Chapter 332: Snow Beast Assault

Jiu Shu was pierced by his blunt words, and instantly, embarrassed and angry, said, "How could I possibly find you disagreeable?"

"Jiu Shu." Hua Chengyan interjected to stop him, his brows knit tightly.

Jiu Shu, indignant, said, "Young master, now they find me unsightly!"

Hua Chengyan's face held no trace of a smile; he lifted his gaze and coldly stared at Jiu Shu.

Jiu Shu felt a chill down his spine, his complexion shifted slightly, and he hurriedly, respectfully said, "Young master, I acknowledge my mistake."

Hua Chengyan gave no reply, merely cast a faint glance at him.

And just then—

Suddenly, a massive boulder crashed down from above, landing exactly where they stood.

The others' expressions changed slightly.

With a "Bang" of heavy resonance, the defensive barrier forged by the Great Elder of the Hua Sect was struck, yet it did not crack.

The boulder rolled to the side.

Yuan Yao looked up toward the snow‑capped mountain and saw a white silhouette flash by, then vanish without a trace.

"Could this boulder have been blown down by a raging wind?" a disciple of the Hua Sect asked.

Another disciple frowned and said, "Why does it feel like it was man‑made."

"Could it be a trick employed by Nie Bai?"

"If we had known Nie Bai would act so despicably, and if it truly was his doing, it's utterly disgusting."

The Hua Sect disciples debated loudly.

The wind and snow intensified, and the surrounding clamor of wind grew louder, sounding as if someone were wailing, carrying a sickening undertone.

An intuition told Yuan Yao that this was not man‑made; it was likely…

After more than an hour, the wind and snow gradually eased.

They also prepared to continue onward.

Meanwhile, the opposing force behind them also caught up.

Jiu Shu lowered his voice to Hua Chengyan, "Young master, these people cling to us like adhesive plasters; should we find a way to shake them off?"

Hua Chengyan: "No rush."

…

They trekked continuously across the Sky Snow Mountain Range for two days and two nights.

During this time, some Cultivators still in the Foundation Establishment Realm, lacking special cold‑resistant robes, relied solely on the spiritual energy circulating within their bodies and their garments to fend off the biting cold; yet even so, they began to feel slight bodily abnormalities.

They shivered from the cold, their cheeks turned a deep red from frost, and a layer of ice formed on their lips and eyelashes.

Cang Li said, "I feel this treasure‑seeking journey is far too long."

"We must not be careless," Ying Wuji scanned the surroundings, "There should be snow beasts nearby."

Yuan Yao asked curiously, "What do snow beasts look like?"

No sooner had the words left her mouth than a mournful, harrowing scream rang out from behind.

Yuan Yao turned back and saw a white colossal beast clamp its jaws onto the young Cultivator's leg, snatching him up; before the youth could react, the white beast snapped his neck with a single paw.

This scene caused the people trailing behind to all change expression.

"It's a snow beast!"

The snow beast stood nearly two and a half meters tall, resembling a giant bear, yet its head bore a pair of sharp horns, white teeth and cheekbones, its body like a small mountain, appearing immensely majestic.

Several Cultivators immediately launched attacks against it.

But the snow beast was not weak; it was a third‑rank spirit beast, equivalent to a human Golden Core Realm Cultivator!

It, provoked by their attacks, began to frantically assault those human Cultivators.

Seeing this, Hua Chengyan's face shifted slightly, "We must leave quickly!"

Before Yuan Yao could react, Ying Wuji grabbed her and pulled her forward.

"Run fast!"

Yuan Yao and the others were bewildered, yet they obeyed Ying Wuji and darted forward swiftly.

Their party of dozens surged forward at speed.

Pursuing them from behind were Nie Bai and his clan.

"Don't kill it!" someone shouted in alarm.

No sooner had the words been spoken than the snow beast's fresh blood splattered onto the ground.

Although the snow beast was not yet dead, the scent of its blood instantly attracted the attention of the snow beasts that were sleeping.

Beneath the deep snow, countless white silhouettes gradually emerged.

The onlookers' pupils contracted sharply, showing expressions of disbelief.

Immediately after, those snow beasts flashed fierce eyes and surged toward them.

