Toby used the excuse of exploring the way and climbed up alone at a faster speed, and soon disappeared at the corner of the steep mountain road. His figure appeared and disappeared in the dense woods, like a clever ape, and soon disappeared from Mark's sight. The mountain wind whistled past, rolling up the fallen leaves and swirling in the air, making a rustling sound, as if whispering some secrets.
Mark noticed that Toby's behavior was a little unusual, and a trace of uneasiness rose in his heart. In his impression, Toby has always been calm and reliable, and never acted rashly. This time his behavior was really abnormal. He remembered that he didn't see Toby when he woke up last night, and his thoughtful expression on the map this morning, and his doubts deepened. Did Toby hide something?
He whispered to Lily: "Be careful, follow me closely." His tone was low, with a hint of subtle tension.
Lily nodded gently, she didn't speak, but there was a hint of vigilance in her eyes.
The little Ice Abyss beast also felt the master's nervousness. It pricked up its ears and observed the surroundings vigilantly, making low whimpers from time to time, as if warning of potential danger. The fog in the mountains gradually became thicker, and the surrounding trees appeared shadowy in the fog, like beasts lurking in the dark, making people feel a little chilly.
Mark slowed down and kept an eye on the surrounding situation. He scanned the surrounding woods with sharp eyes and listened carefully to every subtle sound. The mountain road was winding and tortuous, with steep cliffs on both sides, and it would fall down if it was not careful. He took every step carefully, trying not to make any sound, so as not to alarm the danger lurking in the dark. The little Ice Abyss beast suddenly stopped and roared at a hidden bush. Its hair stood up, its body slightly arched, and it made an attacking posture. The branches and leaves of the bush swayed slightly, as if something was hidden in it.
Mark immediately realized that there might be danger. He quickly protected Lily behind him and whispered, "Lily, be careful!" His tone was hurried and low, with a hint of unquestionable command. The mountain wind blew, and the leaves rustled, adding a touch of tension. A black beast rushed out from behind the bushes. It was huge, like a hill, covered with hard scales, and flashed a metallic luster. Except for the opposite color of the Ice Abyss Beast, it looked exactly like the Ice Abyss Beast. It let out a sharp roar, and the sound was like torn cloth, which made people shudder. It opened its bloody mouth, revealing sharp fangs, like a devil crawling out of hell, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression. The beast pounced on Mark and Lily at lightning speed, and the fishy smell came to their faces, making people sick. Mark protected Lily behind him and shot a fireball without hesitation. A flash of red light cut through the air, making a sharp whistle. With a bang, the fireball splashed sparks on the beast's scales, but the beast was not hurt at all.
The little Ice Abyss beast went forward fearlessly, it let out a high-pitched roar, and its body shot out like an arrow from a string, and started a fierce fight with the beast. Although the little Ice Abyss beast was small in size, it was extremely agile. It flexibly dodged the beast's attacks and attacked the beast's weaknesses with its sharp claws from time to time. The beast's scales were extremely hard. Although the little Ice Abyss beast's attacks could not cause fatal damage, they also made the beast feel pain, and its roar became more angry and violent.
Mark saw that the fireball had no effect on the beast, so he quickly converted the energy, condensed it into an ice sword in his hand, and swung the sword at the beast. His movements were swift and powerful, and the sword tip carried a sharp cold air, and went straight to the head of the beast. The beast was unable to dodge, was scratched by the sword tip, and let out a painful wail. The cold air penetrated into its body along the wound, freezing the beast's blood.
The beast became even more violent after being injured. It waved its claws wildly, attacking the little ice beast and Mark.
Mark and the little ice beast cooperated well, and one person and one beast restrained the beast's movements from the left and right sides respectively. The little ice beast was agile and ran back and forth around the beast, like a blue lightning, looking for an opportunity to attack. The beast's huge body turned clumsily, trying to catch the little ice beast, but it was always a step slower. It roared angrily, and its thick tail swept across, bringing a gust of wind, breaking the surrounding trees in half.
