In the carriage, the deer wore heavy white fur gloves and gently stroked the cheeks of the young man in front of him, the poison of the black flame had climbed up his neck like a climbing vine, even though it was already snowy outside, but the deer could still feel the heat of his skin through the fur, as if a fire was burning in his body.

The deer gasped lightly, and the mist weaved in the air like imprisoned elves, clumped together and then dispersed, and finally disappeared without a trace. She felt the sometimes bumpy, sometimes smooth road beneath her, and knew that she had come to a strange place—the Ethereal Cold Continent. She carefully opened the small window beside her, the cold couldn't wait to break in, the nerve-piercing cold snap pierced into her skin like a sharp arrow, there was no snow outside, the snow should be better, at least not as cold as it is now. Outside the window, there was a vast white expanse, dazzling enough that she couldn't open her eyes, and the long line was like a brush painting on this white scroll.

A group of twenty-four people, three carriages, and more than twenty hardy horses set out from the hinterland of the Keith family ten days ago, marching in a southeasterly direction, crossing the entire Yunlin Strange Continent. The journey was full of dangers, especially as there were many battles as they traversed the Icefield (the junction of the Strange of the Cloud Forest and the Ethereal Cold). Because there are countless scattered Phantom families and many fugitives who have escaped from the law, there are always some outlaws who plot against them. But with them came the twenty most powerful phantom masters of the family, which also ensured that the road was safe, but this guarantee was only before they stepped into this realm......

On the first night of coming to the Ethereal Cold Continent, after a sudden snowstorm, there were three phantoms missing from their team, their horses were still there, but the people disappeared without a trace on the endless snowfield, as if the three phantoms had not come here with them at all. They didn't have time to find the missing family illusion, they had to keep going, because as long as they stayed in this land where the air was cold and death, they would be surrounded by danger at all times. Unless they can find the Ice Elves' realm, it must be safe, at least for the natural environment.

The carriage began to slow down, and finally stopped for some reason. Deer was just about to get out of the car to take a look, when a woman in front of her, also wrapped in heavy fur, stepped out of the carriage in front of her, her face was as white as snow rendered by the cold, it was her sister, Janie Keys. In the carriage she stepped out of was Fonso Keith.

Jenny stepped into the carriage and glanced at the unconscious Sky lying there, her face tangled with complicated emotions.

He ...... How?" asked Jenny, even though she already knew the answer.

Lu'er shook her head sadly, "The poison of the Black Flame is already about to invade his brain, and if you can't stop it, I'm afraid it will only get worse." ”

Lu'er's words caused both of them to fall silent, especially Janie, after all, Qingkong had become like this in order to save her.

"Why stop?" Lu'er came out of her grief and asked the most crucial question, time is the most precious thing now, and they can't delay for a moment.

"Fang Suo said we were going to find a hunter to be our guide. ”

"He lives here?" said Lu'er, a surprised expression.

"Hmm...... It is said that the old hunter is a native who lives on the edge of the Ethereal Cold Continent, no one knows why he chose to live here, and those who know him call him the 'Butcher of the Ice Field', he is already nearly a hundred years old, but the ruthless years and the fierce snow have not stripped his flesh and bones, but made them more tenacious and fused together. He had no heirs, no relatives, and survived for nearly a hundred years on the edge of this almost unsurvivable territory with only an unusually sharp hatchet and decades of experience in escaping from danger, and the resources he relied on to survive were all living creatures that lived in this realm. Jenny said.

Shier nodded, understanding that such a decision was undoubtedly to let the legendary hunter lead the team as deep into the ethereal cold as possible, and rely on his experience to avoid some deadly dangers.

After Jenny relayed the news to Lu'er, she got out of the car and went with Fang Suo and the others to meet the hunter, while Lu'er stayed in the carriage to take care of Qingkong.

The hunter's residence is in a sloped valley in the snowfield, and the terrain is extremely favorable for sheltering from blizzards. From a distance, all of his houses were small fortresses made of ice blocks, and the "courtyard" was stained with blood, where the corpses of several large unknown beasts lay there. As they approached the hunter's territory, Fang Suo began to become cautious, as this was the hunter's territory, and he would do everything in his power to defend against the beasts that might come at any time. Sure enough, the traps were cruel and deadly...... When Fonso found the hunter, he was skinning and deboning a giant bear in his own ice barracks. In the face of the sudden appearance of uninvited guests, the hunter only glanced at the visitor with a sharp hook like an eagle, and then continued to do his work as if nothing had happened.

