Solar Blood Masters

WHOOSH!

A chilling wind swept across the 'Desolate Sands', carrying with it an unsettling stillness. A wave of icy energy rippled outwards, causing the searing desert heat to vanish. It was as if the very air itself was freezing!

An elephant beast shuddered as a thin layer of frost covered its hide.

"What's happening?" He looked around, confused. The previously crimson sands were quickly acquiring a white sheen as the wind changed its music, from the sound of heat to something far more dreadful and beautiful.

Before them, a bizarre spectacle began unfolding.

Those creatures who couldn't withstand a sudden drop in temperature, those whose cultivation had been weakened from battles, they all began to freeze.

"It's cold! So COLD!" A massive scorpion with four tails cried out in terror as its exoskeleton cracked, then it shattered into a million pieces before they could even hit the ground.

A gigantic, muscular Gator Calamity, mid-roar, with its maw frozen open and teeth shattered, turned into a statue of magnificent horror!

Then, as a chilling chime played overhead, shimmering pink snowflakes began raining down from the sky that had crimson clouds merging into a dreadful purplish blue hue.

"Those pink snowflakes are deadly." One creature quickly flee the vicinity.

Suddenly, deafening, bone-jarring HOWL shattered the silence.

"AROOOOOOO!"

The snowflakes exploded into a thousand tiny shards as if the very sound was sharp. As they dissipated, a magnificent sight was revealed.

A pack of twenty Crimson Fang Hounds emerged from the blizzard. Their pink flags, emblazoned with high point totals, hovered above their heads.

"Hmmm… 213 points?"

"That one… 278 points…"

"Look! Pitbull Sama! He has 398 points! Such a magnificent leader!"

They trampled over the shattered ice sculptures with a chilling indifference, each step was leaving deep imprints in the freezing sand as they boastfully surveyed the area.

"This place is OURS!" one hound with a mangled ear growled.

"Yeah! No one can withstand our combined might!" another added as it shook its snow-covered fur.

Their leader stepped forward. He was a muscular male with his crimson fangs protruded over his black lips.

His imposing form radiated pure power.

"Pitbull Sama!" The hounds bowed their heads respectfully.

"Those Kepfu Eggs…" Pitbull Sama's gaze was fixed intently on the remnants of the nest they had fought over. "Hmmm, these eggs will increase our rank."

Just then, a handful of Solar Consciousnesses emerged from the carnage-ridden earth.

The hounds erupted with a primal, bloodthirsty frenzy!

"MINE!"

"Get your claws OUT of my SOUL! It's MINE!"

"I KILLED them! They belong to ME!"

"This is OUR territory! Those points are OURS!"

Within a heartbeats, the pack was embroiled in a vicious brawl. Jaws clashed! Tails whipped! And their howls echoed with a horrifying intensity.

"AROOOOO! SILENCE!"

Pitbull Sama's thunderous howl silenced the pack instantly, those wolves knew his bark. They backed away with their tails between their legs; shamefaced as they watched their leader approach.

He surveyed the squabbling pack with a disappointed shake of his head.

"FOOLS! Those souls? They'll be there LATER! Focus! We have a TASK to complete, those Kepfu Eggs! We're participating in a competition! If our territory falls behind… WE'LL ALL be ELIMINATED!"

His words had a sobering effect. The hounds instantly calmed down. With their attention shifted, they moved towards the piles of Kepfu eggs with renewed purpose and predatory gazes.

Pitbull Sama grinned, revealing rows of sharp teeth. He extended a paw, a vortex of swirling white energy, that had the nearby sand forming a miniature snow storm appeared, ready to absorb those nearest eggs into his spatial inventory.

But…

RUMBLE!

"What's THAT?!!" He snarled.

The ground shook!

"That damn Gastaroid and Lingshi! Their fight is wreaking havoc across Desolate Sand. It seems the Bull Mountain Demon is getting his ass kicked! Hmmm, well, not our concern. Those eggs! Grab them!"

He resumed his task.

But…

BOOM!

