Snow Mastiff Hero!

"Where?"

You Su subconsciously asked back, but the old man didn't hold back at all; he nodded slightly.

"Right there in that blizzard."

"They didn't take them out?" You Su asked, somewhat surprised.

"That's right." The clan chief nodded. "Perhaps someone has already discovered something and is afraid to sell those Divine Radiance Stones, so they've been hiding them there, waiting for the right moment to take them away."

"Wait thirty years?" You Su shook his head. "Then he should have had someone secretly put the Divine Radiance Stone back, instead of hiding it. In my opinion, the reason they could leave the Divine Radiance Stone there is simply because they found that this thing was too strictly controlled and they couldn't sell it, so they simply threw it into the snowstorm."

You Su's speculation is not without merit. The fact that these people would set their sights on the Divine Radiance Stone, which is responsible for maintaining the peace of all living beings across the five continents, is enough to show that they are all irresponsible and self-serving scoundrels.

However, when the benefits cannot be realized, the Divine Radiance Stone becomes a particularly hot potato and will certainly be discarded. Expecting them to return the Divine Radiance Stone is simply a pipe dream.

"No." The old man shook his head firmly. "Because someone has been guarding that place, that's why I said they must have hidden the Divine Radiance Stone there. But I really don't know why they would do that..."

You Su nodded slightly upon hearing this, and he raised his eyes to examine the old man:

How long have you been searching?

The old man's withered body trembled slightly.

"I've lived to this day just to find them."

Thirty years of exile brought him nothing but regret and helplessness towards that blizzard.

The clan chief lay prostrate on the ground, his body completely submissive, but his head was held high, his eyes burning with fervor.

Like his clansmen, his spiritual platform was destroyed. Without any cultivation, he lived in this icy wasteland for thirty years. His companions had gradually perished in the snowstorm, and he persisted until today in order to wash away his past sins.

One wrong step can lead to eternal regret. You Su remained silent, neither pitying nor angry, only sighing:

What is the name of your sect?

"The Snow Mastiff Sect." The old man sighed, his breath rising into the air.

You Su raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone would use a dog's name as the name of a sect.

Among the many renowned immortal sects such as Xuanxiao Sect and Dragon Seeing Palace, the name Snow Mastiff Sect seems like an anomaly.

The old man looked up at the bright sun in the sky. The Arctic had few clouds, and the sunlight was not warm but very intense, enough to tan a person's skin to a dark yellow.

He had long since grown accustomed to this kind of sun; thirty years had drastically changed his appearance, but he was powerless to stop it, just as he was powerless to stop the world from changing...

In the past, travel in the Northern Ao Continent was slow, the roads were long and arduous, and there was always biting snow and ice. Letters, gifts, and sentiments... these important things would be buried by the snow before they could reach another person through the heavy snow and ice.

The old man's Chen Yi, and he was the sect leader of the Snow Mastiff Sect. The original purpose of this small sect was to travel through the snow-covered Northern Ao Continent, bringing hope to those who hesitated in the face of the blizzard. The grateful smiles of these people were the only reward the Snow Mastiff Sect received. They were like snow mastiffs, working silently and selflessly, just to make Northern Ao Continent a little warmer, hence their name.

However, as times have changed, Northern Ao Continent no longer seems so cold, and people have developed more and more ways to deal with wind and snow, as well as more and more measures to transport important items. In many places, snow mastiffs are no longer used for transporting goods; instead, more efficient crystals or Formation Technique are used to drive vehicles.

Just like the snow mastiffs themselves, the Snow Mastiff Sect gradually became marginalized, to the point that it almost lost its meaning.

Children of the new era are no longer afraid of ice and snow. So many effective Law Artifact for keeping warm have enabled Northern Ao Continent to develop rapidly. Beautiful cities, just like those prosperous continents, have spread from the southern coast of the Northern Ao Continent all the way north, as if a spring breeze has swept across this ice and snow continent.

The number of people joining the Snow Mastiff Sect with fervent enthusiasm dwindled rapidly, to the point that the skill of traversing the snowstorm was almost lost. The old and stubborn members of the Snow Mastiff Sect could only take in and raise children abandoned in the snowy nights. They gathered together to cultivate, with the purpose of helping the weaker ones.

