Li Fan lifted the tent flap, and a pile of snow shook off.
The silver-white plain was bathed in warm spring sunshine.
Ever since they acquired the Flame Lance, the team hadn't spent nights in tents for a long time.
However, the harsh weather of the snowy mountains, coupled with the Flame Lance's lack of a heating system, led to the reintroduction of ground travel and camping.
*Whoosh~ Whoosh~*
The little clumsy beasts landed together.
The two dragons collided, and large patches of frost clinging to their wing membranes and the gaps in their shells were shaken off.
The Fire Dragon clan possessed strong adaptability to their environment, hence their widespread distribution.
But their current state clearly indicated they had been affected by the extreme cold at higher altitudes of the snowy mountains.
"Due to climatic factors, we couldn't reach the intended altitude, so we searched at lower elevations but found no trace of the Elder Dragon... Alright, you two rest outside the snowy mountains."
After hearing the report from the clumsy beasts, Li Fan gave his orders.
"Looking at it this way, if the Steel Dragon nests in the high altitudes of the snowy mountains, wouldn't it be difficult to even approach?"
Yudora speculated.
Regarding routes into the snowy mountains, Pokke Village had long since charted them.
However, under the influence of unpredictable weather, the depth of penetration would also be limited.
"Then let's continue on foot. The Elder Dragon has a vast hunting range, so we might encounter it midway. We can also better confirm the ecological conditions along the way."
Li Fan finished speaking, and the team dismantled the tent and loaded it onto the sled.
The combat members, Lei Ge and Yuan Jiao, had guarded the camp all night. To prevent increased fatigue from a strenuous climb, Li Fan had them stored in their spheres for transport.
During the day, the snowy mountains exuded a sense of clarity and purity.
Pachi occasionally poked his head out, briefing the team on the ecological intelligence of the nearby lower-level areas.
The main topics were the love-hate relationships between the three species: the White Rabbit Beast, the Velocidrome, and the Snowbaron.
Pachi's detailed knowledge stemmed from his frequent hunting expeditions during the conflicts between these three species.
After traveling along the mountain path for about three hours, the surrounding temperature noticeably dropped, the sky appeared hazy, and strong winds occasionally swept through.
Pachi stated that they had reached the mid-level region of the snowy mountains.
Besides the leaders of the monster populations from the lower regions often visiting, the interconnected ice cave passages within the mountains were also the primary habitats for the Congalala and the Barioth.
The young of the Congalala were highly prized by gourmands, and the amber-colored fangs of the Barioth were also precious materials, fetching high prices at the merchant guild.
Unfortunately, both monsters were at the upper limit of Pachi's hunting capabilities, making it too difficult to earn substantial rewards from them.
"I've heard of Congalala younglings. I wonder what they taste like roasted?"
Yudora couldn't help but fantasize.
"That's not allowed, meow! Only live specimens brought back to the village merchant guild can fetch a high price. Moreover, the younglings are very fragile; severe jolts can cause them to die. They need a continuous supply of fresh blood."
Pachi shook his head.
"Then how should they be transported? Can a piece of monster meat be cut off for the Congalala youngling to latch onto?"
Yudora asked curiously.
"That won't work, meow. If the meat gets too cold, the youngling will die too."
As Pachi spoke, he unbuckled one of his arm guards, revealing a bald patch on his furry forelimb.
Pachi pointed to the circular bite marks, saying, "These are the wounds left by the Congalala youngling's suction-cup-like mouth latching onto the skin, meow."
"This... won't there be any problems being latched onto by a monster like this?"
Yudora said with concern.
"It's a bit dangerous for me, meow. The first time I tried, I almost collapsed before returning to the village."
Pachi sighed.
"Such a dangerous attempt should not be made, meow."
Dilu advised.
"I know, meow, but Master did it this way, and he could latch onto up to five younglings by himself."
Pachi informed them.
"That's so intense?"
Li Fan said in disbelief.
"He wanted to craft a greatsword called the Ogre Cleaver, meow. He often took me to the snowy mountains to mine. Later, he heard that Congalala younglings were valuable, so he took this crooked path. But he didn't care, saying that I wouldn't die from it, only become stronger."
Pachi recounted his memories.
"Wait a minute, Pachi, didn't you say you couldn't remember what Master said?"
Li Fan asked, confused.
"I had forgotten it, meow, but during the time Master first disappeared, the treasure could still be activated. Every time I opened it, this sentence would appear on it."
Pachi explained.
Appeared on it? Could it be a theme wallpaper?
"The way to activate the treasure is by flipping the switch on the lower side, right?"
Li Fan inquired.
