Snow City Sojourn

A tattered blanket drifts across the vast sky.

You Su, Bai Ze, and the Archimedes Venerable, along with a cat, headed south towards the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain that stood atop the Northern Ao Continent.

The cold wind was like a knife, cutting through the air, but thanks to the protection of the Archimedes Venerable, it no longer seemed so biting.

Along the way, the Archimedes Venerable fully utilized his expertise in divination, often testing You Su and Bai Ze with arithmetic problems that he considered interesting yet highly logical.

You Su often disdains those questions and is too lazy to participate. Bai Ze, on the other hand, is full of fighting spirit when it comes to solving problems, but limited by his small brain, he often can't even understand the explanations of the Archimedes Venerable.

The Archimedes Venerable initially set a lofty goal: to teach all intelligent beasts, including spirit Divine Beast and divine beasts, the knowledge of numerology. His first disciple was Bai Ze! In this way, he could be considered the patriarch of educating spirit beasts, accomplishing what his predecessors could not do in five thousand years, thus accumulating immeasurable merit!

But even with his patience, he eventually gave up on the idea. He was already quite good-tempered for refraining from digging out Bai Ze's head to see what it looked like. Thus, the pastime of solving arithmetic problems was abandoned during the journey, and it was enough for Bai Ze to enjoy addition and subtraction within ten.

The Archimedes Venerable then tirelessly introduced the strange tales, customs, and local conditions of the Northern Ao Continent, which piqued the interest of You Su.

In this vast and boundless world of ice and snow, every inch of land carries the unique charm and stories of the Northern Ao Continent, silently telling the tale of the resilience and indomitable spirit born on this land.

Before this, You Su thought ice was just ice, snow was just snow, and the aurora was just the aurora. Now she knows that there are twelve types of ice in the Northern Ao Continent, and even a list of unusual ice crystals; the Northern Ao Continent isn't just white either—besides various colors, some people have even seen pitch-black snow...

You Su was eager to learn more about the world. Gazing at the fleeting snow scene, her eyes were filled with pure white, and she couldn't help but marvel at the wonder of this world.

Northern Ao Continent, which he once saw as nothing more than a cold, desolate region on a map, now seemed vivid and real. He saw the snow pines standing tall in the cold wind, covered in ice and snow yet still proudly unyielding; he saw the creatures struggling to trek across the snow, enduring adversity yet still tenaciously surviving. These sights gave You Su a deeper understanding of the Northern Ao Continent and instilled in him greater respect for the creatures of this land.

Bai Ze nestled in You Su's arms, occasionally peering into this unfamiliar world with its bright eyes. Although it was born in the You Su -capped mountains, it had never left that once sacred mountain. Now, embarking on this journey with You Su, it seemed to feel an unprecedented sense of wonder and excitement.

On the surface, it still seemed to be at odds with You Su, a mischievous little pushover. But You Su keenly noticed that in the two days after he left, the little guy was noticeably closer to him. When sleeping at night, Bai Ze would subconsciously use its little paws to gently grab You Su's clothes, as if expressing its appreciation and gratitude for the companionship.

The Archimedes Venerable remained as leisurely as ever, his eyes devoid of the detached detachment of those high-ranking cultivators atop mountains; his appearance alone bore no resemblance to that of a venerable one. Yet, You Su could sense from his words and actions that he was filled with love and reverence for this land. You Su even felt that the Flower Daoist's passion for his homeland surpassed his pursuit of the Dao within him.

"That's a fool, "You Su thought.

Four days of trekking is but a fleeting moment for cultivators.

Finally, on a cloudy afternoon, the two people and the cat arrived at Snow City, the city closest to the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain in the north.

Snow City, however, is not covered in snow as its name suggests. As one of the first cities in the Northern Ao Continent, Snow City is naturally not so pristine. There is even a special department in the city whose job is to deal with the snow that has accumulated in the city.

The reason why Snow City is considered one of the first cities of the Northern Ao Continent is because the first city of the Northern Ao Continent is actually a combination of four cities. These four cities are named after wind, frost, rain, and snow, respectively, and are located in the four directions of the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, becoming the first barrier to enter the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain.

The walls of Snow City are made of huge blocks of ice, crystal clear, like a castle from a fairy tale. At the city gate, two teams of guards in silver armor stand solemnly, holding long spears, their eyes revealing an inviolable majesty.

