Chapter 261: Two Opposing Extremes
Chapter 261: Two Opposing Extremes
Gao Jing had just dodged a water arrow shot by the Moon Clam. Suddenly, the giant white clam spun 180 degrees on the pond, turning its back towards him. Its two crescent shells snapped open and shut rapidly, stirring a howling gust!
The powerful air current lifted water from the pond below. The water coiled into a small waterspout, engulfing the lower part of the Moon Clam. It lifted the creature out of the water, sending it hurtling towards Gao Jing like a released arrow.
It could pull off a move like that?
Gao Jing’s hair stood on end. A deep sense of foreboding washed over him.
Information on the Moon Clam in the Hunter’s Atlas was scarce. It only mentioned that this Monster Beast lurked in the depths of big swamps and lakes, made it hard to catch or hunt. It never said it could attack enemies on land outside water.
The ability this Moon Clam was using was clearly its Innate Divine Ability!
Realizing the danger, Gao Jing leaped backward immediately, putting as much distance between them as fast as he could.
At the same time, he conjured his Battle Armor, covering himself head to toe.
Running was his only option. He had no clue about the Moon Clam’s weaknesses. His sniper rifle hadn’t even scratched it earlier. He had a few rockets left in his Storage Space, but he doubted those would work on this thing either.
When faced with a force he couldn’t overcome, Gao Jing would never fight hard-headed. Doing that before would have killed him many times over.
He streaked toward the jungle area, glancing back to check the situation.
He saw the Moon Clam was chasing him relentlessly!
Once out of the water, the Moon Clam’s speed noticeably dropped. But the waterspout propelling it was still there, swaying menacingly from side to side as it pursued Gao Jing.
Gao Jing really wanted to grit in frustration!
He thought that if he put enough distance between himself and the water, the aquatic Moon Clam wouldn’t chase him.
This idea turned out to be painfully naive!
Gao Jing didn’t know that this was only happening because the Moon Clam found him too “weak”.
If it were a Giant Warrior pursuing it, even a third-tier Moon Clam would bury itself deep underwater or hide in the mud, avoiding a confrontation. It would never dare venture ashore to fight.
Its combat strength peaked within its water domain.
But Gao Jing wasn’t a Giant.
In the Moon Clam’s senses, he was just prey delivered right to it!
The Moon Clam was a Monster Beast, a carnivorous one at that. Gao Jing was both “weak” and possessed strong, vibrant energy. To the clam, he was perfect, tasty game!
Naturally, it wouldn’t let him go.
The Moon Clam had turned back around now. Its shells snapped open and shut, firing three pale blue water arrows in quick succession.
These were different from the first one. After leaving the clam’s body, they instantly turned into three sharp ice spikes.
They chased Gao Jing at an even greater speed!
A second-tier Moon Clam mastered two Divine Abilities and possessed the triple essence of “Water”, “Wind”, and “Spirit”!
Its defenses were astonishing, and its combat strength was formidable.
Gao Jing heard the whistling sound behind him. He had no time to look back. Instinct drove him to dive forward, rolling desperately.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The three ice spikes slammed into the ground behind him, beside him, and into a large tree ahead. They exploded instantly, shattering into countless tiny ice fragments and releasing chilly vapor clouds.
Every spot touched by these icy shards or the vapor instantly froze over!
Gao Jing avoided the initial impact of the ice spikes but not the flying debris.
While pieces flying like bullets were blocked by his Battle Armor, the chilling energy they carried somehow pierced his Battle Qi barrier, seeping right into his body!
Lying on the ground, Gao Jing shivered uncontrollably. His face turned pale, almost blue. Frost crystals started forming on his hair, eyebrows, nose, and lips. His movements stiffened dramatically.
Seizing this moment, the Moon Clam closed the gap between them. Its shells gaped wide wide, gathering energy for the next attack!
In this critical moment, seeing this, Gao Jing activated the Bronze Anchor and instantly exited the Great World!
He had been training in the Great Swamp for nearly two months. This was the first time he retreated back to the Primary World to escape danger.
The Bronze Anchor was Gao Jing’s ultimate life-saving cheat. Its power to traverse between two worlds gave him the strongest trump card against life-or-death crises.
Relying on this card, Gao Jing had escaped certain death several times.
But he never overused it. Depending on it as a habit would dull the effect of sharpening himself through battle.
Nor would he stubbornly refuse to play this trump card when actually cornered.
He returned instantly to the Primary World.
To his home at Huhai One.
Ji Yu was still asleep in the master bedroom. To her, Gao Jing had never been gone.
His body purplish from the cold, Gao Jing shuffled stiffly into the living room bathroom.
He peeled off his leather vest and outer clothes. Turning the shower to the hottest setting, he sat down, closed his eyes, and desperately pushed his Battle Qi outward.
He needed it to fight the rampaging chill inside him!
Gao Jing felt like he existed in two opposing extremes.
His own bloodline resonated with “Fire” and “Spirit.” His etched Essence Totem was fire-aspected, and he cultivated scorching Battle Qi. This nature gave him an innate resistance against the Moon Clam’s freezing power.
Otherwise, he would have been frozen into an ice statue earlier!
Even so, his situation was bad.
The scalding water raining down on him failed to bring warmth. The terrifying cold energy had penetrated his internal organs and limbs, reaching even the core of every single hair follicle!
The agony was indescribable. He felt detached from his own body. His heartbeat had halved; his blood felt semi-solid.
If his physique hadn’t already reached a superhuman level, this assault would have ended him instantly.
Gao Jing knew clearly he wouldn’t last more than a few minutes under this strain.
Facing death once more, Gao Jing’s mind became icy calm. His will, forged relentlessly in countless perilous battles, burned fiercely – free of fear. He poured his entire focus into stirring the Crimson Python Rune. He transformed its energy into a torrent of fiery Battle Qi, driving it violently through his entire body.
It was a desperate clash against the invading, pervasive cold!
Within Gao Jing’s sea of consciousness, the towering peak of Kunlun solidified. It made his will resolute as a mountain range, unshaken by pain or numbness!
His strength and spirit were both undergoing a trial beyond any before.
But Gao Jing was convinced he could win!
He controlled the fiery energy, steadily driving out the invading cold force, inch by inch reclaiming his own body.
His heart was the first to respond, soon pumping at its normal rhythm. Warmth entered his chilled blood, flooding his veins anew with Battle Qi. His fire-infused energy rushed through vessels feeding his organs and limbs.
Despite the raw power of the invading cold, it had no master providing direction or support. It couldn’t withstand the relentless consumption and fusion wrought by his scorching Battle Qi. Resistance melted away.
Ultimately, all the cold energy within Gao Jing’s body was cleansed away.
However, one final wave of coldness stubbornly lingered within his skull!