Chapter 1282: Mistakenly Entering the Center

Zu An was somewhat frustrated. "Since you knew this all along, why didn't you say something earlier?" he thought. He felt like they had gone a long way in vain, and now, changing their route was completely out of the question.

At that moment, Yan Xuehen suggested, "While the depths of the Great Snow Mountain are indeed perilous, we could try to bypass it by skirting the edges."

Zu An was confused. "Aren't the edges dangerous? The legends I heard in Yunzhong Commandery warned that even the outskirts of the Great Snow Mountain were extremely perilous and should be avoided at all costs."

Yan Xuehen replied, "Even the edges of the Great Snow Mountain are indeed dangerous, but that applies to ordinary people. Given your cultivation and actual combat prowess, traversing the periphery, though still somewhat risky, should be manageable for you."

What a thought! This man could hold his own against her in a fight, and just last night, he had defeated an ancient demon thousands of years old. Such combat strength was certainly more than sufficient.

Hearing her words, Zu An finally sighed in relief. "Alright, let's give it a try."

He certainly didn't want to be unable to return and then be branded a traitor. Not only would that mean spending the rest of his life as a fugitive among the demon race, but he also had family in the human realm. How could he possibly abandon them?

"Do you see that finger-like peak in the distance? We'll go that way," Yan Xuehen said, pointing into the distance.

Zu An was surprised. "You know the way?"

Yan Xuehen explained, "Years ago, to better grasp the essence of the Snowflake Divine Sword, I sought a remote place of ice and snow for secluded cultivation. Across the entire land, the Great Snow Mountain was the most suitable. While I initially had the self-awareness to realize that even the Emperor had been injured here and that I should never venture deep, I eventually couldn't resist."

"Fortunately, I hadn't ventured far when I detected a terrifying aura and promptly retreated."

Recalling that experience, she sighed wistfully.

"Even you found it terrifying?" Zu An exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes, at that time, I even sensed the aura of death, which is why I retreated so swiftly," Yan Xuehen explained. While cultivators are taught to always press forward, knowingly walking into certain death would simply be foolish.

Hearing her firsthand account, Zu An dared not take any chances and became extremely vigilant.

Following the route Yan Xuehen indicated, Zu An gradually approached the Great Snow Mountain. In the distance, the sun-kissed peaks shimmered with golden light. This time, being closer, they could even faintly discern the ethereal outlines of pavilions and towers, reminiscent of a mythical heavenly court.

Zu An thought to himself, *No wonder so many legends speak of great treasures within the Great Snow Mountain; it truly appears extraordinary at first glance.*

Though called the Great Snow Mountain, it was in fact an endless snow-covered mountain range, making any attempt to go around it utterly impossible.

Fortunately, with Yan Xuehen guiding them, they entered through a finger-shaped peak located far from the highest summit.

As they entered the snow mountain range, the ambient temperature plummeted.

Yan Xuehen involuntarily shivered; clearly, her current cultivation made it difficult for her to withstand such intense cold.

Zu An supported her while grasping her hand, simultaneously channeling warmth into her body from both above and below.

Yan Xuehen's face flushed slightly, but she did not resist. After all, this wasn't the first time, and she had grown accustomed to it.

Nevertheless, she warned him, "Don't expend your energy on me; danger could arise at any moment."

Zu An smiled faintly. "If you were to be harmed by the cold, that would be the greatest danger to me."

Yan Xuehen froze for a moment. Seeing his gentle smile as he turned to face her, she felt as if her heart had been gently stirred.

As they ventured deeper, the wind and snow quickly intensified. The howling cold wind, laced with snowflakes, felt like knives cutting into their skin.

In a typical blizzard, such a description would be a mere metaphor, but this time, it was a literal account.

Both felt a stinging sensation, and their clothes were even torn in several places.

Zu An was greatly alarmed and quickly used his body to shield Yan Xuehen from the biting wind and snow.

Yan Xuehen huddled against Zu An's back like a small cat, immediately feeling the surroundings quiet down. As a Grandmaster with incredibly sharp senses, she instantly realized that Zu An was not only shielding her with his body but also channeling his primal energy to form a protective barrier around her.

