Chapter 1047 A mighty dragon called the Snow Stalker
As chaos and destruction reigned in the cold mountains, Michael found solace and safety inside a cave, biding his time for the opportune moment to continue his journey towards the summit where the Council of Immortals' headquarters lay.
Amidst the howling winds and the relentless snowstorm, Michael's acute senses picked up a distinct roar, cutting through the cacophony. Reacting swiftly, he activated his environmental scanning map to locate the source of the disturbance. Outside the cave, a Half Immortal being moved in a frenzied and disoriented manner, adding to the chaos of the storm.
With heightened senses, Michael closed his eyes and focused on the sounds emanating from outside. He could hear distant shouts and a chilling scream, signaling the perilous situation of the cultivators caught in the avalanche.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Michael ventured outside the safety of the cave. The moment he activated his X-ray eyes, his vision was enhanced, allowing him to see through the blizzard with ease. He noticed the thermal signatures of the cultivators desperately trying to flee the avalanche, their bodies emitting distinct heat patterns.
But among them, something caught Michael's attention—an enormous thermal signature moving at a speed too fast for a normal cultivator and too large to be a human. The colossal presence amidst the storm sparked Michael's curiosity and alerted him to the possibility of something powerful and dangerous lurking in the cold mountains.
"Interesting," Michael mumbled to himself as he quickly changed his robes to pure white, seamlessly blending in with the snowstorm.
While everyone else was fleeing from the shaking avalanche, Michael walked confidently towards it. He had no fear of the puny avalanche since, in the eyes of onlookers, he appeared to be at the Core Strengthening stage. Little did they know that in reality, he possessed the power of a Celestial stage level 6 cultivator, as well as being a level 2 God.
Floating above the knee-high snow, Michael effortlessly moved forward. But suddenly, as if someone had intervened, the storm ceased. The ground stopped trembling, and everything returned to a state of eerie calm, leaving everyone bewildered. The cultivators who had been desperately trying to save themselves now stood in shock, covered in snow. Meanwhile, the group of youngsters that Michael had noticed earlier stood their ground, armed with swords, bows, and spears, as though prepared to face an imminent threat.
"Stop gawking at us!"
"We have a snow stalker among us!"
The youngsters stood together, raising their voices and accusing someone of being a "snow stalker." Michael furrowed his brows, as he had never heard of such a term before. However, he had sensed the presence of a Half Immortal being and a powerful thermal signature just moments ago. Coupled with what the disciples were saying, Michael realized that there was something among them, something powerful and potentially dangerous.
"Quickly, make fire!" One of the youngsters, a blonde-haired young man, urgently shouted at his friend. Without hesitation, his companion conjured a ball of golden-orange flames in his hand. However, before they could defend themselves, something massive, a colossal creature, swooped down from the snow-laden clouds above and snatched the young man with its giant claws.
The cultivators and disciples were frozen in shock at the sight, but Michael quickly realized the gravity of the situation.
"A dragon?" Michael was astonished to see a dragon among them.
"Create fires if you want to survive!" the disciples urged, impressing Michael with their knowledge of dealing with the dangerous creature.
"What the heck was that thing?"
"We can't possibly fight that beast!"
Panicked cries echoed from all directions as the cultivators, both young and old, were gripped by fear. Even the experienced cultivators looked pale and trembling in the presence of such a formidable opponent. But the group of youngsters, the ones who had earlier exhibited arrogance, remained resolute, showing no signs of backing down in the face of danger.
"The snow stalker hunts its prey by detecting the heat around your body. So if you don't make fire and divert its attention, we are all in trouble," the youngsters explained urgently. Their words snapped the cultivators out of their fear, and they quickly conjured fireballs, throwing them far away to create fiery distractions.
Amidst the chaos, Michael heard a deafening roar, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind. Looking up, he saw a disturbance in the snow clouds, confirming his suspicion that the dragon, known as the snow stalker, was on the move. The creature swooped down and snatched the burning snow where the fireballs had exploded, following the targets the cultivators had created.
"Keep doing it until we reach a safe place," the youngsters instructed as they began to move forward. Michael's eyes locked with theirs, and he noticed a sly smile on the face of their leader—a golden-haired young man in his late twenties.
"Sly bastards," Michael chuckled, amused by their clever trickery. The youngsters had effectively used the older cultivators' fear to their advantage, creating diversions for the dragon while they made their escape.
"What are you up to?" Michael asked himself, puzzled by their presence in the cold mountains. Unlike the older cultivators who were often stuck at a bottleneck, these young cultivators showed no signs of restriction. All of them were at the Core Strengthening stage, a decent cultivation level for their age.
Yet, they had chosen to venture into the cold mountains, a place where older cultivators seclude themselves in hopes of breaking through to the next stage or meeting their end. Michael couldn't help but wonder what their true intentions were, and why they had come to a place typically reserved for those seeking cultivation breakthroughs.
If only Michael had the luxury of time, he would have followed the group of youngsters to uncover the reason behind their presence in the cold mountains. However, urgency fueled his actions, and he had a different plan in mind.
Stepping away from the cultivators, Michael carefully observed the situation. As all eyes remained fixated on the skies, Michael swiftly lowered his hands, conjuring two lightning bolts that shot him upwards with incredible force. He defied the arrays and runes placed around the cold mountains, meant to hinder cultivators from flying. These restrictions were effective against those below the Immortal stage, but Michael's power far surpassed that level, rendering the barriers ineffective against him.
