Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Aggrieved Third Bear

In just three seconds, Old Bear Three was drained dry by the green leaf shrouded by the Ten-Tailed Fox, and then the green leaf opened its eyes expressionlessly, as if it could see through everything, and shouted angrily, "How dare you ruin my great plans!"

The one who had been kicked out, Dragon One, was spinning in midair, preparing to retreat, when he saw the green leaf laughing and entwining a dragon around itself. As for the shriveled Old Bear Three, aside from his eyes, his whole body convulsed.

When Old Bear Three was drawn into the array, Dragon One and the green leaf were already locked in a critical struggle. This green leaf, possessed by the Ten-Tailed Fox, was evidently a strange treasure, likely a fifth-grade immortal artifact prepared especially for the Yin-Yang path of the Bull Cauldron. Unexpectedly, Old Bear Three and Dragon One decided to test it with their own bodies!

Old Bear Three was destined to lose, but Dragon One, an Immortal King—not necessarily so!

Once an Immortal King, Dragon One had commanded countless beasts. His harem numbered in the thousands, and he was well-versed in all techniques of gathering yin and nourishing yang.

The Ten-Tailed Fox and Dragon One were entwined from head to toe like two ropes twisted together. Then, a tremendous suction surged from the green leaf serpent's body, causing Dragon One's vital power to plummet instantly.

He began to resemble a dragon aging through the years, gradually turning gray and white.

But at once, Dragon One shouted, "Undying Dragon Soul!"

With this cry, the Divine Dragon Nine-Nine Cycle began to operate—his physical body could perish, but his soul would remain!

The vital power that had been sucked away instantly reversed, flowing back from the green leaf. The green leaf sneered, about to speak, but Dragon One mocked, "I was once an Immortal King at the peak, only a step away from becoming an Emperor, needing no further breakthroughs. All I require is boundless immortal energy! As long as I have enough, my cultivation will recover!"

Gradually, Dragon One's cultivation rose from early to mid, then late, finally reaching the peak of his Great Immortal stage. At the critical moment, the Ten-Tailed Fox seemed to sense something and instantly vanished. From the green leaf's tail dropped an item—a wooden carving in the shape of a fox. As soon as it fell, Dragon One picked it up with satisfaction.

Then, the two entwined figures spun apart, the green leaf crashing heavily to the ground, completely motionless.

"Count yourself lucky! Otherwise, I'd drain you dry!" Dragon One said, not quite satisfied. If he pushed a bit harder, he could reach the Profound Immortal stage—then even Senior Cloudless would have to depend on him, listen to him speak with authority!

The green leaf, fallen onto the icy surface, looked bewildered. Her cultivation dropped from mid Profound Immortal to early stage. If not for the treasure detaching itself, she would have fallen an entire realm and tier!

Yet, the most tragic was not her, but Old Bear Three, eyes brimming with tears, lips pursed in extreme grievance.

"Let’s hurry and leave! If the Bull Cauldron comes to his senses and finds out who we are, comes back for revenge, we’ll really be finished!"

At mid Profound Immortal, they could rely on the array to resist a bit, but if he reached his peak, who could oppose him?

Cloudless and the others, carrying the green leaf, retraced their steps. In the vast space, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared, glaring furiously at the surroundings. Before she could respond, she saw the Bull Cauldron approaching again, hurriedly extinguished her spell, and remained still.

The Bull Cauldron, holding a treasure mirror, kept communicating with someone inside. Finally, he was furious and said, "The Elder Imperial Serpent said to deliver the captive along with the imperial artifact?"

"That's right!" came a secretive voice from the mirror, scolding, "How could you be frightened off by a mere Great Immortal? If word gets out, even your grandfather will lose face before the Imperial Serpent Elder!"

"Imperial artifact, imperial artifact!" the Bull Cauldron muttered, not listening to the rest, stowed the mirror in his storage pouch, turned into a black flash, and dove into the immortal vein entrance where Cloudless had been.

Beneath the immortal vein, crisscrossed and filled with extreme cold, the Bull Cauldron suffered little harm. He chased three thousand miles, then looped back six thousand more. In the vast icy glacier, aside from some stray creatures, there was no trace of his targets.

"Something's off. They definitely couldn't escape. Even I need Six-Flavored True Fire to warm myself against this cold, which drains my immortal energy. They're surely still hiding here!"

So, the Bull Cauldron sat cross-legged, raised his ears, pressed his horns to the glacier, and sent out his spiritual sense. Within a thousand miles, no movement escaped his notice.

Indeed, as the Bull Cauldron suspected, Cloudless and the others hadn’t gone far. Against a Profound Immortal at the peak, even the grand array of four heavens and three lands wasn’t fast enough.

The array turned into a transparent layer of ice, hidden beneath the immortal vein entrance. Occasionally, it opened a crack to absorb some immortal energy.

It’s said the most dangerous place is the safest. Yet Dragon One, King of Fighters, and the little bug shivered in terror, because the Bull Cauldron was just below, pressing against the ice with a posture full of bullish confidence!

"Senior, senior, by absorbing immortal energy this way, could that evil bull discover us?" Dragon One asked, reminding them that after reaching Great Immortal, one’s spiritual sense could extend for dozens of kilometers, and a Profound Immortal could reach hundreds. Even if airflow was blocked, he’d sense it.

Though the icy glacier could impede spiritual sense, with only a thousand meters between them and the Bull Cauldron, he should surely be able to detect them!

"If you want him to find you, he will. If you don’t, he won’t!" Cloudless blew on his fingers. A trickle of immortal energy entered from his head and slipped away through his limbs, making him anxious.

"I wish I could eat a nice steak! A bite of meat from that beast would save me dozens of days of cultivation!" Cloudless’s words struck a chord with Dragon One. The captive green leaf snorted coldly, inwardly frustrated: "You’re immortal, must you boast so disgustingly?"

Everyone was startled—this green leaf was so outspoken, she was bound to offend the senior.

Indeed, Cloudless snorted, "So what? I’ll boast, and not just boast—I’ll eat!"

"Hmph, truly some ants who know not their limits. Soon, you’ll find yourselves unable to live or die, and that will be your greatest regret!"

Facing green leaf’s rebuttal, Cloudless replied, "How about this: I’ll meet the Bull Cauldron, cut off a piece of meat from his chest, roast it, and eat it. What do you think?"

"Ha, haha, hahaha!" The green leaf laughed in rage, the feeling of being toyed with and encountering a fool leaving her speechless. The next moment, Cloudless waved his hand, ancient words accompanied by gestures formed a giant contract, one end pointing at the green leaf, the other at the little bug.

It was a vow contract. In the next instant, Dragon One and Old Bear Three were displeased, but Cloudless said, "Finding the little bug a mount—aren't you all jealous? Such impure intentions!"

The little bug was delighted—Senior Cloudless truly thought things through!

The green leaf felt deeply humiliated—even a bug wanted to ride her? But seeing the contract, she froze. If Cloudless failed to fulfill his promise, the Buddhist bug would become her slave, dying if its master died, and forever chanting blessings for her to ward off disaster!

In an instant, the contract was sealed. The green leaf’s serpent face sneered as she looked at the seven strange beasts as if dreaming. Just as she was about to speak, her face turned greenish-blue.

A cloud appeared out of nowhere, within it the Bull Cauldron pressing against the glacier. The latter was puzzled, while Cloudless mocked, "A mere bull beast dares track me? Don’t you know, even second-grade immortal swords have been subdued by us? If not for injuries, I’d chop off your bull head with a single strike!"