Dilemma

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

A black shadow tumbled onto the ground in front of Xu Lanqing and his group, rolling to a stop.

The previously pure white earth was stained with red blood, making it incredibly conspicuous.

Xu Lanqing looked at the corpse before him, which was no longer in human shape, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"If we leave now, is it still in time?"

The falling snowflakes suddenly surged, directly isolating them from the original world. Looking around, everything within sight was a dazzling white; even the sky was covered in white, hiding the blue sky and sunlight.

What had previously been as gentle as a spring rain now turned into a thunderous, violent storm.

The soft snowflakes were as sharp as swords, hiding endless killing intent, and they emitted a harsh, grating sound as they sliced against the Soul Guidance Shield.

Jing Hongchen's expression was grave. His and Zheng Zhan's vision and perception were heavily suppressed, and the degree of suppression was gradually increasing; they could now only sense a range of about one hundred meters around them.

At this distance, if a powerhouse were to launch a surprise attack, they might not even have time to react.

"It depends on whether the master of this place wants to let us leave." Jing Hongchen's voice was somewhat dry.

Outside.

Ye Yulin, accompanied by two Rank Nine Soul Masters, had been following behind. There were originally three, but one had gone to the location where the anomaly occurred earlier and had not yet returned.

Because the blizzard intensified too quickly, before he could react, he discovered that Xu Lanqing and the other two had disappeared. He tried to use his spiritual power to probe, but it was blocked off.

"Lao Mo, you stay here and keep watch. Lao Huang and I will go to provide support. When necessary, seize the right moment and use the Rank Nine Fixed Soul Guidance Shell directly. Do not hesitate."

"This... alright, I understand."

Ye Yulin handed a storage ring to Lao Mo. An irrepressible, ferocious aura leaked from it, chilling to the bone. He then flew off with Lao Huang to provide support.

Lao Mo looked at the storage ring with a complex expression; this was a Rank Nine Fixed Soul Guidance Shell, after all.

"Bang, bang, bang!!!"

Just then, three more dull sounds rang out in succession, and then three figures were blasted out from the wind and snow.

This time, they were not corpses, but living people, though their clothes were tattered and they looked extremely disheveled.

These three were the very people from the Holy Spirit Cult who had been following Xu Lanqing: Second Elder Nangong Wan, Third Elder Ming Lei, and Fourth Elder Youming.

Nangong Wan's expression was gloomy, and he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

They had originally planned to lure a few powerful Soul Beasts to create some trouble for Xu Lanqing so they could watch from the sidelines and perhaps fish in troubled waters. However, an accident occurred during the process, and they had been hunted ever since.

The opponent's strength was truly terrifying. Their four Soul Douluo subordinates had all died miserably, leaving only the three of them, the Title Douluo elders, struggling to hold on.

It was truly a case of trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice.

He had no time to think about what kind of punishment he would face upon returning; it was questionable whether he could even make it back at all.

There was a surge of soul power behind him. Nangong Wan turned his head abruptly and locked eyes with Xu Lanqing and his group, who were behind them.

Both sides remained silent.

The scene suddenly fell into a dead silence; no one spoke first.

Xu Lanqing frowned. The three people in front of him radiated an eerie sensation, making him feel an inexplicable sense of discomfort.

Evil Soul Masters?

"These must be the people who were tracking us earlier."

Jing Hongchen transmitted his voice: "Your Highness, I suggest we find a way to escape this place first. This environment is too disadvantageous for us. We can settle the score with them later."

"Mm."

Xu Lanqing agreed without saying much. Although he disliked Evil Soul Masters, saving their lives was the most important thing right now.

Nangong Wan's mung bean-sized eyes darted around, weighing the current situation.

The mission to assassinate Xu Lanqing versus his own life—given the choice, did that even need thinking about?

After pondering for a moment, he turned his head to look at the curtain of snow that connected heaven and earth ahead. Unable to hold his composure any longer, he spoke to Xu Lanqing.

"We are all grasshoppers on the same string now. Fighting each other will only lead to a faster death. Why don't we join forces to escape together? How about it?"

"Second Brother is right. At the very least, we are all humans, while the one on the other side is a Soul Beast. It won't let you off either."

"That's right. Any issues can be resolved after we escape."

Third Elder Ming Lei and Fourth Elder Youming hurriedly chimed in.

"You lot aren't worthy of being called human. Besides, I think Soul Beasts are much cuter than you."

Xu Lanqing sneered, mocking them without reservation: "It wasn't us who angered the Soul Beast. Can't I just run away before you get killed?"

"You—"

"Hahaha! You little brat are quite interesting. However, since you dared to set foot in the Far North, you should be prepared for death."

Nangong Wan, who was fuming with rage from being retorted, was interrupted by a dull, chilling voice just as he began to speak.

Upon hearing this voice, the three of them—Nangong Wan, Ming Lei, and Youming—trembled subconsciously, their eyes filled with terror. Clearly, they had been scared out of their wits.

Xu Lanqing kept his mouth shut, though he cursed Nangong Wan and that Soul Beast up and down in his heart.

Jing Hongchen and Zheng Zhan silently channeled their soul power, watching the direction of the sound as if facing a formidable enemy.

The endless blizzard parted to reveal a gap, from which a burly man with a ferocious face stepped out, looking at them with a hint of mockery.

"Respected sir, we mean no offense, and we are not with them. How about we withdraw right now?"

Jing Hongchen sounded rather humble, showing none of the airs or arrogance of a Rank Nine Soul Master.

A Soul Beast capable of taking human form was at least at the level of a Fierce Beast, equivalent to a Super Douluo of level 95 or higher. Furthermore, this was his home turf, where his strength would be amplified beyond measure.

Moreover, there was likely more than one Soul Beast here.

Circumstances dictated the terms, and he was someone who knew when to bend and when to break.

"Heh, you humans are all the same, not a single one of you is any good. Do you think the Far North is a place you can just come and go as you please? Since you've arrived, you might as well stay forever."

The burly man looked like a hunter who had already secured his victory, watching his prey struggle like a cat playing with a mouse.

"It seems there is no way to settle this peacefully."

Jing Hongchen narrowed his eyes; even a clay figurine has a temper, and his show of weakness did not mean he was afraid of his opponent.

As a top-tier Rank Nine Soul Master, he knew he couldn't win a direct fight, but with himself, Zheng Zhan, and Ye Yulin's group outside, he was confident they could still retreat unscathed.

Suddenly, while the burly man was locked in a standoff with Jing Hongchen, the three men led by Nangong Wan erupted with soul power and dashed toward the outside.

The burly man glanced at them, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes, but he made no move to stop them.

"ROAR!!!"

Just as they reached the edge, a deafening sound erupted.

Then, five white giant claws, each a hundred meters long, reached out from the curtain of snow and slammed the unprepared Nangong Wan and his two companions into the snow.