Their last exploration of the Li King's Forbidden Land, though the livestream was discovered and controlled by Song Shuning's people in time, was still watched by some in its initial stages.
Those who enjoyed watching Forbidden Land livestreams possessed, more or less, a spirit of seeking thrills and seeing things through to the end. Therefore, even though Changbai Mountain remained dangerous, the idle onlookers gathering at the periphery were far more numerous than before.
Zhang Qiling spotted the sneaky, attention-seeking vagrants from afar, and his forward steps faltered slightly.
The three of them were too distinctive in appearance. If they walked over now, it would be like a bonfire in the dead of night, incredibly conspicuous. Zhang Qiling did not wish to waste time on such matters.
...The shortcut was no longer an option.
He pondered for a moment, then turned directly and headed in another direction.
Although the appearance of the Bronze Gate was not accompanied by any earth-shattering sound effects or visual displays, and it was difficult to pinpoint its exact location amidst the vast snowy mountains, ever since the Ghost Seal had glowed and then dimmed, Zhang Qiling, holding it, always felt a subtle, guiding hint deep within his heart, allowing him to vaguely sense the general direction of the Bronze Gate.
He had previously speculated that under the manipulation of fate, the Ghost Seal would spontaneously move towards the place where the Bronze Gate appeared, perhaps completing its task through this method.
This newly chosen path was not easy to traverse. The terrain, sometimes gentle and sometimes steep, made it almost impossible to stand steady.
Wu Tianzhen, gasping for breath, trudged through the deep snow, his every step sinking. The white mist from his exhalations quickly froze, and his vision gradually blurred into a vast expanse of white, making it impossible to distinguish north from south.
And in this world of white, only Zhang Qiling's black silhouette stood out distinctly.
This treacherous mountain path seemed to have no effect on Zhang Qiling. He continued to walk steadily at the forefront, his pace unwavering with every step.
Wu Tianzhen, almost devoid of the strength to climb further, could only stare intently at the retreating figure, forcing himself to move his feet and follow closely behind.
But whether it was his eyes playing tricks on him or his fear affecting reality, Zhang Qiling, clad in black and out of place in the snowy mountains, seemed to be gradually blending into the vast white expanse as they walked.
His mind in turmoil, Wu Tianzhen's foot slipped, and he nearly fell. However, he quickly regained his balance, not even needing the support of the Fatty beside him.
...After returning from Yingzhou Island, his agility seemed to have improved. Was it due to Hei Jing's torment? Or perhaps Hei Jing's training?
But they were strangers; why would Hei Jing...
Lost in a jumble of thoughts, Wu Tianzhen noticed that Zhang Qiling had turned his head the moment he slipped.
Although Zhang Qiling quickly stopped paying attention after he steadied himself, this discovery still boosted Wu Tianzhen's spirits.
...Yes, Xiao Ge cared about them!
...Xiao Ge had been so eager to leave, yet he stayed to eat a meal with them. They could have actually persuaded him to stay!
...He was just going to find something; yes, just finding something. He would return once he found it. He wouldn't leave!
The more Wu Tianzhen thought about it, the more excited and happy he became, to the point where a peculiar joy spread across his face.
He subconsciously ignored Zhang Qiling's unusual behavior throughout their journey, attributing it all to Xiao Ge wanting some personal space. He even felt for a moment that their following him and Fatty was inappropriate, but he quickly convinced himself that "Xiao Ge didn't strongly object."
Then, just as he quickened his pace to share his good news with Fatty—
Not far behind him, a soft call suddenly came.
"Wu Tianzhen..."
The voice was exceptionally prominent in the silent snowy mountains. Wu Tianzhen instinctively looked back, only to see a vast expanse of white snow behind him. The white snowflakes drifting in the air blurred his vision, and there was no one behind him at all.
...He must have misheard.
Wu Tianzhen turned his head back, puzzled.
Besides, in this desolate place, there wasn't even a mouse; only strange, malevolent creatures burrowed in the ground. How could someone suddenly call his name?
...Wait, malevolent creatures?
His hair stood on end instantly. With a "crack," his footsteps stopped, making a grating sound buried in the snow. Just then, he noticed that Fatty, in front of him, had also stopped moving at some point.
"Tianzhen," Fatty rubbed his ear, sniffled, and peered over Wu Tianzhen's head into the snow fog behind them. "No, did you hear something calling me?"
"Damn it, Fatty thought you were still pining away and calling my name from behind, but upon closer listening, that voice isn't right either!"
"Could it be that some young girl who mines stones in these snowy mountains was captivated by Fatty's handsome physique and is pouring out her heart?!"
Fatty continued his nonsensical chatter, but Wu Tianzhen was already frozen stiff.
...He hadn't heard anyone call Fatty's name at all just now!!!
Fatty rambled on for a while. Seeing Wu Tianzhen lost in thought, he turned back uninterestingly, preparing to continue climbing.
And the moment Fatty turned, Wu Tianzhen felt a light crunch of snow behind him—
"Wu Tianzhen!!!"
The voice shrieked in his ear!
"Holy crap!" His trained body reacted instinctively. Wu Tianzhen, his mind barely processing, had already turned and thrown a punch!
But the moment he threw it, he regretted it.
...Damn it! He dared to swear on Fatty's thirty pounds of flesh that whatever was behind him was definitely not of this world. With his pathetic combat power, wouldn't this punch be like a meat bun thrown at a dog, never to return?!
He was already imagining the excruciating pain of his hand being bitten off, but unexpectedly, the thing behind him, under his attack, dodged as lightly as a feather, standing silently three meters behind him without a sound.
And only then did he clearly see what this thing behind him was—
He saw a creature with mottled fur, a mix of silver and black, standing upright. Its long tail coiled above its head like a spring and rested quietly. Beneath that hat-like tail, its head was unmistakably that of a snow leopard!
This was a Snow Leopard Walker—!
Legend had it that they lived in the snowy mountains and emitted a peculiar radio wave that made people nearby think they heard their own names. Then, they would seize the opportunity when people were drawn in to hunt them!
Now that he had seen through the Snow Leopard Walker's trick, it had exposed itself, likely intending to drop all pretense and attack directly!
Wu Tianzhen heard footsteps approaching from behind, assuming it was Fatty, and whispered, "Although there aren't many documented records of Snow Leopard Walkers, they are definitely very difficult to deal with and highly dangerous. We must be careful!"
There was no reply from behind him. Wu Tianzhen was momentarily confused, but thinking it was due to Fatty's extreme nervousness, he didn't turn around.
And at this moment, the Snow Leopard Walker suddenly lunged!
Its sharp claws flashed past, its bared mouth revealing sinister fangs. Wu Tianzhen could barely track its movements!
And just as he was preparing to fight for his life, a shadow flashed, and the Snow Leopard Walker, which had been so close, was suddenly sent flying as if struck by a heavy blow! The speed at which it was flung away was even faster than its pounce!
Wu Tianzhen slowly turned his head and saw Zhang Qiling slowly retracting his leg with a blank expression.
Little Zhang looked at him calmly, his face conveying two words—
Is that all?
Wu Tianzhen: ...Is there a possibility that when I said it was extremely dangerous, I was judging it by my own standards?
...When did you even get here, ahhhhh!