Chapter 178: Peril!

Cold breeze struck the faces of people as they galloped on their horses. The wind howled in their ears, and their faces winced and turned red in chilly gusts and hair prickled under their clothes. The trees swung merrily as the group travelled. Sounds echoed, splashing, we, swishing, and many more that were unrecognisable.

The chilly weather and suns hid beyond the clouds, and clouds roamed round like cotton in the sky. The mountains that stood tall and proud, the trees that sang and swished in the chilly breeze. However, no matter what, the group didn't stop and continued to ride their horses. 

After a certain amount of time a vast view greeted them and the freezing sensation increased many folds as the icy breeze became beyond tolerable. Therefore the group slowed their speed and proceeded cautiously.

In front of them was a vast plain view, frozen in the white ice. Nor Ayaan neither anyone else could see the end of that frozen place. It had spread beyond their imagination, vast and chilly and dignified and proud and covered in the fog, the Snow Lake laid in front of them and they looked at it with slacked jaws. Only Leafwhisk had an expressionless face all this time. She had seen many things that were thousands of times more marvellous than this.

"This looks so beautiful," exclaimed Noor, but the shawl covered her face, so no one saw her face, her eyes glittering passionately as she looked at the snowy view in front of her. White spread all about. Cold breeze and frozen lake. Beautiful indeed.

"We need to cross the Snow Lake to reach the Green forest and then we will be able to reach the Capital," Ayaan said from under his muffler as he gazed at the snow-covered lake. "There are many magical beasts hidden in the fog, so be careful and don't stray from the group."

Everyone nodded and proceeded on their feet. There was no use for horses in such a place. They would only slow them down. Because the place was filled with ice, and they won't even be able to stand steadily, much less run on the ice-field. 

Though there were other ways to go on the other side, the group would need months to reach their destination, even on the horses. Therefore they used the boldest and most straightforward method to cross the lake. From over it.

The wind was sharp like a blade, trying to cut their bodies with its sharpness, or at least wound them from minor injuries. Though Ayaan didn't flinch under the sharpness of the snowy tempests, nor his women, neither two children. 

They looked in front of them firmly, with no fear, and with some excitement—the excitement of unknown danger and enemies and beasts—such things excited most cultivators in the world because they loved to adventure and fight and struggle, and this group wasn't much different from many cultivators. Even Leafwhisk had a pleasant smile on her face. 

If there was an ordinary person, he would definitely give them a tag of maniacs. Because no one could smile at such a place—the place fraught with dangers, filled with death, covered in snow, obscured in fog—no matter how brave person was, his expression would definitely change, but this group of morons was smiling as if they had come on a tour, as if it was not worthy of their attention.

After walking for two hours without any hindrance and without any mishap, a sound was heard from the dark fog. The group stopped and formed the circle around two children and looked around vigilantly. After two breaths of time, a few pairs of eyes revealed under the obscureness of the fog and glittered viciously and menacingly when they saw the fresh food in front of them.

"Oh, it's just a few jackals," said Ayaan nonchalantly. "Nothing to be worried about."

As if answering his words, one of the jackals looked up and howled. As the first howl sounded, others followed behind and then...

Many more eyes appeared surrounding them. Two or three hundred more jackals appeared, saliva dripping from their disgusting jaws, as the sharp teeth revealed. "Fuck!" this time Ayaan couldn't help but curse. If there were a few jackals it was no problem for him and his party. However now their number had far exceeded their own.

"Whoosh!" 

One of the jackals couldn't satisfy itself with the just saliva and lunged with open jaw at the group. Ayaan held his sabre tightly as swung towards the upcoming beast.

"Puch!"

"Thud!"

Ayaan's sabre fell on the jackal's skullcap and turned it into millions of pieces. The beast's body formed a crater under it due to force Ayaan used to hit its head. The creaks formed near Ayaan's feet but his face remained unchanged.

"Come!" he looked at the mob of beasts and shouted.

"Howl!"

All the jackals burst into furious howls when they saw the miserable end of their companion. They growled and howled as dashed at Ayaan's group, eager to chew their flesh and bones under their teeth. Excited to drink the blood of these arrogant humans. No mercy!

"Howl!"

"Bang!"

Ayaan blocked one of the jackal's attacks with his sabre and shouted at his companions."We need to escape from their encirclement or we will die for sure. Not because due to wounds but due to exhaustion. Their number is too high." 

They nodded and attacked and blocked upcoming onslaughts in front of them. "Do you have any idea?" Ayaan looked at Leafwhisk with hopeful eyes.

She looked at him and shook her head. "If it was land I would be able to slaughter these beasts with no problem at all. However here my plant element is ineffective. At this place, wood energy is almost negligible. I can't do anything."

Ayaan couldn't help but be disappointed. Even she couldn't help at this place. Ayaan couldn't help but lament. At this moment his eyes fell upon Rebecca and his eyes lit-up.