Li Jiao had narrowly escaped the Freezing Lands with his life back in the day, so he naturally paid closer attention to anything related to them. Unfortunately, information about the Freezing Lands was exceedingly scarce in this world. Even though he'd made efforts to collect what he could, he hadn't been able to find much of use.
He knew that a type of natural calamity called a Cold Tide existed within the Freezing Lands. He knew that no one could survive beneath one. But how exactly the Cold Tide formed, how to avoid it, or what it even looked like — those details had eluded him.
Until now. The moment he laid eyes on it, he knew with absolute certainty that this was the Cold Tide.
The three of them weren't moving particularly fast, but even straining with everything they had, they couldn't outrun the Cold Tide's pursuit. The gap between them was shrinking by the moment, and the expressions on Yang Kai's and Zhu Lie's faces were growing grimmer by the second.
In the face of mortal danger, no one could maintain their composure.
Yang Kai attempted to mobilize the Space Laws but found it agonizingly difficult. The bitter cold of the Freezing Lands seemed to freeze space itself solid, forcing him to abandon any thought of using Instant Movement.
The Cold Tide drew ever closer, its bone-piercing chill hammering against their backs like massive battering rams, making their whole bodies shudder involuntarily.
Li Jiao's face twisted into a hideous snarl. "If I die because of you two this time, I'll haunt you as a ghost even after death — that's a promise!"
Days of accumulated grievance and fury finally erupted in that moment. He was on the verge of death — what was left to hold back? He blurted out, "Yang Kai, aren't you supposed to be so formidable? You can command even Demon Kings and Sacred Spirits at your whim. Well, why don't you come up with a solution now?"
When Yang Kai said nothing, he raged on, "All you know how to do is bully others by leveraging someone else's power! You think I'm truly afraid of you? If it weren't for Grandmaster Ji Ying's sake, I'd have led my forces to level your Ling Xiao Palace long ago — wiped out every last one of you and made you wish you'd never been born! A mere first-level Emperor Realm cultivator dares to strut around in front of me? Absolutely absurd."
His tirade didn't seem to satisfy him, so he turned to Zhu Lie beside him. "Dragon Clan? So what if you're Dragon Clan? Does being a Dragon Clan give you the right to look down on everyone? My bloodline may be impure — so what? I was born of my mother and father, and I cultivated myself to the third level of the Emperor Realm through my own efforts. If you didn't have Dragon Clan blood, you probably wouldn't even measure up to me. Standing around with that superior look on your face — who do you think you're impressing? If you've got the guts, stop suppressing me with your bloodline. I'd show you what I'm truly capable of. Damn it, damn it... How did I end up wading into this mire with you two? A pair of disasters, the both of you — I knew coming to the Freezing Lands with you would end badly... I should have left earlier. This is all your fault! I already brought you to your destination, so why won't you let me go? Do you really think I'm someone you can push around? Just you wait — if I make it out of this alive, I'll bring my forces to storm Ling Xiao Palace, storm Dragon Island, and slaughter every last one of you..."
He babbled on and on, as though he'd lost his mind, becoming almost hysterical. Unfortunately for him, no matter how much venting and cursing he did, neither Yang Kai nor Zhu Lie paid him the slightest attention.
The two exchanged a glance. Zhu Lie said, "If you've got some trump card, you'd better use it now. Any later and it really will be too late."
Yang Kai curled his lip. "You Dragon Clan have countless secret techniques, and yet you're looking at me? I'm only at the first level — what kind of trump card could I possibly have?"
Zhu Lie looked at him deeply and let out a sigh. "Fine. If you want to hold back, I won't force you. I'll handle it myself."
Li Jiao's string of curses cut off abruptly, as though an invisible hand had clamped shut over his mouth. He looked at Yang Kai, then at Zhu Lie, and a fawning smile spread across his face. "My lord, you have a way to escape this danger?"
Zhu Lie said coldly, "We can try."
Li Jiao immediately replied, "Then what are we waiting for? Get moving!"
Yang Kai, still sprinting, watched him with an amused grin.
A touch of color crept into Li Jiao's frost-white face, and he said sheepishly, "My lord, you absolutely must take me along. Just now... I don't know what came over me. Something must have gotten into my head. That was absolutely not how I truly feel — please don't hold it against me."
He wanted nothing more than to slap himself. A moment of loose tongue had nearly landed him in catastrophic trouble, and he had no idea whether this Dragon Clan member would be willing to look after him.
Fortunately, his worries proved unnecessary. A dragon's roar rang out, and above Zhu Lie's head, a massive crimson dragon materialized. The dragon coiled around them, enveloping all three within its embrace in an instant.
The biting cold seemed to be blocked out entirely, bringing with it a sudden, almost inexplicable sense of security.
Zhu Lie barked a low command. Signs of dragonification appeared across the surface of his body, and then he turned around and charged directly toward the Cold Tide.
Li Jiao was so terrified his soul nearly left his body. He let out a string of panicked yelps, but he didn't dare break free from the red dragon's protection. All he could do was watch helplessly as they hurtled closer and closer to the Cold Tide.
Yang Kai was momentarily startled as well, but he quickly grasped what Zhu Lie was planning.
At their current speed, there was simply no way to outrun the Cold Tide. Rather than being overtaken from behind, a head-on charge might actually give the three of them a chance to break through. It wasn't exactly a great plan, but it was worth a shot — they might genuinely find a way to escape.
The frigid wind howled around them as the Cold Tide bore down. Li Jiao's face had gone utterly colorless. Had it not been for his powerful mental fortitude, he would have long since passed out.
A dozen breaths later, the three collided head-on with the Cold Tide and were swallowed by the mass of pitch-black darkness.
Zhu Lie's expression changed drastically — he had suddenly realized something was terribly wrong.