A Decade of Nightscape Lights

In the dark, freezing ice cave passage, Mu Qingyan held Cai Zhao's hand with one hand and raised the Night-Shining Pearl high with the other to light their way forward.

Though the pearl's glow was faint, it was enough to illuminate their path. At every fork in the cave, he tested the direction of the airflow with a strip of cloth, leaving marks at the intersections to guide their way.

Cai Zhao stumbled along, dragged unsteadily, her steps even more labored than Fatty Jin's beside her.

Qian Xueshen's severed head had rolled to her feet, the terror and pleading frozen on his face forever etched in her mind.

That was why she had just vomited against the ice wall, tears falling drop by drop, her fingers clawing at the ice as if she could tear chunks from it.

This was the first time in her life she had experienced the death of a friend.

At some point, she had vaguely begun to realize the difference between herself and her aunt. Cai Pingshu had always been filled with passion and curiosity for the unknown, never afraid—if a bottomless dark cave appeared before her, she would excitedly charge in with a torch; if a storm struck during a voyage, she would face the waves head-on and shatter the whirlpools with sheer determination.

Cai Pingshu was born bold and optimistic. Even in her thrilling adventures, she had lost close friends and comrades, but she had never been discouraged or wallowed in self-pity, always forging ahead with unwavering spirit.

They had walked for an unknown length of time—to Cai Zhao, it felt like an eternity—and the terrain was still rising. Hearing Jin Baohui's heavy panting, Cai Zhao asked softly, "I wonder how long we've been walking."

Surprisingly, Mu Qingyan answered calmly without hesitation, "An hour and a half. We can rest for a bit."

Jin Baohui had barely started to sit when Mu Qingyan kicked him, ordering him to move farther ahead. Knowing he had no choice, Jin Baohui grumbled and shuffled forward with a firestarter in hand.

Mu Qingyan spread his gray fur cloak on the ground for the girl to sit.

Cai Zhao looked up, her expression dazed. "...How did you know it's been an hour and a half?"

"I was checking your pulse," Mu Qingyan said, sitting beside her. "It was a bit fast at first, but it steadied later."

The two sat close together, their heartbeats audible in the silence. Cai Zhao felt the tall, composed figure beside her was as solid and reliable as a mountain, and her emotions gradually settled.

"Zhao Zhao."

"Hm?"

"Qian Xueshen's death isn't your fault. He was already in their hands—once they were done using him, he would've died sooner or later."

"I know."

"Then why are you still so lost, like your soul's gone?"

"...My aunt always said I'm too soft-hearted, that I shouldn't wander the Martial World."

"That's an overgeneralization."

"Not at all. I've always been like this—when Casserole Uncle next door got old and sold his shop to retire to the countryside, I was so sad I couldn't eat wontons for a whole month."

"The new wontons weren't good?"

"No, they're quite tasty. The broth is even better, made with pork bones and shrimp powder. But I still felt terrible, like the world is heartless, time flows like water, and nothing beautiful lasts. No matter how good the new is, it can't replace the old."

Cai Zhao loved peaceful, leisurely days—clear streams, the lively bustle of the streets.

She and her aunt were fundamentally different.

Mu Qingyan frowned, turning to face her. "...How old were you when you found out Heroine Cai didn't have long to live?"

"Seven or eight? Five or six? I don't remember." Cai Zhao shook her head. "My family never hid it from me. They told me my aunt was sick and might... well, it wasn't something they could hide anyway. She was constantly drinking medicinal brews, taking medicinal baths, and undergoing acupuncture and medicated moxibustion. I wasn't stupid."Mu Qingyan leaned back in his seat. "Your family intended for you to be prepared early, so you wouldn't be caught off guard and overwhelmed. But they didn't consider the consequences of making a young child dwell daily on the impending death of their loved ones."

"My aunt said the same thing. In fact, she didn’t agree with letting me know so early either." Cai Zhao shrugged nonchalantly. "But my mother said that in the Martial World, children without some childhood hardships would be too embarrassed to make their way."

"My mother spent her childhood fearing she’d have to shave her head when she grew up and never eat fish or meat again. My aunt and father lost both parents when they were very young. Yet all three of them grew up just fine—honorable and righteous, standing up for the weak. They turned out much better than those pampered Song and Yang kids who had everything handed to them."

Mu Qingyan chuckled softly. "Your mother sounds remarkable."

