A Thousand Li of Icebound Land, Ten Thousand Li of Snowfall

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, the intertwined ice and snow resembled the white silk threads cast by a celestial being.

In the boundless white expanse, only the surging waves of the icy ocean and the sound of its lapping against the shore rocks could be heard.

You Su hid by the reef, gazing at the sea that blended seamlessly with the sky and earth.

It was so cold and monotonous here that You Su felt as sluggish as a snail. He had been awake for a while, but he was still numb like a snowman.

The tide of consciousness flowed slowly through his mind, and he finally remembered that chaotic night. Looking at the world around him, You Su felt as if he had been transported to another world.

The cold wind howled, and his clothes were already soaked through, which made him understand more deeply what it meant to be chilled to the bone. This tearing pain was like fine needles piercing into his bone marrow.

He shivered several times and instinctively wrapped himself tighter around himself.

Fortunately, he did not feel extremely weak; otherwise, You Su did not believe he could have survived in this icy and snowy landscape.

Given the intensity of that night's battle, he would have been paralyzed for a long time after being extremely exhausted, but now that he's awake, he at least has basic mobility.

He had probably been lying inside that giant whale's belly for a very long time, long enough that his body was almost healed on its own.

His last glimpse before losing consciousness was that he was sucked into the gaping maw of a gluttonous beast. The long journey inside the whale's belly had been warm, so when he was abruptly awakened by this bone-chilling cold, the immense contrast made him feel as if he would rather be dead.

But he persevered.

He struggled forward through the snow, sinking into the thick snow with each step. He found a sheltered rock, but after only a few steps, he leaned against it, panting heavily. The steam rising from his breath seemed to reflect his precarious fate.

He tried to ignite the fire by Hand Seals, but the flame that rose from his fingertips flickered and then went out.

The Technique Method requires communication with the corresponding Mystic Qi between heaven and earth. Conjuring flames out of thin air amidst the boundless ice and snow is simply beyond his capabilities, just as even the most powerful magic practitioner cannot summon flames from the seabed.

Fortunately, he was well-prepared; he still had two Fire Talisman in his Universe Bag. Fire Talisman are the cheapest and most common talismans, but at this moment, they were the most life-saving straw for You Su.

The talisman already contained fire-attribute Mystic Qi, which began to burn lightly. You Su quickly used his body to protect this hard-won hope.

He then took out several dry pieces of clothing from his Universe Bag to serve as firewood.

He forced himself to remove his wet clothes, knowing they would only draw more heat from his body. Only after shivering as he put on his now-warmed clothes did he feel truly alive again.

But once my body warmed up, I realized that my stomach had shrunk so much that it was almost touching my spine.

He took out some food and water from his Universe Bag, his lips already cracked and peeling. He ate the precious food in small bites, as if afraid he would finish it all if he wasn't careful. The icy water and hard food cut his throat, and as he swallowed, he felt a lump in his throat, and an indescribable sadness welled up in his heart.

He was not afraid of the path he had chosen; he was only worried that his choice would bring about earth-shattering changes to those he cherished.

Mistress, senior sister, junior sister, and Xue Ruo...

Those wonderful days are gone forever...

But it will never be gone forever.

You Su clenched her fist, thinking firmly.

If possible, he hoped that his Mistress could stay in the Lotus Birth Pool to recuperate, that his senior sister could continue to live her peaceful life, that his junior sister could successfully break through to the Water Condensation Realm, and that Xue Ruo shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Snake Clan. He also hoped that they could all wait for his return in peace.

You Su took a deep breath, and the cold air instantly filled his chest.

There's no point in wallowing in the sorrows of spring and autumn in the depths of winter; what he needs to do now is find a way out of the snowfield before he's completely swallowed by the ice and snow.

Although he didn't know where he was or whether moving forward was even meaningful, he knew that stagnation would lead to certain death.

The overwhelming white snow can easily make one lose their way or even their sense of self. Fortunately, You Su has kept the sunglasses given to her by First Seat of Qianhua very well, which makes this pure white world less dazzling.

The biting wind howled in, carrying snowflakes the size of salt grains, as if they came from the same gap in the sky.

To keep warm and protected from the wind, You Su put on almost all the clothes in his Universe Bag. Looking at the direction indicated by the compass, he boldly guessed that he was in the Northern Ao Continent, with the sea behind him, so his chances of survival were higher if he went south.

