Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

The white demon leech was obviously a greater threat than the Frosty Ancient Eagles, especially when it had a clear target in mind.

Zhao Kang immediately ran toward Yassen’s group when he noticed something was not right. His men were being butchered by the demon leech. The cries of the Savage Raptors echoed across the lake as the demon leech dragged many Hunter Masters into the water.

The water of the lake was bone-chilling. No one knew if there were other creatures hiding in the lake’s immeasurable depths. The Mages that were dragged into the lake by the demon leech had no chance of survival, regardless of their cultivation.

“B**ch, what the heck have you done!?” The rest in the group were not idiots. They clearly saw Black Spade using her Psychic Magic to provoke the demon leech.

The other groups were approaching the mountains, meaning that their partnership was reaching an end. No one was willing to turn around to save the Savage Raptors!

The Savage Raptor Hunter Group suffered great losses after the encounter with the demon leech, not to mention the Frosty Ancient Eagles were constantly hunting them now!

Zhao Kang followed Yassen’s group and managed to flee to safety.

“Help me, Brother Kang!” Black Spade was running on the ice. She even took off her coat just so she could run quicker.

“Humph, are you trying to get revenge because of your sister? You have only yourself to blame if you die!” Zhao Kang swore at her.

“What did you say? My sister?” Black Spade was startled.

Zhao Kang ignored Black Spade’s reaction. He waved his hand and Summoned a rock barrier, blocking the direction Black Spade was running into.

Black Spade was not an agile Mage. She trembled in fear when she saw the rising wall gradually blocking Zhao Kang’s cold face.

The ice behind Black Spade collapsed as the demon leech drew closer. It opened its mouth and swallowed the human who had dared to provoke it!

“How could you do that to your own teammate?” Senior Hunter Yassen spat.

“She deserved it. She provoked the monster and almost got us all killed,” Zhao Kang said disdainfully.

“Is that so…” Yassen did not comment on it further. He glanced at the remaining Savage Raptors and noticed they were skillful in their own way. They had managed to reach the mountain after the team split up.

As for the rest of the groups that were stuck in the middle of the lake, there was nothing much Yassen could do. They had obviously failed to overcome the beast hordes, and the Frosty Ancient Eagles had already gathered above them. If they did not make it out, their chance of survival were very slim.

“How many teams made it?” Yassen asked the woman at his side softly.

“The Mailong Private Military Group has arrived now. The explorers hired by the Sacred Hall of Liberty are all here. The Savage Raptor Hunter Group lost a few of its members. The Mu Clan had a lot more casualties, and only five of them are left. The Heaven Star Mercenary Group is here too, but the rest aren’t even teams anymore,” a Huntress beside Yassen reported.

“Many of those with a weaker cultivation are dead.”

“Indeed, they struggled against the Frosty Ancient Eagles.”

Among the groups, only those with higher cultivations, like Yassen and his men, had managed to preserve their numbers. Their strength was enough to guarantee their own safety. As for the other groups with numbers in strength, their survival was purely based on luck. The unfortunate ones had ended up as food to the demon creatures of Tianshan Mountain.

Many people had died in the battle. Only half of the human explorers had made it to the other side of the lake.

Tianshan Mountain was like the Gates of Hell!

—

“What now? Are we going separate ways, or are we sticking together?” Kuma asked.

The Mailong Private Military Group’s numbers had gone from a hundred and ten to thirty-eight. Even Kuma was in disbelief from shock.

They had only reached the Valley of Glaciers, where the entrance of the Scar of Tianshan Mountain was located, yet they had already lost two-thirds of their team! Putting aside the question of whether they could claim the Sacred Lotus or not, how many of them would survive until the end?

“Tianshan Mountain is a lot scarier than we imagined. If we split up here, not many teams are going to survive,” Senior Hunter Yassen spoke up bluntly.

“You mean, we should continue to stay in an alliance?” Kuma asked.

“Mm, the lowest level of the demon creatures in the Scar of Tianshan Mountain are at the Commander-level. There’s a great chance we’ll stumble into Ruler-level creatures, and more than one of them… I do know everyone here is confident in taking on one Ruler-level creature, but two or three of them at the same time? I don’t think anyone will escape,” Yassen mused aloud.

“My people are almost all dead, I’m fine with staying in the alliance, but there must be rules…” the leader of the group hired by the Mu Clan, Xing Hui, spoke up.

“For those who are willing to form an alliance, I just hope we can work together at all times. If anyone tries to mess it up, I, Yassen, will be the first to kill them!” Yassen warned them.

“It seems like there are people who don’t agree with the idea?” Zhao Kang observed.

“It’s fine, they can go their separate ways. We won’t force them.”

Kuma was the leader of the Mailong Private Military Group, and had great trust in Yassen. She immediately agreed with Yassen’s suggestion.

Tianshan Mountain had crushed Kuma’s confidence. If the rest of her men could not rely on a stronger group, how were they supposed to survive the Scar of Tianshan Mountain?

“The Mu Clan is quite embarrassing. Look at the Scouts, they have only lost one member,” Bertan of the Sacred Hall of Liberty commented.

Xing Hui glanced at the ninth team of the Mailong Private Military Group. How did they make it across the lake in one piece?

“They are Super Mages on average,” Yassen informed the others.

Yassen’s impression of the national team had changed. His group was at the Super Level on average, but those younger Mages were all Super Mages too! They were the real elites present!

“Strange, why are there a few abandoned tents here?” Kuma suddenly noticed.

Yassen followed her eyes and saw some tents, drinking bottles, and some clothes that were not buried under the snow.

“It looks like someone has reached the Scar of Tianshan Mountain before us,” Yassen frowned.

“Could it be them?”

“I can’t think of any others that are strong enough to do so except them.”