Chapter 137: Beyond Mist

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"Teacher... you, too?" Tang Yuehua was dumbfounded. She didn't mind calling someone who regularly taught her a teacher since... that would be the right term for it even if her sect and the force behind Bibi Dong weren't on a pleasant side of the relationship. And she would have expected such a plan from Ja Sun, not the calm and slightly stern Bibi Dong. Naturally, she hadn't gone through many phases of Bibi Dong— killer phase, insecure phase, etc— that the original group had gone through.

When it comes to begin underhanded, even if she doesn't show it, Bibi Dong was right behind Ja Sun. 

"There is a clear notice that I cannot use my authority as the Successor of the Supreme Pontiff. And even if you reach rank 20, only one of us can accompany you inside the Icebound Forest. Clearly, breaking into the perimeters stealthily is more effective and this way, we do not have to pay a single coin for the pass even if we keep our identities hidden.

Not to mention the fact that Ka-ul's ability is perfect for this."

Ja Sun purposely revealed his spirit bone as he used its ability. The violet headgear in the form of the third eye around the emerald circular mark on his forehead continued to release a soft glow while everyone was covered in an illusion, allowing them to breeze through the guards appointed by the Spirit Hall.

One interesting thing Ja Sun today was a Spirit Master he had defeated in the war of Balak and Silvers Kingdom now serving as a post guard with his cultivation already raised slightly above rank 36.

Ja Sun was honestly pleased that the lives he did happen to spare weren't all wasted away. At least, some of them got a job, which is always reassuring. 

The Icebound Forest, holding up to its name, had a vegetation consisting of flora that could retain its vitality even in cold such as the Evergreen Trees, Winter-rise Trees, and many more. Despite varying names and sizes, the leaves of these trees resemble thin pins that failed to house any snow but the branches did collect quite a bit of it. Instead of the snow, it was ice and dew that covered the leaves at times. 

As the group walked, the larger portion of the ground was soon covered with snow, leaving little space for other colors on this scape. Once again, with Ah Yin's domain, the group evaded quite a bit of annoying sights since Ja Sun revoked the illusion for it did not consume his spirit energy but his greatest trump card— mental energy. 

"This is a beautiful place," Jun'er sniffed, "The trees have such a sweet fragrance."

"What do you think the fire would smell like?" Oscar inquired his better half as she shrugged, not knowing the answer herself.

"It certainly brings back quite a few memories," Xie Xan smiled, holding Hu Lana's hand as she smiled sweetly, leaning against his body.

"Hey, maybe we can climb the highest mountain and view everything from above. Want to come with me then?" Ja Sun inquired as he looked at Ah Yin who nodded, "From the top, huh... that would be quite the view. Pure white..." her gaze turned glazed for a moment. 

Walking in front of 'them', strangely, the remaining three women felt left out even when the three couples behind them weren't acting too 'dangerously' in public. 

Oddly, the trio walking in front would feel even more awkward since they couldn't lapse behind and would unintentionally catch each other's gazes wandering about. The three were in a rough place. If they suddenly moved back, it would mean admitting to the fact that their current position was awkward and this was something they didn't want to admit. So instead, they continued to let their surroundings turn tenser with every passing second.

Time passed slowly for a few but quicker for others and they reached the edge of the Icebound Forest marked by a giant frozen lake. 

The Crystal Lake.

Boasting as the second-largest body of water in the continent, with the first one being present inside the Star Dou Great Forest, Crystal Lake surrounded the entirety of the northern end of the Icebound Forest and despite its shimmering crystal surface, hidden by the frosty mist are many, many spirit beasts with cold attributes.

"I cannot use my domain effectively anymore," Ah Yin spoke up. Her domain relied on the surrounding vegetation largely and even if she can grow Blue Silver Variants, it would leave a conspicuous trail behind the group in a starkly distinct crystal lake. Not to mention that the plants wouldn't survive on the frozen lake long enough.

