Chapter 24: The Serpent's Glance

The wind howled like a hungry beast across the Frozen Serpent Ridge, whipping snow and ice crystals into Lin Fan's face. The cold was intense, a physical pressure that sought to leech warmth and slow movement. Lin Fan maintained a steady, focused circulation of Qi through the Nine Cycles Refining Art, generating internal heat that warred against the biting chill. His Iron Skin Art provided a crucial buffer, preventing the worst of the cold from penetrating deep, though his exposed hands and face felt numb despite his cultivation.

He moved upwards cautiously, his enhanced Wind Step allowing for quick, controlled bursts of movement across treacherous patches of ice, but he kept the overall pace measured. A fall here could be disastrous, sending him tumbling down jagged slopes or into unseen crevasses hidden by snowdrifts. Visibility remained poor, fluctuating with the wind-driven snow.

According to the map coordinates on his task token, the Frost Dew Grass typically grew on ledges sheltered from the worst of the wind, often near unusual ice formations where moisture collected and froze in specific ways. He scanned the cliff faces above, searching for likely spots while remaining acutely aware of potential threats.

The clerk's warning about Ice Crystal Vipers echoed in his mind. Fifth-layer beasts, venomous, masters of camouflage. He heightened his senses, peering intently at banks of snow and clusters of jagged ice crystals that littered the slopes. His spiritual sense, though somewhat hampered by the altitude and swirling energies of the ridge, probed outwards constantly.

After nearly an hour of careful ascent, navigating slippery inclines and bracing against powerful gusts, he spotted it. Tucked onto a narrow ledge about thirty meters above him, partially sheltered by an overhang dripping with icicles, was a patch of faint, ethereal blue light. It emanated from several small, delicate-looking plants whose leaves seemed coated in shimmering frost, distinct from the surrounding snow and ice. Frost Dew Grass.

The ledge looked difficult to reach, requiring a near-vertical climb up an ice-slicked rock face. More worryingly, the area around the ledge seemed unnaturally still, even compared to the rest of the ridge. There were clusters of translucent ice crystals scattered nearby that glinted oddly in the dim light – perfect camouflage.

Lin Fan narrowed his eyes. This was almost certainly a viper nesting or hunting ground.

He decided against a direct, exposed climb. Circling around, he found a slightly less steep, though longer, route that involved traversing a narrow, snow-filled gully that led up towards the same level as the ledge. He moved silently, using Wind Step in short hops to avoid deep snowdrifts, his Flowing Shadow Sword now drawn and held ready.

As he neared the top of the gully, almost level with the ledge containing the herbs, he sensed it – a flicker of movement, almost imperceptible against the white backdrop. He froze instantly.

Slowly, scanning the area near the Frost Dew Grass, his eyes picked out the subtle outlines. Not one, but three Ice Crystal Vipers lay coiled amongst the glittering ice formations near the ledge. Their scales were a pale, translucent blue-white, mimicking the surrounding ice almost perfectly. They were about two meters long, slender but radiating a cold, dangerous aura clearly at the fifth layer. Their flat, reptilian heads were raised slightly, unblinking eyes fixed on the patch of precious grass.

They hadn't detected him yet. He needed a plan to deal with all three, preferably without damaging the delicate herbs, all while balancing on treacherous footing in extreme cold.

He considered his options. A direct charge might work, but fighting three venomous beasts simultaneously on narrow, icy ground was risky. Using Wind Blades from a distance might alert them and scatter them, potentially making them harder to hunt down individually, and stray shots could damage the grass.

Stealth and precision, then.

He decided to target the closest viper first, aiming for a quick, silent kill before the others could react fully. He channeled Qi, not into a Wind Blade, but along the edge of his Flowing Shadow Sword, preparing a focused Piercing Shadow Thrust. He took a deep breath, using Wind Step for a single, explosive burst of speed, launching himself from the gully towards the nearest viper coiled by a large ice shard.

His movement was incredibly fast, silent thanks to his insoles. He was halfway across the distance before the viper's head snapped towards him, its eyes widening in surprise.

Too late.

Lin Fan's sword struck like a phantom, the Qi-infused tip piercing directly through the viper's eye socket and into its brain. The beast convulsed once and lay still, its camouflage fading slightly as its life force dissipated.

Hisssss!

The other two vipers reacted instantly, alerted by the sudden death of their companion. They uncoiled with blinding speed. One spat a projectile – not saliva, but a shard of razor-sharp ice coated in glistening venom – directly at Lin Fan's face. The other lunged, fangs bared, aiming for his leg.

Lin Fan was already moving. Enhanced Wind Step carried him sideways, dodging the ice shard which shattered harmlessly against the rock face behind him, leaving a patch of rapidly spreading frost where it struck – the venom was clearly corrosive even to stone at these temperatures.

He met the lunging viper's bite with his sword, deflecting its fangs, while simultaneously kicking out, his boot striking the viper's underside. He activated Iron Skin Art a split second before the viper's thrashing tail, covered in sharp, icy scales, whipped around and struck his leg. The impact was jarring, but his defense held, though the intense cold of the blow seeped through momentarily.

He used the brief opening created by his kick. Before the viper could strike again, his sword flashed downwards, severing its head cleanly.

Two down. One remaining.

The last viper, seeing its companions killed so swiftly, didn't charge. Instead, it hissed aggressively and began to vibrate, its crystalline scales shimmering. The air around it grew even colder, and ice began to rapidly form on the ground radiating outwards from it. Simultaneously, it spat another venom-coated ice shard.

Lin Fan easily dodged the shard with Wind Step. He recognized the viper was likely preparing a stronger ice or venom-based attack, possibly an area freeze or a concentrated venom spray. He couldn't give it the chance.

He charged forward, sword ready. The viper met his charge, lunging with fangs bared, trying to inject its potent neurotoxin. Lin Fan didn't meet the fangs directly. He used his superior agility to pivot mid-charge, bringing the flat of his sword down hard on the viper's head, stunning it for a fraction of a second. In that instant, he reversed his grip and plunged the blade downwards, pinning the viper's head to the icy ground.

With a final hiss, the third Ice Crystal Viper went still.

Lin Fan pulled his sword free, shaking off clinging ice crystals. The fight was quick, efficient, leveraging his speed and precision. The cold was still biting, but the immediate threat was neutralized.

He carefully approached the sheltered ledge. Three delicate plants grew there, their leaves shimmering with captured frost, pulsing with a gentle, cool energy. This was undoubtedly the Frost Dew Grass. Following the instructions implicitly mentioned in the task (harvesting with care), he used his sword carefully to cut the stems just above the root line, ensuring the plants could potentially regrow. He collected three perfect stems.

Storing them carefully in a protective pouch within his storage ring, he felt a surge of satisfaction. 360 Contribution Points were potentially secured. Now, he just needed to get off this frozen death trap of a ridge before a blizzard hit or more vipers showed up.

He turned, ready to begin the treacherous descent, the biting wind already trying to erase his tracks in the freshly disturbed snow.