Secret Records of the Leader of the Beichen Sword Sect
Chapter 144 - 143: The Flower on the High Cliff

Chapter 144: Chapter 143: The Flower on the High Cliff

The battle over the relics has temporarily come to an end, yet the slaughter within the glacial snow domains has not ceased in the slightest.

It seems as if a hand in the shadows has inscribed the fate of the Demon Clan’s resurgence. Although the Treasure Light is temporarily obscured by the Snow Mountain Array, the soaring fate has already been severed by a sword.

However, the demons previously gathered have entrenched themselves here with their Demon Wind’s stench. More and more top predators, drawn by the scent of blood and flesh, approach the battlefields of this struggle.

And hordes of demon beasts, driven south by the Great Demon’s aura, swarm in from all directions like a tide, hunting and preying upon each other, vying for survival space.

The once desolate snow field is now crowded with demons. Mountains, glaciers, and snow ridges are strewn in all directions with monsters, as if thousands of troops from the Demon Domain’s Demon City are traversing the endless snow ridges, crushing southward.

"Sniff, sniff sniff..."

A hefty demon beast, whether dog or bear, smells the scent of blood and digs out a human from a snow pile with its nose.

The person’s face is covered with a layer of frost, making them look like a frozen popsicle, devoid of any vitality.

The demon beast licks its lips, intending to bite into the frozen meat to taste. Unexpectedly, the person flicks their fingers, and an Ice Qi Blade shoots out, severing the beast’s head.

A gush of thick, hot, pungent blood spurts from the severed neck, and the smell of warm flesh spreads everywhere, immediately drawing the attention of nearby demons.

Thus, one, two, three... another seven demon beasts swarm in, fiercely battling over the demon beast’s bloody carcass.

The frozen human lying in the snow quietly hides in the shadows, occasionally flicking a finger, beheading, severing legs, and gutting bellies.

By the time the monsters realize, the seven Great Demon Beasts have already annihilated each other through mutual slaughter and secret attacks, leaving a messy field of blood and meat.

The iced man waits a while longer, and without seeing other demons being attracted, he stops fishing, sits up, pinches a formula, and takes a deep breath, "Whoosh—!"

The essence blood of the eight demon beasts is drawn as if by a magnetic force, gushing from their wounds, their demon bodies rapidly shriveling, freezing into frost. The pervasive blood rain and icy breath, like trickling streams, merge into a red river, sucked into the frozen man’s mouth.

In mere moments, the frozen man’s frosty breath and Ice Qi on his face dissipate, revealing an upright red line between his brows and Tie Dan’s resolute and formidable visage.

Using the avalanche for cover and escaping hides again, Tie Dan soon flees beyond the range of the Demon Clan relics, resting in the snow, pretending to be dead for a day and night, estimating that he’s evaded the Snow Mountain Palace’s tracking.

Having feasted and slightly restored some Qi Blood, he dusts the snow off his cloak, manipulates the Qi, and flies northward in search of snow lotuses.

Indeed, heading north, facing the demon tide, deep into the icy plains.

While recuperating in the snow, Tie Dan also contemplates, realizing how a single Demon Clan relic could gather so many cultivators so quickly; likely, many nearby are collecting resources here.

After all, Yin Mountain’s specialty, snow lotuses, can defy fate upon ingestion, and it’s not really a secret, right?

Given how fiercely competitive the cultivation world is nowadays, with everyone vying for Heavenly Materials Treasure, combing the earth like hair, even picking up stones to see if they’re precious—no wonder someone with fate like Tie Dan can’t find a thing.

Because there’s nothing left, huh...

No choice but to venture further into the demon territory, into uninhabited regions. After all, most demons are carnivorous, and snow lotuses are bitter and unpalatable...

Thus, Tie Dan rides the wind north, flying for some time when his Divine Sense detects a group of demons gathering in a distant mountain gorge with Treasure Light flickering—another random event, perhaps? He decides to fly over for a closer look.

"Help! Help!!"

A woman’s cry for help reaches from afar, seemingly sensing a cultivator approaching.

Tie Dan glances over, seeing a Flying Boat appearing to have crash-landed due to a demon attack, stuck between a cliff’s crevices.

Several demon beasts are already on the cliff, some flying, some climbing, others leaping, trying to rush the Flying Boat and feast on those aboard.

The people on the boat are temporarily relying on the Magic Artifact talismans aboard to deploy a True Qi Barrier for defense, but with the demon’s repeated assaults, their Mana exhausts severely, seemingly unable to hold out for long.

Tie Dan roughly grasps the situation yet chooses not to intervene, flying directly overhead.

After all, those traveling on a Flying Treasure are almost certainly from the Demon Palace side...

"Fellow Daoist! Please lend a hand, Fellow Daoist!"

The people aboard also notice, urgently shouting, the woman directly pushes open the window frame, leaning out from the cabin, and beckons upwards.

Tie Dan glances at her, noticing that

She wears six brocade skirts with a light yellow shirt, delicate cloud atop, dark cloudlike hair, a flower hairpin of tortoiseshell atop her head.

Her cheeks bloom like peach blossoms, teeth polished pearly white, lips like freshly burst cherries, neck smooth as freshly peeled white lotus roots, arms as slender jade shoots, full-bodied, with a chest like fresh shelled eggs.

Her movements are graceful, attractive with luxuriant hair, voluptuous figure, slender with voluptuous and willowy waist, from head to toe, filled with elegance.

Mad, another femme fatale...

Tie Dan locks eyes with her, turns around and leaves, avoiding her like the plague.