The Archimedes Venerable descended slowly with You Su, the flying carpet lightly touching the ground, stirring up a flurry of snowflakes. Even the Void Glimpse Venerable could not directly cross the Four Cities of Wind, Frost, Rain, and Snow to fly to the Divine Mountain. Or rather, due to the special nature of the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, the vast Void Plain below was also considered part of the Divine Mountain's territory. Therefore, to ensure its safety, some of the cumbersome steps that should have been taken when entering the Divine Mountain were moved outside these four cities.

"Even the status of a Venerable One isn't very effective here."

The Archimedes Venerable chuckled lightly, with a hint of mockery. He walked confidently to the city gate, carrying Bai Ze, whose little horn was covered by a woolen hat. The guards treated the Archimedes Venerable with the same respect as the guards of all the cities they had passed through before, but they did not let him pass directly. Only then You Su understand what the Archimedes Venerable meant by his words.

The verification process was not complicated. The guards simply checked the identity of the Archimedes Venerable. After the Archimedes Venerable placed his hand on a spherical jade stone, and the jade stone showed no abnormality, the Archimedes Venerable was invited into the city. Even the pet cat-like Bai Ze was forced to place its paw on it.

You Su sighed inwardly, noting that on this icy continent, rules and order seemed more stringent than anywhere else.

Now it's You Su's turn to be checked.

You Su had anticipated this, and he nodded slightly, though he couldn't help feeling nervous.

However, the fact that he only had to undergo his first examination when he was so close to the sacred mountain was already much better than he had expected.

You Su handed over his identification documents, a bitter smile playing on his lips. The name Da Bang had truly followed him to the foot of the sacred mountain. He pulled down his collar and removed his felt hat. The city guard carefully compared You Su poster, but only glanced at it casually before waving You Su away.

It turned out that You Su had already disguised himself before entering the city, and given his already more mature appearance, it was indeed difficult to connect him with the person in the portrait. The city guard wasn't stupid either; he knew that this was someone brought back by the Archimedes Venerable, so he dared not delay him and let him pass easily.

You Su answered several more questions from the city guards, thankfully he was prepared. The spherical jade stone used to check for Evil Qi also did not react to You Su. Finally, the verification was completed, You Su breathed a sigh of relief, and carrying Bai Ze, he followed behind the Archimedes Venerable and stepped into Snow City.

Inside the city, a bustling scene came into view. Shops lined both sides of the street, and even at dusk, pedestrians were constantly coming and going. They were no longer wearing thick cotton coats, but thinner but warmer fleece coats.

You Su had a strange feeling that the temperature inside Snow City was warmer than outside; even wearing such thick clothes, he felt a bit hot.

"There is a large array beneath Snow City. Every year, an immeasurable amount of Spirit Stone is spent on this array, the purpose of which is to provide heating for the wealthy people who can live in Snow City."

As if guessing what You Su was thinking, the Archimedes Venerable explained it to her.

You Su then realized what was happening and was momentarily at a loss for words.

They walked through the bustling crowd and arrived at a mansion located in the center of the city. The mansion was tall and majestic, with a plaque carved with dragons and phoenixes hanging above the gate, bearing the three large characters "Arithmancy Pavilion" (術數轩), written in vigorous strokes and exuding an extraordinary aura.

The Archimedes Venerable easily pushed open the mansion gate and led You Su and Bai Ze inside.

The mansion looked splendid on the outside, but inside it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time, with snow piled up to above half a calf in the yard.

"I don't want the house that the sacred mountain gave me, but it's already registered in my name and I can't sell it. I'm often away from home and don't stay here often, so I'll just make do for one night."

The Archimedes Venerable casually used his Technique Method to sweep the snow into two piles.

You Su certainly wouldn't mind; since this was the lair of the Archimedes Venerable, it would at least be safer than outside.

He carried Bai Ze and followed the Archimedes Venerable to the living room, where the Archimedes Venerable greeted him warmly.

"Here, have something to eat to warm yourself up."

With a wave of his hand, the charcoal in the stove ignited. Suddenly, a pot of hot tea and a plate of pastries appeared on the tea table.

Bai Ze was greatly surprised by the magic trick of the Archimedes Venerable, You Su was not in the mood for it and finally couldn't help but ask:

"Archimedes Venerable, why are we lingering in Snow City for another day? Shouldn't we be heading to the sacred mountain as soon as possible?"

