Chapter 77 Chapter 77 “The cold wave here... is very...
Her gaze fell back on Zhu Tianba.
"Tianba," Jiang Qing lowered his voice, but with a hint of excitement, "You said this 'stone' feels very quiet, like it's sleeping, right?"
Zhu Tianba nodded vigorously: "It's very quiet, not as noisy as last time."
"Alright!" Jiang Qing's eyes sharpened. "Since it's inert and 'sleeping', let's try to gently 'wake' it up. It doesn't have to be too loud, just make it turn over and emit a little energy fluctuation."
She pointed to the cracked ice above her head. "This ice shell is very thin and structurally unstable. If there's a slight but concentrated energy disturbance inside, it might cause a small-scale resonance or collapse of the ice."
"The principal blocked visual and physical contact, but this natural change, which originates from within and ripples outward, may not be completely isolated from its impact."
"As long as there is a noticeable, unnatural crack in the ice or ice fragments falling, it may be able to temporarily disrupt or even 'squeeze' a corner of this shield."
Zhu Tianba's eyes lit up when he heard this; he understood what Jiang Qing meant.
It’s not about breaking the rules by force, but about using the natural phenomena within the rules to create loopholes.
Zhu Tianba is eager to try.
"Use your water affinity," Jiang Qing instructed. "Just like you sensed the water beneath the ice, try to connect with and resonate with the ice element surrounding that source of power."
Since the source power of this beast core is of ice attribute and is integrated with the environment of this ice cave, Zhu Tianba's water power should be able to move the magnetic field around it very slightly like a key.
Zhu Tianba took a deep breath, walked to the outside of the barrier as close to the internal light marking point as possible, closed his eyes, and an extremely faint blue halo appeared around his body.
It continuously compressed its perception, penetrated the invisible barrier, and carefully probed into the marked mosaic body.
Jiang Qing held his breath, staring at Zhu Tianba and the mosaic area, while paying attention to the movements of the ice above his head.
The pointer on the field above my head turned little by little, and time passed.
The only sounds in the ice cave were the occasional dripping of water and their heartbeats.
Less than two minutes later, Zhu Tianba's body trembled very slightly.
Almost at the same time, an extremely subtle, almost inaudible "click" sound seemed to be heard from inside the mosaic barrier.
Like the sound of ice crystals breaking.
Then, near the marked point, the distorted and blurry scene showed a slight fluctuation for a very brief moment, and then the mosaic trembled.
Above the head, a slight rustling sound came from the ice layer in the corresponding area, and a few tiny ice chips fell down.
Jiang Qing was quick-eyed and quick-handed. The isolation bag that had been prepared long ago was like the mouth of a hunting snake, and it suddenly covered the location where the fluctuation had just occurred.
Just at the moment when the bag mouth touched the barrier, perhaps because of Zhu Tianba's successful interference with the internal structure, or perhaps because of the slight impact of the falling ice chips from above.
A palm-sized, extremely short "gap" successfully appeared on the mosaic.
Although it only lasted less than two seconds, it was enough for Jiang Qing to see clearly.
With the previous operation, Jiang Qing saw the internal scene.
It was the remains of a dead spirit beast that looked like a ferret but was much larger. In its heart, there was a stone the size of a pigeon egg, which was snow-white and dull, like an ordinary ice crystal.
That should be the inert ice attribute beast core source power.
Jiang Qing murmured.
There was no time to take a closer look. Jiang Qing relied on his muscle memory and strong willpower to flick his wrist and accurately put the bag opening on the source of power.
"Tianba!" she shouted at the same time.
Zhu Tianba was in tune with his master's thoughts. Almost at the same time the gap appeared, he mobilized the little recovered spatial force. Instead of transferring the object, he applied a weak "suction" to the inside of the bag.
"call out--"
An extremely cold air escaped from the gap, instantly freezing Jiang Qing's hands numb.
But the next moment, she felt the bag in her hand sink slightly.
The isolation bag in Jiang Qing's hand bulged slightly, and a layer of frost quickly condensed on the surface.
Jiang Qing looked at the bag in his hand and quickly tightened the buckle without thinking, isolating himself from the biting cold and possible influence of the source of power.
She didn't care that her hands were almost numb from the cold, and immediately stuffed the bag into the innermost part of her tactical backpack.
Laziness is laziness, but that is also the source of beast core power. Who knows if taking it out will awaken it and release some bewitching substances.
Jiang Qing calmed down, then pulled up Zhu Tianba, who was still in an excited state, and looked around, looking for a way to leave.
Although the movement just now was small, it is hard to guarantee that it will not attract attention from the outside world or cause the ice cave to collapse further.
They explored along the edge of the ice cave and finally found an ice crack sloping upward on the other side, which seemed to be a way to climb out.
After landing safely, there was no one around and the cold wind was howling across the white ice field.
It's getting colder.
