108: Chapter 108 The Crane and the Clam Fight

Li Qing restrained his entire aura, pushing his Spirit Concealment Art to its limit. He pressed his entire body against the cold ice ridge, keeping his breathing extremely light, fearing that the slightest movement would alert the three Houtu Sect Disciples ahead.

This ice plain was covered in sharp ice spikes, and the ice layer underfoot was incredibly slippery. He walked with extreme caution, step by step, following the three Houtu Sect Disciples from a hundred yards away, ensuring he wouldn't lose them while avoiding easy detection.

After traveling for about half an incense stick's time, the faint scent of the mysterious ice flower grew stronger, and the distant Ice Valley was now right before his eyes.

He saw four pale blue flowers growing on an Ice Platform in the center of the Ice Valley. Their petals were crystalline and translucent, coated in a thin layer of ice crystals, while their stamens emitted a pearly white light. Wisps of pure Spiritual Qi swirled around them; at a glance, one could tell they were no ordinary items—these were the mysterious ice flowers that everyone was fighting over!

Upon seeing these mysterious ice flowers, the eyes of the three Houtu Sect Disciples instantly turned red. Their pace quickened significantly, and their faces were filled with wild ecstasy.

"It really is the mysterious ice flower! Four whole stalks, we've struck it rich!"

"Quick! Pick them immediately, lest Disciples from other Sects arrive soon!"

"Senior Brother, let's get to work quickly. Once we've divided them, we'll immediately go look for other Opportunities!"

As the three spoke, they rushed to the edge of the Ice Platform. One of the Disciples reached out, intending to pick the mysterious ice flower in the center that appeared to be of the highest quality.

But the moment his hand touched the petals, a sinister laugh suddenly echoed from a crevice in the ice nearby: "Hehehe, trash from the Houtu Sect, is this mysterious ice flower something you can touch? I think you're tired of living!"

As soon as the voice fell, three black figures suddenly darted out from the ice crevice. Each was dressed in black robes, with sinister ghost Qi on their faces, and they held bone swords radiating black mist. Their Spiritual Qi was chilling and bone-piercing; at a glance, they were clearly Ghost Bone Sect Disciples.

The Ghost Bone Sect had always acted viciously and had a poor reputation among Ten Great Sects, specializing in sneak attacks and underhanded schemes. These three had clearly been hiding here for a long time, waiting for the Houtu Sect Disciples to arrive so they could reap the rewards.

The three Houtu Sect Disciples were startled and immediately retreated a few steps, each summoning their own Magical Artifacts, watching the three Ghost Bone Sect Disciples with vigilance.

"People from the Ghost Bone Sect! How dare you ambush us!"

The leading Houtu Sect Disciple shouted angrily, and the earthy yellow shield in his hand instantly blocked his front.

The Houtu Sect primarily cultivated earth-based Cultivation Techniques; their defense had always been formidable, and they were tough and resilient, though their offensive power was slightly weaker.

The Ghost Bone Sect, on the other hand, focused on Yin souls and bone arts, with sinister and vicious Moves that targeted vital points. As the two sides faced off, the atmosphere instantly became tense.

"We discovered these mysterious ice flowers first. Get lost immediately, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

Another Houtu Sect Disciple said in a deep voice.

The tall, thin Disciple leading the Ghost Bone Sect scoffed, toying with the bone sword in his hand with a disdainful expression: "Discovered first? Things in this Secret Realm have always gone to those capable. You three pieces of trash, are you worthy of taking the mysterious ice flower? Today, not only is this flower ours, but your lives must also remain here!"

With nothing more to say, the two sides didn't waste any more breath and immediately started fighting.

The Ghost Bone Sect Disciples struck first. Three Yin souls whistled as they lunged toward the three Houtu Sect Disciples. Their soul bodies were pitch black, carrying a pungent, fishy stench, and as the bone swords swung, waves of black Sword Qi struck directly at their vital points.

The three Houtu Sect Disciples did not show weakness either. They shouted in unison, their earth-based Spiritual Qi surging. Three thick earth shields appeared out of thin air, firmly protecting them, while they simultaneously summoned earth spikes to shoot at the Ghost Bone Sect Disciples.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Yin souls crashed into the earth shields, emitting sharp, grating sounds. The shields wobbled but were not broken.

The Ghost Bone Sect Disciples were nimble, easily dodging the incoming earth spikes and retaliating with sinister bone blades.

For a time, Spiritual Qi splashed throughout the Ice Valley, with constant rumbling sounds and ice shards flying everywhere. The two sides fought fiercely.

The Houtu Sect's strength lay in their formidable defense, which could not be broken for a while.