"Even my nostrils are starting to lose their senses. It's getting too cold," Jun'er hugged her body, shivering. The group had thicker clothes and they wore them. Amongst the group, Ja Sun and Liu Erlong barely felt the chill at this moment because of their physical quality and attributes respectively. But the freezing climate of the Extreme North would be too much for any spirit master and they needed to have external measures, too.

"Stay sharp," Bibi Dong recollected her thoughts and stated calmly, "Ka-ul, cover our backs with Xie Xan. Oscar, Yuehua, you both will stay in the middle of the group, and Oscar, keep your abilities ready. Extreme temperature often drains stamina quickly. Me and Liu Erlong will check the front. The rest will surround Yuehua and Oscar."

Everyone nodded.

Oscar was an unorthodox support while Yuehua was only here for the experience. Nobody actually expected her to reveal some amazing strength.

With the frosty mist being an actual product of nature, even Ja Sun could only rely on his extreme vision and hardened mental sense to keep an eye on his surroundings.

"Let's move," Bibi Dong ordered and everyone took the step on the frozen lake. Everyone was careful. The Crystal Lake is not only home to land spirit beasts that hunt in plain sight but also the underwater spirit beasts that relish the extreme pressure of ice and seldom return to the surface. These particular spirit beasts would dig into the frozen lake, forming a dangerous and icy dungeon system deep underwater. If anyone of them fell into the traps laid by such a spirit beast then it would be quite annoying for them to say the least.

Still, such traps could be avoided. Although the range of Ah Yin's domain had been shortened drastically, it still covered ten meters around them and allowed her to skillfully avoid these traps. But strangely, even her domain felt restricted by the icy mist as they grew closer and closer to the Extreme North.

But even if the group tried to avoid unnecessary trouble, that did not mean the trouble wouldn't knock on their doorsteps.

*Grrrr*

*Tic*

*Tic*

*Tic*

With soft but resonating glowering noise was the quick tapping sound on the surface of the lake.

Not taller than the length of an average male's forearm, dozens of spot-furred creatures rushed towards their group. They looked chubby and really cute with wide sets of frosty blue eyes and white-spotted brown fur. 

"Ice Bite Gremlins," Bibi Dong frowned as everyone was ready to fight. However, the group of gremlins rushed past the team as the heavy thudding sound began to echo.

"Do we evade? Ice Gremlins are hunted by Porcupine Yetis."

Ja Sun inquired as Bibi Dong shook her head.

"Porcupine Yeti also happens to be one of the few spirit beasts with an intimidating scent to help us pass the Crystal Lake quickly."

"You mean a filthy scent, ugh," Jun'er scrunched her nose, "I can already smell it despite the tip of my nose slightly numb."

*Thud*

*Gghhaaaaaaa*

A loud roar shook the mist violently and without any warning, Liu Erlong took the lead with her fourth spirit ring appearing around her. The shadow of the large fire dragon formed behind her as it roared silently but the mist around her, too, trembled and opened a clear spherical distance. The two sound-type attacks restricted each other as Liu Erlong smirked and crouched her body slightly.

"I'll handle this!" She was ready to vent!

"No," Bibi Dong snorted, "Act like a team. Everyone, to your positions."

Liu Erlong groaned in anger while the rest moved out with Bibi Dong left in charge of taking care of Tang Yuehua.

"I can handle this!" Liu Erlong retorted again.

"It's for preserving our strength," Ah Yin remarked as her Blue Silver Goddess appeared and it shot out like a vine that coiled around the large shadow. Her second spirit ring made the Blue Silver Goddess more durable and the moment it coiled against the fearsome spirit beast she felt a large force traveling back but it was bearable. To a control-type spirit master like her, it was only until the opponent is caught that it's uncertain but once caught: game over. The beast was unprepared and clearly not intelligent despite holding the strength of 10000 years of cultivation.

