Zhang Zi looked at Li Xuanxiao with pleading eyes. Li Xuanxiao had already activated his movement technique, spiritual energy swirling in his palm. He reached out to grab the milky-white snake, and slender chains immediately surged from his hand. However, the snake was incredibly fast. Half of its body entangled, it severed itself and fled in an instant.
Li Xuanxiao held the remaining half of the snake in his hand, examining it carefully with his spiritual sight. He retrieved a bottle from his pocket, took out a pill, and sealed Zhang Zi's chest with a silver needle before storing the snake's remains in his medicine bottle. After taking the pill, Zhang Zi quickly felt relief in her body and shot Li Xuanxiao a grateful glance. At the same time, Li Xuanxiao noticed the intense gazes from Zhou Liudian and Wang Hu.
The group of five continued forward and soon discovered another corpse on the ground. Wang Hu, who was leading, stopped to examine it briefly. "Killed by someone, not the cold here," he announced, then glanced back at the group as if confirming his earlier belief that traveling together was wise—now that lone cultivators were being hunted.
Not long after, the five abruptly halted when they spotted a team of seven cultivators hunting down two others. The blood of the two victims froze instantly upon touching the snow. Without spiritual energy, their bodies could no longer resist the cold. The seven-member team glared at them from a distance but, seeing their numbers and cultivation levels, abandoned any thought of attack. They quickly looted the bodies and left.
"Those people are ruthless!" Zhou Liudian remarked. Zhang Zi clicked her tongue. "Why be so brutal? We're all fellow cultivators. I could never do something like that."
Wang Hu repeated his earlier advice: "As we agreed, let's split any treasures we find evenly to avoid disputes—or worse, bloodshed." Despite his words, Li Xuanxiao had noticed from the start that Wang Hu's attention was fixed on the female cultivator known as the Goddess of Wealth. As long as it didn't affect him, Li Xuanxiao had no interest in meddling.
Gazing at the vast icy expanse, Li Xuanxiao grew impatient. How large was this secret realm? Li Zhi'an had said the Frost Venom Toad only inhabited the core of the Profound Nether Ice Plains, but where exactly was that? In past secret realms, Li Xuanxiao had always kept a low profile while scavenging rare treasures.
Over the next few days, they encountered another attempted ambush, but the five swiftly dealt with it. Throughout the journey, Wang Hu acted remarkably considerate, even offering his own share when disputes arose over distribution. Even the Goddess of Wealth regarded him with newfound respect.
Days later, Li Xuanxiao realized Wang Hu seemed to be leading them toward a specific location. He stared at Wang Hu's back, and just then, Wang Hu suddenly turned around as if sensing something—but found nothing. "Li Daoyou, behind you—" Wang Hu warned.
A white-furred Tiger Demon lunged at Li Xuanxiao, its claws narrowly missing vital spots. Dodging backward, Li Xuanxiao trapped the demon in a formation beneath his feet. "Zhou Daoyou!" he called. Zhou Liudian charged forward with his greatsword, slashing at the beast.Wang Hu frowned slightly at Li Xuanxiao. Apart from his skill in formations, Li Xuanxiao had shown little else in combat. "Be careful, Zhou Daoyou," Li Xuanxiao cautioned. "That Tiger Demon is troublesome—don’t engage it head-on."
Later that day, Wang Hu stopped abruptly. Three figures stood ahead, hands clasped behind their backs. A faint smile crossed Wang Hu's face—they had finally arrived. The other four sensed the trio's overwhelming aura and immediately felt threatened as the strangers stared them down.
Wang Hu turned to the group, smiling. "You all can leave now."
Zhou Liudian blinked. "Brother Wang Hu, what do you mean?"
"It means our paths diverge here."
Zhang Zi crossed her arms. "Brother Wang Hu, what's wrong? Are these three your friends? Or did we do something to upset you?"
Wang Hu shook his head and pointed at the Goddess of Wealth. "You all can leave. She stays."
Zhang Zi hesitated. "Brother Wang Hu, don’t be reckless. You dare target the Goddess of Wealth from Snowveil Commerce? Aren’t you afraid of retaliation?"
"When the profit is great enough, risk means nothing," Wang Hu replied. "You three, leave now if you don’t want trouble. Otherwise, don’t blame me for disregarding our camaraderie."
Zhou Liudian and Zhang Zi exchanged glances, assessing Wang Hu and the three behind him. Wang Hu had proven his strength over the past days, and with those three allies, they stood no chance. Moreover, the target was the Goddess of Wealth—why risk their lives for someone they'd just met?
As Zhou Liudian and Zhang Zi considered retreating, Li Xuanxiao was already preparing to slip away. He had no time for this nonsense—the Goddess of Wealth meant nothing to him. He hadn’t expected the temporary alliance to dissolve so soon, but traveling alone now would invite trouble.
Just as the three were about to leave, a voice rang out: "They can’t leave. If they report to Snowveil Commerce that we ambushed the Goddess of Wealth, we’ll pay dearly."
In an instant, Zhou Liudian, Zhang Zi, and Li Xuanxiao froze. Zhou Liudian’s chubby face twitched, a glint flashing in his beady eyes. Without hesitation, he swung his massive palm, striking Zhang Zi squarely and sending her crashing into Wang Hu. Then, in a blur, he bolted into the distance.