Chapter 462 Heading to Snow Mountain (3k)
After bidding farewell to the senior students, the next few days were spent in the small town blanketed in snow, as Bai Zhi needed to slowly consume the Yin-Yang Water after absorbing the ice crystals.
Without the frost ghosts, even the Snow Hunger Beasts reduced their activity. With the absence of the special frosty environment, the monsters within a few kilometers of the town also began to decrease.
As the surrounding monsters gradually thinned, the hunters started to venture further, even exploring the western regions of the Akans Mountain Range. If not for the towering mountains that could impede the flight of High-Rank Battle Generals, everyone would have surely ventured beyond, officially entering the territory of the Snow Demons.
To provide Bai Zhi with protection from the cold, Su Jiu, while using the gifted Snow Hunger Beast fur to craft alchemy-made cold-weather clothing, inquired with the townsfolk about challenging yet safe peaks.
Information was available, and they found someone to guide them. It turned out to be someone introduced by a local guide. The person’s strength was only at the ordinary Battle King level, but they had researched the surrounding mountains. They were reportedly an official investigator from Bear Country.
Hearing that the person was an official investigator from Bear Country, Su Jiu was slightly taken aback. She quickly realized that a large-scale cold wave must have begun in Bear Country, forcing the authorities to investigate the Snow Demon tribe, one of the main culprits.
The Snow Demons were a major demon race, with beings at the War God level among them. This deterred Bear Country from adopting an overly aggressive stance, and they could only quietly investigate the cause of the cold wave.
According to the novel’s progression, it was highly likely to have failed, with no one knowing that the “Snow Demon infighting” had led to a multi-racial war. However, the reason for the failure remained unknown, as the novel had always been told from Bai Ming’s perspective.
Of course, Su Jiu did not want to get involved in this Snow Demon war at the moment. After finding the Snow Demon Aisha, she only wanted to help Bai Zhi successfully break through and then collect the world competition rewards. There was still half a month left until then.
“Hello… Miss, do you have time now? That old investigator has also arrived. I told him that you have Battle King level strength, and he is very willing to let you [five] yi qi ba lin ⑦ liu yi go together.”
On the morning of the fourth day, Su Jiu received a call from the guide. The phone’s translator automatically converted Russian into Chinese. Perhaps because Su Jiu paid more, his attitude was quite gentle.
“Of course, I have time. Please arrange a place, we can go over now.”
Su Jiu, who had been leaning on the sofa, immediately sat up straight, a smile appearing on her face.
“At the town entrance? Okay! I’ll be right there.”
“Try this clothing’s thermal insulation. Although it’s a bit ugly, the thermal insulation effect should be good. It can keep you warm even at minus ten degrees Celsius.”
After arranging the time and place with the guide and hanging up the phone, Su Jiu walked to the table, slowly picked up a white plush garment, and walked towards Bai Zhi, who was warming herself by the fireplace.
Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi threw off the small blanket, her eyes showing a hint of anticipation. She turned her head to look and tilted her head, saying softly, “Clothes? Is it the one you’ve been talking about adding alchemy arrays to these past few days?”
Bai Zhi knew that Su Jiu’s Han-style formal wear was made by herself, so she had some anticipation for the latter’s cold-weather suit.
When Su Jiu approached, Bai Zhi looked at the “clothing” that resembled a rough draft and her head drooped instantly. She said with disgust, “It’s so ugly. Did you deliberately make it like this?”
Hearing this, Su Jiu shrugged helplessly, “I don’t have Lin Mei’s skills. If it were just making clothes, it would be fine. But adding arrays inside is really asking too much.”
“Are you really not designing it like this on purpose?”
Listening to Su Jiu’s explanation, Bai Zhi gave her a suspicious look. She took the jacket and put it on over a black sweater.
“Of course not.”
Su Jiu watched Bai Zhi try on the white plush jacket, her gaze then drifted down to the strangely designed jacket, and she couldn’t help but hold back a laugh.
In fact, she could have designed it to be more aesthetically pleasing, but to ensure Bai Zhi’s safety during the climb, she retained some of the thick characteristics of the [Snow Hunger Beast], making the clothes appear a bit snug.
In a short while, Bai Zhi put on the jacket that Su Jiu had painstakingly reinforced with alchemy technology over the past few days. Fluffy white fur occupied most of the jacket.
The craftsmanship looked very rough, somewhat like a girlfriend’s first knitted sweater for her beloved, yet it was very thoughtful, as warm as a mother’s knitting.
“It’s so ugly, if it weren’t for climbing, I wouldn’t wear this…”
Spinning around, the Little Flower Fairy covered her with the equally furry hood. Wrapped up like a little snow ape, only her slightly reddish face was visible, her eyes curved like crescent moons.
It was indeed very warm. It seemed to have used fire-attribute magic crystals as energy sources to create a constant temperature array. It would heat up when cold and remain unchanged when warm, also avoiding the possibility of scalding.
“This little fool, still the same…”
Looking at Bai Zhi, who was outwardly rejecting but inwardly accepting, Su Jiu shook her head with amusement. Her gaze shifted to Aisha, who was sitting away from the fireplace. Aisha was looking sadly at the distant snow scenery, like a caged canary.
