The Icy Crossing

Xia Yi misjudged his own weight, and as he took his second step, he inevitably sank a bit. Even Bing Yingying’s toes, which were on his back, touched the icy water. And this was still near the shore; if they ventured deeper, Bing Yingying would inevitably come into contact with the lethal icy water. Just as Xia Yi hesitated about whether to retreat and reassess, Bing Yingying spoke.

“It’s okay, let’s keep going.”

“Alright.”

Xia Yi knew that this was not the time for hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward with his third step. Although the ice river was not excessively wide, it was not narrow either; it would take at least half an hour to safely cross. When Xia Yi reached a fifth of the way, Bing Yingying’s feet were completely submerged in the icy water.

Through the pink thread, Xia Yi could feel the agony Bing Yingying was enduring. A slight drop in temperature was enough to easily evoke the bone-chilling cold from deep within her blood. This chill was like a terrifying venomous snake, its gaze fixed on its prey, venom already injected, waiting for the prey to succumb, slowly driving away Bing Yingying’s last remnants of warmth, preparing to devour this ice fairy in one bite.

Xia Yi didn’t understand why Bing Yingying’s bloodline was so terrifying, as if it were about to consume its host.

Furthermore, in the original story, there was no mention of Bing Yingying’s bloodline. Before being drawn into this place, Xia Yi thought Bing Yingying was just cold-hearted.

Only after being connected by the pink thread did he realize that Bing Yingying was not naturally aloof, but rather that her bloodline had been constantly consuming her emotions!

No wonder Zhen Aoyu, with his protagonist’s aura, had been Bing Yingying’s devoted admirer for seven years, yet only received a glance in return. In the end, he had to use an indirect strategy to succeed.

At that time, Bing Yingying’s emotions must have been almost completely consumed by her bloodline, leaving only a sliver of familial affection to barely sustain her. That final shred of affection was then exploited by Zhen Aoyu to forge an elixir. How desperate she must have felt when she realized she had killed her beloved parents with her own hands.

By the time Xia Yi reached the halfway point, Bing Yingying’s legs were fully submerged in the icy water, and this was the coldest part. Even Xia Yi, with his Extreme Yang True Flame, felt his lower body nearly paralyzed.

It was even worse for Bing Yingying, who was being tormented by her bloodline. Xia Yi could hear her faint breathing, proving she was still enduring. Finally, after half an hour, Xia Yi reached the opposite shore. As soon as he landed, ignoring his internal spiritual energy depletion, he hastily dug a shallow hole in the slope and hid inside with Bing Yingying.

“Are you still awake?”

Xia Yi continued his actions, trying to call out to Bing Yingying.

“Mm…”

The response was barely a whisper, as if it could fade away at any moment. Xia Yi’s brow furrowed, and only after removing all of Bing Yingying’s soaked lower garments did he hesitate no more. He grasped her delicate, icy feet and tucked them under his armpits.

“Mm!!”

It felt as if he were gripping two blocks of ice in the Arctic, the piercing cold reaching his scalp. To ensure Bing Yingying’s submerged parts could quickly warm up, Xia Yi had to press her slender, beautiful legs against his chest, using his body heat to help her recover.

Due to their close contact, the unique fragrance of the ice fairy invaded Xia Yi’s senses. Unlike Pei Yunxiang’s elegance or Fei Miaoyun’s allure, Bing Yingying’s scent was similar to the freshness of mint.

Of course, in their current situation, Xia Yi had no time to contemplate this further. After a brief rest, Xia Yi channeled the remaining spiritual energy, mixed with a hint of Extreme Yang True Flame, along Bing Yingying’s fair, smooth legs to warm and unblock her frozen meridians, allowing her own spiritual energy to circulate.

Night fell quickly, and the howling winds outside the cave carried an extreme cold that rapidly drained the heat from Xia Yi’s back.

Despite this, Xia Yi remained motionless, still holding Bing Yingying’s beautiful feet and legs. Unconsciously, he drifted into sleep. It wasn’t until the next day, when a slightly cold small hand caressed his face, that Xia Yi slowly awakened.

Opening his eyes, he saw a pair of enchanting eyes. Although they still held some emptiness, compared to their initial encounter, these pupils were like a frozen wasteland finally greeting the warmth of spring. They were much more vibrant.

“Bing Yingying?”

“It’s me.”

Bing Yingying’s familiar voice fully awakened Xia Yi.

“Are you feeling better?”

“I… I’m much better.”

Only then did Xia Yi notice the blushing fairy before him was extraordinarily beautiful. He had only seen such splendor in the afterglow of Fei Miaoyun’s allure. When he felt a slight movement under his armpit and the slippery sensation on his arms, Xia Yi realized he was still holding her beautiful feet and legs.

“Um, sorry, I didn’t react in time.”

Xia Yi quickly released Bing Yingying’s slender, beautiful legs.

“Mm… I don’t mind…”

“What did you say?”

“N… Nothing.”

Obviously, Xia Yi hadn’t heard the second half of Bing Yingying’s soft whisper. Seeing that Bing Yingying had recovered, Xia Yi remembered that he had removed her pants the night before and left them aside, leaving them wet and cold the next day. After some thought, Xia Yi took off his own coat and handed it to Bing Yingying.

“Your pants aren’t dry yet, wrap yourself with this for now.”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine, I have this.”

Saying this, Xia Yi ignited a small white flame in his palm.

“Okay…”

Bing Yingying knew Xia Yi was lying. Although the Extreme Yang True Flame was hot, the low temperature of this snow-capped mountain was clearly beyond natural levels. The goosebumps on Xia Yi’s skin were proof of this.

However, Bing Yingying still bit her lips and accepted the coat. She knew that if she didn’t, Xia Yi would continue to spend time and energy on her, trying to keep her warm, which would only slow both of them down. So, Bing Yingying accepted Xia Yi’s coat. Feeling the remnant warmth of the youth on her legs, a different kind of fiery emotion broke through the constraints of her bloodline, emerging in her heart.

It felt just like the warmth of her parents. At that moment, the pink thread connecting them deepened in color, turning a brighter red, though still somewhat pale. Xia Yi, who was shivering as he left the cave, hadn’t noticed that the distance they could move, which had been restricted by the pink thread, had increased significantly.

Only when he returned after gathering nearby combustible materials did he realize that the thread connecting them had darkened in color.