Chapter 145: Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms

“Once we cross the Snowy Ice Plain, we’ll truly be inside the Water Qilin Cave.”

“The last time the Water Qilin Cave opened was eighty years ago. Now that eighty years have passed, some Water Bodhi seeds should have matured.”

“I learned from an expert who once visited the Water Qilin Cave that if we follow this direction all the way to the end, there will be an ice cavern.”

“Inside, there were once three immature Water Bodhi seeds. This time, we’ll go check them out.”

The Fourth Prince spoke as he walked.

Everyone’s eyes immediately lit up.

That way, they wouldn’t have to wander around like blind men, relying on luck.

But…

Yang Ling frowned inwardly. According to the rules of Zhao State, these three Water Bodhi seeds likely all belonged to the Fourth Prince. Such a sacred martial arts medicine wouldn’t be casually gifted to subordinates.

“Don’t worry. The three Water Bodhi seeds are mine, but the rare flowers and herbs nearby are yours.”

“Places where Water Bodhi seeds grow are usually accompanied by all kinds of rare plants. You can split them among yourselves.”

“Beyond that, if we still have enough time, you can wander around and try your luck.”

The Fourth Prince added.

Li Huaiyi and the others’ eyes suddenly gleamed.

At the same time, an hour after the Zhao State martial artists had left, heads began popping up one by one from the Freezing Pool.

These figures warily scanned their surroundings before breaking through the water’s surface one after another.

There were at least a hundred people, and each one radiated a fierce aura.

Among the crowd were even a few sturdy hunting dogs, shaking the water off their fur.

They quickly started a fire and gathered around a youth in his early thirties.

The youth glanced calmly at the traces left around them:

“According to our intelligence, one of the Seventh-Rank experts who entered this time is a guy named Yang Ling.”

“He Dongfeng of our Heavenly Wolf Guard fell to his hands. The Commander has given orders this time—we must eliminate Yang Ling, lest he cause even greater losses to the Heavenly Wolf Guard!”

“That’s the second mission. The first mission is to seize their rare flowers, herbs, and Water Bodhi seeds! This mission has top priority.”

“Boss, isn’t Zhao State’s Fourth Prince here too? The Commander didn’t order us to off that one?” A burly man asked cautiously.

The youth said flatly, “Touching Zhao State’s Fourth Prince means starting a war. The Commander said anyone with such thoughts will have their whole family burned alive.”

Everyone’s expressions tightened slightly, fear flashing in their eyes. They didn’t dare entertain similar thoughts.

Soon, after drying their clothes by the fire, they headed deeper into the plain, slowly disappearing into the vast Snowy Ice Plain.

……

Deep within the Snowy Ice Plain, the snow was thick. Fortunately, everyone’s movement techniques were decent, making it feel like walking on flat ground.

Yang Ling calculated the distance. They had traveled at least ten miles during this stretch and still hadn’t reached their destination.

He noticed that every so often, the Fourth Prince would look up at the icicles above.

Yang Ling suspected these were the only landmarks along the way, used to track their route.

Suddenly, Yang Ling’s senses twitched. He seemed to hear a faint rustling sound.

As if something was tunneling through the snow beneath them.

The others were completely unaware, still silently pressing forward.

The rustling grew clearer and clearer. Yang Ling suddenly unclipped the Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Pickaxe from his waist and savagely swung it toward the spot beside the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince jumped in surprise, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Li Huaiyi and the others also drew their blades.

Yun Ruo instinctively stepped in front of the Fourth Prince.

Pfft—

Yang Ling’s pickaxe struck something. He flicked it up to look—it was a creature that resembled a white sandworm.

It was about a foot long, as thick as an arm, with a mouthful of fangs.

The Fourth Prince’s expression softened, then grew serious as he stared at the white worm’s corpse.

Yun Ruo and the others also snapped back to reality. They had nearly thought Yang Ling was a Rong tribe spy, seizing the chance to assassinate the Fourth Prince.