The woman is stunned, never expecting that even after presenting herself, the person would treat her as dirt, quickly saying,

"My family is the Zhen State’s Gate Valve, the Lanling Xiao Clan! My father is the Marquis Xichang, Right Minister, Zhen State Guard General!

Please save us, Fellow Daoist! A drop of grace shall be repaid with an overflowing spring!"

Upon hearing this, Tie Dan quickens his pace in leaving...

Lord Xiao, "Hey, why are you leaving? It’s the Lanling Xiao Clan. Back in the Immortal Venerable’s time, they ruled the realm, do you know how wealthy they are?"

Tie Dan snorts coldly, "It’s not like it’s your family, what’s got you excited. If not for gathering medicine, I’d kill such a Gate Valve readily."

Lord Xiao speechless, "What medicine are you still collecting? With such family status, even without life-saving snow lotuses, do they lack soul-returning Immortal Pills?"

Hmm, that’s true too...

Tie Dan realizes, alright, this is an Immortal Fate event trigger.

He had been so obsessed with finding flowers on the mountain that when a true Immortal Fate was presented before him, he failed to recognize it, Tie Dan is indeed no exception...

Although he doesn’t want to interfere deep down, ultimately, the matters of White Jade are crucial, so Tie Dan reluctantly flies back. However, he doesn’t hurry to intervene, first circling around thoroughly, checking with Divine Sense to confirm there are no ambushes nearby, then decides to act.

Still, Tie Dan remains cautious, knowing that in the eyes of the Demon Sect and the aristocratic families of the Immortal Palace, they’re probably more fearsome than demons, thus refrains from using sword energy, instead pinches a formula to condense Xuanming Qi Blade, but doesn’t release it recklessly, overlapping his hands to form two wings of ice blades, deploying the Five Tigers Breaking Gate Saber Technique to attack.

The group of demons, though fierce and numerous, focus mainly on besieging the Treasure Ship, so Tie Dan skirmishes from the periphery, first targeting the flying demons, not lingering in battle, assaulting from behind and flanks. Once drawing the demons’ attention, risking encirclement, he withdraws without hesitation.

For ordinary Golden Core cultivators, though it might be achievable, maintaining flight, wielding blades in combat, and charging back and forth would likely deplete Qi Breath quickly, succumbing to the demon horde.

But Tie Dan’s repeated skirmishes become increasingly vigorous, akin to an ice-winged Flying Eagle, swift and fierce, decapitating demons one by one. The dust and blood rain falls incessantly; while fighting, he simultaneously absorbs and replenishes Qi Breath, the blade’s momentum growing fiercer, Ice Qi becoming colder, blade light flickering like a humanoid ice storm, tearing all demons caught within to shreds.

These demons, being sentient creatures, see the situation and recognize they’re no match, each losing their courage, turning tail to scatter.

Seeing this, Xiao Family’s daughter finally breathes a sigh of relief, adjusting her appearance, tying on a fox fur coat, and, flanked by two Sword Servant maids as guards, walks onto the deck to pay respects.

"Xiao Baoqin of the Xiao Clan, thank you for saving me, brave one. May I know your honorable name?"

Tie Dan lands on the Flying Boat’s mast, looking down at the trio, remaining silent.

That Xiao Baoqin uses an Outer Path Golden Core, essentially negligible in combat, not worth considering.

But the two Sword Servant maids beside her show some skill, though also using the External Pill Foundation Establishment. Tie Dan senses a certain peculiar aura from them, as if within their humanoid bodies, they hide a sharp blade, poised to strike for a lethal blow...

Sword boys, perhaps... yet slightly different, concealing something other than sword energy, presumably death soldiers cultivated by aristocratic families with secret techniques...

Seeing the other party silent, staring directly, Xiao Baoqin confidently smiles,

"If the benefactor doesn’t mind, why not come on board for a drink of rice wine, to recover some Qi Power and warm the body."

Tie Dan looks at her coldly,

"You dare venture into the icy plains with only these two individuals? Aren’t you afraid of encountering rebel armies?"

Xiao Baoqin, noticing his caution, smiles and explains,

"I was originally invited by the Princess of Kan to ascend Gu Yan, tour the Hanhai, and enjoy Northern Country’s scenery, admiring the snow as a guest.

Who knew Marquis Zhongshan harbored ambitions of rebellion, causing chaos to disperse the rebel army, forcing us to detour home via Yin Mountain.

Unexpectedly intercepted by a demon horde en route, facing ice storms and blizzards, several narrow escapes, losing touch with guards and attendants, fortunately saved by the benefactor, or else..."

Tie Dan looks at her,

"Who’s in the cabin? Why remain hidden, are they more esteemed than a Duke’s daughter?"

Xiao Baoqin’s smile freezes, her two death soldiers instantly stepping forward to block in front of her, on guard.

Moments pass in standoff, footsteps echo as another woman in a white fox fur cloak emerges from the cabin.

Her stature, age, hairstyle, and attire closely resemble Xiao Baoqin, almost like a reflection. She removes her hood, gazing at Tie Dan with overbearing arrogance,

"You are a disciple of the Snow Mountain Palace; I am Princess Shi Gui of Kan. If you escort us to the Three Constellations, there will be rewarding prizes!"

Tie Dan inspects her face closely, though she wears a veil, obscuring her features, those pupils with a green glow shimmer like glazed glass.

As expected, she belongs to the Kan’s clan...

Tie Dan shifts his gaze, addressing Xiao Baoqin with a fist salute,

"Snow Mountain Palace, Liu Xiaoliu."