In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 82 Snow Woman

The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, and as night fell, the wind gradually picked up and howled past.

The tents were placed very close together to provide some shelter from the wind and snow.

Ning Xiaoxi's family sat around the fire, the soup in the pot steaming. Luckily, they had set up camp early and had plenty of firewood prepared by Ning Ziqing, so the family could leisurely drink tea in the tent.

Ning Xiaoxi sat next to her brother and watched him sharpen his knife. She had thought about using spirit crystals to forge a weapon for her brother, but when she gave him the forged dagger, she found that he could not use it well, had no connection with the dagger, and could not inscribe runes on it.

The two examined it for a while, thinking that it might not resonate with the dagger because it wasn't forged with his own spiritual power. Helpless, Ning Xiaoxi gave her brother a spirit crystal so he could practice. So now, besides his daily spiritual energy absorption and cultivation, Ning Ziqing spends his time polishing that spirit crystal. This not only makes him more proficient in controlling spiritual power, but he can also absorb the fallen crystal fragments to increase his own spiritual power. However, the spirit crystal is too hard, and so far, he hasn't been able to polish it into a basic shape.

"Quack~"

"The Crow Demon Messenger!"

Ning Xiaoxi's figure flashed as she left the tent.

It was pitch black outside, and the only sound was the soft rustling of falling snow. The wind had stopped sometime earlier.

"Xiao Xi!" "Xiao Xi!"

"Brother Chang, brother, it's the Cold Crow Ghost Messenger. You two stay here, I'll go take a look."

"Xiaoxi, don't act alone. We'll stay here and they won't dare to attack easily." Changqing was worried that they might be lured away from the mountain.

"Brother Chang, I can sense that this time the appearing beings are mid-level Cold Crow Ghost Messengers, and there's more than one. There are too many people here, and if a fight breaks out, we won't be able to protect everyone. Please help protect my parents."

With her clairvoyant gaze activated, the traces left by the Raven Envoy in the air stretched into the distance like white ribbons. Drawing her dagger and activating her defensive shield, Ning Xiaoxi followed the white trails, unleashing her Wind Step technique, and vanished into the hazy darkness in the blink of an eye.

"Quack~"

"Quack~"

Hundreds of swarming crows circled in the air, cawing loudly in the direction Ning Xiaoxi was heading. The once peaceful snowy night suddenly became lively.

Ning Xiaoxi released the Spirit Crystal Heart, which transformed into the form of a Crow Demon Messenger and quietly merged into the flock of crows. Following Ning Xiaoxi's will, the Spirit Crystal Heart approached the Crow Demon Messenger's true form, then released needle-like spiritual power, instantly piercing the Crow Demon Messenger's demon core and absorbing its demonic power. The moment the demon core shattered, nearly a hundred Crow Demon Messengers dissipated into ashes.

Sensing danger, the other crows turned and ran.

Ning Xiaoxi did not retract the Spirit Crystal Heart, allowing it to remain in the form of the Cold Crow Ghost Messenger, fleeing alongside the other creatures.

As the crows flew further and further away, Ning Xiaoxi followed them from a distance. With the Spirit Crystal Heart following her, she no longer needed to specifically look for the traces left by the crows in the air.

Snowflakes drifted down gently, like light feathers, brushing against the air with an extremely subtle "rustling" sound.

"The year draws to a close, the yin and yang hasten the passing of time, and frost and snow clear the cold night at the ends of the earth."

Amidst the wind and snow, a soft murmur drifted out, the voice ethereal and clear, seemingly tinged with a faint sorrow.

Ning Xiaoxi stopped and, through the spiritual crystal heart, saw a beautiful figure, resembling a young woman with exquisitely delicate features. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like two crystal-clear ice crystals. Her skin was as white as snow, as if sculpted from cold crystal. Her silver hair cascaded down to her ankles, moving without wind. A chain adorned her ankles, with a small, crystal-clear bell hanging from a delicate silver thread, making her appear charming and alluring. The flock of raven ghosts surrounding her suddenly darkened the otherwise sacred scene.

At this moment, Ning Xiaoxi stepped to the opposite side, and being faced with such a beautiful woman still shocked her.

[The Snow Maiden, a witch born from the snowstorm, was once a demonic soldier under the command of the Frost Soul Demon Lord, possessing mid-level strength. After the Frost Soul Demon Lord disappeared, she scattered across the icy lands. Weakness: Lacking both elixir and soul, she fears light and fire.]