Being a Spirit Beast in her 'previous' life, Ah Yin knew it for a fact that the actual age and Cultivation age often did not match. And in such an extreme climate, spirit beasts of similar attributes would most certainly thrive.

*Rraaagghhh* 

The beast roared as Xie Xan shot his moon blades towards the beast, slicing against its limbs while Hu Lana giggled and winked, a strange aroma bursting out of her body that made Jun'er go into a daze momentarily. 

Ja Sun wasn't planning on doing much so with his forearms covered by Vajra Gauntlets once again, he stretched his fists and shot six extremely dangerous dragon beard needles from its surface that stabbed into the body of the Spirit Beast.

"Erlong, you can deliver the finishing blow," Hu Lana smiled and everyone looked at her.

"Finally!"

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She growled.

Without a moment's wait, her fifth spirit ring appeared around her and two flaming ox horns grew on her head that basked her face with a fiery glow.

Everyone sighed, even Bibi Dong.

This was Liu Erlong's fifth spirit skill: Horn Obliteration.

Visible to the naked eyes, the sparse element of fire and her own spirit energy collected over the gap between the tips of the sharp oxen horns and formed into a dangerous collection of fiery energy that instantly shot out like a mighty ray of light.

A flame laser, with horns at that.

Honestly, Ja Sun quite liked this spirit skill. 

It reminded him of a particular trait in his past life where a federation officer would shout the name of any body part and it would create a ray of energy that exploded in a ring of light. What was truly miraculous was the fact that if that officer called out to his internal organs or even blood, the attack would be even more fearsome but it wouldn't harm the officer from within, just exhaust him. 

He also happened to be good-natured so when he was caught and ultimately joined the rebels, he would often shout penis and cause a mass wave of penile destruction... just for fun.

Ja Sun actually feard the anal destruction caused by that man.

*Aaaghhhuuuu*

With a pitiful whine as the blazing laser tore into its body, leaving a charred scent, the beast collapsed and while everyone had their attention pulled towards the beast, Ja Sun let out Nightmare's Fantasy and Bright Goddess Butterfly and used his spirit bone's ability to hide their presence. 

The group didn't actually hunt and massacred spirit beasts everywhere they went so a spirit ring that wouldn't be absorbed was a rare occasion outside the Disorienting Ghost Canyon. Ja Sun let his two spirit souls silently feed on the pitch-black spirit ring that slowly grew out of the corpse while everyone else got a good look at the spirit beast, too.

The Porcupine Yeti had its fur as sharp as nails but it wasn't even allowed to make a move. Its life came to a quick end.

Something to note was six particular round and bulging spots on the beast's body as Ja Sun tapped the spots and let out his spirit energy to recalled the coiling beard needles inside the spirit beast. This made others around him feel a little cold. This kind of projectile attack with such little display was certainly dangerous.

However, the beast's flesh around its chest and back was completely cooked, leaving a tale of Liu Erlong's heightened might as she looked at the corpse with a satisfied expression.

"Before we skin the beast and look for spirit bone, how much strength do you estimate was used by each one of you?"

Bibi Dong inquired.

"Zero," Jun'er shrugged. She didn't even have the chance to do anything.

"None," Oscar shook his head, too.

"5%" Hu Lana smiled. She had used her third spirit skill to calm the beast down.

"3%" Ah Yin replied.

"8-10, I guess," Xie Xan looked a little thoughtful.

"Zero," Ja Sun shrugged, too. He spent zero mental, spiritual, or physical energy to end the beast.

"15!" Liu Erlong smirked.

"Alone, you would have used way more. The Yeti would not have stayed in one place to wait for your attack," Bibi Dong sighed.

"I know that," Liu Erlong grew grim, "But I like to take opponents alone. That's all."

"You like to talk a lot about this," Bibi Dong smiled but her eyes grew chilly, "You don't have enough experience facing the real monsters."

