Yingzhou and Ling City were thousands of miles apart, so what could be the connection between the two? Or, could it be due to the shifts within the plot lines?

It would come as no surprise that Xiao Liu might not know the reason, but how could Bai Fanlu not comprehend? The disaster coincided with the day he sealed the demonic energy fissure in Yingzhou and when he noticed the abnormal ripples coming from the veins of the earth.

Although the novel mentioned several other demonic energy fissures elsewhere, sealing one off should not have any pronounced effect on the others, but of course, that was under the conditions of the original plot.

Now, the sequence of events within Ling City seemed to have been reversed. In the novel, the accident happened to both Bai Fanlu and Yun Zhan at Ling City after the two sealed the fissure. The city wasn't buried under snow but was sunk entirely into the ground. The disaster had occurred so abruptly that no one in the city survived.

By now, Bai Fanlu had become accustomed to the sporadic changes to the plot and speculated that it had something to do with himself. To say that the date he sealed the demonic energy fissure in Yingzhou and the day Ling City met the blizzard was a mere coincidence.

But with no other clue to this inquiry, his assumptions remained the same. Bai Fanlu put aside his thoughts for the time being and asked the old woman, "Madam, how many in Ling City are trapped like you and buried under the snow?"

"Quite a number, but before us, many people were already dead. I noticed something was wrong, so I called my two long-time neighbours to bring their baby and hide together with us in the tower. I thought that since the building was pretty tall, it could allow us to hold on for a little longer. If we got lucky, someone might even come to Ling City and find us..."

It was indeed a remarkably wise decision. The tower was probably the highest spot in Ling City. It was fortunate that they found and took refuge within this building, and this course of action saved their lives.

"The snow was too heavy, and we almost died on the road. There were only a few survivors in the city along the way. It was too tragic. Not only that, the snow got heavy within an instant. Just a few days after we reached the tower, snow fell like a farmer was scattering wheat. When we woke up, we were all buried..."

As the old woman explained, the little boy beside her sobbed again, "Daddy, Mummy! Grandma, I want mummy...uuuu..."

Bai Fanlu could not bear to see a child crying. As the boy kept calling and asking for his mother, Bai Fanlu's chest got tighter until he almost couldn't breathe. Xiao Liu noticed the abnormality in his expression, placed his hand on the man's back at once, and patted him gently.

Bai Fanlu glanced at him and then quickly lowered his head. He hated himself and his meagre obsessions. Everyone had weaknesses that they cannot overcome, and Bai Fanlu's was precisely this.

Rationally speaking, the duo did not need to be bothered with this matter, but Bai Fanlu still raised his head and looked at Xiao Liu thoughtfully, "Let's think of a way to send them out."

"Yes," Xiao Liu didn't hesitate at all, "We can build a sleigh, let Lil' Snow pull it, and bring all of them out at the same time."

It was a good idea. Bai Fanlu hadn't expected that Xiao Liu had already made all possible considerations when he proposed the solution, which made him even more impressed.

However, this group consisting of young children and elderly folks could not climb and walk out. They had to craft a solid sled to ferry them. Like an intelligent homemaker being asked to cook without rice, it was almost impossible with all the snow around them.

Bai Fanlu couldn't possibly pull a sleigh out of thin air. He thought that if his sword could transform in size like the Monkey King's golden cudgel, how marvellous would it be! He would be able to sit them all on his sword and fly to safety.

Imagination could only remain as imagination. Bai Fanlu continued pondering and came up with another alternative, "The tower is located next to the city gate. If we can dismantle the city gate, it could be a suitable sleigh."

The wooden frame of ancient city gates was pretty solid, and if lady luck were to shine on them, they might even find the intact ropes used to lift the city gates.

However, the city gate was buried under the snow, and it was vital to ascertain its precise location before making any plans.

Without further ado, Bai Fanlu walked down the tower's stairs and found that snow did not block the passage. Xiao Liu was also with him. The path was so dark that one couldn't see one's fingers, and Bai Fanlu had to illuminate the surroundings using spiritual fire.

While making out the path, Bai Fanlu suddenly and inexplicably recalled the scene where Yun Zhan shrank a huge Taotie into a blue water bubble one day. He thought that Bi Luo was pretty practical. Why didn't Shizun leave such an excellent item to him and bestowed it to him instead?

If only they had Bi Luo around. They could have shrunk these survivors, carried them, and left. Wouldn't it be easier to handle the issue this way?

Suddenly, he felt a little regretful that Yun Zhan was not by his side.

Bai Fanlu sighed at this thought. Xiao Liu, navigating the passage by touch, heard him and asked, "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing. I was thinking of my Shidi."

In the dimly lit passage, Xiao Liu paused for a while, "Is that the same Shidi who Gege mentioned before?"

"En."

"Why are you thinking of him? Xiao Liu mumbled in slight displeasure.

