The cultivators who came to participate in Cloud Clan’s recruitment were not many, mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators, and by the time Jiang Yuebai arrived, there were only three Golden Core cultivators.

When Jiang Yuebai asked why they didn’t directly recruit Nascent Soul cultivators, the Yun Family said they couldn’t afford it, and most of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Frost Snow Domain had already been enticed by the wealthy Lei Family and wouldn’t come to help the Yun Family at all.

To avoid unnecessary attention, Jiang Yuebai participated in the recruitment with a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivation, and the other two Golden Core cultivators were the scruffy cultivator Chu Xin she had seen earlier, and Xing Qishan who had stopped Yun Muyuan.

The scruffy male cultivator claimed he was at a Mid-Stage Golden Core cultivation, but Jiang Yuebai didn’t believe a word; this guy obviously had secretive matters.

The recruitment contract was signed month by month, and didn’t require them to act with the Yun Family disciples. They could form teams themselves or act alone, and the main task was to search for the Snow Demon in Jiancang Mountain, clear the gathered demon beasts, and alleviate the Yun Family’s defensive pressure.

Currently, the only three Nascent Soul cultivators remaining in the Yun Family were stationed at the clan land, while others centered around the Yun Clan Land, setting up five layers of defenses in Jiancang Mountain to fend off demon beasts frequently attempting to break through.

The recruited Foundation Establishment cultivators were to fill in the defensive pressure of these checkpoints.

In early years, the Yun Family was also an eminent family. Although it had now declined, the skinny camel was still bigger than a horse, and they still had some savings and properties to sustain the current consumption.

However, as long as the Snow Demon was not eliminated, even the Yun Family’s considerable savings would one day be exhausted.

Jiang Yuebai looked over the contract, which clearly stated that if the Snow Demon was tracked down, the Yun Family would offer one hundred thousand spirit stones, and if it was slain, they would also bestow the Yun Family’s Secret Treasure.

Xing Qishan, having had a prior conflict with Jiang Yuebai, wary of Jiang Yuebai’s unfathomable strength, settled the contract, took the advance payment of five thousand spirit stones, and went into the mountains alone to immediately search for the whereabouts of the Snow Demon.

The scruffy male cultivator Chu Xin wasn’t in a hurry, asking the Yun Family’s disciples to arrange a place for him to rest and planning to enter the mountain the next day.

The Snow Demon, before being heavily injured, was a Peak Nascent Soul cultivator. Even after ten years, although not fully recovered, its cultivation would still be within the Nascent Soul Stage, making it a formidable opponent. Otherwise, the Yun Family’s Nascent Soul cultivators would have acted themselves, reducing the need to recruit other cultivators.

They simply wanted to enlist more outsiders to weaken the Snow Demon, before making the final move to take it down at the smallest cost and reclaim the Yun Family’s Secret Treasure.

The contractual loopholes were clear to Jiang Yuebai, their demands detailed line by line, while the Yun Family’s responsibilities were vague and ambiguous.

The nuances in words allowed multiple interpretations based on spoken explanations; the path of legal safeguarding was still long to go.

Jiang Yuebai stayed with Chu Xin at the guest house of the Yun Family temporarily.

Jiang Yuebai herself remained in the room, continuing to refine the fire talismans from "Fire Refining Sky Secret Scripture" with the Fire Dragon Essence Blood. During her days earning spirit stones in Xiiyun City, she had already re-refined the first four fire talismans.

They could self-activate defensively as a ’Fire Ring’, form a Fiery Flame Battle Armor as ’Flame Armor’, mark enemies with fire poison as ’Fire Seal’, and attach to herself to ensure all following attacks hit the ’Bone’ mark.

The first four were auxiliary type fire talismans. The next, ’Flame Soldier’, capable of weaponizing fire, was the first among the Nine Great Fire Talismans that allowed her to actively attack.

There was also ’Fire Escape,’ allowing her to transform into flames within her Divine Sense range to avoid attacks and move freely.

The first six fire talismans were easy to reforge by covering the originally marked talismans around the Dantian with Fire Dragon Essence Blood, then injecting Phoenix True Fire and Netherworld Ghost Fire respectively, achieving Yin Yang balance for seamless control.

Fire was most effective against the Snow Demon, making it perfect for use this time.

Besides cultivation, Jiang Yuebai employed the method she had used to control Qir An within the Fulong Sect, parasitizing a Qi Cultivation Disciple of the Yun Family with White Vine to infiltrate and explore matters related to the Snow Demon and Yun Muyuan.

