Watching Hei Mingyingjie recede into the distance, and glancing at Nibo beside him who seemed completely unaffected, Ye Jingyu let out a soft sigh before climbing directly onto Nibo’s back. Now was hardly the time for chivalry. Besides, while he wasn't a frail scholar, he certainly wasn't some freak of nature, was he? Any normal person would be exhausted after running through this snowscape for half a day, wouldn't they? As for why that girl wasn't tired, ever since Ye Jingyu had known her, he hadn't considered her normal anyway. What normal person carries their own sister’s soul around with them?

Nibo's speed was incredible. Ye Jingyu gripped Nibo’s mane tightly, ensuring he wouldn't be thrown off. He narrowed his eyes against the stinging wind, but a silver light pulsed incessantly above his brow—he was using his Heavenly Eye to perceive everything around him. Ever since learning his Heavenly Eye could pierce the essence of things, Hei Mingyingjie had decided he must accompany her to Tianxue Peak to search for the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. Only such a divine ability could easily reveal the true nature of things. Otherwise, Tianxue Peak was so vast; even with her high cultivation, finding a lotus no thicker than an arm would be like finding a needle in a haystack, let alone one that was ten thousand years old.

Guided by his keen Heavenly Eye, Ye Jingyu saw that the path was not merely the snowscape his naked eye perceived. All sorts of plants grew within the snow, though they were peculiar, entirely white, and merged perfectly with the environment. Besides the flora, there were also completely white snow wolves, snow rabbits, snow mice, and even a white python seven or eight meters long. Because their bodies were pristine white, they were almost invisible in the thick, falling snow.

“I never expected so many creatures could thrive in such a cold place. Nature truly is astonishing,” Ye Jingyu mused to himself while observing his surroundings.

It was then that Hei Mingyingjie, who had been gliding ahead, suddenly stopped. A beam of purple light shot from her violet eyes and struck an icy rock formation in front of them. Immediately, a tremendous crash echoed, and the entire rock exploded.

However, instead of scattering ice shards as expected, vivid, scarlet flesh sprayed out, startling Ye Jingyu into a momentary stupor. That rock was alive?

“Shixuan, time to eat…” Hei Mingyingjie said calmly, her scimitar at her waist vibrating rapidly. A flash of purple light streaked out, plunging into the mass of blood and gore.

Ye Jingyu activated his Heavenly Eye and saw a dark shadow dart out from the bloody remains—presumably the soul of the rock. It was immediately enveloped by the purple light and dragged into the Ziyue Saber.

“What was that?” Ye Jingyu knew that Hei Ming Shixuan was currently in soul form. Even with the protection of the Ziyue Saber, it only slowed the dissipation of her spirit. To maintain the strength of Shixuan's soul, she needed to replenish it with the souls of living creatures periodically. This was much like the savage beast form Xiao Taotao took required consuming souls to grow. Yet, beyond knowing their names, Ye Jingyu remained ignorant of everything else concerning the two girls. He only knew that these two lasses were mysterious... profoundly mysterious.

“Didn’t you see it looked like a rock? It’s naturally a rock monster,” Hei Mingyingjie replied dismissively.

“Ugh…” Ye Jingyu rolled his eyes. What kind of logic was that? If it looks like a rock, it’s a rock?

“Then why did you kill it, and not the other creatures?” Ye Jingyu felt like a diligent student.

“Idiot, don’t you know it’s easier to kill a creature that isn’t moving?” Hei Mingyingjie shot back without hesitation.

“Argh…” Ye Jingyu felt his face flush crimson instantly. Was he truly that dense? That he couldn't even understand such a simple question?

“Roar…” At that moment, a massive roar echoed through the snow mountains. Hei Mingyingjie’s expression shifted, and a grave look appeared in Nibo’s eyes.

“That sounds like the Blizzard Tiger King,” Hei Mingyingjie stated coldly.

“Blizzard Tiger King?” Ye Jingyu frowned.

“That’s a Level Six Desolate Beast. But it’s incredibly fast, and its body is impervious to blades and spears. Even a Grandmaster would have to flee upon encountering one,” this voice was Nibo communicating directly into Ye Jingyu’s mind.

“Oh? Can you handle it?” Hearing it was just a Level Six Desolate Beast, Ye Jingyu was unconcerned. Back then, Xiao Taotao, without using any divine abilities, had crushed a Level Six One-Horned Dragon-Lion and several Level Five beasts without them being able to retaliate. Since Nibo could contend with Xiao Taotao, dealing with a Level Six Desolate Beast should be a simple matter, right?

“I could when I grow up, but not now,” to Ye Jingyu’s surprise, Nibo replied instantly without hesitation.

“Uh… why?” Ye Jingyu was puzzled.

“My current true strength is at the peak of a Level Five Desolate Beast, at best. I can suppress an ordinary Level Six Desolate Beast using the aura within me, but I cannot handle the Blizzard Tiger King,” Nibo explained.

“Hmm?” Ye Jingyu furrowed his brow further.

“The Blizzard Tiger King carries the bloodline of the White Tiger; it fears no Desolate Beast with Dragon blood flowing in its veins. Even if that fellow Taotie were here, he couldn't guarantee a victory over the Blizzard Tiger King,” Nibo anticipated Ye Jingyu’s confusion and continued to elaborate.

Ye Jingyu instantly understood. The reason Xiao Taotao could completely suppress the One-Horned Dragon-Lion wasn't solely due to its overwhelming inherent power; its aura suppressed those beasts to the point where they couldn't exert even a tenth of their strength, allowing Xiao Taotao to win easily. If a Level Six Desolate Beast could entirely ignore Xiao Taotao’s aura and unleash its full power, it could indeed defeat Xiao Taotao. Currently, Xiao Taotao’s own strength only reached Level Six Desolate Beast status, at most. Of course, for a creature to reach Level Six Desolate Beast strength at such a young age, no one knew what realm it would achieve when fully grown.

As Nibo conveyed this information to Ye Jingyu, a white figure emerged from the vast snowscape. It was a massive tiger, standing as tall as a story-high building, its fur entirely white, with faint stripes subtly visible. Upon its forehead rested a faint character for ‘King.’ Only its eyes, large enough to serve as washbasins, glowed blood-red.

Upon seeing this colossal creature appear, every hair on Ye Jingyu’s body stood on end. This… was this really a tiger? Why was it the size of a dinosaur?

Nibo also stared intently at the giant tiger. However, Hei Mingyingjie, standing beside him, looked past the Blizzard Tiger King and focused her purple eyes on its back. There sat a figure about one meter tall, entirely covered in white fur—a 'person.' Because of its small stature, Ye Jingyu hadn't noticed it at all. But the intense gravity in Hei Mingyingjie’s eyes was striking.