Erlong snorted and looked away with a scowl. Her intent clearly fell short when compared to Bibi Dong.

The group began working on the corpse while the casual disagreement was drowned out easily. It was just a daily ritual. People in close proximity would often argue with each other and move on to find newer topics to argue on, that's what life is really all about.

But this was the second time Tang Yuehua had seen everyone act like a team and she found a distinct difference in how her new team and her old team acted.

There are two main philosophies of Spirit Masters when it comes to the formation of a group.

Pure.

And Mix.

Various sects and clans follow the pure path where they cultivate a single Martial Soul and its variants and research on it to optimize their strength greatly. These sects included all the Seven Upper Sects of the Continent and even the Heaven Dou Royal Family.

Meanwhile, the philosophy of Mix martial soul is followed by the Spirit Hall which recruits as many spirit masters as possible. This discouraged the masters to delve into any single martial soul, however, also allowed them to cover their individual disadvantages with a different teammate.

In Yuehua's eyes: Ja Sun, Ah Yin, Liu Erlong, Xie Xan, Hu Lana, Jun'er, and Oscar are the complete team of seven. Ah Yin is the control-type spirit master, Liu Erlong is the attack-type spirit master with a fiery offensive, Xie Xan acted as a balanced team member that had a great versatility, Hu Lana also happened to be a control-type spirit master with more elusive methods, Jun'er was also an attack-type spirit master but her qualities were yet to be discovered due to low individual strength, and finally, Oscar was the auxiliary support-type spirit master. The woman considered Ja Sun the acting leader in a battle where Bibi Dong isn't present. These seven could easily mix and match to perform well at this point.

Meanwhile, Bibi Dong herself was the true leader with great poison tactics even if restrained by Ah Yin's life attribute.

And Yuehua herself? She considered herself nothing at this point even with her exotic Martial Soul.

"Now, I did not place too many objectives last time because the Sunset Forest was supposed to be a tool of transition for you all to finally act as a team," Bibi Dong spoke up, "We have had our first kill. And Xie Xan... that technique Ka-ul gave you, I will still ask you to hold in its progress. As the technique states, human blood will be the greatest resource for its cultivation... using the blood of Spirit Beats might end up tainting the process. I've researched that technique for a little while and I know a good location for you to train in it later."

She looked at Xie Xan and he nodded.

"Time for me to explain our final objectives. Given the extreme climate, I'm certain that all of our potentials will be roused even if something unexpected takes place.

So, Oscar and Yuehua, by the end of this session, I expect the two of you to finally reach your rank 40, and rank 20 bottlenecks. Yuehua, especially you wouldn't have any excuse to not climb one rank in this duration."

Bibi Dong gazed at the two.

"Meanwhile, the rest of you have grown incredibly. Each of you is now a talent of your generation. Even me. So, congratulations. Aside from the two of them, Jun'er, I want you to focus on your basic meditation and cultivation, too.

All of you will get only five hours to cultivate every day. For the rest of the time, we will divide our training into pure physical exercise without any poison training. I will be joining in this training, too, since I have made a goal of reaching rank 70 by the end of it. It's hard, but doable."

'That's what she said,' Ja Sun added mentally.

"The physical exhaustion and the climate will increase our spirit cultivation. And for the remaining part, we only focus on controlling our spirit energy. Ka-ul and Liu Erlong are great examples. Liu Erlong's basic attacks are stronger than before precisely because she can control her strength and focus it at the point of impact expertly. Each of us has our own benefits. Ponder on it and control spirit energy as such.

Any doubts?"

Bibi Dong looked at everyone and seeing them silent, she nodded.

"Then let's go and become the strongest team in the upcoming competition."

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A/N: If I'm not wrong then Yu Xiaogang's teaching of mix philosophy in the shrek academy should be understood during his time in the Spirit Hall. So, I figured that Spirit Hall itself teaches their trainees the same thing. 

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