The purple bamboo boat immediately flew towards the distress signal. Half an hour later, they saw a boat marked with the Chaotian Sect insignia being besieged by white monsters. Hundreds of snow beasts, densely packed, made one's scalp numb. Each snow beast was as large as an adult elephant, born from the snow and wind, capable of flying with the wind, though not very high or far. More ran on the snow at extreme speed! The snow beasts would tear and devour their prey whole, a brutal and bloody spectacle.
The flying boat, ambushed by snow beasts, had a large hole pierced through it and had made an emergency landing on the ice. The people from the Chaotian Immortal Sect had formed a Heavenly Star Array, surrounding the severely injured within its protective embrace, struggling to hold on, at their last gasp. Most of the injured were disciples of the Canglan Sect, whose combat strength was comparatively weaker.
Chaoyangzi led the way, unleashing a sword energy that slew a snow beast lunging at a disciple. Ye Ju flew the purple bamboo boat to the vicinity of the damaged flying boat, while Tianji and two other disciples were tasked with rescuing the injured. With a bang, the bottom of the purple bamboo boat was impacted. The snow beasts had discovered them. Fortunately, the boat, crafted from purple-gold bamboo, was impervious to water and fire, and impenetrable to blades, incredibly sturdy.
Ye Ju leaped from the purple bamboo boat, knocking away snow beasts with a single strike of her staff. Tianji and the other two seized the opportunity to lift the injured onto the purple bamboo boat. Those rescued stared with wide eyes at Fairy Ye, watching her effortlessly swat away snow beasts as if playing whack-a-mole. These snow beasts were formidable due to their robust bodies; only their heads could be attacked. A single claw strike could rend a gaping wound, exposing bone.
The snow beasts were also creatures that preyed on weakness. Sensing the formidable power of the newcomers, they all swarmed the original disciples. Chaoyangzi's swordsmanship was exquisite, each sword energy blast directly hitting a snow beast's head. Once all personnel were rescued onto the purple bamboo boat, Chaoyangzi waved his sleeve, collecting the damaged boat as well.
After Ye Ju instructed everyone aboard, she lengthened her protective talisman and began a 360-degree sweep, repelling all the snow beasts. Ye Ju then leaped back onto the boat and activated the formation, accelerating their flight. However, the surviving snow beasts relentlessly pursued the flying boat, as if tireless.
Chaoyangzi stood at the rear of the boat, watching.
"Unless they are completely killed, we cannot escape them. Even if knocked unconscious, they will awaken and pursue by scent."
"What happens to them after they die?" Ye Ju asked, curious about how they differed from the snow beasts of Ice Moon Mountain.
"They turn into snow and vanish."
Ye Ju looked at the ever-increasing number of pursuing snow beasts and gazed at Chaoyangzi in surprise.
"The heavier the snow, the more snow beasts appear, as if they are transformations of the ice and snow," Chaoyangzi said, his voice clear and cold.
"Then what about the towns?" Ye Ju thought of the ubiquitous snow.
"They all have formations. During winter, towns and villages activate their great formations, and people are advised to go out as little as possible. Moreover, snow beasts fear fire, and they only appear where there is snow. Not all places on the Tianchen Continent experience snowfall. Most people migrate to warmer regions before winter..." Chaoyangzi explained in detail the origin and countermeasures against snow beasts.
Ye Ju watched the pursuing snow beasts behind them, knowing she couldn't lead them to populated areas.
"Qingtian Sword, Sword Manifests Ten Thousand Forms, Slash!" Ye Ju leaped off the boat and stood in mid-air, unleashing her sword technique to obliterate all the snow beasts. She did not want to bring them to the island.
The purple bamboo boat flew towards the island. Ye Ju also assisted the injured aboard the ship with her healing arts. Once they reached a safe distance, Tianjizi was the first to request leave, stating he had to return to the sect to report before seeking Ye Ju again. Ye Ju gave him an island barrier token, which could be used to communicate. After regaining her memory, she had created her unique communication method, and the token also granted entry to the barrier.