“This is a Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worm.”

“Look, it matches the description in this book.”

The Fourth Prince pulled out a tome and flipped to a page, comparing it to the corpse.

The page featured an image of the Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worm along with a brief description.

Yang Ling and Yun Ruo stepped closer to look, and their expressions instantly turned grim.

“Fourth Prince, the book says Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms gather in family units.”

Yun Ruo: “Meaning there are many more Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms down below?”

“Mm. That depends on how large its family is.”

The Fourth Prince drew the longsword from his waist, his expression vigilant:

“Everyone, be wary of the ground beneath you. Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms move silently and love to ambush their prey from within the snow.”

“Their mouths contain a cold poison. If bitten, you’re as good as dead in this Snowy Ice Plain—the poison will freeze you alive!”

“Fourth Prince, how far are we from our destination now?”

Yun Ruo asked in a low voice.

The Fourth Prince glanced at the icicles above and did a quick calculation:

“About fifteen miles left.”

Yang Ling’s perception flared again.

The rustling sounds came without pause.

He swept his gaze over the surrounding ground, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

There were far too many.

From his senses, at least several hundred Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms were approaching!

“Fourth Prince, it seems the number of Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms is quite large.”

Yang Ling’s expression shifted: “I suggest we break through quickly.”

“What do you mean, large? I don’t hear anything.”

Li Huaiyi retorted.

But the next moment, several Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms burst out of the snow, lunging at his feet.

Li Huaiyi reacted swiftly, his blade flashing as he killed them instantly.

Then, one after another, the Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms charged out of the snow as if unafraid of death, attacking everyone.

Everyone immediately entered combat mode.

These Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms weren’t particularly strong, but they were extremely fast and launched surprise attacks from the snow.

Plus, with the Fourth Prince’s warning about their cold poison, every Ironclad Constable handled them with extreme caution.

Yang Ling had already switched to his Eighth-Rank Official Saber, casually slaughtering the Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms.

He skewered them one by one even before they broke through the snow.

He handled it with ease, but some Ironclad Constables with average movement techniques struggled.

One constable, after killing over a dozen Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms in a row, got bitten on the ankle.

His body began turning blue at a visible rate, a thin layer of frost forming on his skin.

Finally, he stood motionless in place.

Even the Vital Qi within his body couldn’t withstand the cold poison.

A proper Seventh-Rank expert died just like that.

Li Huaiyi and the others watched in shock, horror gleaming in their eyes.

Only now did they truly grasp the danger of the Water Qilin Cave!

“The numbers are growing. More and more Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms are gathering here.”

Yang Ling’s face darkened. He immediately called out to the Fourth Prince:

“Fourth Prince, we need to break out, or we’ll all die for sure!”

“Break out!”

The Fourth Prince shouted, then surged forward.

At that moment, for the first time, he displayed his martial techniques before everyone, showcasing astonishing movement speed!

He transformed into a blur, vanishing into the distance in an instant.

Yang Ling and Yun Ruo immediately followed, then Li Huaiyi and the rest.

During the breakout, Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms continued to ambush them.

But as they traveled farther, the frequency of attacks gradually decreased.

After about fifteen minutes, everyone had fled over a dozen miles from their original position.

No more Snow Plain Flesh-Eating Worms appeared.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though they were still shaken.

Yang Ling glanced sideways at the Fourth Prince.

From the very beginning, he had known that this prince’s strength wasn’t just on par with his own.

He was actually stronger.

Character: Zhao Zheng

Profession: Martial Artist

Strength: 70

Agility: 82

Spirit: 50

Martial Arts: Imperial Pole Celestial Classic (First-Class, Flawless Proficiency)

Candle Dragon Seven Star Sword Technique (First-Class, Skilled)

Fish-Dragon Hundred Transformations Movement Technique (First-Class, Skilled)

Affiliation: Zhao Royal Family