The terrain of Dragon Peak, despite being a composite of glaciated permafrost, was currently at the tail end of the melt season, having endured over a year and two months of it. Its geographical position, being at a relatively low altitude, meant the snow cap was not perennial. After the thaw, little accumulation remained. Furthermore, the four surrounding snow peaks provided wide gaps that wouldn't easily channel sound, and the wind and snow naturally diluted any noise. Thus, once we grasped the topographical structure, we realized that gunfire on the snowfield wouldn't easily trigger an avalanche.

However, should the wind and snow cease, following a full two days of snowfall, the snowpack on the peaks would reach critical capacity, making conditions exceedingly dangerous. Shirley Yang suggested that the crystalline structure of this "Crystal Freedom Mountain" contained compressed, specialized sound waves within its dense, scale-like ripples. The shattering of this crystal stone, she warned, would instantly trigger a massive avalanche. Moreover, the posture of the White Wolf Demon Thrall seemed to corroborate this, descending from the heavens with destructive white power, matching ancient myths describing avalanches and ice collapses.

The few among us who hadn't experienced an avalanche had no true concept of what it meant. Upon learning of the potential for an avalanche, the guide, Chu Yi, felt his facial muscles tighten involuntarily. In the Karameer region, avalanches were common occurrences. Sometimes, on bright, clear days, one could hear thunder rolling ceaselessly in the distance—that was the sound of avalanches deep in the mountains. From ancient times onward, countless humans and beasts had been swallowed by the clear white wrath of the gods. People living at the foot of the snow mountains possessed an inherently complex awe for the ferocity and sanctity of the peaks.

When I first joined the army, I encountered a massive avalanche myself. The memory of that destructive power, like a surging white tide, remains vivid even now. Staring at the Wolf God atop the "Crystal Freedom Mountain," I muttered to myself, "This son of a bitch is practically a time bomb..."

Uncle Ming was feeling desperate, raising his flashlight to illuminate the object beneath the crystal stone, eager to glimpse the highly coveted and priceless "Glacier Crystal Corpse." The beam from the "Wolf Eye" shone onto the crystal, and Fatty and I were equally keen to see it. But before we could get a clear look, Uncle Ming suddenly flinched backward, recoiling his hand. The "Wolf Eye" slipped from his grasp, heading straight for the thin surface of the "Crystal Freedom Mountain."

Our hearts dropped with the flashlight, but the event happened too suddenly; there was no time to reach out and catch it. We watched helplessly as it struck the crystal stone. The sound wasn't particularly loud, but it was enough to carve a gaping hole in our psychological defenses. Uncle Ming's legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed to the floor.

The base of the tower fell utterly silent. It seemed as if everyone’s breath froze at that moment. Only when we clearly saw that the "Crystal Freedom Mountain" had not cracked did we all breathe a collective sigh of relief. I told the group, "It's alright. No matter what, it’s a stone, much sturdier than we imagined."

I picked up the fallen flashlight and said to Uncle Ming, "Uncle Ming, you truly are my kin—you've dropped that flashlight twice today. Can you hold on tighter next time? If your hands and feet aren't cooperating, just let Old Huang hold the light for you."

Uncle Ming protested, "No, no... I've sailed boats and weathered great storms; I'm not this faint of heart! What I just saw beneath the crystal... it was alive. And... it was moving!" As he spoke, he pulled out the "Celestial Seal," asking me, "How do you use this treasure seal?"

I hadn't heard the latter part of Uncle Ming's statement at all. Had the "Glacier Crystal Corpse" actually revived? What was moving? Hearing this, our uncertainty deepened. We reluctantly hardened our resolve and looked again at the object inside the "Freedom Mountain." Our heartbeats quickened the more we stared; there truly seemed to be something alive inside...

Though named "Crystal Freedom Mountain," it was nowhere near the size of an actual mountain. At most, it was the size of a bathtub—oval-shaped, encircled by several curved golden handles for lifting. It rested horizontally in the pit at the tower's base, with the White Wolf Demon Thrall, symbolizing the power of collapsing snow peaks, carved onto its upward-facing side. Viewed from above, it somewhat resembled an eyeball embedded in a socket.

If one looked closely, one could see a substance, like liquid mercury, slowly flowing within the crystal casing. These mercury-like shadows formed a distinct outline of a female figure. Within this mercury-like humanoid form, some deep red objects emitted a faint glow. Judging by their location and shape, these appeared to be the internal organs—heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.

Because it was encased by the outer crystal stone, we couldn't discern the true appearance of the mercury-like figure. It genuinely seemed like a moving person, but that was likely just an optical effect. We could only initially surmise that the internal form might also be a piece of translucent crystal—most likely the "Glacier Crystal Corpse" Uncle Ming sought.

