Chapter 324

Chapter 324: Only Envy the Mandarin Ducks, Not the Immortals

Wang Chen gazed up at the towering mountain peak before him.

This three-thousand-zhang marvel was veiled in thick clouds and mist, obscuring its full grandeur.

From the midsection downward, the mountain was blanketed in pristine snow, with jagged rocks protruding like the spotted hide of a Giant Beast.

The cultivators ascending the mountain chose various paths, quickly vanishing from view.

Some opted for a longer, circuitous route to avoid the steepest sections.

Clearly, they disregarded the ferrymen’s warnings, confident in their own good fortune.

But Wang Chen was determined to test his luck; he didn’t believe Xu cultivator was deceiving him, and so he embarked on the arduous journey to traverse White Hair Peak.

After climbing about a hundred zhang, the temperature plummeted, and the howling wind carried a bone-chilling cold.

In no time, fine ice needles covered the robes of Wang Chen and Li Yian, densely packed and countless!

This wind was known as the White Hair Wind!

On White Hair Peak, the White Hair Wind was the first trial for anyone daring to ascend.

Wang Chen and Li Yian, both Purple Palace cultivators, had long since transcended the need to fear heat or cold. Though the White Hair Wind appeared peculiar, it posed little threat to them.

Yet, as they climbed higher, the wind grew fiercer and more relentless.

The icy air pierced through their robes, seeping into their skin.

An ordinary person or a low-level Qi Training cultivator would freeze into an ice sculpture in moments under such a wind!

Li Yian had no choice but to don a fur coat and cast a protective spell on herself.

Otherwise, she would not endure.

In contrast, Wang Chen, who had cultivated the Heavenly Dragon Vajra True Method to the fifth layer, neither added clothing nor activated his Protection. He relied solely on his formidable physique and abundant Qi and blood to repel the cold.

Moreover, the White Hair Wind’s stimulation of his skin had a refining effect on his body.

However, as they neared the mountainside, the wind intensified, carrying frost and forcing Wang Chen to activate the Heavenly Dragon Vajra True Method to fend off the stronger cold.

His body radiated intense heat, forming a barrier of Qi and blood around him.

Li Yian, following closely, felt this acutely; Wang Chen was like a furnace, and she instinctively drew closer to absorb his warmth.

Wang Chen casually wrapped an arm around Li Yian’s waist, propelling them both toward the summit.

But the higher they climbed, the more formidable the natural forces became.

Wang Chen had to slow his pace.

"Ah!"

Li Yian suddenly cried out, her face filled with horror.

Not far away, beside a rock, lay a frozen corpse.

The body was "covered" in "white hair," its legs and feet buried under thick snow. The position in which it had fallen was awkward and eerie, and the pale face was barely recognizable as someone who had once been alive.

Wang Chen recognized the corpse as a member of the expedition team; he hadn’t expected someone to perish so soon.

Indeed, passing the trial of White Hair Peak was no simple feat!

Wang Chen held Li Yian’s delicate hand tightly, using his body heat to dispel the chill within her.

Then they continued onward.

Before long, they discovered the second and third bodies…

But these two corpses were unrelated to the expedition team, having collapsed here many years ago, still unretrieved.

This was actually quite normal; even Purple Palace cultivators had to tread cautiously in the face of the White Hair Wind and could not afford to be the least bit negligent, let alone have the interest to retrieve bodies!

In such an environment, performing cremation or blessings was simply impossible.

Of course, Wang Chen did not meddle in others’ affairs and led Li Yian around the corpses.

As night slowly fell, the two had only climbed a few hundred zhang high. Even without needing to reach the highest peak, it would still take them a long time to cross this majestic and perilous mountain.

Noticing that the temperature continued to drop with the arrival of night, Wang Chen indeed halted their progress.

He chose a spot sheltered from the wind and began to dig into a large rock.

This exposed rock connected to the mountain and was extremely hard. With his initial Purple Palace cultivation level, Wang Chen used the Perfected Level Earth and Stone Technique and spent over half an hour before he managed to carve out a small cavern sufficient for both of them to take shelter.

Then, he crafted a stone door from the excavated earth and stone, sealing the entrance tightly, leaving only two ventilation holes.

The sky was completely dark now, and Li Yian took out the Obsidian Lamp and hung it on the cave wall.

Next, she retrieved a thick blanket, a table, tea set, stone stove, bowls, and chopsticks, just like a diligent wife preparing dinner.

As the broth in the pot boiled, fresh food ingredients filled the copper pot, and steaming mist rose into the air. Wang Chen looked at the charming female cultivator beside him, feeling a sense of joy and peace in his heart.

No matter how fierce the wind and snow raged outside, this small stone cave felt like a calm shelter, providing warmth and safety for them both.

After they had eaten their fill and enjoyed their drinks, Wang Chen and Li Yian rolled onto the blanket and practiced the Su Yin Huan Zhen Hehe method.

They had long achieved a remarkable level of harmony in their practice, making their results very good.

When the clouds cleared and the rain ceased, Li Yian lazily leaned against Wang Chen’s chest and suddenly said, “My real name isn’t Li Yian.”

Wang Chen nodded.

He felt no surprise because Li Yian had come to the West Sea Spiritual Realm to escape the pursuit of her sect.

Using her real name was indeed a surprising matter!

Seeing that Wang Chen had little reaction, Li Yian extended a slender finger and traced it on his chest, saying, “My real name is Li Qingxi.”

“Hmm, I’ll remember that.”

Wang Chen gently stroked her long hair.

What he remembered was the person named Li Yian/Li Qingxi; her name was truly of no concern to him.

“After we pass White Hair Peak, I will have to leave you.”

Li Yian, or Li Qingxi, spoke softly, “Is there anything else you would like to know?”

Wang Chen was silent for a moment, then asked, “Can you stay?”

Li Qingxi blinked her eyes, brushing away the tiny wet spots on her eyelashes, and a faint dimple appeared on her cheek: “Then do you hope for me to stay?”

Wang Chen didn’t answer directly.

He raised his hand, using his fingers as a pen, drawing on the air with his spiritual power to create ink, and wrote four lines of poetry.

Ten miles of calm lake, frost fills the sky,

Every inch of youth, tangled up in sorrow.

Facing the moon, alone yet longing for protection,

Only envious of the mandarin ducks, not the immortals!

Li Qingxi stared at the poem for a long time, momentarily entranced.

At that moment, the wind and snow outside grew stronger and more furious.