The battle over the relics has temporarily come to an end, yet the slaughter within the glacial snow domains has not ceased in the slightest.
It seems as if a hand in the shadows has inscribed the fate of the Demon Clanâs resurgence. Although the Treasure Light is temporarily obscured by the Snow Mountain Array, the soaring fate has already been severed by a sword.
However, the demons previously gathered have entrenched themselves here with their Demon Windâs stench. More and more top predators, drawn by the scent of blood and flesh, approach the battlefields of this struggle.
And hordes of demon beasts, driven south by the Great Demonâs aura, swarm in from all directions like a tide, hunting and preying upon each other, vying for survival space.
The once desolate snow field is now crowded with demons. Mountains, glaciers, and snow ridges are strewn in all directions with monsters, as if thousands of troops from the Demon Domainâs Demon City are traversing the endless snow ridges, crushing southward.
"Sniff, sniff sniff..."
A hefty demon beast, whether dog or bear, smells the scent of blood and digs out a human from a snow pile with its nose.
The personâs face is covered with a layer of frost, making them look like a frozen popsicle, devoid of any vitality.
The demon beast licks its lips, intending to bite into the frozen meat to taste. Unexpectedly, the person flicks their fingers, and an Ice Qi Blade shoots out, severing the beastâs head.
A gush of thick, hot, pungent blood spurts from the severed neck, and the smell of warm flesh spreads everywhere, immediately drawing the attention of nearby demons.
Thus, one, two, three... another seven demon beasts swarm in, fiercely battling over the demon beastâs bloody carcass.
The frozen human lying in the snow quietly hides in the shadows, occasionally flicking a finger, beheading, severing legs, and gutting bellies.
By the time the monsters realize, the seven Great Demon Beasts have already annihilated each other through mutual slaughter and secret attacks, leaving a messy field of blood and meat.
The iced man waits a while longer, and without seeing other demons being attracted, he stops fishing, sits up, pinches a formula, and takes a deep breath, "Whooshâ!"
The essence blood of the eight demon beasts is drawn as if by a magnetic force, gushing from their wounds, their demon bodies rapidly shriveling, freezing into frost. The pervasive blood rain and icy breath, like trickling streams, merge into a red river, sucked into the frozen manâs mouth.
In mere moments, the frozen manâs frosty breath and Ice Qi on his face dissipate, revealing an upright red line between his brows and Tie Danâs resolute and formidable visage.
Using the avalanche for cover and escaping hides again, Tie Dan soon flees beyond the range of the Demon Clan relics, resting in the snow, pretending to be dead for a day and night, estimating that heâs evaded the Snow Mountain Palaceâs tracking.
Having feasted and slightly restored some Qi Blood, he dusts the snow off his cloak, manipulates the Qi, and flies northward in search of snow lotuses.
Indeed, heading north, facing the demon tide, deep into the icy plains.
While recuperating in the snow, Tie Dan also contemplates, realizing how a single Demon Clan relic could gather so many cultivators so quickly; likely, many nearby are collecting resources here.
After all, Yin Mountainâs specialty, snow lotuses, can defy fate upon ingestion, and itâs not really a secret, right?
Given how fiercely competitive the cultivation world is nowadays, with everyone vying for Heavenly Materials Treasure, combing the earth like hair, even picking up stones to see if theyâre preciousâno wonder someone with fate like Tie Dan canât find a thing.
Because thereâs nothing left, huh...
No choice but to venture further into the demon territory, into uninhabited regions. After all, most demons are carnivorous, and snow lotuses are bitter and unpalatable...
Thus, Tie Dan rides the wind north, flying for some time when his Divine Sense detects a group of demons gathering in a distant mountain gorge with Treasure Light flickeringâanother random event, perhaps? He decides to fly over for a closer look.
"Help! Help!!"
A womanâs cry for help reaches from afar, seemingly sensing a cultivator approaching.
Tie Dan glances over, seeing a Flying Boat appearing to have crash-landed due to a demon attack, stuck between a cliffâs crevices.
Several demon beasts are already on the cliff, some flying, some climbing, others leaping, trying to rush the Flying Boat and feast on those aboard.
The people on the boat are temporarily relying on the Magic Artifact talismans aboard to deploy a True Qi Barrier for defense, but with the demonâs repeated assaults, their Mana exhausts severely, seemingly unable to hold out for long.
Tie Dan roughly grasps the situation yet chooses not to intervene, flying directly overhead.
After all, those traveling on a Flying Treasure are almost certainly from the Demon Palace side...
"Fellow Daoist! Please lend a hand, Fellow Daoist!"
The people aboard also notice, urgently shouting, the woman directly pushes open the window frame, leaning out from the cabin, and beckons upwards.
Tie Dan glances at her, noticing that
She wears six brocade skirts with a light yellow shirt, delicate cloud atop, dark cloudlike hair, a flower hairpin of tortoiseshell atop her head.
Her cheeks bloom like peach blossoms, teeth polished pearly white, lips like freshly burst cherries, neck smooth as freshly peeled white lotus roots, arms as slender jade shoots, full-bodied, with a chest like fresh shelled eggs.
Her movements are graceful, attractive with luxuriant hair, voluptuous figure, slender with voluptuous and willowy waist, from head to toe, filled with elegance.
Mad, another femme fatale...
Tie Dan locks eyes with her, turns around and leaves, avoiding her like the plague.
