Chapter 168 - 4.33 The Dragon’s Cave
The three made their way to the base of the mountain before noon. Shan Duoyin and Ling Chuwei craned their necks in reverence. The land beneath their feets was surrounded with sharp, steep rocks and the mountain peak stretched as far as they could see before it disappeared beyond the sea of misty clouds. Snow had piled up on the surface, painting the entire scenery with white stillness that kept people away. The two shuddered despite being a cultivator who could regulate their body temperature. There was just something in the air; enigmatic and mystifying that made them hesitant to breathe louder. No wonder that travelers didn’t even dare to enter the mountain, opting to take the long circular way around instead. Even they, as cultivators, had to think twice before entering.
They swallowed and looked at each other, clearly hesitating whether to proceed or not. All of a sudden, the decision didn’t seem very... plausible.
Lu Yizhou floated past them — walked, he was walking, yet the way he glided smoothly up the hill was akin to floating. Inexorably effortless. Hexue was strapped to his back and when he climbed up, he seemed to almost merge into the background itself. His temperament, aloof look, otherworldly features and his light colored robe complimented the surroundings completely. Shan Duoyin and Ling Chuwei were bedazzled; it was like looking at the mountain deity himself.
Lu Yizhou was a few hundreds meters away when he sensed no footsteps behind him. Turning sideways, he asked, "You two are staying behind?"
"N—No!" They shook their heads and hastily caught up.
The more they trekked deeper, the dimmer the surroundings became. The enormous trees almost covered the sky from sight, forbidding lights to pour in and illuminate their way. Alas, they couldn’t help but feel as if there was something else that sucked all the light away. Not even five minutes, Ling Chuwei had already reached for Shan Duoyin’s hand which the man reciprocated with a light squeeze.
"S—Shan-xiong," she whispered, white mists floating out of her mouth, shaking. Whether it was from the cold or something else, she couldn’t discern either. "Are you really sure about this...?"
Shan Duoyin’s eyes were fixed on Lu Yizhou’s broad back in front of him. Tall, broad and steady. He felt his heartbeat calming down despite himself and his eyes burned with determination as he declared. "I will go wherever Jingxue-Jun goes."
"Aiyah!" Ling Chuwei clicked her tongue. "You fool! Compared to Jingxue-Jun, we are just two lowly cultivators! Do—Do you think we will have a chance if we have to fight a real dragon?"