"It's not that I miss him. I just thought that if he were here now, we would probably save a lot of trouble."

"Oh? What trouble?"

"He has a magic weapon that is particularly powerful. He can shrink large things and put them in his pockets. If he were there, we could bring those people out even without a sleigh."

Xiao Liu burst into laughter at once.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Ahem, it's nothing," Xiao Liu cleared his throat, "I think that it sounds unreliable. It is possible to alter items, but shrinking a living person... seems pretty inconceivable."

"Perhaps it's not possible to use it on humans. I am not too sure either." Bai Fanlu shook his head. Now Yun Zhan was not here, and this was purely a daydream. It was far better to speed up and locate the city gate.

It was a pity that when they reached the end of the stairs, the path was blocked by pillars which were collapsed by the blizzard. Further past the pillars, several wooden planks of an identical thickness were riveted together. It looked like a fallen city gate.

Since the two had found the approximate position of their target, they planned to return from whence they came. After taking a few steps back, Bai Fanlu sensed that Xiao Liu was not behind. He turned around and saw the youth squatting in the dark, leaning over to inspect something.

Bai Fanlu took a closer look and realised what caught his attention was a strange plant emerging from the cracks of a snow-covered wall. It had purplish-red stems of dark green leaves and was about ten centimetres tall. It appeared similar to the amaranth plant but had larger and sparsely distributed leaves.

Xiao Liu stretched out his hand and pulled out a plant, "Is this some sort of wild vegetable?"

Bai Fanlu did not know why but felt that the plant was a tenacious one to grow in the harsh cold snow.

Xiao Liu casually stuffed the plant into his belt, and the two continued on their way up.

After they left, and the light drawn from their spiritual energy became dimmer as they went further, the broken steam of the same plant began to regenerate, growing upward, and very quickly grew out new stems and leaves.

When Xiao Liu brought out the plant and inquired, the old woman quickly uttered her thanks to Bodhisattva's blessing and explained in haste, "It is all thanks to this grass that we can survive until now."

Bai Fanlu learned that the plant was a wild vegetable from her words. During the gruelling times trapped underground, these seven elderly folk and young children survived on the grass and drinking water of melted snow. Even the baby was willing to suckle on the plant sap.

But how could one bunch of plants feed so many people for so many days?

The old woman quickly answered this question. It turned out that this plant had a magical property and could grow back immediately after it had been plucked.

Halfway through the conversation, the plant in Xiao Liu's hand was already eaten up by the little boy, and he even savoured it like a delicacy.

Yet, when Bai Fanlu noticed the red plant sap dabbed on Xiao Liu's fingertips, he felt uneasy. He secretly cast a spell and quietly cleaned away the stain on Xiao Liu's finger before he could relax.

The next course of action was to extract the city gate. Bai Fanlu and Xiao Liu would first have to persuade the people to get out of the tower. This would undoubtedly take much effort, for the tower was their final refuge.

To gain their trust, Bai Fanlu started by leading the old woman out of the hole they made to enter and showed her Silver Snow, which was waiting nearby. Then, the two of them explained their plan to her in detail and eventually dispelled her doubts.

Only after the old woman went back down to convince the others that they all came up, Bai Fanlu and Xiao Liu piggybacked an older man and a child, respectively, while Silver Snow carried the remaining few people on its back. After settling the survivors in a relatively safe spot, the two could finally use a spiritual fire talisman without qualms.

As soon as the fire talisman was activated, a few loud booms sounded, and snow piled on the ground transformed into a water dragon, rising like a colossal wave high above Bai Fanlu.

At the same time, a large pit also appeared further up ahead. Bai Fanlu caught a glimpse of the toppled city gate with his sweeping glance. He sent out Cang Jin, which now took the form of two sheer ribbons, to haul it up. The city gate was tossed and landed heavily on the nearby snowy ground.

Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, there was a louder noise that followed. The massive hole in front of Bai Fanlu suddenly widened, swallowing in everything from its edge without warning!

Seeing that the situation was not right, Bai Fanlu swiftly backed away while busily controlling Cang Jin to drive the city gate to Xiao Liu and the others.

Xiao Liu saw Bai Fanlu approach anxiously and noticed a white snowstorm closely behind. He was about to go to him when Bai Fanlu shouted, "Stay back! Quickly! Get them up the city gate! Ling City is about to collapse!"

This scene was exactly as described in the novel. The sinking of Ling City signifies that the underground palace scene will soon surface!

Xiao Liu picked up the older man and three children without further ado. Bai Fanlu used Cang Jin to manoeuvre the direction while pushing the city gate from behind with his spiritual power. Inertia caused it to rush towards Xiao Liu and it appeared before them within moments.

Xiao Liu speedily sent the survivors up, and at the same time, Silver Snow was also ready. Cang Jin transformed into ribbons and connected the city gate to the sides of the stallion's saddle. With a neigh, Silver Snow galloped with gusto, forging ahead.

