Chapter 164: A Disparity in Strength

Every time snow falls in the grotto-heaven, I am filled with excitement. I have always loved the snow; it was true in the past, and it remains true today.

It is not just me; I sense a stirring behind the other trees. It seems everyone else is just as thrilled.

I lift my head to glance ahead. Finding that no one has arrived yet, I speak up: "Everyone, hold your ambush. Once we weather this battle, we shall enjoy the snow together."

Hearing this, everyone instantly settles down, and I reveal a knowing smile.

The snow falls heavily, and the air grows bitter, which only bolsters my confidence. Within moments, the ground is blanketed in a thick layer of white. This makes it easier for us to remain hidden, as our robes are all snow-white.

What is meant to come will come. Not even half an hour later, I sense multiple currents of spiritual energy approaching the main path.

They are here.

I draw the Snow Blade from my ring, lower my head, and wait patiently, feeling the vibrations in the air. As they draw closer, my senses sharpen. By my estimation, there are over forty of them—a formidable number. It seems there are many experts at the Spirit Lotus Realm among them, but I must not let their strength diminish my own resolve.

I grip the Snow Blade tightly, my heart pounding in my chest. I begin to circulate all the spiritual energy within me, readying my defenses and ensuring I can recover quickly from any wounds I might sustain.

The sound of footsteps is now so close it feels as if they are right before me. I hold my breath, waiting for them to step into our encirclement.

Peering through a gap, I see they are all dressed in uniform black—a somber look that suits their temperament perfectly. Each of them carries small cloth bags at their waists, and they move with an air of arrogance. This must be their main force.

As they step onto the paved stone path, I roar, "Attack!"

I charge out first. Seeing me take the lead, the others unleash their pent-up ferocity, with Chen Chen following closely behind. Everyone brandishes their weapons, diving into the crowd to begin the slaughter.

Naturally, I take on the Spirit Lotus Realm enemies—there are seven or eight of them, including one expert at the third tier of the Spirit Lotus Realm, who is stronger than I am. As the five lightning bolts I summoned strike the enemy, the battle officially begins.

I face those eight Spirit Lotus Realm enemies alone. They are caught off guard, and before they can even summon their puppets, I have already lunged at them. Facing so many opponents, victory depends on who strikes first and who maintains the focus.

I seamlessly slip into the Wing Shadow Blade technique. It is my first time facing eight opponents at once, and the thrill is indescribable. The men I face draw their weapons; the strongest among them pulls out a snake-like whip that looks formidable.

The sounds of battle are deafening. I know many will fall today, but this is war. I fight while casting the Rushing Thunder Technique, paying attention to every detail, ensuring I do not leave myself exposed or make any mistakes.

Yet, in such a situation, perfection is impossible. I am soon struck by a lash from the third-tier Spirit Lotus expert. The wound stings with searing pain, but I do not stop swinging the Snow Blade, focusing my energy to heal the injury as quickly as possible.

The fighting is intense, with everyone showing their unique skills. However, against eight Spirit Lotus Realm experts, I cannot hope to counter-kill them easily. Consequently, I am stabbed several times, and wounds begin to multiply across my body.

I accelerate the circulation of my blood, allowing my wounds to heal rapidly, but my spiritual energy is not inexhaustible. In this short time, I have already consumed more than half. If I continue like this, even if I am not killed in battle, I will die from energy depletion. I must find a way to conserve my strength.

The Snow Blade has never failed me. Despite being surrounded by so many, it remains as sturdy and brilliant as ever.

"Kid, who are you?" the one at the third tier of the Spirit Lotus Realm asks.

"I am Lin Yao of Heavenly Sun Mountain!" I shout each word clearly. But they only look at me with disdain.

"So, just a piece of trash from Heavenly Sun Mountain..."

Such words are the ultimate provocation. My fighting spirit ignited, I circulate my energy once more. I execute the Wing Shadow Blade technique again and again. The wounds on my body increase, but I refuse to repair them yet. None of them are fatal, and I will not waste my precious spiritual energy until the critical moment.

"Four of you, go help the rear," the man commands.

With that order, four of the Spirit Lotus Realm enemies shift their focus to the battle behind us—an act of overconfidence. With four gone, the pressure on my defense lessens, but I am still pinned down with no room to breathe. My snow-white robes are soaked in blood, yet I remain standing.

"Kid, stop resisting. Tell the people inside to come out and surrender; it would be much better than us forcing our way in."

He tries to persuade me to lay down my weapon, but he does not know who I am, nor does he understand their nature.

"Die!"

With a heavy, powerful strike, I shatter one man's weapon and follow through by severing his head. I thought the Xia family was united, but those people barely glanced at him before kicking his severed head aside.

That strike consumed a vast amount of my energy. Now, I do not even have the power to cast the Five Thunder Technique. Consequently, I am stabbed several times in quick succession. At the critical moment, the White Flowing Flower I had stored within my body for so long comes to my aid.

A surge of spiritual energy floods my entire body, and I stand tall again, immediately channeling it to mend my wounds. Seeing my tenacity, they are shocked and disbelieving, but I am like a cockroach that refuses to die.

Soon, my wounds are mostly healed, and I still have nearly half of my spiritual energy left. I owe my life to the White Flowing Flower.

I gather my strength into one hand and unleash a Five Thunder Technique toward the rear battlefield. Even if I attacked those in front of me, they would simply dodge, so it is better to aid my brothers behind me.

With a thunderous boom, many of the enemy are blasted apart. It is a testament to the strength of our thirteen men that we have held back dozens.

The third-tier Spirit Lotus expert sees this and shouts to his remaining men: "Hurry! The four Spirit Lotus experts, take everyone and push forward! Do not delay! We will hold this brat back!"

He is cunning, I’ll give him that. The four who had gone to provide support return, leading the rest of the force forward.