Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Feng Jiao Xue silently trailed after the group. Her eyes lost as her brows furrowed in deept thought.

She glanced at Liang Feng who was trying to not be blatant in his intent to stay near her, slowing down his pace when she slows down and as Feng Jiao Xue tried to walk slightly faster, he match her phase to stay near her. His eyes often seeking her out more and more before looking away as if he wasn’t checking on her.

With a sigh, Feng Jiao Xue just walked as she normally would, ignoring her new ’tail’.

She doesn’t know how to feel about what just transpire.

On one hand, he saved her life. Even if she could have saved herself, it was the thought that counts.

On the other hand, she felt unsettled with how she didn’t even know when the teleportation talisman was put on her body. Huang Jin De didn’t even know because he was inside the ring.

It might have been used to save her but what if it wasn’t?

The fact that she had something foreign on her body without her even knowing felt like being ’bugged’ in her previous world where she could either be tracked or bombed without knowing.

"Cold... snow?" Feng Jiao Xue’s eye widened when she felt the breeze of a cold air.

Excitedly, the others run towards the source only to stop and gape, Feng Jiao Xue following closely behind them.

"It’s freezing!" Someone exclaimed, teeth chattering and hands wrapped around themselves.

"I got you, Jiao Xue" Huang Jin De told her softly using his Qi to warm her up. He may not have been able to do anything with the desert heat but there is nothing that the vermilion flame cannot burn or warm up, not even the coldest ice, magical or other wise.

"Thanks" She silently sent in their mind link as she looked around.

It was hard to see through the tick curtain of falling snow, various Qi and Magic flared up to try and keep the cold away uselessly.

From the corrner of her eyes, she saw a giant fuzzy bear with thick brown coat, a pig like snout, and two giant gray tusks walking on the side, a piece of cloathing peeking out between its limbs as someone was curled up on it’s four arms.

Almost everybody put on extra layers of clothings, wrapped up from head to toe. Everyone barely had the energy to talk as clacking could feintly be heard from the clattering of teeth.

Feng Jiao Xue looked to the side at Liang Feng when she felt a thick cloating made from the softest white fur fabric she had ever felt. "Are you stupid?" she could not stop herself from blurting out.

"It’- it’s no-not tha-that- that cold" He stuttered, limbs stiff and shaking and hair standing up causing goosebumps to appear on his arms, his nose reddening as his lips chapped. He rubbed his hands together and breathed on them, his breath misting cold air instead of warmth by this point.

Han Qing was about to put a cloak of him with a dispproval look when a familiar thick cloak covered him up.

Feng Jiao Xue adjusted the hood before looking back straight ahead.

"I have a constitution that makes me impervious to cold" She simply lied when he was about to protest.

"Lucky" Liang Feng muttered under his breath.

Feng Jiao Xue simply ignored it and headed to walk at the forefront since the others can barely move their frozen limbs, their qi or magic flaring to cover them up but it does nothing but melt the sorrounding snow. She rather stay under the radar but she is currently the groups best fighter.

As she took a step, her brow raised slightly as she felt somebody else walking the same pace as her.

She looked at her side and saw the beauty that played the flute during that night. The one Huang Jin De warned her about.

Feng Jiao Xue is not one to start a conversation and niether was the lady so they silently walked side by side.

"There!" Zang Shi pointed towards the front. In the distance they could feintly see a soft blue light. "That should be where the Moonshade Herb is!"

Everyone seemed to perk up at that. Finally, their mission is coming to a close!

As if the mere thought igniting an energy in all of them, they moved faster and faster however they all stopped as they looked down.

Below them there was a hole where the strange soft blue light was coming from with strange metalic crystals poking at it’s walls reflecting the light slightly.

The true issua was the animals guarding it. Tigers with icy blue striped, white eyes, two fangs poking out. Almost as tall as a human, 4 of them.

"Snow Fanged Tigers, rank 2, peak level" Huang Jin De supplied.

"Anything else? their ability? Strength? Weaknesses?" Feng Jiao Xue asked but before she could replied, a melodious vioce answered the question she asked in her mind.

"Snow Fanged Tigers are fast and swift. Their flexible and is very agile. Strike at where their stripes is more darker in shade. That’s where they’re core are" The lady besides her told her, brandishing her whip. "I can take two and..." Beautiful blue eyes looked at her as if she can see through her soul. "You can take on more than two."

"Two each then?" Feng Jiao Xue asked to which the lady nodded at before jumping to the fray, a beautiful ship seemingly slicingthe very air itself.

Feng Jiao Xue also run down the slope, blade in hand.

Together, they catched the attention of the Snow Fanged Tigers.

The mysterious lady wielded her whip as if it’s an extension of her, creating a graceful dance as her weapon dances and twirls in the air.

Feng Jiao Xue tightened her grip on her blade as she leapt into the fray. The snow beneath her feet crunched sharply with each step, a stark contrast to the howling wind and the fierce growls of the Snow Fanged Tigers. The two tigers that turned toward her snarled, their icy blue stripes glowing faintly as frost gathered around their paws.

With a sharp exhale, Feng Jiao Xue sidestepped the first tiger’s lunge, her blade flashing as she struck at the darkened stripe on its shoulder. Her attack was precise, yet the creature twisted mid-air, evading her blow with startling agility.

The second tiger seized the opportunity, pouncing toward her exposed flank. Feng Jiao Xue barely had time to pivot, raising her blade in a defensive arc. The clash sent a sharp vibration up her arm, the beast’s claws scraping against her sword as sparks of ice magic crackled between them.

