The two figures advanced one after another, heading north.
After passing dozens of towering snow-capped peaks, they finally arrived at the entrance of a vast river valley.
Multiple valleys converged before them, stretching into the distant abyss.
Though frozen solid, the outlines of the valley were still faintly visibleāspanning nearly a thousand zhang in widthāsuggesting it had once been a mighty river, weathered by countless ages.
Standing on the ice and gazing into the distance, Yi Fengās eyes flickered with suspicion.
"Where are these so-called monsters? Thereās not even a bird in sight."
Wei Zhenfang, walking ahead, turned and bowed with an ingratiating smile.
"Senior, the demonic tribes are just ahead in the valley. I swear this on the Heavenly Dao!"
Only then did Yi Feng half-believe him. As they prepared to move forward, he asked curiously,
"Are these demons strong? Any danger?"
The question was expected, and Wei Zhenfang answered smoothly.
"Senior, you jest. With your cultivation, how could mere demons pose a threat? Rest assured, this journey carries no riskāonly ample demon corpses for your harvest."
Listening to the bald old manās words, Yi Feng seemed slightly disappointed.
"No danger at all? What a shame. Lead the way, then."
His low, disheartened tone gave Wei Zhenfang pause.
Was this man putting on a front, deliberately spouting such arrogance?
Or was he testing him with empty bluster?
No expert, no matter how powerful, would dare act so recklessly on the planet of Waterfrost Starālet alone express regret over the absence of danger.
No matter what, this man was destined to die here.
Turning slowly to continue forward, Wei Zhenfang allowed a sly grin to creep across his face.
Think itās a shame, do you?
Just wait until weāre inside. Iāll show you what real regret feels like!
He had come to Waterfrost Star to assist Fu Haotian, armed with a map purchased at great costāone that provided a rough understanding of the demonic tribesā distribution here.
This valley was deep in Waterfrost Starās heartland. Any demons gathered here would undoubtedly be at least Heaven-tier in strength!
Demons were inherently formidable, their physical prowess unmatched, and their innate abilities even more terrifying. Even if this man was powerful, facing a group of Heaven-tier demons would leave him with no place to bury his corpse!
The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. Wei Zhenfang strode forward with steady confidence.
As they ventured deeper into the glacial valley, the path widened until they reached a frozen cliff littered with bouldersālikely the remnants of an ancient waterfall. The terrain was wide open, a dead end with nowhere to hide if a battle broke out.
The sight nearly made Wei Zhenfang burst into laughter.
Behind him, Yi Fengās doubtful voice rang out again.
"Still no demons. Are you lying to me?"
Wei Zhenfang didnāt turn around, his attention fixed eagerly on the cliffs.
"Patience, Senior. Theyāre coming!"
No sooner had he spoken than sinister laughter echoed across the sky!
"Kekekeā¦"
"A thousand yearsā¦ Itās been a thousand years since we last tasted human flesh!"
"Our luck is good todayātwo humans at once!"
"Donāt even think of hogging them all!"
Guttural voices reverberated through the air as massive shadows swooped down from above!
Their wings blotted out the clouds, their talons loomed like mountains!
Darkness swallowed the sunlight, casting the riverbanks into shadow. A suffocating aura of malice spread like black mist, an indescribable pressure instantly weighing down the land.
Seven colossal figures circled the sky, turning day into night, leaving only demonic energy in their wake!
Gazing up at these monstrous beings, Wei Zhenfangās nerves tightened.
Even standing frozen on the ice, he felt instinctive terror. Merely meeting their gaze was enough to make his heart quailālet alone fighting them.
Their malevolent aura was overwhelming, their speech fluent despite centuries of isolation in this forsaken valley.
The oppressive dread they exuded was unlike anything heād ever experienced. These winged behemoths were undeniably Heaven-tier demonsāelites among their kind.
Against such beings, even a typical Heaven-tier expert would be as helpless as a lamb.
Encountering them meant certain death!
Wei Zhenfangās heart pounded like a drum, yet his face twisted into a frenzied grin.
"Senior, here are the demons you wanted!"
His voice trembled with excitement as he clutched the Heaven-tier teleportation talisman hidden in his sleeve.
This was his ultimate life-saving treasure, acquired at the cost of nearly his entire fortune. Even among Heaven-tier sects, such a talisman was exceedingly rare.
Once he witnessed Yi Fengās gruesome demise and seized that treasured blade, he would crush the talisman and escape.
The price was steep, but survival was worth it. And with the blade in hand, along with the satisfaction of revenge, the sacrifice was acceptable.
