Chapter 463: Terrifying Cold Current, Life Hanging by a Thread, Ruthless Ones and the Gift

Seven days ago, my daytime sensations were not wrong!

Su Xing’er, who had fled in panic toward the cave, now had terror filling her pupils.

When Chu San suggested heading west under Cai Shiyan’s proposal, she had already noticed the temperature dropping, but at the time she assumed it was merely due to the climate of the Blood Miasma Plain, and gave it no further thought.

But as they arrived with numerous teams at the western testing zone—the border region adjacent to Chen Cang’s testing area—the situation began to go awry.

Just as Cai Shiyan had guessed, this year’s Cold Beasts had indeed gathered en masse in the west; upon arriving, they initially reaped abundant gains.

Yet the number of testing teams in this region also kept growing—there were not only Cai Qiu’s group, but even many from Chen Cang.

Team density became increasingly abnormal, as if every single team from both fanzhen had converged into this one area.

This naturally heightened her vigilance; coupled with the ever-lowering temperature, she had voiced her concerns to Cai Shiqin yesterday and proposed they leave the area immediately.

Little sister Cai Shiqin listened, but when she voiced this idea to Cai Shiyan and the others, she was immediately rejected.

Su Xing’er had considered taking Cai Shiqin and leaving directly, but in the end, under the influence of greed, she chose to stay with the group.

In seven days, her three older brothers had given her all their Blood Jade Pearls; relying solely on these, her strength had risen from 17 Zong to 20 Zong. As long as she followed the test’s routine, she could clearly sense this increase did not stem from cultivation—meaning every gain was pure flesh and blood foundation, in other words, her combat body potential was continuously ascending.

Her base strength at breakthrough had been 3 Zong; normally, by the peak of Cold Resistance, it should reach 24 Zong—but now she could distinctly feel she was growing farther from that peak.

Enhanced potential means a higher future ceiling; her masters had taught them this countless times, and Su Xing’er knew full well what this meant.

The Blood Jade Pearls’ temptation was too great!

So even though she sensed something was wrong, she chose to gamble—she did not leave, but stayed with the group.

And this single act of greed had led to this dire consequence!

During daylight, a terrifying cold current suddenly descended; Su Xing’er saw clearly—the ground, trees, rocks, mountains, even the snowflakes in midair—all froze instantly. Aside from the Cold Beasts, everything in this area was instantly frozen solid.

Humans were no exception!

In the instant the cold current struck, everyone in the team frantically pulled out various treasures to ward off the chill; the four siblings lost their composure instantly, but fortunately Cai Shiqin produced a treasure called the Li Huo Cover, shielding all four of them.

But others were not so lucky: of their full team of 43, 31 were instantly frozen into ice statues, leaving only 12 alive.

The four siblings, plus Cai Qifeng and Cai Yuwan—six people total—survived only because of Cai Shiqin’s Li Huo Cover; the remaining five were Cai Shiyan, Cai Zizheng, and three other Cai clan members.

Surviving the first wave had nothing to do with strength—it depended solely on whether one possessed a treasure like the Li Huo Cover. Cai Zizheng and the others survived just as they did: thanks to the four Yang Huo Pills Cai Shiyan had produced.

The entire squad instantly lost three-quarters of its members; the remaining 12 were thrown into chaos, stunned—yet before they could react, the Li Huo Cover and Cai Shiyan’s Yang Huo Pills began gradually failing.

That cold current was simply too terrifying!

It came with the wind, in waves, nearly impossible to avoid; the outer layer of the Li Huo Cover quickly froze into thick ice, and the seven inside soon had limbs turning blue-purple; the other five fared no better—Cai Shiyan had many Yang Huo Pills, but by the second round of ingestion, they became largely ineffective.

In desperation, they resorted to the most basic solution: seek a sealed space to hide from the external cold current.

Surprisingly, the plan worked!

