The absence of an evolution level was sothing Ye Zhongming had encountered before, but only in extrely unique entities—whether it was the green-skinned demons or that monstrous creature in the Cold Bay Rainforest, all of them had left him with profound impressions and experiences.
Especially the latter. Even now, Cloud Peak had yet to uncover its secrets.
That incident had beco one of the few things since his rebirth that left Ye Zhongming utterly baffled and bewildered.
And now, another one had appeared?
According to Old Man, these Blowdart Dolls were white in color, clearly distinct from the green-skinned monsters and nothing like that creature with a space in its stomach. Was this yet another entirely new anomaly?
"Mr. Ye, it's not that I'm afraid of death. If you give the order, I’ll go in. But if there’s no urgency, I’d suggest taking a detour. It’d add over a week to our journey, but it’d be much safer."
Ye Zhongming shook his head without speaking, clearly rejecting the suggestion.
Cloud Peak was strong now, but the major factions behind them were catching up rapidly. The top ten factions in the country had all entered a phase of accelerated developnt.
Cloud Peak’s previous advantage—being able to swiftly hunt level eight lifeforms due to their individual combat prowess—was no longer unique. Other factions could do the sa now, and the number of eight-star evolved among the super factions increased daily.
Under such circumstances, maintaining Cloud Peak’s lead was a race against ti.
This rescue mission had already taken longer than expected. Adding another week was not sothing Ye Zhongming wanted.
Moreover, while Ye Zhongming had initially prepared thoroughly before setting out to rescue the Talking Lady, scattered intelligence suggested that Yakutsk had been embroiled in turmoil for so ti now, and the Talking Lady might still be in danger.
Now that hope for rescue was in sight, Ye Zhongming didn’t want to waste any more ti.
Beyond that, his own tiline was also a concern.
Since he was already in the northern wastelands, he still needed to head to North Arica to obtain another Crown—a Ruler-grade artifact. The opening date for that location was fast approaching.
He had to arrive to secure such an item the mont it beca accessible. Otherwise, soone else would inevitably claim it first.
After all, quite a few people knew about this.
And truth be told, Ye Zhongming was deeply curious about both the White Tiger Beetles and the Blowdart Dolls. Even that terrifying Ghost Mist intrigued him.
He refused to believe in so all-devouring supernatural fog. There had to be a logical explanation behind it.
Seeing that Mr. Ye had dismissed his suggestion, Old Man said nothing more and imdiately ordered his n to prepare so tools.
Xiao Xuan, Xiao Min, and the others watched as they crafted ice balls—slightly varying in size but generally uniform, each roughly the weight of an adult.
Obviously, these were ant to deal with the White Tiger Beetles’ pit traps.
These could be made on the spot by digging out chunks of earth or cutting boulders with leveled weapons—simple enough.
"This is just a crude solution. The pits dug by the White Tiger Beetles aren’t so easily avoided. Their hearing is incredibly sharp. Sotis, when they sense life approaching, they’ll hide in their tunnels and wait until the target is close before actively breaking through the ice to attack."
Old Man shook his head as he spoke. If the creatures of the Ice Crystal Swamp could be countered so easily, this place wouldn’t be known as a "non-dungeon death zone."
Carrying these one-to-two-hundred-pound ice balls—or blocks—was no issue for the evolved. Cloud Peak’s forces advanced into the Ice Crystal Swamp using them to clear the path.
Once inside, the experience was completely different from the outside.
The snowstorms and howling winds seed to vanish, plunging the world into sudden silence. The towering ice pillars of varying sizes ford a vast crystalline palace, making it feel like they’d entered a fairy tale.
Whether it was Old Man’s team or Cloud Peak’s fighters, a dazed fascination flickered in their eyes.
Lush greenery and blooming flowers embodied the beauty of the southern landscapes, while the icy wilderness held the grandeur of the north. Starkly different, yet each breathtaking in its own way.
The rumbling of the ice balls rolling across the ground sowhat disrupted the serene harmony.
Boom!
After just a few minutes of travel, one of the ice blocks plumted into a hole after rolling a dozen ters, revealing a pit over two ters wide. Whatever was inside imdiately shattered the ice, sending fragnts flying out of the opening.
Then, several white figures shot out from the hole, lunging at the nearest Cloud Peak fighter.
It was a squad of female guard warriors. Battle-hardened, they remained utterly unfazed. Only when the creatures were nearly upon them did they draw their weapons and strike with lethal precision.
Old Man and his team watched in astonishnt. They knew firsthand how tough those White Tiger Beetle shells were, yet they couldn’t withstand a single blow from these compatriots.
Perhaps enraged by their fallen kin, more beetles surged from the pit. But against the seven-star female guard, these creatures posed no threat whatsoever.
The skirmish ended as abruptly as it began. When a squad of female guard fighters rushed to the pit’s edge and attacked inside, every last White Tiger Beetle was exterminated.
"Their eggs."
One warrior jumped into the pit and retrieved three milky-white eggs, each slightly larger than a goose egg.
Ye Zhongming gave them only a glance before ordering them stored away. He was far more interested in the beetles’ corpses.
Though these lower-level lifeforms seed fragile against the high-grade weapons of the female guards, their shells were, as Old Man had said, incredibly tough.
After personally processing the materials, Ye Zhongming commanded the team to press forward. The flesh of the beetles was fed to the ice birds, who relished these frost-dwelling creatures.
At the sa ti, Ye Zhongming collected samples of the crystalline ice. He was puzzled—how had these formations co to be, and why did they expand on their own?
As they progressed, White Tiger Beetle ambushes continued relentlessly. The rolling ice balls triggered so, while others attacked outright.
The frequency of these assaults was staggering, and in certain areas, their density was overwhelming. Though Cloud Peak handled them all, the pressure was palpable. Had this been any other team without their superior levels and gear, the losses would’ve been devastating.
After about an hour, the beetle attacks began tapering off. Whether this was temporary remained unclear. Coincidentally, they’d run out of ice balls, so while so dug for more, others took turns resting.
Then, the ice birds circling above suddenly relayed a ssage: another evolved team had been spotted not far ahead.
Soone else was in the Ice Crystal Swamp?
Ye Zhongming imdiately halted all activity. The team advanced another hundred ters, using the dense ice pillars as cover, and they stealthily closed in on the unknown group.
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