A weird dream.

Liu Xun silently thought to himself as he walked behind Senior Xuan’s back.

He faintly recalls the memory where the little girl Xueer happily ran around a large prestigious sect unhampered. Faint memories were mixed with Yanyi who worked alongside elders behind the shadows to preserve that happiness.

The memories were largely pleasant and carefree without any troubles happening. To be honest, he was slightly expectant of his future sect lifestyle. He definitely would not be expecting the high-profile golden spoon welcome that the girl received, but he could at least interact with large groups of cultivators.

Meeting seniors and juniors, interacting with mentors and elders, going out for sect missions, and attending lectures and tournaments… There was much Liu Xun expected from his rosy sect life.

A sect cultivator, huh.

He thought to himself as he slowly imagines his likely future that would happen in one and a half months once he joins a sect.

Status.

--

The group slowly advanced from the jungle near the river as the surroundings slowly morphed. The trees and vegetation were still dense, but the color of the leaves started to fade as everything began to dye in ashy white. Despite the current season of the region being summer where the heat spikes up, the current region reveals a slight sense of a chill as the temperature slowly fell as they walked further.

“How mystical.”

A soft mumble came from the back.

Ruoxue gazed at the scenery which was painted in dull white. Small snowflakes could be seen drifting in the wind as they slowly landed upon the land of white. Frost could be seen gathering upon the leaves.

“It is indeed a rare sight. To experience such a cold climate in the middle of summer, the White Yin Snow Forest is an unnatural phenomenon. The Yin energy from the frosted ice basin permeates into the soil, making the surrounding regions into an all-year snow blanketed region. This shows that we are approaching the region. From here on, it will just get colder.”

Senior Qin’s gentle voice chuckled from the right.

"Still, do not forget that we are in hostile territory. Do not let your guard down."

 She continued speaking as she calmly glanced at the surrounding, wary for any ambushes.

The area was calm and quiet. Even though it may seem peaceful, there have already been multiple attacks by the beasts. Their last encounter was just about an hour ago, it was a small group of 8 high-ranked qi gathering white moths. Each moth had several human and beast face patterns on their wings and fluttered with lightning speed as they attack the group from all sides. These moths were commonly known as "Face Devouring Mask Moths".

They were an infamous breed of bloodthirsty carnivores that feast upon their victims' faces. These faces would then turn into patterns on their wings. They have long, sharp mandibles along with ashen grey wings which scatter nerve paralyzing poison. These white grey wings also helped them to blend deeply into the biome of the forest, allowing them to ambush any unsuspecting prey.

Liu Xun had to team up with Langsheng for a long grueling fight lasting over 10 minutes before they could finish off one of these moths. They were very tricky foes to handle, much unlike the green wolves and spiders.

The group had already walked over half a day since they began walking today. The sun has already passed overhead as it was halfway from setting. The group has already been facing multiple ambushes from such beasts throughout the day. Despite it not being as bad as the beast wave previously, the number of assaults was actually unbelievable.

There have been no such recorded changes over in the western Jin Jungle region over the last few decades. This anomalous behavior is very perplexing and also rather ominous towards the group of cultivators who were aiming to go in deeper towards the Yin Frost Basin.

--

“This is weird. Very weird.”

A soft whisper came from Liu Xun’s side. Millie was looking down with scrunched-up brows as she was in deep thought. She seemed to be largely bothered by the changes in the jungle since she had been staying in the region for a long time. These changes were abrupt only happening over the last week.

Liu Xun has noticed that the silver-haired girl was not as cheerful and carefree as before. She is currently displaying a rather solemn mood as well as a sense of tenseness that she had never displayed before. Her serious look had greatly bothered the group as they had not expected such a change. This journey may not be as smooth as previously expected.

The fatty Langsheng, sassy Warner, and gentle Ruoxue were also rather serious. Torn and tattered clothes with gashes were quite common with the grueling intensity of battles. Even some of the seniors’ robes also showed some signs of wear and tear as they engage in multiple exhausting fights.

“This situation is completely unprecedented, it has never happened before. We have to be wary, something is going on.”

Millie replied to the group in an uncertain tone.

“So this has never happened to your clan’s hidden site before as well?”

Senior Qin questioned with a relatively troubled look.

“Nope, it hasn’t. Something is different. Usually, the beasts would not be so… aggravated and frightened. Based on the direction, it could possibly be that something has gone wrong near the basin.”

