Bai Wushang desperately wracked his brain, recalling the knowledge he had once learned. Ironclad Zombies were the natural evolution of Hungry Zombies. Under the effect of their trait, "Metal Skin," they possessed an impenetrably tough defense, impervious to blades and spears. Simultaneously, they possessed immense strength. Even extraordinary creatures of the same quality but one or two levels higher would find it incredibly difficult to break through their defense, making them extremely troublesome opponents.

  Another violent punch, whistling through the air with gale force, came crashing towards him. Bai Wushang barely managed to block it with the metal rod, but the rod snapped on impact. The remaining force of the blow slammed into Bai Wushang's lower abdomen, sending him flying back two or three meters to crash heavily against the wall behind him.

  Half-kneeling on the ground, Bai Wushang clutched his stomach, unable to stop himself from coughing violently. Bright red blood trickled continuously from the corner of his mouth.

  "Am I going to die at the hands of this damned thing today?" He couldn't accept it.

  The Ironclad Zombie let out a harsh, grating cackle ("Jie Jie Jie"), clearly unwilling to give Bai Wushang any chance to catch his breath. Its nearly ten-centimeter-long metallic corpse claws extended menacingly as it lunged forward like a wild beast.

  "Stop!"

  Mu Xiaoxiao, eyes red, bravely stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Bai Wushang.

  Kacha! With a soft crack, the lotus jade pendant on her chest shattered into powder, exchanged for a suit of translucent, full-body armor that enveloped Mu Xiaoxiao, protecting her within.

  The Ironclad Zombie's incomparably sharp claws struck the armor, scraping off a shower of sparks.

  Seeing something harder than itself for the first time in its corpse-existence, the Ironclad Zombie froze for a moment, then flew into a complete rage. Steel claws, iron fists, even its fangs – it unleashed everything, frantically assaulting the transparent armor.

  "Xiaoxiao!"

  Bai Wushang gritted his teeth in anguish. The armor conjured from the protective jade pendant couldn't be broken by the Ironclad Zombie alone, but it had a time limit!

  After maintaining its furious, storm-like offensive for a full minute, the transparent armor finally dissipated completely, revealing Mu Xiaoxiao's pretty face, pale and streaked with tears.

  The seemingly crazed Ironclad Zombie, without the slightest hesitation, opened its cavernous, blood-stained maw and lunged towards Mu Xiaoxiao's neck.

  At this moment, Bai Wushang hated his own weakness and powerlessness more than anything.

  His eyes were shot with blood. Enduring the agony of his injuries, he struggled to pick up the broken metal rod, preparing to make a desperate, final stand.

  Hua~~~~~

  Just then, a single, pure white snowflake drifted leisurely down from the air above, reflecting in Bai Wushang's pupils, dazzlingly white.

  Time itself seemed to freeze in that instant.

  The Ironclad Zombie's crimson fangs were poised, mere moments from piercing the delicate skin of Mu Xiaoxiao's neck.

  In the next second, one could almost foresee the spurt of fresh blood, the image of the Ironclad Zombie excitedly tearing into flesh.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  A dot of blue light abruptly flared beneath the Ironclad Zombie's feet. It spread with blinding speed, surging past its knees, pelvis, torso, arms... until it enveloped the entire body.

  Bai Wushang watched, stunned. The originally savage, seemingly invincible Ironclad Zombie, its ferocious expression still frozen on its face, had its entire body transformed into an ice sculpture in that single instant.

  The [Status] column on its attribute panel had also changed to the glaring word: "Deceased".

  In the dimly lit cave, a slender arm reached in through the open entrance. With a gentle wave, the ice sculpture shattered into countless pieces, crashing to the ground in a heap of ice shards.

  With the obstacle gone, Bai Wushang finally noticed that someone was standing at the cave entrance – someone who had appeared there at some unknown moment. An exceptionally beautiful woman.

  She stood about 1.7 meters tall, clad in a tight-fitting black leather outfit that accentuated her slender waist, full bust, and exquisite figure. Slanted across her back was a purple tachi. Her entire presence radiated a natural sharpness, making it somewhat difficult to meet her gaze directly.

