Chapter 378: You Guessed Wrong

"Ah—"

Cang Li felt his vision blur, and he instinctively shouted.

But the instant he opened his mouth, the bone‑chilling cold air rushed into his throat, making him cough, and his consciousness grew clearer.

He glanced up and saw Song Yan and the others, even his own master, looking at him with an indescribable look of disdain.

"What are you howling for?" Xue Jin frowned.

Xiao Lingwei sized up his disheveled state, flicked off the flower petals and leaves stuck to his hair, and said helplessly, "How are you all wet? You couldn't have been playing in the mustard seed space, could you?"

Cang Li finally came to, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

He instantly gathered spiritual power to dry his clothes, then turned his head and glared at Yuan Yao with clenched teeth.

"Second Senior Sister, ask the junior sister what she did to me."

As soon as he said that, everyone's gaze fell on Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao gave a dry laugh.

"Actually, I still can't fully control the Yaoguang Space's transmission. So I failed a few times when sending Third Senior Brother out."

Cang Li narrowed his eyes. "How many times?"

Yuan Yao weakly said, "Thirteen times."

"Hahaha—" Xiao Lingwei couldn't help bursting into laughter.

And Qian Jueshan, Song Yan, Xue Jin, and Ying Wuji also couldn't hold back their laughter.

Ying Wuji narrowed his phoenix eyes and remarked, "Curiosity killed the cat."

"Yes." Yuan Yao murmured in agreement.

Cang Li gave them a dark stare.

Meanwhile, as they were chatting and laughing, the Mountain King Heavenly Snow had already summoned all the snow beasts and, before them, passed the mantle of Mountain King to that fifth‑stage peak snow beast.

The snow beasts let out reluctant, long howls.

It almost echoed through the entire Heavenly Snow Mountain Range.

Heavenly Snow looked down at the dense snow beasts below, a flicker of reluctance passing through its golden pupils, then its expression turned resolute.

It also raised its head and let out a long roar.

With the first dawn light piercing the horizon, a soft, gauzy glow drifted down over the Heavenly Snow Mountain Range; Heavenly Snow leapt up, left the herd of snow beasts, and came alone to the base of a snow mountain.

It lifted its gaze to the white‑clad girl atop the snow mountain.

The white‑clad girl, seeing it appear, swiftly leapt down to stand before it and reached out her hand.

"Heavenly Snow, are you willing to form a master‑servant contract with me?" the girl asked, her eyes sincere.

Heavenly Snow gradually took on a human shape and placed her hand on the girl's.

The girl's palm was so warm and soft.

"Heavenly Snow is willing."

Yuan Yao firmly grasped her icy hand and said with a bright smile, "I'm Yuan Yao — the Yuan of vitality, the Yao of radiant light."

After the human and beast sealed the master‑servant contract, Yuan Yao's cultivation leapt from the Initial Golden Core to the Mid Golden Core.

"Young friend Yuan, I hope you treat Heavenly Snow well." Yue Liu had contracted only one spirit beast in his life—and that was Heavenly Snow.

Yuan Yao felt his voice growing fainter, and she promised, "As long as it doesn't betray me, I will always treat it well."

After a pause, she said, "Senior Yue Liu, you can now speak to it directly."

Yue Liu felt moved; through the contract between Yuan Yao and Heavenly Snow, he spoke gently to Heavenly Snow: "Heavenly Snow, you must be happy from now on."

Heavenly Snow suddenly heard Yue Liu's voice, her nose soured, and tears streamed down.

"Master…" she sniffled.

Yue Liu's voice soft, "Your master now is Young Friend Yuan."

Heavenly Snow could feel how weighty those words were.

This meant Yue Liu considered Yuan Yao a person worthy of trust, and someone he approved of.

"I understand." Heavenly Snow's eyes welled, she bit her lip, and gave a slight nod.

