Chapter 10: Desperation

The chamber grew colder with each passing second, every surface now coated in a layer of spiritual frost that seemed to drink in what little light remained. Only the [BOSS] [LV15 Tiger-Eyed Lunar Wolf Leader]'s silver markings and the haunting forms of its spectral pack provided illumination, their ethereal glow casting twisted shadows that danced across the crystalline walls.

"Lin Tian!" Zhao Lingfeng called out, his voice hoarse. "We need to ru—" He broke into a coughing fit, the intense cold making it difficult to even speak.

Through blurred vision, he saw Lin Tian standing perfectly still, his sword held in a stance Zhao Lingfeng didn't recognize. There was something different about his companion's bearing now, a tension that hinted at carefully contained power. The ring on Lin Tian's finger gleamed with a faint light that seemed to push back against the encroaching darkness.

"I know," Lin Tian whispered to himself, his voice carrying an odd undertone. "But using that would..." He hesitated, conflict evident in his expression. The ring's glow pulsed once, like a silent warning.

The Leader's spiritual pressure intensified. The spectral wolves' howls reached a crescendo, their forms beginning to blur and merge with their master. Streams of silver energy spiralled upward, forming what looked like a second moon in the darkness above.

Zhao Lingfeng tried to move, to reach for another elixir, but the frost had spread too far. His limbs felt like they were encased in ice, each movement requiring tremendous effort. The Leader's spiritual pressure pressed down with ever-increasing force, making even breathing a struggle.

Ten feet away, Lin Tian's grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles turned white. The ring's glow steadied.

"Not yet," Lin Tian muttered, though whether to himself or to some unseen presence, Zhao Lingfeng couldn't tell. "There has to be another way..."

The darkness deepened, and a second spectral moon began to form alongside the first. The temperature dropped even further, past the point where normal ice could form. This was spiritual frost, the kind that could freeze the very essence of a cultivator.

Zhao Lingfeng's mind raced, trying to find a solution through the numbing cold. Running was what he thought of at first, but it was doubtful they could escape together. No one had to mention who would be the one left behind if it came to that.

The Leader's power was overwhelming, but there had to be a weakness, a pattern, something they could exploit. Every boss had a trick to it, didn't they?

But this wasn't a game.

Death was real.

In the worst case scenario, Zhao Lingfeng still had his Newbie Armor. So he was able to survive one full blow.

No matter how powerful this High-Tier beast was, it was only at Level 15.

It can't be so strong to unleash a full strike at the level of a Golden Core… right?

There were still some abilities granted by [Transcendent Resonance]. They were definitely powerful, but they were too risky.

Is the only option to bet on chance? Zhao Lingfeng, grimaced in thought.

The ghostly moons above began to align, their combined light focusing on the Leader's form. Its eyes, now blazing like captured stars, fixed upon them with absolute certainty of victory.

This was a technique meant to end things.

The finishing move that would leave nothing but frozen statues where two young cultivators had once stood.

"Lin Tian," Zhao Lingfeng managed through chattering teeth, "whatever trump card you're holding back... now might be the time..."

Lin Tian's response was lost as the Leader threw back its head and released a howl that shook the very foundations of the chamber. The sound carried more than just power; it held the essence of moonlight itself, the cold beauty of winter nights, and the merciless nature of a perfect predator.

Seeing that Lin Tian was still very reluctant, Zhao Lingfeng could only groan in irritation. He pressed his back against the ancient pillar for support, his chest still aching from where the Leader's attack had sent him flying despite the potion's effects. When he turned his back, his eyes suddenly widened.

The pillar, despite having absorbed the full force of his impact, showed barely signs of damage.

"The pillars," he whispered, his breath visible in the freezing air. "They're..."

His observation was cut short as another wave of bone-chilling spiritual pressure washed over him. Above, the twin spectral moons continued their ominous alignment, their light casting everything in shades of silver that made navigation treacherous. Shadows seemed to twist and move, playing tricks on his frost-dazed mind. Even the familiar space between pillars had become a maze of misleading reflections.

They needed something to absorb the Leader's ultimate technique.

Something substantial enough to take the blow.

A plan began to form in his mind, but it still required some risk, but it was better than the other risks he had thought of. From his inventory, his trembling fingers reached for [The Beast Tamer's Whistle]. His fingers tightened around the whistle as he raised it to his lips, hope and desperation mingling in his chest.

Please be something big!

He prayed.

The clear note pierced through the howling spiritual winds.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, from the shadows between pillars, came the sound of hooves on stone. Zhao Lingfeng's heart sank as a Spirit Earth Boar emerged into the silver light, its stocky form barely larger than a common mountain pig. Its brown hide bristled with a modest amount of spiritual energy, but compared to the Leader's overwhelming presence, it seemed almost pitiful.

[LV7 Low-Tier Spirit Earth Boar has been summoned to your side temporarily!]

"A boar?" Lin Tian's voice carried a note of disbelief. "That's what we have to work with?"

The boar pawed at the frost-covered ground, its small eyes reflecting the ghostly moonlight above. It wasn't the massive shield Zhao Lingfeng had hoped for, but as he watched it move, an idea began to form. The beast's low center of gravity, its natural stubbornness...

Another blast of freezing wind swept through the chamber, carrying with it slivers of spiritual frost that bit into exposed skin. Zhao Lingfeng tried to move to a better position but found his legs refusing to cooperate properly. The intensifying cold had made his joints stiff, each movement requiring conscious effort. Even Lin Tian, with his superior cultivation, showed signs of the frost's effects as he shifted his stance.

