Chapter 71: The Azure Python Jungle

Just moments ago, he had sensed pursuers approaching and had swiftly escaped using his movement technique. Then, with a sudden inspiration, he burrowed back through the thick snow, nearly ten feet deep, concealing his presence with a breath-hiding technique so no one could detect him.

It was then that he discovered it was the Liu family who had placed the bounty on his head; otherwise, he would still be in the dark about his pursuers’ identities.

He was well aware of the Liu family’s power—ranked fourth among all the illustrious clans in the entire Qingxue Prefecture, even stronger than the Shangguan or Xiao families. They had also been the former backers of the Zhang family in Panlong City. It was no surprise, then, that after he annihilated the Zhangs and failed to offer tribute to the Lius, they bore him a grudge. With the Lin family of Panlong City under the protection of the Jiang family, the Lius dared not act openly, so they set their sights on him while he was outside.

“Did the Liu family really think I’m so easily bullied?” A cold light flashed in Lin Fan’s eyes. All he needed was to enter the Celestial Tome Academy to quickly mend his cultivation technique. Once his strength soared, the mighty Liu family that loomed over him now would be swept away with a mere wave of his hand.

He quietly vowed to settle this score one day.

Nonetheless, he found some comfort in the fact that with the Jiang family’s protection, even the fourth-ranked Liu family dared not touch the Lins within Qingxue Prefecture. They could only target him when he was away, which meant the Lin family was safe for now.

But the current assassins hunting him were troublesome—he simply couldn’t match their strength at the moment. Unlike before, when he could cut down his pursuers as easily as slicing vegetables, these new foes were far too powerful. Indeed, he could still use his blade intent to quickly dispatch peak Qi Pulse cultivators, but the moment he fought here, any fluctuation would draw the Transcendent Pulse experts in droves.

They would surround and trap him, leaving no escape.

Even if he risked everything and used his soul secret technique to kill one Transcendent Pulse expert, he would be gravely injured and wouldn’t last long. How could he then face the others?

If there were only one such expert, it would be manageable; he could use his soul art to strike down the first, then, before collapsing from exhaustion, use the remaining time to kill the Qi Pulse experts and flee.

But with so many Transcendent Pulse experts—he didn’t even know exactly how many—his chances were bleak.

Driven deeper into the snowy forest by their relentless search, he was now nearing the territory of fourth-rank fiend beasts.

His original purpose in venturing into the Snowy Forest had been both to temper himself and to help Thousandfold Snow quickly reach the level of a spiritual artifact by slaying beasts and absorbing their essence.

According to his plan, he would circle from the forest’s edge—where second- and third-rank beasts were found—toward the city of Zhan Tian Prefecture, then use their teleportation array to reach the capital of the Snow Kingdom and enter the Celestial Tome Academy.

But now, with mercenary groups and assassins all hired by the Liu family to kill him, they would surely anticipate his journey to the academy. The three nearest prefectural cities—Zhan Tian, Qingxue, and Maple Forest—would all be tightly guarded to prevent his escape.

Qingxue Prefecture was shielded by the Jiang family, so perhaps the Lius hadn’t stationed men inside the city, but the routes home would certainly be under strict surveillance, possibly even by the Lius themselves, waiting for him to walk into their trap.

There was no way he could return by that route.

As for Zhan Tian and Maple Forest, lacking the Jiang family’s protection, he was certain to be ambushed there.

With all these paths blocked, only one route remained: to cross the Snowy Forest and reach the southern Nantian Prefecture, then proceed to the academy from there.

But this was far from easy—it was a path of almost certain death.

Everyone knew that Zhan Tian, Qingxue, and Maple Forest Prefectures lay at the kingdom’s frigid northernmost edge, with Qingxue the coldest and most desolate of all. The snowy forest stretching across a dozen prefectures was, in truth, called the Azure Python Forest.

Seen from above, the Azure Python Forest coiled across the land like an immense serpent, traversing more than ten prefectures of the Heavenly Snow Kingdom—hence its name.