But the effectiveness didn’t last long: while everything else was frozen, the Cold Beasts were not, and the density of Cold Beasts in this region was extremely high; they found their first cave, but hadn’t even waited half an hour before several Cold Beasts discovered them.

Narrow spaces like caves were inherently disadvantageous for them to fight in; combined with the Cold Beasts’ immunity to the cold current, their battle shattered the cave’s sealed environment, worsening their plight.

These two yellow candles can also be used against supernatural entities; if you encounter any strange, inexplicable phenomena, lighting them will have miraculous effects.

At the brink of death, Su Xing’er suddenly remembered the yellow candles her master had given her and her three brothers before leaving the county seat. Though the candles seemed unrelated to the cold current, remembering her master’s words, she lit one with the desperate hope of a last resort.

To her shock, the moment the candle ignited, the cold current was blocked!

So this terrifying cold current was caused by a supernatural entity.

Though she had now realized this, the situation was too urgent for Su Xing’er to investigate further—the candles blocked the cold current, but had zero effect on the Cold Beasts.

So they could only flee for their lives.

Right now, they had just escaped the pursuit of the Cold Beasts and reached this place.

Bang…………

“Seal the entrance!”

The dry branches at the entrance were kicked aside; the twelve rushed into the cave. Seeing the cold current surge wildly outside, Su Xing’er immediately signaled everyone to reseal the entrance. Matters of life and death meant no one would be careless; under the glow of the yellow candles, they quickly reblocked the entrance with dry branches.

To ensure safety, Cai Shiqin placed her already-frozen Li Huo Cover directly over the entrance, adding another layer of protection.

It was nighttime; even if the entrance weren’t sealed, the four yellow candles illuminated the interior thoroughly—but sealing it not only blocked the cold current, but also brought the group some psychological comfort.

“The temperature inside this cave feels a bit high!”

As Su Xing’er calmed down, she immediately noticed the cave’s temperature was unnaturally high.

The cave wasn’t wide—only five or six meters—but its depth was astonishing; inside was pitch black, clearly extending further.

Bang…………

Su Xing’er hesitated, about to suggest moving deeper into the cave, but before she could speak, a bang came from behind.

She turned to see her eldest brother Su Jing kicked against the cave wall; her face instantly showed alarm as she rushed over.

“Zizheng, take the yellow candles from those three, and search their packs—see if they have any more.”

Cai Shiyan, having run for miles, now confirmed the environment was safe, and finally revealed his true nature.

On the other side, Cai Zizheng and Cai Ziwen needed no prompting; the moment Cai Shiyan kicked Su Jing, they moved in unison, snatching the yellow candles from Su Xu and Su Zhi, then striking them away with a palm blow.

“Young Master, what are you doing?!”

Caught off guard by the sudden turn, Cai Shiqin froze for a moment, but quickly recovered; her expression darkened sharply as she stepped to Su Xing’er’s side, helping lift Su Jing and the others, then glared furiously at Cai Shiyan and his group.

But as she looked, her expression turned utterly grim.

Cai Zizheng and Cai Ziwen aside, the other five Cai clan members had all sided with Cai Shiyan—even her own cousin Cai Qifeng and cousin Cai Yuwan had joined them.

“Shiqin, you’re from the county seat, you’re our own clan—amid this life-or-death moment, are you still siding with these four outsiders?”

Cai Shiyan demanded coldly of Cai Shiqin, his face filled with icy disdain.

The yellow candles could save lives—how could such a life-saving item be left in the hands of these four useless wastes?

From the moment he saw the candles could repel the cold current, he had already begun plotting to seize them; during their escape, fearing that a sudden move might expose them to the cold current, he had held back all this time.

Now that they were inside this safe cave, he could act!

“Young Master, if not for Xing’er and the others producing the yellow candles, we’d all be dead by now—is this the Cai clan’s code of conduct, to repay kindness with betrayal?”

Cai Shiqin’s sharp rebuke left Cai Shiyan and his group momentarily stunned.