Jiang Qing shuddered and hurried back. Within two minutes, the drone above his head switched to the public channel.
[Notice: Lingxiao Territory will experience a level 4 cold wave tonight. All contestants please take precautions.]
Jiang Qing's expression changed slightly and he quickened his pace.
The cold wave means the arrival of extreme weather, and the difficulty of the competition will be even more grim.
Therefore, the best option is to return to the outpost and keep the current site points.
She didn't care about the cold and fatigue in her body, and drove Zhu Tianba to start the space teleportation.
Space teleportation can only reach a maximum of 3 kilometers, and it is not possible to teleport at high intensity for a short period of time.
She had no choice but to pass on some parts and walk on some parts, alternating between them.
The wind and snow seemed to become several times stronger the moment she heard the broadcast. The strong wind blew up snowflakes and ice particles as big as goose feathers, hitting her face like a knife. The visibility dropped sharply to less than ten meters.
The temperature was also dropping rapidly. Jiang Qing felt that his blood was almost frozen. The effect of emergency warming seemed to be a drop in the bucket in such severe cold.
"Tianba, can you still sense the direction?" Jiang Qing shouted in the wind, his voice torn into pieces.
Zhu Tianba poked his head out from her collar, the glimmer of light on his mane flickering in the strong wind. He tried to sense something, "Maybe over there?"
It points at someone.
Under this kind of interference, it cannot accurately determine the direction.
I can only move forward based on my feelings and memory.
Jiang Qing gritted his teeth and trudged through the knee-deep snow, taking one step deep and one step shallow.
Every step consumes enormous physical strength, and the source of energy is consumed at an alarming rate.
To make matters worse, she felt the ice field beneath her feet seemed to be shaking slightly, and in the distance came a low vibration, like the roar of a giant beast.
That is the sound of ice being squeezed and broken under the influence of extremely low temperature and unstable environment.
“Crack—”
Suddenly, not far to the front right, a large area of ice suddenly collapsed, forming a huge ice rift valley.
Fortunately, Jiang Qing stopped. She turned around without any hesitation, and her long legs moved quickly, changing direction and continuing to plunge into the white snow.
This damn weather is so cold.
She couldn't help but worry about Renata and the others, wondering if the outpost could withstand such an attack.
Just when her strength was about to run out and her consciousness began to blur due to the cold, a faint light appeared in the wind and snow ahead, and a familiar voice was heard.
"Jiang Qing...Jiang Qing!" It was the voice from Huoqiu Mountain.
I saw the top of Huoqiu Mountain covered in snow and wind, with the Qingbao Spirit Snake following beside it. The snake's pupils emitted a green light, and it struggled to open up a path with slightly higher visibility in the wind and snow.
"The outpost is just ahead. Team Lei asked us to come out and pick up the scattered team members." Huo Qiushan was obviously relieved when he saw Jiang Qing. He grabbed her who was almost frozen and ran back.
With the guidance, the speed was greatly increased.
A few minutes later, the entrance of Outpost No. 3, covered with thick ice and snow and flashing with a faint defensive light film, appeared in front of them.
The moment he rushed into the outpost, a warm feeling mixed with the body temperature of the spirit pet and the breath of humans hit him in the face, making Jiang Qing almost collapse to the ground.
"Jiang Qing? Are you okay?" Lin Wei, Zhao Peng and several other school team members immediately surrounded her, helped her brush off the snow on her body, and handed her a hot drink.
"It's... it's okay." Jiang Qing took a few sips of hot water and felt his frozen body slowly recovering.
She looked around. The atmosphere in the outpost was tense and everyone was on high alert.
Renata stood near the cave entrance, observing the apocalyptic scene outside through the defensive light film, her face solemn.
Ma Chengying and Sun Yi were inspecting the fortifications to ensure they could withstand the blizzard to the greatest extent possible.
Jiang Qing had rested for less than two minutes when the sound of wind and snow outside the cave turned into a continuous, deafening howl.
Ice chips and snow blocks continuously hit the light film, and the light film created by the defensive spirit beast flickered, as if it would break in the next second.
The temperature inside the cave also began to drop significantly.
Ma Chengying frowned and pointed out their current situation: "The temperature continues to drop. Without other options, we have no choice but to eliminate them."
Renata's eyes were determined as she quickly gave the order: "Everyone, gather at the deepest part of the cave. Earth- and ice-type spirit pets will reinforce the inner ice wall to create an insulating layer. Healers, please maintain everyone's body temperature and condition. Huoqiushan and Sun Yi, be ready to respond to any possible attacks."
Although no other academy dared to come out during the cold wave, the strange beasts hid in the wind and snow, and undercurrents were surging.
The order was given and everyone took action immediately.
The school team members who had earth-type or ice-type pets ordered their pets to reinforce and thicken the ice walls inside the cave, trying to create a relatively safe inner space.
Healing spirit pets emit a gentle light, striving to dispel the cold and treat minor frostbite.