In a flash, he soared through the thick snow clouds and freezing air. Above the clouds, Michael finally beheld the imposing figure of the snow stalker. The dragon's massive form cut through the swirling storm, a creature both fearsome and majestic.
The colossal dragon, with its white scales gleaming like fresh snow, seemed to blend seamlessly with the wintry surroundings. Its majestic wings, spanning wide like a mountain range, flapped slowly, sending gusts of icy wind through the air. The creature's piercing blue eyes glowed with an otherworldly intensity, radiating an aura of chilling power.
As the dragon moved, the very air around it seemed to freeze, leaving a trail of frost in its wake. The cold emanating from its body was palpable, causing the surrounding temperature to drop significantly. The ground beneath the dragon's massive claws was covered in a layer of frost, and its breath appeared as misty plumes, giving a glimpse of the glacial power within.
The dragon's presence was both awe-inspiring and intimidating, a living embodiment of the harsh and unforgiving nature of the cold mountains. Despite its imposing stature, the creature moved with an eerie grace, effortlessly navigating the treacherous terrain.
Its appearance was a true reflection of the might and majesty of a creature revered in myths and legends, a being whose very existence demanded reverence and respect.
With a sly smile on his face, Michael conjured a small ball of dark flames above his hands, the intense heat catching the attention of the colossal dragon. The creature's blue eyes locked onto Michael as it roared and swiftly changed its course, abandoning its pursuit of the cultivators on the ground to confront this new challenger.
"Come closer, darling," Michael taunted, luring the dragon toward him.
As the dragon closed in, jaws wide to devour him, Michael struck with lightning speed, delivering a powerful punch right to the dragon's face. The force of his blow sent the massive creature hurtling through the sky despite its immense size.
In a daring move, Michael leaped into the air and landed squarely on the dragon's back, taking advantage of its momentary disorientation. Brandishing his dark sword, he drove the weapon deep into the dragon's scaly hide, causing the creature to roar in pain and unleash a frigid stream of ice breath from its mouth. Yet, Michael remained undeterred, tightly holding onto the hilt of the sword as he guided the dragon upwards.
"We're going for a ride, baby," Michael declared with grim determination. Utilizing his godly strength and control over darkness, he steered the dragon upward, directing it straight toward the summit of Mount Gallion, where the Council of Immortals awaited.
As Michael clung tightly to the dragon's back, the creature attempted to shake him off with frantic barrel rolls and vigorous body movements. But Michael's grip remained steadfast, and with his godly strength, he thwarted the dragon's efforts to dislodge him.
As they ascended higher into the sky, the wind whipped against Michael's face, its cold sting contrasting with the heat of the dark flames surrounding him. The scene around him transformed as they climbed to greater heights. The storm clouds enveloped them, and the snow and hail battered against Michael's body. Despite the harsh conditions, he pressed on, his determination unwavering.
Through the haze of the storm, he caught a glimpse of the peak of Mount Gallion in the distance, its snow-covered majesty rising above the clouds. The dragon's wings beat powerfully, carrying them closer to the summit, where the Council of Immortals resided.
As they soared higher, the storm clouds gradually gave way to a serene, ethereal landscape. Michael found himself flying above the clouds, the world below obscured by a sea of white mist. The air became thinner, and the cold more biting, but he persisted, driven by his mission to retrieve the Queen's crystal.
Amidst the clouds, he spotted a sight that stood out amidst the snowy expanse—a humble manor made of glistening marble stones. It seemed out of place in this secluded and frigid environment, yet its simplicity and elegance caught Michael's attention. The manor stood proudly, surrounded by an air of mystique and secrecy, like a hidden sanctuary atop the world.
As the dragon let out a pained scream and stopped flying, Michael sensed that something within the manor was causing distress to the creature. He decided to release the dragon, knowing it had fulfilled its purpose in carrying him closer to the summit. Gently, he retrieved his dark sword from the dragon's back.
Curiosity gnawed at Michael as he observed the dragon's behavior. It was as if the manor held some mysterious power that deterred the creature from getting any closer. Determined to find out what lay within, Michael chose not to press the dragon any further.
"Something intriguing must be happening in there," he mused to himself, deciding to let the dragon go. With a compassionate gesture, Michael retrieved a healing potion from his space ring and tossed it onto the dragon's wounded back. The potion shattered upon impact, its magic swiftly mending the dragon's injury.
"Happy hunting," Michael patted the dragon, acknowledging its assistance. With a tap on his chest, his dark armor materialized and encased him from head to toe. His metallic wings unfurled, and with powerful flaps, he soared towards the mysterious marble manor, where he believed the Council of Immortals resided.
"System, disable the security measures surrounding the manor and make me invisible to their detection," Michael requested with a calm demeanor as he hovered in the sky.
With his impressive eighty million badass points, Michael exuded confidence in his ability to infiltrate any location.
[It will cost the host one million badass points. The security measures won't be permanently disabled, but a rune will be placed upon the host, rendering you undetectable by the manor's security measures.]
"That works too," Michael replied calmly, accepting the system's terms without hesitation.
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