Chapter Forty-Two: Encountering Mu Baiyun Again

With a spurt, Ji Mo, still airborne, coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. After sending her flying with a violent blow, the Giant Force Bear did not cease its assault. This creature, it seemed, was well-versed in the art of pressing the attack while ahead. It let out a deep, guttural rumble through its nose, lifted its massive paws, and charged at Ji Mo like a raging whirlwind. Several dozen yards away, Zhao Hu and Wei Qiu turned pale with shock; both leapt to their feet and rushed toward the bear in a desperate attempt to block its advance.

"You two are no match for it—stand aside!" Ji Mo shouted, forcing herself to ignore the chaos of her churning blood and energy. After crashing through a tree trunk, she used the recoil to flip herself through the air, grasped her White Jade Flood Dragon Whip, and once more charged headlong at the Giant Force Bear.

Man and beast collided in an instant. When she was but two meters from the bear, the White Jade whip in her hand transformed into a cloud of shimmering shadows, lashing down on the creature's head and shoulders. The Giant Force Bear, having already suffered the sting of the whip once, was deeply wary of its power and had no intention of meeting it head-on. It abruptly halted its charge, its forepaws sliding deftly to the left, narrowly dodging the flurry of whip strikes.

Missing her first attack, Ji Mo pressed in closer, striking left and right with a flurry of blows. She had already faced the Saber-Toothed Tiger once before, and the first five forms of the Dragon-Subduing Whip technique she had just mastered now flowed from her with uncanny fluidity. The Giant Force Bear, as a bear, could never match the agility of a feline like the Saber-Toothed Tiger.

Even the Saber-Toothed Tiger had struggled to evade Ji Mo’s whip; the giant bear stood even less of a chance. Reluctant to face the whip at close quarters, its movements were consistently hampered. Ji Mo seized her advantage: her silver whip darted like a dragon emerging from the water, each strike aiming for the bear’s head. In no time at all, three bloody welts had appeared on the bear’s skull and neck.

The Giant Force Bear roared in fury, yet could not escape the relentless onslaught of the whip’s whistling shadows. After several exchanges between woman and beast, the bear’s body was covered with more than a dozen fresh wounds. Though its hide was thick and Ji Mo's strength limited, unable to inflict mortal harm, the unique properties of the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip drove pain deep into the creature’s bones with every blow.

The accumulated agony from so many strikes finally awakened the bear’s full ferocity. With two enraged bellows, it stopped caring about its injuries and charged at Ji Mo with reckless abandon.

Now that the beast was fighting for its life, Ji Mo had no choice but to retreat. In terms of strength and endurance, she was no match for the Giant Force Bear. The creature, its body slashed and bleeding profusely, looked truly fearsome. Ji Mo leapt back nimbly, her toes brushing treetops as she dodged left and right, fighting and retreating at the same time. For now, the bear could not catch her, but its continuous roars shook the earth and made the surrounding branches and leaves tremble.

Suddenly, in the midst of this chase, Ji Mo lost her breath for a split second and was a moment too slow to dodge. The bear seized the opportunity, sending her flying with one massive paw. She had already been seriously injured by its earlier blow; now, after taking another, she spat out a fresh arc of blood with a cry. Zhao Hu and Wei Qiu, watching from afar, were beside themselves with anxiety. They wished to help, but their strength was simply no match for the bear’s. If they rushed in, not only would they be unable to assist, they would likely become a burden to Ji Mo.

The Giant Force Bear, having swatted Ji Mo aside, shook itself and pursued her without hesitation. The agonizing pain coursing through its body made it long to tear Ji Mo limb from limb; it would not rest until she was devoured.

After such a prolonged struggle with the bear, Ji Mo’s stamina was nearly spent. With the double blow of her injuries, even her extraordinary recuperative abilities could not keep up for the moment. Thrown through the air, she crashed heavily to the ground.

"Xiao Mo!" Zhao Hu, seeing this, forgot entirely that he was no match for the bear and rushed to Ji Mo’s side, trying to shield her from the oncoming beast.

"Get out of the way, Brother Zhao!" Ji Mo, disregarding her own wounds, sprang to her feet and pushed Zhao Hu aside. In that split second, the Giant Force Bear was already just a few meters away.

Ji Mo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the churning within her, and prepared to summon her remaining spiritual strength to awaken the hidden ferocity of the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip, intending to end the bear’s pursuit once and for all.

"Eh? A Giant Force Bear? Junior Sister Ji, do you need help?" At that moment, a surprised voice sounded behind her, halting her attempt to rouse the whip’s spirit.

The Giant Force Bear, about to pounce on Ji Mo, suddenly stopped in its tracks. Its earth-yellow eyes glared past her, and Ji Mo glanced back herself, seeing a strikingly handsome young man—none other than Mu Baiyun, with whom she had once crossed blades.

The bear, now only three paces from Ji Mo, issued a series of deep growls at the youth behind her, the sound a mixture of threat and warning.

"Senior Brother Mu, it seems this fellow is trying to intimidate you," Ji Mo remarked, eyeing the bear’s posturing, then glancing at Mu Baiyun behind her. Quietly pulling Zhao Hu aside, she continued to provoke, suspecting from the bear’s demeanor that it had fought Mu Baiyun before and gained little from the encounter.

Mu Baiyun chuckled. "Indeed, a few days ago I did battle with this fellow. Though I managed to drive it off, killing it proved no easy feat."

The Giant Force Bear was a peak first-rank demon beast, its combat power rivaling that of a twelfth-rank Qi Refinement cultivator—a stage where ascension to Foundation Establishment was possible at any time. Mu Baiyun, though a prodigy, had only cultivated for six years. Slaying such a beast was still beyond his reach, but while he could not kill the bear, neither could the bear defeat him. Thus, upon seeing him, the creature responded with threats and warnings.

"Why don’t we join forces, then?" Ji Mo suggested, her eyes brightening.

"Excellent idea. I see it hasn’t gained the upper hand against you, Senior Sister Ji. If we work together, I doubt this beast will be difficult to finish off. Once we kill it, we’ll split the spoils," Mu Baiyun replied, clearly tempted—after all, a peak first-rank demon beast was worth a fortune.

With a whoosh, before his words had even faded, the Giant Force Bear abruptly wheeled around. Its hulking form whipped up a gale as it fled at full speed. Its retreat could only be described as a panicked scramble. Ji Mo stared in astonishment, never expecting the once-fierce beast to flee without a fight.

Mu Baiyun was equally taken aback. After a moment, he muttered with a wry expression, "Weren’t bears supposed to fight to the death once enraged? What’s this supposed to be?"

"Who knows, maybe this one’s a rare mutation—remarkably fond of its own life," Ji Mo said with a shrug. As soon as the bear retreated, her tension ebbed away and she collapsed heavily to the ground.