The Crane knew that it was not the time to delay any further, but Yuanhui seemed as immovable as a rock. No matter how hard you hit him, he wouldn't budge. When you tried to force him, he would just engage in a battle of attrition. Just when you wanted to retreat, Yuanhui would block you and prevent you from leaving unharmed.
Finally, after a moment, the Crane, unwilling to give up, collapsed on the ground. His consciousness fading, the Chi around him gradually dissipated, leaving his body completely devoid of fighting capability.
Lost too much blood and with his spirit core severely damaged, even if he survived this time, he would never be able to cultivate again. Yuanhui's eyes lit up as he looked at the Crane, who lay gasping for breath on the ground. He bent down, intending to take the storage bracelet that the Crane carried with him. At some point, he had learned the unusual skill of looting bodies.
But unexpectedly, the Crane, who was already on the brink of death, suddenly grabbed Yuanhui's left hand and forcefully tore off his right arm with his other hand. With a thud, the Crane fell to the ground, dead and gone.
"Trying to give me a parting shot before your death?" Yuanhui looked at his abandoned 'right hand' on the ground, feeling somewhat melancholic. "My Meteor Sword is now completely destroyed. This guy... he and my master's gift can be considered a parting farewell. They ended up perishing together!"
Picking up the cloth bag hanging from the corpse's waist, now soaked in blood, he opened it up and found a small pouch of silver and copper coins, along with a few vials of elixirs and bundles of herbs. However, these herbs were worthless to an ordinary person, as Yuanhui didn't know how to concoct medicine. Luckily, his master had reminded him not to consider these herbs as disposable scraps.
The silver and copper coins were common currency on the continent, good for buying meals to fill his stomach later on. As for the elixirs, Yuanhui couldn't help but feel a bit regretful as he read the names marked on the vials - they were all low-grade pills for healing.
"Sigh, it makes sense. How could these lowly lackeys possibly conceal treasures on their bodies?" Just as he was about to discard a heap of pill bottles, the label on one of them caught his attention. Yuanhui paused, then forcefully pulled out the bottle stopper, releasing a strong, pungent odor.
"How is this possible... Heavenly Essence Pill?" Yuanhui muttered these three words, deducing from his own experience. "The Crane's strength skyrocketed to almost the level of an Immortal by using this pill. It's just that you kept stalling for time, preventing him from recovering in time, which ultimately led to excessive blood loss and his demise."
"What?" Yuanhui immediately brought the pill back to his nose, greedily preparing to inhale deeply, but his master, sensing danger, quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.
"Are you crazy?!" "It's your master who's crazy. This pill can elevate you to the level of an Immortal. If you swallow it..." "You'll explode and die, and even I would have a hard time finding a single ash to collect your remains!"
These words frightened Yuanhui, who had been about to smell the pill, causing him to inadvertently drop it on the ground. "Could it be true?" Yuanhui handed the pill over to his master with a regretful expression. "Hehe, if absorbing this pill could advance you to the level of an Immortal, then this pill is truly valuable. It's said to have been kept in the Capital for over a thousand years without reappearing, making me believe it was just a legend."
"So... how long does the effect last if I just take a whiff?" "It lasts for about less than a quarter of an hour, that's the efficacy of this pill."
Calculating the time, his master poured out one pill from the bottle, a round and glossy emerald-colored pill in his palm, emitting a faint fragrance. Yuanhui, struggling against the heavy Chi, furrowed his brow as the potent effect of the pill began evaporating the dense Chi within him.
"This Heavenly Essence Pill puts immense pressure on anyone, even a sense of chilling fear, but the pill itself... could it be that the General who called himself Crane stole it?" Yuanhui looked at the strange pill with a sense of trepidation, the aura it emanated causing him great discomfort.
At that moment, a thunderous roar shook the heavens from the mountain peak, and flashes of lightning flickered faintly atop the Great Snow Mountain, indicating a fierce battle taking place there. Yuanhui suddenly felt unsteady, the ground cracking beneath him as if struck by a monumental force that tore everything apart.
