Chapter 315 Senior Brother Helps You Keep an Eye on the Wind

In the dark cave, a petite figure was crouching low and slowly moving forward.

By the faint light of the moss on the cave walls, two members of the War Academy could be seen sitting on the ground, gasping for breath as they rested. Beside them lay two green-headed monsters that had already been dealt with, their bodies riddled with wounds. The two War Academy disciples were also covered in injuries, and the surrounding cave walls bore numerous traces of swords and weapons from the fierce battle that had just taken place.

The two seemed to sense something was off and turned to look behind them, only to find the moss quiet and the sound of water droplets echoing in the cave, with no one else in sight.

"Damn these things, they’ve got me all paranoid and on edge!" one of them, a burly man with a greenish mark on his face, cursed. "At least with the wraiths, you could see them from afar, but these things just pop out of the ground without warning..."

"We’re lucky to have run into each other right after entering, so count yourself lucky!" the other, who looked much more refined but had a sinister expression, sneered. "Speaking of which, imagine running into two female disciples from the Holy Sanctuary in this pitch-dark cave, hehehe..."

The man with the green mark immediately caught on, stroking his chin with a lecherous smirk, about to make a teasing remark when he felt a breeze brush past his face.

He opened his mouth but found he couldn’t make a sound. His throat felt wet, followed by a searing, burning pain. To his horror, he noticed his companion was also clutching his own neck, dark red blood seeping through his fingers. His pupils dilated rapidly, his face filled with terror.

An enemy of the Holy Sanctuary?!

A petite figure appeared beside the two, the rose emblem on the Holy Sanctuary attire clearly visible.

Splat!

Both men opened their mouths as if trying to say something, but as their throats quivered, blood gushed out simultaneously. Their heads tilted slightly, and they were completely lifeless.

Her proud little nose twitched as she spat disdainfully at the two corpses. "Pah, scumbags!"

Previously, she had been busy protecting that fool Fantasi and worrying about the wraiths at night, leaving her little opportunity to engage in combat. Now that she had entered the second layer, the dark environment, though somewhat challenging, was something she, born into an assassin family, was most accustomed to. After drinking a specially brewed sight-enhancing potion from her family, even the last bit of haze in her vision disappeared. The dark environment was as clear as day to her, her senses razor-sharp. Combined with her highly stealthy movements, she had been the one discovering others along the way, not the other way around.

After taking the two Soul Tokens, she patted her small hands, adding two more War Academy disciples’ Soul Tokens to her bag, bringing the total to five.

Five Soul Tokens—not a disgrace to the assassin family’s reputation, right?

Satisfied, she patted her bag, feeling that the dark cave of the second layer wouldn’t be as vast as the previous Misty Forest. If she continued sneaking around like this, she might soon run into Wang Feng and the others.

Just as she was about to leave, she felt a slight chill in the air.

Snap, snap, snap...

A layer of white crystalline frost rapidly spread from behind her, covering the surrounding cave walls in an instant, turning the green moss-covered walls into glittering ice crystals.

The white ice crystals, the freezing air—her body felt less agile than before, and her footing became slippery.

Her heart sank.

This is bad...

'Frostfall Spell' wasn’t a top-tier high-level spell, but it was a standard for ice witches, and it was the most direct way to gauge an ice witch’s strength.

To instantly freeze such a large area was the pinnacle of what Tiger Peak soul power could achieve. The level of mastery... the caster’s skill was far beyond that of the Ice Spirit group. And whether in the War Academy or the Holy Sanctuary, there was only one ice witch who could reach such a level!

Her eyes flickered as she turned to look straight ahead at the cave entrance. In the darkness, a slender figure slowly emerged.

Princess Snow Cang Jue!

At this moment, Cang Jue was wearing a snow-white gown, her frosty figure exuding nobility and coldness. Her face carried a detached calmness, as if looking down upon the world, as she gazed at her.

She didn’t bother trying to hide. Playing hide-and-seek with an ice witch in a frost-covered area was pointless—it would only waste her soul power.