  Long, raven-black hair cascaded naturally around her shoulders. Her facial features were exquisitely delicate, especially her eyes – black pupils as clear and limpid as glazed crystal, leaving a profound impression.

  The only slight imperfection, perhaps, was that her devastatingly beautiful face held almost no expression; from beginning to end, it possessed the tranquility of a deep, still pool.

  "Excuse me," she began, her lips parting slightly. Her voice was cool and clear, yet polite. "A skyship crashed in this vicinity. Are you two survivors?"

  "Yes... And you are?" Mu Xiaoxiao managed, coming back to her senses, realizing this woman had saved her, feeling a wave of relief wash over her from having survived the ordeal.

  "Jiang Lingyue, second year at Shanhai Academy," the sword-bearing woman stated calmly. "I happened to be returning to the academy when I received this rescue mission, so I came to investigate."

  "Thank you... Thank you so much... If it weren't for you, we might not have lived to see tomorrow..." Mu Xiaoxiao bowed deeply, expressing her sincere gratitude.

  "Yi~"

  A soft cry sounded. It turned out the woman had a small, blue beast at her feet. It blinked its sparkling pupils, curiously observing the two people inside the cave.

  Bai Wushang looked over—

  [Name]: Three-Tailed Iceflame Fox (Contracted)[Race]: Demon Beast Realm · Beast Type · Red Fox Clan Variant[Life Level]: Complete Body Initial Stage[Bloodline Quality]: Commander Level 3-Star??? (Soul Power too low for full detection)...

  "Three-Tailed Iceflame Fox... Complete Body..."

  Bai Wushang was lost in thought. This was an extraordinary creature he knew nothing about; it fell completely outside his current knowledge base.

  The small blue beast was roughly the size of a puppy, its fur smooth and glossy. Three fluffy tails swayed gently behind it, making it look quite adorable.

  "Ah, so cute!"

  Mu Xiaoxiao's attention was similarly captured, her eyes shining with the kind of sparkle often seen in women charmed by something adorable.

  Jiang Lingyue seemed accustomed to such reactions. She introduced softly, "Iceflame Fox, my pet beast."

  Her gaze swept around the cave before suddenly landing on Bai Wushang.

  She stared intently for a good ten seconds or more. Then, Jiang Lingyue, who had remained cool and expressionless until now, uncharacteristically raised a delicate eyebrow.

  "You two should be freshmen from this year's intake, right? Why do I sense soul power fluctuations from you?"

  "...Are you a Spontaneous Awakener?"

  Bai Wushang hadn't expected her perception to be so keen. He could only explain vaguely, "Due to some accidents, I awakened my soul power by chance..."

  "Then where is your natal pet beast?"

  "I haven't had the chance to perform the summoning ritual yet..."

  Jiang Lingyue pondered this for a moment. Her finger swept across a storage ring, and she produced two medicinal pills, tossing them to Bai Wushang.

  "Crush the red one and apply it externally to your wounds. Swallow the green one directly. You should be mostly recovered by morning... Tomorrow morning, contract your natal pet beast first. Then I'll take you both back to the academy to report."

  Having said this, Jiang Lingyue turned to Mu Xiaoxiao. "As for you, take this sleeping bag and get some more rest."

  "Um... Thank you, Senior Jiang," Bai Wushang said. He naturally recognized the pills – the red was a Blood Return Pill, the green a Spirit Replenishing Pill. Both were relatively precious medicines; just these two would cost at least a hundred gold coins.

  "No need for thanks," Jiang Lingyue replied nonchalantly. "This is an academy mission. I'll be compensated."

  Without waiting for a further response, she rubbed the Three-Tailed Iceflame Fox's head, signaling it to stay put.

  "Rest easy in the cave. Little Ice will protect you. I'm going to scout the valley again, see if there are any other survivors."

  With light, graceful steps, Jiang Lingyue's elegant figure gradually melted into the darkness outside, soon vanishing without a trace....