The Path Toward Heaven

Bai Zao’s voice was very soothing, and her expression was quite gentle, but her partners listened to her very carefully and patiently, showing their trust and confidence in her.

Yao Songshan felt the same way.

The members in this group were actually not that outstanding in their overall Cultivation states. Yao Songshan was stronger than all but Bai Zao.

Though they didn’t have someone who had super combative ability like Luo Huainan, or someone who could slay their foes easily like Tong Lu or Guo Nanshan and Gu Han in the past, their performance as a group was fairly outstanding. Their painting of plumb seeking through blood had been mostly finished at the West Mountain Residence, even gaining the praise from the Young Zen Master.

Bai Zao’s predictive ability and ability to command were astounding, and she could skillfully use persuasive words in a delightful way; therefore, her partners all believed in her judgments.

She was a natural-born leader.

Because of her self-assurance, her nervous partners had calmed down after hearing the news about the Iron-Thread Bug had calmed down and started setting up a formation.

Bai Zao lifted her head, looking at the distant shadowy mountain.

The cold wind rose again, hurling the snowflakes at her white veil.

The female disciple of the Hanging-Bell Sect eye –signaled to ask if she needed a blanket.

Bai Zao shook her head with a gentle smile to indicate she didn’t need it and tightened her clothing with her hands.

In truth, she wasn’t as self-assured as she appeared.

The disciple of the Kunlun Sect, named Dai Ying, had died too early.

Since the Cultivation tournament hadn’t ended yet, the monster invasion shouldn’t have been an issue, so it wasn’t too dangerous.

She then smiled happily with raised corners of her mouth after having thought of something. “Where are they today?” she asked her partners.

Yao Songshan took over the magic treasure from another partner and had a look at it, and walked up to her. “They are about twenty miles from us,” he said with an odd expression.

Since a few days ago, they had realized the walking path of one group was quite peculiar, as if they were coming their way.

The speed of that group wasn’t particularly fast, but if they continued this way, they and their group would meet in two days, right in front of that dark shadowy mountain in the north.

Though the competition was intense in the Cultivation tournament, the incident of the human Cultivation practitioners killing each other would never happen.

The odd expression on Yao Songshan’s face wasn’t due to caution, but because Jing Jiu was in that group.

…

…

The sunrise arrived a bit late.

Bai Zao and her group headed to the deep parts of the snowland, seeking the monsters of the Snowy Kingdom to kill.

It would be more dangerous ahead; yet this was the intention of the Cultivation tournament.

The sunset arrived a bit early.

The partners surrounded Bai Zao, listening to her gentle voice.

They had killed two ordinary snow foot monsters that day. They were very cautious during the fighting, as they feared any accident.

In the end, they didn’t find any Listening Ear or Iron Thread Bug in the monsters’ shells.

The partners dispersed to prepare the formation.

Bai Zao was thinking about this matter as she sat in the wind and snow, feeling even more confused.

Why had so many Cultivation practitioners participating in the Cultivation tournament not encountered the Iron Thread Bugs even though Jing Jiu and his group did after they took off many days later than the others?

She asked instinctively, “Where is Jing Jiu now?”

Glancing at the magic treasure, Yao Songshan replied, “Ten miles from us, to the southwest.”

The other three partners eyed each other, then looked at Yao Songshan.

They knew that Bai Zao was concerned about the walking path of that group, but she didn’t ask about the group; she had specifically asked about Jing Jiu. What did it mean?

“Don’t look at me. I don’t know anything.”

Yao Songshan continued, “From what I know, the senior masters Jing Jiu and Layue had gone out to travel for two years, and since then they had stayed on the Green Mountain to cultivate; they hadn’t seen any outsiders.”

This reminded them that Zhao Layue was still on the Green Mountain.

…

…

The sunrise arrived even later than it did the last day.

During the day, they didn’t encounter any monster of the Snowy Kingdom, and the snowfall had stopped as well.

It was peaceful, or deadly quiet, so to speak.

The dark shadowy mountain range that was getting closer appeared grave and terrifying.

There was a valley between the dark mountain range leading someplace further, where the Snowy Kingdom was actually located.

Looking in that direction, Bai Zao was alarmed. “Start the fire,” she said.

The sunset arrived earlier than it did the last day.

…

…

It was already night time. According the routine of past few days, Jing Jiu should have called it a day, but he didn’t that particular day. As such, Ying Qingmo and other two kept on marching forward.

Jing Jiu walked at the end.

The other three young Cultivation practitioners had cooperated quite harmoniously, and they hadn’t encountered any monsters like the Iron-Thread Bugs in the last few days.

Jing Jiu opened his hand, and that little beetle bug jumped onto his palm.

The shell of the little beetle bug was still pure white, but it had grown a lot stronger over the last few days, different from the feeble and tender condition when it was born.

Jing Jiu noticed that the shell would become harder at a faster speed, the longer the beetle bug stayed in the cold wind or the temperature was lower outside.

As for what food the little beetle bug was eating, he didn’t know. It was because he had never paid attention to this matter, and there was no need to know since it was still alive anyway.

He suddenly sensed something and pulled his palm back. “Someone is surrounded by the attackers,” Jing Jiu yelled.

The other three in front stopped short, looking at him in surprise.

It was impossible to have other Cultivation practitioners of the deviant sects on the snowy land at the moment, so it would only be other Cultivation practitioners participating in the Cultivation tournament.

“What position? How far?” asked Wu Mingzhong.

“Northeast. Four miles.”

Jing Jiu answered without even looking at the magic treasure.

That was the direction they were heading. It was the very reason why Jing Jiu didn’t tell them to stop.

Ying Qingmo asked with a pale expression, “What should we do?”

They had walked on the snowy land for so many days, so the other three young Cultivation practitioners weren’t as nervous as they had been at the beginning. However, they hadn’t had any battle in the last few days, and their sole impression was the tragic scene of Dai Ying dying the other day; so they apprehensive instinctively when they suddenly learned that other participants ahead of them had been attacked by the monsters.

Jing Jiu untied his iron sword from his back, saying, “You three stay here. Let me go have a look.”

Usually, it would take a few seconds to cover the distance of four miles riding the sword, but here was the center of the snowy land. Though it had been oddly cloudless the past few days, the chaotic wind had gotten stronger in the sky, and it lowered close to the ground. He could only ride the sword about a hundred feet from the ground, so it would be easy for those monsters that had the amazing jumping ability to mount sneak attack on him.

Ying Qingmo and other two eyed each other and made their decision. “We’ll go with you,” they announced.

Jing Jiu felt somewhat surprised.

Wu Mingzhong called out the Sword Shield.

Four of them stepped on it.

…

…

A gust of extremely cold wind came from the valley, almost blowing out the flame.

A bright pearl-like object rose up in the night sky, and its milky white light illuminated the ground for about three hundred square feet.

Bai Zao sat on the ground, her white veil stained in blood. She appeared quite feeble as she was severely wounded.

The strange sounds could be heard from the surroundings in the darkness of the night, like the metals colliding with each other, or like the broken gongs vibrating at a high speed, making the listeners feel frightened.

Bai Zao was aware that the sounds came from the snow foot monsters’ sharp and hard front legs colliding with each other, and this was the signal for attacking.