By the time the forest reached the extreme north, at Qingxue Prefecture, it was merely the tip of the python’s tail. Perpetually covered in snow and ice, its local name had become simply the Snowy Forest.

Directly opposite Qingxue Prefecture lay the tip of the Azure Python’s tail, with Zhan Tian and Maple Forest Prefectures adjacent, facing the same predicament.

Anyone could see that if you went straight through the forest’s tail, you would arrive in Nantian Prefecture on the other side.

But no one would be foolish enough to try.

Even at its tail, the Azure Python Forest teemed with deadly beasts—fourth-rank fiends were common, and it was rumored that even fifth-rank monsters lurked in the deeper corners.

A fourth-rank beast was equivalent to a Transcendent Pulse human, but fiends were typically much stronger. Even a newly advanced fourth-rank beast could fight two human cultivators of the same level and remain undefeated.

A lone traveler would soon be torn apart.

To hold one’s own against a beast of the same rank required immense talent, plus a formidable cultivation technique.

As for fifth-rank fiends, even the most ordinary among them were terrors to human experts of the Stream Realm.

Fiends did not bargain or reason—upon seeing a human, they would attack without hesitation. Who would dare cross such a perilous forest?

Yet Lin Fan had no other choice.

Now, the hundred-mile stretch of the Snowy Forest bordering Qingxue Prefecture was crawling with his pursuers. Seven or eight groups, some numbering seven or eight men, others just one or two, but altogether at least twenty or thirty strong, all late-stage Qi Pulse cultivators at the minimum. A hundred miles was nothing to them.

Even as he submerged himself in the snow again, two more groups passed close by, conducting a near-perfect search.

He couldn’t hide forever, no matter his cultivation—he still had to eat, drink, and sleep, and he had to reach the Celestial Tome Academy. He could not afford to wait them out.

Thus, he could only choose to cross the Azure Python Forest towards Nantian Prefecture.

For others, this was a path of almost certain death, but he had some confidence. He could use his breath-hiding technique to avoid both assassins and fourth-rank fiends. If forced, he could use his soul secret technique again—even if it meant another severe injury.

He knew that fourth-rank fiends all had their own territories, and within them, other fiends seldom intruded. Even if he used the soul technique and was left gravely wounded, he would not fear being beset by more.

He was being driven toward the beasts’ territory, but he had also considered using it as a refuge if he had no other choice.

His only hope was not to encounter more than one fourth-rank beast at a time—such as the demon apes or ironwing eagles, which often lived in mating pairs and might even be accompanied by their offspring.

If that happened, both adults would be at full strength, and the young would also be formidable. If he ran into such a family, his only option would be to turn and flee. If caught, his death would be far worse than being killed by men—he would be torn limb from limb, devoured alive.

“He’s here—!”

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.

Lin Fan’s eyes narrowed. Following the sound, he looked up to see a snow eagle with a wingspan of more than five meters soaring just twenty meters above him. Upon its back rode a warrior, exuding the aura of a Qi Pulse expert—the one who had shouted.

“Courting death!” A cold gleam flashed in Lin Fan’s eyes. With a metallic ring, he drew Thousandfold Snow. In that instant, his energy and intent surged, and a blade of silvery light swept through the air like a torrent.

Alarmed, the warrior tried to urge the eagle aside, but it was too late.

With a sickening sound, the blade of light sliced through both the eagle and its rider, cleaving them in two and scattering blood across the sky.

With a crisp sound, Thousandfold Snow returned to its sheath, and Lin Fan vanished.

In less than a fraction of a second, eight or nine figures appeared from every direction—two groups, by their appearance.

One group of three was the Shadow organization members he’d seen before; the other six were unfamiliar.

“Isn’t this the famed Shadow? What’s wrong—lost some men?” sneered a burly man in a red battle suit among the six, a giant sword nearly twenty centimeters wide strapped to his back like a door plank.

At his words, the Shadow leader’s face darkened. “Don’t be so smug. As far as I know, your Breaking Army mercenaries have taken heavy losses too.”