Yet, by doing so, he left himself defenseless. His clothes visibly ripped, and alarming blood marks appeared on his skin.

She gasped in alarm, "Quickly protect yourself! I'll be fine hiding behind you."

Zu An smiled. "It's not that I lack the primal energy to protect myself; I'm saving some for any potential unexpected dangers. Don't worry, I'm tough and I can handle it."

To reassure her, he deliberately raised his arm for her to see. Though there were some wounds on his torn sleeve, they were healing at an incredibly fast rate.

Yan Xuehen had fought him before and had been constantly by his side, so she was well aware of his exceptionally strong regenerative abilities. Yet, no matter how potent his healing, suffering injuries, recovering, and then being injured again must still be incredibly painful.

How could he remain so composed? She mused that he must be deliberately joking and acting lighthearted so she wouldn't worry.

*Is this what true responsibility in a man looks like...?*

Yan Xuehen found herself somewhat lost in thought.

Zu An continued to forge ahead through the blizzard with her on his back. The wind and snow intensified, and his clothes were by now utterly shredded—more akin to strips of cloth than actual garments.

Gazing at his exposed body, Yan Xuehen felt no embarrassment, only immense heartache and profound worry.

She quickly said, "This wind and snow is abnormal. The faster you move, the more powerful it seems to become. No one, throughout history, has ever been known to fly directly over the Great Snow Mountain. Try slowing down and reducing your altitude."

Zu An's heart stirred at her words. He slowed down as she suggested, and indeed, the power of the oncoming wind and snow significantly diminished.

When he lowered the Wind-Fire Wheels to just two or three meters above the ground, the wind and snow had weakened to a negligible level.

Only then did Zu An notice that a thick layer of ice had formed on the Wind-Fire Wheels, and even the flames were flickering, appearing as if they might extinguish at any moment.

He hastily activated his Flame Blade to melt the ice and snow, then said gratefully, "Fortunately, I have such a knowledgeable Grandmaster like you accompanying me. Otherwise, if I, a hothead, had simply charged straight in, I likely would have been torn to shreds by this blizzard."

Yan Xuehen replied, "Based on my recent observations, the natural laws of this Great Snow Mountain seem to operate differently. The intensity of the wind and snow appears to adjust according to the intruder's own strength. The more you resist and the faster you move, the greater the backlash. Such an intricate design—I wonder if it's a natural phenomenon or artificially arranged. If the latter, it would be truly astonishing."

Zu An smiled. "It's also very impressive that you could discern the rules of this place."

Seeing him praise her in various ways, Yan Xuehen's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned her head away. "Quickly change your clothes. You look... quite undignified like this."

A moment ago, she had felt only heartache looking at him, but now she felt a touch of embarrassment.

Zu An looked down and realized that only strips of cloth remained on his body, barely concealing anything.

He wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. As he retrieved a new set of clothes from his Glazed Pearl and changed, he remarked, "You've seen me exposed again. I suppose we're even now, aren't we? In fact, you've probably gained more from the exchange."

Yan Xuehen stared, utterly bewildered.

She couldn't help but feel mortified and indignant. How could something like *that* be considered a gain?

Just as she was about to retort, her gaze suddenly sharpened as she looked into the distance. "What is that?"

Zu An followed her gaze and saw an ice sculpture in the distance, emitting a strange light.

They walked closer and discovered a person sealed within the ice sculpture—an elder. Despite his white hair, his skin remained radiant, showing no signs of decrepitude. Furthermore, his attire was clearly not something an ordinary person would be qualified to wear, and even in death, a faint aura of majesty emanated from him.

Zu An was about to speak when Yan Xuehen gasped, "Martial Uncle?"

Zu An stared, utterly perplexed.

"Didn't you say you'd been here before?"

Yan Xuehen looked around. The unfamiliar surroundings brought a hint of confusion to her face, then, as a realization dawned, her expression drastically changed. "Oh no," she exclaimed, "we might have taken a wrong turn in the blizzard just now and entered the central region of the Great Snow Mountain."