Whether it was a genuine human corpse or merely a symbolic artifact, like the outer "Crystal Freedom Mountain," was impossible to know without opening it. The only reason I agreed to accompany Uncle Ming into the Kunlun Mountains was the hope of finding a way within these Nine-Story Demon Towers to remove the curse afflicting me using the "Muchen Bead." But this demon tower, upon which I pinned so much hope, offered no clues; only the corpse of this evil god remained to be examined. Having already prepared myself mentally to see things through to the end, I beckoned the others to help lift the "Crystal Freedom Mountain" out of the pit.

Uncle Ming hoped to devise a way to transport it to the surface, intending to open it only after moving it out of the Karameer region, thus eliminating the risk of causing an avalanche; he felt he could smash or cut it at will then.

I firmly rejected this idea. Although this iceberg crystal stone was sturdier than we anticipated and wouldn't shatter easily, using climbing ropes to bind the golden handles and hoisting it up layer by layer was akin to juggling a bomb over our heads. Moreover, we wouldn't just have to move it to the snowfield on the top floor, but also transport it across the icy, treacherous Shenluo Valley—a task harder than ascending to heaven. Retrieving the "Glacier Crystal Corpse" required taking the risk right here at the tower's base. While seemingly dangerous, this approach was actually far safer than attempting to move it out.

After persuading Uncle Ming, I checked my watch; dusk was approaching. Based on Chu Yi’s mastery of wolf behavior, the pack would launch its full assault before the snow stopped tonight. They had been enduring the cold in the snow gullies, and they were nearing their limit. Once this demon tower was excavated, the wolves would have no compunctions. Furthermore, the "Crystal Freedom Mountain" was a sacred relic of the wolf ancestors; they would never tolerate humans disturbing it carelessly. It seemed tonight would end only when one side or the other was completely wiped out.

I estimated that the remaining wolves couldn't be too numerous. We needed to set aside everything else and deal with the wolf pack first. Consequently, everyone returned to the first floor of the Nine-Story Demon Tower, fueling the bonfire generously. We left Uncle Ming and A'Xiang there, while the rest of us returned to the snow-buried glacier. Although separated by floors, we were close enough to provide aid if necessary. As Chu Yi prepared to go up, he gave all the salt reserves to Uncle Ming, instructing him to scatter it if the Snow Maitreya managed to emerge.

Outside, the sky was completely dark, and the snow was gradually lessening; it looked like the snow would stop before midnight. The group piled up the black wood excavated from the tower to form a defensive perimeter, each man checking his weapons and ammunition.

I fully loaded the shells for my shotgun and pistol. It was time to settle the final score with that white-haired old wolf. In truth, the grievances between us were hard to untangle. At the Great Phoenix Temple, the Wolf King had killed Steward Xu, thereby saving my life. But it was also the Wolf King who led the pack to besiege us, gutting Ge Ma. Furthermore, Fatty and I had slaughtered many wolf cubs in the Zanggu Gully. These matters were too complex to sort out. Since fate had brought us enemies face-to-face, only a fight to the death would suffice.

We observed a deathly silence across the surrounding snowfield; there was no sign of life. Peter Huang grew impatient and asked Chu Yi, "Are the wolves really coming? Why is there no sound at all?"

Chu Yi merely nodded at Peter Huang. Having harbored a deep hatred for wolves since childhood, he was visibly excited by the impending battle, his eyes slightly bloodshot. He touched the scar on his face. In the snowy wilderness, Chu Yi's intuition was even sharper than a wolf's. He raised his wineskin and took a long draught of barley wine, then drew his Tibetan knife and spat the wine across the blade. In a low voice, he told everyone, "They're here." He raised his hunting rifle with one hand, and with a loud bang, a cloud of red snow mist erupted where the shot landed on the white snow about fifty yards away. A giant wolf, entirely covered in snow, was struck and tumbled to the ground.

From every direction across the snowfield, dozens of ferocious wolves simultaneously leaped out, dragging vast plumes of snow mist as they charged toward us. In that instant, our vision seemed to play tricks on us, as if the entire slope suddenly shuddered and boiled. The wolf pack had been lying in ambush in the nearby snow gullies, waiting for the moment our guard dropped after emerging from the demon tower to launch their attack. They were about to surge forward, but Chu Yi exposed them first, killing the nearest one with his shot. The rest charged wildly.

Though few in number and lacking automatic rifle fire, among the five of us were top-tier marksmen. Moreover, the wolf pack’s numbers were finite; over twenty had already fallen, leaving fewer than seventy. We immediately unleashed a volley of gunfire, and countless splashes of bright red blood bloomed across the white snowfield.

The wolves had calculated our firepower with great precision. If they had ambushed too close, they risked being discovered; if too far, they couldn't close the distance quickly. Therefore, they were concealed in a zone about thirty to fifty meters out. It appeared they planned to sacrifice a dozen wolves to rapidly reach close quarters for melee combat, where our firearms would be less effective. But Chu Yi had disrupted those plans.

However, the distance between the wolves and us was still too short. After felling the thirty-odd giant wolves in the vanguard, the five of us were out of long-range ammunition. The second wave of vicious wolves was now upon us, swirling like a white cyclone.