“Don’t look so melancholy…”
Su Jiu casually picked up a bottle offruit wine from the table and handed it over, smiling, “If you help this little fool through this hand-climbing challenge, I will naturally fulfill my promise and take you away with me.”
Aisha took the fruit wine, paused for a moment, used her fingernail to pry open the lid, and then took a big gulp. As if mocking herself, she said, “It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just… I’m afraid that if the Grand Prince learns that [Hannah] is not dead, he will send a large number of people to find me.”
Her throat bobbed, and Aisha exhaled another puff of frosty air, looking at Su Jiu helplessly. “If we go to the mountains again, we might be captured by the Grand Prince’s subordinates. If their troops were only Battle Kings, it would be fine. But after that High-Rank Battle King level Frost Ghost Commander failed, it’s possible that beings close to Demigods, or even actual Demigods, might appear.”
“Demigod…”
Hearing this, Su Jiu was slightly taken aback, her beautiful brows furrowed. But she quickly thought of something else and asked in confusion, “Logically speaking, in the vast Akans Mountain Range, even if they search for us, they shouldn’t find us so quickly, right?”
Aisha gave a wry smile and turned her head to look out the window, at the continuous snow-capped mountains, and sighed softly, asking herself, “Do you know why I want to leave here? The Frost Ghosts, Sensitive to similar frost and snow, can easily sense the traces of Snow Demons, who are also favored by frost and snow.”
“Once I use that special frost-controlling ability, the surrounding aura will change. While this change is not very noticeable to humans, it is like a strong light source in the night for Frost Ghosts.”
With that, Aisha’s face flushed. It seemed the fruit wine was quite strong. Her gaze remained on the snow mountains, with a hint of longing.
“That’s true.”
Hearing Aisha’s words, Su Jiu’s brows furrowed even tighter. It was indeed as she said, if she were to use her frost-controlling ability to help Bai Zhi, it would definitely lead to detection.
A High-Rank Battle King in the late stage, close to Demigod, was still manageable. But if an actual Demigod appeared, her strength would be no match. Demigods and High-Rank Battle Kings were two entirely different things. Unlike High-Rank Battle Kings who vaguely grasped rules, Demigods could already skillfully wield the power of their own rules.
Should Bai Zhi’s ultimate challenge be attempted elsewhere?
However, if it wasn’t the male protagonist Bai Ming’s test, whether she could overcome this tribulation and break fate was another matter.
“Heh heh, it’s very simple. Can’t this seat just become a Demigod?”
Just as Su Jiu was lost in thought, a clear female voice suddenly rang out, with a hint of childish arrogance.
Su Jiu immediately turned her head and saw Bai Zhi lying on the sofa, raising her eyebrows at her, even showing a rather charming smile… However, under the contrast of the white fur jacket, she looked somewhat cute and naive.
Stunned for a moment, Su Jiu’s lips twitched. A “hehe” expression appeared on her face, and then she slowly walked towards the Little Flower Fairy.
“Are you going to recite poetry too? Have you watched too many TV shows?”
After arriving beside her, Su Jiu rolled her eyes, reached out, and pulled at that charming face. Bai Zhi’s clear and cold little face instantly transformed into a small oval shape.
“Ouch! Ouch!”
Her face was being pulled, and Bai Zhi quickly patted Su Jiu’s hand. After the latter let go, she looked at her resentfully, covering her reddened face, and whispered, “What TV shows… I’m just telling the truth. After passing the extreme challenge, I have a feeling…”
At this point, Bai Zhi stopped. Su Jiu blinked her eyes, waiting for the continuation.
Seeing that Su Jiu’s appetite was whetted, Bai Zhi then curved her lips, patted her abdomen, and said softly, “I might break through to High-Rank Battle King, or even higher… It’s a feeling, as if it’s a special feedback from the child.”
“High-Rank Battle King…”
Hearing this, Su Jiu pondered for a moment, then looked at Bai Zhi affectionately stroking her belly. She frowned and said slowly, “That’s a Demigod expert. Even a High-Rank Battle King is useless…”
“You can challenge higher levels, and I can too.”
Hearing Su Jiu’s concerns, Bai Zhi slightly raised her head, revealing a mysterious smile. A white zhi flower with golden silk patterns appeared in her hand, and then scattered with a “whoosh.”
Hearing this, Su Jiu finally realized that the latter had also lived through three lives. Moreover, in this third life, she had chosen the most difficult way of tempering herself in the mundane world. If she overcame this hurdle, she would surely achieve great things.
On the other side, Aisha also turned her head slightly, looking at the little flower fairy with a face full of confidence. She found it somewhat amusing. A High-Rank Warrior claimed she could fight a near War God after completing the challenge.
She then thought to herself, “No wonder I thought she was some old monster with a lot of experience before. Now I see, she’s just a child too.”
Sighing, she turned to look at Su Jiu, only to find that she had already walked towards the main door. Aisha was suddenly at a loss for words. Soon, the door was opened, and a gust of wind and snow poured in.
“Let’s go, we shouldn’t keep them waiting. The road to the Akans Mountain Range is long.”
