Chapter 9

Yang Dingtian took one last look at the place in the east where the ashes of his destruction had scattered, then he sprinted off in that direction. His speed was much faster than on Earth, and he felt as if his body was weightless. He felt that his strength was many times greater than when he was on Earth.

Although he had only passed the启蒙期 (Enlightenment Period) in this world, because he had reached the third level of the洗髓伐脉 (Bone Marrow Cleansing), the energy within his body flowed as smoothly as the wind. If he were on Earth, he would have broken all world records long ago.

Two hours later, Yang Dingtian had already run nearly a hundred miles. Of course, he could have run faster, but the faster he ran, the more quickly his energy was depleted, so he had to maintain a balance.

After more than ten hours, Yang Dingtian had run over five hundred miles and did not feel much fatigue. The martial arts in this world were truly powerful. Yang Dingtian, who had only passed the Enlightenment Period, could run over five hundred miles in a day without tiring. Of course, he did not realize that the greatest credit for this was due to the third level of the Bone Marrow Cleansing.

However, after more than ten hours, a heavy snowstorm began, and a strong wind blew in the opposite direction, making it difficult for him to move. The energy consumption was extremely rapid, so he had to dig a hole in the snow to hide and wait for the storm to pass.

He stayed hidden for three days.

Three days later, the weather cleared up, and the sky was a clear blue, like it had been washed. The two suns shone brightly, reflecting off the snow, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes.

Yang Dingtian emerged from the deep snow. Fortunately, he had the Nine Yang Body, or he would have been buried under several meters of snow and suffocated to death.

Strangely, after the Bone Marrow Cleansing, Yang Dingtian needed much less oxygen to breathe. He could hold his breath for nearly twenty minutes, and a small amount of oxygen could sustain him for a long time.

Finally, the weather cleared, and Yang Dingtian ran quickly toward the east, with his eyes closed because the snow was too blinding. There was no need to worry about running into anything in the vast, snowy landscape.

Yang Dingtian's luck held, and the weather remained clear for three days.

During these three days, Yang Dingtian ran over a thousand miles. But after three days, another heavy snowstorm came, and he had to dig another hole to hide.

This time, he stayed hidden for seven days, and the storm was even more intense than the last one.

On the seventh day, when he crawled out of the hole, he was weak and cold, as his energy had been completely depleted. He took the only flame pill from his ear and swallowed it.

Instantly, a surge of heat exploded within him, spreading through his body, making him feel warm and comfortable. A powerful force gradually emanated from him, and he felt his limbs becoming stronger and more robust.

With this energy, Yang Dingtian ran madly toward the east, his eyes squeezed shut.

Running, running, running...

Under the light of the two suns, on the vast, snowy landscape, a black dot moved swiftly.

This time, fortune favored Yang Dingtian, and the weather remained clear for nine days. On the fifth day, the sky turned overcast, and Yang Dingtian worried about another snowstorm, but it only lasted for less than three hours before the clouds dispersed.

During these nine days, Yang Dingtian ran over three thousand miles. He was only about a thousand miles away from leaving the cursed ice plateau.

Just as he was about to run the remaining thousand miles, the weather turned against him. Yang Dingtian encountered the strongest storm in his life, which almost blew him away. He had to dig another hole to hide.

Fortunately, this storm was fierce but short-lived. Two days later, the snow stopped, and the sky cleared. However, after crawling out of the hole, Yang Dingtian's energy was almost depleted, and he had to rely on sheer willpower to cover the remaining thousand miles.

Four days later, Yang Dingtian ran a thousand miles, but the energy from the flame pill was completely exhausted. He had nothing to eat except snow, and his body grew weaker each day. He eventually slowed to a walk, and his body became numb, and his vision blurred. If he lay down, he would never be able to stand up again.

Just as he was about to collapse, he saw the first tree, a towering ancient tree.

He was overjoyed and let out a long, triumphant cry.

"Ah..."

It had been a full month, and he had finally run over five thousand seven hundred miles, leaving the cursed ice plateau behind. His vision was no longer filled with white.

He finally had something to eat, even though the tree seeds were bitter and astringent. He ate dozens of them, until his tongue and mouth were completely numb.

