Chapter 8: The Transformation of Heavenly Might

This is merely the beginning, as the pack of wolves leaps forward in succession, frantically attempting to tear apart the defenses of their prey with their claws and fangs. Hunger drives them to fear no death, launching a frenzied attack.

Upon seeing Fei Kouer, Bai Mo was instantly rendered speechless. This flying thief remained motionless in the inner circle, entirely relying on others to manage the wolf pack, with his gaze drifting across the snowy slope. Bai Mo disdainfully curled his lip, noticing that the situation was completely under control, and relaxed. Turning his head, he discovered that his master was also gazing into the distance, prompting him to follow the gaze.

A final command echoed through the snow: "Go!"

Fei Kouer suddenly spoke, his words stiff yet rapid: "Head southeast, rush to the base of the protruding rock wall"

Rushing to the extreme, it still could not keep up with the speed at which the snow slope cracks were expanding. Even more terrifying was the strange sound that accompanied the cracks, inexplicably causing a painful sensation in the ears, as the entire layer of dormant snow began to slide

In the midst of a hurried run, Yin Changge glanced back, her face turning pale and her eyes filled with boundless terror

Zuo Qingci did not respond; he continued to gaze at that unusual beast

What is the young master looking at? There is no need to ask, Bai Mo has discovered the object of his gaze

In the distance, dozens of small dots appeared on the snow slope, almost imperceptible on the snow. They moved swiftly, soon coming close enough to be clearly seen. With pointed ears and sharp fangs, their eyes fierce, and their bodies covered in grayish-white fur, this was a pack of hungry snow wolves, running silently on the snow, gliding like ghosts.

In the vast and desolate snow valley, where the snowflakes are as fine as dust, an endless silence envelops the heavens and the earth. In this cursed place, any sound can trigger an avalanche, making it difficult for even birds to escape. People have discarded everything, carrying only their personal belongings, and have journeyed for six days in absolute silence. The monotony and fatigue, the biting cold and deathly stillness, the blinding expanses of pure white—all serve as a torment to the spirit and will.

From the lofty sky, the snow cascading down resembles a surging flood, fiercely rushing towards the valley floor. Under the might of nature, insignificant humans are like ants, instantly engulfed by the collapsing ice and snow. The overwhelming avalanche lasts only a brief moment; before long, tranquility returns to the world, and the valley floor is completely transformed. The vast expanse of ice and snow covers all depressions, as if a giant spirit's hand has erased all traces of life.

Soon, everyone discovered the anomaly and removed the veil of deception, becoming vigilant.

The wolf pack approached in twos and threes, forming a scattered encirclement, their bellies heaving violently as they drew closer, breathing heavily. Their red eyes were greedy and fierce, filled with a thirst for food

What does it want to do? Bai Mo felt that his question was absurd as soon as he spoke; no matter how intelligent it was, it was still just a beast. Under the relentless slaughter, half of the wolf pack had already perished.

Bai Mo exclaimed in surprise: "Young Master!"

After a prolonged standoff, one of the foremost snow wolves could no longer contain itself and initiated the attack. It suddenly leaped forward, biting at the seemingly weakest Shen Manqing, its gleaming sharp fangs resembling those of a demon from hell

Looking through the sheer veil that obscures the view, everything is shrouded in shadows, resembling a realm of death. Yin Changge, feeling restless, wanted to tear it away but restrained himself. Suddenly, the flying Kou'er in front stopped and removed the thin veil from around her eyes

A massive block of snow rolled down, mercilessly crashing towards the insignificant people, who scrambled to evade it. With a thunderous roar, the earth trembled, the daylight abruptly dimmed, and the entire layer of snow came crashing down.

Almost simultaneously, the lead wolf let out a long howl towards the gray, cold sky

Lu Lanshan's weapon is a short halberd, and he is too lazy to even unwrap the coarse cloth that covers it. The skulls of the snow wolves that died at his hands have all been shattered, collapsing like soft mud. Beside Lu Lanshan, Shang Wan wields a black knife, which is thin and short, repeatedly slicing through the necks of the snow wolves.