Wow, it's already formed a ball of demonic energy! Frost Soul Demon Lord? Looks like an ice and snow type demon.

Looking at the beautiful woman opposite him, and then at the crows fluttering around her, he thought, "This is another demon and a monster. What's going on? Are demons and monsters no longer separated?"

Both of them are afraid of fire! Looks like I'll have to get Tuanzi to awaken a fire-type skill for her next time. Fire is the most useful thing in cold regions!

Just as Ning Xiaoxi was pondering, the Spirit Crystal Heart suddenly transformed into a fireball and hurtled towards the Snow Maiden.

The Snow Woman's form dispersed and vanished into the swirling snow. Crows cawed and flew about in all directions.

"Oh my, my little darling, you're so sweet." Ning Xiaoxi smiled so much that her eyes were almost invisible. Then she felt the temperature around her suddenly drop, and the falling snowflakes collectively turned into sharp snowflake blades, swirling and slicing through the air, "pfft pfft pfft" as they stabbed at her.

The phantom movement of the Phantom Kick unfolds, causing the surrounding snowflake blades to become chaotic, colliding and shattering into snow dust.

The Snow Maiden's figure clung to Ning Xiaoxi's back like a leech, reaching out her hands to hug her from behind. A layer of silver light flashed on the defensive shield, and Ning Xiaoxi thrust her dagger back, unleashing the Cursed Lock Cage, which quickly took shape into a golden cage.

The snow woman reacted quickly and dispersed again as soon as she applied the defensive shield, rendering the cursed cage useless.

Ning Xiaoxi stood quietly in the snow, without saying a word, even slowing her breathing.

The fireball formed from the Spirit Crystal Heart chased after the cawing crows that flew erratically in the air, accompanied by howling winds. Any crows that it caught up with instantly turned into black ash. On the white snow, specks of black ash drifted down, looking rather nauseating.

In contrast to the bustling activity at Lingjingxin, Ning Xiaoxi's side was as quiet as if it were deserted.

The Spirit Eyes scanned the surroundings, but could not see the Snow Woman. It seems that the Snow Woman, without a core or soul, is immune to the Spirit Eyes' ability to see through things!

Ning Xiaoxi closed her eyes and channeled all her spiritual energy, carefully sensing the changes in the surrounding temperature. Just now, when it was about to attack, the temperature dropped.

Snowflakes quickly covered Ning Xiaoxi's entire body, and the temperature slowly dropped.

Suddenly, the surrounding snowflakes stopped falling silent.

A golden cage enveloped Ning Xiaoxi and the snowflakes within a five-meter radius around her.

The Snow Woman appeared, her demonic energy dissipating but then being imprisoned by the spiritual power of the cage, preventing her from dispersing and disappearing.

"Come back carefully."

The Spirit Crystal Heart vanished joyfully, then burst into a fierce flame that engulfed Ning Xiaoxi's entire body, sweeping through the Cursed Lock Cage.

"Born in confusion amidst the snow, a solitary figure walks under the moon. A chilled heart accompanies a frosty soul, yet warmth lingers in the embrace."

The cold voice was calm and detached, devoid of sorrow or joy, as the Snow Woman's figure melted into the flames.

The golden cage dissipated, and the Spirit Crystal Heart quickly transformed into four slender hands, swiftly grabbing the necks of the stunned crow ghosts who had witnessed the Snow Maiden melting so easily.

"Flap flap flap!" The crow ghost messenger, having its demon core locked and its neck grabbed, could only flap its wings to show its resistance.

Ning Xiaoxi looked at the fluttering crow ghost messengers and asked, "With your strength that has just entered the middle level, there is no reason for you to show up in front of a team with a middle-level Celestial Master subordinate. Tell me the reason, and I may consider letting you go."

The crow demons flapped their wings even more violently. Although they couldn't make a sound, their dark eyes revealed a clear ruthlessness.

[Ding! The Demon-Slaying Skill "Spiritual Insight, Advanced Mind's Eye" has been awakened. Activating the Mind's Eye allows you to foresee the actions and intentions of demons to a certain extent, giving you a competitive edge in battle. It also allows you to detect the souls of demons of lower levels than yourself.]

Hearing the familiar dinging sound, Ning Xiaoxi smiled.