Prey on the Snowfields

The outskirts of the Far North.

A biting wind swept fine ice crystals across the boundless snowfields.

A small town stood at the edge of the snowfields.

This was the last supply point before entering the Far North. Most of the houses lining the streets were built from stone and heavy timber, their roofs covered in thick snow.

Every passerby was bundled in a fur coat.

Soul Masters, merchant caravans, and hunters who lived near the snowfields year-round could be seen everywhere.

Lin Yuan walked alone along the snow-covered street.

The Soul Master from the Worship Hall responsible for escorting him had already driven away. He would complete the rest of the journey alone.

Yet at this moment, Lin Yuan could not truly be considered alone.

Beside him, a palm-sized white mask hovered in midair.

The mask's eyes curved, and the corners of its mouth curled high, as though it were forever laughing aloud.

People on the street passed beside it, but none noticed anything unusual.

One burly mercenary even walked straight through the spot where the mask floated.

In everyone else's eyes, there was nothing there.

Only Lin Yuan could see it.

And only Lin Yuan could hear its voice.

"It's so cold."

The mask circled Lin Yuan.

"There's nothing here but snow and more snow. What's so fun about it?"

"Why not set that house beside us on fire?"

"Red flames falling on white snow would look beautiful."

Lin Yuan continued forward expressionlessly, as though he had heard nothing.

This mask was a blessing bestowed upon Lin Yuan by Aha, the Aeon of Elation.

Only Lin Yuan could see it, and only he could hear its voice.

Ever since he left Spirit City, the mask had stayed by his side.

It talked while he traveled.

It talked while he cultivated.

Even when Lin Yuan rested, it would float beside his ear, enthusiastically telling stories that were utterly impossible to laugh at.

Lin Yuan had tried attacking it with Soul Power.

His arrows passed through the mask without the slightest resistance.

He had also tried shaking it off.

But no matter how far apart they were, the mask would reappear beside him the moment his attention slipped.

Since he could neither hit it nor shake it off, Lin Yuan could only choose to ignore it.

As it turned out, this was also the most effective method for now.

"Why aren't you talking?"

The mask floated in front of Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan turned sideways and walked around it.

The mask immediately caught up.

"You can clearly hear me."

"Aha knows you can hear me."

"Your eyes just moved."

Lin Yuan continued forward.

The mask suddenly pressed close to his ear and sharply raised its voice.

"Lin-Yuan-!"

The voice exploded directly inside his mind.

Lin Yuan's steps paused almost imperceptibly before he walked into a roadside shop as though nothing had happened.

"Hahahaha!"

The mask immediately burst into laughter.

"You did hear me!"

Seeing Lin Yuan enter, the shopkeeper immediately came forward to greet him.

"Are you planning to enter the Far North, young fellow?"

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Give me a map of the outskirts, and prepare ten days' worth of dry rations and cold-weather supplies."

The shopkeeper looked him over.

Lin Yuan looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, and he had no elders accompanying him.

"The Far North isn't an ordinary forest."

"Soul Beasts have been unusually active around the outskirts lately. It's too dangerous to go in alone. You'd best find a Soul Hunting team to travel with."

"Thank you for the warning."

"I'll be careful."

Seeing that Lin Yuan had not changed his mind, the shopkeeper stopped trying to persuade him and soon gathered all the supplies he needed.

The mask floated above the counter, constantly commenting on the items the shopkeeper brought out.

"That white fur coat looks good."

"If you wear it and lie down in the snow, the Soul Beasts definitely won't find you."

"The red one beside it is even better."

"Every Soul Beast within ten li will spot you. That'll save you the trouble of searching for prey."

Lin Yuan put the supplies into his Soul Tool, paid, then turned to leave.

The mask immediately followed him out.

"What did you come here for?"

"You don't need to kill Soul Beasts for your Soul Rings."

"Could it be that you're just looking for someone to fight?"

"Fighting is great!"

"It would be best if a few more Titled Douluos showed up."

"Aha wants to see whether you can call out that taciturn fellow Lan again."

Lin Yuan finally spoke.

"Do you really want me dead?"

"How could I?"

The mask flew around him once.

"If you died, where would Aha find someone this interesting?"

"Aha just wants to see."

"Wouldn't it be funny to see someone under The Hunt's gaze being chased all over the place?"

Lin Yuan glanced at it.

"You can go find someone else."

"No."

The mask's smile seemed to grow even more exaggerated.

"No one else is as interesting as you."

"Lan left a mark on you, and Yaoshi's wood is in your hands too."

"Now you're heading into this world of ice and snow on an adventure."