"Yes, she was. When I was little, I once wished for flowers to always bloom, the moon to always be full, and happiness to never fade. My mother told me to wash up and go to bed instead of daydreaming. She said, 'If flowers never withered, how would we appreciate their beauty in bloom? If the moon never waned, how would we cherish its fullness? And if life had no sorrow, how would we yearn for joy?'" In her childhood, Cai Zhao had feared loss, death, and anything that might disrupt her idyllic world.

Mu Qingyan asked, "Do you understand those words now?"

"Still working on it. I’ll fully understand someday." She had no choice but to face it now.

Seeing the girl’s resigned yet knowing expression, Mu Qingyan felt a pang of pity and pulled her closer.

"Brother."

After a moment of silence, the girl suddenly spoke. She had grown accustomed to calling him that and didn’t change it now.

"Go on."

"What kind of person was Nie Hengcheng?"

Mu Qingyan was surprised. "Why ask about him suddenly?"

"When I was little, I used to play by the Green Gauze River. I noticed there were many boats but few fish. Later, I learned that after the great battle there, the river was so clogged with the corpses of Nie Hengcheng’s loyal followers that the local fishermen vowed never to eat fish from its waters again."

"My father said that night, Zhao Tianba, Han Yisu, and the others quickly realized they’d been trapped in an ambush. Yet they refused to retreat, determined to avenge Nie Hengcheng even at the cost of their lives. Though they were Demonic Cult fiends, my father admitted their unwavering loyalty to Nie Hengcheng was admirable."

Mu Qingyan was silent for a long while before responding. "Throughout our sect’s history, many leaders—Dharma Kings, elders, even the four Altar Lords—used elixirs to control their subordinates. But Nie Hengcheng never did. Not only that, he despised the practice. My father once said Nie Hengcheng was a rare genius—a fearless warrior in his youth, a decisive and commanding leader in his prime. To your Big Dipper Six Sects, he was a monster. But to many in our sect, he was a pillar of strength, an unshakable Godly Needle."

"Sounds like a decent man. So why did he become so tyrannical and bloodthirsty in his later years?" Cai Zhao grew curious.

Mu Qingyan replied, "Because he stumbled upon a divine skill of unimaginable power."

"The one Old Sect Leader Yin Dai was desperate to uncover?"

"Yes." Mu Qingyan’s voice lowered. "Truthfully, I don’t know the details of that skill. My father only said it was an Ancient Divine Skill that should have vanished from this world long ago."

Cai Zhao gazed into the distance, lost in thought. "So that’s how it was."Mu Qingyan said, "Knowing one's limitations breeds caution toward the laws of heaven and earth. But once one realizes they can overturn mountains and drain seas without restraint, that caution vanishes—my father deeply lamented Nie Hengcheng's fate."

Cai Zhao gave a bitter smile. "That may be true, but if you and I had such world-shaking power now, we wouldn't have let Qian Xueshen lose his life."

Mu Qingyan frowned, about to respond, when Jin Baohui's shrill cry suddenly echoed from the passage ahead. "Come quick, hurry, come here now—!"

Mu and Cai exchanged a glance before immediately rushing forward. They found Jin Baohui frantically hacking at an ice wall with a dagger, shouting wildly, "Hurry, help me dig this out—!"

Mu Qingyan seized Jin Baohui's shoulder and said firmly, "Calm yourself first and speak clearly." As he spoke, he heard the girl behind him gasp softly and quickly turned to look.

This was a branching intersection with numerous ice tunnels in every direction—even overhead—leading to unknown places.

Perhaps due to the earlier violent tremors, several corpses previously encased in the ice walls had been partially exposed. Beside Cai Zhao, a stiff, bluish-purple hand protruded from the ice, fingers curled in a ghastly, unnatural pose.

Behind Mu Qingyan, half of a grotesque, twisted face with bulging eyes jutted from the ice like a demon freshly escaped from hell. The ice wall Jin Baohui was desperately chipping at also revealed the left shoulder of another corpse.

"Quick, quick, help me dig this body out! I'll reward you handsomely—no, I swear I’ll repay Young Master Mu however I can!" Jin Baohui babbled incoherently.

"I won’t help unless you explain properly," Mu Qingyan stated.

Jin Baohui hesitated, but realizing the ice was harder than iron and his martial skills too weak to break through alone, he gritted his teeth. "Fine, I’ll tell you. Look—this corpse’s right hand is holding a small vial. I need that bottle!"