After eating, he had a good sleep. When he woke up, Yang Dingtian continued eastward. The further east he went, the more trees there were, and eventually, he entered a dense forest. The forest was filled with enormous trees, each spaced several dozen meters apart, making it easy to navigate.

Yang Dingtian fantasized about the animals in the forest, as he could finally eat meat.

However, he was disappointed! The vast forest contained no animals, not even a single bird.

This was not normal. When he learned about this world, Yang Dingtian knew that the Cold Wood Forest was home to many wild beasts, and the Mori tribe often hunted there. But now, there was not a single living creature in the forest. The silence of the thousand-mile forest almost drove him to despair.

However, Yang Dingtian's diet improved. He no longer had to eat the bitter and spicy tree seeds and switched to a tasteless, starchy fruit.

Five days later, Yang Dingtian left the thousand-mile forest and saw rolling hills. It was not easy; he had finally seen mountains. After traveling thousands of miles, he was close to the Mori tribe's settlement and would finally see humans.

Sure enough, two days after leaving the forest, he saw the first house, a sturdy wooden cabin. He rushed in with joy, but it was empty. The wooden furniture was still there, covered in thick dust, with no food or clothes.

However, Yang Dingtian was not discouraged, as this was likely a hunter's cabin, and it was normal for it to be empty if the hunter had left.

But the second, third, and fourth wooden cabins he encountered were also empty.

Finally, Yang Dingtian found a village with dozens of wooden houses, but all of them were empty, with the furniture neatly arranged and covered in thick dust.

Moreover, Yang Dingtian still saw no animals, not even a bird.

The further east he went, the more villages he passed, including a few towns with large stone buildings, but they were all empty, with no living creatures.

What had happened here? Why were there no signs of life?

As he continued, Yang Dingtian's heart grew colder and darker. It had been over a month since he left the ice plateau, and he had traveled over three thousand miles, seeing countless houses and towns, but not a single human or animal.

The cold, harsh land near the ice plateau should have been home to hundreds of thousands of Mori tribe members and countless animals, but now it seemed as if they had all vanished from the world.

According to his master, this area should have been inhabited by the extremely cold-resistant Mori tribe, who were skilled with axes and were natural warriors.

The absence of humans could be explained by the harsh living conditions, but the lack of any animals, even birds, was abnormal.

Yang Dingtian knew that further east was the vast sea, and he could already smell the sea in the wind.

Initially, Yang Dingtian was eager to move quickly, but later, he became increasingly hesitant. He feared that he would reach the sea and still not see a single human or animal, leaving him with no idea what to do.

In the end, Yang Dingtian's pace slowed, and he only walked a few miles each day, resting in any house he found, as if dreading the moment he would reach the sea.

Yang Dingtian continued to eat tree seeds, as there was nothing else to eat. He was still naked, as he could not find any clothes or animal skins. The leaves of the trees were hard and sharp, unsuitable for clothing, and he was not cold, so being naked was not a problem.

Inside the wooden cabin, Yang Dingtian lay on the wooden bed, feeling a sense of fear. He felt his will and determination weakening, and he was becoming increasingly despondent and lazy.

In the icy snow, he was always on the brink of death, and his determination was strong. Now, with trees and houses but no humans or animals, he felt afraid and his determination was waning.

What had happened? If he reached the sea and still saw no one, what would he do? He would not even know where the Yin-Yang Sect was, let alone how to reach it.

Lying in bed, he could not sleep, and the endless loneliness attacked his heart, filling it with darkness. This had been going on for months, and Yang Dingtian had become like a wild man, with a long, messy beard and hair.

Suddenly, Yang Dingtian heard a sound, like the hooves of an animal on the snow.

He jumped up from the bed, straining his ears to listen, afraid it was an illusion.

It was not an illusion, not an illusion!

It was not an illusion! The sound grew louder and louder, like the sound of hooves, and eventually, he even heard the voices of people.

Overwhelmed with joy, Yang Dingtian jumped up and rushed out of the cabin!

A few hundred meters ahead, a large group was galloping toward him.

They were humans, and horses, which looked similar to those on Earth but were larger and had a single horn on their heads.

There were over a hundred people, each dressed in luxurious fur clothing and carrying ornate weapons.