However, Chen Yi could not accept the complete decline of the sect. The inexplicable blizzard that appeared in the North Pole Snowfield became the opportunity for the Snow Mastiff Sect to rise again. He began to bring those important figures across the snowfield what they needed, and he did it with great enthusiasm, as if he were experiencing the joy of the founders helping those who were helpless in the face of ice and snow. Incidentally, he also received generous rewards, not just a grateful smile.

The Divine Radiance Stone was their last order, and the immense guilt made him realize that he was gradually deviating from his principles. The Snow Mastiff is meant to bring hope and warmth to those lost in the snowstorm, not to be the whimsical dogs that powerful figures summon at will.

"After completing this last order, I will definitely stop and use the money we earn to help more people trapped by the snowstorm!"

Chen Yi tried to convince himself in this way, but such self-consolation was no less than a form of self-deception.

By the time he realized he had gone against the Snow Mastiff's wishes, it was too late. His spiritual platform was destroyed, and he, along with the others from the sect, was pre-ordained by those important figures to be scapegoats—the porters became thieves.

He was filled with immense regret; the guilt of bringing shame upon the Snow Mastiff Sect for generations instantly broke his back. But he had to keep the sect alive until the Divine Radiance Stone was returned to its rightful place, because that was the only way he could think of to redeem the Snow Mastiff's name.

But surviving on the North Pole Snowfield was far more difficult than they had imagined, especially since they were mortals whose cultivation had been abolished. Fortunately, even the evil spirits loathed the Arctic's harsh cold, or perhaps they hadn't yet discovered the gap here. In any case, very few evil spirits came ashore from here, and most of them were indeed stopped on this side of the snowfield by blizzards.

Evil spirits are not interested in mortals, but they will occasionally give alms to worshippers, in exchange for some reward. There is an unwritten rule in the tribe that the dying can offer their flesh and blood in exchange for some precious food from the evil spirits.

Their unwavering determination to atone for their sins made them exceptionally resolute, and these evil spirits could not sway their beliefs. They persevered to this day through hunting and occasional lucky finds.

"What about the Xiao Lu? If I'm not mistaken, that Xiao Lu at the foot of the snowy mountain was the offering you prepared for it, wasn't it?"

You Su's voice was chilling, as if he would strike with his sword if the old man uttered even the slightest deception.

The Xiao Lu stared blankly at the old man and You Su, then turned her head to look at her mother and father who were prostrate on the ground.

Tears streamed down the faces of both mother and father, but the hot tears quickly dried in the cold wind. Xiao Lu didn't know why, but felt a sharp pain in her heart, yet her mind was completely blank.

"Xiao Lu... should have died long ago..."

The old man lowered his head, his voice aged and filled with remorse.

As soon as she finished speaking, the Xiao Lu's petite body trembled, as if she had been frozen in place.

"Xiao Lu was an infant who died young; she was already near death at birth, and she certainly wouldn't have survived the polar night. We worshipped the Evil God, only to receive food in return. But Xiao Lu's grandparents broke the rules; they used their own lives to exchange with the evil spirit for Xiao Lu's life. Then, the two old people became the Evil Follower and left with it. Before they left, they blamed themselves for their incompetence, believing they were only worthy of giving Xiao Lu thirteen years of life..."

"We always wanted to give Xiao Lu a happy time, so we kept it a secret. Now, thirteen years are almost up, and Xiao Lu's parents are pregnant again..."

At this point, the old man was too weak to continue. From the silent crowd came sobs, the cries of Xiao Lu Deer's parents.

The emotions conveyed in the crying were complex and obscure, leaving one feeling sad.

The Xiao Lu stood frozen in place, as if she had lost her soul, the wind and snow seeming as if they might blow her away at any moment.

The reason why it wasn't explained further was obvious to You Su; sending the dying to exchange for resources was the rule for these people to survive. The old, the young, and even the children were no exception to this rule. Moreover, Xiao Lu's sacrifice could give the unborn child a glimmer of hope for survival.

You Su felt unable to judge whether these events were good or bad; everything had a reason.

Snow is such a pure thing, but if you look closely, you will find that each snowflake has a complex structure, just like the complex world that is born from the snow.

He looked around at the dilapidated tents, the ragged tribesmen, and the hope and despair flickering in their eyes, which created a desolate and tragic scene.