“Qifeng, Yuwan—when the first cold current struck, you survived only because of my Li Huo Cover. Now you’re siding with Cai Shiyan against me?”

Upon hearing this, Cai Qifeng and Cai Yuwan’s eyes immediately grew evasive.

The Cai clan, with nearly three centuries of lineage, had already passed down over ten generations; the clan numbered at least several thousand members, and could hardly be expected to remain as harmonious as a small family.

Starting from the second generation, the Qiu generation, the clan split into seven branches across four counties and three cities; then at the county level, further divisions occurred. Cai Qiuyang, the governor of Linchu County, had many descendants, but only seven achieved cultivation—so naturally, the governor’s household split into seven branches.

Cai Shiqin had another point unspoken: unlike Cai Shiyan and his four companions, who came from the second and third branches of Linchu County, Cai Qifeng and Cai Yuwan, like herself, were from the sixth branch—and all three of their fathers were full brothers, born of the same mother.

For them to now side with Cai Shiyan against Cai Shiqin, their own blood cousin, was clearly inappropriate.

“Shiqin, I’m from the second branch—what branch are you from?”

Hearing Cai Shiyan’s words, Cai Qifeng and Cai Yuwan visibly gained confidence, as if they had found justification for their actions, and even began urging Cai Shiqin to relent.

“Lady, why defend these four outsiders?”

“The yellow candles can save lives—they must be held by us. Besides, their packs might contain more; if we take them, we still have a chance to escape this cold zone.”

Su Xing’er’s expression had turned utterly grim, especially seeing Cai Shiqin remain silent; she immediately pulled her three brothers several steps aside.

Fortunately, Cai Shiqin did not disappoint her.

“Baseless arguments, nonsense! To save your own life, you concoct such a noble-sounding excuse—should this day’s events become known, how will you ever have the face to call yourselves descendants of Fangbo’s line, Cai clan members?”

Cai Shiqin sneered, her words fiercely sharp—clearly enraged. After her outburst, she stepped in front of Su Xing’er and her three brothers, drawing her waist sword, her face resolute: “Xing’er, rest easy—if they dare to move, they’ll have to kill me first!”

“Shiqin sister…”

Seeing Cai Shiqin draw her sword to shield them, Su Xing’er’s face softened with gratitude—but seeing the seven across from her still advancing, she clenched her fists, her pupils filled with deep regret.

In the end, she could only blame her own softness!

During their escape, they had held the yellow candles and had countless chances to kill Cai Shiyan and his group; even her three older brothers had signaled her with their eyes.

But she had refused every time.

She had seen the greed on Cai Shiyan’s face, but thought they had no deep grudge, and wouldn’t actively kill them; and given their perilous situation, even if Cai Shiyan desired the candles, he wouldn’t dare act on it.

But it turned out this was all her own delusion.

She had simply underestimated the ruthlessness of these aristocratic clan youths.

Her master had given them a means of survival, yet she had failed to turn the tide—and now found herself in this predicament!

Su Xing’er’s self-reproach deepened; seeing Cai Shiyan and his seven draw closer, she had no choice but to quickly pull a yellow candle from her pocket and said: “Cai Shiyan, this candle was given to me by my master—I have only this one. I can give it to you!”

After traveling together for over ten days, she knew everyone’s strength by heart: Cai Shiqin had 52 Zong, but her four siblings were far too weak to matter;

In contrast, the seven across from her: Cai Shiyan at 53 Zong, Cai Zizheng at 45 Zong, and even the weakest among them, Cai Yuwan, stood at 35 Zong.

If they fought, her group of five had zero chance of victory.

So compromise was the only option.

Su Xing’er’s intent was clear: hand over one candle, invoke her master’s name, hoping to intimidate Cai Shiyan and his group.

Unfortunately, she had again underestimated Cai Shiyan’s cruelty and arrogance.

