The Snowy Mountain’s Call

“The Snowy Mountain?”

“Yes, perhaps the way out is on the summit of that snowy mountain. No matter what, we must try.”

“Alright, I trust your judgment.”

“I promise I will get you out of here.”

After discussing with Bing Yingying, Xia Yi began preparing the supplies needed to enter the snowy mountain.

Despite the ability to recover some of their cultivation within the mountain’s range, they decided to prepare essential items.

These included fire-resistant resin, warm fur coats, and some necessary food supplies.

Speaking of the fur coat, Xia Yi was surprised to discover that Bing Yingying had extraordinary sewing skills.

“Here, I made this for you.”

“Your craftsmanship is impressive!”

Xia Yi tried on the sheep wool coat Bing Yingying had given him, finding it to be perfectly tailored to his figure.

It even fit better than the clothes made by Pei Yunxiang.

“…”

Bing Yingying, however, turned away abruptly, responding with a cool and indifferent ‘hmm.’

Xia Yi didn’t mind; he was used to her temperament by now and continued with his preparations, unaware of the smile that had briefly crossed her face.

As time passed, they worked diligently to gather the necessary supplies for their journey into the snowy mountain.

Three days later, dressed in sheep fur coats and carrying bear fur backpacks, Xia Yi and Bing Yingying set out towards their destination—the snowy mountain.

Following the landmarks they had noted on their way back, the two reached the foot of the snowy mountain in just two days.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.”

As they entered the snowy mountain’s range, a delicate pink thread that had been tied around their wrists mysteriously connected them.

Their cultivation levels simultaneously returned to the second layer of Qi Refining.

“What’s this?”

Xia Yi looked at the thread connecting them, amazed to realize he could sense Bing Yingying’s emotions and thoughts.

When he looked at Bing Yingying, he saw her gazing back at him with a shared understanding in their eyes.

“This…”

Xia Yi was uncertain whether this sudden change was good or bad.

“I feel something…”

“What?”

“There’s a call from the mountain top.”

Without hesitation, Bing Yingying took Xia Yi’s hand, and he felt the pull she had mentioned.

“Should we go?”

Xia Yi frowned, pondering for a moment before making his decision.

“Yes, we have no other choice, do we?”

“I’ll follow you.”

Xia Yi nodded, and together they began their ascent towards the mountain’s peak.

As they ventured deeper, the temperature dropped significantly.

Even with the sheep fur coats and the activation of the Extreme Yang True Flame, Xia Yi felt a deep chill.

Bing Yingying, already prone to cold, suffered even more.

“Are you alright?”

“I… I’m okay…”

Bing Yingying’s voice was weak and shivering, so Xia Yi took her hand, transferring his warm spiritual energy to her.

Only then did he fully grasp how cold she was—like swimming in the icy waters of the Arctic during a blizzard.

Quickly, he channeled some of his Extreme Yang True Flame into Bing Yingying, restoring some color to her pale face.

“Th… thank you…”

“It’s nothing. I promised I would get you out of here. If you feel unwell, tell me immediately.”

Hearing Xia Yi’s sincere words and feeling the warmth from the thread, Bing Yingying felt a newfound light in her eyes.

“I will.”

“Good, let’s keep moving.”

With their recovered cultivation, the first day of their journey was relatively smooth.

At their current pace, it would take about nine more days to reach the summit, assuming they maintained this speed.

As night fell, the temperature dropped even further, and despite Xia Yi’s Extreme Yang True Flame, Bing Yingying still shivered uncontrollably.

Fortunately, they had prepared well, and Xia Yi used his spiritual sword to carve a cave in the mountainside to shelter them.

Once Bing Yingying was inside, Xia Yi gathered some firewood to burn at the entrance before joining her.

Once more, he held Bing Yingying’s hand, feeling a bone-chilling cold that pierced his very soul.

It was only with the full force of his Extreme Yang True Flame that he could withstand it.

Bing Yingying, however, continued to shiver.

“I’m sorry, but…”

Xia Yi reluctantly removed his sheep fur coat, wrapping it around both of them, using his body to block the cold wind.

“Is this better?”

“Y… yes…”

Bing Yingying, nestled within Xia Yi’s coat, listened to his strong heartbeat and shivered in response, unaware of the warmth that filled her heart.

Xia Yi, mistaking her shivers for cold, tightened his embrace.

This action brought her face close to his chest, and the intimate contact stirred Bing Yingying’s frozen heart, causing it to race.

Sensing Bing Yingying’s recovering state, Xia Yi relaxed slightly, maintaining their position until morning.

With the sun’s rise, they continued their journey to the distant peak.

However, their progress was soon hindered by an icy river blocking their path.

Xia Yi tested the ice with his foot, and it shattered easily, revealing the flowing icy water beneath.

It was already late afternoon, and nightfall was fast approaching, leaving little time to find an alternative route or prepare a shelter.

Xia Yi knew he had to cross the river quickly.

After gauging the river’s depth, he was relieved to find it wasn’t too deep, even at its deepest point, the water barely reached his height.

“I’ll carry you across. You take the backpack.”

Xia Yi handed the backpack to Bing Yingying, and with her securely on his back, he stepped into the icy water.

The moment he entered, he felt a piercing cold seeping into his bones, and the flowing water relentlessly sapped the warmth from his feet.

Without the Extreme Yang True Flame, his legs would have been frozen solid.

Despite his best efforts, an unexpected event occurred…