Jiang Yuebai’s White Vine Avatar followed the scruffy cultivator, who silently tailed the Lei Family male cultivator.

After a long while, the Lei Family male cultivator remained unaware of the scruffy cultivator behind him. When he entered a less populated alley, the scruffy cultivator called from behind.

"Hey!"

The Lei Family male cultivator turned, startled to see the sudden appearance of the person.

"I’m a bit tight on money lately, could you lend me some Spirit Stones?"

As the scruffy cultivator approached, the surrounding wind and snow suddenly quivered and rapidly encircled the Lei Family male cultivator. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the wind and snow transformed into a dragon that rushed directly into the Lei Family male cultivator’s mouth.

"Mm-mm!"

The Lei Family male cultivator painfully clutched his throat, his face quickly clouded with frost. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was frozen and unable to move.

Jiang Yuebai’s White Vine observed underground and discovered that the aura leaking from the scruffy cultivator had already reached Early-Stage Nascent Soul, indicating his real cultivation might be even higher than Early-Stage Nascent Soul.

With a flick of his hand, the scruffy cultivator grabbed the storage pendant from the Lei Family male cultivator.

He yawned languidly and waved, saying, "Thanks, I’ll return it when I have money."

The wind and snow suddenly became restless, and Jiang Yuebai’s White Vine Avatar’s senses were shaken. When she refocused, the scruffy cultivator had vanished without a trace.

A master indeed!

Jiang Yuebai sighed, quietly retracting the White Vine Avatar.

*

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuebai’s true form had been following Yun Muyuan out of the city into the vicinity of Jiancang Mountain.

Walking along the forest path, Jiang Yuebai pondered how to initiate a conversation, hoping Yun Muyuan would reveal his and the Snow Demon’s matter.

Before Jiang Yuebai could finalize her plan, her Divine Sense detected someone hiding beside the path.

Upon seeing Yun Muyuan, the gray-clothed male cultivator emerged from the pine forest and blocked Yun Muyuan’s path.

"Senior Yun, junior Xing Qishan, I wonder if I could ask Senior a few questions."

This man was someone Jiang Yuebai had seen earlier at the tavern where she was gathering information. He was at Late-Stage Golden Core cultivation, presumably intending to join the Yun Family’s recruitment, uncertain, hence seeking Yun Muyuan for answers.

It seems she wasn’t the only one who thought of this approach.

"No!"

Yun Muyuan didn’t raise his head, his voice hoarse and impolite, exuding a don’t-approach-me demeanor, bypassing Xing Qishan as he continued walking.

Xing Qishan caught up in two steps, "Is the Snow Demon really out for revenge? Does she want to destroy the Yun Family or kill you because you wronged her? Is the Yun Family’s Secret Treasure the rumored Ten Thousand Years Stalactite?"

Jiang Yuebai’s ears perked up, Ten Thousand Years Stalactite? Could it be the stalactite that produces Ten Thousand Years Cold Stalactite?

Anything reaching ten thousand years is rarer than Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects. Previously, she’d asked Xie Jingshan to investigate, only finding the origin of Taixuan Pure Gold.

If it’s truly the Ten Thousand Years Stalactite, then she must get it, as it is essential to upgrade the White Dragon Spear into an Acquired Spiritual Treasure.

Hearing Xing Qishan’s words, Yun Muyuan paused, lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot with rage, the aura from his past Nascent Soul status pushing Xing Qishan back half a step.

"I said, get lost!"

Yun Muyuan shouted deeply, Xing Qishan’s face turned pale, embarrassed, and realizing Yun Muyuan was only at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, released his full Golden Core cultivator pressure.

"Yun Muyuan, don’t refuse the toast only to drink punishment wine!"

The powerful wave directly faced Yun Muyuan, unable to resist, it struck his chest, causing him to spit blood and fly backward.

Jiang Yuebai, wearing a veil, flickered to appear behind Yun Muyuan to catch him and deflect the remaining force, her right hand swung in mid-air.

Pa!

A loud slap echoed through the forest.

Xing Qishan was slapped to the ground, unable to catch how Jiang Yuebai had struck.

"What are you looking at? Get lost already!"

Xing Qishan sensed he encountered a master and could only accept defeat, biting his teeth as he climbed up to leave.

Jiang Yuebai turned to care about Yun Muyuan, about to speak when Yun Muyuan wiped the bloody corner of his mouth, coldly saying, "Stop wasting your breath, get lost!"