Fang Suo began to explain why they were here. But after hearing their request, the hunter did not even raise his head, but only heard the sound of the wood knife scraping the bear's bones, and the smell of blood and fish, and finally he cut the bear's whole body into a single head, and drank a mouthful of the blood that had just flowed before he raised his head.

"Ice elves?" he sneered, his voice like a demon of hell, "I've lived here all my life, and I've killed countless beasts, including an ethereal wolf bigger than the horse you ride, an ice bear that eats people and doesn't even spit out bones, and look at the mud beneath me...... But not a single elf has been seen yet, and if there is, then she should be there. He gestured to the bed made of beast fur inside. Then he saw Jenny and licked his somewhat blackened lips, if it weren't for the phantom beside him, the old hunter who hadn't tasted a woman for decades might have directly proved his idea with his actions.

"But...... I can take you to the furthest place I've ever been. The old hunter said suddenly.

Everyone was a little surprised by his sudden transformation, but they didn't rejoice, because everyone understood that the hunter in front of them was anything but good. But think about the sudden arrival of the previous blizzard, which caused them a lot of losses, and if this continued, they would not be able to experience such a blizzard a few more times and they would be wiped out. They need to know in advance when a blizzard is coming, and choose a shelter in time, and the hunters can solve this need for them......

"What conditions do you have?" asked Fang Suo.

"When you find the elf's hiding place, grab one alive and give it to me to enjoy. The old hunter wiped the blood stain from the knife on the bear's skin, leaving a red mark.

Fang Suo frowned slightly, he knew that this butcher would definitely not have any good intentions, but he didn't expect it to be this shameless request, the purpose of their going to the elves was to cure Qingkong's illness, not to provoke a war, even if the war had spread in the world. However, before he could refuse the unreasonable and ridiculous condition of the hunter, the old hunter suddenly laughed.

"Hey, how is that possible? How could I ask for this unattainable condition? Even if I send you to the gate of the elven realm, you won't be able to find them, I won't make such a loss-making deal. My condition is ......"

This time Fang Suo could barely control his emotions as he saw the old hunter reach out his dirty hand and point it at Janie.

"The horses outside," the hunter opened his mouth instantly, "and when you come back, if you can come back, I want your horses, after all...... I haven't eaten horse meat in a long time. ”

Fang Suo suppressed his anger, he was not stupid, he knew that these horses were not the real purpose of the hunter, but at this moment he had no other way, the unknown way forward was only to take one step at a time.

By the time they set out again, there was already a new member in the team, the old hunter who was their guide. He sat in the carriage at the front of the line with Fonso, while Janine stayed in the carriage of the deer. The old hunter had asked to ride forward like the other Keys Phantoms, but Fang Suo refused in disguise, inviting him to sit in a warmer carriage, and the old hunter certainly did not refuse such a good thing. Fang Suo also had his own plans for doing this, he didn't know what the old hunter was thinking about, but it was better to stay by his side than to let him be outside, secretly not knowing what to do.

Janine voiced her worries in the carriage, and she could see the old hunter staring at her like a hungry beast coveting a fawn. And Lu'er didn't doubt her sister's idea, although she hadn't talked to the hunter, just by his name "Icefield Butcher", she could tell that this man had a cruel butcher's heart. And a person who can survive in this kind of place for decades can no longer be described as strong-willed, perhaps his will and personality have long been worn out by this ruthless cold.

"You need to get a good rest"

Soon they were once again running on the vast snowfield, the cold forcing them to be silent, but their hands moved from time to time, rubbing each other to keep warm. They were still sitting in a carriage sheltered from the wind and cold, and they couldn't imagine what kind of pain the family phantom had to endure as they rode their horses outside.

After walking for a few hours, the snow suddenly began to fall, and the snowflakes the size of the leaves of the trees fell scattered, and in the blink of an eye, the legs and wheels of the horses were half submerged, and it became extremely difficult to move forward. Fortunately, before they could put themselves in prison, the team in front of them stopped.