“...This is problematic. Should we call off the trip early? We have already reaped plenty of rewards.”

Senior Xuan’s rough voice echoed from the front as he continued to advance past the white undergrowth. The machete in his hand swiftly chopped forward as he sliced the obstructing branches and leaves, clearing the way forward.

“This is rather unfavorable for me. The Yin Orchids only blooms once every 5 years. They will only be available for plucking in a 1-week period before wilting. It is vital to observe the growth status of the orchid within my sect since it involves the harvesting process. If there is no longer any more of it growing, it would save the sect another perilous journey into the deep regions. That is beside the fact that I require this ingredient which is scarce and rarely found in Xin.”

Senior Qin mentioned in a troubled tone.

“Same here with my Blood Jade. It is quite crucial since it is a core artificing ingredient required for the products of one of my most valued clients.”

Senior Gan said out while shrugging his shoulders.

Liu Five gave a casual glance towards the Liu juniors. He then heaved a light sigh.

"To be honest, we are also here for a Corpse Yin Bead. It is commonly found in Yin-rich regions. Therefore, the basin would be an appropriate area for it. The training expedition for the juniors is largely successful otherwise. To be honest, we could probably source the bead elsewhere, though it would be costly."

He mentioned the fact lightly as he began to weigh his options.

The group began to have a serious discussion on their following moves. This had occurred as they were on the move. Serious considerations had to be made as the initial thought relaxing trip had already plenty of hiccups and disruptions, making it very difficult to guess the outcome based on previous predictions. After an intense debate and balancing of options, the general consensus was still to proceed ahead with caution. The group had decided that it would be best to observe the threat before thinking of retreat.

"Anyways, it is really up to you if we are to proceed forth. Just be prepared for really unexpected scenarios, things that could easily be life-threatening."

The silver-haired lady said in a serious tone as she shook her head in resignation.

A real threat, huh. I guess this is to be expected, a cultivator's journey into the unknown is bound to be filled with danger alongside the hefty rewards. I wonder what could have brought about this change...

Liu Xun silently pondered as he recalled all of his previous battles. Many of them had already brought him towards the edge of danger, and now the signs are hinting towards an even greater threat that could easily deliver death. Would it perhaps be a Core Formation foe, or even stronger? Doubts begin to fill the youth as his mind is clouded by the endless possibilities.

Yet, this trip had already greatly benefitted the youth. He had obtained many beast ingredients which he had used while undergoing qi meditation that helped to refined his savage qi at rapid rates. Even the Crimson Yang Root which he had obtained from the lake in the valley was also rather beneficial to him as he had gained over 15% proficiency just by consuming and digesting it over three days.

The rest of the day was just filled with similar small skirmishes as the group slowly approached the frosted basin. They came into contact with small groups of beasts like wolves, snakes, insects, and such but no real hard battles were fought. Before long, the sun began to set. The camp was then set by a small grassy clearing in the middle of the jungle. It was barren compared to the Glazing Meadows, but it provided the necessary space to rest in ease. Compared to being surround by trees, it was a much better choice.

As Liu Xun began setting up the tent, he heard footsteps coming from his back. Thinking it was the usual visitor, he did not bother looking back as he continued to focus on his task.

"Hey Liu Xun, you better be careful. Enemies can appear from any corner."

A gentle voice came from his back.

The youth was rather surprised as he turned back with a stunned look. It was not Millie like he had expected, but rather Ruoxue. It was rare for this gentle and calm lady to take the initiative to come up to him for a chat. He was not expecting such a conversation as his train of thought got derailed, staring silently at the lady in a green dress that is slightly similar to Senior Qin's. He then carefully considered her words and decided to give a casual reply.

"I know, we are in foreign territory after all. Beasts are the natives, while we are the invaders."

He said out in a lax manner.

"Not that, beasts are a constant threat. There could possibly be other threats from around you, especially when you least expect it."

She mentioned casually in a soft manner as if insinuating something.

I wonder why she specifically directed such words to me.

Liu Xun glazed over her words as he gave his thanks. It is obvious that there could be internal discord within the group at any moment. After all, camaraderie is temporary, only benefits are eternal. A cultivator has to be prepared to account for any tricks and traps from all sides, more so in the wilderness. Ruoxue walked away shortly after giving her few words, there wasn't much else of a conversation between the two.

The young man continued with his own matters as the surroundings began to darken.

Mysticant

Finally free to write, I should at least bring it close to that anticipated fight.