Upon hearing this, Archimedes Venerable smiled slightly and explained, "You are unaware that the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain is different from the other four divine mountains. Its wonder lies not in the mountain itself, but in that seemingly barren Void Plain. The weather on the Void Plain is unpredictable, hence its name, which evokes wind, frost, rain, and snow. On its northern side, blizzards frequently rage. To protect the mysteries of the Void Plain, the Immortal Ancestor Temple has established a strict prohibition system. Whenever the weather on the Void Plain becomes chaotic, the entrance to the divine mountain will be closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave."

"I see."

You Su suddenly understood, and most of his doubts vanished instantly. He hadn't expected that the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain would hold such a secret, and he was somewhat taken aback. This shouldn't be a confidential matter that could be revealed so easily, yet the Archimedes Venerable had told him so readily?

"Actually, this is nothing unusual," Archimedes Venerable said casually. "When Venerable Tian Shu visited Northern Ao Continent, he traveled south to Frost City and was once stopped outside the Empty Plains for a whole day by the ten miles of frost on the snowfield. Venerable Tian Shu is such a figure that even he had to abide by the rules of the Immortal Ancestor Temple of the Northern Ao Continent, so naturally we cannot be an exception."

You Su nodded slightly, but upon hearing the title of the Grand Elder, he still felt a pang of sadness.

"Do you know the Venerable Tian Shu?" the Archimedes Venerable asked again.

You Su was slightly taken aback, unsure whether to admit it or not.

He consistently avoided discussing topics that might involve the 'sinner You Su's with the Archimedes Venerable, in order not to reveal his identity, even though he knew that this was somewhat self-deception.

The Archimedes Venerable also tacitly avoided discussing these matters, perfectly circumventing any questions that might probe into the past experiences of the Da Bang.

"I don't know." You Su shook her head.

The Archimedes Venerable smiled, then his expression became more serious, and he slowly began to speak:

"The Venerable Tian Shu is an extraordinary figure, a true hero. Three months ago, the Lord of Flesh and Blood, one of the three great Evil God, appeared in the East Sea of the Central Yuan Continent. The Venerable Tian Shu, single-handedly, stopped that Evil God, who had been dormant for five thousand years, from reaching the shore. Such a feat fills me with boundless admiration, like the waters of the five seas."

Upon hearing this, You Su remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly in agreement.

He didn't want to talk much; he simply didn't want to continue the conversation.

However, the Archimedes Venerable changed the subject and sighed softly, "Actually, before this, the Venerable Tian Shu was one of the few masters I disliked the most."

You Su was slightly taken aback, as she always felt that the two of them shouldn't have any conflict.

"The Way of Technique Method is flashy, mysterious, and ethereal; the Way of Divination, however, is the crystallization of wisdom and reason. I have always believed that it is a mistake for the Five Continents to favor the Way of Magic while neglecting the Way of Technique Method, for Divination is the path that can change the Five Continents. Therefore, although I had no contact with the Venerable Tian Shu, I actually always blamed him, the number one master of Technique Method, for this mistake. It wasn't until he sacrificed himself in the South Sea three months ago that I realized there was no one greater than him in the entire Five Continents."

At this point, the Archimedes Venerable gently shook his head. "Prejudice and misunderstanding are indeed the most difficult obstacles to eliminate in the world. Everyone has a complex side, and making hasty conclusions is the act of a fool. Even a novice would verify an Arithmancy three times before daring to write down the answer; the same applies when judging people and their actions."

The Archimedes Venerable was unusually profound, sharing his life experiences without reservation, which made You Su somewhat uncomfortable. He always felt that the Archimedes Venerable was implying something.

Is that why he deliberately avoided asking about my past experiences...?

You Su pursed her lips and remained silent.

The conversation seemed to have come to an end. The Archimedes Venerable stood up, rubbed his hands as if he were cold, and smiled:

"Alright, it's getting late, you should all get some rest. The weather on the snowfield changes quickly; the snow should stop by tomorrow morning."

You Su responded and carried Bai Ze towards the guest room. Bai Ze yawned in his arms, seemingly a little sleepy as well.

"Ding Zhen, do you think the Venerable Tian Shu that the Flower Daoist priest mentioned earlier is the sage who was born alongside me?"

Bai Ze stubbornly continued to call You Su Dingzhen, a name unique to You Su.

"Maybe..."

You Su stroked its head, and Bai Ze quickly fell asleep, the kitten's purring sounding like muffled thunder.

You Su lay in bed, contemplating the arrangements for the trip to the sacred mountain, she closed her eyes to rest, when she seemed to hear that familiar, gentle voice again.

It's... my Mistress's voice.