Chapter 829: Stealing
They surged forward in tandem, their fists, halberds, and forceful blows falling like a hailstorm. The cave was lit with bursts of light and flying blood, the Snow Bear King howling in agony as each strike crushed its bones and ruptured its flesh.
Finally, its cries ceased, and with a heavy boom, the beast collapsed, its giant body trembling once before going still forever.
Breathing heavily, their bodies coated in blood and injuries, Senior Brother Mack and his companion looked at each other. And despite the exhaustion, a wild grin began to form on their lips—a grin of triumph, of overcoming odds and slaying a monster fit to rule the snowy mountains.
But as they turned toward the spiritual flowers behind them—their prize, their reward—those smiles froze in place.
The Snow Spirit Flowers were gone.
In their place stood an empty patch of earth. And sprinting away from the far end of the cave was a figure clad in dark clothes, his form blurred with speed, a small bundle clutched tightly in his hand. The glow of five Snow Spirit Flowers radiated faintly from within. It only took them a second to realize what had happened—and who had taken them.
"Stop him!" roared Mack, his face contorting with rage.
They recognized the figure instantly—Max. And more importantly, they saw his aura.
"An 8th level Master Rank?!" the other disciple shouted, disbelief and fury exploding in his voice.
They had fought tooth and nail, endured injuries, and even used up a precious Mythic Rank Fire Bead to defeat the Snow Bear King.
They were moments away from reaping the reward. But now—now it was being stolen from right under their noses. By an outsider. By someone so much weaker than them. An ant. The shame was unbearable, and their killing intent flared to the heavens.
"That blind bastard dares to steal from us?! He must die today!" Mack roared, his figure vanishing in a flash of copper light as he and his brother gave chase.
Senior Brother Mack roared and charged forward with his halberd raised high, the weapon shimmering with copper light as it cleaved through the air like a meteor. His companion, not to be outdone, gathered mana into his palms until spiritual light blazed from his skin, and then released a barrage of palm prints that filled the sky like crashing waves.
The sheer pressure distorted the snowy winds around them and made the ground tremble beneath their feet.
But to their astonishment, Max didn't slow down—he burst forward with such explosive speed that he turned into a blur, streaking past snow-covered ridges and narrow ice paths like lightning.
"Chase!" Mack shouted furiously, and the two members of Mountain Gods Valley gave pursuit without hesitation, their eyes burning with rage.
To be humiliated by a Master Rank cultivator who dared to steal the Snow Spirit Flowers right from under their noses was something they couldn't forgive.
"Ant, where are you going!?" Mack bellowed as he surged through the air, the flames swirling around his body forming a fiery aura that made him look like a shooting star crashing down.
In the next instant, he intercepted Max's path, his halberd swinging down in a deadly arc, aimed to cleave Max in two.
But Max didn't falter. With calm precision, he raised his Blue Dragon Sword and met the attack head-on.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal colliding echoed like thunder. A shockwave blasted outward, sending snow and shards of ice spiraling through the air, as a wave of raw power rippled across the valley and caused avalanches to roar in the distance.
Before Max could fully regain balance, the second attacker appeared. His palms surged with thick, earthy mana, and with a roar, he released a massive palm print nearly three meters wide. It came crashing down like a mountain.
Max's eyes narrowed. In an instant, the energy within him surged as he activated the power of 600 Draconic Essences. His muscles bulged, his bones crackled with force, and his entire frame glowed with a golden sheen.
With a roar, he threw a punch infused with the full might of his body.
Boom!
The two forces collided in mid-air, and the impact caused a deep crater to form in the snow below, sending up a towering plume of frost and steam.
Max didn't pause—he instantly drew his sword once more, and with a roar of wind and power, unleashed a vertical sword slash infused with his flame and severing concepts. The blade's energy ripped through the air like a golden storm, clearing a path through the mountain.
Without turning back, Max launched himself into the sky and shot out of Azure Wolf Mountain like a comet breaking through the clouds.
"Don't let him get away!" Mack howled in rage, and he and the other disciple quickly followed, flying left and right in formation, launching coordinated attacks at Max from both sides. Their killing intent locked onto him, and the sound of roaring energy filled the skies.
But this intense pursuit didn't go unnoticed.
On the other side of Azure Wolf Mountain, shrouded in mist and the remnants of fading blood, Kevin Voss of the Void Spirit Tower watched the scene unfold. His pale skin glowed under the flickering light of the snowy mist, and a dangerous glint flashed in his icy eyes.
The fierce battle, the spiritual flower, the injured Mountain Gods Valley members—it was all the perfect setup. His lips curved into a faint smirk, and with not a sound, Kevin began to move.
He cloaked his presence and melted into the terrain like a shadow, stealthily advancing. It was clear—he intended to capitalize on the chaos. A predator waiting to devour the winner.
"Boom boom boom!"
The sky echoed with thunderous force as shockwaves burst in all directions.
Max gritted his teeth, his expression cold and sharp as he clashed against the two fierce disciples from Mountain Gods Valley. Even with his power, even with his strength bolstered by 600 Draconic Essences and two powerful concepts, the pressure was immense.
These weren't just any enemies—they were battle-hardened 6th level Legend Rank experts, 3-star geniuses, and although they had been injured in their fight with the Snow Bear King, their strength was still monstrous.
Max could handle one of them, maybe overwhelm them if he unleashed everything at once—but both together? That was a different beast entirely. Especially since he couldn't use all his four concepts because he didn't want to reveal too much.
'I have to kill the weak one first.' Max decided.