"Young Friend Yuan, thank you for letting me fulfill a wish." Yue Liu said, "If you truly learn the immortal‑rank formations in the future, you must burn a piece of paper money for me. As for my memorial day… I can't even remember it…"

Heavenly Snow urgently asked, "Yue Lord, who killed you?"

"The Thirteen Clan……"

Yue Liu's voice faded, and the last vestige of his lingering will began to dissipate.

Yuan Yao's emotions grew extremely complex, a hint of sorrow rising; she raised her hands, performed a bow, and lowered her head.

"Junior Yuan Yao, I hereby see off Senior Yue Liu."

At that moment, Song Yan and the others on the snow mountain also raised their hands in a bow, slightly lowering their heads.

Heavenly Snow knelt again, weeping as she kowtowed to her former master.

…

Seeing that Heavenly Snow was still badly wounded, Yuan Yao first let her rest in the Yaoguang Space.

Then she promptly sent the Golden Egg, the Little Fox, and Yuan Batian in as well.

After doing all that, Yuan Yao turned to look at her master and senior brothers and sisters, saying, "Master, let's return to the Carefree Sect."

"All right." Qian Jueshan nodded in agreement.

Qian Jueshan directly tore open the void, bringing them back to the Carefree Sect in the Ninth Province.

Shortly after they left, a white‑clad figure appeared here, lingered a moment, then walked off in another direction.

At this moment, the Ninth Province, the Carefree Sect.

Qian Jueshan brought Yuan Yao and the six others back to the Martial Peak of the Carefree Sect.

Heavenly Martial Peak was actually decked out with lanterns and colorful ribbons; ribbons of various colors were tied to the trees, fluttering in the wind, very beautiful.

Yuan Yao looked at this scene with astonished delight.

"Master, this is…" She turned her head to look toward Thousand Jade Mountain.

Thousand Jade Mountain's lips curled slightly, "The sect disciples wanted to celebrate your birthday, so they prepared this scenery for you."

"Beautiful!" Yuan Yao exclaimed excitedly.

She stepped forward.

At the same time, seeing her, the sect disciples all smiled and said to her, "Junior Sister, happy birthday."

Not far away, several people were standing on the cherry blossom trees, hanging colorful ribbons; when they heard the sound, they looked toward Yuan Yao and the others.

"Junior Sister!" The petite, delicate young woman leapt down from the tree, rushing toward Yuan Yao, "I knew you would come back today!"

"Senior Sister Yao!" Yuan Yao reached out to take her hands, shouting with joy.

Yao Linglong blinked, "Happy birthday! I have a gift for you! Guess what it is!"

"Bird eggs!" Yuan Yao answered immediately.

"You guess…" Yao Linglong deliberately drew out the syllable, then wiped off her smile, "Wrong!"

Yao Linglong leaned close to Yuan Yao and said mysteriously, "It's a whole box of storybooks, a full hundred of them. I collected them from all over the Ninth Province just for you. Tonight I'll secretly give them to you; don't let the Immortal Lord and Senior Brother Song and the others find out."

Yuan Yao struggled to suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth, and she deliberately nodded solemnly.

At the same time, Ao Su, Lin Xuechen, Zong Yu'er and the others gathered around, all offering birthday wishes to Yuan Yao.

Every year, Yuan Yao is very happy on her birthday at the Carefree Sect; she still remembers that there is one senior brother and three senior sisters who share the same birthday as her, so she needs to wish them a happy birthday and give them a birthday gift.

Not far away, Thousand Jade Mountain and Song Yan and his five companions watched as the young disciples surrounded Yuan Yao tightly, and for a moment their feelings were complex.

"I'll handle the cooking tonight," said Cang Li. He has been making longevity noodles for Yao Yao for seven consecutive years, and this year cannot be an exception.

Every year, Yuan Yao's birthday is grandly celebrated by everyone in the Carefree Sect.

And she will set aside time in the evening to sit down with them and eat longevity noodles.

This is also their mutual understanding as teacher and student.

This year is no exception.