Aerial Attack

"No."

Seeing the look on his face, Shui Bing'er took a deep breath and decided not to speak to him anymore.

This guy usually kept a cold expression. Who knew he could be so annoying in private?

"Bing'er."

"What?"

"Your face is red."

"It's from the cold."

"Oh."

Another stretch of silence...

"Bing'er."

"What do you want now?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to call your name."

"If you say another word, I'll throw you down."

Wu Changkong immediately shut his mouth, but the corners of his lips refused to stay down.

After flying for three hours, Shui Bing'er's breathing had clearly grown heavier, and she was gradually losing altitude.

"Bing'er, let's go down and rest."

"Alright, let's rest first." Shui Bing'er nodded. Just as she was about to call out to Shui Qinghan ahead of them, Wu Changkong's voice suddenly rose sharply.

"Bing'er, watch out!"

Before she could react, Wu Changkong pulled her tightly into his arms.

Wu Changkong's eyes instantly turned purple, and a mental attack shot directly at the Ice Falcon charging at them from behind.

At the same time, he spun around and turned his back toward the Ice Falcon, his arms tightly shielding Shui Bing'er.

The Ice Falcon slammed into the Soul Power shield with a dull thud.

The impact was too powerful. The two of them were sent flying, tumbling as they fell toward the ground.

Shui Qinghan reacted quickly as well. The moment she sensed the Ice Falcon, she turned and killed it with a single strike.

But the pair had already lost their balance, so she hurriedly flew downward.

A massive crater was smashed into the snow.

Wu Changkong lay on his back in the pit, grimacing in pain from head to toe.

Shui Bing'er was pressed on top of him, scrambling to push herself up.

"Changkong, are you alright?" Panicked, she reached out to touch his face.

"I'm fine. It just hurts a little."

"Where does it hurt?" Shui Bing'er hurriedly asked.

"My nose."

"Why does your nose hurt?"

"It got hit by your chest."

Shui Bing'er looked down at her flat chest, and the concern on her face instantly vanished without a trace.

Expressionless, she straightened up and sat on his stomach, staring down at him from above.

"Wu Changkong, you're asking for a beating."

"I'm telling the truth."

Shui Bing'er took a deep breath, just about to lose her temper when a pale blue figure landed beside them.

"How are you two?" Shui Qinghan folded away her wings and strode over.

Shui Bing'er climbed off Wu Changkong, brushed the snow from herself, and returned to her usual calm expression. "We're fine."

Wu Changkong also got up, rubbing the chest that had been painfully crushed.

Shui Qinghan sighed in relief, then her expression turned serious. "I sensed a Soul Beast attacking just now, but it was too fast. By the time I tried to stop it, it was already too late."

"The Ice Falcon is the king of speed among Soul Beasts. Even a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Eagle can't catch one. You two reacted quickly."

"Thankfully, Changkong noticed it in advance." Shui Bing'er glanced at Wu Changkong, paused, then added, "He's just a little too mouthy."

Wu Changkong silently rubbed his nose and wisely chose to stay quiet.

Xue Wu wrapped an arm around Shui Bing'er's shoulders. "You scared me to death just now."

"We're fine. When we landed, I flapped my wings a few times, and the ground was covered in snow, so it cushioned the fall."

Shui Qinghan nodded. "Everyone's tired. Let's rest here."

Afterward, they took out their rations and water and ate where they were.

After taking a sip of water, Xue Wu asked, "Dean, how much longer until we arrive?"

Shui Qinghan thought for a moment before guessing, "At this pace, we're close. Restore your stamina and Soul Power first. There are many Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the outer region."

"Before night falls, once we find a suitable Soul Beast, we'll immediately retreat to the Far North Plateau. We should avoid spending the night here if possible."

"Alright."

After eating his fill, Wu Changkong immediately sat cross-legged to absorb soul energy and replenish his Soul Power, while Shui Qinghan remained seated nearby to guard against approaching Soul Beasts.

As time passed, Wind and Snow howled in from every direction. Wu Changkong sat atop a block of ice-covered rock, a pale blue glow of Soul Power swirling around him.

Because his ice attribute was highly compatible with the environment of the Far North, he recovered much faster than he would elsewhere. The Soul Power he had mostly depleted was already full again.

He opened his eyes, rose to his feet, and flexed his stiff wrists. "Dean, I've recovered."

Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu also emerged from their respective meditative states.

"So have we."

Shui Qinghan stood at the front of the group, stretching out a hand to feel the wind speed and temperature before turning to sweep her gaze over everyone.

"Tell me, what's the first thing we do after entering the outer region?"

Xue Wu said, "Find Soul Beasts, of course."

"Wrong."

Wu Changkong raised his hand. "I think we should find a cave that can shield us from the cold."

"The weather in the Far North can change at any moment. If we come up empty-handed today, we'll need somewhere safe to settle in."

"At night, the temperature here drops to a hundred degrees below zero. Even Soul Masters would struggle to endure a whole night outside."

"Changkong is right."

Xue Wu tightened the cold-resistant cloak around herself. Her Martial Soul was more support-oriented among ice attributes, and her physique was comparatively weaker than the others'.

She shrank her neck. "Then where do we look?"

Shui Qinghan raised a hand over her brow and narrowed her eyes as she surveyed the snow-covered mountains around them.

After recalling it for a moment, she pointed northeast. "A few years ago, while training in this region, I stayed in a natural cave. I roughly remember the direction."

"But the terrain of the Far North changes constantly. Snow and ice accumulation and melting can alter the shape of the mountains, so I can't guarantee it's still there. If we really can't find it, we'll carve one out ourselves."

"Carve one out?" Shui Bing'er was stunned.

"That's right."

"We blast a hole into the mountain, then reinforce it with Soul Power."

"However, a cave made on the spot is neither as safe nor as concealed as a natural one. We won't use that option unless we have no choice. Let's search first."

Then the group pressed onward through the Wind and Snow, trudging unevenly across the ice field.

Shui Qinghan walked at the front, comparing their surroundings with the location of the cave in her memories as she went.

She went around three low hills covered in ice, then dug through a snowdrift half a person tall. Inside was only a huge boulder split apart by frost, not a cave at all.

Wu Changkong followed behind her, occasionally using Soul Power to sweep away the snow and shattered ice ahead, clearing a path for the group.

Shui Bing'er remained in the air, watching the surroundings and promptly warning them of any Soul Beasts that might attack.

An hour passed, and the Wind and Snow grew even fiercer.

Shui Qinghan shook her head. "No more searching. The terrain here has changed too much. Even if that cave still exists, it's been completely buried under snow. We'll make one."

She had everyone retreat to a safe distance while she approached a steep ice-rock cliff.

The hill was not large, with a relatively gentle slope and a thick layer of snow covering its surface.

She raised both hands. Vast Soul Power gathered in her palms, the icy blue spheres of light becoming denser and denser.

With a low shout, she thrust both palms forward. An icy blue beam of light crashed into the mountainside.

With a thunderous boom, shattered ice and rock sprayed in every direction, and the entire hill trembled.

The snow at the upper part of the mountain was shaken loose, and tons of white snow poured down.

Wu Changkong had been prepared. He stepped forward, gripped the Skyfrost Sword, and cleaved the snow apart to either side.

Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu attacked at the same time. The Ice Phoenix Martial Soul spread its wings overhead, fanning the remaining loose snow away to both sides.

Snow dust filled the sky, stinging their faces as it struck them, but not a single flake fell onto the group.