The Li family had detailed information on Princess Snow Cang Jue. In fact, there wasn’t much to hide about this woman’s background. She was the daughter of Duke Cang Wu and one of the young leaders heavily cultivated by Crown Prince Long Zhen.

The Cang Clan wasn’t one of the oldest families in the Nine Gods, having missed the initial path to prosperity by following the Supreme Sage Teacher. However, they had made significant contributions during the holy war between the Nine Gods and the League of Blades, becoming the most loyal supporters of the Nine Gods royal family and earning the trust of the Long family. Having prospered for two to three hundred years, they were now one of the top ten powerful families in the Nine Gods Empire, a true pillar of strength. With such a deep background, they naturally bred the elite of the elite. As the family’s heir, Princess Snow Cang Jue possessed the astonishing divine ice seed, and her ninth-place ranking among the Ten Greats truly didn’t reflect her full potential.

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch...

The frost spread rapidly, extending to the three forked passages behind Winnie, sealing them completely with crystalline ice.

No need to test; the ice was undoubtedly thick, not something that could be easily broken in a hurry.

"Winnie Lee," Cang Jue called out, her voice as cold as if from another world, though a flicker of emotion crossed her icy eyes.

Their family backgrounds were similar, and they clearly knew each other well. Such prey was quite enticing to her.

But Winnie laughed.

"Hi!" Winnie grinned, "Cang Jue, you're so beautiful! Wow, where’d you get that dress? I want one too..."

Cang Jue smiled slightly. Trying to be friendly? Playing games? This little... Before she could finish, her pupils narrowed slightly.

A barrage of fiery needles shot straight at her.

Cang Jue waved her hand, and an ice wall instantly formed.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

The fiery needles shattered against the ice wall, only piercing halfway. The instant ice wall was a full half-meter thick.

"Wow! Cang Jue, you're amazing!" Winnie's voice rang out loudly, but this time it didn't distract Cang Jue.

A fiery needle snuck up from behind, but Cang Jue, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, tilted her head just in time. The speeding needle grazed her hair, and a white strand fell.

Bang!

The fiery needle hit the ice wall, its power much greater than the previous barrage, nearly piercing through the wall.

Cang Jue smiled faintly, "The Lee family still plays dirty."

"Screw you!" Winnie, annoyed her sneak attack failed, snapped, "I like it that way!"

She raised her hands, this time with no sneaking.

Pop, pop, pop, pop...

A series of pops erupted as dozens of fireballs floated around Winnie. Cang Jue's eyes flashed with cold light, and without any visible movement, the surrounding chill rapidly intensified and condensed.

On one side, ice; on the other, fire.

In the clash of ice and fire, there was no advantage; it was mutual. Whoever had greater power would dominate.

A spark of fire flashed in Winnie's eyes. In a narrow encounter, the brave would win. Strike first: "Burn you to death!"

Boom, boom, boom!

The suspended fireballs shot forward in unison. Cang Jue smiled slightly, and the rapidly intensifying chill around her suddenly solidified. The flying fireballs were instantly frozen into ice chunks, falling to the ground with a series of pops.

The small fireballs were just a feint. Winnie's figure darted like lightning, her fiery red eyes already glowing beside Cang Jue. Winnie clenched her small hands, her index fingers extended, burning with flames, turning red, aimed at Cang Jue's eyes: "I'll poke you!"

But in the next second, Cang Jue's lips parted slightly, and a cold current was inhaled, instantly completing its condensation.

Ice Roar!

Boom!

As her small jade lips parted, a blast of intense freezing energy shot directly toward Winnie's face.

Winnie was startled, her fiery red figure instantly swerved, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike at the last moment, but Cang Jue's figure had already vanished from her sight.

"Behind you," Cang Jue's voice rang out from behind Winnie. Before Winnie could turn around, a powerful shockwave hit her squarely on the back.

Boom!

Winnie was sent flying forward, crashing hard into the icy wall of the cave with a loud 'thud'.

The surrounding walls shook from the impact, shards of ice cascaded down with a clattering sound. Winnie felt dazed and numb from the collision, the cold energy invading her body, even her soul power faltered, her whole body shivering instantly.

