They sped north from Heaven Dou City, and in just four days, the once-level main road had been swallowed entirely by the boundless wasteland.
By the start of the fifth day, the soil beneath their feet had turned to rock-hard permafrost. Fine grains of ice rode the wind, stinging their faces.
Night fell, and a blizzard howled across the wasteland.
Inside a sheltered cleft in the rocks, Huo Yuhao lit a small pile of firewood. Orange-red firelight danced over the dark stone walls.
"It's so cold... This lousy place is way worse than the Star Dou Great Forest."
Wang Qiu'er huddled beside the fire with her knees hugged to her chest, holding her two small, red-frozen hands above the flames. Her lips jutted in a pronounced pout as she puffed out white breath.
She actually had none of her past life's memories and had no idea she had once sacrificed herself.
All she knew was that when she first saw this black-haired boy beside the Lake of Life, it felt as though a heavy hammer had struck deep within her soul. That bone-deep sense of familiarity and closeness had made her disregard even the Scarlet King and Di Tian, leaving only one thought in her mind.
I have to follow him.
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged across from her. Looking at her loose, wavy pink-and-blue hair in the firelight, he could not help chuckling.
"When we first left Heaven Dou City, who puffed out her chest and said she had ultimate fire and couldn't care less about even the Far North's blizzards?"
"Th-that was before I took human form!"
Exposed to her face, Wang Qiu'er's fair cheeks instantly flushed red. She glared at Huo Yuhao in embarrassed irritation, baring two tiny, pointed canine teeth.
"After taking human form, my skin became