Cai Zhao craned her neck and indeed spotted a three-to-four-inch-long apricot-yellow jade vial in the corpse’s ice-encased hand, its mouth rimmed with tarnished copper wire. "What’s so special about it? Is there some treasure inside?"

Seeing Jin Baohui’s evasive gaze, as if debating whether to fabricate a lie on the spot, she smiled. "Senior Jin had best tell the truth. If it truly doesn’t concern us, lending a hand is no trouble. But if you deceive us… well, my brother has a terrible temper, and it’s not like we owe you any favors."

Mu Qingyan cooperatively let out a heavy, ominous snort.

Jin Baohui immediately caved. "I’ll talk, I’ll talk! Cough—I swear, it’s useless to you. That vial contains the saliva of a rare beast—have you heard of the Snowscale Dragon Beast?"

At the name, Mu and Cai both stiffened, exchanging a glance before shaking their heads in unison, faces blank.

Unaware of their reaction, Jin Baohui continued eagerly, "It’s a legendary creature. A fully grown Snowscale Dragon Beast is larger than a three-courtyard estate, with wings on its flanks and razor-sharp claws. Except for diving into the sea, there’s nowhere it can’t dominate—renowned as 'Sky Soaring Divine Valor, Land Walking Dragon King.' They say Old Ancestor Bei Chen once raised a few, and they played a crucial role in the Great Demon War." His eyes gleamed with undisguised yearning.

"Even if that vial holds the Snowscale Dragon Beast’s saliva, how did you know it was there through the ice?" Cai Zhao asked, puzzled.Jin Baohui grew anxious. "Don't you smell that scent—spicy, cloyingly sweet, with a hint of grass? It must've spilled when this corpse was running. He didn't even make it to the ice cave before freezing or starving to death."

At his reminder, both Mu and Cai noticed the faint grassy aroma lingering in the air, mingled with that peculiar spicy sweetness. Cai Zhao hesitated. "Is this the scent of Snowscale Dragon Beast saliva? But this corpse has been here for years. How could the spilled scent still remain?"

Jin Baohui swallowed hard. "Ah, you wouldn't know. Snowscale Dragon Beast saliva doesn't freeze in cold—it only dissolves in heat. This damned mountain is freezing, so the scent lingers indefinitely."

Mu Qingyan made a sound of understanding. Pressing his palm against the ice wall, he channeled his energy. With several sharp cracks, the iron-hard ice split along fissures, crumbling away to reveal the frozen corpse within.

Cai Zhao noticed Mu Qingyan seemed to pause momentarily as the ice shattered.

In that brief hesitation, Jin Baohui eagerly chiseled at the corpse's fingers with his dagger, snatching the small jade vial. He shook it, hearing the slow slosh of liquid inside, then uncorked it to pour a single drop onto his palm. After sniffing and tasting, his face twisted into ecstatic madness. "...Yes, yes! This is it, this is it!"

Cai Zhao couldn't bear to watch. "That's centuries old, Elder Jin. Be careful not to ruin your stomach. And are you certain it's really Snowscale Dragon Beast saliva? Don't mistake it for something else."

Jin Baohui was beside himself with joy. "It's real, absolutely real! Back in Old Ancestor Bei Chen's era, Snowscale Dragon Beasts were plentiful, frolicking everywhere—practitioners would often encounter them during cultivation. But they grew scarcer until vanishing entirely a hundred sixty years ago. Many sects preserved some of their saliva for its restorative properties. My ancestors were beast-tamers, so we kept some too. I saw our last vial as a child! I've smelled it, tasted it—there's no mistake!"

Clutching the vial, he nearly danced with glee—until Mu Qingyan swiftly snatched it from his grasp.

"Y-you—what are you doing? Give it back!" Jin Baohui lunged in fury.

Mu Qingyan effortlessly swatted him aside, smiling. "Speak properly. No need for such rudeness. What if you frighten my little sister? Could you afford to compensate me?"

Jin Baohui landed two zhang away, painstakingly peeling his portly frame off the ice. Though aching all over, he dared not complain.

Mu Qingyan twirled the delicate vial between slender fingers. "So you came to this great mountain for Snowscale Dragon Beast saliva?"

Jin Baohui answered cautiously, "Y-yes."

"Since it's so precious, why should I give it to you?"