However, after a night’s investigation, the information was almost the same as external rumors.

The only difference noted was from a servant who used to work in Yun Muyuan’s courtyard, suggesting that Ruan Qiongfang’s relations with Yun Muyuan did not seem like a couple, and she treated the two children with a lack of maternal warmth.

Those old servants working for the Yun Family also stated that on the day Ruan Qiongfang stole the Yun Family’s Secret Treasure and fled, she did not mistakenly kill her eldest son; instead, her eldest son severely injured her first, prompting her to retaliate.

Further details were unknown to them, as their identity and cultivation were low, they were not present at the time, and their knowledge was hearsay.

At dawn the next day, Jiang Yuebai’s White Vine returned to the main body, feeling very frustrated.

"These familial grudges of the large families really give one a headache. Forget it, I’ll just directly find the Snow Demon, defeat it, snatch the Ten Thousand Years Stalactite, and leave it all behind!"

Jiang Yuebai stepped out, heading into the mountains alone according to the map provided by the Yun Family.

*

In Jiancang Mountain Snow Pine Forest.

Over fifty Foundation Establishment Disciples from the Yun Family built wooden horse stoppers from pine wood, placing an array flag at every nine zhang.

The apricot-yellow flags flapped fiercely in the wind and snow, the falling snow gradually covering the corpses from the blood battle, while the exhausted Yun Family disciples leaned against the horse stoppers, gasping for breath.

"These demon beasts are coming more and more frequently; at this rate, we definitely won’t hold on."

"We have to, we have no choice. Our families are in the clan land; if the demon beasts break through... my daughter is only three years old!"

"Everyone focus on recovering; don’t save the Elixirs, be cautious of the next wave..."

Roar!!!

The Foundation Establishment late-stage female cultivator, as the captain, hadn’t finished speaking when they heard animal roars, the ground shaking, and snow falling heavily from the trees.

From that chaotic part of the forest in the distance, snowwaves surged, emanating a fierce momentum.

A large number of demon beasts toppled trees and crushed the corpses on the ground, the dense sound of ice crystals clashing coming nearer, all were massive Frost Armor Bears with ice armor.

"Prepare for battle!"

The female cultivator shouted, casting the Array Control Jade Talisman to float in mid-air, as nine array flags radiated dazzling golden light successively, forming a large barrier.

The exhausted cultivators staggered to their feet, clutching their magic artifacts, their pupils trembling, expressions of fear on their faces.

There were less than fifty of them left, while the Frost Armor Bears numbered at least a hundred, the leading Bear King exuding the might of a Late-Stage Golden Core, instilling a sense of dread in these Foundation Establishment cultivators, making it difficult to resist.

They could already see themselves as corpses, gradually covered by the falling snow.

"Let me handle it!"

A clear voice cut through the wind as a white-robed female cultivator descended from the sky, landing in the very center of the Frost Armor Bear group, kicking up a storm of flying snow.

Upon landing, an overwhelming flame vigorously flared from around her, with a majestic flame ring roaring from her body, sweeping through her enemies.

Howl!!!

The mass of beasts wailed in agony, reduced to ashes.

Centered around the white-robed female cultivator, within a hundred zhang, all was reduced to black ashes interwoven with the billowing white snow, swirling wildly in the wind.

The air was filled with the smell of burning, leaving everyone dazed, hearts brimming with immense joy from surviving a disaster.

Jiang Yuebai tossed her long hair, her gaze indifferent as she looked at the Frost Armor Bear King in the distance, its ice shell melted, fur singed black, and fleeing rolling head over heels.

Jiang Yuebai chuckled, her brows moving slightly as a fire seal hit the rear of the Frost Armor Bear King.

The Frost Armor Bear King yelped from the burn and accelerated its awkward escape.

Jiang Yuebai glanced at the stunned crowd behind the barrier in the distance, making a gesture of drawing a bow to shoot, and two streaks of gilded red flame flowed from her palms, quickly forming a Fiery Flame Bow.

Swish!

An arrow shot out!

The Frost Armor Bear King, hit in the rear, let out a yelp and rolled off a nearby cliff.

Jiang Yuebai dismissed the fiery bow and vanished on the spot to chase the Frost Armor Bear King.

It seemed to possess some Spiritual Wisdom and should be capable of ’friendly’ exchange to inquire about the Snow Demon’s whereabouts.