Sudden Change

Following the crowd, Bai Chuan quietly crept toward the scene and soundlessly climbed a tall tree.

With his keen eyesight, he could make out what was happening below.

The moment he saw it, Bai Chuan's eyes widened, his face filled with shock.

The people below had split into three camps. The first was locked in a brawl on the outskirts, with a large number desperately trying to charge into the center and disrupt what was happening there.

The second was fighting desperately to hold the center and keep the others from breaking in.

At the very center, four or five people were holding a fine net made of some unknown material, trying to capture a streak of light—a dancing streak of ghostly white light.

No, it wasn't a streak of light!

It was a white insect, crystal clear all over, but with a small gap in its body!

No one knew where the insect had come from, but it had caught people's attention.

It seemed to sense the danger it was in. It darted left and right, trying to break through the encirclement.

But the net was made of an unusual material, and a burly man with a staff stood at its edge, occasionally striking out to interrupt its movements.

The man didn't strike often, but whenever he swung his staff, it was just as the insect tried to escape the net.

Under these circumstances, the insect was gradually falling into the trap of being captured.

Then, amid the chaotic fighting, a young man suddenly shouted, "Fellow warriors hiding nearby, are you still not going to act? If you wait any longer, the Ice Blood Cold Silkworm will be snatched up by the Li Family. Which of you will be able to take it from them then?"

At his words, the people still hiding nearby made no move. Instead, an elderly laugh rang out. "Heh heh, Young Master Zhou has a point. In that case, let this old woman make the first move."

An elderly woman with a kindly face, dressed in a curved-hem robe, stepped out. As she appeared, a snake with a vivid green body and a triangular head emerged from her shoulder.

The next moment, she stepped forward and flicked her withered arm. A large cloud of green powder scattered into the air, filling it with a pungent, fishy stench.

The weightless powder seemed to have a life of its own as it drifted forward. Everyone it passed collapsed.

People from every side fell limp to the ground, clutching their chests and groaning in pain.

The young man who had spoken earlier clenched his fists without realizing it and cursed under his breath, "Damn it!" But he didn't dare say anything more.

The woman was Snake Granny, a renowned figure in the martial world. Her skill with poison had reached the point of perfection, and it was said that two years ago she had even broken through to the Six Limits.

If she set her sights on him, he would be doomed unless his Lineage protected him.

"Hahaha, Granny Snake is right. Zhao Yu will join in the fun too."

Amid the hearty laughter, a young man and a woman joined the fight. Before long, they had made their way to the old woman's side.

For a moment, the side trying to hold back the crowd was suddenly in dire straits.

"Is it them?"

High in the tree, Bai Chuan narrowed his eyes at the two who had just appeared. Weren't they the pair he'd encountered right at the beginning?

Below.

The old woman saw them and smiled kindly. "Heh, Zhao boy, Zhao girl, you're here too? Where's your father?"

"Granny..." the charming young woman began.

Crack! Crack!

Just then, another burst of freezing cold erupted.

Countless streams of cold air turned into razor-sharp ice crystals and swept in every direction. The first to be hit were the people trying to surround and capture the white insect.

In an instant, the net was flung away. Everyone was sent sprawling, their bodies covered in fine streaks of blood.

The violent commotion made everyone turn to look. The few people who had nearly succeeded in the center were now suddenly flying backward, leaving only the staff-wielding burly man still standing, propped up by his staff.

Even so, he was covered in white frost and swayed unsteadily.

"Such... such terrifying cold! Is this the power of the Ice Blood Cold Silkworm?"

A voice rang out in shock.

"With power this terrifying, just how fearsome must the Zhang Family have been when they wielded it?"

Whoosh! Whoosh!...

Several sharp whistles cut through the air.

A few masked figures shot forward like shadows, lunging for the Cold Silkworm, which was already at the end of its strength.

"Not a chance!"

A furious roar rang out.

The burly man who had been braced on his staff glared and bellowed as he lifted it with all his might and swung.

But one man could hardly fight four fists, much less use a single staff against so many people.

One of the masked men, short and nimble, shifted his footing, then leaped into a backflip to dodge the incoming staff.

His body moved as nimbly as a dragonfly skimming the water. He not only evaded the staff but also vaulted over the other masked men, reaching the Cold Silkworm first.

At the same time, the sudden turn of events finally brought the crowd to their senses.

Just then, a voice, full of temptation, called out from the crowd: "Everyone, the masked men are about to snatch the Cold Silkworm! If we don't rush in and stop them now, they'll get away! And with so many people here, why don't we all charge in together? Whoever grabs it gets to keep it. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Everyone thought it sounded reasonable. They knew this was probably their only chance to get their hands on it, so they abandoned their opponents and charged forward with all their might.

A chorus of swearing and angry curses erupted.

The crowd converged in a mass, like people flocking to a market.

"Granny, should we go up and fight for it?"

Zhao Yu asked Snake Granny hesitantly, looking as if he were tempted.

"No. We're not going." To his surprise, Snake Granny shook her head. As the saying went, age brought cunning.

Snake Granny had lived through half a lifetime of storms. The crowd's chaotic behavior gave her a bad feeling.

That feeling, combined with her precious companion on her shoulder—usually bold beyond belief, but now uneasy and tinged with fear—kept her desire in check.

It was a fear like the terror of facing a natural enemy, as if, when she was young, she had wandered into a forest by accident and discovered a beast lurking in a dark corner, watching her.

Could her precious companion have sensed some terrifying presence nearby?

Of course, not everyone in the crowd had been swept up in the frenzy. Some clever people had noticed something was wrong, but they were too weak to resist the crowd sweeping them forward.

Only a few who had realized something was amiss in time managed to leave.

By now, the short man nearest the Cold Silkworm was crouching down with delight, reaching out with his fingers wrapped in white cloth to seize it.

But another unexpected turn was about to unfold.

The exhausted, plump Cold Silkworm suddenly jerked its head up. Its tiny, invisible mouth opened and spat.

In an instant, a streak of white light shot out, straight at the short man. It struck the fingers he had reached out first.

Crack! Crack!

The teeth-grating sound of ice forming rang out. It was the sound of a human body freezing rapidly, starting from within.

The short man didn't even know what had happened before he was completely frozen, turned into a lifelike ice sculpture.

"Something's wrong! Retreat!"

The staff-wielding burly man was the first to react. He shouted under his breath and tried to retreat, but it was too late!

A huge crowd was charging forward in a clump, as if rushing to their deaths. He had nowhere to retreat.

The instant he lifted his foot to move back,

as the short man froze, an aura even colder than any that had come before spread outward.