Hearing Lin Ling say this Earth Bear was actually mutated, Ye Tian was startled. Such Demon Beasts were exceptionally rare. Of course, his own Eight-winged Golden Scale Python was mutated, but this Earth Bear was nothing compared to Ye Lin.
Ye Tian gave Lin Ling a slight nod. "I understand. But it's so frustrating that this thing can immobilize me. Hurry up and help me attack it!"
Seeing Ye Tian's expression, Lin Ling chuckled. "Heh, so now you see how terrifying the Earth Bear is? Its most powerful technique is the Gravity Attack. It traps its target in place and then attacks with its paws."
Despite her words, Lin Ling didn't remain idle. With Ye Tian trapped, she had to rescue him. Her longsword traced a swift flourish as she lunged toward the Earth Bear.
A powerful wave of Sword Qi slammed into the Earth Bear. The beast, which had been about to attack Ye Tian, immediately turned to target Lin Ling instead. The Earth Bear had already entered a berserk state; whoever attacked it became its greatest enemy.
In that instant, the pressure on Ye Tian vanished. In truth, he could have broken free from the Earth Bear's pressure on his own, but he hadn't wanted to. 'Why should I wear myself out when there's a beautiful woman around?' Besides, he didn't want to reveal too much of his true strength.
With the Earth Bear attacking Lin Ling, Ye Tian was free. But being trapped had infuriated him. 'I have to teach this arrogant beast a lesson.' He quickly swung his Black Glaze Sword, launching his own attack on the Earth Bear.
The Earth Bear now faced a pincer attack. Lin Ling's strike had torn a large, bloody hole in its body. If she hadn't wanted to leave it for Ye Tian to practice on, she would have likely killed it already.
Even a mutated Earth Bear was no match for her. How could the power of the Three Vein Realm possibly compare to the might of the Four Vein Realm?
Once she saw Ye Tian attack the Earth Bear, she retreated from the fight. At the same time, Ye Tian's Black Glaze Sword tore another bloody hole in the beast before he quickly pulled back.
"Hahahaha! How do you like that, big guy?" Ye Tian laughed. "You should've known what would happen if you dared use a Gravity Attack on me."
The wounded Earth Bear let out a furious roar, forcing both Ye Tian and Lin Ling to cover their ears. "Ye Tian, stop dawdling! Kill it quickly! If it self-destructs, we'll both be in danger. All mutated Demon Beasts have this ability, and the power is terrifying."
Although Ye Tian didn't know exactly what "self-destruction" entailed, he knew it had to be powerful. Anything that could frighten someone at the Four Vein Realm like her was no small matter.
So, he once again circulated the Dragon Spiritual Power within his body. He would use his full strength for this next attack. 'The thought of killing a Three Vein Realm Earth Bear is still pretty exciting.'
His figure flickered like a phantom, reappearing in front of the Earth Bear. The surrounding space trembled violently as fierce gusts of wind kicked up dirt and grass, sending them flying everywhere.
BANG! The Sword Qi struck the Earth Bear first, sending it flying back several meters. Immediately after, the Black Glaze Sword plunged into the beast's body. Ye Tian quickly withdrew the blade and retreated several meters.
His speed was incredible; the entire sequence, from attack to retreat, happened in the blink of an eye. The Earth Bear had no time to react before Ye Tian's blow landed, adding insult to injury. A torrent of crimson blood sprayed out, staining the ground red.
"Beautiful Lin Ling, how was my performance?" Ye Tian asked.
"I told you to call me Instructor Lin Ling. Are you that forgetful? As for your performance... it was so-so. But you still need to be careful. Absolutely do not let that thing self-destruct," Lin Ling said.
"It's an honor for you to be called beautiful by me. I don't even spare a glance for most people, you know," Ye Tian laughed. "Thanks for your concern. I'll finish it off now, to avoid any further complications."
This wasn't the first time Lin Ling had experienced Ye Tian's shamelessness. 'This guy even said he'd 'eat me up' if he got the chance. He's a total scoundrel, but... sometimes, he's also so endearing.'
After taking the full force of Ye Tian's last attack, the Earth Bear had lost its earlier ferocity. Though it wasn't yet on the verge of collapse, its movements had slowed considerably.
Its eyes were still crimson, but they had dimmed significantly. 'It seems this so-called mutation has some kind of time limit.' Ye Tian really didn't understand mutations very well.
Just then, the Earth Bear let out another roar. This time, the sound was somewhat mournful, yet deeply unsettling. Both Ye Tian and Lin Ling had no choice but to cover their ears again.
The gray light emanating from the Earth Bear's body suddenly surged, engulfing its massive form. A terrifying aura began to rapidly spread outward.
Lin Ling's eyes widened in shock at the sight. "Ye Tian, watch out! It's actually going to self-destruct!" she shouted.
Ye Tian realized it too. The Earth Bear's earlier roar—a Sonic Attack—was just a diversion to buy time for its self-destruction. It was too late to stop it now.
The only way to stop it was to kill it before it could finish. Lin Ling could not allow any harm to come to Ye Tian. Beads of sweat appeared on her beautiful face, a testament to how critical the situation had become.
Lin Ling shot toward the Earth Bear, her longsword tracing an intricate flourish. This was an all-out attack; she had to kill it in one blow.
Ye Tian hadn't expected Lin Ling to attack the Earth Bear herself. He had been about to strike again, but it seemed his help was no longer needed.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Ling's Sword Qi struck the Earth Bear. But at that very same instant, the beast's body burst apart, unleashing a terrifying, destructive wave of energy in all directions.
Lin Ling bore the brunt of the blast. Her attack had been just a fraction of a second too late. If she had been any faster, she might have prevented the Earth Bear's self-destruction.
The powerful shockwave of energy sent Lin Ling flying dozens of meters. She coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood in mid-air before crashing to the ground, where she lay motionless for a long moment.
Ye Tian was also hit by the energy shockwave from the Earth Bear's self-destruction. However, just as the energy reached him, a faint white light enveloped his body. He was still thrown back dozens of meters and slammed into the ground.
The only difference was that he was uninjured. Ye Tian quickly scrambled to his feet. He looked around and saw that the surrounding area for several hundred meters was now completely barren, with not a single blade of grass remaining. The ground was covered in a web of countless cracks, and a five-meter-wide crater marked the epicenter.
That must have been where the Earth Bear was standing when it self-destructed. 'The power of that explosion was truly astounding. Next time I run into something like this, I have to protect myself first.'
But Ye Tian knew he had to have been saved by the War Dragon Remnant Soul inside him to have escaped unharmed. His thoughts immediately flew to Lin Ling, who had also been thrown back and still hadn't moved at all.
A sudden panic seized his heart, and he quickly rushed over to her…