They launched an indiscriminate assault.

"Run… run quickly!"

But they could not escape the snow beasts' encirclement.

The number of snow beasts was astonishingly huge.

Yet within moments, several Cultivators fell to the snow beasts' claws.

Many Cultivators screamed, calling for help.

"Help!"

"Save me!"

Yuan Yao was pulled forward by her own Youngest Senior Brother, and soon snow beasts appeared ahead and all around, lunging toward this side.

Ying Wuji summoned the Heaven's Mandate Sword in his hand and swung it!

In an instant, several snow beasts were flung to the ground.

"Youngest Senior Brother." Yuan Yao's hand, which Ying Wuji had grabbed, struggled slightly, "I can handle it."

Ying Wuji tilted his head and glanced at her.

After meeting Yuan Yao's determined gaze, he loosened his grip.

"Don't get bogged down in battle!"

Yuan Yao nodded in agreement: "Okay!"

"Everyone, keep moving forward, don't stop!" At that moment, Hua Chengyan's voice came.

Yuan Yao summoned the Phantom Spirit Sword, and together with her senior brothers and sisters she darted forward, brandishing her sword to fend off the lunging snow beasts.

Yuan Yao glanced sideways and saw countless snow beasts continuing to rush toward them at astonishing speed!

Moreover, they exuded a powerful aura.

Among these snow beasts, a few had something resembling a light blue gemstone on their foreheads, and they emitted the strongest aura.

Yuan Yao secretly guessed that the cultivation level of those few snow beasts had reached the fifth rank.

Fifth-rank spirit beasts are equivalent to human cultivators at the Spirit Transformation Realm.

"Roar——" the snow beasts bellowed incessantly.

Moreover, the horns on their heads shot out icicles as they lunged, and their claws could rend mountains, their power so great it made one's blood run cold.

Moreover, they nearly blended with the white snowy expanse; if one wasn't careful, they would ambush from hiding.

"Carefree First Form——"

"Wielding the Sword to Match Heaven!"

Yuan Yao swung her sword, cleaving one snow beast and sending it flying.

Immediately, she stepped forward and quickly caught up with her own Fourth Senior Brother.

Xue Jin's every strike was a killing blow.

Xiao Lingwei whipped out her lash, flames dancing wildly, causing the snow beasts that wanted to attack to show fear, dodging and retreating repeatedly.

Song Yan suddenly saw a Flower Sect disciple, off-guard, being knocked to the ground by a massive, extraordinarily ferocious snow beast.

Seeing that the Flower Sect disciple was about to lose his life, at the critical moment Song Yan made a swift decision, flashed his body, and charged at the snow beast.

In an instant, cold light flashed everywhere, sword qi crisscrossed, and Song Yan fiercely swung his long sword at the snow beast.

A deep, muffled boom rang out.

That snow beast was heaved over by that sword and slammed to the ground.

Song Yan showed no hesitation; he took another step and instantly appeared beside the fallen Flower Sect disciple, reaching out to help him up.

Who would have thought, a fifth-rank snow beast suddenly appeared from the side, opening its bloody maw and lunging straight at the two of them.

The Flower Sect disciple who had just escaped death, in his panic, actually shoved Song Yan bodily, sending him straight before the fifth-rank snow beast!

Not far away, Cang Li saw this, his face changed drastically, and he exclaimed in alarm, "Eldest Senior Brother!"

Just as the Flower Sect disciple thought Song Yan would surely be unable to escape disaster, a shocking scene unfolded.

One could see Song Yan's body moving with extraordinary agility, easily dodging the snow beast's powerful, heavy lunge.

At the same time, he turned his long sword with the motion, transforming it into a dazzling arc that pierced the snow beast's body with the force of thunder.

Immediately afterward, Song Yan drew his long sword, pulling out a string of scarlet blood.

Those scalding droplets of fresh blood splattered onto his originally warm and jade-like countenance, as gentle as a spring breeze, adding a different sort of murderous aura.

Song Yan dared not linger; he tapped his foot and retreated dozens of zhang before stopping.

After steadying his footing, he slowly turned his head and gave the Flower Sect disciple a look devoid of any emotion.