The silence was suddenly broken by a faint sound.
A weak, trembling cry echoed through the cold air.
Lin Xue's eyes sharpened instantly. "Over there."
Guided by her enhanced perception and illusion sense, she led the team toward a hidden cave partially buried beneath layers of frost and collapsed stone.
Inside, the temperature dropped even further.
At the far end of the cave—
They found it.
A small white tiger cub.
Its fur shimmered like snow under dim light, while faint blue flames flickered unevenly around its body. The flames weren't stable—they surged and dimmed erratically, as if the cub was struggling to control them.
Xu Mei stepped forward cautiously. "It's injured… and unstable."
The cub noticed them immediately.
It tried to stand.
It tried to growl.
But its strength failed it.
Still, its eyes were fierce.
Refusing to submit.
Li Hao slowly crouched down, lowering his presence.
"I'm not your enemy," he said calmly.
The cub stared at him.
For a moment, everything fell silent.
Then—
The cub stopped struggling.