Chapter 35: The Frozen Rescue

Besides the Teleportation Array, Maple Ridge Valley could also be entered from the mountain ridge ten li outside the Maple Ridge Dojo.

According to the Water Mirror’s division by valley zones, the sub-cell Song Qingyao currently occupied was only about a single incense stick’s journey away from that ridge.

By Song Zhiyou’s all-out sprint, that is.

Leaving the Maple Ridge Dojo, Song Zhiyou pulled a gray cloth garment over herself, smeared some dirt on her face, and began dashing toward the ridge.

She had truly understood Lu Wangshu’s words about the choice of fate.

Song Zhiyou had no other intentions.

Song Qingyao was someone she had brought out from the Song family, and her decision to take Song Qingyao out intact had nothing to do with Song Qingyao herself.

When she had been releasing her talismans earlier, Song Zhiyou had deliberately kept a few on her person, including some that boosted speed.

These talismans were low-grade, mostly single-use.

Originally, Song Zhiyou had planned to sell them, trade them for fragrant spirit stones, and then exchange those for rosy spirit herbs.

But now, she activated them without hesitation, just to be faster—just a little faster…

The night was as black as ink, and the last trace of sky light in the valley was swallowed by jagged mountain shadows.

Song Qingyao leaned against the icy rock wall, breathing heavily. Sticky wolf blood dripped slowly from the dagger in her hand.

Before her lay a dead Azure Edge Wolf.

Killed in one blow, but it had also drained all the spiritual power in Song Qingyao’s body.

In the darkness, dots of eerie green light lit up one after another. Dozens of Azure Edge Wolves surrounded her, tight as a drum.

Song Qingyao’s heart had already sunk to the bottom.

She had tried to break through, but failed.

And the death of this wolf only stoked the pack’s hatred higher.

Just as Song Qingyao was on guard, three sturdy female wolves made the first move.

They transformed into three cyan afterimages, charging toward Song Qingyao from different angles.

Claws tore through the air, bringing sharp whistling sounds.

Song Qingyao’s eyes sharpened. Spiritual power churned rapidly within her body.

The freezing water vapor slowed the three wolves’ movements. Song Qingyao exploited that gap to narrowly dodge their claws.

Her spiritual power was nearly depleted; now she could only squeeze out a thin trickle.

After evading, she tightened her grip on the dagger and spun around, stabbing toward the vital point of one Azure Edge Wolf.

She missed by a hair, but still punched a large hole in the wolf’s body.

Yet more Azure Edge Wolves swarmed in.

Her spiritual power exhausted, Song Qingyao had to abandon long-range techniques. She clutched her dagger and engaged the wolves at close quarters.

Driven by the life-or-death pressure, her body technique was pushed to its limits, leaving wound after wound on the wolves.

But… there were too many Azure Edge Wolves.

“Rip!” Claws raked across Song Qingyao’s left shoulder, and a searing pain shot through her.

Then, a sharp pain in her calf—a wolf ambushed her from behind and savagely tore off a chunk of flesh.

The scent of blood only inflamed the pack’s ferocity; their attacks grew even crazier.

Song Qingyao gritted her teeth and channeled what little spiritual power she had left into the dagger.

She ducked low and thrust forward, burying the dagger to the hilt into a wolf’s belly.

The wolf howled and fell, but its death throes nearly pulled her down.

Another wolf took the chance to pounce!

Song Qingyao’s pupils contracted.

In that instant between life and death, an extreme cold deep within her dantian was triggered!

“Get away!”

Song Qingyao roared, instinctively stimulating her dantian.

The next moment, an icy blue frost burst forth from her center!

The three Azure Edge Wolves that had touched her froze mid-pounce, locked in their ferocious poses. They fell to the ground and shattered into pieces!

The frost continued to sweep outward, covering everything in its path with a thick layer of ice—extending over ten zhang!

Song Qingyao stared blankly at the scene, then suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Then came the cold.

An bone-piercing cold.

Her wounds stopped bleeding because the blood froze the moment it touched her skin.

Terrifying cold energy was continuously seeping out from within her, turning from master to guest and beginning to erode her own body.

Her hair and eyelashes were coated with frost, and her lips turned a strange bluish-purple.

Her vision started to blur. Song Qingyao could feel her life slipping away along with her body temperature.

The Azure Edge Wolves, only covered with a light frost, were slowly recovering and attacking her again.

But her body was as heavy as a thousand feet of ice. Even moving a little was a struggle.

Was she going to die…?

Song Qingyao thought numbly.

If defeating Song Zhiyou was Song Qingyao’s goal and motivation, then entering a sect was her obsession.

An obsession that had formed ever since she missed the Cloud Water Sect last time.

She had already missed one chance.

So even if it cost her life, she didn’t want to miss another.

Slowly and stubbornly, she tightened her grip on the dagger again.

Her fingers were nearly frozen stiff. It took several tries before she could hold the dagger firmly.

But by then, the Azure Edge Wolves were already closing in.

Song Qingyao raised the dagger with effort, but couldn’t even pierce the wolf’s fur.

The dagger slipped from her hand. The Azure Edge Wolf’s claw rapidly grew larger before her eyes, aiming straight for her throat.

In the end… it still wasn’t enough…?

Song Qingyao slowly closed her eyes.

Bam!

The anticipated pain never came. Instead, the Azure Edge Wolf let out an angry, pained howl that abruptly cut off.

Warm blood splattered onto Song Qingyao’s face and body, bringing a strange, faint warmth.

Song Qingyao opened her eyes in a daze and saw a not-so-tall figure standing in front of her.

A short sword gleamed coldly in its hand, and the Azure Edge Wolf’s corpse crashed to the ground.

The figure wasn’t clear; its face was a mess of black grime. Yet Song Qingyao recognized her.

“Song… Zhiyou?” Song Qingyao’s voice was hoarse and weak, tinged with disbelief.

“It’s me.”

Hearing those words, Song Qingyao’s nose stung, and an inexplicable urge to cry surged within her.

But she suppressed it in an instant.

“Go now. While you still can.”

Song Qingyao knew Song Zhiyou had come for her. No one would charge into a pack of Azure Edge Wolves like that.

But that was enough.

Song Qingyao didn’t want Song Zhiyou to risk her life or lose her chance to enter the sect.

“After you break out, I’ll activate my token. I’ll be fine.”

Song Zhiyou backhanded another lunging wolf, then tied Song Qingyao to her back with strips of cloth.

Song Qingyao panicked: “Song Zhiyou, let me go! I can use my token to leave myself!”

“You’re lying.”

Song Qingyao had had many chances to leave.

But she hadn’t taken any of them.

Even now, she hadn’t even taken out her token.

Song Qingyao was stunned, but saw Song Zhiyou turn her head and stare at her steadily.

“Song Xiaoqi, trust me. I brought you here, and I will take you out.”

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