Through the silvery haze, Zhao Lingfeng watched as the converging moons twisted together, their light bleeding into a single massive form. The spiritual energy condensed and curved, taking the shape of a colossal fang that gleamed with the cold radiance of winter nights.

The [BOSS] [LV15 Tiger-Eyed Lunar Wolf Leader]'s eyes still remained locked on Zhao Lingfeng, its gaze promising swift and absolute death. The frost had spread up his legs now, making even the smallest movement an exercise in pure willpower.

The Spirit Earth Boar snorted defiantly, steam rising from its nostrils as it pawed at the frost-covered ground. Though small, its stocky frame held a certain resilience that seemed to resist the crushing spiritual pressure. Its beady eyes darted between the pillars, showing far more awareness than Zhao Lingfeng had initially credited it with.

"Lin Tian," Zhao Lingfeng called out, his voice barely carrying through the howling winds. "The pillars... they're incredibly sturdy, but—" Another wracking cough cut him off as the freezing air burned his lungs.

CRACK!

A sharp crack echoed through the chamber. One of the nearby pillars had developed a thin fracture, the sound bouncing oddly off the crystalline surfaces. The acoustics created a disorienting cascade of echoes that made it nearly impossible to track where any sound truly originated. In the silver-tinted darkness, even the simple act of judging distance had become treacherous.

The spectral fang began its descent, moving with deliberate slowness that spoke of the Leader's absolute confidence. Its spiritual pressure focused entirely on Zhao Lingfeng, the killing intent so palpable it seemed to make the very air crystallize.

But in that confident approach, Zhao Lingfeng saw their chance. The Leader's complete focus on him, the pillars' strange properties, the boar's stubborn nature… pieces of a desperate plan began to click into place.

"Lin Tian," he managed through chattering teeth, "can you still move enough to reach the third pillar?" He kept his eyes fixed on the descending fang, trying to gauge its speed through the disorienting play of light and shadow.

A grunt of acknowledgment came from somewhere to his left. The sound echoed strangely, making it difficult to pinpoint his exact position in the crystalline maze.

The Spirit Earth Boar shifted restlessly, its hooves scraping against the frozen stone. Unlike them, its natural affinity for earth seemed to grant it better purchase on the treacherous ground. Its small size, which had initially seemed a weakness, meant it could move more freely in the increasingly confined space.

Another crack resonated through the chamber as the spiritual pressure intensified. The stone resembling pillars, for all their durability, were beginning to show signs of strain. Yet they still stood, their surfaces unmarred despite the overwhelming forces pressing against them.

Zhao Lingfeng's fingers had gone numb from the cold, but his mind raced with calculations. The Leader's attack was committed now. It couldn't easily change direction once launched. And therein lay their slim chance for survival.

If they could just time it right...

"When I give the signal," Zhao Lingfeng rasped, fighting through the burning cold in his lungs, "we need to create chaos." His eyes darted between the descending spectral fang and the pillars. "Make it... make it doubt its aim."

The boar snorted again, pawing at the ground with increasing agitation. Small cracks appeared in the icy coating where its hooves struck, revealing glimpses of the ancient stone beneath.

The Leader's eyes narrowed slightly.

The first sign of anything but absolute confidence it had shown. The spectral fang's descent slowed fractionally, as if testing whether this was some kind of trick.

Perfect.

"Now!" Zhao Lingfeng commanded, forcing his frozen limbs into motion. He lurched to the side, deliberately stumbling as if the frost had finally overcome him. The Leader's spiritual pressure immediately intensified, focusing on what appeared to be an easy kill.

Lin Tian moved like flowing water despite the frost, his sword flashing as he darted between pillars. The disorienting echoes of his footsteps bounced off the crystalline surfaces, making it seem as if multiple cultivators were moving through the shadows.

The Spirit Earth Boar charged forward with unexpected speed, its stocky form barrelling straight toward the nearest pillar. At the last moment, it veered sharply, its hooves sending up a spray of spiritual frost that caught the ethereal light and scattered it in dazzling patterns.

The Leader's concentration wavered for a crucial instant as it tried to track multiple targets through the confusion of light and sound. The spectral fang's trajectory shifted slightly, adjusting to follow what it perceived as Zhao Lingfeng's true position.

But Zhao Lingfeng wasn't there anymore.

Using the last of his strength, he pushed off from the pillar he'd been leaning against. His numb legs barely responded, but momentum carried him forward. The boar, showing far more tactical awareness than any normal beast, had circled back around. Its broad side now presented a makeshift ramp in front of one of the ancient pillars.

The spectral fang plunged downward with devastating force, its path now committed.

"MOVE!" Lin Tian shouted from somewhere in the shadows, his voice creating another cascade of misleading echoes.

Zhao Lingfeng hit the boar's flank and rolled, the beast's sturdy form helping to redirect his momentum upward. For a brief moment, he was airborne, the world a dizzying swirl of silver light and shadow.

Below him, the boar suddenly puffed up with pride at its successful assistance, taking a moment too long to savor its cleverness.

Snrrrrk!!

That single moment of complacency proved fatal.

The spectral fang struck the exact point where Zhao Lingfeng had been a heartbeat before. The impact sent a shockwave of spiritual energy through the chamber that caught the proud boar in its radius. Its small form instantly froze solid before shattering into countless glittering fragments.

[Your summoned LV7 Low-Tier Spirit Earth Boar has been slain!]

The ancient pillar, for all its durability, couldn't fully withstand the concentrated essence of moonlight.

Crack crack crack crack…

A spider web of cracks spread across its surface with frightening speed, each one glowing with trapped spiritual energy. The sound of stone giving way echoed through the chamber like breaking bones.

BOOOM!!