“I don’t believe you have only one. Hand over all your packs for us to search—then we’ll talk. And at this critical moment…”

Cai Shiyan paused, a cold sneer crossing his face, then continued sharply: “Even if your master Hong Yu had heavenly powers, he couldn’t scare me now—you’re barely clinging to life!”

Su Xing’er, brutally schooled, clenched the candle, her face shifting between pale and ashen, until a cold resolve rose within her. She crushed the candle out, then declared sharply: “Then let’s destroy each other—if you dare move, we’ll fight to break open the entrance. When the cold current rushes in, we’ll all…”

Squeak squeak squeak squeak…………

Before Su Xing’er could finish, a faint squeaking sound suddenly rose from beneath the ground; hearing it, all twelve present turned deathly pale.

“The silver-backed rats—they’ve caught up…”

Bang!

The moment Cai Shiyan finished speaking, the ground beneath his feet exploded open, and a massive creature over five meters long shot upward.

It was a rodent Cold Beast, with two tiny red eyes, two long, needle-like incisors extending to its lower jaw, powerful hind legs gripping the ground, sharp foreclaws extended forward, a coat of silver-fine fur along its back, and a fleshy tail nearly twice its body length, twitching nauseatingly.

If anyone from Great Xia were here, they’d instantly recognize it—a common type of cold beast near the Twin Dragon Cliff: the Long-tailed Gnawer.

Thud…………

After this gnawer burst through the ground, two more gnawers, each barely over a meter long, emerged from beneath the earth.

“They caught up even from this distance? We’re done!”

Su Xinger’s heart was instantly flooded with despair—not just hers; the expressions of the other eleven were nearly identical.

They’d fled from the last cave precisely because of these three gnawers. They’d run for so long through the cold currents with their yellow candles, yet these three beasts had followed them all the way.

Now it was truly over!

The largest gnawer opened its blood-red pupils, scanning the cave in a swift circle, then fixed its gaze on the entrance, emitting two faint squeaks.

The two smaller gnawers, hearing the sound, immediately charged toward the entrance.

“Stop them!”

Cai Shiqin refused to sit and wait for death; she immediately shouted for everyone to act.

These three gnawers were one mid-grade and two low-grade. Under normal circumstances, even as blood-cold beasts stronger than ordinary cold beasts, they shouldn’t have driven them into such panic.

The real problem was the cold current outside.

These cold beasts clearly knew they feared the cold current. At the last cave, they’d done the same—after a brief fight, the gnawers went to destroy the entrance. This time, they were even smarter: they knew to target the entrance before even fighting.

Cai Shiqin’s decision was naturally correct: the most urgent task now was to prevent the gnawers from destroying the entrance. If the cold current poured in, they’d be forced to stay within the yellow candle’s light, making it impossible to fight the gnawers at all.

Su Xinger had already extinguished her yellow candle. Su Jing and the other two had intended to do the same, but before they could act, the gnawers had already entered.

Seeing the two gnawers rush toward the entrance, Su Jing’s heart lurched—he dared not extinguish the candle again.

He had seen the horror of the cold current firsthand: human flesh froze instantly upon contact. If the entrance was breached, the cold current would surge in violently, leaving no time to relight the candles.

Cai Shiqin had already drawn her long sword to block the two low-grade gnawers. Her strength was formidable; even in the cramped cave, holding off two low-grade gnawers was more than enough. Su Xinger rushed to assist immediately.

The mid-grade gnawer clearly possessed sharp intelligence. At first, it had charged straight at Su Jing and the others, but seeing its two companions blocked by Cai Shiqin, it realized it couldn’t win unless it destroyed the entrance—and so it changed course to help.

At this moment, if Cai Shiyuan and the other seven had gone to assist at the entrance, their chances of averting disaster would have been high.

“Zizheng, take these five and help them!”

But driven by greed, Cai Shiyuan called only Cai Zizheng and the other six to assist, then gripped his long sword and slowly advanced toward Su Jing and the others.

“I won’t repeat myself. You have three breaths to hand over your three yellow candles—and your packs.”