Deer and Jane helped each other out of the carriage, and as she watched as the family's phantom began to dismount and lead instead, Fang Suo and a man who had buried himself in a bear skin approached.

"That...... It's a hunter called the Ice Butcher. Jenny said softly.

The deer could feel the fear in her tone, but she couldn't see the full picture of the hunter, who, despite his loud nickname, looked like a swaying old man in the snow.

"A blizzard is coming, and we need to find shelter. Fang Suo shouted with difficulty. "We need to follow him. Although Fang Suo was still a little reluctant to hand over the entire team to the hunters, he had no other way, the horror of the last blizzard was still vivid, and he could no longer gamble with the lives of the family phantom and even the two young ladies.

The Icefield Butcher didn't speak, but turned around and walked straight in one direction. Fang Suo gave Jane and Lu'er a look, he was worried.

The old hunter led the way, and more than two dozen people led the horses and carriages with difficulty, and the wind and snow became heavier and heavier, and the road ahead was also blurred, and there was a white expanse left. But no one dared to leave the hunter's route, because if they left a safe area, their feet could collapse at any time, or it would be a trap left by the hunter.

Deer and Janine were surrounded and protected by the family's phantoms, and the carriage where the sky was located was never let out of his sight. After walking for a while, Lu'er found that the wind and snow were a little smaller, and he felt that the terrain was starting to go down, and he didn't know if it was his hallucination or the real feeling. Although there was no reliable reference to the white expanse around her, she looked back at the wind and snow, and sure enough, they were walking "down", and the strings of rutted marks behind them had gone straight to the sky.

"We're going down......" Deer whispered, glancing at the hunter leading the way.

"Little girl, if you want to live, don't question, don't speak, follow me, and leave your strength in the struggle against the blizzard. ”

The deer's voice was already low, but the hunter in front heard it and didn't look back, the sound was as cold as the air here. The stubborn emotions in Lu'er's heart surged up directly, but Fang Suo on the side signaled her not to, and she stopped making a sound, and the old hunter was at least right, speaking would indeed greatly consume her physical strength.

Further down, their destination finally appeared, a huge crevasse in the ice that had sunk deep into the ground. At a height of three or four meters, it was as if a giant axe had cut a gap here. The team hid inside, the blizzard outside could only erode to the edge of the crack, this was undoubtedly a good place to dodge the blizzard, and the old hunter didn't lie to them, at least not for the time being. The phantoms of the family began to unload the grain and grass from the wagons and horses, some to make fires in dry places, others to feed the horses, some to set up tents, and in a few moments a simple camp was set up in this cold crack in the ground.

Fang Suo and a few phantoms began to patrol around, they were only at the edge of the rift, and there was still a deep area inside that was in the dark, Fang Suo wanted to probe as much as possible to minimize the danger. But the hunter suddenly appeared, like a ghost in the dark. "Don't think about places that don't belong to you, where there may be things you never want to see. ”

After the hunter finished speaking, he glanced at Fang Suo with a sharp gaze and walked towards the camp. The latter glanced at the darkness in the depths, and then at the hunter's back, and only followed, although he wanted to eliminate the danger, but who knew if he had left, whether he had left the greatest danger instead.

"We're going to rest here until the blizzard is over. Fang Suo returned to Lu'er and Jane and said.

Of course, Lu'er and Jenny understood that they had experienced the tragic situation of the last blizzard, and this ...... It's like a haven from the wind, even if it's dark and snowy outside, it's still calm, but the cold can't be driven away. The fire in front of me is like an ornament, and the flickering flame is like a dancing singer, but it does not bring warmth.

Darkness descended in the blink of an eye, and the darkness here made people feel a kind of fear that penetrated deep into the marrow, the wind roared, mixed with unknown sounds. The team's dinner was still relatively rich, with meat, soup, and some wine to ward off the cold, because they brought more supplies, and there was a carriage for transporting some food and use. The old hunter did not share their food with the Casers, but only accepted a bag of wine, for a rabbit-sized prey had appeared on his campfire.

