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**
Beside the Mysterious Ice Lake.
Just as the Blue-Eyed Giant Ice Crocodile was joyfully feasting on the flesh of the Frost Giant Spirit Bear, growing stronger by the moment, a dagger suddenly appeared within its field of vision. The entire crocodile lost its life in utter silence.
Only after the crocodile had died did Kakumbo slowly manifest beside it.
His expression was currently extremely grim.
Just by looking at the carcasses of these Soul Beasts, Kakumbo knew he had arrived too late. In the next second, he sprinted off in a different direction. His speed was so immense that he could no longer be tracked by the naked eye.
You brats... you'd better not go to that place, Kakumbo thought viciously.
If Xiao Lin's group didn't head toward the Ice Powder base, he could still pretend nothing had happened. But if they even stepped within a one-kilometer radius of the base, he would have no choice but to take action personally.
However, after seeing the state of the Frost Giant Spirit Bear's corpse, Kakumbo had discarded any trace of contempt he had for Xiao Lin's party. Now, he only hoped that Snake, who was heading toward the Ice Powder base via a different route, wouldn't act rashly.
One day later.
Currently, Xiao Lin's group, who were searching for the Comet Snow Wolf, had become lost.
"Huh?"
"HUH!?"
Faced with the incredulous stares of the other four, Xiao Lin pursed his lips and didn't say much.
"I've always been a bit directionally challenged!" Xiao Lin said sheepishly in a low voice.
Hearing this, even Tang Ni couldn't help but feel depressed. She slapped her forehead with her palm, slightly regretting coming out with Xiao Lin.
Can this guy really strengthen a Soul Beast's Threads of Destiny?
"Xiao Lin, then how did you lead us to the Mysterious Ice Lake before?" Ye Lingling asked curiously, at a loss for words.
"That was simple. Wasn't the Mysterious Ice Lake located in the due north region? We just had to keep walking north!" Xiao Lin said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He was slightly directionally challenged, but he wasn't an idiot; he knew how to read basic directions.
"Then how come you don't know the way to the Ice Powder base located northeast of the lake on this map?" Ye Lingling was truly helpless now, her speech becoming more frequent than usual.
"Exactly! I know it's in the northeast, but I can't determine the exact angle or the distance!" Xiao Lin threw his hands up.
He knew that a tiny error at the start could lead one thousands of miles off course. Because he understood this, he had hoped someone else would take the lead. Veering a bit too far East was fine, as it didn't lead toward the Core Zone of the Far North.
But if they veered even slightly too far North, he might accidentally lead the entire team to their deaths.
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Shi Mo asked coldly.
He truly hadn't expected that the high disciple of the great Master Xiao Yan would have such an imperfect side.
Xiao Lin crossed his arms and said with absolute certainty, "I actually did tell you guys."
"At the time, I said I didn't know the way anymore and asked if we should follow this Ancient Glacial River Road. You all agreed back then." As Xiao Lin spoke, he pointed to a river on the map that connected to the Mysterious Ice Lake and spanned across more than half of the Far North.
This was the Ancient Glacial River Road, a path that wound through several key locations including the Mysterious Ice Lake, the Frost-Snow Forest, and the Valley of Cold Stars.
Xiao Lin had noted that this road lay just south of the Ice Powder base.
Worried about losing his way, he figured they should follow the river road southward first.
Once they reached the point directly south of the base, they could turn back and head due north. His method was theoretically sound, but it had one glaring flaw: he had no way of knowing exactly which point on the river road was directly "below" the base.
Furthermore, the plan relied entirely on the accuracy of their map.
"The map marks the Ice Powder base near the Frost-Snow Forest, situated above the Ancient Glacial River Road," Tang Ni said.
Her sense of direction was decent, and she quickly calculated the distance and time for the group.
"If we follow Xiao Lin's method, we'll have to cut through the Frost-Snow Forest, adding an extra ten days to half a month of travel time."
Tang Ni looked at the others, waiting to see if they wanted to commit to this route.
"I'm fine with it," Shi Mo nodded, finally agreeing, "If we take the Ancient Glacial River Road, it might be easier for my brother and me to find suitable Soul Beasts."
For their Black Turtle Martial Soul, finding an Ice-attribute turtle-type Soul Beast in the Far North was a solid alternative. Since they hadn't found a Mysterious Underworld Snake-Tortoise, this was an acceptable substitute.
With Shi Mo in agreement, Shi Mo naturally had no objections.
Ye Lingling nodded as well, pointing to a valley on the map.
"Look at this valley, it's called the Snow Wolf Ruins. Perhaps the Comet Snow Wolf Xiao Lin wants is there? Why don't we just head there?"
As the group gathered around the map, they saw that the Snow Wolf Ruins were indeed near the Frost-Snow Forest, making Ye Lingling's suggestion quite logical.
"Mm, that's a good reason," Shi Mo added.
This path seemed promising; at the very least, it would help them find their target Soul Beasts.
As for the Ice Powder base, they could put it on the back burner. After realizing that the mastermind might be a Soul Saint with bizarre methods, they had already decided against a direct confrontation anyway.
However, Xiao Lin shook his head, rejecting the Snow Wolf Ruins.
"Actually, the Comet Snow Wolf isn't a type of Snow Wolf. Regarding its origin, the first Soul Master to observe one said this:"
Xiao Lin began to recount the lore: "'In ancient times, people discovered the existence of comets. Could there be life upon them? Driven by curiosity, I stepped into the Snow Spirit Province. Records showed that the Far North is the point closest to the comets, and I was determined to witness one landing.'"
"'I waited for sixteen years. The books said a comet visits the Far North once every hundred years, and true enough, it came. This comet brought ancient, powerful energy from a different star system. When it was closest to the Far North, I saw something fall from it.'"
"'A new race suddenly appeared in the Far North, posing a lethal threat to the surrounding Soul Beasts. Wait... this race looks somewhat like wolves. Are these creatures from the comet actually Soul Beasts too?'"
"'I decided to call them Comet Snow Wolves. Their eyes shimmer with the light of stars, and their fur gradually turned white as snow. Their bodies grew incredibly strong, with massive boosts to their speed and strength. When they hunt, they can actually summon a phantom of a comet."
"They move as fast as a falling star; I could only see the "comet tail" trailing behind them! Is their attribute derived from extraterrestrial energy? The power of stars and comets, merged with the Ice-attribute spiritual energy of the Far North?'"
Xiao Lin spread his hands, finishing the story.
The researcher who obsessed over these comets apparently believed he wasn't from this world, but from another planet. That obsession led him to find the comet and discover the Comet Snow Wolf.
Xiao Lin also shared a bit of hearsay—though he wasn't sure if it was true—that the meat of a Comet Snow Wolf was supposedly delicious.
It was said to be the favorite prey of the overlord Soul Beasts of the Far North. Some even claimed that Soul Masters who ate it gained heightened senses and a "sublimated" spirit.
Faced with Xiao Lin's vast knowledge, the group was left speechless. If what he said was true, a Comet Snow Wolf that managed to reach ten thousand years of cultivation must have had a very difficult—yet resilient—life.
With nothing left to say, the group continued following Xiao Lin's route. Whether they would encounter a Comet Snow Wolf now depended on luck. Even if they didn't, everyone trusted that with Xiao Lin's wisdom, they wouldn't fail to find other suitable Soul Beasts.
**
Hello everyone,
Thank you for your support! If you enjoy my work, you can check out my Patreon—there are 100+ early access and exclusive content. I update 5 advanced chapter from Monday-Saturday
www.patreon.com/c/FanficTranslator
I truly appreciate it!