The Guardian of the Divine Radiance Stones

The Azure Mountain are majestic, rugged, and precipitous, resembling a divine mountain standing between heaven and earth.

Looking up, You Su saw the mountaintop shrouded in mist, with sunlight filtering through the clouds, making the snow-capped mountain appear as mysterious and magnificent as a fairyland.

"The Divine Radiance Stone is hidden here."

Chen Yi took a deep breath, his eyes filled with anticipation and determination. He had been waiting here for thirty years, waiting for this moment.

You Su was slightly surprised, "Why did you find your way here?"

"The reason Azure Mountain got its name is because in the past, approaching the North Pole Snowfield was a difficult task. This mysterious and beautiful snow mountain in the North Pole Snowfield naturally became a place of longing for many people. Later, as people developed ways to keep warm, Azure Mountain was no longer so mysterious. Whenever people ventured into the North Pole Snowfield, they would go to Azure Mountain to pray for a safe journey. But this blizzard has once again hidden Azure Mountain in the snow and wind, to the point that it has almost been forgotten."

Chen Yi recounted these old stories in detail, as if they were his own treasures.

"So, after you did something wrong back then, you tried to find this once-sacred mountain to atone for your sins, but unexpectedly discovered that they had hidden the Divine Radiance Stone here?" You Su tightened his grip on the hilt of the Ink Pine Sword, becoming extremely alert.

"Yes..." Chen Yi took a deep breath, "Perhaps it's a cruel twist of fate that they hid my salvation in the place where I sought it."

Before setting off, there were a total of thirty-three people, including You Su and the clan chief; now only twenty-four remain.

"The Snow Mulberry Flower drift on the cold wind, and the snowstorm will carry you far away." Chen Yi glanced at the remaining tribesmen. "Xiao Wu, Xiao Fei, and Lao Mu, the children are in your care. Lead them to the back of Azure Mountain. Follow the method I taught you to find the right direction, and you will definitely be able to get through this blizzard."

The old man gave his final entrustment. In fact, the three people he named were quite significant. None of the children and young people who went out first were the ones who moved the Divine Radiance Stone back then. Simply put, they were clean people.

The remaining people were naturally determined to go with You Su and Chen Yi to atone for their sins.

The scene of parting was inevitably somewhat sad, but the people of the Snow Mulberry Tribe seemed to have been prepared for it long ago.

The Xiao Lu's eyes were red-rimmed, as if it were about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Great God, will you come out?" The girl's voice was heartbreaking.

You Su smiled, her long eyelashes covered in snow:

"I won't die here. Let's go, don't miss our chance."

And so, the reluctant group split into two groups.

This separation did not sadden You Su; on the contrary, it reassured her. If Chen Yi was willing to send his people away here, it proved that they could indeed leave the North Pole Snowfield from here.

At this point, only twelve people remained in the group heading up the mountain, all of them former criminals. You Su didn't quite understand why these people without any cultivation wanted to follow along. If there was someone guarding this place, it would definitely be a powerful cultivator, and for these mortals to encounter such a person would be like throwing eggs against a rock.

But perhaps some people are truly willing to risk their lives to atone for their sins.

You Su followed closely in Chen Yi's footsteps, carefully making her way through the snow. Only when she reached the foot of Azure Mountain did she truly appreciate the sacredness of this holy mountain.

It didn't have the same awe-inspiring first impression as Mount Henggao, and in fact, it wasn't particularly magnificent or spectacular. But it inexplicably inspired a sense of reverence.

The snow-capped mountain was steep and the snow was deep. The clan chief and You Su walked at the front to scout the way for the ten people behind them.

Along the way You Su also discovered an interesting place where some strange plants grew. These plants were covered by thick ice and snow, but they did not die because of this; instead, they tenaciously survived in the wind and snow.

He approached a plant and discovered that it looked remarkably like a pine tree, but it had no pine needles, only a straight trunk with some resin remaining on it.

"Snow Fat Pine. It's a very precious plant in the Northern Ao Continent. Scraping off the resin and making it into cosmetics for women, then applying it to the face, will keep the skin rosy and supple even in the freezing cold. Immortal Master, you can pick some and give it to your confidante." The closer the clan leader got to his destination, the more relaxed he became, like a person who had been carrying a huge stone and was finally about to be freed.

