Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

“Why didn’t they move earlier, then? Why did they wait until the end of autumn? The deadliest storms are on their way. They aren’t good at managing their time,” Mo Fan scoffed.

“The Valley of Glaciers is richest in resources at the end of autumn. Otherwise, why are so many organizations insisting on visiting the Scar of Tianshan Mountain around this time, when the place is also accessible in spring? They didn’t come just for the sake of the legend of the sacred tiger!” Lingling snorted.

“I see, so these demon creatures are just like us! They were after the resources in the Valley of Glaciers,” Mo Fan realized.

“Mm, but it’s odd, why do they have to leave the mountain now, and this lake… They are clearly different species. Strictly speaking, they are one another’s competitors. Their situation is similar to ours,” Lingling noticed.

“You mean our current situation?” Mo Fan was a little lost.

“Our group is competing with other groups, yet we have gathered at the lake. The different species of demon creatures are also stopped at the lake, even though they are coming down the mountain while we are climbing up,” Lingling said.

Everyone immediately realized something after hearing Lingling’s explanation.

“You’re saying that these hordes of demon creatures aren’t the reason why so many groups have stopped advancing?” Jiang Shaoxu asked.

Lingling did not answer. Her keenly intelligent eyes were fixed on the frozen lake.

The lake remained calm. The strange thing was, the thin layer of ice did not break, even though a huge number of demon creatures were stomping around on it now. A few dozen demon creatures had almost reached the center of the lake, but they showed no sign of slowing down. It looked like they were running for their lives.

A loud cry came from the sky. It was clear and piercing despite the thunderous noise that the hordes of demon creatures were making.

“It’s the shiny dots… f**k me, it’s an eagle!” Zhao Manyan pointed at the sky.

The shiny dots had gone from circling the mountains to diving from the sky. They were falling toward the lake like meteorites crashing to the surface of a planet. There were even reflections of their fast-moving figures on the frozen surface!

A Frosty Ancient Eagle suddenly spread its majestic wings when it was less than five meters from the ground. It managed to come to a hover even though it was diving from the sky like a falling sword just a moment ago. The Mages gasped when they witnessed how powerful its wings were!

The Frosty Ancient Eagle was not showcasing its outstanding flying ability. It had stopped right at the spot a Steel Spike Bull was running to. The Steel Spike Bull saw the Frosty Ancient Eagle, but it was already too late as it tried to stop.

The sharp and powerful talons dug into the Steel Spike Bull’s body. The Frosty Ancient Eagle instantly plucked up the Steel Spike Bull as it was still moving. The eagle beat its wings a few times, and surprisingly dragged a bull that was at least a few times its weight into the air with ease.

The eagle did not seem to struggle, as if it had just caught a tiny chick. The Steel Spike Bull was lifted a few dozen meters into the sky. The eagle continued on, flying toward the ridges in the distance.

While the members of the Mailong Private Military Group who had just arrived were still recovering from the shock, more shiny dots dove from the sky and headed for the demon creatures that were still running at full speed!

One after another, Frosty Ancient Eagles spread their wings and stopped at a certain height above the lake, hovering above the surface.

Their talons latched into the demon creatures and snatched them into the sky. The demon creatures on the ground had nowhere to hide!

The scene resembled the production line of a factory. The eagles were like machines that were grabbing parts off the conveyor belt with great precision. Everything happened in an orderly manner despite the chaos. The Mages who were watching it were spooked!

“This…this is the reason why they didn’t cross the lake…” Kuma no longer had any doubts.

No one would naively think they could cross the lake safely after witnessing the scene. Despite the outstanding numbers of the hordes, not many demon creatures managed to escape the Frosty Ancient Eagles!

The demon creatures had no choice. If they continued to stay in the Valley of Glaciers, they would not last more than three days, and would eventually turn into ice statues. The lake was their only way out, but the Frosty Ancient Eagles were not letting them go so easily.

They had lost their chance to leave in one piece the moment they set foot into the Valley of Glaciers!

—

“How…how terrifying!” Nanyu’s voice trembled slightly.

“The worst thing is, these Frosty Ancient Eagles could have hunted the demon creatures when they first moved to the Valley of Glaciers in autumn, but they chose not to do so. They waited for the creatures to look for the resources in the Valley of Glaciers until the end of autumn, so they could claim both the resources and the creatures’ meat!” Lingling explained.

A great chill exploded in everyone’s heart when they linked Lingling’s words to the ghastly scene before them!

“In other words, even if we make it to the Valley of Glaciers, those things are still going to hunt us down when we leave the mountain if we can’t find another way down?” Mo Fan asked.

“The problem is, are they going to attack us if we are going up the mountain?” Zhao Manyan wondered.

“Of course they are! Why do you think the Mages have gathered here? Can’t you tell? The different species of demon creatures are rushing down the mountain all at once because they know the Frosty Ancient Eagles are waiting for them. If they all leave the mountain at the same time, some of them will survive by luck.”

“The same logic applies to us too. We have gathered here because we are waiting for more groups to arrive. We will all cross the lake when there are enough of us, and it will be everyone for themselves!” Jiang Shaoxu agreed.

The people of the Mailong Private Military Group became uneasy right after Jiang Shaoxu finished speaking.

The Mailong Private Military Group also realized what the other groups were planning. However, they were struggling to accept the fact when they imagined themselves being targeted by the Frosty Ancient Eagles after witnessing the gruesome scene!