Mark held the ice sword in his hand, waiting for an opportunity to move. He stared at the beast's every move with a sharp gaze, looking for its weaknesses. He was agile and dodgy, and every swing of the sword brought a sharp cold air, leaving scars on the beast.
The little ice beast found the right opportunity and bit the beast's hind leg. The beast felt pain and let out a deafening roar. It swung its hind legs violently and threw the little Ice Abyss beast out. The little Ice Abyss beast rolled several times in the air and fell heavily on the ground a few meters away, whimpering in pain.
Seeing this, Lily immediately ran to the little Ice Abyss beast and anxiously checked its injuries. "Xiaobing, are you okay?" Her voice trembled, and her eyes were full of worry. The little Ice Abyss beast struggled to stand up, shook its head, and whimpered a few times, as if responding to Lily's concern. It was covered with mud and fallen leaves, and its ice-blue hair had lost its luster, looking very embarrassed. Lily gently stroked the head of the little Ice Abyss beast, hoping to give it some comfort.
Taking advantage of the moment when the beast was distracted, Mark jumped high, and the ice sword in his hand turned into countless ice cones, shooting at the beast like a rainstorm. The ice cones were extremely fast, making a sharp sound of breaking through the air, and drew white tracks in the air. The beast was unable to dodge and was hit by the ice cone, leaving countless tiny wounds on its body. Blood gushed out from the wounds, staining its black scales red.
The beast roared in pain, its movements began to slow down, and its breath gradually weakened. Its painful wails echoed in the valley, making people shudder. The surrounding trees shook constantly in the struggle of the beast, and the leaves fell one after another, as if it was raining leaves.
Mark condensed an ice sword again, with a slender sword body and exuding a compelling cold air. He aimed at the heart of the beast and stabbed it hard. The ice sword pierced the beast's hard scales and pierced deeply into its heart. The beast let out a last desperate wail, and its huge body fell to the ground with a bang, stirring up a cloud of dust. The dust flew, obscuring the view.
The surrounding trees shook violently when the beast fell to the ground, and the leaves fell one after another, as if it was raining leaves. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, which made people feel sick.
Mark stood up slowly. The ice sword in his hand had disappeared, turning into ice crystals that dissipated in the air. He looked down at the beast lying on the ground, took a deep breath, and calmed his violently beating heart. Although this battle was short, it was extremely dangerous, and he almost exhausted all his energy.
Lily walked to Mark with the little ice beast in her arms, "Mark, are you okay?" She asked with concern, her eyes full of worry. The little ice beast also raised its head and rubbed Mark's hand with its wet nose, as if to express its concern.
Mark shook his head, "I'm fine, Lily." He reached out and touched Lily's head, his tone gentle,
"Is the little ice beast injured?"
Lily looked down at the little ice beast in her arms, "It just fell a little, it's not a big deal."
The little ice beast also shook its tail in cooperation, indicating that it was fine.
"Where's Toby?" Mark looked around, but did not see Toby. A trace of uneasiness rose in his heart again. Toby's sudden departure and abnormal behavior confused him.
Lily also looked around, "I don't know either. He just said he was going to explore the way, and then... he never came back." There was a trace of uneasiness in her tone.
Mark frowned, "Let's wait for him here for a while. If he doesn't come back, we will go find him."
Lily nodded, hugged the little ice beast and sat beside the beast's body, waiting quietly. The mountain breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness. Lily couldn't help but wrap her animal skin tightly. There was silence around, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves and the sound of birds singing in the distance.
Mark walked to the beast's body and carefully observed its wounds. He found that the beast's scales were extremely hard. If he hadn't used ice energy, it would be difficult to kill it. He secretly rejoiced in his heart. If it weren't for the help of Lily and the little ice beast, he would have found it difficult to defeat this powerful beast.