“Who are you?” Luo Mang asked. He saw that the two people just came to the place to see the doctor that treated him.

“Oh, is he also the disciple from Cleansing Ancient Sect?” Ye Xiaobai asked Han Lang.

“Yes, from his clothes he really is the disciple from that sect. Better to let him rest some more time.” It was suggested to let the recently recovered patient rest to let them gather their stamina. That was what Han Lang did.

“We just some people that want to start our journey. You better rest your body first before we talk again.” Han Lang then pushed Luo Mang slowly to the bed.

“Then we’re leaving.”

-

“It’s colder today.” Manstein could see the white mist every time he breathes. Currently, he wore thicker clothes to reduce the coldness from outside.

“It means that this is the start of the second month of winter.” Ye Xiaobai packed up some of his equipment. He also placed his refinement tool in case he needed it to his bag of holding.

“Is everyone ready?” Manstein had to count those who would follow them to the forest. Not only that but he also became sort of their guide as well.

“I’m ready. When will we depart?” Ye Yingyuan then placed his sword into the scabbard then he carried it on his waist. Other than that, he also carried the large block of stone that smooth on its surface.

But his brother was far more extravagant. He carried the weight all around his arms, legs and even in his back were full of weight.

“Well, who else is ready? Those who still not ready have the time the cup of tea is served so make haste.” Manstein reminded them.

‘I hope that the group will become a good one.’ That was what he thought. But reality hit him hard as the group was filled with more than that!

“Wait, why are you here for?” Ye Yingyuan then said with surprised look covered all part of his face.

“What else?” it was someone that he really know well. But Ye Yingyuan never expected her to come. But the truth was he really worried about her too because the journey to the forest would be filled with countless dangers.

“Can I also follow this group?” Li Ling asked for confirmation. Manstein could not reject too because he never restricted anyone to join or to leave either.

“You can. But remember the consequences of your choice.” Manstein reminded her. This made him remember about his time with his grandfather Ryner, following him climbing the snowy mountain to hunt.

“Thank you!” Li Ling then stared mockingly to Ye Yingyuan, as if to say that she too could join in.

-

The forest in the winter was no different from a wasteland with dead woods that became the black, spooky pole that naturally was there.

“There are some beasts that have the power equivalent to Qi Condensation around here. We started to enter the deeper part of the forest.”

Said Ye Qingcheng. As someone who had trained with his body, he knew the location of the outer part of the forest as well as some deeper part of it.

“Sadly we cannot fly above the forest. If only those flying beasts were gone..” Ye Yingyuan was the one that became affected from this. He wanted to travel with his flying swords but his brother prevented him from doing that.

“Can you all feel it? The sensation of being watched over and over again in the forest. This feeling is normal though because numerous beasts can see something far away.”

Manstein once explored a forest in a mountainous area so he was reminded of the feeling of that moment.

“Yingyuan...” Ye Yingyuan felt his sleeves was held by a hand. He turned his entire body to see that Li Ling had a terrified expression surfaced.

“Do you recalled the time when we were chased by those beasts?” even though he sometimes had to stay further from her but still Li Ling was someone that had together with him.

She nodded. Her impression of those beasts now was in the lowest place possible! The beasts attacked the city and even threatened the safety of everyone including herself.

“Don’t worry about it too much. Usually, they are the shy type of beings who don’t act even when they see us.” Ye Yingyuan knew about the behavior of those beasts.

And besides, both of his meditation states made him understood that the beasts always kept a distance from them as long as the group did not pass a certain bottom line or if the beasts were not in a desperate hunger.

Li Ling walked closer to Ye Yingyuan and both Ye Qingcheng and Ye Xiaobai then started to tease him.

“Look who’s have a cute girl by his side. Even I wonder if someday in the future they will become a couple.” Said Ye Xiaobai while walking near them with a slight loud sound that could be heard for all the groups.

“No, she doesn’t yet!” retorted Ye Yingyuan. But soon he found that there was something wrong with his wording and he found out after seeing the smug face that everyone gave to him.

As for Li Ling, she tightly grabbed Ye Yingyuan’s arm while hid her face. Her feet stomped the ground hard because of the embarrassment she felt.

“Stop doing that, please. There will be trouble if we tease them too much.” Said Manstein that felt satisfied when seeing these happy occasions. But other than that, there were also some things that he wanted to ask.

So Manstein walked to the back, to met with another person that also joined their groups.

“Sister, have a moment?” asked Manstein. He did not know the exact reason why Wu Qing also joined in but it was still good for all f them.

“Actually, I want to have a discussion with her but she insisted to follow you so I also have to join.” Said Wu Qing. Manstein felt that Alice really great, her influence was large enough to shock him.

Manstein thought that she only became a famous figure in the past but it turned out that she even became a superstar. Han Clan that Han Lang came from actually also had a connection with her in the past and it also included Yi family.

“The problem is, she could not materialize herself into physical form and only used her nascent soul to communicated. Unless you can use Nascent Vision you cannot even see her.”