"Yes... How did you know, meow?"
Pachi said incredulously.
"I have a similar treasure."
Li Fan said, taking out his handheld console.
"They look so similar, meow!"
Pachi exclaimed in shock.
"Were you and Master the only two on your hunting journey from beginning to end?"
Li Fan asked.
"Yes, meow. Although Master was a solo hunter, he often helped hunter teams in distress."
Pachi replied.
"It seems this senior was quite warm-hearted."
Li Fan mused.
"Senior... Are you and Master from the same faction, meow!"
Pachi jumped up excitedly.
"You could say that."
"Does the faction have a name, meow?"
"It doesn't have a fixed name, but you can call us... the Berserkers!"
After a short rest, the clear weather allowed them to resume their journey.
After traveling for four hours along an increasingly bumpy and narrow mountain path, the team reached the upper regions of the snowy mountains.
The sky was dark, and the cold wind howled.
Sharp icicles thicker than a man hung from the cliffs.
The wind and snow made it impossible to open their eyes. There were no slopes or paths for the sled to move forward.
"This environment is great for training the control of wind-gear."
Yudora said, tilting her head back.
The wind bags on her wind-gear, worn under her padded jacket, were currently puffed up by the strong gusts.
"At this temperature, you'd turn into a popsicle after flying for half an hour."
Li Fan stopped her.
"Berserker! We need to find a cave to take shelter, meow!"
Pachi said urgently.
In such harsh weather, most monsters would retreat to their lairs to hide, let alone a hunter team.
"It's alright, our backup is here."
As soon as Li Fan finished speaking.
A Barioth, entirely gray, leaped down from the rocky mountain.
*Roar! Roar!*
Yaya let out two roars in the cold wind.
"It's so cold! No ice caves with open roofs! Just something warm enough!"
Li Fan called back in response.
*Roar! Roar!*
Yaya pondered for a moment and responded again.
"We don't have any requirements for the direction of the cave entrance!"
*Roar!*
Yaya responded with a roar, leaped up to the rock face, and began to climb upwards.
"We'll leave the sled here for now. Dilu, make a mark."
"Understood, meow!"
"Pachi, quickly jump onto my back. We're going to climb the rock face."
Li Fan waved to Pachi.
"I... Alright, meow!"
Pachi hesitated for a moment and then jumped onto Li Fan's back.
"Here I come, meow!"
Before long, Dilu swooped in with a cry.
Once both cats were in position, the team began to climb up the cliff face.
Unlike Li Fan's somewhat difficult ascent, Yudora, with her wind bags fully inflated, found it much easier.
However, she dared not relax her grip, or she risked being blown away.
Soon, the team reached a platform where they could stand. Yaya rammed into the mountain body with a "Iron Mountain Lean."
As ice shards and dirt flew out, a cave entrance was revealed.
*Tap! Tap!*...
The team entered the ice cave, the sound of their footsteps on the ice echoing within.
The howling of the wind gradually faded, and the surroundings became deathly quiet.
"A cave made entirely of ice crystals..."
Yudora touched an ice pillar, deeply impressed.
"Where did these chunks of deboned monster meat come from, meow?"
Pachi asked in surprise.
"No way, Yaya, you managed to accumulate this much in such a short time?"
Li Fan, though he knew the origin, was still surprised.
*Roar...*
Yaya responded with a low growl.
"What? You even found a mate?"
Li Fan was even more incredulous.
"Uh... should we move to a different location? If Yaya is meeting someone here, it might be inconvenient."
Yudora suggested.
Many monsters were naturally hostile towards hunters.
"It's fine. Yaya said there are plenty of places here. Besides, from a Barioth's perspective, this cave's facilities are inadequate; it's only suitable as a food storage room."
Li Fan informed them.
"So that's how it is."
Yudora suddenly understood.
Back on the Frozen Islands, the cave Yaya considered their mating den was, in Li Fan's eyes, a practice room.
When it came to choosing a dwelling, the standards of humans and monsters were difficult to align.
Seeing Yaya about to leave the cave, Pachi bravely tried to dissuade him, "Yaya! Don't go out, meow! There are great beasts and Elder Dragons roaming the upper regions of the snowy mountains, it's very dangerous."
*Roar?*
Yaya let out a confused roar, seemingly not fully understanding Pachi's words.
"It shouldn't be difficult for Yaya to adapt to extreme cold, but regarding the terrain of the snowy mountains, it will indeed take time to gradually familiarize himself. Most importantly, that G-rank Elder Dragon has never left the snowy mountains; this is its territory... Come back, Yaya."
Li Fan analyzed the situation and felt Pachi's point was valid.
