Chapter 806: Blinding Snow
Qi Xuansu was the only Heavenly Being among the survivors, who were all Guizhen-stage Xiantian Beings. Thus, crossing mountainous terrain posed no real challenge to him. In fact, if not for the wounded he was escorting, Qi Xuansu could have simply flown.
Though they were crossing several districts, Fenglin was not the Central Plains—its districts were much smaller than the prefectures of the Central Plains, equivalent at most to a single county. If Qi Xuansu flew, he could reach Hita Castle in no time.
After entering the mountains, the lingering chill was still a bit harsh despite it being spring, and the snow had yet to melt. The deeper and higher they went, the thicker the snow became. By the time they reached the remote forest, not even a footprint could be seen. All around was a world of white. Trees and ground alike were blanketed in thick snow.
By dusk, the wind began to howl.
The cold wind was piercing, chilling to the bone. The temperature plummeted rapidly. Water froze the instant it touched the air.
But the cold did not affect them much. Qi Xuansu, with his Heavenly Being physique, was immune to heat and cold. The others, while not as advanced, were also resistant to this extreme cold. Moreover, they wore their winter Daoist hechangs, equivalent to a winter cloak. It was excellent against wind and cold. Even without it, their cultivation provided sufficient resistance.
Given the extraordinary circumstances, the group pressed on through the night without rest. By around 10 PM, the wind carried icy pellets that stung the face. Not long after, snow began to fall.
The snow came swiftly and fiercely, turning into a blizzard in the blink of an eye. It was already the dead of night, and they were in the deep mountain forest, which was the likeliest place to be trapped in a supernatural maze. With the snow sealing all paths, the world became a vast, indistinct white. They could not see a thing, let alone tell which direction they were heading in.
It was like a natural illusion. They often thought they were walking in a straight line, only to be tracing a wide arc, ultimately circling back to where they started.
As always, if Qi Xuansu were alone, it would not be a problem. He could simply fly out or brute-force his way through, even if it meant chopping down trees the whole way. But he was leading a group of wounded cultivators. Though they were all at the Guizhen stage, their injuries were serious. Even the toughest Martial Arts Practitioner would need two or three days to recover. At this moment, they were essentially a burden to him.
He did not have the Joyous Cloud Shield of Banished Immortals, which allowed one to carry others in flight. Even if he had one, it could carry only a single passenger at best. He was also not a Wuliang-stage Qi Refiner who could summon wind and disperse this blizzard.
The bigger issue was that they were in Fenglin, where the local ghosts and spirits were far stronger than those in the Central Plains.