"Of course Aha has to come along."

Lin Yuan stopped responding.

Facing an incarnation of an Aeon, he had no room to resist with his current strength.

Fortunately, so far, the mask had done nothing to truly interfere with his actions apart from making noise.

Lin Yuan could only tolerate its presence for the time being.

After he left the town, the people around him gradually thinned out.

Ahead lay a coniferous forest covered in ice and snow.

The tall trees wore silver robes. Their dense branches and needles blocked some of the wind and snow, while also making the forest's interior somewhat dim.

Only after crossing this forest would he truly enter the outskirts of the Far North.

Lin Yuan took out the map and briefly checked his direction.

"Are we going in?"

The mask excitedly floated ahead.

"What will we run into?"

"Snow wolves? Ice Bears?"

"Or a Soul Master who got lost and froze into a block of ice?"

"How long do you think we'll have to walk before we run into something interesting?"

Lin Yuan put away the map.

Just as he was about to enter the forest, the Imperial Bow lying dormant within him suddenly trembled gently.

Lin Yuan stopped short.

The Imperial Bow's reaction was not strong, but it carried unmistakable rejection and disgust.

This was different from the feeling it gave when facing creations of Abundance.

The presence of Abundance would stir a pure, icy killing intent in the Imperial Bow.

But the sensation coming from it now was more like it had detected something filthy.

Cold and sinister.

Bloody.

Chaotic.

Mixed into it was undisguised malice.

Lin Yuan raised his head and looked toward the eastern side of the coniferous forest.

"Did you find something?"

The mask immediately drew closer.

"Prey?"

Lin Yuan did not answer.

The Imperial Bow had already pointed him in the general direction.

Four Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet.

Under the concealment of the Ring-Mimicking Soul Tool, the four originally sky-blue Soul Rings now displayed the normal colors of yellow, yellow, purple, and purple.

His Soul Power circulated.

Lin Yuan's figure flashed, swiftly disappearing into the coniferous forest.

"Wait for Aha!"

The mask shouted as it effortlessly kept pace beside Lin Yuan.

"How could you find something interesting and not invite Aha?"

Lin Yuan moved through the trees, following the sensation from the Imperial Bow.

As he drew closer, that evil presence became increasingly distinct.

Soon, a faint smell of blood appeared in the air.

Disordered footprints littered the snow on the ground. Several thick conifers had been blasted in half by Soul Power, and traces of frost, flames, and corrosion still lingered nearby.

People were fighting up ahead.

Lin Yuan swiftly reined in his presence.

Tapping his toes lightly against a tree trunk, he silently leaped onto a towering ancient tree.

Through the gaps between the branches and needles, Lin Yuan saw a distant patch of snowy ground cleared by the aftermath of battle.

More than ten black-robed Soul Masters were spread out around it, tightly encircling a group of women.

The black-robed figures wore no sect or academy insignia on their clothing, but without exception, the Soul Power emanating from them carried a sinister chill and the stench of blood.

Two corpses also lay at the edge of the snowy clearing.

Their skin was ashen, their bodies severely shriveled, as though some power had drained every drop of blood and all their vitality.

Evil Soul Masters.

Lin Yuan's gaze gradually turned cold.

According to Spirit Hall's records, all Soul Masters who cultivated by devouring blood, souls, or flesh would be placed on the eradication list.

Most of these people employed cruel and bizarre methods.

To increase their Soul Power, they would even take the initiative to slaughter ordinary people and low-ranking Soul Masters.

The people before him clearly belonged among them.

The black-robed leader was tall and thin, with half his face covered by a black iron mask.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black.

Seven Soul Rings encircled his body.

A Seven-Ring Soul Sage.

Behind the Iron-Faced Soul Saint stood five Five-Ring Soul Kings, as well as several Soul Ancestors and Soul Elders.

Surrounded by them were six women and girls.

Leading them was a woman around thirty.

She, too, had two yellow, two purple, and three black rings.

Seven Soul Rings circled her.

Judging by the others' attitude toward her, her position in their academy was clearly not low. She was very likely someone at the vice dean level.

But at that moment, she was in terrible condition.

A wound on her shoulder ran deep enough to expose bone. Her blue robe was already stained red with blood, and her Soul Power presence was in utter disarray. Clearly, she had suffered a sneak attack in their earlier clash.

Beside her stood a Six-Ring Soul Emperor.

That woman was doing everything she could to maintain an ice-blue barrier, blocking the Evil Soul Masters' relentless attacks from all around.

Sheltered between the two teachers were four young girls.

They wore blue-and-white dresses of the same design, with an ice-crystal-shaped academy emblem embroidered on their chests.

