Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

They could not afford to rest in this area. The smell of blood lingering in the air might attract more Ruler-level creatures to them. They had to keep moving, despite the fatigue they were feeling.

The land was littered with dead bodies, adding hints of bright redness and trails of red footsteps to the world of snow.

Ghastly cries kept echoing around them, inflicting a sense of hopelessness on the people on Tianshan Mountain. They were forced to close their eyes because of the extreme cold, yet they did not dare to sleep, as they were afraid they might not wake up again.

They had won the battle, yet they were like cattle trapped inside fences. The predators would lunge at them when the fences fell!

The alliance was a lot weaker after the battle. Only a few lucky Advanced Mages had survived. Their odds of survival solely depended on whether the scavengers had targeted them or not. Being above the Advanced Level did not necessarily guarantee their safety, either. Normally, in the cities or territories of demon creatures, the Advanced Level was enough for humans to be nigh-fearless, but they were currently in the Scar of Tianshan Mountain. Every creature here was stronger than an Advanced Mage. They were dead for sure if they were left alone!

The alliance had many Super Mages, but they too were tense and nervous. Both the demon creatures they were going to stumble into ahead and the scavengers behind had cunning Ruler-level creatures among them. Those creatures were capable of killing Super Mages with a single blow. They were experienced at hunting and were gradually applying pressure to the Mages, making them uneasy and scared so they would lose their calm.

“It’s so cold…”

“Can we use our magic?”

The frostbite was still happening. As time went by, their skin and muscles were being injured by the cold.

Their bodies were getting stiffer. The cold felt like something was rubbing against their bones. Even those with a strong will could not withstand it.

“We can’t use our magic!” Yassen said.

“I can no longer feel my body. If we don’t use our magic…” a Hunter Master complained.

“If we use our magic, the scavengers will know we are getting weaker. Do you think they don’t suspect we are just putting up a front? Once it’s exposed, none of us will survive!” Yassen declared.

“It’s better than freezing to death!”

“Yeah, we can no longer sense our bodies. If we don’t use our magic to protect us from the cold…”

“Hang in there, we still have a glimpse of hope! But if our energy depletes, we are as good as dead!” Yassen stated coldly.

“Do you think we care about that now? You asked us to form an alliance and tell us the location of the Tianshan Sacred Lotus so we could be your cannon fodder. We’ve been dying along the way, yet none of you have been fighting with your full strength… we don’t want to waste our magic just to warm ourselves, but we might die to the cold at any second now?! Why should we keep putting up a front just so you are safe from the scavengers?” Zhuang Qi from the Savage Raptor Hunter Group cursed harshly.

“That’s right! You Super Mages never treated us seriously! In the end, only you are going to survive, meaning that the Tianshan Sacred Lotus is yours too!” someone added.

“How can you think like that? You volunteered to enter the Scar of Tianshan Mountain in the first place. We did tell you how dangerous it’s going to be…” Yassen spat back.

“Since you keep saying we are one group now, shouldn’t you Super Mages sacrifice some of your energy to set up a barrier for those who are dying to the cold?” Zhuang Qi retorted.

“Ugh… if we waste our energy, how are we supposed to fight the Ruler-level creatures?” Yassen pointed out.

“Humph, I know you have been preserving your strength. We are all ants on the same string. We risked our lives to clear a path for you, so it’s your turn to step forward now that we can’t hold on for any longer!”

“Yeah, the Super Mages should step forward!”

The leaders of the alliance were hesitant as more people began to doubt them.

It was the truth that the rate of casualties had increased significantly after they entered the Scar of Tianshan Mountain. They claimed they had to work together, but only the Super Mages could survive in the end.

More people were protesting. Yassen, Xing Hui, Zhao Kang, and the others were struggling to keep the situation under control.

They could not afford to lose the Advanced Mages, as they still made up the majority. If they left, the scavengers were going to attack them.

It did not mean they were no match for the scavengers, but it did mean they would be worn out and injured after fighting them. They might not return from the mountain safely!

In the end, Yassen and the others chose to compromise. The Super Mages had to establish barriers to protect the Advanced Mages from the cold.

——

“They are not idiots. There must be a limit, even if they are treated as cannon fodder,” Mo Fan commented.

“We are Super Mages too. Does that mean we need to set up barriers for them? We didn’t get to rest at all. We are running out of energy,” Zhao Manyan replied quietly.

“Nanyu, Jiang Shaoxu, and Guan Yu are still in the Advanced Level. Besides, the Mailong Private Military Group has indeed cleared a path for us. We should protect them,” Ai Jiangtu spoke up.

“It’s not like I know how to set up a barrier. You all can make the call,” Mo Fan said.

“And you have the most energy left!” Zhao Manyan complained.

Mo Fan had many Elements, and kept switching between them during the battle. If anyone had managed to preserve most of their strength, it was Mo Fan.

Mu Ningxue was very strong too, but she was facing a huge problem, as her energy was almost depleted!

She only had the Ice Element and Wind Element. Even if she had only used Basic and Intermediate Spells, she still could not fight a long battle.

“That Nanrong Ni might be a b**ch, but her Blessing Element could easily help us recover our energy in less than a day. We weren’t fully prepared before coming to Tianshan Mountain. We didn’t have a Healer or someone with the Blessing Element…” Zhao Manyan sighed.

They were no longer on the national team. It was difficult to have every Element available!

They might be able to find a Healer, but it was almost impossible to find someone with the Blessing Element. It was the Parthenon Temple’s specialty, the foundation of their outstanding status in the world.

“Old Zhao, you haven’t Awakened your Fourth Element, right? I might be able to arrange it with Xinxia. You want to try to see if you can Awaken the Blessing Element?” Mo Fan suggested.

“Screw you, why do I have to be the support? I was determined to become the coolest destructive Mage when I was sixteen. I’ll toss my Forbidden Spell at whoever looks at me in the wrong way. However, I ended up Awakening the Light Element, the Water Element, and the Earth Element instead. If I don’t get a good offensive Element as my fourth Element, I should just uninstall myself!” Zhao Manyan exclaimed indignantly.