The prolonged howl of the wolf was filled with ominous foreboding, the air was thick and tense

The snow wolf moves with incredible speed, yet a human is even faster. A cold, electric flash of frost appears, and the shadow of the wolf suddenly falls from the sky, leaving a wolf carcass on the snow. Its severed throat gushes forth warm blood.

Shen Manqing held the sword in her delicate hand, and waves of sword light surged forth, accurately severing the throats of the snow wolves attempting to cross the boundary; in contrast, Yin Changge's sword was more powerful, resulting in a bloodier outcome, as each snow wolf that pounced on him was cleaved in two, the stench of blood rising from the snow beneath him, leaving a scene of utter chaos.

Suddenly, a narrow crack appeared on the pure white snow slope

The Wakhan Valley, also known as the Valley of Death, is deep and elongated, with steep slopes rising over 100 feet on both sides, covered in layers of snow, and snow blocks often sliding down from the slopes.

The pack of wolves suddenly slowed their assault; at the second howl, the frenzied wolves ceased their attack; at the third howl, the now quiet wolves turned and fled, abandoning the carcass of their companion and the prey they had surrounded, wagging their tails as they ran towards the calling alpha wolf

Bai Mo had heard that wolves are animals with a spiritual essence. Gazing at the wolf from several dozen zhang away, this feeling became even more intense. The silent snow wolf seemed to be observing, as if it were contemplating.

Bai Mo did not understand what this group of beasts intended to do, and even from a great distance, he could still feel the gaze of the lead wolf, yet he saw that Zuo Qingci's face instantly turned pale.

The lead wolf leaped and ran, guiding the pack to the top of a slope, where the black ridge jutted out from the snow surface, resembling a lurking giant whale, upon which it settled down.

The endless silver-white snow valley stretches far and narrow, and the attacking wolf pack crashes against the solid wall like waves breaking apart, their bodies soaked in the blood-warmed snowmelt, permeating the air with a strong scent of blood. The enormous snow wolf suddenly moved; it stood up, stretched its neck, and let out a low growl.

The figure of the master grew increasingly distant, and Bai Mo reflexively quickened her pace to catch up. Although Lu Lanshan did not understand the intention, he followed suit upon hearing the call. Yin Changge and Shen Manqing, who remained in place, were momentarily taken aback, but they both followed suit, with Shang Wan closely trailing behind.

Unlike the previous low howl, the sound is sharp and distant, echoing in the silent valley, as if a wind were sweeping over the snowy slope, bringing down a flurry of snowflakes

At the same moment, all the wolves raised their necks and began to howl along with the lead wolf

Before a word could be uttered, the flying thief swiftly grabbed and tossed, causing the left minister, Qingci, to be abruptly lifted like a light stone, his body involuntarily thrown out.

Before the sound of the drink had faded, Fei Kou'er’s figure had already darted several zhang away, like a streak of light, heading towards the direction where Luo Qingci had fallen. Bai Mo opened his mouth wide, watching in disbelief as his master, who had fallen to the ground, was seized in mid-air by Fei Kou'er and swiftly swept away to the southeast.

It was a gigantic snow wolf, its fur pure white, blending seamlessly with the snowy slope, with a tuft of bright red fur on its forehead. This peculiar snow wolf crouched far in the back, appearing unusually calm compared to its kind that were fiercely attacking, as if it had been sitting there since time immemorial

The cold wind swept up fine snowflakes, carrying a low, mournful whistle as it drifted away

If it were an ordinary business trip, one would undoubtedly be frightened to the point of losing their wits; however, when a pack of wolves encountered seasoned travelers familiar with danger, the initial astonishment quickly gave way to a formation, with Zuo Qingci protected at the center, while Bai Mo stood close to their master, drawing out a long sword

In that moment, everyone suddenly became aware, breaking out in a cold sweat, teetering on the brink of life and death, each exerting their utmost strength. Zhengyang Palace was originally known for its swordsmanship and lightness of foot, with Shen Manqing and Yin Changge being the most outstanding among them. They surged forward, unexpectedly surpassing Lu Lanshan, trailing behind Bai Mo. Although Shang Wan's lightness technique was not on par with Yin and Shen, it was slightly superior when compared to Lu Lanshan, who focused on internal skills. The fastest was still Fei Kouer, who, while dragging someone along, moved as swiftly as a shooting star.