chapter Two

**Chapter 2: The Ice Sect's Trial**

The white-robed cultivator—Elder Liang, as he introduced himself—led me through the snow-laden forest with effortless grace. His feet barely left prints in the snow, while my massive paws sank deep with every step.

**"You're slow,"** he remarked, glancing back.

I huffed, my breath forming frosty clouds. "I'm a bear. Not a damn rabbit."

Elder Liang's eyebrow twitched. **"A beast that speaks… and has attitude. The Sect Master will either be thrilled or have you skinned for a rug."**

I bared my teeth. **"Try it."*

He laughed, the sound sharp like cracking ice. "Oh, I like you."

---

The Northern Ice Sect was carved into a glacier, its towering gates shimmering with intricate frost formations. Disciples in pale blue robes trained in the courtyards—swords clashing, fists encased in ice, some even riding gusts of wind like it was nothing.

All of them stopped to stare as I lumbered in behind Elder Liang.

**"Is that… a spirit beast?"**

**"Why is it so fat?"**

**"Look at its claws! Are those natural frost patterns?"**

I growled, and the nearest disciples flinched. Good.

Elder Liang flicked his sleeve. **"Back to your training. This one is under my protection."**

Protection? More like recruitment. I wasn't stupid—they wanted something from me.

---

The Sect Master sat atop a throne of eternal ice, his gaze colder than the winds outside. His beard was long and silver, his eyes like chips of frozen jade.

**"A talking Frostbear,"** he mused. **"Either a blessing or an ill omen."**

Elder Liang bowed. **"Sect Master, this beast has intelligence beyond its kind. It could be useful."**

**"Or dangerous,"** countered a sharp-faced woman standing beside the throne—Elder Mei, if the icy daggers in her glare were any indication. **"Beasts are tools, not allies. It should be collared and bound."**

I snarled. **"Put a collar on me, and I'll bite your arm off."**

The disciples gasped. A mortal beast, daring to threaten an elder?

Elder Mei's hand shot out, a whip of frozen Qi forming in her grip. **"You dare—?!"**

**"Enough."** The Sect Master's voice cut through the tension. **"If it speaks, it can negotiate. Beast, why are you here?"**

I hesitated. Did I tell them I was once human? That I had no idea why I was here? No—they'd dissect me for answers.

**"I seek strength,"** I rumbled. Simple. True enough.

The Sect Master studied me, then nodded. **"Then you will undergo the Trial of Frozen Blood. Survive, and the sect will acknowledge you. Fail, and you become materials for alchemy."**

Elder Liang stiffened. **"Sect Master, that trial is for human disciples—"**

**"And if it's as special as you claim,"** the Sect Master interrupted, **"it will endure."**

Elder Mei smirked.

I had a bad feeling about this.

---

The Trial of Frozen Blood was held in a cavern deep beneath the glacier. The moment I stepped inside, the cold bit deeper than anything I'd felt before—a chill that seeped into my bones, my blood, my very Qi.

**[Warning: Extreme Frost Qi Detected!]**

**[Frost Resistance Activated!]**

Good. At least my bear body was built for this.

But then the ice beneath me shifted.

A massive serpent, its scales like polished sapphire, erupted from the ground. Its eyes glowed an eerie white, and its breath turned the air into razor-sharp ice shards.

**[Frostvein Serpent – Spirit Beast (Stage 5)]**

**[Ability: Absolute Freeze – Can solidify Qi within a target's veins.]**

**"Oh, you've got to be kidding me,"** I growled.

The serpent struck.

I barely dodged, but its tail slammed into my side, sending me skidding across the ice. Pain flared—but then something inside me stirred. The cold wasn't just hurting me. It was feeding me.

**[Frost Qi absorbed!]**

**[Qi +10!]**

Wait… I could **eat** this?

The serpent hissed, sensing my sudden shift in energy. It lunged again, fangs dripping with frozen venom.

This time, I didn't dodge.

I **bit back.**

My jaws clamped down on its neck, frost Qi flooding my mouth. The serpent thrashed, but I held on, drinking in the energy like a starved beast. Because that's exactly what I was.

**[Qi +20!]**

**[Qi +30!]**

The serpent's movements slowed. Its scales dulled.

And then—

**CRACK.**

Its body shattered like glass.

Panting, I stood victorious, my fur now shimmering with a faint blue aura.

**[Congratulations!]**

**[Realm Advancement: Mortal Beast → Spirit Beast (Stage 2)]**

**[New Ability Unlocked: Frost Aura – Releases a chilling presence that weakens enemies.]**

The Sect Master's voice echoed through the cavern.

**"Impressive. Perhaps you are more than just a beast."**

Elder Mei's scowl deepened.

And Elder Liang? He looked at me like I was a treasure.

This trial was just the beginning