This is what makes Ice Mages truly fearsome. Their instantaneous killing power may not match that of Thunder Mages and Fire Mages, but their relentless damage and ability to cripple their enemies are immediate. There's a saying, once an Ice Mage gains the upper hand, it's hard to turn the tables.

Winnie struggled to her feet, and the next second, Princess Snow Cang's figure stood before her.

"Speed isn't your exclusive domain," Cang Jue stood a meter in front of her, speaking indifferently, "I respect all families that have had their glory. You can choose a noble end."

"Sister, Sister Cang Jue!" Winnie's face instantly turned mournful, tears and snot streaking her face, "Don't kill me, I'll give you my Soul Token, okay? You've already defeated me, all the honor is yours!"

Cang Jue frowned slightly. The girl's earlier bravado and the style of fighting immediately had made her feel a bit of personality, worthy of her reputation as a disciple of the Lee family, making her willing to give the other party a dignified death. But now, the tearful plea for mercy diminished her in Cang Jue's eyes. Such a Winnie Lee did not deserve her pity.

"You..." Cang Jue's cold voice had just uttered the first word, then she saw a fire needle shooting straight at her forehead.

Still resorting to these tricks?

Cang Jue was both angry and amused. This fire needle was shot too stealthily, and the distance between them was too close. There was no time to conjure an ice shield, she abruptly tilted her head back to avoid it, but the next second, a huge summoning array had already lit up beneath her feet.

Dare to flaunt in front of me? This is just a stalling tactic—prepare to be blown apart!

"Pah!" Winnie spat out a bloodied tooth, shouting fiercely, "Come out, Jiao Baba!"

Boom!

In the dazzling spiral summoning array, soul power surged wildly, flames erupted all around, accompanied by a roar as if from hell, a terrifying figure flashed into existence in the dazzling red light. Before the figure had fully materialized, a massive, flaming palm slammed down toward where Princess Snow Cang stood!

Boom...

An impact force ten times stronger than when Winnie had crashed into the cave wall, accompanied by a crazily surging wave of flame heat, instantly liquefied the surrounding ice walls, revealing the originally moss-covered stone walls, dripping water continuously.

But this seemingly inevitable strike missed, Princess Snow Cang directly disappeared from her original position, so swiftly that Winnie missed the movement entirely.

At the same time, a torrent of energy surged through their soul connection, Winnie's soul power was fully unleashed, her body ignited with a fiery aura, the residual cold energy from the earlier attack on her back was instantly dispelled.

Now that her soul power was circulating without hindrance, Winnie spat out a mouthful of blood, the wound on her back throbbed, but with the cold energy dispelled, it no longer affected her movement. She suddenly stood up, only to hear Cang Jue's icy voice echoing simultaneously throughout the cave.

"You sly little thing!"

The frost that had just been melted by Jiao Baba reformed around them even quicker.

"Pah!" Winnie snarled at the void, "Don't hide, have the guts to come out!"

A white figure suddenly flashed through the cave, Jiao Baba swiped at the air, but missed.

Its body was too huge, even bending over it already blocked most of the cave, hampering its ability to pivot, much less move nimbly.

Winnie's pupils contracted, her small face extremely serious. This environment was really too unfavorable for her, Jiao Baba could barely muster a third of its power.

Behind!

In a flash, she realized her small hand was already clutching five fire needles.

This energy, boosted by Jiao Baba, far exceeded the human limits of Tiger Peak. The fire needles no longer emitted flames, only a blinding golden light akin to the sun, their energy concentrated to the utmost. If they hit, she was certain Cang Jue couldn’t block them!

Jiao Baba ahead also tried to turn, but in the cramped cave, it was nearly impossible.

"Kill!"

Winnie spun around swiftly, fire needles poised to strike, but a bone-chilling cold swept in first.

"Frozen Domain!"

Cang Jue's cold voice rang out.

Crack, crack, crack...

Winnie’s eyes widened, her mouth hanging open, as she felt her body slow and freeze rapidly from the fingertips clutching the fire needles.