Lu'er ate a little more, and then came to the tent with a bowl of broth. The temperature inside the tent was not much warmer than outside, and the sky was still wrapped in a thick blanket, both to ward off the cold and to isolate the poisonous body from others. The deer knelt gently beside him and spooned the soup to his mouth. She watched him from Ryugu here, and she kept thinking about those pictures of getting along these days, and she was afraid that those pictures would really be the last memories of her and her brother. But these are only a momentary blow to Lu'er's stubborn character, and she always believes that Brother Xiaokong can overcome the erosion of Black Flame, stand up again as a savior, and lead all races in the world to defeat the invasion of darkness. However, the realization of all these fantasies requires them to move forward firmly every step of the way......

The next day, it was still early in the morning, and Lu'er woke up to find himself sleeping next to Qingkong, and outside, the family's phantom had already begun to reorganize the carriage and horses, which meant that they were about to embark on a journey again.

The next few days of the journey were nothing more than snow and ice accompanied by cold, but no matter how big the blizzard, the old hunter would find a place to hide, the iceberg backrest, the cracks in the ground...... Although it has avoided many natural disasters, a serious problem has been exposed at this moment - there are not many reserves of grain and grass. The rest seemed to be able to last only another two or three days, and it was better to save as much as possible, and there was no place to find food in this icy and snowy area, and even the old hunter who was experienced in hunting was sometimes not allowed to eat the food he brought with them. Fang Suo expressed his concern about this, but the hunter was silent, and Fang Suo had doubts but could not ask another word.

After two more days of walking, the iceberg stopped sideways in front of them, blocking the way, and finally stopped. It is like the patron saint of this realm.

"Ethereal Mountains......" the old hunter looked at the mountains that were reaching into the sky.

"We need to get around?" Fang Suo heard the hunter's tone with some awe, knowing that this was no longer the Pingchuan land it used to be.

"No, you can't get around, you can only climb over, and there is no 'us' for the rest of the journey, it's you. ”

Fang Suo's expression instantly froze and looked at him. Along the way, Fang Suo knows the importance of hunters, and his experience has always allowed them to avoid all kinds of dangers, and if they want to cross this iceberg, they need to be accompanied by a hunter.

"This is the farthest place I've ever been, and according to the agreement at the time, I only brought you here, and the rest of the way is up to you. ”

Fang Suo saw the change in the hunter's expression, and knew that there must be a reason for his decision, for this cruel butcher whose blood was cold, the iceberg in front of him would definitely not frighten him, there must be something that made him unwilling to climb this mountain again.

"You're scared of it, and it's not the furthest you've been......" Fonso put the cold behind him for now, hoping to do everything he could to keep the hunter.

The old hunter jerked his head back, his sharp eyes colder than the cold wind. Fang Suo's expression was calm, but there was some joy in his heart, at least he guessed the right direction.

"You're dodging it, there must be ...... there"

"What the do you know?" the old hunter snapped off Fang Suo's tentative speculation, "yes, I've been farther, so I know what exists there, and the consequences of incompetence are punishments worse than death. ”

The hunter's tone of disdain was mixed with a hint of other emotion, he was talking about their team of two dozen people, and he was talking about himself......

"But sometimes, even in the face of the most painful punishment, it is our destiny to try. ”

Fang Suo's words made the old hunter hesitate for a moment, and his eyes looked at the iceberg in the distance, as if he could see through it.

Fang Suo observed a slight change in the hunter's attitude, and continued to pursue: "You may not know that you have lived here for decades, but at this time, the outside world is already at war, and the darkness led by Nadas continues to erode the entire world, and in that carriage behind us is the savior who can save this world. ”

"Savior?" the old hunter seemed to be interested, but instead sneered, "A savior who doesn't even have the ability to move, even I, the hunter, can end his life." ”

"You can't end his life, but you can save his life. His body was poisoned by black flames, and only the magic of the ice elves could drive away the poison in his body...... And all of this is the catastrophe of the savior, and once he has passed it, then he can save all beings. And all this will be due to you, and future generations will praise your great deeds in the annals and lyrics......"

"Fucking praises, do you think I'd be living here for decades if I cared about that? Even if I really thought about granting you this damn request, it would be for it. ”

The old hunter glanced at the iceberg in front of him, turned and walked to the camp behind him.

Fang Suo didn't know what "it" meant, but it was certain that he agreed.