Watching the wind and snow gradually intensify around them, Shen Hanyu, walking at the front, slightly narrowed his eyes and said to the girls behind him:
"It looks like a blizzard is coming. Let's find a place to set up camp first."
The four girls nodded. After walking a short distance further, they came upon a large pile of exposed boulders.
They barely managed to set up the tent between two massive rocks. Shui Yue'er's face was already frozen red, and her whole body was shivering uncontrollably.
Shen Hanyu took out firewood from his soul storage device and used his soul power to block the wind and snow, only then managing to light a fire.
Shui Bing'er and Shen Liuyu were fine, showing almost no discomfort and still looking energetic.
As for Shui Ningbing, there was no need to mention her; she had been in the mood to tease Shen Liuyu and the other two girls the whole way, as if the harsh external environment had nothing to do with her.
The warm firelight provided the only source of warmth. With Shui Yue'er surrounded in the middle by everyone, her complexion gradually improved, and her body stopped trembling.
The ice crystal Shen Hanyu had given her could block most of the cold, but it was far from completely isolating it. Among Shen Hanyu's group, she had the weakest martial soul and the lowest soul power level, so it was inevitable that she would be affected like this.
The climate in the Extreme North had no pattern. The blizzard swept in without any warning, reducing visibility to less than two meters. The howling wind sounded like the roar of a wild beast, making the environment particularly eerie.
Shui Ningbing stretched out a hand, and a sturdy ice wall slowly formed above everyone's heads, blocking the howling wind and falling snow from above. She then smiled at the three girls who were eating dry rations and said:
"Isn't the Extreme North fun? How does it feel, my three young ladies~."
Shen Hanyu took out blankets made from the fur of the Flame Lion King and handed them to the three girls. He casually grabbed a blanket for himself and leaned directly against the icy rock.
Shen Liuyu took the blanket and covered the three of them with it. The warm fire-attribute energy immediately surged forth, and the soft, comfortable texture made the three girls, exhausted after a day of travel, let out a simultaneous moan of comfort.
Only then did the three notice Shui Ningbing's question.
"Mm... Although it's not my first time in the Extreme North, the climate here is truly frightening. Fortunately, we haven't encountered any soul beasts..."
Shen Liuyu said with some emotion.
This was also their first time venturing deep into the Extreme North to experience everything here, giving them a somewhat unreal feeling.
"Indeed. With a blizzard like this, even an ordinary Soul Ancestor might not withstand it and could perish..."
Shui Bing'er also said solemnly.
Shui Yue'er buried her entire body inside the blanket, not wanting to stick her head out to feel the low temperature outside at all.
"Hehe... This is just the beginning. What we've encountered today is merely a simple appetizer for the Extreme North, and even this appetizer isn't over yet..."
Shen Hanyu casually glanced at the vast wind and snow outside, saying with a hint of teasing.
Shui Ningbing also slowly shifted her gaze, fixing it on a blurry black shadow not far away.
"A leopard-type soul beast, entirely snow-white with wavy patterned fur, over seven meters in length, with a cultivation of around twenty-seven thousand years."
Shui Ningbing said in a low voice.
"It's a Snow Ghost Leopard, and it seems there's more than one. There are other soul beasts around as well..."
Shen Hanyu waved his hand nonchalantly and said:
"Ignore them. They're probably affected by the blizzard and looking for a place to take shelter. There are plenty of soul beasts nearby. Killing it might attract even more."
As he spoke, Shen Hanyu slightly released a trace of his aura.
With a low whimper coming from the wind and snow, the Snow Ghost Leopard soon completely disappeared.
Shui Ningbing nodded as well. In the current situation, attracting more soul beasts would be troublesome. It was better to avoid unnecessary conflict. Besides, even if they killed this Snow Ghost Leopard, no one could absorb its soul ring.
Shen Hanyu closed his eyes, his spiritual force slowly spreading out in all directions, detecting one soul beast after another.
"A thirty-thousand-year Snow Fox, a nearly fifty-thousand-year Ice Crystal Ant, and a group of old acquaintances, the Icefield Elephant herd..."
Shen Hanyu couldn't help but sigh at how lively the area was. It seemed the campsite they had chosen was indeed good, as many soul beasts inhabited the surroundings. He just wondered if the three girls would still be able to sleep if they knew...
Of course, Shen Hanyu didn't have that kind of bad taste.
The girls were exhausted today. Maintaining body temperature and traveling long distances in a place like this consumed a lot of physical strength and soul power. If they didn't get enough rest, their bodies would eventually break down.
...
A peaceful night passed.
The blizzard from last night had continued almost until dawn, causing the snow outside to accumulate above knee level for humans, making walking even more difficult.
Fortunately, no soul beasts disturbed their sleep during the night. The only exception was a thirty-thousand-year Snow Fox that sneakily slipped in during the night. After being discovered by Shen Hanyu, it was frightened motionless by a trace of his aura. Shen Hanyu then used its soft and warm body as a cushion, even treating it like a cat and petting it for a while before letting it go.
Shen Hanyu currently has no plans to keep a pet; otherwise, a soul beast like the Snow Fox, with its relatively gentle temperament and lazy nature, would have been an excellent choice.
Early morning.
Shen Hanyu and the others set off on their journey again. The night's rest had greatly improved the girls' complexions, and their stamina was replenished once more.
Shui Ningbing, walking at the rear, said:
"The area ahead is truly the middle part of the Extreme North's mixed zone. The soul beasts here are no longer as simple as before. More than ten years ago, a Soul Sage-level teacher from the academy reportedly perished in this vicinity. The two Soul Emperor teachers who returned also suffered lifelong injuries from it and, not long after, all..."
At this point, Shui Ningbing's tone grew somber. To be honest, the fallen teachers had personally taught her in the past, and thinking about it now still brought a faint sorrow.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er sensed Shui Ningbing's low mood, and both stepped forward to hold one of her hands each, offering silent comfort.
Shui Ningbing looked at her two dear nieces beside her and pulled both into her embrace. For a moment, the scene was inexplicably heartwarming.
Shen Liuyu moved closer to Shen Hanyu, hugging one of his arms, and said somewhat enviously:
"Brother, I kind of miss Mom and Dad..."
Shen Hanyu rubbed Shen Liuyu's head and smiled as he said:
"We can go back to visit them when we have time. Who knows, in a few more years when we return, they might have even given us a little brother or sister..."
A trace of anticipation appeared in Shen Liuyu's eyes as her thoughts drifted far away...
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