A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

Deep in the wilderness, the further you go, the paler the colors of the world become.

Ye Yun stepped on a piece of withered bone, which shattered into powder. The surrounding trees were long dead, leaving only blackened trunks that looked like hands reaching out from the ground. A stench of decay permeated the air, mixed with a strong demonic aura, making one want to vomit.

"This place is no place for humans." Ah Liang frowned, his sword energy swirling around him, forcing back the demonic energy.

Chen Ping'an remained silent. Chu Yi and Shi Wu were already unsheathed and hovering beside him. He walked at the front of the group, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding darkness.

They followed at the very back, their steps steady, but their grip on the sword was tighter than usual.

Ning Yao walked beside Ye Yun, her flying sword already unsheathed and hovering above her head.

"Can you feel it?" Ye Yun suddenly asked.

Chen Pingan nodded: "We're getting closer."

The concentration of demonic energy was rapidly increasing. In the distance, the outline of a massive palace was faintly visible, its black structure covered in runes and radiating an eerie glow. Above the palace, a pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing straight into the clouds.

That was Zhou Mi's lair.

"Watch out!" Ning Yao suddenly shouted.

The ground trembled, and countless dark figures surged forth from the darkness ahead. They were demon warriors, their eyes bloodshot, drool dripping from their mouths, and their bodies shrouded in black mist. They were densely packed, numbering in the hundreds.

Each one is at the Golden Core stage.

"Charge them." Chen Ping'an's voice was calm.

Before he finished speaking, he had already rushed out.

Chu Yi transformed into a streak of white light, sweeping out and slicing three assassins in half at the waist. Shi Wu followed closely behind, his sword light as sharp as a bolt of lightning, tearing a gash in the group of assassins.

Ye Yun unleashed four swords simultaneously. The Sword of Law hovered above his head, while the other three flying swords wove a sword net around him. He formed hand seals, and the three flying swords, like dragons emerging from the sea, shredded the charging assassins into pieces.

Ah Liang and Zuo You stood guard on either side. Ah Liang's sword aura was domineering and fierce, each strike capable of taking the lives of more than a dozen assassins. Zuo You's sword was faster and more accurate; with a flash of sword light, a line of blood appeared on the assassins' throats.

Ning Yao provided support from the center; her flying sword moved as nimbly as a snake, specifically targeting assassins who attempted to attack from the side.

The five men stood back to back, fighting their way through the horde of assassins.

Ye Yun's flying sword severed the head of a death warrior, blood splattering on his face. He wiped it away, his eyes cold. These death warriors had lost their minds; they were completely manipulated puppets.

"Zhou Mi is really generous," A Liang said as he killed, "Giving away so many Golden Core cultivators like that."

Neither of them responded; their swords simply moved even faster.

Fifteen minutes later, the last assassin fell.

Everyone was covered in blood, indistinguishable between their own and that of the demons. Chen Ping'an had a gash on his left arm, blood dripping down his arm. A Liang had a piece of flesh torn from his back, exposing the bone underneath. Both of his shoulders had been struck by claws, exposing the bones.

Ning Yao suffered the least injury, with only a few scratches on her arm.

Ye Yun was slashed in the chest, the flesh torn open and blood flowing freely. He tore off a piece of his clothing and casually wrapped it around the wound, his expression unchanged.

"Let's go." Chen Ping'an took the lead.

They hadn't gone far when the ground suddenly shook.

"Next!" Ning Yao shouted.

The ground cracked open, and three enormous demonic beasts emerged from the earth. Each one was as big as a small mountain, covered in black scales, and had blood-red eyes like lanterns.

Jade Purity Realm.

Three-Headed Jade Realm.

One of them charged straight at Ning Yao, its jaws wide open. Ning Yao dodged, her flying sword slashing across the beast's neck, leaving only a white mark.

The monster turned its head and slapped Ning Yao with its claw.

Ning Yao raised her sword to parry, but was sent flying and crashed into a dead tree, spitting out blood.

"Ning Yao!" Chen Ping'an's expression changed, and he was about to rush over.

Another demonic beast blocked his path and slammed down with its claw. Chen Ping'an dodged, and Chu Yi and Shi Wu simultaneously struck the beast's claw, only managing to cut off a few scales.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Yun's eyes, and the Sword of Law was drawn.

He transformed into a streak of sword light, charging straight at the demonic beast attacking Ning Yao. The sword of law struck the beast's head, its energy piercing right through its skull.

The monster let out a miserable cry, and its massive body crashed to the ground.

At the same moment, with one sword slashing from the left and right, the head of one monster was severed, and with another sword piercing the heart of another monster.

The three Jade Purity Realm experts all perished within ten breaths.

But the price was high. Ning Yao suffered internal injuries and her face turned pale. Ye Yun forcefully used the Sword of Law, causing his chest wound to reopen and bleed profusely.

"Can you still walk?" Chen Pingan helped Ning Yao up.

"Yes." Ning Yao gritted her teeth and stood up straight.

The group continued on their way.

The palace was getting closer, but the demonic aura in the air was so thick it was almost tangible, and every step required a great deal of effort.

"Stop." Ye Yun suddenly raised his hand.

The ground ahead was covered with strange runes, emitting an eerie glow. The runes seemed to writhe, as if they were alive.

"The Ten Thousand Demon Soul-Locking Formation." Ah Liang's face darkened. "This formation uses at least tens of thousands of living souls."

Ye Yun closed his eyes and activated "Return of Light".

He rewound time and witnessed the setup of this formation. Countless souls were forcibly extracted and sealed within the formation, becoming its core. These were humans and demons, young and old, men and women.

They wailed in agony and died in despair.

Ye Yun opened his eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

"Where is the core of the formation?" Chen Ping'an asked.

Ye Yun didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and slashed with his sword towards a seemingly empty spot in the southwest direction.

As the sword of law fell, a piercing scream echoed through the void. A sphere of light, formed from countless souls, appeared—the core of the formation.

Ye Yun's second sword strike shattered the light sphere, scattering the living souls in all directions.

The formation dissipated.

Chen Ping'an stared at the dissipating souls for a long time in silence.

"How many people did he kill?" Ning Yao asked softly.

No one answered.

The palace gates were right in front of them, their black doors covered with eerie runes and exuding an aura of decay.

Behind them lay a trail of blood, the path strewn with corpses.

Ye Yun stepped forward and pushed open the door.

Behind the door lay darkness, as deep and abyss-like as a cavern. A terrifying aura swept over them, carrying the stench of decay, blood, and madness.

Everyone gripped their swords tightly.

Ye Yun took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness first.

Footsteps echoed through the empty palace, like drumbeats striking the heart.