Chapter 28: Deeper into the Far North (1/1)
Outer region of the Far North.
A team of thirty soul masters stepped on the snow, producing crisp creaking sounds.
Jiang Li walked at the back of the group, looking up. The outline of the inner Far North gradually became clearer at the edge of his vision.
As the rumors said, it was a wasteland covered entirely in ice and snow, where only pure white existed between heaven and earth.
Even sunlight seemed frozen, casting down rays filled with bone-chilling cold.
As the group went deeper, the temperature kept dropping, and the wind cut across their faces like blades.
Ordinary soul masters would already be circulating soul power for protection, but Jiang Li did not care at all.
He did not even pull up his collar, letting the snow and wind fall on his shoulders and melt into cold droplets.
His gaze rested on the cloaked figure ahead, a faint cold light flashing in his eyes.
It was already confirmed: the Sealing God Platform was on that cloaked person.
But now was not the time to act. He needed to wait until the Sealing God Platform completed its mission.
——
The farther north they went, the thicker the snow became. It reached up to their knees, making every step consume significant energy.
Occasionally, soul beasts like ice wolves and snow bears would rush out from the depths of the snowfield, but none dared approach the group. They only circled at a distance, letting out low whimpering roars.
The cloaked man ignored these low-level soul beasts completely, not even pausing.
His speed was not fast, but extremely steady, as if he had walked through this frozen land countless times.
Jiang Li followed behind, walking as easily as if he were strolling.
His eyes occasionally scanned the surroundings, silently memorizing the terrain of the Far North.
No one knew how long they walked before the snowfield ahead became increasingly steep, and towering ice mountains could be faintly seen in the distance.
On the ice mountains, cold air condensed into visible white mist, forming a natural barrier.
The cloaked man finally stopped, turned around, and his gaze swept over the group from under his hood, his voice as cold as the ice itself.
"After passing those ice mountains, we reach the outer edge of the core zone of the Far North. You must follow closely."
As his voice fell, a vast surge of soul power erupted. His black cloak swelled, forming a dark soul power barrier within half a meter around him, blocking out all wind and snow.
The faces of the group changed slightly as they hurriedly activated their soul power, not daring to be careless.
Jiang Li stood at the back, looking at the dark barrier with a calm expression.
The cloaked man said nothing more, turning and leading the way toward the ice mountains.
His black figure stepped into knee-deep snow yet moved as if on flat ground, each step precisely avoiding hidden ice cracks.
The soul masters of the group dared not hesitate and quickly followed. However, the closer they got to the ice mountains, the more biting the cold became, making even soul power circulation sluggish.
Soon, they reached the foot of the ice mountains.
A narrow mountain path buried under snow appeared before them.
The path wound upward, only wide enough for one person. On both sides were mirror-smooth ice walls.
Countless ice spikes hung above, reflecting cold light under the pale sun, making one's scalp tingle.
"Follow."
The cloaked man gave a low command and stepped onto the path first.
Jiang Li still remained at the end, his eyes sweeping over faint scratches on the ice walls beside him.
A trace of understanding flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing.
As the group moved forward, the path grew narrower.
The wind howled through the mountain cracks like a wailing scream.
At that moment, the ice walls suddenly began to tremble violently.
With a deafening roar, a ten-meter-long Ice Demon Ape smashed through the ice wall.
Its blood-red eyes locked onto a soul master in the center of the group as it raised its massive arm and slammed down with overwhelming force!
"Not good! A ten-thousand-year soul beast!"
Someone screamed in shock. Soul rings lit up instantly as various soul skills blasted toward the Ice Demon Ape.
But at that moment, the cloaked man suddenly flashed forward, actually bypassing the beast.
Instead of helping, he coldly shouted: "Hold it off!"
As his voice fell, his speed increased sharply as he rushed up the mountain path.
The soul masters were stunned, faces turning pale.
"He's using us as bait!"
Fear spread instantly.
Some tried to flee, but were slapped away by the Ice Demon Ape, crashing into the ice wall and spitting blood.
The remaining ones could only fight desperately. Soul skill explosions lit up the narrow path, but they could not harm the thick-skinned beast at all.
Jiang Li stood at the back, coldly watching the chaos.
He had no intention of interfering, only slightly shifting his body to avoid flying ice shards.
Soon, more screams echoed as two more people were killed by the beast.
The rest collapsed completely, scattering in panic, only to be cut by ice spikes. Blood stained the snow, attracting even more soul beasts.
Only then did Jiang Li move.
With a light step, his figure shot forward like a ghost, passing through the battlefield and heading upward.
He quickly caught up with the cloaked man.
The man stood at the top of the mountain path, watching the slaughter below, a cruel smile under his hood.
Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned abruptly. Seeing Jiang Li, surprise flashed in his eyes.
"You're still alive?"
"Something like this isn't enough to kill me," Jiang Li replied calmly, scanning the surroundings.
They were now at the peak of the ice mountain, endless glaciers stretching into the distance.
The cloaked man narrowed his eyes, clearly more cautious now.
"Keep up. The next part won't be so easy."
He stepped forward again, heading deeper into the ice fields.
Jiang Li followed unhurriedly. The remaining survivors had no choice but to continue as well.
But when they passed a frozen plain, the cloaked man suddenly stopped and pointed at a group of Ice Armored Snow Hounds in the distance.
He said coldly to the remaining few behind him: "Go lure them away."
Their faces turned ashen as they looked at the five ten-thousand-year Ice Armored Snow Hounds, trembling all over.
"You're sending us to our deaths!" one roared through gritted teeth.
The cloaked man snorted coldly. Soul power erupted, directly flinging that man into the center of the pack.
"If you don't go, you die now."
Cold words fell. The man's screams echoed across the ice field.
The remaining few, terrified out of their minds, rushed forward to lure the beasts away.
But this time, they did not even last half an incense stick of time before being torn apart.
Jiang Li stood in the distance, watching the brutal scene, his eyes completely unmoved.
He was already thinking about how to disappear—at least until Snow Empress was sealed, he could not expose himself.
What he did not know was that the cloaked man was also thinking about how to eliminate him.
Because the cloaked man had already noticed that Jiang Li was not ordinary. Leaving him alive was a risk factor.
"It seems I'll need to find an opportunity…"