In an instant, Winnie activated the Golden Aegis, shielding herself completely. Simultaneously, the frigid air surged up her arm, and in a flash, Winnie, mid-turn, was frozen solid into a massive ice statue.

Though frozen, the Golden Aegis spared Winnie from the cold’s devastating effects. Meanwhile, Jiao Baba, sensing its master’s peril, lunged at Cang Jue in a frenzy, forcing her to dodge repeatedly. The soul beast was fighting tooth and nail.

Boom!

The ice wall sealing the cave’s entrance shattered violently as a burly figure burst through from the other side. The half-meter-thick ice wall crumbled under his brute strength.

Cang Jue’s expression shifted slightly. Who possessed such raw power?

"What the hell! You dare block my path, Mo Tong?" Mo Tong brushed off the ice shards, his face smug and triumphant.

A real man carves a path through mountains, builds bridges over rivers, and smashes through walls—no detours!

Mostly, he’d heard a familiar roar—that dumb bear he knew so well.

"Winnie!" Mo Tong ran over, eyes wide as if he’d struck gold. "Aren’t you the fire girl? What’s with the ice act?"

If she could move, Winnie would’ve spat in his face.

Before Mo Tong could reach her, a wave of icy air swept in.

"Frost Roar!"

Whoosh!

The frigid blast hit, but Mo Tong planted his left leg firmly, not budging an inch, and took it head-on. The biting cold made him shiver, though, and he rubbed his arms vigorously, nearly sneezing. "Damn, that’s cold!"

This...

Cang Jue was slightly surprised.

Being directly hit by her Frost Roar, and only rubbing his arms saying it's cold?

Mo Tong now also saw Cang Jue. This witch had the nerve to blast him with cold air. He stomped his foot, instantly shaking off the chill. His eyes blazed with fury, the Titan Axe in hand, as he charged with a roar: "Witch, you dare blow at me? Take this from your grandpa!"

At the same time, Winnie's eyes inside the ice sculpture regained a flame-like color, and the large ice block sealing her began to tremble slightly. Seizing this opportunity, Jiao Baba smashed open the ice sculpture.

Cang Jue's expression was cold. She had long heard of Mahoraga's formidable physique, the strongest in the world, with great resistance to witchcraft. Seeing it today, it was indeed as reputed.

One-on-one, it could still be a game, but if adding Winnie Lee, two against one...

Whoosh...

The cold wind rose, and Cang Jue disappeared in a flash, causing Mo Tong's axe to swing into empty air.

"Pah! Coward, don’t run if you’ve got the guts!" Mo Tong yelled into the empty cave, unwilling to accept that she had fled without even a fight. Just then, he heard a loud crashing sound behind him.

He spun around just as the massive ice block shattered, sending shards of ice flying in all directions. Of course, the shards that hit Mo Tong barely fazed him.

Winnie crawled out of the ice, hands on the ground as she knelt, her face pale and gasping for breath.

She looked like death warmed over!

Mo Tong figured saving his buddy was more important than chasing Cang Jue. He quickly ran over to help Winnie up, patting her back with concern and asking worriedly, "Are you okay, Winnie? You look like you're about to die..."

"Die... die... die..." Winnie's face turned a deep shade of purple as she struggled to catch her breath. After a while, she finally managed to speak: "Screw you, Mo Tong! I almost suffocated just now!"

………

The place was dead silent. Along the way, they hadn't encountered any enemies from the War Academy, nor had they seen any dark creatures. Mapeier didn’t buy this as 'luck'; she had discovered something quite surprising—ice bees!

The Blood Spider was no slouch when it came to sensing things, and it was always by Wang Feng's side. It was next to impossible to release ice bees without her catching on.

Mapeier had double-checked it. Although she had never seen them before, she recognized the small creatures, about the size of a palm, glowing with a cold light and equipped with sharp mouthparts. They were the same ice bees that had recently caused chaos in Ice Spirit.

It was clear that Wang Feng wasn't as "stupid" as people thought. At least, not everyone could tame ice bees.

