Chapter 45: The roar of blood and ice

The Bloodfang Bear's roar shattered the air like thunder, sending birds fleeing from the trees. Its crimson eyes locked onto the trio, and with terrifying speed for its massive size, it charged. The ground quaked beneath its weight.

Hyeon grinned, stepping forward without fear. "Finally! Something worth fighting!" His aura flared — golden and fierce, like a rising sun. The Celestial Tyrant Edict flowed through his veins, and his presence alone felt like it could crush the air itself.

"Don't get reckless!" Yoon-Hee's voice was calm, but frost laced her words. Her hands moved in intricate gestures, and the temperature around her plummeted. The Azure Lotus Scripture responded, and icy petals began to swirl around her, sharp enough to cut stone.

Seol-Yeong didn't speak. He moved.

In a blink, he was gone — his speed almost unnatural. The Primordial Ascent Manual was already pushing his body beyond mortal limits. He reappeared above the bear, his sword descending in a streak of azure light.

The bear roared and swung a claw the size of a tree. The impact met Seol-Yeong's sword mid-air, and the shockwave cracked the earth.

Hyeon used that moment. With a burst of golden energy, he launched himself forward, his fist blazing with celestial power. "Heaven-Breaking Strike!" His punch connected with the bear's side — and the beast stumbled, a pained roar escaping its throat as its ribs cracked.

"I'll freeze its movements!" Yoon-Hee's voice was sharp. She raised her hands, and a lotus of pure ice bloomed above her. "Frost Lotus Bloom!" The petals scattered — and where they landed, the ground and the bear's fur began to freeze solid.

The Bloodfang Bear roared again, its rage pushing through the pain. It twisted, trying to lash out at all three of them at once — but Seol-Yeong was faster.

He landed on its back, his sword flaring with power. "Primordial Blade: First Form — Sky-Cleaving Slash."

The strike fell.

The bear howled as a deep, burning gash split across its back, and its movements slowed under the combined assault.

But it wasn't done yet.

Its body began to glow with a dark crimson aura — its rage reaching its peak. Bloodlust rolled off it in waves, and the ground cracked beneath it. It opened its mouth — and an orb of dark energy began to form.

"Not good," Hyeon muttered.

"I won't let it!" Yoon-Hee's eyes glowed with cold determination. She raised both hands. "Lotus Seal: Absolute Freeze!"

The air turned to ice. The bear's legs froze solid, the ground beneath it crystallizing in an instant — but the orb of energy still grew.

"Seol-Yeong!" she called.

He was already moving.

In a blur, he appeared before the bear's face, his sword raised high. The Primordial Ascent Manual flared within him, and his aura burned brighter than ever before. "Let's end this."

The sword fell — and the world split.

The orb shattered. The bear's roar turned into a gurgled whimper — and then silence. Its massive form collapsed, shaking the ground one last time.

For a moment, there was only quiet.

Then Hyeon laughed, clapping Seol-Yeong on the back. "Now that was a fight!"

Yoon-Hee sighed, brushing ice from her sleeves. "You two are impossible." But there was a smile tugging at her lips.

As they stood over the fallen beast, Seol-Yeong's eyes fell on something glimmering in the creature's chest — a Beast Core, pulsing with power.

Their journey had only just begun.