10 Beasts

…

After exploring everything on the mountain, the bored consciousness decided to explore more places. Having learned once, it chose not to destroy what held it captive. Instead, it integrated with its surroundings.

The frozen abyss was like a giant, icy country. Every place felt like home.

The small consciousness, after hundreds of years, finally left the mountain. It continued using the ice as its body, learning about the world like a curious baby, encountering new things, and gaining knowledge.

The consciousness wandered through the central area, finding nothing but frozen beings and extreme silence. But upon exploring the entire central area, the consciousness continued, using all the ice as its path.

When it reached the inner area, a completely new world unfolded for that consciousness. Here, there were things that moved; those beings that it had seen only frozen were alive. It discovered new sounds, new beings, and new feelings.

Its curiosity made it stay in this area countless times, witnessing the life and death, evolution, and extinction of countless beings it found interesting. The consciousness sometimes got attached to a being it had no idea about, only for that being to become a frozen body after some time, just like the others.

It didn't understand why.

In a short time, those beings it found so fascinating simply stopped moving. It didn't know that for those beasts, hundreds, or thousands of years were passing, while for it, that time felt like seconds.

The consciousness then understood that everything there had a similar ending. They were born small, grew, and then died, their bodies turning into ice sculptures like all the others. It came to realize that, despite all these beings meeting this end, it was the only one that never had this end.

…

*******************

Two hours had passed, and the immense square of the Southern Sacred Land was completely crowded. Old and young people were gathered here, waiting for their leader to appear.

Suddenly, a person appeared in the sky in a way that no one could see. Before anyone could react, a huge golden ship suddenly appeared above the square, floating beautifully.

Its size was immense and could accommodate all the thousands of people gathered in the square.

"Those who will follow me into battle, board the warship quickly," the man said softly, but everyone in the square heard his words clearly.

"Yes, leader!"

Affirmative shouts were heard as everyone flew onto the ship. The elders quickly organized everyone, and in an instant, the gigantic golden ship flew at high speed toward the frozen abyss, leaving behind a third of the people in the square, looking at the ship in admiration.

********************

Near the external area of the frozen abyss, all the disciples were gathered. Today would be the day the test ended. Everyone was waiting for one person, who arrived after some time, mounted on a huge blue bird.

As the bird landed, the man on the bird saw the two middle-aged men standing in front of the disciples, looked surprised, and quickly jumped off the bird, landing in front of them.

"I see Elder Zhang and Elder Xu," he said respectfully, bowing.

"Hmm, it's alright. Take the disciples up on the bird and wait up there. We are in a state of emergency. Elder Zhang will explain what is happening," Elder Xu said calmly, raising the disciples and sending them to the bird's back.

After Elder Zhang explained what was happening, the three flew in the air in front of the frozen abyss, waiting for either the beasts to come out or the reinforcements from the sacred land to arrive.

And they didn't have to wait long. After a few hours, a small horde of beasts began to appear in their vision.

"It seems we'll have to hold them for a while," Elder Zhang said, unconcerned.

"You, take care of these beasts. There are only Lord-level beasts; the strongest are at the peak of the Lord level. We don't need to act for now," Elder Xu said after seeing that those beasts were the same ones he saw when he was near the inner area.

"Alright, Elder Xu." The man who brought the disciples on the blue bird said this while flying quickly and stopping hundreds of meters away from the beasts.

Suddenly, a thin green sword appeared in his hand. He closed his eyes slightly, and when he opened them again, an immense pressure emanated from his body. Green Qi concentrated on his sword as he said in his mind, 'Wind Crescent Slash.'

A small green light in the shape of a crescent moon emerged from the sword, growing larger every moment. The pressure, size, and strength of that light increased exponentially, and within seconds, it reached above the horde of beasts.

The weak beasts had no chance to react; only the dozens of Lord beasts managed to react and defend themselves with their bodies and Qi.

The horde was quickly completely exterminated, leaving only dozens of Lord Beasts.

"Hmm, he's good. Even in the King Realm, his strength is greater than that of common Kings. As expected of our sacred sect." Elder Xu said he was satisfied.

"If they were normal Lord beasts, they would also die from this blow. But the beasts in this place are incredibly strong, especially their bodies and their control over icy Qi." Elder Zhang commented as they talked; the two of them then felt immense pressure coming from their front.

They instantly knew what it was.

'Peak King-level Beast.'