As they continued forward, they encountered several more corpses. The Shadow Scaled Guards inspected each one and found the same pattern: all victims had been killed with a single, precise strike, leaving their storage bags untouched.
This ruled out both beast attacks and robbery as motives.
Wen Qiao’s sharp instincts told her that something unusual was happening in Lin Tai Hunting Valley—possibly interference from an unknown force intending to disrupt the trials. She glanced at Ning Yuzhou and the Shadow Scaled Guards, her thoughts turning to the disciples of the other families participating in the trials. Was this an internal conflict among the cultivators of Dongling Kingdom, or the work of outside forces? And what could their objectives be?
Whoever was responsible possessed extraordinary strength and a ruthless nature, judging by the one-strike kills.
After crossing the plains, they arrived at an area shrouded in white mist.
Upon closer inspection, Wen Qiao noticed that this mist differed from the thick fog covering Lin Tai Mountain. It was thinner, offering about ten meters of visibility, allowing glimpses of the surrounding terrain.
Qian Shou sent two Shadow Scaled Guards ahead to scout. They ventured a short distance and quickly returned, reporting, “Your Highness, the visibility is about ten meters. We haven’t encountered anything unusual so far.”
Ning Yuzhou nodded and took Wen Qiao’s hand, leading her into the mist.
The Shadow Scaled Guards formed a protective formation around them and followed closely.
As soon as they entered, a strange chill enveloped them, causing Wen Qiao to shiver involuntarily. She rubbed her arms and noticed that the mist had a peculiar icy quality. The ground was damp and soft, producing squelching sounds underfoot, while sparse shrubs and grasses thrived in the moisture-laden soil.
Soon, a thin layer of frost settled over their bodies, making the cold even more biting.
Ning Yuzhou handed her a spiritual pill and took one himself.
After swallowing the pill, Wen Qiao felt her body gradually warming up. The icy mist could no longer affect her, and the Shadow Scaled Guards, having also taken pills, moved without trouble.
She glanced at her calm and composed husband, marvelling once again at how thoroughly prepared he was. Every contingency seemed to have been anticipated, leaving no room for chaos or panic.
“Croak… croak…”
Suddenly, eerie croaking sounds echoed from deep within the mist, sharp and jarring against the stillness.
The sounds seemed to come from all directions. The Shadow Scaled Guards quickly formed a defensive formation, encircling Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou.
Swish, swish, swish!
The sound of something cutting through the air reached them, followed by the distinct *thud* of impacts. Wen Qiao drew a thin sword with one hand and held Ning Yuzhou with the other, scanning their surroundings. Soon, she saw the source of the attacks—sharp icicles hurtling through the mist, glinting with a frosty gleam. As the Shadow Scaled Guards deflected them, the icicles shattered and dissipated into mist, merging seamlessly with the surrounding fog.
The croaking grew louder, and the icicles rained down in an unrelenting barrage.
The sheer volume of projectiles would have turned them into pincushions if not for the guards’ coordinated defence. Wen Qiao quickly realized that the icy mist was empowering the icicles, continuously replenishing their numbers.
“Use fire!” Ning Yuzhou commanded.
Following his order, the guards activated fire talismans, releasing streams of fiery dragons that engulfed the incoming icicles and burned away the mist. As the mist thinned, visibility improved to nearly a hundred meters, revealing the culprits—dozens of white Ice Tear Frogs perched on frost-laden trees. Each croak they emitted materialized dozens of icicles that shot toward their targets.
“They’re Tier 3 Ice Tear Frogs,” Ning Yuzhou identified calmly, noting their distinctive teardrop-like markings beneath their eyes.
The fire talismans proved devastating against the frogs, their natural nemesis. Faced with the flames, the frogs retreated in droves. The Shadow Scaled Guards seized the opportunity to capture several. Despite their danger in groups, Ice Tear Frogs were prized for their deliciously refreshing meat, making them a valuable catch.
While the guards were busy collecting frogs, Wen Qiao curiously observed them. “Can I have a few to train with?” she asked.
Qian Shou hesitated, glancing at Ning Yuzhou. When Ning Yuzhou nodded, he ordered some frogs to be set aside for her.
“Step back. Stay away,” Wen Qiao instructed Ning Yuzhou, worried that her mortal husband might get hurt.
Ning Yuzhou agreed with a smile, retreating to stand beside Qian Shou. He watched with interest as his young wife began her impromptu training session.
Facing the Tier 3 frogs, equivalent in strength to cultivators at the Yuan Feather Realm, Wen Qiao initially struggled. Her movements were clumsy, and her swordplay lacked finesse. Dodging one attack, she narrowly avoided an icicle aimed at her chest, though several others grazed her arms, leaving bloody cuts.
Ning Yuzhou’s smile faded slightly as he noted the injuries on her arm.
As she gained experience, Wen Qiao gradually improved. Her movements became more fluid, and she started using her sword more effectively to block and counterattack. She moved with agility, her soft yet resilient frame twisting and turning to evade attacks while closing in on her foes.
She struck down the frogs one by one with increasingly precise and deadly blows.
Noticing her progress, Qian Shou released a dozen more frogs. Wen Qiao continued her training, each encounter sharpening her skills.
Qian Shou observed her silently, noting her initial lack of combat experience. Her early attempts had been haphazard and ineffective, but the sight of her own blood had triggered a transformation. Her swordsmanship, though rough at first, began to display the lethal precision of the “Elegant Swan Sword Style”, a signature skill of the Wen family known for its balance of grace and strength.
By the time Wen Qiao exhausted her spiritual energy, the area was littered with the corpses of over a hundred frogs, their blood staining the icy ground. Her swordplay had become polished and deadly, fully embodying the sword style’s potential.
Wen Qiao surveyed the carnage, noting the unusually gruesome scene. She glanced at Qian Shou and, seeing his bemused expression, suddenly realized how different her fighting style was from the refined elegance typically associated with Wen family disciples.
When Ning Yuzhou approached, she hastily explained, “I didn’t mean to be so… brutal.”
Ning Yuzhou chuckled. “I understand. The Elegant Swan Sword Style is meant to balance soft and hard techniques. You simply leaned toward its harder aspect—it’s perfectly fine.”
His easy-going response reassured her, though she still felt self-conscious about her unorthodox execution of the style.
Then Ning Yuzhou added with a smile, “Congratulations on your breakthrough.”
Wen Qiao’s expression softened into a smile, her faint dimple and small tiger tooth peeking through. “Thank you. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.” In truth, she had sensed a breakthrough coming but had suppressed it due to her condition. However, the daily medicinal soup and nourishing vegetative essence of Lin Tai Hunting Valley had strengthened her body, making the breakthrough feel natural during her combat training. She had finally advanced to the Yuan Feather Realm.
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