Everything was going according to plan. This was a death trap with no escape!
Confident in his flawless scheme, Wei Zhenfang turned with a smirk, expecting to see Yi Fengās face twisted in terrorāhis true cowardice finally exposed.
But when he looked back, his triumphant grin froze.
Yi Feng was staring up at the sky, his face alight with excitement!
"You had such a great place here, and you didnāt tell me sooner?!"
???
Wei Zhenfangās smile stiffened, his brows furrowing in disbelief.
What kind of nonsense is this?!
Eight Heaven-tier demons were circling above!
Eight!
Each one a genuine, terrifying Heaven-tier entity!
With all escape routes cut off, even eight Heaven-tier experts together would stand no chance of survival.
Yet in this hopeless situation, this fool was calling it a "great place"?
Had he lost his mind?
Surely, the sheer horror of the situation had driven him mad.
Wei Zhenfang sneered, fingers tightening around the talisman as he eagerly awaited Yi Fengās gruesome end.
But before his smirk could fully formā
CRACK!
A deafening snap tore through the air!
Followed by agonized shrieks!
"Gahā!"
"Impossible!"
"RUN!!!"
In the blink of an eye, the massive shadows began plummeting from the sky. Sunlight returned to the land as thunderous impacts shook the earth!
BOOM!
Gigantic avian demons, each spanning thousands of zhang, crashed down one after another. Craters formed beneath them, ice shards the size of houses flew in all directions, and the glacial cliffs on either side collapsed in a cacophony of destruction.
The ground quaked violently, tremors rippling outward like a cataclysmic earthquake!
Wei Zhenfangās legs went numb from the vibrations, the shock traveling from his heels to his scalp.
He stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded.
Even as the enormous birds crashed down around him, he didnāt think to dodge.
WHOOSHā!!!
A terrifying shockwave blasted past, sending him stumbling like a leaf in a typhoon.
The deafening roars left his ears ringing, his senses overwhelmed.
Despite his Heaven-tier cultivation, he was as helpless as driftwood in this chaos. Only by desperately clinging to a demonās massive wing did he avoid being flung into the sky.
Several seconds passed before the world settled.
His ears still buzzed as he sat slumped in an icy crater, staring blankly at the devastation.
Amid the ruins, only Yi Feng remained standing, completely unfazed.
When Yi Feng turned back with a grin, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight, Wei Zhenfangās eyes nearly bulged out of his skull.
"Thanks for leading the way. I owe you one!"
The cheerful tone, the carefree smileāit was all so infuriatingly bright.
Wei Zhenfang sat petrified, his mind utterly blank.
No matter how Yi Feng spoke, the old man couldnāt hear a single soundāhis ears were filled with nothing but a dull ringing, his head buzzing like a struck gong!
"Bzzzā¦"
Sitting there stiffly with a dazed expression, the bald old man was utterly questioning his existence.
This couldnāt be realā¦
There were clearly eight Heaven-tier demonsāhow could they have been annihilated in an instant?!
Overwhelming disbelief surged through Wei Zhenfangās heart, waves of shock crashing inside him. He simply couldnāt trust his own eyes, feeling as though he were trapped in some absurd dream.
Instinctively, he bit his tongue, and only the sharp pain finally snapped him back to reality.
"Tskā¦"
By the time he regained his senses, Yi Feng was already standing right before him!
Seeing that harmless, sunny smile, Wei Zhenfang shuddered violently, a chill running down his spine!
He scrambled up from the ground in a panic, as if heād just encountered the devil himself!
"E-eldā¦ elder!"
His stammering voice grew even more fearful and reverent.
The teleportation talisman clutched in his hand was nearly soaked through with sweat!
He looked like nothing more than a terrified schoolboy.
Noticing the old manās exaggerated nervousness, Yi Feng softened his tone slightly.
"No need to be so scared. The monsters are all dead."
Those words only made things worse. The moment they left Yi Fengās mouth, Wei Zhenfangās eyes widened further in terror.
He nodded frantically, bowing repeatedly like a man possessed.
"Y-yes, yes, yes!"
Watching the old man bob his head like a pecking chicken, trembling as if heād seen a ghost, Yi Feng couldnāt help but laugh.
This bald geezer had been all high and mighty when he was showing off, but the moment he realized the truth, he turned into a meek little lambājust a cowardly old man at heart, all bark and no bite.
With his experience bar now significantly filled, Yi Fengās eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"By the wayā¦ do you know where I can find more demons?"
Instantly, Wei Zhenfang broke out in a cold sweat.