The Ghost Bone Sect's Moves were insidious, relying on maneuvering and sneak attacks, pushing the Houtu Sect Disciples into a steady retreat. They were soon wounded, with several cuts from the bone blades, and black mist swirled around the wounds, clearly indicating they had been poisoned by Yin toxins.

"Senior Brother, we can't go on like this. Their Moves are too poisonous; we can't hold on!"

One Houtu Sect Disciple clutched his wound and shouted, his face pale.

"What are you afraid of! Fight them to the death! The mysterious ice flowers must never be surrendered!"

The Houtu Sect Disciple taking the lead turned red-eyed. He channeled all his Spiritual Qi, reinforcing his earth shield several times over, and charged at the Ghost Bone Sect Disciples like a madman.

Both sides fought until they were both battered and exhausted. The three Houtu Sect Disciples were all injured, and their Spiritual Qi was mostly depleted.

The three Ghost Bone Sect Disciples didn't fare well either. One of them had been struck in the shoulder by an earth spike, slowing his movements. Both sides were exhausted, yet their eyes remained fixed on the mysterious ice flowers on the Ice Platform, neither willing to yield.

All of this was witnessed by Li Qing, who was hiding behind an ice ridge in the distance.

He remained motionless, his eyes calmly fixed on the battlefield as he calculated the timing in his heart.

Now was not the time to go out. Both sides still had combat strength; if he went out now, he might be targeted by their combined forces.

But just as Li Qing was waiting patiently, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a figure faintly hidden behind an ice cliff above the Ice Valley. The person was wearing clothes with animal patterns, carried a faint aura of beasts, and gripped a beast-bone whip. He was watching the two groups fighting below without moving, his eyes sinister, clearly also waiting to reap the rewards.

It was a Wan Shou Sect Disciple!

Li Qing's heart shivered. No wonder he had always felt something was wrong; it turned out there was a third party hiding in the shadows.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect specialized in beast-taming arts and often brought Yao Beasts with them, so their combat strength could not be underestimated. This Disciple was hiding alone, certainly intending to wait until the Houtu Sect and the Ghost Bone Sect were both battered and exhausted before emerging to seize the mysterious ice flowers in one fell swoop, and incidentally, deal with both groups.

This was getting interesting. The Houtu Sect and Ghost Bone Sect were fighting openly, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect was snatching in secret, and he was the fourth party hidden at the deepest level.

Li Qing was no longer in a rush. He simply continued to lie in wait, operating his Spirit Concealment Art even more thoroughly, not leaking even a trace of Spiritual Qi, and quietly watched this good show.

The fight below continued. The Houtu Sect Disciples ultimately had more defense than offense, gradually falling into a disadvantage. They were forced to retreat repeatedly by the three Ghost Bone Sect Disciples and looked as if they could no longer hold on.

The leading Ghost Bone Sect Disciple sneered, suddenly exerting force with his bone sword. A thick, black Sword Qi slashed directly at the leading Houtu Sect Disciple: "Trash, it's time to end this!"

The Houtu Sect Disciple hurriedly channeled his earth shield to block. With a "crack," the earth shield was directly shattered, and he himself was knocked backward by the Sword Qi, falling heavily onto the ice surface, vomiting blood, and unable to climb back up.

The remaining two Houtu Sect Disciples panicked upon seeing this. Without their backbone, they instantly lost their formation.

"Senior Brother!"

"Damn it!"

The Ghost Bone Sect Disciples pressed their advantage, their bone swords thrusting straight at the two, seemingly about to take their lives.

Just at this critical moment, the Wan Shou Sect Disciple on the ice cliff finally moved!

"Roar!"

With a great shout, he summoned a Peak First-Order Ice-Patterned Leopard. The Yao Beast roared as it leaped down from the ice cliff, lunging straight at the Ghost Bone Sect Disciples. At the same time, he swung the beast-bone whip in his hand, and a whip shadow, accompanied by a beast's roar, lashed toward the leader of the Ghost Bone Sect.

"Ten Thousand Beasts Sect! You dare to come and snatch it too!"

The Ghost Bone Sect Disciples were both shocked and furious. They hadn't expected another ambush and hurriedly turned to defend themselves.

Now the situation was completely chaotic. Originally, the Ghost Bone Sect had the advantage, but the emergence of the Wan Shou Sect Disciple with his Yao Beast instantly reversed the situation.

The Ice-Patterned Leopard was extremely fast, its claws incredibly sharp, clawing and biting at the Ghost Bone Sect Disciples.

The three Ghost Bone Sect Disciples were already heavily exhausted. Facing the Wan Shou Sect's sneak attack, they were soon forced into a steady retreat. Not long after, all of them were severely injured, their Spiritual Qi almost completely depleted.