The winds howled, and snow roared as Xiao Liu turned his head to signal Bai Fanlu. But what greeted him was a wolf fur that was tossed over and a voice within the white fog, "Cover them!"

The wolf fur had been imbued with spiritual energy. The older people and young children were about to speed through the wind and snow belt that was extremely cold. They would not be able to endure it. Xiao Liu immediately reacted and also took off his. He caught up with the speeding city gate sleigh to fasten the fur on them.

Without warning, the sleigh tilted, and Xiao Liu reacted at once, stabilising everyone. Then, he glanced back at the spot where they ran over and noticed a long narrow crack had emerged and stretched from behind them to where Bai Fanlu was.

"Gege! Hurry up!" He yelled.

Ling City was sinking faster than before, and the second, third, and fourth crack began to appear in the snowy ground, becoming wider and longer.

It was too late!

Bai Fanlu's figure was wholly swallowed up by the wave of snow behind and faded out of sight.

Xiao Liu got so worried that he was about to rush over at all costs when suddenly, he heard a faint buzzing sound. In the next instance, a light tore through the gloomy blizzard.

The ray expanded all at once and transformed into a colossal light wheel with Bai Fanlu standing in the middle. It was his sword that spun rapidly on his right palm as he struggled to hold off the snow mist before him—consequently, the snow accumulated into a massive wave of more than ten feet in height.

Boom!

Bai Fanlu condensed the huge wave back into ice using spiritual energy, and the layers of frost cascaded and churned as if everything was about to pour down in the next moment.

Bai Fanlu held his sword as a shield. He did not expect that as the sword to shatter due to the force, only a surface layer fell off and exposed an even sharper blade inside.

It seemed as though some seal had been broken within an instant, and an incredible force burst out.

This was no ordinary sword! Did Chongyu do something?!

He couldn't be bothered to contemplate at this moment as the wall of snow could only be held back for a short while. Bai Fanlu continued to hold the sword while continuously channelling spiritual power into it, causing the blade to hum deeply.

While he struggled to resist, Xiao Liu's voice came into his spiritual consciousness.

"Come back!"

Bai Fanlu paused and recognised the voice to be Xiao Liu's. When did he learn to use spiritual consciousness to communicate?

Bai Fanlu didn't have time to think, "Lead them out of the wind and snow belt. Remember, head west and don't look back."

Those ordinary people would stand a low chance of surviving if they headed south with Xiao Liu. The east and the north were also geographical dead lands. Therefore, heading west was their best chance.

"...Wait for me."

After that, Xiao Liu spoke no more.

Bai Fanlu was relieved that the youth would not leave those survivors behind.

As the snowstorm chasing them from behind was held back by Bai Fanlu, the crack on the ground stopped spreading temporarily, and the city gate sleigh smoothly reached the wind and snow belt. Before it entered, it suddenly came to a stop.

Without Bai Fanlu by his side, Xiao Liu had nothing to worry about. He raised his right hand, and cyan flames emerged from his palm, erecting a barrier that enveloped the seven young children and older people. Zhizhi was also inside, and the barrier guarded them against falling out.

Then, Xiao Liu flew to Silver Snow and spoke in a deep voice, "I will leave them to you. Make it your duty to protect them."

Silver Snow raised its head and actually uttered , "Master..."

Xiao Liu patted it and replied, "Go on."

As he spoke, he thrust spiritual energy into the city gate sleigh. Silver Snow neighed and galloped into the boundless wind and snow belt.

Bai Fanlu counted the time and reckoned that they should have gone far by now. The hand grasping his sword hand was already numb. He almost let go by accident and risked being cut by the blade.

Next, Bai Fanlu attempted to land, but the moment his feet touched the ground, the snow hardly spared him time to react and shattered like tofu dregs at once.

The surrounding snowflakes swirled and danced, forming a massive force field.

Knowing that he would not be able to get out, Bai Fanlu smiled bitterly in his heart. He had an inkling that he would be going down with the city as described in the novel. It seemed that regardless of the sequence of events, he was destined to make a trip to that ancient underground palace.

Bai Fanlu gave up all resistance at this thought, leaned back, and dropped into the recess with chunks of the ground collapsing all around.

Yet, suddenly, he felt an unusual spiritual force rushing towards him. Bai Fanlu opened his eyes and noticed a figure had appeared above him, and then he was enveloped by a heavy and robust spiritual energy.

Xiao Liu grabbed Bai Fanlu and held the man tightly in his arms.

As the two fell, the wind whistled in his ears, and the snowflakes danced all around. Bai Fanlu stared at the person, not recovering from his shock.

At this time, Xiao Liu pressed against the man's ear, embraced him tightly, and sighed, "I finally caught up with you."

This time, you won't be alone.