Even the oldest was only eight.

One girl with long, ice-blue hair was only six or seven.

Though young, she was calmer than her companions.

Even as her little face grew pale from exhausting her Soul Power, she still gritted her teeth and struggled to maintain her ice-attribute Martial Soul.

The ice-blue phantom of a bird, formed from cold Qi, flickered behind her.

The other three girls were around her age.

Two were already injured and could only stand behind the barrier by supporting each other.

The remaining girl tightly gripped the blue-haired girl's hand, her eyes filled with unconcealable fear.

Boom!

Several streaks of black Soul Power struck the ice-blue barrier at once.

The barrier shook violently, and large patches of cracks rapidly spread across its surface.

The female Soul Emperor maintaining the barrier let out a muffled groan, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Vice Dean, the barrier won't hold much longer!"

The girl with long, ice-blue hair raised her head and looked at the two teachers standing before them.

"Auntie..."

The Seven-Ring Soul Sage did not look back.

Forcing her injured body to hold on, she said in a low voice:

"When the barrier breaks, your teacher and I will hold them off."

"Take the others and flee toward the town."

"No matter what happens, don't look back."

The blue-haired girl bit her lip and did not agree.

Though she was only six or seven, she already understood that once she left with her companions, the two teachers would very likely never return to the academy alive.

Hearing their conversation, the Iron-Faced Soul Saint gave a hoarse laugh.

"Flee?"

"We followed you for two whole days, waiting for you to leave town."

"Now the surrounding area has been sealed off. Where else can you flee?"

He raised a withered hand.

Thick black mist surged from between his fingers, with spine-chilling cries faintly coming from within.

The surrounding Evil Soul Masters pressed forward with it.

"Leave the seven-ring one."

The Iron-Faced Soul Saint stared at the injured middle-aged woman, his eyes filled with greed.

"By devouring her flesh and Soul Power, I should be able to advance another step."

"Take all the rest back."

The young girls' faces instantly grew even paler.

The injured female Soul Saint forced herself to stand straight.

The Seventh Soul Ring beneath her feet suddenly lit up.

The phantom of an enormous bird formed from ice and snow spread its wings behind her.

"If you want to touch my students, you'll have to kill me first!"

Fierce winds swept up a skyful of snow.

The Seventh Soul Ring beneath the Iron-Faced Soul Saint's feet lit up as well.

Black mist churned wildly, gradually coalescing into a gigantic vulture with a rotting body.

The presences of the two mighty Martial Soul Avatars collided head-on over the snowy ground.

The injured female Soul Saint shuddered and spat out another mouthful of blood.

She had already suffered a sneak attack.

Now, facing an uninjured opponent of the same rank, she could not hold out for long at all.

Atop a distant treetop, Lin Yuan looked at the ice-blue bird phantom behind the blue-haired girl, his gaze pausing briefly.

This Martial Soul...

It didn't seem ordinary.

The next moment, he slowly raised his right hand.

The Imperial Bow materialized in his palm.

Four disguised Soul Rings silently circled beneath his feet.

"Planning to save them?"

The mask floated to Lin Yuan's side.

"They have a Soul Saint over there, along with five Soul Kings."

"And you're only a rank forty-eight Soul Ancestor."

"If you charge straight out, you might get beaten pretty badly."

It suddenly let out a delighted laugh.

"But that would certainly be quite a sight."

Lin Yuan did not respond.

His gaze passed over the other Evil Soul Masters and locked directly onto the Iron-Faced Soul Saint.

Facing a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, he naturally would not choose a head-on clash.

The most important thing for a hunter was never flaunting his strength before his prey.

It was hiding.

Observing.

Waiting for the other side to reveal an opening.

Then loosing the deadliest arrow.

Lin Yuan took an ordinary arrow from his quiver and nocked it on the Imperial Bow.

The blue-green power of The Hunt silently coated the shaft.

The surrounding wind, snow, and trees concealed his presence.

The Iron-Faced Soul Saint was controlling his Martial Soul Avatar, relentlessly pressuring the injured female Soul Saint, completely unaware that someone in the distance had already aimed an arrow at him.

The mask hovered beside Lin Yuan's shoulder, letting out low chuckles it could not suppress.

"Is it starting?"

"Shoot already."

"Let Aha see what sort of elation this arrow will bring."

Lin Yuan's gaze was calm.

His fingers on the bowstring slowly relaxed.

Whoosh-

Blue-green arrowlight tore through the wind and snow.

It flew straight toward the Iron-Faced Soul Saint's back, right behind his heart.