Jin Baohui panicked, words tumbling out. "N-no, it's not precious at all! Well—it is, but not that precious! Ah—"

After floundering, he regrouped. "Here's the thing. While the saliva has restorative properties, its effects aren't unique—many other medicines work just as well. Take the Snow Ginseng on this mountain, for instance. A decent portion of Snow Ginseng can replenish qi and heal injuries better than this saliva ever could.""Think about it," Cai Zhao said. "If the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva were truly that precious, why would all the sects and factions have used it up so easily back then? My family happened to have a large stockpile, which is why I got to see the real thing as a child. At the time, it didn’t seem particularly rare. When my grandfather was injured once and fresh bear gall was unavailable, he just used a bottle of that saliva as a substitute."

At this point, Jin Baohui looked utterly regretful. "If I’d known we’d need it later, I should’ve stopped him from using that bottle!"

Mu Qingyan and Cai Zhao exchanged glances.

Regardless of whether the Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva was truly an all-purpose miracle cure, they had no intention of giving it to Jin Baohui. After all, the counterfeit version in the Azure Tower Sect still needed Cai Zhao to expose it. Still, they wanted to pry more information out of him.

Seeing their silence, Jin Baohui mistook it for hesitation and pressed harder. "It’s true! If you don’t believe me, go ask your elders. The Snowscale Dragon Beast's saliva isn’t some miraculous flesh-reviving, bone-mending elixir—it’s just an ordinary tonic! The real treasures of the Snowscale Dragon Beast are its heart, liver, and horns. They’re said to multiply one’s cultivation and power several times over!"

Cai Zhao couldn’t hide her disgust at his greedy, scheming expression.

Mu Qingyan, however, remained calm. "No matter how eloquently you describe it, you can’t provide any proof right now. You’re just taking advantage of our youth and inexperience. For all we know, this jade vial might contain the rarest treasure under heaven. If you want me to believe you, it’s simple. Since you claim the saliva is merely an ordinary tonic, why are you so desperate to obtain it? What’s its real purpose?"

Jin Baohui’s expression shifted, but he stubbornly refused to reveal the truth. "Secrets abound in the Martial World, Young Master Mu. Why press me so hard? In any case, if you’re willing to give me the saliva, I’ll let you choose from three of my family’s heirlooms—the Fire Qilin's Eye, the Blood Fen Lizard's Poison Sac, or Penglai Immortal Island's Seven Pearl Lotus Pod. How about it? I can even bite my finger right now and write a blood oath for you!"

Mu and Cai were taken aback. Offering such treasures in exchange showed just how desperate Jin Baohui was. Mu Qingyan became even more unwilling to relent, using every trick in the book to coax Jin Baohui into revealing the saliva’s true purpose.

Jin Baohui was pushed to the brink, opening and closing his mouth several times as if on the verge of confessing. But just as he seemed about to break, a familiar voice drifted through the cave’s shifting currents of air—

"Hold on, Old Lan! At least lead us there before you kick the bucket. I’ll take care of your mother for you!"

Then came an even more familiar, weak voice. "No need to trouble yourself with my mother. I’ve already left her plenty of silver and land. The spirited little girl she adopted recently is filial and capable—she’ll look after her."

The voices belonged unmistakably to Hu Tianwei and Lan Tianyu!

Jin Baohui’s face lit up as if he’d heard celestial music. Without another word, he turned and sprinted toward the cave entrance, shouting, "Hu Tianwei! Hu Tianwei! I’m here—whoa!" In his haste, he tripped over a pile of shattered ice at a corner and was half-buried, legs flailing wildly.

Mu Qingyan grabbed his ankle and hauled him out. Jin Baohui coughed violently, clutching his throat, his plump face flushed red. It seemed he’d swallowed some large ice chunks, which now threatened to choke him.

Cai Zhao patted his back and advised, "Spit it out quickly. If you can’t, dig it out. These ice layers are mixed with frozen corpses—you don’t want to swallow any corpse fragments." Even as she spoke, she shuddered at the thought.Jin Baohui was unexpectedly ruthless. Clenching his jaw and stiffening his neck, he took several deep breaths before twisting around and continuing to run forward.

Cai Zhao was stunned.

When Mu and Cai reached the cave entrance, they discovered a vast ice chamber, circular and about ten zhang in diameter, with a height of seven to eight zhang. The space was well-lit, and the air flowed freely. Looking up, they saw sunlight filtering through the ice above, indicating that the ice layer at the top was extremely thin.

