Chapter 466 (1/2)

The Beast

There was a deep rumbling within the salt caves, the sound of boulders rubbing against each other that shook everyone to the bone.

The ground beneath their feet vibrated with the rumbling as white frost crept from the fire crystal pit outwards like an unstoppable force.

The Fox and Shen chiefs only focused on getting out, pale with panic. Perhaps they had already sensed what was at the bottom. They regretted this more than the Flaming Horn’s side-- they could have just dug the damn crystals, why did they dig so deep for?

If they knew there was an undefeatable beast underground, they would have been cautious. They would have brought the fire crystals they worked so hard for back to their tribe in this blizzard, leaving everything here behind, never to return!

However, there was no use crying over spilt milk.

They had already opened the door to bloodshed.

“Run! Leave this place!” shouted the Fox tribe, unable to remain calm. He yelled with the kind of hopelessness even he couldn’t believe he was feeling.

Within the cave, all the Fox and Shen tribesmen did not know what was happening. All they knew was the sudden chill in their bones, a strong sense of fear that appeared in a second. The weaker ones felt their legs giving out under them.

When they heard the Fox chief, the cave descended into chaos. Some people chose to push the boulder at the mouth of the cave aside, running out; others chose to huddle against the cave walls.

The ones who were sitting or sleeping in the cave, who could not react in time, were run over by the stampede. Cries of agony could be heard but no one cared. They could not be helped. At this moment, even the slower ones knew something bad had happened. They were forest tribesmen, they had a basic survival instinct.

The stronger ones shoved the people in front aside, squeezing themselves out. There was already limited space inside. Now, everyone pushed up against each other fighting for the exit.

The Fox chief sprinted from deep within the cave, stepping on some heads as he leapt towards the exit. When the rest realised they could do this, they started to leap too. Some jumped too high and hit their heads on the ceiling of the cave. Without even wiping away their blood, they rushed ahead. People shoved even harder at the mouth of the cave.

Everything grew increasingly chaotic.

Everyone became rougher and more afraid, feeling the impending doom. Didn’t they just see the chief rushing out?

Crack crack crack---

Within the lower ground, the white frost was creeping outwards at alarming speeds. Some people stuck at the back of the crowd felt the temperatures falling quickly, the water vapour in their breaths freezing instantly. Their skin felt frozen. At least they were further from the pit.

When the frost started, the supervising warriors on this side had already sensed something wrong. They felt a numbness in their scalps and odd vibrations in the ground. When they heard the rumbles in the rocks, they all ran outwards to escape.

Similar changes occurred in the other three caves. On the Flaming Horn’s side, the frost had begun.

When they saw this, Shao Xuan and the three chiefs quickly avoided the frost.

The changes happened too quickly, too sudden. A layer of frost appeared on the ground so they had no choice but to stand on the frost.

At least the changes only happened on the bottom floor of the cave. The upper layer was cold but better.

Zheng Luo moved his legs stiffly, leading the warriors in the lower ground upwards.

Chills seemed to extend from the ground into his foot, he felt as if his blood was filled with shaved ice.

“Should we escape outside?” Zheng Luo asked Shao Xuan.

Shao Xuan shook his head immediately but then snapped back to reality. “I don’t know what that is but instinct tells me running outside like that isn’t a good idea either.”

“Then we shall remain inside. Duo Kang, tell the warriors to stay quiet, hide their breaths, like when we hide in the forest during hunts. Do not exude any killing aura!” said Zheng Luo in a low voice.

After the initial panic, Zheng Luo was a lot calmer now, though his voice still shook. This was also his first time but if Shao Xuan said so, he would listen.

The Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs did the same. They dared not question Shao Xun now, for they did not know what to do either. They would just follow what the Flaming Horn did.

In the upper floor of the cave, due to the presence of the lower ground people, there was almost no space to walk. The few of them also had to squeeze through the crowd.

However, with three chiefs present, no one dared fool around. They merely gave way for them to pass.

At the mouth of the cave, Shao Xuan pushed the boulder covering the entrance slightly. They had to clear the snow near the mouth later. Although the blanket of snow had grown thicker, they still had a limited view of things far away.

“There are people leaving on that side,” said Zheng Luo when he heard the commotion outside. There were people screaming on the Fox side.