It was thanks to Chaotianci that Tianjizi had regained his memory. After parting ways with Ye Ju, he, along with two sect disciples, Chaoyangzi, Chaotianci, and his escorts, a group of six, headed towards the barrier rift. As they approached the rift, they encountered people from the Royal Beast Sect. They were using secret arts to corrode the rift, intending to widen it so that more people could pass through at once, and to complicate the repair. Previously, only one person could pass, and the area was subject to fierce winds, making it impossible to ascend the cliff without a certain level of cultivation.
Chaotianci, spotting the figures from afar, felt it was an opportune moment to claim credit. Without waiting for the others to react, he flew solo.
"Halt, where do you vile wretches come from, disrupting the barrier? Take my sword!" Chaotianci, smug about seizing the initiative, did not defend himself. The Royal Beast Sect member, not an unknown figure, countered with a whisk strike, instantly neutralizing the sword. He then casually threw a handful of sleeping powder. Chaotianci, caught off guard, was directly hit. Tianji only managed to push his own sect disciples away before also succumbing to the powder. The guard, who had been following closely behind Chaotianci, collapsed along with them, totaling three.
Chaoyangzi immediately unleashed the thirty-six sword techniques of the Qingfeng Sword, directly assaulting the Taoist. The Taoist typically only concocted nefarious poisons and was no match for the formidable Chaoyangzi, the future sect leader of the esteemed Chaotian Immortal Sect... After a few parries with his whisk, he immediately fled. He was no ordinary disciple of the Royal Beast Sect; these thirty-six sword stances clearly marked him as Chaoyangzi, the successor of the renowned Chaotian Immortal Sect on the Tianchen Continent. This young man was indeed extraordinary!
Seeing that the Taoist had fled, Chaoyangzi did not pursue. He examined the poisoned individuals, realizing it was no ordinary hallucinogenic. He then administered an antidote pill made by Ayou. Half an hour later, Tianji and the guard awoke. Only Chaotianci, having ingested the deepest dose, remained unconscious even after taking the medicine.
Although Tianji had only been unconscious for half an hour, upon waking, he felt as though he had experienced a profound dream, recalling his past and present lives, the fall of the Divine Venerable, and the seven Star Guards willingly sacrificing themselves to descend to the mortal realm solely to find the Divine Venerable... He took out the scorching fragment of jade, looked at Chaoyangzi, his old friend, and they exchanged a knowing smile. They had found her.
Together, they used formations to temporarily repair the rift. However, the rift had been subjected to secret arts, constantly being corroded. For now, they had only managed to suppress the corrosive spell. But since Ye Ju had not met them at the appointed time, they were extremely anxious. The two split up to search for Ye Ju. This led to what happened later...
Watching Tianji and the others depart, the remaining members of the Chaotian Immortal Sect were left behind. Chaoyangzi repaired the damaged boat and planned to return to the sect with Chaotianci and his group. With his absence, some individuals grew restless.
Ye Ju felt no reluctance, returning to the island alone. Along the way, she encountered snow beasts and would descend to engage them in battle. This journey allowed her to discern the pattern of the snow beasts. Merely exposing their aura would attract them. After Black Dragon taught her how to conceal her traces, even flying through herds of snow beasts rendered them oblivious.
As she neared the island, Ye Ju noticed that the sea surface was no longer frozen. It was likely due to the island's location in deep-sea regions, with large waves, though occasional drifting ice blocks were spotted. The snowfall was still quite heavy, obstructing visibility. The closer she got to the island, the warmer the array token in her hand became, assuring Ye Ju. Using the token to find direction proved quite accurate. Suddenly, Ye Ju detected a fluctuation of spiritual energy.
"Sister!" Xiao Bai's familiar voice echoed from the sky.
Ye Ju looked up and saw Xiao Bai, carrying Xiao Wanyou, revealing themselves as immortals about a kilometer away...