After being confined in the dark, narrow ice cave for so long, the sight of such bright sunlight left Cai Zhao both amazed and delighted, though she could hardly believe it. "This... does this mean we can get out now?"

Lan Tianyu, leaning against the wall and panting, said, "Yes, we've reached the upper ice fissure. There's no need to search for another exit. The ice layer above is less than two chi thick. With your skills, breaking through it will be enough to escape."

The "you" he referred to naturally meant Hu Tianwei and Mu Qingyan.

Only then did Cai Zhao notice that besides Jin Baohui, Mu Qingyan, and herself, the ice chamber also held Hu Tianwei, Lan Tianyu, and the mute servant, along with the massive corpse of a Hairy Howler, its fur stained with blood and one eye injured—clearly the smaller of the two Hairy Howlers.

She couldn't help but ask, "How... how did it die here?"

Hu Tianwei said smugly, "This beast tried to ambush me earlier, and I killed it. The other one was also injured by me."

The fact that he had single-handedly slain a Hairy Howler instantly elevated Cai Zhao's opinion of Hu Tianwei's combat prowess. "Brother Hu is really impressive."

Lan Tianyu sneered, "The truly impressive one is this old servant. His skills are profound, his moves ruthless, and his poisoned needles precise. The Demonic Cult truly hides dragons and crouches tigers. My respects."

Cai Zhao couldn't help but glance at the old servant a few more times, while Mu Qingyan walked over to the Hairy Howler's corpse, carefully examining the black blood around its mouth and nose.

Hu Tianwei snorted coldly and ignored them.

Cai Zhao approached Lan Tianyu. "Senior Lan, where is Great Hero Zhou? And Miss Qi Nong and the others?"

Lan Tianyu shook his head. "We were separated when the ice cavern collapsed earlier. Don't worry—they all have rations with them. As long as they don't encounter that Jade-Eyed Ice Crystal Python, they can follow the airflow and slowly find their way out."

Cai Zhao felt slightly reassured and crouched beside Lan Tianyu, speaking softly, "Senior Lan, I'll carry you up later. My qinggong is quite good. Once we're down the mountain, you can receive proper treatment for your injuries."

Lan Tianyu smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I'm done for. Whether I go up or not makes no difference. Don't waste your effort—I know my own condition."

Seeing his paper-white face, weak breathing, and pupils that occasionally dilated, Cai Zhao knew his injuries were too severe, and the prolonged delay in treatment had left him at death's door.

Lan Tianyu spoke haltingly, "In my life... I haven't done many good deeds... but plenty of bad ones. Now... now that I'm dying, it's no great loss. Little girl, you have a kind heart. Don't delay—hurry and leave the mountain."

"Exactly. Hand over the bottle quickly and leave the mountain. No need to delay."

Hu Tianwei approached with a smile, while Jin Baohui beside him wore a smug and vicious expression, clearly having revealed everything about the jade bottle.

Cai Zhao snorted coldly, thinking to herself that she and Mu Qingyan combined couldn't even match one of them? But when she turned her head, she saw Mu Qingyan's cold expression, his body tense as he positioned himself protectively in front of her.

Cai Zhao: "?"

Hu Tianwei advanced step by step, a sinister smile on his face. "Qingyan, be smart. Hand over the bottle. That thing is useless to you—why not give it up willingly? Remember, cooperation is for your own good..."Before the words had even faded, Jin Baohui suddenly let out a piercing scream, clutching his stomach as he rolled on the ground. "It hurts, it's killing me! My stomach—something inside—quick, someone help me..."

The suddenness of it left everyone stunned.

At first, Cai Zhao thought it might be a trick, but seeing Jin Baohui's face contort in pain, beads of sweat rolling down, she realized it was real. Yet no one knew why he was suffering such stomach pains.

Jin Baohui's voice trembled with agony as he mustered his last strength to tear open his clothes, revealing his bloated, rounded belly.

What horrified them was that his abdomen seemed alive, something writhing beneath the skin, pushing outward in grotesque bulges.

Hu Tianwei pressed one hand on Jin Baohui's shoulder while gripping a judge's pen in the other. In a low voice, he said, "Old Jin, bear with it," then focused intently on the bulge on Jin Baohui's belly. With a swift flick of the pen's tip, he sliced and lifted at the spot where the bulge was about to slide.