You Su nodded slightly, without being polite. In order not to make this trip in vain, he first broke off seven tree branches as trophies. The others saw You Su's action but did not follow suit.

"This is such a good thing, don't you want it?"

"Having atone for our sins, how could we dare to accept the gifts from Azure Mountain?" Chen Yi's words expressed the sentiments of this group.

You Su shook her head slightly and continued on her way.

Soon, Chen Yi stopped again and then solemnly signaled everyone to be quiet.

You Su raised an eyebrow, surprised that they had arrived at their destination so quickly.

The journey up the mountain was so easy that even You Su found it unbelievable; there were absolutely no traps or anyone stopping him.

Before us was a huge cave, nearly four meters high. The cave was separated by an equally enormous stone door.

The group approached stealthily. The stone gate had no restrictions and seemed like an ordinary mountain gate.

"I saw someone push open the door and go in right here back then. Even from a distance, I was certain that the Divine Radiance Stone was inside!" The clan leader became increasingly agitated. "Fortunately, I buried myself in the snow, so he didn't find me! Looking back now, it's all thanks to the sect helping me rectify my past mistakes!"

At that critical moment, he wouldn't have survived without the help of Snow Breathing.

You Su neither agreed nor disagreed with the old man's wishful thinking and superstition, but felt that the area didn't look like it was being guarded.

After checking the surroundings and confirming there were no traps, the group dared not proceed. At the chief's call, they worked together to push open the ancient stone gate.

Although the stone gate was thick and heavy, what prevented it from opening was not the weight of the gate itself, but the frost that had formed in the gap between the gate and the mountain rocks.

Clearly, this door hasn't been opened in a long time.

"Squeak--"

The group carefully pushed open the heavy stone door, producing a harsh scraping sound, as if they were uncovering a secret hidden in the darkness.

The cave was pitch black. You Su threw a stone in first, and only echoes returned. You Su stood at the entrance and looked inside. The cave was extremely deep, and he didn't know where it led. He could feel an extreme cold emanating from the cave, as if it came from the depths of a snow-capped mountain.

"Where are the guards?" You Su felt a little strange.

The clan chief frowned. "Perhaps they've frozen to death, or they've been repatriated, or maybe the person I saw go in back then wasn't the guard at all. After all, this place is freezing cold; it's not a place where people can live for long."

Upon hearing this, You Su took off his right glove and drew the cold Ink Pine Sword. When holding the sword, he hoped to establish a close connection with it.

He led a group of mortals into the cave, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation in his voice.

The air inside the cave was cold and dry. The group lit oil candles together, and the flickering flames were gently swayed by the wind and snow, illuminating the scene inside the cave.

"They're here! They're really still here!" the clan chief exclaimed first.

In this vast cave abode, rows of enormous Divine Radiance Stone were neatly arranged. Each Divine Radiance Stone was a deep black, exuding an ancient and profound aura, as if telling a story of a long history.

The clan chief's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. He slowly walked towards the Divine Radiance Stone, gently stroking its smooth surface as if communicating with it. The surrounding clansmen also gathered around, their eyes filled with the joy of having their wishes fulfilled.

You Su stood to the side, but a vague unease lingered in his heart. He carefully observed every corner of the cave. Although the radiance of the Divine Radiance Stone gave him a strange sense of peace, he still felt that there was an ominous aura emanating from the place.

"Ah!!"

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed through the cave!

You Su thought to himself, "Just as I thought!" He immediately shifted his weight onto the ground and leaped like a magpie to the source of the screams, but he couldn't see the person who had made them!

He was dragged away!

"Everyone be careful!"

You Su shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the cave. In that instant of alertness, a deep roar came from the corner, and a huge black shadow darted out of the shadows and pounced straight at them.

"This... this is... this is Bai Ze!"

Chen Yi's face suddenly turned pale, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

The guardian was enormous, appearing to be over two meters tall. It resembled both a tiger and an ox, with two horns on its head. Its body was covered in thick frost and long fur, but its eyes burned like flames, radiating a suffocating pressure. Its appearance was like an avalanche rushing down a snow-capped mountain, causing people to lose the courage to resist.

"Bai Ze?!"

A hint of doubt flashed in You Su's eyes, but he had no time to hesitate. He immediately drew his sword and slashed at the giant monster that was charging at him.