Said Manstein to remind her. But actually, he already permitted Wu Qing by saying about using her Nascent Vision.

“Thank you.” Wu Qing thanked him and then a strange gleam from her eyes and in a moment, he could see the figure of Alice that always by Manstein side.

‘Hah, you made me into your shield. Good, very good!’ Manstein felt annoyed by this but that was just his personal matter. As long as he saw her, someone that he knew from his previous world, then he could stay calm.

“Sorry, Senior. I just don’t want to separate from you after so many years had passed. But if she wants to talk about something and Senior also want to hear that, feel free to say.”

Alice then moved to Wu Qing and Manstein had to keep his distance because she currently connected directly to his medallion that resided in his soul along with Tribulation and Retribution seal.

He also felt the seal shook every time he acts. Manstein thought that the seal would strengthen the effect the karma caused. He afraid that those around him would be affected by his deed.

As they walked slowly, the branch that covered the forest started to appear. Even without the leaves, the branch itself was enough to cover the entire part of the forest.

“Do you hear that?” Manstein was the first one to ask. The others were looking at him as if they did not understand what he means.

“What?” even Ye Xiaobai maximized his sense of hearing but he had not found any sound. But Alice’s face then turned dark.

“Be careful everyone! It’s those bees that I mentioned before. To think that they even ventured to this place..” Alice recognized the sound. The buzzing sound that was not heard before now presented itself, filling the forest with its sound.

“Give me some weapon please!” Manstein had to take precaution against anything that could endanger the safety of both himself and the people around him.

“Take this!” a bow and a quiver were thrown by Ye Xiaobai. Manstein immediately equipped himself and even placed his dagger on his mouth, bitting its handle.

Ye Yingyuan then drew his sword and he entered the state where he and nature as one entity. He could feel the flapping wings those bees gave and even the movement of their group.

‘Thanks to this, I can feel the movement that far away and even those small movements that I previously overlooked.’ Ye Yingyuan could use this as his own trump card.

But when the danger lingering around them, the expression that Li Ling had then turned into the look that determined to participate in a battle.

She also drew her saber. Although her power was much weaker compared to the trio, she could give a decent fight.

“Oh, I forgot about one thing. This is gonna be your chance to show off.” Alice then said to Li Ling. Manstein also remembered that the day was snowy and it was cold enough. What if someone with the right attribute was placed in the right place?

“What is the meaning of that words?” Ye Yingyuan asked in confusion.

He did not know that Li Ling also possessed body constitution so he became rather strange when someone said it to Li Ling.

“Yes, what is the meaning of that?” Li Ling then detected that Alice was right behind her. Her heartbeat went faster due to nervousness and anxiety.

“Like what I have said, recently you feel that your body went cold and there is a thin layer of ice every time you meditating. Isn’t that right?” Alice asked.

“What, how did Sister knows?” Li Ling suddenly staggered and looked surprised by what she had heard.

“Wait, is that true?” there was something that Ye Yingyuan never understand before but hearing the information made him somewhat connected the traces that he found in his room.

‘She often meditating in my room! But what the cause of ice appeared in my room? Is it just because of cold wind?’ That thought kept lingering around Ye Yingyuan’s head.

“Does that mean she perhaps also has body constitution?” a sudden remark by Ye Qingcheng made everyone except Manstein stared at Li Ling.

But a twang was heard. The sound came when Manstein shot the arrows to his front. Then a sound came soon afterward, reminded them that the bees came to their direction.

“Lucky that I got my first shot in five years still accurate.” Manstein heaved heavily as he shot his first arrows. Even Ye Xiaobai looked at him, his eyes showed his hidden meaning of praising.

“Prepare everyone! Don’t separate no matter what!” Ye Qingcheng warned before he prepared his stance.

A swarm of yellow-colored bees approached them at high speed, their wings flapped making those buzzing sounds. Then the groups made a circle which placed Manstein at the center while the other became the outline.

“Splitting Rock Punch!” a strike launched by Ye Qingcheng was designed to penetrate instead of blunt force! The line was formed and dozens of bees fell down at once!

“Even though they don’t have any energy in their body but the swarm was enough to threaten even late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators,” Alice warned them through her energy from her soul.

“Spin!” it was her first time that she used this technique to really attack and kill another life. Li Ling hesitated but she forced herself to do it due to the safety for all the groups now far more important!

She included her cold energy, which started to condensed and then fired off from the spinning saber. The little fragment from her energy then formed little ice shards, which was hit by her saber to launch it as a projectile!

‘The environment! I can use them to reduce my energy usage. That’s why Sister Alice said such things!’ Li Ling inwardly thought.

Manstein kept reloaded his bows with arrows. As for Wu Qing, she prepared a yellow paper that has red writings in it. It was actually a talisman paper that functioned as a defensive measurement.

After some incantation, the talisman then responded from the incantation and the energy that Wu Qing poured to the paper.

“Even I feel restless when facing the swarm so you all better be careful.” Said Wu Qing. She could only help them like that because if she were to act herself, she would only attract stronger beast in the forest.