Chapter 391: Chapter 394: You Run, I Chase

Life Spiritual Power really lives up to its reputation as the most mysterious energy. Merely mixing a bit of it, the Attack Power of the Fire Lotus summoned by Mu Can could almost be said to have doubled. When the Fire Lotus exploded at the heart of the Giant Beast, the entire space was engulfed in a sea of flames.

Mu Can was well aware that the power of the Fire Lotus he summoned was stronger than that of the Fire Dragon, largely due to the higher density of Spiritual Power in the lotus compared to that in the body of the Fire Dragon. It was like a firecracker exploding on open ground versus inside a small bottle; though it was the same firecracker, the explosive force was starkly different.

The Fire Lotus summoned by Mu Can was equivalent to compressing the Fire Dragon, resulting in its current size. Even though it was smaller in volume, its power had increased.

The moment the Fire Lotus exploded, it released all the energy contained within. Mu Can could even clearly feel that, at the moment of the explosion, that trace of Life Spiritual Power directly integrated into the Fire Lotus, stirring up the Fire Attribute Spiritual Power in the space, and thus causing such a massive commotion.

The Frost Giant Bear was clearly startled, instinctively flipping over and charging towards the distance. Caught off guard, Mu Can was flung off, almost crashing to the ground.

“Damn, how could it be so terrifying?” No matter what, the Frost Giant Bear could never have expected the Fire Lotus, which seemed no bigger than a spark in its eyes, to explode with such immense power. The instant the explosion occurred, its heart was seriously damaged. Despite its strong body as defense, the immense force of the explosion still inflicted substantial damage. The fur near its heart, originally snow-white, was now charred black. The visible wound did not bleed a single drop, as the high temperature from the explosion healed it instantly, leaving only a faint scent of roasted meat.

“Why does it smell so good?” The Frost Giant Bear, like a frightened bird, fled frantically. Such an attack, if it were to happen once more, the Frost Giant Bear felt it might well be finished off. It had no choice but to turn tail and run while thinking something was amiss. What was that scent, and why was it so appetizing?

The Frost Giant Bear’s nose twitched incessantly, searching for the source of the aroma, until it unexpectedly found the scent of roasted meat coming from its own body, and swallowed saliva in surprise. Mu Can even wondered if the big dumb bear might try a taste of its own flesh.

“Big dumb bear, don’t run! How’s the taste of the roast meat?” Seeing the Frost Giant Bear getting farther away, Mu Can couldn’t let this happen. He started chasing after it with long strides. Only heaven knew if not killing the Frost Giant Bear would allow him to pass this trial. If he must kill it and let it escape, Mu Can would have nowhere to cry.

Had Mu Can not shouted, the Frost Giant Bear, which had already stopped to sniff the cooked parts of its own body and salivate, heard Mu Can calling out and immediately broke into a sudden sprint forward, as if some prehistoric monster was chasing it. In the heart of the giant bear, to some extent, Mu Can was even more frightening than the prehistoric beasts.

Although this little creature was not large in stature, even smaller than the paw of the Frost Giant Bear, its cunning was far too profound. It used its small body and high agility to turn itself into a shield, letting itself be pummeled to sustain injuries that were neither serious nor light. Then, it took advantage of its own lightness to launch that terrifying Fire Lotus, directly intimidating the Frost Giant Bear.

With a few more attacks of that magnitude, the Frost Giant Bear felt it would definitely be finished off. Although being killed here wouldn’t mean truly dying, the Frost Giant Bear had no desire to experience it.

Therefore, when Mu Can was in pursuit, there was only one thought in the Frost Giant Bear’s mind: run.

As one of the Giant Beasts that served as a trial within the Heavenly Pillar, the Frost Giant Bear was well aware of its situation. As long as it didn’t give Mu Can the chance to attack, Mu Can would not be able to pass the trial. Once the sun appeared three times in the space, it would mean Mu Can’s failure. Hence, fleeing and stalling for time was the wisest choice for the Frost Giant Bear.

The bear’s hooves thundered as it sprinted, leaving behind a thick layer of ice where it passed, creating blocks of ice with its Spiritual Power underfoot. The Frost Giant Bear’s weighty paws moved even faster across the ice than on the ground.

Mu Can chased determinedly from behind, only to find that not only was he not closing the gap, but the distance was actually getting larger.

“Damn it, just knows how to run,” Mu Can cursed secretly, starting to think hard.

This was originally the Frost Giant Bear’s territory; it naturally had a home ground advantage here. Competing in speed was something Mu Can surely couldn’t win—the Giant Beast’s body was so large that every step it took required Mu Can to take several just to keep up. Continuously chasing like this was certainly not the solution. Mu Can didn’t know whether this Heavenly Pillar challenge had a time limit or not, but it seemed that such an important trial would be too frivolous without one.

“This can’t go on; if it escapes like this, how can I complete my trial?” Mu Can sighed inwardly. He had never imagined such an outcome; to have the trial’s Giant Beast flee without fighting was like taking his life away. In such a space where neither the time nor the environment was on his side, chasing after a Frost Giant Bear whose speed on ice was even faster than on regular ground was no less difficult than defeating it.

“You think you can run?” Mu Can gritted his teeth, and the Ice Attribute Spiritual Power within him surged out recklessly, like money meant nothing. In the moment he dashed forward, two winding Ice Dragons appeared in the air, and beneath Mu Can, a large snowplow emerged as well. This was the result of an inspired moment—since he couldn’t outrun it, he would create a tool to catch up to it.

If one were to ask what the biggest difference between humans and animals is, some might answer Cultivation. But this answer is definitely incorrect. For most Demon Beasts, Cultivation is not a human exclusive. So, what is the biggest difference? The biggest difference is human creativity. Humans can practice Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Array Setting—these are things that even Demon Beasts with high levels of Cultivation cannot imitate.