The chilling cold permeated the land. The grey mist lingering in the sky refused to dissipate, piling layer upon layer, freezing the earth.
The snow falling from the sky seemed dyed grey by the black and grey clouds accumulating above, fluttering down like goose feathers, piling up into a thick layer on the ground.
"Hoo—"
The boundless expanse of grey and white brought Tang Sui back to that world where ashes rained down.
The soft white fur around her neck brushed against her delicate cheek from time to time, the ticklish sensation numbing in the face of the wind blades.
Clad in thick winter clothes, Tang Sui sat on a sled pulled by a gentle snow spirit deer. She swept her gaze across the smooth, thick snow-covered road. The branches on either side, burdened by the accumulating snow, hung low, their ice-covered tips resembling sleepy students nodding their heads forward.
"Miss Tang, the snow is getting heavier. Why don't we find a place to rest for a while and continue delivering supplies after the snow subsides?"
The middle-aged man, wrapped in a thick dark blue cotton coat, stood up from the driver's seat of another large sled pulled by four snow spirit deer. He called out to Tang Sui with a trembling voice, his tone full of respect.
The others on the sleds couldn't help but turn their gaze towards Tang Sui.
The six people accompanying Tang Sui were residents of a relatively prosperous village on the snow plain.
Due to the harsh climate of the snow plain and its high altitude, cultivation was difficult.
Without some soul power, survival in this frozen land was impossible.
Many people scattered across the snow plain would periodically gather a few soul masters with high soul power from their village and travel together to the main city, Yiluode City, where imperial soldiers and the lord resided. There, they would trade local soul beast furs or other specialties with merchants for other types of daily necessities.
Hiring soul masters for escort was a common practice across the continent. When Tang Sui wandered her way to Yiluode City, she happened to arrive just as the villagers were recruiting strong soul masters in the trading area outside the main city to escort their daily necessities.
In this city where few people reached level sixty, or even level fifty, Tang Sui knew her soul power level was as conspicuous as a lighthouse at night, making it hard to hide.
Therefore, Tang Sui approached Mu Liao, the villager with the highest soul power level who seemed to be the leader. Mu Liao, a level 23 strong attack type Great Soul Master, exchanged a few words with her, signed a sheepskin contract, and she joined them on their journey.
Although Tang Sui did not release her soul rings to prove her strength, just a subtle release of her aura was enough to paralyze Mu Liao, the highest-level soul master among them, making him break out in a cold sweat.
Furthermore, Tang Sui's requested compensation was a bit unusual. She didn't want soul coins, but instead, she needed a map of the snow plain and information on the specific locations of dangerous soul beasts. Mu Liao guessed that Tang Sui was a soul master gaining experience from outside.
A soul master who had the means to travel and gain experience alone, Mu Liao never underestimated them. Moreover, the aura Tang Sui released was too terrifying. Even without releasing her soul rings, Mu Liao believed Tang Sui was definitely a powerful soul master.
Subsequently, both parties reached a friendly agreement.
Tang Sui would accompany them, help them escort the supplies, and after reaching the village, Mu Liao would take Tang Sui to the village chief. At that time, whatever information Tang Sui wanted, the village chief, having lived on this land for longer, knew much more than him. As long as they knew it, they could tell Tang Sui.
After all, this information was not a secret to the residents of the snow plain.
"Hoo—"
Seeing that the falling snow had not stopped and was even getting heavier, Tang Sui nodded under the expectant gazes of the others. "Alright, then let's find a place to rest. We'll continue our journey when the wind and snow subside."
Tang Sui's voice was not loud. Unlike Mu Liao, the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier, she didn't have to shout to be heard. Her voice, however, pierced through the vast wind and snow, clearly resonating in everyone's ears.
Mu Liao responded with an "Eh" and was about to inform the others when he noticed them all looking surprised and then urging the snow spirit deer towards another path.
He realized something and looked at Tang Sui, who was sitting on another sled, with surprise. He said nothing, only becoming more respectful towards her.
They had traveled this frozen land countless times, and they were very familiar with the secluded paths and temporary resting spots along the way.
Due to its remote location and harsh climate, it wasn't always easy for their village or other villages to recruit soul masters willing to take risks when they went to Yiluode City's trading area.
After all, on these tens of kilometers, their greatest fear was encountering hordes of soul beasts or a powerful lone soul beast attack, which could lead to damaged or stolen supplies, and even the loss of their lives.
Although the forest was large, the trees were not particularly dense.
The survival experience passed down through generations had led them to constant improvements. Even the largest sled was built to just fit through these relatively sparse forest paths.
Upon entering the forest, the first sensation was a slight improvement in visibility.
The large snowflakes were blocked by the branches of the trees. The only thing to be wary of was that if the weight of the snow exceeded the tree's load-bearing capacity, a large pile might suddenly fall, with enough weight to knock someone unconscious.
Even if their physical strength was enough to avoid being knocked out, it would still be bone-chillingly cold and exhilarating.
The light ahead grew dimmer. Fortunately, it was still daytime, and with the enhanced eyesight of soul masters, they could still see their surroundings.
However, prolonged viewing could lead to snow blindness.
With Tang Sui at the center, an invisible spiritual force spread out like a dense web, covering a diameter of seven li.
Soul beasts living nearby, branches that finally shook off their heavy snow, small creatures emerging from the white snow...
Every movement within seven li was presented in her mind, forming a vivid, moving tapestry, flowing around the seven masks in her spiritual space.
Not only could she see, but the masks could also provide her with alerts and more detailed observations.
She carefully contained her spiritual force within a seven-li radius to avoid alerting any creatures.
Soul beasts were more sensitive than humans. What if there was a spirit-type soul beast lurking in the shadows?
She didn't want to attract any strange, troublesome things.
The sled traveled deeper into the forest for a while. The villager leading the way ahead, seeing the dark, rugged outline of the mountain, his face lit up with joy. He raised his voice and said, "Ahead is the mountain where we can rest—"
"Stop."
Tang Sui's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the villager.
The interrupted villager did not get angry but looked at Tang Sui with confusion.
Tang Sui had gone from sitting to standing, her clear blue eyes fixed on the dark outline ahead, and spoke words that made everyone's expression change drastically:
"There is already a soul beast inside the cave."
— Author's Notes —
Regarding the resurrection armor, is there a possibility that it's not meant for Sui Sui or brother?
And, no one specified that it can only be used once. However, there might be conditions and cooldown periods.