Before long, the team gathered around a bonfire for warmth, roasting monster meat.
Yaya, meanwhile, sighed quietly in a corner.
"With such heavy snow and the threat of the Elder Dragon, he'll understand."
Li Fan tried to comfort him.
*Roar...*
Yaya let out a weak, low growl, his upper body slumping lazily onto the ice.
"You're saying I don't understand female Barioths? Uh... I suppose I don't."
Li Fan couldn't refute this point.
As night fell, the raging snowy mountains fell silent.
The stars twinkled in the night sky, and the snow-covered mountains were serene and peaceful.
The team, looking out from the cave entrance, felt as if they were observing another world.
*Bang! Bang!*...
Several muffled thuds suddenly broke the silence.
"It's the great beasts fighting, meow!"
Pachi's cat ears twitched. Based on his knowledge of the snowy mountains, he quickly identified the source of the tremors.
"Too bad it's not the Elder Dragon... Wait! Based on the monster habitats in the upper regions, the only creature that could be fighting a great beast would be the Elder Dragon. Pachi! Can you pinpoint the great beast's location?"
Li Fan asked.
"I can, meow!"
As Pachi spoke, he pressed his head to the snowdrift on the ground, feeling the vibrations while slowly turning his body to find the direction.
"It's this way, meow!"
"Alright, let's go!"
Li Fan said, opening two Poké Balls. Lei Ge and Yuan Jiao appeared simultaneously.
Although they couldn't be ridden on the dragons' backs, they could maintain balance and stand by using silk threads wrapped around their shoulders.
As they leaped and climbed through the mountains, besides the heavy thudding sounds, a powerful roar also mingled in.
Hearing the sound was just ahead, Li Fan gave the order: "Find a high vantage point."
Lei Ge and Yuan Jiao immediately climbed rapidly up the cliff face.
Upon reaching a protruding rock ledge, the two felt a strong tremor from beneath their feet as soon as they landed.
*Screech!*
With a pounce, they lay flat on the snow. They were not far from the open snow platform below, and even without a telescope, they could clearly observe the situation.
*Wail!*
The great beast, towering like a building, raised its thick nasal tubes towards the sky, emitting a trumpet-like call.
Its two forelegs, resembling giant pillars, were lifted along with its heavily furred body as it leaned back.
*Boom! Crash!*
The already significantly collapsed ice layer cracked and caved in further as the two forelegs slammed down.
The resulting tremors shook off ice crystals and snow from the rock face, revealing the dark rock and icy mountain body.
Not far in front of the great beast, the Elder Dragon extended its forelegs downwards, digging them firmly into the ground.
Simultaneously, its body lowered and pressed close to the ice to minimize the impact of the shock.
This Elder Dragon had numerous knife-like scars on its forelegs, and one of the three iconic claw tips on its right paw was missing.
Its skull had several uneven dents, likely from blows.
Its teeth were uneven, appearing to have regrown multiple times after repeated injuries.
The tail length seemed normal, but the twisted arrangement of its scales and the unnatural curvature indicated it had been damaged and regrown.
This Elder Dragon was unusual, not due to mutation, but from the accumulation of countless battles.
Li Fan felt this was the G-rank Elder Dragon.
However, it was somewhat different from what he had expected.
The reason was that the scars on its body were too numerous, unbelievably so.
Under normal circumstances, a monster that had sustained so many injuries should have died long ago.
Even more incomprehensible was that all these injuries came from greatswords.
"Pachi, do the great beasts and Elder Dragons fight often?"
Li Fan asked.
"Yes, meow! This Elder Dragon is very detestable; it always attacks other monsters, regardless of whether it needs to feed."
Pachi informed him.
As they spoke, the Elder Dragon, sensing the tremors subside, bent its arms, braced itself, and leaped forward.
The great beast stepped back half a pace, raising its left foreleg to block.
The Elder Dragon's right claw, swinging from its rear, raked forward in mid-air.
*Slash! Whoosh~*
The thick snow on the cylindrical foreleg was easily cut through, revealing ice crystals that sparkled like diamonds.
The Elder Dragon did not retreat despite the failed attack. Its forelegs then grabbed the great beast's foreleg.
To gain a better biting angle with its sharp-toothed maw, the Elder Dragon tilted its head and opened its mouth to its maximum.
*Crunch!*
With a crisp biting sound, the ice layer encasing the foreleg shattered.
The Elder Dragon lowered its head and spat out from its mouth, taking with it a thick layer of fur.
The great beast swung its forelegs forcefully a couple of times. Seeing that it couldn't shake it off, it had to raise its forelegs again.