Jiang Yuebai chuckled, he assumed she was in cahoots with Xing Qishan, okay, it did have that vibe.

Yun Muyuan continued to trudge through the snow, evidently very weak, lacking even the cold-resistant physique of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, shivering from the cold.

Jiang Yuebai followed, Yun Muyuan glanced at her, she remained silent, just following.

After a dozen steps, Yun Muyuan stopped, "Stop following me."

"This road isn’t yours, I can’t enter the mountain? Who’s following you, stop being vain!"

Jiang Yuebai retorted, taking a step forward first, leaving Yun Muyuan a bit dazed, yet he continued forward.

Jiang Yuebai always walked ahead, at the fork, Yun Muyuan turned into a path, and Jiang Yuebai circled back.

"What are you looking at, can’t I mistake my path?"

"What are you really after? If you want to know about the Snow Demon, I’ll tell you, the truth is just as the outside says!"

Yun Muyuan was somewhat irritable, Jiang Yuebai wanted to say she didn’t believe it, but the words turned into, "I can help you."

Yun Muyuan sneered, "Help me with what, restoring cultivation, rescuing my son’s life? We are strangers; why would you help me, you gain nothing!

Jiang Yuebai had heard Yun Shang recounting this story before, each time she heard of someone in dire straits meeting a mysterious person, who rewrote their fate, she felt an overwhelming excitement.

She had met Lu Xingyun before, and today, she wanted to be that master.

"You are suffering severe depletion of life force, if I guessed right, you’ve been exhausting your cultivation to prolong your son’s life, and your son’s problem, from what I’ve gathered, is due to the Snow Demon’s power being too strong, his frail body can’t endure, thus pulling him down."

"Wouldn’t you say it’s fortunate these two problems I can solve, maybe today is your auspicious day!"

Yun Muyuan steadily gazed at Jiang Yuebai, Jiang Yuebai wearing a veil, her eyes showing a confident smile.

After a while, Yun Muyuan lowered his gaze, "The Yun Family’s Secret Treasure is already lost, you don’t have to waste your interest in a discarded man like me. If you want the Ten Thousand Years Stalactite, you’ll need to find the Snow Demon."

After speaking, Yun Muyuan bypassed Jiang Yuebai and left desolately.

Jiang Yuebai:...

Was her approach incorrect? Why wouldn’t he believe her?

The mere Snow Demon power, Phoenix True Fire could burn it away, what’s the point of daily buying Spiritual Wood and using his life force for sustaining life.

Jiang Yuebai gritted her teeth and continued following Yun Muyuan, only to see Yun Muyuan disappear on the path shortly afterward.

Jiang Yuebai moved forward to investigate and found the entire valley ahead covered by a Great Array.

Based on her preliminary observation, it was an extremely complex and potent Fire Element Great Array.

"To ward off the Snow Demon? Isn’t the Yun Clan Land in that direction?"

Jiang Yuebai turned confusedly; the Yun Family members gathered elsewhere, this was the back mountain, barren all the way.

Moreover, she heard Yun Muyuan and his son had been cast out by the clan, living alone here.

To set up such a lavish Array for two outcasts? It’s not meant to imprison Yun Muyuan either; he could freely enter and exit.

"This array is quite responsive; I’d rather not risk Jixiang. Using Space Power could traverse it, but I won’t invite trouble."

Jiang Yuebai thought for a moment and decided to leave first, believing Yun Muyuan’s last words were true.

The Ten Thousand Years Stalactite is with the Snow Demon!

This explains why the Yun Family ardently wants to subdue the Snow Demon, the Cold Stalactite’s efficacy akin to Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects, perfect for Ice Attribute bodies and cultivation techniques.

The Yun Family’s Inheritance Cultivation Technique is rumored to be Ice Attribute, with Ice Spiritual Root cultivators appearing throughout its history, including the fallen Refining Void Ancestor.

But this doesn’t explain why the Snow Demon would come voluntarily; having obtained the Ten Thousand Years Stalactite, why return to court death?

Is it truly for revenge? Or for her connection to Yun Muyuan and his only remaining child? It’s not typical of the Snow Demon’s nature!

Jiang Yuebai turned towards the Yun Family, intending first to take up their recruitment to find the Snow Demon.

Arriving there, she saw two familiar faces, one being Xing Qishan whom she just slapped, and the scruffy cultivator encountered in town.