Cai Shiyuan’s pupils were filled with cruelty; his long sword lifted slightly, clearly signaling that if they didn’t comply within three breaths, he’d strike.

Though Su Jing and the others seethed with rage, their strength was too weak. Under Cai Shiyuan’s overwhelming aura, they had no plan. After exchanging glances, they quickly gathered all three candles into the hands of Su Jing, the one in front.

But the instant Su Jing prepared to hand over the candles, a sudden shock erupted!

Whoosh…………

A flash of cold light shot from deep within the cave, aimed squarely at Cai Shiyuan, who had reached out toward Su Jing.

Cai Shiyuan was no weakling. He sensed the attack a split second before Su Jing and the others—likely never expecting anyone to be hiding inside. Shock flashed across his face. He raised his sword in defense and twisted his body backward to flee.

Clang…………

A deafening clash of metal rang out. Not only Cai Shiyuan, but Su Jing and the others now clearly saw what the cold light was.

It was a blade—fiercely swift.

The blade’s edge was extremely narrow—only two fingers wide—and just over a meter long. Though forged from silver, it was unmistakably not made in Cai Qiu’s style.

Behind the blade stood a black-clad youth, roughly twenty years old, his face cold and stern. His lips were tightly pressed, his eyes unnervingly icy. Three strange vertical crimson cloud-like marks on his forehead added an inexplicable sense of distance and unease.

“Who are you, to dare—”

In the instant the blade met the sword, Cai Shiyuan’s pupils dilated in shock: his tiger’s mouth had completely shattered, and he sensed the black-clad youth’s strike carried nearly seventy zong of force.

What did seventy zong mean? He himself had fifty-three zong—even at full strength, with a thirty percent martial arts boost, he couldn’t reach it. And now? He’d just barely escaped the cold current.

So he immediately declared his identity, hoping to intimidate the attacker.

Unfortunately, just as Su Xinger had failed to intimidate him, his title as Young Master now meant nothing.

Not only did it fail to intimidate—the stranger struck even harder!

After the first blow forced Cai Shiyuan back, the black-clad youth paused only a moment—then struck again. This second strike came from higher, and its power seemed slightly amplified.

“Brother, you—”

In that brief pause, Cai Shiyuan thought the attacker hesitated. He opened his mouth to speak again—then saw the second blade hurtling toward his face. He snapped his mouth shut and raised his sword in desperate defense.

Clang………… Crack……

Cai Shiyuan’s tiger’s mouth was already shattered. He barely blocked the second strike—his palm bones and tiger’s mouth shattered outright. His sword flew from his grip, and his body was slammed to the ground.

Overwhelming survival instinct drove him to ignore his fallen sword. He frantically rolled backward, trying to escape.

Whoosh…………

But what filled him with despair was this: the black-clad youth had a third strike!

This third strike rose half a meter higher than the last. The black-clad youth’s body seemed to hover midair.

The furious blade came crashing down. Cai Shiyuan, the fifth-ranked Young Master of Linchu Prefecture’s governor’s mansion, had his skull split open—his life snuffed out instantly.

“The Rolling Wave Sword is a broad, sweeping technique. Alone, its maximum is three strikes. Even at the pinnacle, the third strike grants only a thirty percent power boost. But when combined with the perfected Long Fist: Grand Battle Form, it’s entirely different—the third strike’s power boost can reach up to forty percent.

My base strength is already forty-two zong. With the three-tier Saint Mark’s boost and the forty percent martial arts boost, my peak strength is seventy-one and a half zong.

If I could perfect the Grand Battle Form, I could unleash a fourth strike, adding another half percent boost. If I could fully merge the Rolling Wave Sword and the Grand Battle Form and awaken the fifth strike, the power boost could reach fifty percent.

Unfortunately, only the Lord of Great Xia can achieve this.

No—it’s not that the Lord can achieve it. This Rolling Wave Sword was his own creation. For the founder to merge the two was only natural.

I wonder… when will I reach this level myself?”