A distorted scream tore from Jin Baohui as a round spurt of blood shot from the wound. Mu Qingyan broke off a chunk of ice and hurled it—there was a sharp, high-pitched squeak as the object was smashed against the icy wall, turning into a pulpy mess of blood and flesh.

Suppressing a shudder, Cai Zhao peered closer. The mangled remains were that of a tiny furred mouse. Though its body and head were crushed, its mouthful of fine, sharp teeth remained exposed.

Mu Qingyan remarked coolly, "It must have been a young mouse nesting in the ice debris. Jin Baohui accidentally swallowed it when he plunged into the pile earlier." He tossed a large chunk of ice over the carcass, shielding it from Cai Zhao's view.

Jin Baohui continued to wail weakly, "Save me... please save me... I don’t want to die... I don’t want to die..."

Hu Tianwei examined the wound on Jin Baohui’s belly and stood up. "Your spleen and intestines have been chewed to shreds by that little beast. There’s no saving you. Accept your fate. Do you want me to make it quick?"

Upon hearing this dire verdict, Jin Baohui let out another despairing howl, though his voice was too weak to carry far.

"...If only you’d dug it out sooner," Cai Zhao muttered, torn between disdain and pity. "Truly, greed leads to death."

"Well said, little girl." Hu Tianwei ignored Jin Baohui and stepped forward. "Since you know greed is deadly, why not persuade your brother to hand over the bottle?"

Mu Qingyan moved to shield Cai Zhao.

Hu Tianwei smirked. "Oh-ho, the young master speaks up."

"Actually, there’s one thing." A sudden smile crossed Mu Qingyan’s handsome, solemn face. "After all these days, Hu Tianwei, have you figured out my background?"

Hu Tianwei froze—of course he hadn’t. Mu Qingyan’s skills and techniques were entirely unfamiliar to him.

Mu Qingyan smiled faintly. "Seems not. But I’ve figured out yours—and your master’s."

Hu Tianwei’s expression darkened. "What do you mean?"

Mu Qingyan raised his voice sharply. "Elder Tianji, Duan Jiuxiu—hiding in the shadows all this time. I never imagined you’d fallen so low."

The moment these words were spoken, shock rippled through the icy chamber.

After a tense silence, the old servant who had feigned muteness throughout the journey slowly lifted his head, revealing a sinister grin. "Sharp eyes, young man. To think you recognized this old one’s origins."

Seeing the "mute" servant speak and Hu Tianwei deferentially step behind him, Cai Zhao realized Mu Qingyan’s claim was true. She couldn’t help but blurt out, "You—I... I heard Heroine Cai Pingshu issued an execution order against you. So you didn’t die after all?"

Duan Jiuxiu chuckled, his wizened face twisting unpleasantly. "That bitch Cai Pingshu thought she was invincible, yet she died before me! How laughable, utterly laughable!"

Cai Zhao’s expression turned icy. "Of course she didn’t live as long as a turtle. Nothing to celebrate there."

Mu Qingyan added coldly, "Though Heroine Cai’s life was short, she lived freely and boldly. Even a life of luxury pales compared to your pitiful existence, skulking in the shadows."Duan Jiuxiu sneered darkly, "Little brat, save your sharp tongue. Once I capture you both, perhaps I’ll be merciful enough to grant you a quick death. But don’t worry—your ‘pretty little sister’ here will receive my special ‘care.’" At the thought, he let out a sinister, lewd chuckle, his voice dripping with malice.

"That depends on whether you have the skill. Don’t end up in my hands instead—I won’t spare your old bones out of respect for Elder Tianji’s reputation," Mu Qingyan replied calmly. "Oh, I forgot—Elder Tianji isn’t you anymore, is it?"

Duan Jiuxiu flew into a rage. "Hmph! You insolent whelp, refusing to yield until you’re at death’s door!" He turned and ordered, "Tianwei, let’s move. This Yan fellow is tricky—don’t underestimate him."

"Stop dawdling and come at me already." With a clear shout, Mu Qingyan lunged forward.

As Duan Jiuxiu and his disciple braced themselves, Mu Qingyan suddenly twisted midair, swiftly striking the surrounding ice walls several times before feigning a strike toward the high ceiling and the icy floor beneath.