The north wind, carrying snowflakes, howled across this bitterly cold land, as if mocking the fate of these exiles.

The old man took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage. "The Divine Radiance Stone means a great deal to us. It represents the mistakes we've made, and we want to atone for them..." He paused, his voice choked with emotion, "... as long as we can return the Divine Radiance Stone to its rightful place, we will die without regrets..."

The Xiao Lu regained consciousness, but the complex events surrounding her almost shattered the little girl's mental defenses. She covered her face and ran away in an instant.

The Xiao Lu's parents quickly got up and chased after their sensible daughter, while the husband constantly reminded his wife to be careful of the baby in her belly.

The sorrowful and helpless atmosphere affected everyone else. A young woman held her child, silently shedding tears. The child was too young to understand what was happening, and simply clung tightly to his mother's clothes.

You Su looked at them, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He had only wanted to leave this desolate place as soon as possible, but Earth Scroll in the fate of this group of Exiles.

"I can help you retrieve the Divine Radiance Stone," You Su's voice was exceptionally clear in the wind and snow, "But in exchange, you must help me cross the blizzard."

The old man suddenly raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Really? Immortal Master, you're really willing to help us?"

"Why are you so sure I can help you?" You Su asked suspiciously, still harboring resentment over the group's attempt to assassinate him.

The old man had, of course, considered this as well. He crawled forward and buried his head deep in the snow.

"You didn't come from the Northern Ao Continent, you came from... from that sea where there are no Divine Radiance Stone to block your way..."

Upon hearing this, You Su quietly tightened her grip on the bowl in her hand, but quickly loosened it again.

Clearly, only monsters could crawl out of the sea.

Before killing the monster, the old man chose to believe him.

"I told you, I'm not a god," You Su said, her tone still cold, but her eyes softened slightly. "My name is You Su."

"You Su... Immortal Master!" The old man was so excited that he was almost incoherent.

"Let's talk about how to get through the blizzard first."

You Su walked to the fire, sat down cross-legged, and gestured for the old man to sit down next to him. "This pot of venison soup is too big for me to finish by myself. Drink it while it's hot, don't waste it."

The clan chief raised his head shakily, his eyes no longer cloudy, nor filled with only burning sincerity, but softened considerably. It was clear that he was genuinely grateful to the young man before him.

The clansmen also gathered around. Originally, they were just fellow disciples of the same sect, but thirty years of knowing and living together had turned them into clansmen.

The clan chief composed himself, walked up to You Su, and pointed to the vast expanse of white in the distance, saying, "That blizzard is no ordinary blizzard; it's more like a barrier, blocking all living beings that try to cross it."

A vast expanse of white stretched into the distance, resembling a colossal beast that devoured everything, inspiring awe and fear.

"In the era when our ancestors lived, the Northern Ao Continent was filled with such harsh blizzards. They spent hundreds of years researching before they found a breathing technique that allowed them to survive in such conditions, called 'Snow Breathing'."

The old man explained and demonstrated at the same time.

He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. The breath he exhaled did not turn into white mist, but quickly dissipated into the air.

"The key to Snow Breathing lies in drawing in the air between snowflakes. This air is thinner and purer than ordinary air, and can withstand the erosion of blizzards."

He slowly exhaled and pointed to his breath as he spoke to You Su.

As if to convince You Su, he actually made an exaggerated gesture—

"You Su! Please eat first!"

After greeting him, the old man bent down and buried his head in the snow at his feet.

You Su almost thought he was contemplating suicide, but seeing that none of the surrounding clansmen seemed to want to save the old man, he could only watch quietly.

The old man remained motionless like an ostrich in the snow until the hot soup in You Su's bowl went cold. Only then did You Su finally feel reluctant to pull the old man out, fearing that his body would also grow cold.

Unexpectedly, the old man wasn't dead and frozen there; he was actually breathing under the snow.

As the clan chief explained, the surrounding clansmen displayed a variety of expressions. Some were wary of You Su, this boy of unknown origin, whispering among themselves with suspicion in their eyes. Others, however, were filled with hope, yearning for You Su to help them retrieve the Divine Radiance Stone, so that they could atone for their sins and return home.

You Su drank the venison soup in one gulp, then looked up at the sky obscured by wind and snow.

He knew that more secrets lay hidden behind this snowfield, and he was about to step into this unknown territory.