Jiang Qing held Zhu Tianba in his arms, leaning against the ice wall, feeling the increasingly violent vibrations coming from under his feet.
Zhu Tianba seemed to care very much about the newly acquired inert beast core source power. Even in such a harsh environment, he would rub Jiang Qing's tactical backpack with his nose from time to time.
"Don't be impatient, this is not the right time." Jiang Qing patted it gently, thinking quickly in his mind.
Will this ice-attributed beast core power have any special effect in this extremely cold environment?
Like… helping to withstand the cold?
Or, like last time, let Zhu Tianba gain stronger control over ice?
But the process of absorbing the beast core power is full of uncertainty.
It’s not that they were worried about it being broadcast live. Five minutes ago, the drone at the stadium was affected by the cold wind and the bottom measurement was interrupted.
Jiang Qing was worried that with powerful enemies surrounding him and the current harsh environment, any rash actions would be extremely risky.
"boom--"
Suddenly, a loud noise came from the direction of the cave entrance, the entire ice cave shook violently, and the ice edges on the top fell down.
The defensive light film was broken.
The icy wind mixed with snow instantly rushed into the cave, causing the temperature to drop sharply.
"Hold the entrance of the cave!" Renata shouted sternly. The huge shadow of the Mother of Ten Thousand Snakes appeared and disappeared in the wind and snow, forcibly blocking most of the gaps.
Ma Chengying's Wind-Splitting Eagle and Sun Yi's Wind-Howling Dog also tried their best to stir up the storm, trying to push the wind and snow back.
But this is a cold wave, a cold wave that can freeze people to death!
The wind and snow were like a flood that broke through a dam, constantly attacking their defense line.
The insulation in the cave was also rapidly failing, and the cold was biting.
"If this goes on... we will all..." A member of the school team was chattering his teeth, his face turned blue, and he held the elimination button tightly in his hand, ready to press it at any time.
Jiang Qing looked at Zhu Tianba, who was curled up in his arms due to the cold, and touched the cold beast core source power in his backpack.
She took a deep breath of the cold air and called to Renata, "Captain Lei, give me a moment. Zhu Tianba and I will try to stabilize the temperature."
Renata turned around and saw the resolute light in Jiang Qing's eyes. She looked at Zhu Tianba in her arms and instantly understood something.
"How long will it take? What do you need us to do?" Renata said without asking any more questions.
"Five minutes, give us five minutes, don't let anything disturb us!" Jiang Qing said quickly.
"Okay! Everyone, defend with all your strength! Buy time for Jiang Qing!" Renata ordered without hesitation.
Although Ma Chengying, Huo Qiushan and others did not understand the reason, they obeyed Renata's orders absolutely and immediately contracted the defense line to protect Jiang Qing and Zhu Tianba in the center.
Jiang Qing quickly took out the isolation bag and unfastened the buckle.
The restrained yet extremely pure aura of extreme cold, unique to the nuclear power of the inert beast, spread out again, but this time, in this world of ice and snow, the chill seemed a little... mild?
Zhu Tianba became excited instantly, his eyes fixed on the snow-white crystal.
"Tianba, just like last time, try to guide it and absorb it." Jiang Qing held the beast core source power in his palm and handed it to Zhu Tianba.
Zhu Tianba nodded seriously, stretched out his little paw, and gently pressed it on the cold surface of the source power.
It closed its eyes, and a faint glow appeared around it again. This time, the faint light was mixed with silver spatial power and a trace of... icy white light that tried to blend in with the extreme coldness around it.
The storm outside the cave was still fierce, and the temperature inside the cave was still dropping.
Renata and others tried their best to maintain the shaky defense line, and everyone was pushed to the limit.
Time passes by every second.
Four minutes... four minutes and thirty seconds...
Jiang Qing's heart was in his throat.
Just as the fifth minute was about to begin.
Zhu Tianba suddenly opened his eyes.
Its pupils gradually turned ice blue in Jiang Qing's eyes, like two pure ice crystals.
It pressed its claws slightly on the beast core power source, and the snow-white crystal melted quietly like butter encountering a hot knife, turning into an icy stream of energy that was slowly absorbed into Zhu Tianba's body.
The whole process was eerily quiet.
But the next moment, an invisible wave spread out with Zhu Tianba as the center.
The raging cold wind in the cave seemed to have met a king and instantly became docile. The biting cold receded in the cave like a tide, and the temperature began to rise at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Not only that, the ice wall at the entrance of the cave, which was shaken by the impact of wind and snow, seemed to be injected with a powerful force, becoming more solid and solid, and even actively repelling some of the wind and snow.
Renata let out a long sigh, looked at the changes around her, and felt the long-lost warmth.
At this moment, Zhu Tianba burped a little, sprayed out a wisp of ice mist, and then rubbed Jiang Qing's hand affectionately.
Zhu Tianba said: "The ice here seems to be... very obedient to me now?"
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