Chapter 76

Li Qingxuan returned to the fortress, Li Feifei was still busy; seeing him come back, she raised her head and asked: "Did you find it?"

"Hmm... I saw a mountain of about the same height, but I don't know if it's the mountain she described, nor whether her description is accurate; I'll take the Black Goat over to have a look and then decide."

"Be careful on the road; maybe when you come back, I'll have gathered all the materials needed for the fortress upgrade." Li Feifei said with a proud smile, though her hands gripping the hem of her clothes still revealed her worry.

The biting cold wind was like an invisible blade, howling as it swept across the vast snow plain, sending out mournful wails.

Li Qingxuan was fully equipped; his heavy armor and cold-resistant clothing wrapped him tightly, and the white breath he exhaled instantly condensed into fine ice crystals on his mask.

Li Qingxuan rode on the Black Goat's back; at this moment the Black Goat was unlike when they first met—each night when he went out alone it would devour large amounts of flesh and blood, especially after the Snake Tide, its size had nearly doubled, and its constitution attribute had risen to 685.

As they galloped, hooves flew, kicking up snowflakes across the sky; deep tracks trailed behind them. Li Qingxuan, relying on his robust constitution, sat firmly on the Black Goat's back, unmoving like a boulder.

The extreme cold of minus thirty degrees penetrated to the marrow; he unfastened the clasp on his mask, exhaled a large puff of white air, and wiped away the ice crystals that had formed on the mask.

After replacing the mask, his vigilant gaze swept over the surrounding white, dead silent world.

The vast snow plain appeared calm, but hidden dangers lurked; the wind swallowed all subtle sounds, and he dared not relax in the slightest.

"Hold on a little longer, we'll be there soon." Li Qingxuan patted the Black Goat's head while also estimating the distance to their destination.

After a brief rest, the Black Goat regained some strength; Li Qingxuan was about to continue forward when his sharp eyes suddenly caught a string of unusually large footprints in the snow ahead—definitely not left by a human or ordinary beast.

The footprints sank deep into the snow, their shape strange, bearing some sharp claw marks, extending toward a sparse but twisted thicket of dead trees hung with icicles not far away.

Deep in the forest, the light was sliced by twisted branches into deeper gloom, as if shadows lurked that would devour anyone.

"Shh—" Li Qingxuan instantly tensed his whole body, his hand silently pressing on the grip of his Weapon at his waist.

He slightly arched his body, like a leopard coiling to strike, all his senses heightened to the extreme, he stared fixedly at that patch of dim forest.

The air seemed to solidify, leaving only the cold wind howling beside his ears.

Li Qingxuan held his breath; beneath him was the vigilant Black Goat, his sharp gaze piercing the dim light as he struggled to make out.

Deep in the shadows, two points of eerie green light, like ghost fire, flickered faintly before vanishing into the darkness, so quickly it seemed like an illusion.

His whole body's muscles tensed even more—this was no illusion! Something was lurking there, watching him with cold, greedy eyes, this intruder into the Icefield as 'prey'.

"Go!" Li Qingxuan's voice was pressed to an extreme low, almost squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an indisputable resolve.

He did not choose to forcefully break through that suspicious forest, but decisively deviated from the route, turning toward the opposite side where the slope was relatively open but with deeper snow.

The direction was clear—stay away from that grove of dead trees exuding an ominous aura, while maintaining surveillance of any potential threat.

He quickened his pace, the heavy footsteps creaking on the Snowfield, each step feeling as if he were heavily treading on taut nerves.

Li Qingxuan focused all his attention on that dead tree forest, daring not to be distracted in the slightest; he could feel that the unknown creature lurking in the shadows had not given up, that sensation of being watched like a needle on the back clung to him like a bone‑deep maggot, refusing to fade.

The confidence granted by his robust Constitution made him fearless, only a cold killing intent silently condensing in his chest.

Just as he was about to vault over a low snow ridge, a sharp wolf howl exploded from the dead forest behind and to his side!

Snow fluttered down as huge gray‑white figures, accompanied by bone‑piercing cold wind and a strong fishy stench, lunged out at astonishing speed!

Li Qingxuan's pupils contracted sharply; almost at the instant the sound rang out, his body's instinct reacted before thought.

He jerked the Rein hard; the Black Goat beneath him sensed the incoming wind, muscles tensed, its forehooves exploded with powerful thrust on the Snowfield, forcibly shifting sideways!

"Screech—!"

A grating tearing sound burst suddenly; the monster's lunge missed, its sharp foreclaws like blades slammed heavily where the Black Goat had been, the gust they raised cutting his cheeks like a knife.

The tremendous impact, like a heavy hammer, smashed the snowfield into a deep pit, ice shards scattering like shattered jade.

In that split‑second flash, Li Qingxuan finally saw the attacker's true form—a beast far larger than an ordinary wolf!

Its shoulder height nearly matched the Black Goat's, its whole body covered in a thick layer of gray‑white, icy‑tinged coarse long hair, it stood there imposing and formidable.

On its ferocious head, a pair of narrow, emerald vertical pupils flickered with cruelty and hunger, locked dead‑on onto him.

Its massive wolf‑muzzle split open, revealing dagger‑like, stark white interlocking fangs; saliva dripped onto the Snowfield, striking the snow and instantly carving a small crater.

【Weird Creature: Icefield Demon Wolf】

【Type: Spirit Type】

【Constitution: 532】

【Spirit: 800】

【Level: A‑Rank】

【Abilities: Wolf King Roar, Ice Crystal Thrust, Wolf Pack Leader】

【Weak Points: Head, Waist, Anus】

【Description: The king of the Icefield Demon Wolves, standing 3 meters tall at the shoulder, covered in snow‑white long fur, its ice‑blue vertical pupils can see through blizzards; it prefers pack hunting, the Wolf King can control ice and snow and use Spiritual Shock, its claws and fangs contain extreme cold energy, and it is the nightmare of travelers in frigid lands】

Around the Snowfield, snowy white wolf heads popped up one after another, encircling Li Qingxuan and the Black Goat in a ring.

That gray‑white giant wolf was precisely the leader of this pack of Icefield Demon Wolves; its emerald vertical pupils flickered with a cold light of cunning and cruelty.

After its strike missed, the massive body swiftly dodged Li Qingxuan's sweeping Changqiang, standing to one side, seeking an opening—its sturdy hind legs thrust hard against the ground, snow mist exploding like fireworks, the whole body shot forward like a heavy arrow loosed from a bow, wrapped in piercing cold wind and a sharp tearing sound, it lunged again at Li Qingxuan.

This time, it thrust its massive muzzle straight at Li Qingxuan's throat, the stark white fangs flashing a deadly cold gleam in the dim light.

Almost as the Wolf King lunged, the Icefield Demon Wolves lying in wait in the snowfield also sprang into action!

They circled the Black Goat and Li Qingxuan, dozens of gray‑white figures exploding from the Snowfield like white phantoms; the encirclement suddenly tightened, and the Wolf Pack's speed was astonishing.

Sharp wolf howls rose and fell, forming a wave of sound that made the heart pound, completely shattering the Icefield's silence.

(PS: Please chip in for the free love‑powered release; the author will be more motivated if you do, please!)