Chapter 729 - 348: Snow Mastiff Hero

"Where is it?"

You Su instinctively asked back, but the old man surprisingly didn’t keep it to himself. He nodded slightly:

"It’s right in the middle of that storm."

"They didn’t take it out?" You Su was somewhat astonished upon hearing this.

"That’s right." The Clan Leader nodded, "Perhaps someone already discovered the clue and didn’t dare to sell those Divine Radiance Stones, so they kept them there, waiting for the right moment to take them away."

"Waiting for thirty years?" You Su shook his head, "Then they should have quietly put the Divine Radiance Stones back where they belong, rather than hiding them. I reckon the reason they abandoned the Divine Radiance Stones there is simply that they found the regulation too strict, rendering it impossible to trade, so they just casually tossed them into the storm."

You Su’s speculation was not without reason; these individuals targeting the Divine Radiance Stones that uphold the safety of the Five Continents are clearly people lacking responsibility and driven solely by profit.

But when the profits cannot be realized, the Divine Radiance Stones become a particularly hot potato, certainly discarded without a thought. Expecting them to return the Divine Radiance Stones the same way is pure fantasy.

"No." The old man shook his head firmly, "Because someone has always been guarding there, that’s why I say they must have hidden the Divine Radiance Stones there. But why exactly they did this, I truly don’t know..."

Upon hearing this, You Su nodded slightly and scrutinized the old man:

"How long have you been looking?"

The old man’s frail body trembled slightly:

"I lived to this day only to find them."

A thirty-year exile brought nothing but regret and helplessness over that storm.

The Clan Leader lay down on the ground, his body completely submitted, but his head held high, his gaze burning like a flame.

He, like his clan members, had their spiritual platform destroyed, surviving without cultivation in this icy world for thirty years. His companions had gradually perished in the snow, but he persisted to this day to wash away his former sins.

A single misstep turns into eternal regret, You Su silently reflected, neither pitying nor angry, only said:

"What is the name of your Sect?"

"Snow Mastiff Sect." The old man said wistfully, his breath forming clouds in the air.

You Su raised his eyebrows, surprised that someone would use a dog’s name as a Sect name.

Under the famous Immortal Sect names like Profound Sky Sect and Jianlong Palace, a name like Snow Mastiff Sect stands out as an anomaly.

The old man looked up at the bright sun in the sky. The Arctic had few clouds, and the sunlight, though not warm, was intense enough to tan one’s skin to a dark yellow.

He had long grown accustomed to such a sun. Over thirty years his appearance had changed drastically, but he was powerless to stop it, just as he was powerless to prevent the world’s changes...

Once, the pace was slow in Beiao Continent, with distant and obstructed roads, accompanied by bone-chilling ice and snow. Those letters, those gifts, those friendships... these important things would be buried by snow before being delivered through the heavy snow into another’s hands.

The old man’s name was Chen Yi, and he was the Sect Leader of Snow Mastiff Sect. The Sect was initially founded to traverse the snow-laden Beiao Continent, bringing hope to those hesitating before the storm. The grateful smiles of those people were the only reward for members of Snow Mastiff Sect. They were like snow mastiffs, silent and selfless, pouring warmth into Beiao Continent, hence named after snow mastiffs.

But as times changed, Beiao Continent seemed no longer as cold, with more methods to deal with the storm, and more ways to deliver important things. Many places no longer used snow mastiffs for transportation, opting for more efficient Crystal Stones or Arrays to drive vehicles.

Existences like Snow Mastiff Sect gradually became marginalized like snow mastiffs, almost losing their meaning.

New generation children no longer feared snow, for the effective Magical Artifacts against cold facilitated Beiao Continent’s rapid development, making a city of wonder flourish from the South Sea coast of Beiao Continent all towards the north, like a spring breeze sweeping through this icy continent.

Those joining Snow Mastiff Sect with fervent passion rapidly declined, to the point where the art of traveling in snowstorms almost disappeared. The stubborn old members of Snow Mastiff Sect could only take in those thrown away in snowy nights, gathering around to practice, using their help to weaker individuals as purpose.

However, Chen Yi could not accept the complete downfall of the Sect; the inexplicable storm in the Arctic Snowfield was Snow Mastiff Sect’s chance to rise again. He began transporting needs for the big figures across the snowfield, finding joy in helping those clueless before the snow, just like the ancestors. Alongside, he received hefty rewards, not just a grateful smile.

The Divine Radiance Stones were their last mission, overwhelming guilt causing him to realize his gradual deviation from the Sect’s purpose. Bringing hope and warmth to the bewildered in snow is the work of snow mastiffs, while those big figures demanding instant service were like house dogs.

’Once this last mission is complete, I’ll quit, using what we’ve earned to help more trapped by snow!’

Chen Yi persuades himself like this, this self-persuasion akin to self-deception.

Once realizing his complete departure from the intention of snow mastiffs, it was too late, his spiritual platform destroyed. Along with other Sect members, he was prepared as a scapegoat by those big figures in advance — the transporters deemed thieves.

He regretted deeply, the shame of dishonoring generations of Snow Mastiff Sect weighed on him instantly. But he had to lead his Sect members to survive, until the Divine Radiance Stones were returned to their place, for it was the only way he could think of to redeem Snow Mastiff’s name.