Chapter 38: A desperate Struggle

"Once you're in, there's no getting out."

A sharp gleam flashed in Jiang Jue's eyes.

However, the crisis was far from over. The Ice Emperor was still in hot pursuit, closing the distance between them rapidly.

The Ice Emperor's overall strength was roughly equivalent to a peak Rank 97 Titled Douluo, but here in the Extreme North, it had the advantage of its home territory. It could even hold its own against a Rank 98 opponent without much trouble.

"Humans, stop right there!"

The Ice Emperor's cold voice rang from behind, carrying a hint of urgency. The humans had something it desperately needed—the Ten-thousand-year Cold Ice Marrow, which could significantly increase its chances of surviving its fourth heavenly tribulation.

It absolutely could not let them escape!

Determination filled the Ice Emperor's heart as its jade-green glow intensified, increasing its speed even further.

But in its relentless pursuit, it failed to realize that it was moving farther and farther away from its own kind.

"Ahhh!"

"Is this Ice Emperor insane? It's just a piece of Ten-thousand-year Cold Ice Marrow! It's not like we killed its kin! Does it really need to chase us to the ends of the earth?"

The Masked Douluo's face was filled with fear as he fled, cursing nonstop.

"Shut up! Say one more word, and I'll make you stay behind to block the Ice Emperor!"

Zhang Peng's cold voice cut through the air, his gaze toward the Masked Douluo filled with menace.

"I'll shut up! I won't say another word!"

The Masked Douluo fell silent, but he ran even faster.

He had just witnessed Nangong Wan's fate firsthand—Zhang Peng would make good on his threat. He couldn't afford to take any chances.

"This won't work. It's about to catch up. We have to stall it somehow."

"Maybe I should let the Masked Douluo die. After all, it's all for the Holy Sect. As long as the Holy Son and I make it out alive, that's what matters."

As Zhang Peng glanced at the Ice Emperor rapidly closing in behind them, his eyes turned sinister. He cast an eerie look at the Masked Douluo, full of ill intent.

The Masked Douluo seemed to sense something and instinctively distanced himself from Zhang Peng.

"I can't afford to provoke him, so I'll just stay far away!"

"Twelve Beast Spirits!"

Zhang Peng let out a low shout as his eighth soul ring, a ten-thousand-year-old black ring, radiated a dark glow.

Twelve eerie, menacing beast spirits emerged from his body and charged straight toward the Ice Emperor.

But before the Ice Emperor could even attack, the beast spirits detonated on their own!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Thick black mist swirled around them, the shrill cries of the spirits echoing through the air.

Zhang Peng had forced his beast spirits to self-destruct, all to slow down the Ice Emperor.

"What a ruthless man."

Carried in Zhang Peng's grasp, Jiang Jue could see Zhang Peng coughing up dark red blood after detonating the spirits. His face had turned noticeably paler.

These beast spirits had long been linked to Zhang Peng's soul—almost like life-bound spirits. Their self-destruction caused severe backlash, injuring him in turn.

"Very well! Very well! Very well indeed!"

"You humans have completely enraged me! None of you will leave here alive!"

The Ice Emperor's furious voice roared from behind, its rage overflowing. An unfathomable, terrifying aura surged outward.

"Eternal Freeze Domain!"

In the next instant, a blinding jade-green light exploded outward, expanding limitlessly. Within its reach, the temperature plummeted—it was an absolute, bone-chilling cold!

"A domain!"

This was the Ice Emperor's domain—Eternal Freeze Domain.

With the Extreme North enhancing its power, the domain spread at an alarming speed, quickly enveloping the Masked Douluo at the rear.

"I'm doomed!"

The Masked Douluo's heart sank in despair. The moment the green light engulfed him, he felt as though even his soul had frozen. His blood flow slowed to a crawl, and his soul power became difficult to circulate.

"Whoosh!"

The Ice Emperor struck like lightning.

The Masked Douluo's body erupted with countless white parasitic maggots, attempting to shield him, but it was futile.

Before the Ice Emperor even reached him, frost had already begun forming on the maggots. The Masked Douluo's martial soul might have been a beast spirit, but it was ill-suited for defense. After all, how much protection could maggots really provide?

"Get out of my way! Don't block my path!"

"Ice Emperor's Pincer!"

The Ice Emperor swung its right pincer in a brutal strike.

The Masked Douluo spat out a mouthful of blood, but the blow alone wasn't enough to cripple him. However, the freezing cold that followed froze him solid.

In the blink of an eye, he had become a humanoid ice sculpture.

His fate was sealed.

A moment later, his frozen body fell straight toward the icy ground below.

"There's no escaping now."

Zhang Peng let out a bitter laugh.

After forcing his beast spirits to self-destruct, he had suffered backlash. The Ice Emperor was already stronger than him, and now it had used its domain to catch up.

Running was no longer an option—but neither was waiting to die.

"Not running anymore? Then prepare to die!"

Seeing that Zhang Peng had stopped, the Ice Emperor swiftly blocked his path.

The jade-green glow faded, revealing its true form.

At first glance, Jiang Jue was momentarily stunned.

He suddenly understood why Tianmeng had been so obsessed with the Ice Emperor, despite being a different species.

It was because the Ice Emperor was truly unique in appearance.

Its body was about 1.5 meters long, covered in only two colors—icy white and jade green.

Its two front pincers, each a meter long, gleamed with a silver-white sheen, exuding a chilling aura. Its body was covered in special hexagonal scales, reflecting dazzling light like diamonds.

Its eyes shimmered like golden bricks, radiating a crystalline yellow glow. Its tail, composed of five distinct segments, was entirely jade-green, pulsating with a vibrant, life-filled luster.

The five segments tapered toward the tip, with the one closest to the torso being the widest. At the very end, a diamond-shaped stinger was raised high, its sharp silver-white point gleaming like a polished mirror.

However, at this moment, the Ice Emperor had already lifted its pincers, preparing to strike. An overwhelming chill radiated from them.

"Holy Son, I'll hold off the Ice Emperor—run while you still can."

Zhang Peng's voice, infused with soul power, transmitted directly into Jiang Jue's mind.

Jiang Jue was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Zhang Peng to stay behind and fight instead of abandoning him.

What he didn't know was that before they had set out, Zhongli Wu had given strict orders—Jiang Jue's safety was the top priority. If anything happened to him, none of them would be spared upon their return.

Additionally, Ye Xishui had implanted restrictions in their minds.

If Zhang Peng abandoned Jiang Jue and fled, Zhongli Wu would track him down using these restrictions. The consequences would be far worse than staying to fight.

And so, Zhang Peng chose to gamble—even if his chances were slim.

"Roar!"

Zhang Peng's seventh soul ring lit up. A deafening tiger's roar shook the air as he activated his Martial Soul Avatar!

His body expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive black tiger, over fifteen meters long. Dark clouds gathered beneath his feet, his tail curling upward with a deadly hook at the end.

His deep purple eyes radiated savage ferocity. As he let out another thunderous roar, dark shadows emerged from the clouds beneath him, forming various spirit beasts that shrieked as they lunged at the Ice Emperor.

Zhang Peng was ready to fight for his life!