Flashback

Chapter Fourteen: Flashback

So, I was extremely excited as I flew toward the center of the spiritual fluctuations.

As I got closer, I began to clearly distinguish several powerful auras.

There was at least a 100,000-year-old spirit beast fighting a strong Spirit Master, and its aura was a full level stronger compared to the Spirit Master I fought before my breakthrough.

Since I know who controls this region, it's likely that this is the Ice Scorpion Empress, and her opponent right now is a combat Spirit Master title holder, with an aura half as strong as the Empress's.

There was another human aura moving in the opposite direction, and my mother was following it.

Since the Ice Scorpion Empress didn't need assistance and was already suppressing her opponent, his death was only a matter of time.

But what interested me most was the aura of the other Spirit Master.

Although it was weaker than the previous two auras, it was almost twice as strong as the Spirit Master I fought before my breakthrough. He was probably at level 90!

When I arrived, I saw the Ice Scorpion Empress easily suppressing her opponent.

As I expected, her opponent was a combat Spirit Master title holder with a turtle head dragon spirit, possessing the best possible spirit ring configuration.

But his condition was dire, even after activating his spirit body.

I also saw the other Spirit Master; he had an ice sword spirit and was surrounded by ice scorpions, so I quickly flew toward him.

"Don't touch him, I'll deal with him myself!" I landed a few dozen meters from the Spirit Master and roared, while simultaneously sending a mental message.

After all, there were only a few spirit beasts over ten thousand years old, and the rest were spirit beasts around a thousand years old or less, so without my intervention, this wouldn't have happened this way.

After landing, I began studying my future opponent. After all, a level 90 Spirit Master with an optimal spirit ring configuration is no easy feat. However, even though I knew I had to remain extremely composed, as they say, I couldn't control my heart. Excitement began to take over, and the desire to face a strong opponent in a deadly battle rose within me.

In front of me stood a man about fifty years old, with gray hair. At first, he watched my mother fly past him with fear, but he regained his seriousness, especially with the scorpions surrounding him.

However, he had already spent a significant amount of his spiritual energy controlling the dozens of 10,000-year-old ice scorpions, not to mention the hundreds of thousand-year-old scorpions. Now, he looked at me with slight disdain, even though he knew I hadn't surpassed 15,000 years.

But what truly stunned him was that the other spirit beasts were listening to me, something he hadn't expected.

"Well, let's see if you have the right to look at me this way," I thought with slight anger. After unleashing my spiritual power along the longitudinal lines to the fullest, I rushed toward him at maximum speed.

Either he didn't take me seriously, or he was overly confident in his defense, as he merely activated his battle spirit, the Ice Sword, forming a one-meter-long ice sword in his hand.

As he prepared to strike, my right claws had already pierced his defense, sending a powerful blow from the tip of my tail directly into his chest.

Before he could comprehend what had happened, he had already been sent flying 50 meters before crashing into a small mound.

(From the perspective of the Spirit Master, the Iceblade Sword)

Damn it! How could everything turn out this badly?!

I spat blood and cursed myself, crawling out from under the snow and ice that had completely engulfed me.

Everything started out so well… It hadn't even been a month since the disciple's breakthrough, but we had already found a suitable spirit beast.

But when we got closer, the disciple was killed in an instant! After all, a spirit beast that's 90,000 years old is no joke.

It fled deeper into its territory, and by the time we caught up to it, it had already reached the gathering place of the Ice Scorpions.

We didn't think much of it back then.

It's extremely difficult to find a suitable spirit beast at the 90,000-year level, but we wanted revenge for the poor disciple, so we didn't pay attention to the Ice Scorpions that began to gather around us.

We attacked them, then started fighting… It turned out to be a huge mistake.

Who would have known that after 15 minutes of effort, right before the final blow to this spirit beast, a specimen more than 100,000 years old would appear! I recognized it immediately… It's the Ice Scorpion Empress! One of the Four Northern Disasters, the Emerald Calamity!

It would have been less bad if it were just a regular 100,000-year-old spirit beast.

We have battle titles as spirit masters, and even if I wasn't a spirit master with a powerful battle title, a 90,000-year-old beast is nothing to underestimate.

But… no! Instead of us suppressing the spirit beast, we were suppressed! And when the second elder stayed behind to hold off the spirit beast, we found ourselves completely surrounded, with no way out.

To make matters worse, the first elder suddenly became enraged, and then… the second elder appeared—a 100,000-year-old Ice Dragon!

Aren't dragons supposed to be extinct in this world?! Yet, before I could process it, the fourth elder activated his element and fled.

Before I could even shout at them for abandoning me, I saw the reason the fourth elder fled… the 100,000-year-old Ice Dragon was flying towards him!

After the shock of fear passed, I felt a strange sense of joy… at least there was a chance of escaping from a 100,000-year-old Ice Scorpion.

But from a 100,000-year-old Ice Dragon? That's impossible… especially in the air.

However, before I could rejoice that the 100,000-year-old spirit beasts were occupied, I saw the Ice Scorpions surrounding me from all directions—dozens of them were tens of thousands of years old, and hundreds more were thousands of years old.

I couldn't even count how many were 100 years old!

I froze immediately and focused as much as I could.

The chances were almost nonexistent, but as long as I could break through this encirclement, there was hope… but suddenly, another dragon appeared, one that was 10,000 years old!

It seemed stupid… or perhaps the pride of dragons prevented it from asking the Ice Scorpion clan for help. It wanted to kill me itself.

I looked at it with disdain…

As I was preparing to activate my battle spirit and attempt to cut off the arm of a 10,000-year-old Ice Dragon, it was rapidly closing in on me, only tens of meters away. Its eyes burned with the thirst for battle.

I was confused… Why did it come here? However, spirit beasts that are 10,000 years old have enough intelligence to recognize when an opponent is much stronger than them, yet it charged at me with incredible speed!

After activating my battle spirit, I decided to sever its arm, but just half a meter before delivering the strike, it suddenly attacked me with its tail! It shot toward my chest at full speed, and although I noticed the attack at the last moment, I couldn't avoid it!

My body flew more than 50 meters and crashed heavily into an icy hill.

I got up and spat some blood.

Although the blow was powerful, it only caused slight internal vibrations, and there was no serious injury.

This 10,000-year-old Ice Dragon… It possesses the strength of a spirit beast at least 20 to 30 thousand years old! Now I understand why dragon clans are considered among the strongest!

Moments after regaining my composure, I realized the harsh truth… everyone could be killed. Even the fourth elder wouldn't be able to escape.

Although the Ice Scorpions aren't attacking now, it's unlikely they'll remain passive for long…

Without hesitation, I activated my battle spirit immediately and rushed to attack!

I swear, if I survive, I will never think of facing a dragon again.

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I apologize for the delay.

I am a high school student, and right now, it's exam time, so it's difficult for me to write.

Number of words in this chapter (1,370 words)

Writing is tiring and difficult.

Reading is easy and enjoyable.

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