A terrifying blade aura surged forward, carrying a storm of razor-sharp icicles toward the giant fish.

  Sensing the danger, the monster twisted mid-air and plunged back into the spring, shrinking instantly into a tiny, elusive fry.

  Lauren’s attack slammed into the pool, launching a thousand-foot wave skyward. Countless icicles rained into the water like dumplings thrown into boiling broth.

  Realizing the creature had vanished, Lauren drove her sword deep into the frozen surface.

  Sword energy exploded outward, spreading rapidly beneath the ice as she searched for the hidden predator.

  Lauren closed her eyes and released her spiritual sense, searching for the giant fish hidden beneath the frozen surface.

  The creature had shrunk to the size of her pinky finger, but her spiritual sense was far too powerful to be fooled by such tricks. Within seconds, she locked onto its position.

  The moment it sensed her awareness, the tiny fish split into two.

  Then four.

  Then eight.

  Within a few breaths, the pool that had once held a single predator now swarmed with hundreds—then thousands—of identical copies.

  Lauren’s expression hardened. She refused to underestimate an opponent capable of such illusions.

  With a casual flick of her wrist, she released her sword. The Gintama Sword floated in the air, humming faintly with power.

  Her fingers blurred as she formed rapid hand seals, her voice low and steady as she chanted:

  “One becomes ten. Ten become a hundred. A hundred become a thousand. A thousand become ten thousand.”

  Ten thousand sword phantoms materialized in the air.

  They plunged into the pool simultaneously.

  The air filled with an endless storm of slicing wind and shrieking steel. Moments later, every clone was shredded apart by the raining blades.

  Behind her, White clapped excitedly.

  “Sister is amazing!”

  But the celebration was short-lived.

  Lauren’s attack had clearly enraged the monster. The giant fish erupted from the water again, vomiting a torrent of flame so intense that even White yelped in alarm and retreated several steps.

  Lauren withdrew just as fast. White light radiated from her armor, blocking the scorching blaze.

  The creature’s body began expanding rapidly, swelling with each passing breath. Its aura multiplied at a terrifying rate.

  Within seconds, it had grown past ten feet long—and it still wasn’t finished.

  Four thick, muscular limbs burst from its abdomen. Dark scales spread across its body, and between those scales flowed streams of molten magma instead of flesh.

  “BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…”

  Enraged beyond reason, the monster spewed endless waves of flame. The thick ice around the valley began melting visibly under the relentless assault.

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  Lauren slapped a Divine Travel Talisman onto herself, her speed skyrocketing as her movements became ghostlike and erratic.

  But the beast’s fire seemed limitless.

  Simply dodging wouldn’t end this fight.

  While retreating, she launched her counterattack. Eight Explosive Spirit Talismans flew out in a single motion, detonating directly against the monster’s body.

  The blasts staggered it. Its scales split open, flesh tearing as blood spilled into the air. Roaring in pain, it plunged back into the pool.

  Lauren finally had a moment to breathe.

  She immediately commanded the Gintama Sword to dive into the water, slicing through the submerged creature.

  A heartbeat later, the monster erupted from the spring again—more vicious than before.

  Lauren’s eyes narrowed.

  The wounds from the talismans had already healed.

  Realization struck instantly.

  The monster’s true danger wasn’t its strength. Every time it was injured, it retreated into the pool, where the water healed it at a terrifying speed.

  If she wanted to kill it, she had to stop it from returning.

  Lauren turned and ran.

  The giant fish charged after her, galloping forward on its four legs with shocking speed.

  She measured the distance carefully. Just a little farther. Once it was far enough from the spring, she could seal its escape route.

  But suddenly, the beast halted its pursuit.

  Then it turned and fled back toward the pool.

  Lauren stopped, watching it dive back into the steaming water with a dark look.

  “Sister!” White swooped down beside her.

  Lauren swallowed several recovery pills, rapidly restoring her spiritual energy.

  “Sister, how can I help?”

  Lauren scanned the surroundings. The terrain formed a natural basin—three sides blocked by towering ice cliffs, with only a narrow ground passage leading in.

  “Keep watch,” she said. “Don’t let anyone come near.”

  “Understood!”

  White transformed into her bird form and soared into the sky.

  Inside her inner space, Edmund’s voice echoed.

  “You still think you can kill it alone?”

  Lauren nodded calmly. “Yes. I’ve already figured out how.”

  “Oh?” Edmund sounded amused. “Let me see you try, then.”

  Lauren smirked faintly.

  “Watch closely.”

  She stepped forward again, unleashing the Gintama Sword to bombard the pool.

  The monster roared in fury and leapt out once more, vomiting rivers of flame.

  Lauren dodged, deliberately drawing it farther from the spring.

  As she retreated, she shed her damaged armor and replaced it instantly with a fresh Spirit Treasure set. The previous armor had already been tainted by the magma fire—once contaminated, it would burn endlessly until reduced to ash.

  The giant fish refused to stray too far from its spring, while Lauren carefully maintained a distance that kept it chasing her.

  Timing it perfectly, she struck.

  Spirit-Severing Talisman.

  Phantom Talisman.

  Earth Talisman.

  Her techniques flowed seamlessly, one after another, confusing the beast’s senses, creating false targets, then sealing off its escape path.

  The Earth Talisman could only restrain it for a few breaths—but that was all she needed.

  As she retreated toward the spring, she continued planting talismans. Earthen walls erupted across the icy valley, forming a maze of obstacles between the monster and its sanctuary.

  Reaching the spring’s edge, Lauren retrieved the Earth Core Ice Lotus.

  Pouring a massive amount of spiritual energy into it, she activated its power.

  The entire pool froze instantly.

  Even the Earth Core Red Lotus became trapped beneath a thick layer of crystal ice.

  Behind her—

  BOOM.

  BOOM.

  BOOM.

  The giant fish smashed through wall after wall, charging forward like a living siege weapon.

  Lauren silently counted.

  Almost…

  Almost…

  She stepped back again, channeling every ounce of strength into the Gintama Sword.

  The monster shattered the final earthen barrier and lunged into the pool—

  Only to slam headfirst into solid ice.

  Stunned, it thrashed violently, roaring in fury as it unleashed torrents of flame against the frozen surface. Given enough time, it would have melted its prison.

  But Lauren had no intention of giving it time.

  In that instant, she unleashed her final strike.

  The sword fell like the wrath of heaven itself.

  “BOOM!”

  The valley trembled as the strike carved a massive trench through the frozen spring.

  The giant-headed fish froze in place, its body locked mid-struggle.

  One breath.

  Two breaths.

  Three.

  Then—

  Its body split cleanly in half.

  The two severed halves collapsed on opposite sides of the trench, eyes still wide with rage and disbelief.

  Edmund crawled out lazily, grabbed the giant fish’s beast core without ceremony, and swallowed it whole.

  “You humans really love your dirty little tricks,” he muttered.

  Lauren was already at her limit. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, tossed the massive corpse into her inner space, and waved weakly toward him.

  “Go clean up the body. I need to rest.”

  The Earth Core Red Lotus was right in front of her—but she didn’t dare touch it yet.