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After a few rounds, my opponent adapted to my style and stopped chasing me around. Instead, it stood motionless. Whenever I attacked, it would counter with a thick layer of ice armor to block my hit, then swiftly retaliate with a freezing Blood Clotting Claw. Even if it missed me, the icy aura would still coat me in frost. Fortunately, the Nine Yin True Energy protected me from both cold and heat, so my movements were not hindered.

As the stalemate persisted, my frustration grew.

"Damn it! I, Chen Xuanfeng, once dominated the world in my past life, unstoppable and invincible. In this life, my martial arts have advanced greatly, and I've mastered divine powers. Yet now, I'm powerless against a measly Beamon. All my struggles, ambitions since childhood, and sacrifices for betraying my sect – have they all become a joke?"

Though a Beamon was by no means a "small" foe, even an orcish army of thousands, led by top-notch experts, would be needed to capture one. But at that moment, my innate ferocity as the "Black Wind Duo" from my previous life, combined with my wolfish nature in this life, sent me into a semi-hypnotic state.

My martial arts had rapidly progressed in this life, and I recently mastered the supreme Daoist Nine Yin True Energy. However, without a corresponding tranquil Daoist mindset, my skills followed the path of darkness and viciousness inherited from my past life. While cultivating inner energy from the outside wouldn't lead to demonic possession, it did plant seeds of inner turmoil. These erupted now, fueling my rage.

Despite the mounting frustration, my power boiled within me. My attacks became faster and more ruthless, ignoring the enemy's counters. I relied purely on the Golden Bell Shield to absorb blows, causing the icy Beamon to be showered in snow and ice. In the heat of battle, I roared, kicking aside two Illusionary Demon Banners to break the formation.

The Ice Mountain Beamon, too, was roused to kill. Its vision cleared, revealing the wolf-man who had been attacking it. It immediately charged, roaring. I laughed loudly and shouted, "Come on!" The Nine Yin White Bone Claw clashed with the Beamon's four-inch-long claws.

In this exchange of strength, I was at a disadvantage. Although my body, strengthened by the Golden Bell Shield, was incredibly resilient, I was pushed downward. The rocks beneath my feet cracked, and at that moment, the Beamon's ice-based magic seeped into my body through its claws.

My bloodlust, initially blinding me, was suddenly cooled by the ice magic, plunging me into a strange state. It felt as if my soul was shrinking and sinking into my heart sea. Meanwhile, the wildly surging Nine Yin True Energy, under the pressure of the cold, condensed rapidly and started circulating along unknown pathways.

As if it was me, yet not entirely me, the Nine Yin White Bone Claw launched again, effortlessly breaking free from the Beamon's grasp. It clawed down the Beamon's wrist, elbows, shoulders, armpits, ribs, waist, hips, knees, and ankles, striking eighteen times in one fluid motion. The final claw pierced through the top of its head, straight into its brain, before twisting mid-air and stepping back calmly.

The towering and seemingly invincible Ice Beamon paused for an instant, like a puppet with its strings cut, contorting strangely before collapsing limply to the ground. Its entire body, veins and arteries ravaged, blood gushed from the Beamon's mouth as it died, unwillingly accepting its fate.

Meanwhile, I was oblivious to my fallen opponent, fully immersed in the epiphany that had just struck me. Two lifetimes of cultivation flashed before my eyes, a bittersweet montage of joy and sorrow. Across these two worlds, I had practiced the Nine Yin White Bone Claw for over twenty years, relying on it to vanquish foes and earn fame. But now, I realized that I had never truly understood this supreme technique.

"…The Tao is profound, hidden in the depths. Mind meets spirit, reflecting freely. Entering the skull as if through decaying soil…"

"I see, this is the true essence of the Nine Yin White Bone Claw. From the very beginning, I was mistaken."

Having rehearsed it countless times, yet feeling as if it were my first, I began anew from the starting stance of the claw technique, unfolding it once more. At first, it felt stiff and awkward, each move a struggle. Yet, after repetition after repetition, the memories of the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, deeply ingrained in my bones, rose to the surface, reassembling in a new way. My movements became smoother, more relaxed and natural.

Ice Wind, who had been hiding in the distant grass, emerged when the formation broke. Seeing Beamon fall, it rushed over but was puzzled to find its master not preparing a feast as usual. Instead, I was continuously shifting postures. It didn't dare disturb me, but driven by hunger, it eventually sneaked to Beamon's corpse, biting into the rib wound to feed.

Completely absorbed in this newfound understanding, when I came back to my senses, the dawn of the next day had already illuminated the valley. Despite practicing for hours on end, I felt more refreshed and energized than ever.

Suddenly, I heard whimpers. Turning, I saw Ice Wind covered in blood beside Beamon's corpse. Shocked, I thought Beamon might still be alive and had injured Ice Wind. Rushing to its side, I was about to examine it when I noticed white frost emanating from its body, rapidly coalescing into a massive, milky-white ice cocoon.

A realization dawned on me, and I turned to rip open Beamon's chest. There, I found the magic core, which should have been frozen in its breast, had vanished. Clearly, Ice Wind had consumed it, leading to this transformation.

It's true that magical beasts can enhance their powers by devouring crystals of the same attribute, which is why they often fight one another. However, if the disparity is too great, a high-level beast consuming a low-level crystal gains no benefit. Conversely, a low-level beast swallowing a high-level crystal would meet a fatal explosion.

As for what exactly the Ice Wind is, I'm not certain. Judging from the frost it exhales that can't even freeze a single ice cube, its crystal nucleus is likely only at the lowest tier of magical beasts. In the past, I've also fed it the crystal nuclei of low-tier ice elementals, but Ice Wind showed no improvement and had no interest in them. Thus, I abandoned the idea of using crystal nuclei to level it up.