As the weapon made direct contact with flesh and blood, You Su was astonished to find that the Ink Pine Sword could not penetrate Bai Ze's palm!

The Bai Ze confronting You Su seemed to sense the pain inflicted by the Ink Pine Sword. With a wave of its hand, it flung You Su away with a bang.

You Su steadied himself in mid-air, utterly astonished. His physical strength was greater than ever before, yet he was completely outmatched in the battle against Bai Ze's power. Moreover, the Ink Pine Sword, which was usually as sharp as cutting through iron, hadn't even managed to leave a single scratch on the opponent's flesh!

What a horrible body!

"Ah!"

In that brief respite, another member of the tribe was seized by the guardian's giant claws, his agonizing screams echoing through the cave. Bai Ze grabbed the man by the foot and slammed him to the ground like a bunch of grapes, instantly creating a pool of blood that splattered onto Chen Yi's face.

Chen Yi stared blankly at his companion's death, only then realizing how wrong it had been to rashly barge into this place.

Is wanting to atone for one's sins wrong? Wouldn't it be better if he simply changed his name, abandoned the Divine Radiance Stone, and led his people to settle in a small town?

"You all go out first!!"

You Su rushed forward to stop them, brandishing his sword while directing his people.

But Bai Ze, with his scarlet eyes, clearly wouldn't let the intruders escape. He blocked the doorway, his massive figure resembling a small mountain.

You Su did not sense any Mystic Qi from this giant, meaning it was simply relying on its powerful physical body to contend with him.

"You never mentioned there were monsters like this here!!" You Su shouted at the somewhat dazed old man, trying to wake him up.

"It's not a monster... it's Bai Ze..." Chen Yi's voice trembled. Strangely, even though this was the monster that killed his companion, his tone was filled with immense compassion.

As if a flash of lightning struck You Su's mind, he suddenly remembered the records related to this unfamiliar term.

Legend has it that the Bai Ze is pure white, can speak human language, and understands the feelings of all things. It is one of the rare divine Divine Beast in the world. Only when a sage descends from heaven will the Bai Ze appear in the world. It is an auspicious beast that can turn misfortune into good fortune.

The clan chief is right. It's too cold here for anyone to live here for long, but that doesn't mean Bai Ze can't!

Even if such a precious item is placed in a remote place, how can one feel at ease if it is left unattended!

How could this legendary auspicious beast have transformed into such a violent and frenzied creature?

You Su gazed at the mountain-like figure, his sword intent gleaming. The guard before him lunged at him again, this time with even greater momentum. You Su felt the blood within his body being activated; the cold world almost made him forget the feeling of his blood boiling.

He didn't dodge, but instead directly met Bai Ze's impact head-on. And he proved, at a considerable cost, that even in this state, he couldn't withstand Bai Ze's attack!

His body flew backward and crashed directly into the stone wall.

The immense force caused You Su's internal organs to churn, a metallic taste of blood rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

But Bai Ze didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. His huge hand came down again, and You Su quickly rolled away to dodge. Bai Ze missed his first attack and immediately changed his move, grabbing at You Su on the ground with his big hand.

You Su spat inwardly, then used his Ruyi Wind-Controlling Technique to gracefully rise to his feet. He was not defeated by the pain emanating from his body; on the contrary, the intense battle made him oblivious to the surrounding chill.

Bai Ze pounded his chest and roared at You Su. After failing to outmaneuver him, You Su changed tactics and used his agility to escape. Bai Ze, enraged, relentlessly pursued him, even forgetting to chase after the other invaders. As a result, the surviving members of the tribe had retreated outside the cave.

Bai Ze's attacks grew increasingly fierce. You Su, after all, was not a cultivator who primarily focused on attacking and dodging, and was finally forced into a corner where he had to engage in a counterattack to create any space. But just as their weapons clashed, You Su discovered that Bai Ze's hand had stopped in place, as if he were hesitant to strike, and had withdrawn it!

You Su worked quickly, and she instantly understood the reason!

He was just forced between the two Divine Radiance Stones. If Bai Ze had made a move, he would have struck the Divine Radiance Stone as well!

The guardian must have been given some kind of order: it must not damage the Divine Radiance Stone!

You Su quickly escaped, already having a plan to deal with the enemy!