Fortunately, we're still within the Five Continents, and haven't fallen into the lair of the Evil God...

You Su tried to comfort herself, then walked alone towards the south.

"Chief, how much further do we have to go?" the little girl asked timidly.

The girl wore a heavy coat made of animal fur, the wide brim of her hat almost covering her face, and the cold wind made her bangs look messy. She looked about twelve or thirteen years old, but she was very pretty and cute.

The person she addressed as the clan chief was an old man wrapped in a black cloak, his face etched with wrinkles thick with unmelting snow. He hunched over, leaning on a wooden cane as he moved through the snow, making one wonder if the howling wind might blow him away at any moment.

"It's very far," the old man replied.

"Oh..."

The girl nodded and immediately followed the clan leader's steps, her pace somewhat cheerful.

She didn't know how much longer she would have to travel; all she knew was that this journey was a test of her abilities.

Only after venturing into this snowy plain was she recognized as a child by the wind and snow, qualified to leave the tribe and go out hunting.

She had been looking forward to this journey for a long time. Food was scarce in the icy land, and she rarely experienced the blissful feeling of a full stomach, but at least she wouldn't go hungry. Ever since her father's leg was bitten off by a snow wolf, she and her mother had often gone hungry.

She wanted to do something for her family, but almost all the people who could go out hunting were men and boys who were about to become men.

Men are strong and healthy; only men can save their lives in the snowstorm. Women, on the other hand, should stay in houses made of ice, tending the fire and waiting for their husbands to return with food.

She felt this shouldn't be the case, so through persistent effort, she finally persuaded the tribe chief at the age of thirteen to send her into the desolate snowfield.

She will prove to her mother and her people that girls can survive in the snow and wind.

"We've gone so far, won't we forget the way home?" She was, after all, a little girl, and she was still a little uneasy.

"Those who survive will not," the clan chief shook his head.

"Does that apply to dead people?" The girl didn't immediately understand.

"You die because you forgot, not because you forgot after you died," the old man patiently explained to the girl, his voice as sharp as heavy snow.

The girl paused, then glanced back furtively, but could only see a vast expanse of white snow. She realized she had unknowingly traveled so far that she could no longer even see her tribe.

She felt brave, yet couldn't hide her fear. She quickly recalled the way she had come, afraid that she might forget it in a daze.

They walked for a long time, and then the girl suddenly realized something.

"Chief, are we not there yet?" the girl asked. "Why are you still with me? Isn't it only considered safe if I catch the prey and bring it back myself?"

The old man's steps did not stop; they were unsteady yet remarkably firm.

"We'll be there soon. From now on, you'll have to walk the rest of the way alone."

"Oh..."

The girl nodded. The end of the snowfield concealed unknown adventures and challenges. She imagined herself returning home laden with spoils in the wind and snow, a sense of freedom welling up inside her. Her slender fingers clenched tightly inside her thick coat, as if that could bring her a sense of security.

Just then, the old man suddenly stopped.

The girl following behind was mentally encouraging herself when she accidentally bumped into the old man's back.

She peeked out from behind the old man, puzzled, but was also taken aback.

She saw a deer.

She had never seen such a large snow deer. It was even bigger than the largest Snow Bear she had ever seen, elegant and robust in form, its fur covered in a thick layer of white down, like a magnificent winter coat, shimmering with a subtle sheen. The snow deer's antlers were its most striking feature, broad and graceful, like two enormous leaves stretching towards the sky. The surface of the antlers was covered with fine snowflakes, shimmering faintly.

If we could bring this deer home, it would feed her and her parents for a long time.

She rubbed her hands together excitedly. She had never gone out hunting, but she was already very familiar with the skills of the men in the tribe.

She took out her father's longbow from behind her back and quietly drew the bowstring.

"Xiao Lu, although you share the same name as me, I can only take you home..." the girl apologized to the snow deer in her heart.

But she didn't shoot the arrow, because she was surprised to find that the deer didn't seem to want to run away.

But it clearly noticed her; in fact, its eyes, glowing with a deep blue light, were even meeting hers.

Why doesn't it run?

As she hesitated, the old man pressed down on the bow in her hand.

The girl was puzzled, but she did not retract her longbow.

"Chieftain, why isn't it afraid of us?"

"It should be that we fear it," the old man muttered in a mystical tone.