Earlier, when they had fallen into the ice cavern, Mu Qingyan had carefully observed the two massive tremors. Whether it was the two Hairy Howlers or the Jade-Eyed Ice Crystal Python, their collisions with the ice walls had caused the cavern to shake.

This ice chamber was no exception. As the supporting walls cracked, the entire structure began to crumble.

Seizing the moment before the master and disciple could react, Mu and Cai swiftly leaped upward with their lightness skills. Duan Jiuxiu and his disciple pursued closely, but Mu Qingyan, gripping two ice shards previously soaked in poisonous blood, prepared to hurl them downward—when suddenly, a deafening beastly roar echoed through the cavern.

The larger of the two Hairy Howlers burst from nowhere, soaring past Mu and Cai and charging straight at Duan Jiuxiu and his disciple. It first rammed into Hu Tianwei, sending him crashing onto the ice, then roared and pounced at Duan Jiuxiu.

Duan Jiuxiu knew the beast sought vengeance for its mate and was prepared to fight to the death. Its assault was ferocious. Not daring to be careless, he kicked off the ice wall, channeling all his strength into a double-palm strike.

The Hairy Howler let out a mournful cry as it was slammed into the ice wall, but Duan Jiuxiu, having expended his energy, had no choice but to land. Realizing it was outmatched, the beast howled and fled upward.

By the time this heart-stopping scene ended, Mu and Cai had finally reached the top exit—only to find the ceiling split cleanly in two. Two massive slabs of ice plummeted into the chamber like a thick wall, separating the two groups.

At the same time, the ice wall Mu and Cai had climbed suddenly cracked and collapsed backward. They realized then that this chamber was merely a partition within a much larger ice cavern—the surrounding expanse of ice concealed hollow spaces beneath.

As shattered ice rained down and endless snow surged in, the two could only desperately leap toward the gaps above them.

Just before they were completely separated, Mu Qingyan shouted with all his might, "Once we escape, meet me at the foot of the mountain!"

Cai Zhao yelled back, "Deal!"

As she was about to escape the ice cavern, Cai Zhao glanced back one last time—

The chamber had fully collapsed, and Duan Jiuxiu and his disciple were still at the bottom. With no time to leap to safety, they swiftly ducked into another ice tunnel, likely searching for another way out.

Jin Baohui lay motionless on the ice, covered in blood—clearly dead.

Lan Tianyu sat by the collapsing wall, waiting for death. From the shape of his murmuring lips, Cai Zhao could tell he seemed to be repeating words like "retribution" over and over.Cai Zhao dared not linger, fearing she might be buried again by the encroaching snow. She could only keep leaping toward the outer edges of the ice layer. After nearly half an hour of continuous jumps, her feet finally landed on solid ground rather than hollow ice.

She stood and looked around. The surroundings were vast and desolate—no smoke, no animal calls—so silent and cold it felt like the end of the world.

She slumped down. As she reached for her leather water pouch, she felt something strange in her robes. Pulling it out, she saw it was that small apricot-yellow jade vial. She had no idea when Mu Qingyan had slipped it into her clothes.

“He should be able to escape, right?” Cai Zhao murmured to herself.

Mu Qingyan’s lightness skill was no worse than hers, and his internal strength was even greater. If she had made it out, he should be fine.

They had come as a lively group of three, but now she was the only one left, which inevitably dampened her spirits. Fortunately, the pack on her back was intact, with dry rations and clothes still inside. She could descend the mountain slowly and wait for Mu Qingyan along the way.

Sitting crookedly under the blinding sun, Cai Zhao brooded for a long time, growing increasingly frustrated.

Suddenly, she sprang to her feet, pointing at her reflection on the icy leaves and scolding herself in a low, angry voice, “What? Wait for what? You spouted all that big talk on the way up, but now those around you are dead or scattered, and you’re slinking down the mountain like a coward! You’ve completely disgraced Auntie’s name!”

“Did you finish what you came here to do? No—and what about the other thing? Did you finish that? Can you really leave with a clear conscience? Don’t you dare tell anyone Auntie raised you—she’d be mortified!”

After berating herself harshly, Cai Zhao indeed felt much better. Her mind raced with calculations.

—First step: Find a safe place to meditate and recover, preparing for the coming battle.

Now that she had made up her mind, she couldn’t feign ignorance any longer.

—Second step: She needed to find the highest vantage point with the widest view.

After securing her pack tightly to her back, she lifted her chin high and strode forward.