Chapter 2041: This is a Spirit

A pale face stretched out a hand; his pale face was full of sorrow, and he seemed to be calling for help, as if hoping someone would pull him, pull him out of this boundless Ice River.

Even after becoming a Spirit, the pain and the feeling of cold from before death remain; they seem to be imprisoned here forever, enduring endless cold.

Xueli blankly stretched out her hand; despite the ice layer between them, the moment she reached out, she suddenly felt a chill all over, and a cold sensation surged into her body along her index finger.

In this instant, she felt as if her internal organs had been frozen solid.

Then, with a crack, the ice layer, which was several meters thick, suddenly split open, and countless pale hands instantly reached out from within, grabbing Xueli tightly and desperately dragging her into the ice.

Xueli was startled and instantly woke up from her previous haze, but it was already too late; she fell into the water with a splash, struggling desperately, trying to break free.

But these Spirits have lived in the water for thousands of years; they cling to you like Water Ghosts, not giving you a single chance. Under the water, Xueli had almost no power to fight back; she could only struggle as she was dragged to the bottom by countless hands.

Chen Yu leaped up and dove directly into the icy water; he gathered his Qi, shuttled to the bottom, and grabbed Xueli's hand.

Countless transparent shadows in the water surged over, winding around Chen Yu.

Chen Yu grabbed with his right hand, and Lichen appeared in his hand; an invisible roar erupted from him—Boom!

A violent tremor occurred on the ice layer, as if there were an earthquake, followed by a crack; the thick ice layer shot into the sky, and Chen Yu, holding Xueli, rushed out from the Ice River.

Countless pale Water Ghosts crawled out from the water, reaching out toward the two people on the ice as they climbed.

"Grab them, don't let them leave."

"Let them come down and keep us company; wuwu, we have been here for so many years, it's so cold, why do they deserve to be alive?"

For a time, countless howls and cries came from all around; these Water Ghosts were becoming more and more numerous, and they were soldiers who had died in battle in ancient times.

After death, they were covered by the Ice River and could not be liberated; their massive resentment accumulated, turning them into vengeful spirits.

Every living person passing through here must stay; they have not had it easy, and they will not let others have it easy either.

"Noisy." Chen Yu's brows locked tightly; he grabbed with his right hand, and Lichen appeared in his hand.

As Lichen in his hand vibrated, the Sword Spirit suddenly appeared.

A single figure suddenly transformed into countless, locking down the surrounding hundred-zhang radius.

Following this, a delicate figure transformed into ten thousand; as this figure swept through the Sword Array, the sky-filling blue light turned into countless streaks of Sword Qi, whistling down from mid-air.

Accompanied by a burst of screams, more than half of the Water Ghosts instantly turned into black smoke and vanished into thin air.

Chen Yu pointed his right hand upward into the void, and Lichen floated in mid-air, the azure brilliance forming once again.

The Spirits underground began to scream; they dared not continue to attack relying on their numbers, and one by one they scrambled desperately to crawl back into the river water.

However, Chen Yu did not give them the chance; with a deep shout, the Sword Array formed again and then whistled toward all the Spirits underground.

Countless streaks of Sword Qi crisscrossed, accompanied by the sound of Sword Qi cutting through the air, followed by another burst of screams.

There were countless holes on the ice surface pierced by the Sword Qi, and the ground was emitting wisps of blue smoke; the ice surface was a mess.

These Spirit Water Ghosts all turned into black energy and vanished, leaving behind only some tattered armor.

Xueli sat on the ice, breathing heavily.

She had not yet recovered from the terror of just a moment ago.

"Are you alright?" Chen Yu put away Lichen and looked at her with concern.

Xueli shook her head; she stood up slowly, and a touch of Holy Flame emitted from her fingertips, instantly spreading throughout her whole body.

Her soaked clothes were quickly dried, and then she raised her head, looking at the messy ice surface, her expression somewhat stiff.

"These Spirits have too much resentment after death and cannot be reincarnated, so they formed Water Ghosts here; anyone who passes through here will be dragged into the water by them," Chen Yu said. "Just now, your mind was influenced by them."

Xueli looked at the water with lingering fear: "Why was I influenced by them? Are you all fine?"

"That is because your heart carries a sense of compassion for the world; they knew you would pity them, so they took advantage of the opening."

Chen Yu said leisurely: "These things are the same as those you know; what they are best at is taking advantage of openings, letting you fall into their trap without you even knowing it."

"Is it wrong for me to pity them?" Xueli's expression changed slightly.

"In itself, it is not wrong," Chen Yu said. "But you have to see if you are using it in the right place."

"And these vengeful spirits are not worthy of pity, understand?"

Xueli closed her mouth and did not say a word.

She was indeed not wrong; the mistake was that in this world, kindness can be exploited by others.

"Alright, it's over, nothing is wrong now," Chen Yu said, slowly rising. "This is also a kind of cultivation; once it passes, it passes."

Xueli nodded, then stood up and looked at the vast Snow Plains before her; her heart was somewhat moved: "How many people are buried in this place?"

"That is hard to say," Jinsang said leisurely. "This place was once an ancient battlefield, and many people were buried here."

"Perhaps they were once warriors, but after being permanently frozen here, resentment was bred."

"So they no longer remember who they once were; they only know they are trapped in this place called the Snow Plains and can never get out."

"Resentment forms over time, so they will occupy this place; as long as anyone passes by, no one can hope to leave."

Xueli nodded slightly: "Let's continue on our way."

"If we walk further ahead, we will encounter scattered Werewolf Clan outposts," Jinsang said. "So our tracks cannot be leaked."

The three continued forward, and at dusk, they arrived at a stronghold Jinsang had prepared long ago.

But while still a long distance away, Chen Yu stopped the others from moving forward.

"What's wrong?" Jinsang asked.

"There seems to be the aura of Werewolves there," Chen Yu said. "They don't know about this stronghold, do they?"

"It is very hidden; they shouldn't know. Even if they did know, it should have been discovered by accident." Jinsang's brow furrowed.

"However, given the intelligence of their clan, they likely wouldn't think of the reason for this."

"Is their breeding plan still continuing?" Chen Yu was in Silence for a long time.

"Yes, it has never stopped." Jinsang nodded.