The girl frowned, finding it rather strange.

The old man suddenly raised his head, his withered eyes gazing at the snow-capped mountains not far away.

The snow-capped mountains are beautiful, their continuous slopes resembling a reclining, holy Goddess.

"Xiao Lu, do you see that mountain?" the old man called out the girl's name.

The girl's eyesight was much better than that of a frail old man. She nodded emphatically, "I can see."

"You must walk the rest of the way yourself. Your destination is that mountain. If you can bring back the Snow Mulberry Grass from the summit, you will be able to travel in and out of the snowfield independently in the future," the old man said to himself.

Xiao Lu nodded blankly, then felt that something was off about the clan leader. She clearly remembered that it was the clan leader who taught her when she was a child that she should look at the other person when she spoke to be polite.

He just said those words to me, but why didn't he even glance at me?

"Chieftain, you should go back now. I'll bring back Snow Mulberry Grass. If I'm lucky, I might even bring back a snow rabbit. You must come to my house for soup then!"

The Xiao Lu waved and started walking; it was hard to imagine that such a small girl would dare to enter the desolate snowfield alone.

But she had to do it. Her strong desire to enter the snowfield wasn't because she believed she could definitely make it back, but because even if she didn't, it would be a good thing for her parents.

After walking a few steps, the Xiao Lu suddenly heard the old man calling out.

She turned around blankly, only to see the clan chief chasing after her again for some reason. His face was contorted with emotion, and his bitter expression made the Xiao Lu's heart tremble.

"Xiao Lu, let's turn back..." The old man's voice even carried a hint of pleading.

The Xiao Lu paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Chieftain, it's alright. Some die and some live when they enter the snowfield, it's normal."

The girl wasn't flawlessly beautiful; for example, she had two reddish-brown chilblains on her cheeks. But it was this rough yet rosy face that gave her a beauty like a flower growing out of the snow.

The old man's lips trembled. The girl had asked so many questions along the way, which meant she had already sensed something was wrong.

The girl didn't expose him; instead, she pretended to be clueless and willingly let herself be deceived. Her final, seemingly impossible, but ultimately heartfelt invitation completely broke down the old man's defenses.

"This is not normal! There is Great God living on that mountain. As long as you offer sacrifices, you can get food in return... If you go there, you may never come back!"

The old man seemed to be thinking of the sacrifices he had personally delivered here in exchange for food. Whether it was his wish or not, the guilt of pushing his own people into the abyss every night still gnawed at him.

"I overheard it all. My mother is pregnant again, and the Sacrifice Matriarch said it's a boy. I thought that if I died, my mother wouldn't go hungry anymore, but I never imagined that even my death could feed her. So I have to go now!"

The girl forced a smile and chose to accept her fate. Looking at the robust snow deer beside her, she understood why it hadn't run away—it was a prize she had traded herself for from the Great God.

Upon hearing this, the old man seemed to lose all his strength and knelt down on the ground.

Without the tacit approval of Xiao Lu's parents, how could he have brought a thirteen-year-old child here? They didn't believe a thirteen-year-old girl could return alive from the snowfield; since death was inevitable anyway, they figured she might as well die with some value.

But the Xiao Lu was too sensible, so sensible that even he couldn't bear to see it. He could watch a bewildered person stumble and fall from the mountaintop, but he couldn't bear to see a clear-headed person fall into the abyss.

"Chief, let's take the Xiao Lu back!"

The Xiao Lu patted the gentle snow deer, smiled and waved to the chieftain, ignoring his calls of her name.

As she gazed at the snow-capped mountains, her mind grew increasingly calm.

Suddenly, her pupils constricted to the size of beans!

Large swaths of snow fell softly from the snow-capped peaks, like a duck egg peeling its shell!

The tremors beneath my feet grew stronger, and the snow dust surged in like a raging tide!

"It's an avalanche! Xiao Lu, come back quickly!"

The old man staggered over, intending to take the girl, who was frozen in fear, home.

The Xiao Lu simply shook its head, staring blankly at the shattered black shadow atop the snow-capped peak, and said:

"No... it wasn't an avalanche, it's that our god has died..."

The beginning of the new volume is inevitably a bit dry, so I'll try to speed things up as much as possible~ For those who can't join the full subscription group 1, please join group 2, which is already mentioned in the description.