"What's going on?!" Yuanhui glanced towards the mountain top, catching a glimpse of a thundercloud forming there, with bolts of lightning descending like doomsday had arrived.
"Roar...!" A thunderous roar echoed, shaking the eight corners, and a grayish-brown cloud rose beside the thundercloud in the sky, as if foreshadowing the arrival of a terrifying beast.
Boom! The massive snow on the mountaintop started sliding down uncontrollably, signaling an avalanche. Yuanhui and his master's expressions changed drastically.
"Snow avalanche!" "It's the Snow Dog!"
Large stretches of towering pines and withered tree trunks were uprooted, like a bulldozer pushing snow and engulfing everything in its path. Some resilient pines stood amidst the avalanche but were quickly submerged, while countless spirit beasts and demons were stirred, fleeing in all directions. However, they couldn't escape the swift and fierce avalanche, eventually disappearing without a trace.
"Run, you foolish disciple!!!" Yuanhui, now alert, scrambled down the mountain, realizing the danger of being engulfed by the avalanche and the slim chances of survival.
The bodies of Crane, Guo Jing, and the others were instantly buried beneath the avalanche, erasing all traces of their existence.
In the central street of the Capital... At this moment, noon, the street was bustling with people, vendors shouting their wares, and food stalls selling delicacies to the elite and commoners alike. Despite the ongoing battles within the city, it didn't deter the nobles and officials from indulging in feasting at restaurants and taverns.
"Aah General Chen, please come this way!" "Ah, that snow avalanche a few days ago was truly terrifying; even though I was so far away, it sent shivers down my spine." One of the brothers accompanying the middle-aged man drank the tea served by the waiter and couldn't help remarking.
At this, the middle-aged man made a shushing gesture. "Be careful not to speak so carelessly; that was the commotion caused by one of the most powerful figures on the continent. It was a fierce battle between a transcendent being and the sealed beast from the Great Snow Mountain. The scene was said to be truly otherworldly... Ah, we must be cautious when discussing such matters, as that person is no ordinary individual."
The general, known as Chen, immediately lifted a jug of spirits and took a gulp, thoroughly enjoying the fine liquor. "The spirits in this establishment are still excellent!"
The other two brothers also savored the alcohol, showing their enjoyment. The high-quality liquor was expensive, and they rarely had the opportunity to drink such fine spirits.
"Truly refreshing!" Soon, they emptied the jug of spirits, having barely touched the food on the table but thoroughly enjoying the drinks.
"General, I heard that His Majesty has been working tirelessly to collect supplies for the border; it must be exhausting." "Indeed, as I am in a critical period, soldiers and provisions are extremely scarce. His Majesty just finished sorting the latest batch of supplies and is about to send them to the border..." The general grabbed a chicken leg and began munching on it, speaking with slightly slurred words.
"Yes, His Majesty has been kind to him, but as soon as he became the head of his own family, he began to act arrogantly and insolently. If I were His Majesty, I would have dispatched all the Flowing Guard to deal with him on the spot!"
Flattery was rampant among the attendants, escalating as each person tried to outdo the other in praising the general.
After a meal, the three men left the establishment. In a secluded corner of the restaurant, a man with a straw hat and long hair covering his face calmly drank a jug of fine spirits, the same expensive liquor the general had enjoyed. He had been sitting there for quite some time, showing no intention of leaving. If he hadn't ordered the costly liquor, the waiter would have likely asked him to leave long ago.
"The Emperor has indeed put out a warrant for my arrest. My likeness has been plastered all over the center of the Capital. Fortunately, he has been preoccupied with gathering supplies these past days, giving me a brief respite." This man was none other than Wu Luotian, the branch family head of the Wu family, who had narrowly escaped being buried in the avalanche. His current disguise was meant for gathering information, as he was now on the imperial wanted list, with anyone associated with him being under surveillance.
"A few days ago, the massive snow avalanche drowned all the Wu family disciples. The family head shouldn't know that I killed their members, and the Emperor should understand the disappearances among his subordinates."