Suddenly, from beneath the earth, an eruption of blue and silver energy blasted those unsuspecting hounds skyward!

"WHAT the?!"

Pitbull Sama stumbled back as a terrifying sight emerged from the heart of that geyser!

It was the Sapphire Spring Blood Dragon. Its eyes were blazing silver with a ferocity that had those pink snowflakes melting in an instant.

And upon its back…

"That… BULL?!"

It was Raphael, Lu Jade and Thienika.

The dragon swam around in the air for a while, then slowly lowered itself to the ground, allowing its passengers to disembark.

They landed before those bewildered Crimson Fang Hounds.

The dragon turned back into a torrent of blue Blood Essence and was reabsorbed into Raphael's horns.

"What the? They came from underground?!" Pitbull Sama was stunned.

Then his gaze locked onto Raphael's black flag.

279 points!

"Hmm. That number…" He glared menacingly. "You are doing well, bull."

…

"Cough, cough…"

Raphael wiped a bit of dust from his nose with a hand before saying, "Seems like we outran that damn rhino. The 'Logia Mist' bought us some time, but we didn't get many eggs. That bastard…"

"You did the right thing, Big Brother. We would have been CRUSHED!" Lu Jade shudder at the memory of Pam Long's strength.

While they were discussing the rhino's strength…

The other hounds had encircled them.

Their eyes glowed with bloodlust.

"AOOO!"

One lunged forward!

"DIE, vermin!"

"What the?!"

Raphael's senses were tingling. The hound's speed was blinding!

SLASH! SLASH!

Its claws came flashing down in an 'X' barrage!

He barely had time to react!

"MIDAS VOLT RUSH!"

With a roar, Raphael oscillated golden lightning around his right fist. He punched!

The attack connected!

His fist clashed against the hound's claws!

CRACKLE! BOOM!

Sparks flew as golden energy rushed through the hound's body. Very quickly, it solidified into a golden statue.

Raphael didn't hesitate, "GOLD PRESS!"

BOOM!

A massive, golden spectral hoof materialized above the hound. And with a terrifying speed, it slammed down, crushing the hound's golden form into the ground. The impact left only a fine dust.

The other hounds stared in shock.

"Huh…?" Raphael glanced around. He now realized that he was surrounded.

"These are Crimson Fang Hounds? Hmmm…" He recalled some details Lu Jade had shared about the various territories of Yama Yaguai. "If I remember correctly… they control ice. Those pink flags above them. Their territory is… YUNYIN?!"

The realization hit him like a thunderclap.

He was in enemy territory!

He quickly spread his wings, preparing to escape this perilous encounter, but…

"FROZEN HELL DOMAIN!"

A monstrous HOWL! It reverberated and shook the very air itself.

The sky above darkened as an intense chill permeated the area, pink snowflakes began to fall once more, but this time, these snowflakes, they seemed interconnected! Thin, threads of ice that were as transparent as glass but just as strong connected each snowflakes.

And when Raphael's team felt those snowflake touching their hides and scales…

WHOOSH!

They were gone.

"Big Brother, where… WHERE are WE?!" Lu Jade's question had a chilling fear he'd never known. He looked around. They were no longer in that desert hellscape with a scorching sun above.

Now they were within a domain.

The air was freezing cold, and a pale, ethereal light emanated from the icy walls that surrounded them.

And at the apex of this frozen world, a massive, magical wheel, adorned with symbols, hovered majestically. It was as if an ancient artifact had been unearthed from the deepest, coldest regions of Yama Yaguai. It was the 'Subzero Law Wheel', the very embodiment of the 'Ice Laws' within this domain.

And surrounding them, with eyes that glowed red with hunger were nineteen Crimson Fang Hounds.

"Big… Big Brother… I think… we're in… trouble…"

Raphael's gaze settled on the figure that stood before him. A 7th Layer Nightmare Calamity.

Pitbull Sama grinned. His fangs were ready to feed.

He was truly a chilling sight.

"Welcome… to MY frozen HELL!"