The woman is stunned, never expecting that even after presenting herself, the person would treat her as dirt, quickly saying,
"My family is the Zhen Stateâs Gate Valve, the Lanling Xiao Clan! My father is the Marquis Xichang, Right Minister, Zhen State Guard General!
Please save us, Fellow Daoist! A drop of grace shall be repaid with an overflowing spring!"
Upon hearing this, Tie Dan quickens his pace in leaving...
Lord Xiao, "Hey, why are you leaving? Itâs the Lanling Xiao Clan. Back in the Immortal Venerableâs time, they ruled the realm, do you know how wealthy they are?"
Tie Dan snorts coldly, "Itâs not like itâs your family, whatâs got you excited. If not for gathering medicine, Iâd kill such a Gate Valve readily."
Lord Xiao speechless, "What medicine are you still collecting? With such family status, even without life-saving snow lotuses, do they lack soul-returning Immortal Pills?"
Hmm, thatâs true too...
Tie Dan realizes, alright, this is an Immortal Fate event trigger.
He had been so obsessed with finding flowers on the mountain that when a true Immortal Fate was presented before him, he failed to recognize it, Tie Dan is indeed no exception...
Although he doesnât want to interfere deep down, ultimately, the matters of White Jade are crucial, so Tie Dan reluctantly flies back. However, he doesnât hurry to intervene, first circling around thoroughly, checking with Divine Sense to confirm there are no ambushes nearby, then decides to act.
Still, Tie Dan remains cautious, knowing that in the eyes of the Demon Sect and the aristocratic families of the Immortal Palace, theyâre probably more fearsome than demons, thus refrains from using sword energy, instead pinches a formula to condense Xuanming Qi Blade, but doesnât release it recklessly, overlapping his hands to form two wings of ice blades, deploying the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Saber Technique to attack.
The group of demons, though fierce and numerous, focus mainly on besieging the Treasure Ship, so Tie Dan skirmishes from the periphery, first targeting the flying demons, not lingering in battle, assaulting from behind and flanks. Once drawing the demonsâ attention, risking encirclement, he withdraws without hesitation.
For ordinary Golden Core cultivators, though it might be achievable, maintaining flight, wielding blades in combat, and charging back and forth would likely deplete Qi Breath quickly, succumbing to the demon horde.
But Tie Danâs repeated skirmishes become increasingly vigorous, akin to an ice-winged Flying Eagle, swift and fierce, decapitating demons one by one. The dust and blood rain falls incessantly; while fighting, he simultaneously absorbs and replenishes Qi Breath, the bladeâs momentum growing fiercer, Ice Qi becoming colder, blade light flickering like a humanoid ice storm, tearing all demons caught within to shreds.
These demons, being sentient creatures, see the situation and recognize theyâre no match, each losing their courage, turning tail to scatter.
Seeing this, Xiao Familyâs daughter finally breathes a sigh of relief, adjusting her appearance, tying on a fox fur coat, and, flanked by two Sword Servant maids as guards, walks onto the deck to pay respects.
"Xiao Baoqin of the Xiao Clan, thank you for saving me, brave one. May I know your honorable name?"
Tie Dan lands on the Flying Boatâs mast, looking down at the trio, remaining silent.
That Xiao Baoqin uses an Outer Path Golden Core, essentially negligible in combat, not worth considering.
But the two Sword Servant maids beside her show some skill, though also using the External Pill Foundation Establishment. Tie Dan senses a certain peculiar aura from them, as if within their humanoid bodies, they hide a sharp blade, poised to strike for a lethal blow...
Sword boys, perhaps... yet slightly different, concealing something other than sword energy, presumably death soldiers cultivated by aristocratic families with secret techniques...
Seeing the other party silent, staring directly, Xiao Baoqin confidently smiles,
"If the benefactor doesnât mind, why not come on board for a drink of rice wine, to recover some Qi Power and warm the body."
Tie Dan looks at her coldly,
"You dare venture into the icy plains with only these two individuals? Arenât you afraid of encountering rebel armies?"
Xiao Baoqin, noticing his caution, smiles and explains,
"I was originally invited by the Princess of Kan to ascend Gu Yan, tour the Hanhai, and enjoy Northern Countryâs scenery, admiring the snow as a guest.
Who knew Marquis Zhongshan harbored ambitions of rebellion, causing chaos to disperse the rebel army, forcing us to detour home via Yin Mountain.
Unexpectedly intercepted by a demon horde en route, facing ice storms and blizzards, several narrow escapes, losing touch with guards and attendants, fortunately saved by the benefactor, or else..."
Tie Dan looks at her,
"Whoâs in the cabin? Why remain hidden, are they more esteemed than a Dukeâs daughter?"
Xiao Baoqinâs smile freezes, her two death soldiers instantly stepping forward to block in front of her, on guard.
Moments pass in standoff, footsteps echo as another woman in a white fox fur cloak emerges from the cabin.
Her stature, age, hairstyle, and attire closely resemble Xiao Baoqin, almost like a reflection. She removes her hood, gazing at Tie Dan with overbearing arrogance,
"You are a disciple of the Snow Mountain Palace; I am Princess Shi Gui of Kan. If you escort us to the Three Constellations, there will be rewarding prizes!"
Tie Dan inspects her face closely, though she wears a veil, obscuring her features, those pupils with a green glow shimmer like glazed glass.
As expected, she belongs to the Kanâs clan...
Tie Dan shifts his gaze, addressing Xiao Baoqin with a fist salute,
"Snow Mountain Palace, Liu Xiaoliu."