"You’re clever," Feng Jiao Xue murmured, her voice calm despite the rising tension. Her gaze flickered toward the mysterious lady, who moved with a captivating blend of elegance and ferocity.

The lady’s whip danced like a living serpent, curling and snapping with deadly precision. She struck at the first tiger’s core, the tip of her weapon sinking into the darkened stripe before retracting in a fluid motion. The tiger roared in pain, collapsing to the ground in a heap of frosted fur.

"Focus," the lady called out, her voice cutting through the chaos like a melody.

Feng Jiao Xue nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line as she adjusted her stance.

The remaining tiger before her bared its fangs, its white eyes glowing with icy light. It circled her warily, its companion joining its side. Feng Jiao Xue smirked faintly.

"So you’re learning," she muttered.

The two beasts lunged in unison, their movements synchronized as if they shared a single mind. Feng Jiao Xue’s blade swept upward, deflecting the first tiger’s strike while her other hand extended, a faint shimmer of frost trailing from her palm.

’Let’s test this out’, she thought, channeling the meager magic she could wield. A shard of ice formed in her hand, jagged and crude, but enough to hurl toward the second tiger’s core.

The shard struck true, piercing through the darkened stripe on the tiger’s chest. The beast howled in pain, staggering as frost spread from the wound.

The mysterious lady glanced at her briefly, her blue eyes gleaming with approval before she turned her focus back to her remaining foe.

"You have more tricks than I expected," the lady said, her voice calm despite the chaos.

Feng Jiao Xue didn’t respond, her attention locked on the final tiger before her. It charged with reckless abandon, its claws glowing with an icy aura. She sidestepped its attack, slashing downward in one smooth motion. Her blade cut through the darkened stripe, and the tiger crumpled to the ground.

As the final tiger fell, silence descended upon the area. The wind howled faintly, carrying with it the biting chill of the snowstorm. Feng Jiao Xue and the mysterious lady stood amidst the fallen beasts, their breaths misting in the cold air.

"Well done," the lady said, her whip coiling around her arm like a serpent returning to its master. "I underestimated you."

"I could say the same," Feng Jiao Xue replied, her tone neutral.

The lady’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Lu Qing Yue," she said, introducing herself. "I’m sure we’ll work together again."

Feng Jiao Xue gave a curt nod, her expression unreadable. "Perhaps."

The rest of the group finally approached, their steps slow and cautious. Liang Feng’s gaze immediately sought out Feng Jiao Xue, his expression a mixture of relief and unease.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice soft but edged with concern.

"I’m fine," she said shortly, brushing snow from her robes.

Han Qing surveyed the fallen tigers, his sharp eyes taking in the scene. "Efficient," he said simply, though his tone held a note of approval.

"Should we retrieve the Moonshade Herb now?" Zang Shi asked, his voice trembling slightly. He glanced at the glowing blue light below with a mix of awe and trepidation.

"Quickly," Han Qing replied. "We don’t know how much time we have before more beasts arrive if ever there are more."

"I saw your whip extend. Think you can help me down" Feng Jiao Xue suggested her gaze flickering to Liang Feng. She owes him one, the least she can do is to help him out. She doesn’t like owing someone a favor.

Lu Qing Yue nodded and tied the end of the whip around her waist.

Feng Jiao Xue descended the slope cautiously, her footsteps careful as she approached the glowing light. The metallic crystals lining the walls shimmered faintly, their reflective surfaces casting the blue light into shifting patterns that seemed to dance across the snow.

At the center of the cavernous hole, the Moonshade Herb stood, its petals glowing with an ethereal luminescence. The plant’s soft blue hue seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive with magic.

"Beautiful," Lu Qing Yue whispered, her eyes wide as she joined the others in staring at the herb.

"It’s not just beautiful," Liang Feng’s voice carrying a hint of reverence. "It’s powerful. This herb could save a life, or take one, depending on how it’s used."

Han Qing stepped forward, his expression resolute. "We need it to save one."

As he reached out to pluck the herb, Feng Jiao Xue’s eyes narrowed slightly. She felt a faint tingle in the air, a warning from the lingering magic.

"Wait," Huang Jin De said sharply, his qi darting out or the ring to stop her.

Feng Jiao Xue froze, her fingers hovering just above the herb. "What is it?"

"There’s a trap," Huang Jin De said, his voice low. "The Qi around the herb, it’s too concentrated. Removing it could trigger something."

Feng Jiao Xue frowned before she looked up and relayed what Huang Jin De had said.

Lu Qing Yue stepped closer, her blue eyes narrowing as she studied the glowing plant. "She’s right," she said after a moment. "But it’s not insurmountable. We just need to disrupt the magic before taking the herb."

The two women exchanged a brief glance before nodding. Feng Jiao Xue extended her hand, her icy aura flickering faintly as she began to channel her limited magic.

Liang Feng watched in silence, his gaze flickering between the two women. One holding Feng Jiao Xue through the whip, worried if she could pull her fast enough should something happen since the talisman was a one time thing. And down below where Feng Jiao Xue could barely be see due to the glow of the her.

Finally, the magic around the herb dissipated, the faint shimmer in the air vanishing like mist under the sun.

"It’s safe now" Huang Jin De informed her.

Liang Feng plucked the herb carefully, holding it up to the light. Its glow seemed to brighten slightly, as if acknowledging its new purpose.

"Let’s go," Han Qing said, his voice cutting through the moment. "We’ve lingered here long enough."

Feng Jiao Xue glanced at the Moonshade Herb one last time before turning away and tugging at the whip indicating for Lu Qing Yue to start pulling her up.

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