Chapter 102: The Underground Cavern

The wind howled furiously.

The snow fell heavier and heavier.

In just a few short minutes, the snow on the ground had piled up by several centimeters. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before the snowdrifts were as tall as a man.

The temperature outside was plummeting rapidly. Even though he wore the Scarlet Flame Bead, he could still feel a bone-chilling cold creeping over his body.

Xu Han asked in a low voice, "How do we take shelter from a blizzard?"

Hua Piaowu's face seemed a bit panicked. "I... I don't know either..."

"I heard that experienced professionals always rush back to Snowfield Village at the first sign of a blizzard."

"If you're out in the wild, all you can do is pray for good luck."

Xu Han looked back at the tent. If they hid inside, even if they didn't freeze to death, they would be buried alive under the snow.

He pulled out the map and took a quick look. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Since there's nowhere else to hide, we'll head to the underground caves!"

The two women were taken aback. "To the underground caves?"

"Didn't you just say that the caves are still a long way from here?"

"There's no way we'll make it in time if we go now!"

Xu Han didn't speak. He recalled Little Tiger into his pet space. Then, with a thought, another dark purple magic circle manifested beside him.

*Screech!*

A sharp cry rang out. A giant eagle, dozens of meters long, flew out from the magic circle. With a heavy thud, it landed right in front of Xu Han.

Hua Piaowu and Qin Xuanyi stared blankly at the majestic eagle before them. A terrifying pressure washed over them.

"Get on. We'll let Little Eagle fly us there."

Qin Xuanyi said timidly, "Get on? But this..."

Xu Han said gravely, "Stop wasting time! If we delay any longer, we'll all be frozen into ice sculptures."

With that, he flipped himself up, landing easily onto the back of the eagle.

No longer hesitating, Hua Piaowu summoned her spirit puppet and ordered it to lift her onto the eagle's back.

Qin Xuanyi struggled to climb up, but with Xu Han's help, she finally managed to scramble onto the eagle's back.

Xu Han patted Little Eagle's head. The giant eagle gave a powerful flap of its wings. Its massive body soared into the sky, rapidly flying in the direction of the underground caves.

Looking down at the vast, boundless snowfield below, Hua Piaowu said enviously, "Xu Han, where did you buy this pet? It's so cool that it can grow this big! Can you get one for me too?"

Xu Han glanced at her. "You want one? Give me a billion, and I'll get you one."

Hua Piaowu rolled her eyes at him. "So stingy. With a billion, I could buy a cub of a boss-tier beast as a pet. Why would I need you to buy one for me?"

Xu Han didn't reply, his gaze fixed below as he searched for any trace of the underground caves.

However, the ground was a vast, blinding sheet of white. The entrance to the caves was nowhere to be found.

Xu Han frowned slightly. He could feel that even Little Eagle's flight speed was dropping. If this continued, the eagle wouldn't be able to hold out.

"Let's head down first, Little Eagle," Xu Han said.

The eagle let out a low cry, descended, and landed on the ground.

Xu Han checked on its condition. Covered in a layer of white snow, the eagle's eyes looked weak. He recalled it into his pet space.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard a thud behind him. He turned around to look. Hua Piaowu had collapsed onto the ground, already unconscious.

"Xu... Xu Han... What... what do we do?" Qin Xuanyi said, shivering violently.

Gritting his teeth, Xu Han stepped forward and hoisted Hua Piaowu onto his back. "Can you still hold on?"

Qin Xuanyi managed a weak nod.

Xu Han let out a small sigh of relief. If both of them fainted at the same time, it would be truly troublesome.

Carrying Hua Piaowu on his back, he forged ahead. He took a step forward.

*Crash!*

The snow beneath him suddenly collapsed. Losing his balance, he fell downward.

Xu Han was startled, but he reacted instantly. Adjusting his posture, he landed steadily on the ground.

Looking around, he found himself standing at the mouth of a cave. Ahead lay a dark, deep cavern.

Joy flared in his heart. This was the underground cave!

"Xu Han, are you okay?" Qin Xuanyi's voice drifted down from above.

Xu Han looked up. The opening was only about four or five meters from the ground.

"Come down, this is the entrance to the underground caves," Xu Han called out.

Qin Xuanyi's eyes lit up, and she nodded hurriedly. She climbed down along the icy rock wall.

Xu Han gathered some wood scattered around the area and started a fire. The flames illuminated the cold rock walls, dispersing the surrounding darkness and finally bringing a touch of warmth to them.

Xu Han propped Hua Piaowu up against the rock wall and said, "You two rest here. I'll go inside to scout ahead."

Qin Xuanyi said with some worry, "What if a beast comes in?"

Xu Han felt a bit helpless. Hua Piaowu's spirit puppet had combat capabilities, but she was currently unconscious. As for Qin Xuanyi, she was a support class; if she encountered a beast, she wouldn't even have the ability to fight back.

After a moment of thought, he willed it, and an earthy yellow magic circle appeared before him. Soon, Little Tiger emerged from within the magic circle.

"I'll leave Little Tiger here to protect you. With him around, ordinary beasts won't be able to hurt you."

Qin Xuanyi said gratefully, "Thank you..."

Xu Han waved his hand, ordered Little Tiger to guard them, and then walked straight into the depths of the cave.

The cave passage was pitch black. However, with his Eye of Truth, he could see very clearly. He spotted a pair of blood-red eyes on the ceiling ahead. Surprisingly, it was a bat the size of a child.

He checked the bat's attributes.

[Name: Bloodthirsty Demonic Bat]
[Race: Bat Clan]
[Level: 27]
[Skill 1: Lifesteal Lv.3 (Passive skill: Absorbs the enemy's blood when attacking, restoring own health)]
[Skill 2: Demonic Sound Lv.3 (Emits soundwaves to disrupt the enemy's mind, causing them to fall into a state of confusion. Duration: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

A level 20-something beast posed no threat to him. Drawing the Ice Blue Blade, he walked straight toward the Bloodthirsty Demonic Bat.

The Bloodthirsty Demonic Bat sensed the approach of an enemy. Flapping its wings, it flew rapidly toward Xu Han, its pair of sharp fangs aiming straight for his neck.

Xu Han had no intention of dodging. As soon as the bat reached him, he raised the Ice Blue Blade. With a flash of deep blue light, he slashed at the bat's head.

*Slash!*

The blade sliced through the bat's head, severing it with ease. The carcass of the Bloodthirsty Demonic Bat fell to the ground with a thud.

Xu Han stepped forward and tossed the corpse into his spatial ring.

Just as he was about to continue forward, he heard a rustling sound echoing from the depths of the cave.

In the next second, within the pitch-black abyss, pairs of crimson eyes lit up one after another. Countless Bloodthirsty Demonic Bats flew out, swarming toward Xu Han.

Xu Han frowned slightly. There was quite a large number of them.

He raised his hand, and a brilliant flash of electricity crackled in his palm.

*Chain Lightning!*