Old Wang, though, didn’t seem too bothered by this. His attention wasn't on this voluptuous girl; managing the info from dozens of ice bees was a real brain drain.

The ice bees were better than any map in this place. With over forty ice bees leading the way, the dark, hive-like cave was like a second home to them. Their nests were originally honeycomb-shaped cold iron mines, stretching for hundreds of miles across the frigid winter valley. Even if the cave were ten times more complex, the ice bees wouldn't get lost. Moreover, the ice bees were currently crawling silently along the cave walls, sending back signals whenever they detected danger. With dozens of ice bees scouting dozens of paths at once, the gathered information was enough for Old Wang to choose the safest route.

Mapeier had been keeping an eye on things, while Old Wang looked as chill as if he were on vacation, occasionally comforting Mapeier: "Relax, junior sister. Look at you, all sweaty. Here, let me wipe it for you... Stick with me, and I’ll make sure you live long and prosper!"

"..." Mapeier couldn’t decide whether to laugh or facepalm. This guy seemed less like an enemy and more like a chatty, carefree jerk. She had no clue how he’d managed to ‘graduate’ from the cutthroat Pu group.

She was secretly examining Wang Feng's waist token.

It was different from the one she had thrown away earlier. When it wasn't glowing, it was hard to tell, but when it flashed, the signal frequency and wavelength were different from those of ordinary disciples.

It was clear that both sides treated key figures with special attention. The signal from this Soul Token was much stronger. According to Mi's regulations, she didn't need to take action.

"Don't be so serious," Old Wang said with a smile, noticing her mood. "There's an old saying in my hometown: 'Since you're here, make the best of it.' Besides, you're lucky to have a good man like me protecting you. What's there to be unhappy about? Of course, the most important thing is to remember that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a flood of gratitude. I remember you're a potion master, right? How about working with me after we get back? I'll make sure you live a life of luxury, junior sister..."

Mapeier couldn't help but twitch her lips, finding it somewhat amusing. She had tried not to engage in conversation, but this guy could keep talking all by himself. She really wanted to see how long he could keep up his monologue.

Just as she was thinking this, Mapeier's eyes suddenly flickered. The Blood Spider's perception was quite sharp, and she sensed something approaching from behind—not the kind of monster from underground.

Wang Feng's evasion tactics had indeed been effective; they hadn't encountered any enemies along the way. But that didn't mean they could avoid all dangers. Sometimes, danger would come looking for you.

The newcomer was clearly a master of stealth, likely someone from the War Academy.

Mapeier’s faint smile vanished, and her expression turned cold once more.

Temporary emotional confusion couldn't sway her duty. She was a Mi, and her fate was to serve the Nine Gods. Not having to take action herself was the best choice.

"Senior brother!" Mapeier suddenly called out. "I need to use the restroom."

"Nature calls, I understand! Don't worry, your senior brother is a gentleman; I won't peek!" Old Wang said. "Go ahead here; I’ll keep an eye out!"

"I... I'll go over there!"

Mapeier held back the fleeting impulse to strangle him, but as soon as she turned the corner of the cave entrance, she heard Wang Feng call out, "Junior sister! Junior sister!"

Mapeier had planned to slip away quietly, but fearing that Wang Feng might simply run off if he couldn't find her, she had no choice but to stop and respond, "What is it, senior brother?"

"Someone's coming! Hurry up!" Old Wang shouted from the cave entrance.

Wang Feng's ability to avoid danger clearly indicated a high level of perception, so it wasn't surprising that he had detected the pursuer.

Mapeier feigned disbelief, "Senior brother, are you sure you're not mistaken? It's been safe all the way here."

"This guy's a bit of a sly one," Old Wang pursed his lips. Though he had deployed some Ice Bees for defense, the newcomer had evaded detection and was only spotted when he got quite close. Clearly, this person was a master of stealth. It seemed that Ice Bees weren't infallible after all, and he had somewhat underestimated the opponents. "Are you done yet?"

"Senior brother, wait a bit longer! Don't leave me behind!" Mapeier pretended to be anxious.