Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely Chapter 1437 - 458: 9-Curve Blood Corridor, Mysterious Ice Dao Monster, Feudal Town Military Might (Part 3)
Previously on Endless Winter: My Camp Upgrades Infinitely...
With a population slightly exceeding ten thousand, Beining Village housed only eleven individuals at the Cold Resistance Level, making them vastly outnumbered by the multitude of destructive, deceitful monsters. Furthermore, defeating these monsters offered tangible rewards.
A flicker of anticipation, rather than fear, animated the faces of the three individuals at the forefront, Chen Yuanbai among them, as they hastened towards the village.
Even from a distance of several hundred meters, the entire village appeared to be a desolate expanse of white. Upon entry, it became chillingly apparent that the frozen state extended beyond the entrance, encompassing every person and object within Beining Village.
The very ground was encased in ice.
The villagers, frozen in place, displayed no expressions of terror.
"These are merely common folk, at most in the Earth-digging Realm. Let us investigate the main building; those at the Cold Resistance Level must be different," Chen Yuanbai stated.
He then led the way toward the primary structure, with the other four following closely.
Soon, nine human-like ice sculptures were observed atop the main building's roof, all facing north with visages contorted in terror. This indicated the direction from which the threat had originated.
The five individuals experienced a moment of stunned silence, followed by an intense, burning sensation in their palms. They swiftly turned their gaze northward.
Ring-ring... ring-ring...
The distinct chime of two bells resonated, causing the pupils of the five to instantaneously constrict.
A malevolent silhouette materialized in the northern sky, its presence marked by an unnerving stillness.
This figure was severely hunched, its head bowed so low it nearly touched its abdomen. Clad in an excessively voluminous black-and-white robe, its posture gave the appearance of kneeling in mid-air.
Had Xia Hong been present, he would have instantly recognized the attire as customary Daoist garb from a bygone era.
A flag, grayish-white and affixed to the figure's back, whipped furiously in the biting wind, yet the pole it was attached to seemed to grow from the figure's body, remaining steadfast.
In its left hand, a bell was held; in its right, a fan crafted from snow-white, almost translucent palm leaves. After two deliberate shakes, the figure remained suspended, motionless.
"Attack!"
Despite the figure's silence and obscured face, the agitated responses of the Deceit Detection Stone left no doubt in Chen Yuanbai's mind. The source of Beining Village's devastation was this humanoid, deceitful monster.
Following his command, Chen Yuanbai unsheathed his weapons. He, alongside two companions at the Xianyang Level, surged skyward, launching an assault on the hunched figure.
He Yang and Zhu Dong reacted with swift precision, raising their longbows, nocking silver arrows, and unleashing them directly at the aerial adversary.
Ring-ring...
"Mysterious Ice Dao, all things become void."
However, as Chen Yuanbai, his two companions, and the silver-tipped arrows fired by He Yang and Zhu Dong drew near the hunched figure, a second bell's toll brought them to an immediate halt. They weren't entirely frozen, but their movements were drastically impeded.
A closer inspection revealed a rapid formation of a thin layer of frost spreading across their bodies.
A chilling realization dawned upon Chen Yuanbai and the others, their eyes widening in horror. They executed a rapid retreat, breaking southwards.
Below, He Yang and Zhu Dong stood frozen in utter disbelief.
Yet, Chen Yuanbai and his escaping party seemed to have underestimated the peril. Their retreat speed increased only marginally.
"Heart chilled to the bone, soul frozen and captured."
The hunched figure's voice, a low, rasping sound akin to sandpaper, delivered a second, sinister phrase. It then abruptly lifted its head, revealing a terrifying visage: a face coated in white frost, yet etched with wrinkles and furrows.
A goatee dangled from its chin. Though its eyes were a stark white, devoid of pupils, both Chen Yuanbai and his companions fleeing away, as well as He Yang and Zhu Dong facing him, felt an unnerving sensation of being intensely scrutinized.
"Freeze! All of you freeze! Hahaha..."
The hunchbacked man erupted into maniacal laughter, then brandished the snowy palm-leaf fan in his right hand, waving it five times towards the group.
Whoosh...
With each wave, a horrifyingly cold blast emanated from the fan, almost tangible in its density. He Yang and Zhu Dong on the ground instantly transformed into ice sculptures, mirroring the fate of the villagers.
In the sky, Chen Yuanbai and his companions desperately mustered all their defensive capabilities. However, the chilling wave persisted, clinging relentlessly to their bodies. Their initial slow movement gave way, and within a mere dozen breaths, their strength failed, their forms solidifying into ice statues, just like those below.
Bang...
The trio plummeted, transforming into ice statues upon impact with the ground, subsequently shattering into countless icy fragments. Curiously, despite their bodies breaking apart, no blood was visible. It was clear that not only their skin but their bones, flesh, and tendons had been thoroughly encased in ice by the biting cold. "Three fat rats, this old man got lucky, truly lucky, hahaha..." The hunched figure let out another wicked chuckle as he observed the fragmented ice. However, sensing something amiss, his laughter abruptly ceased. He whirled around, his gaze fixing on the southern edge of Beining Village. "Two little insects slipped away..." He muttered, preparing to give chase, a subtle shift in his posture indicating imminent movement. Yet, before he could advance, a strange, dark vapor surged from behind him. He stopped dead in his tracks, raising his fan to dispel the black mist, and inquired in a hushed tone, "What is it?"