting closer and closer.
"Roar!" The Ice Abyss Beast roared and sped up.
A man and a beast ran wildly in the dense forest, and the distance between them and the man in black was sometimes close and sometimes far. In the dense forest, the trees were intertwined and the light was dim. The man in black almost lost them several times.
"Hold on!" Mark said to the Ice Abyss Beast, "We will definitely get rid of them!"
The Ice Abyss Beast roared in agreement. It ran forward with all its might, and its speed was getting faster and faster, like a black lightning, shuttling through the dense forest.
Mark held the mane of the Ice Abyss Beast tightly, feeling the wind whistling past his ears. He turned his head and saw that the man in black had been thrown away for a distance.
"It seems we succeeded." Mark breathed a sigh of relief.
The Ice Abyss Beast also slowed down, and its breathing was a little rapid. Obviously, the running just now consumed a lot of its physical strength.
They came to the edge of a cliff, and under the cliff was a bottomless canyon.
"Roar..." The Ice Abyss Beast looked at the canyon and roared.
"Jump down?" Mark looked at the deep canyon and hesitated.
The Ice Abyss Beast looked back at Mark with a firm look in his eyes.
Mark took a deep breath and patted the Ice Abyss Beast's neck, "I believe you." He leaned down and clamped his legs tightly around the Ice Abyss Beast's abdomen. The Ice Abyss Beast roared, jumped, and jumped off the cliff.
The wind whistled in his ears, and Mark felt a sense of weightlessness. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling the Ice Abyss Beast falling faster and faster.
There was a turbulent river at the bottom of the canyon. The Ice Abyss Beast fell steadily into the water, splashing huge water. The cold river water instantly soaked Mark's clothes. He shuddered and quickly adjusted his posture to let the Ice Abyss Beast swim to the shore.
The river water was icy and piercing, and the current was turbulent. The Ice Abyss Beast paddled hard and went upstream. Mark looked back and found that the man in black did not chase him down.
"It seems they have given up." Mark said, with a hint of relief in his tone.
The Ice Abyss Beast let out a low roar, as if responding to Mark's words. It swam to the shore and slowly climbed ashore. Mark jumped off the back of the Ice Abyss Beast and checked his equipment. The sheepskin map lay intact in his arms.
Mark looked around and found that they were in an unfamiliar forest. The tall trees blocked out the sun, and the sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the smell of damp soil.
"We have to find a place to rest." Mark said to the Ice Abyss Beast. The Ice Abyss Beast nodded and walked towards a huge ancient tree.
The Ice Abyss Beast found a comfortable position under the ancient tree and lay down to rest. Mark sat beside it, his eyes wandering in the forest, vigilantly observing the movements around him. His fingers gently stroked the sheepskin map, not knowing what he was thinking.
From time to time, the sound of birds singing and the rustling of small animals came from the forest, and these sounds made Mark feel a little peaceful. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and relaxed his body and mind. He knew that they needed to rest and recover their strength before they could continue their journey.