At the tail end of winter, the snow fell all night long.

Everything around seemed trapped in a cold stillness, except for the river beside it making some noise.

This tranquility lasted for a long time.

At some moment, a whistling sound suddenly rang out, and with a figure, the cold chill swiftly spread, forming a temporary airflow that stirred up the layers of snow on the ground.

The young man in blue stumbled to a stop, gasping for breath, his pale face and bloodless lips reflecting the starkness of winter. Strings of Blood Pearls dripped from his fingertips onto the snow, blooming into patches of red, like tattered petals of winter plum blossoms.

He was injured, severely.

His spirits were depleted, and his qi was stagnant, unable to flee any further.

Behind him, two men in black cloaks, their faces obscured by conical hats, were closing in. One wielding a sword, the other a knife; one tall and thin, the other short and stout. Their bodies dotted with bloodstains.

The swordsman spoke in a deep voice, "Qin Yi, you have nowhere to run!"

The young man in blue clutched his left arm, frowning at the two, "You know, killing me has consequences."

The swordsman's face was hidden, his tone grave, "No one will know we killed you." He barked, "Attack! Don't give him a chance!"

The sword whistled, and the gleam of the knife flashed sharply.

The two in cloaks separated, forming almost perfectly symmetrical arcs, carrying fierce momentum toward the young man in blue.

The young man in blue was already injured, exhausted from fleeing, and his qi and strength were nearly depleted. He clenched his teeth, refusing to accept this as his end, yet knowing well he couldn't take both attacks simultaneously in his current state.

He had to dodge!

His body moved like a bird, his toes gently tapped, about to soar into the air.

But just half a zhang off the ground, the two in cloaks suddenly accelerated, one left and one right, leaping into the air, intent on plucking him from his trajectory.

Oh no, there was no way to dodge!

The young man in blue had already leaped, unable to change course, about to be struck down by sword and knife.

Just then, the snow between them suddenly erupted, as a powerful surge of qi shot up towards the sky. This qi enveloped the two in cloaks. Realizing they were ambushed, they tried to evade, but the sudden explosion of qi was too strong, impossible to dodge, leaving them no choice but to endure.

Each wielded their sword and knife to defend.

But as soon as their offensive left their bodies, it was completely shredded.

So strong!

They tried to attack again, but their sword and knife seemed to bear immense pressure, cried out before shattering into pieces. They were thrown out of control, crashing onto the frozen slope nearby, losing their ability to move.

They screamed in terror, "Qin Yi, you actually set up an ambush here!"

Not daring to stay a moment longer, the two fled in panic.

The young man in blue, Qin Yi, was also shocked by the sudden scene, completely forgetting to chase after them. Besides, in his current state, he couldn't have done so.

He looked at the patch of snow ahead. There, a huge pit had exploded open, and just the residual qi alone made his heart race.

A voice suddenly came.

Someone!

Though frightened, Qin Yi couldn't dare to run away, and approached hesitantly, "Thank you, senior, for your help!"

The young boy Fan Wubing walked out of the pit, glanced at the sky, then around, and finally at Qin Yi, "What happened here?"

Hearing the voice full of youthful spirit, Qin Yi cautiously lifted his head to see a handsome boy of about fifteen, and was immediately stunned. Then he thought to himself, it's quite normal for cultivators to use Youthful Appearance Skill!

He quickly answered, "Junior Qin Yi, was ambushed by Tingyu Tower assassins, fleeing all the way here, deeply trapped in a desperate situation. Thank you, senior, for your help!"

Fan Wubing was just awake, his thoughts hadn't caught up, "I was asking what just happened here?"

"Ah?" Qin Yi looked at Fan Wubing, bewildered, not following his line of thought.

"Never mind." Fan Wubing adjusted his state, used Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill to sense the surrounding qi… In just a few breaths, he understood the situation, sighed, "Didn't expect to fall asleep here."

"Asleep?" Qin Yi was stunned. The senior was just sleeping?

Fan Wubing said, "Don't overthink it. I just woke up suddenly, couldn't hold back the qi, coincidentally helped you out a bit."

Though it was such a coincidence, Qin Yi was certain of one thing: this senior was incredibly powerful! He said respectfully, "It is a fact that senior helped me. Without it, I would have perished here, so I must sincerely thank you."

Being called senior for the first time, Fan Wubing felt strange, "Just call me daoist friend."

Dao...daoist friend? Qin Yi just thought such a term was too much for him, then heard Fan Wubing add, "I'm younger than you."

"What?" Qin Yi stared blankly at Fan Wubing, "Senior is younger than me? I thought… senior used Youthful Appearance Skill."

Fan Wubing shook his head, "Apart from those who admire appearances, who would use Youthful Appearance Skill."

Youthful Appearance Skill might sound like a good thing, but to cultivators, it's purely a burden; not only offering no help to cultivation but also causing obstructed qi flow due to forcibly altering the body.

Most cultivators have a basic understanding that one's appearance is as it is, deliberately changing it usually backfires.

Qin Yi was even more astonished, a boy not even fifteen was that strong! Those two conical hat guests were both masters of the Late Stage of Golden Core, subdued easily by "wake-up qi"? Was there such a prodigy in Canglang Country?

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