The cold wind of the Northern Mountains was more biting than ever. Ye Chenyu struggled along the glacial crevasse, each step on the thin ice producing faint, cracking sounds. The fissures beneath his feet seemed bottomless, ready to swallow him at any moment. The howling wind carried shards of ice against his face, blurring his vision almost entirely. All that remained in his ears were the sounds of the wind, the cracking ice, and his own rapid heartbeat.
Suddenly, the ice beneath him gave way with a thunderous crack. Ye Chenyu tilted helplessly under gravity, nearly plunging into the abyss. Below lay a deep, eerie blue chasm, seemingly bottomless. Snow-covered rock walls jutted like sharp blades. His fingers clutched desperately at the shattered ice edges, knuckles bleeding, yet they could not halt his fall.
In that moment of despair, a strange current of air surged from the depths of the crevasse, like a tangible arm lifting him from midair. Ye Chenyu was raised to safety, snow sliding off his shoulders as he gasped for breath, his heart hammering as if trying to burst from his chest.
"…Who—?" he instinctively shouted. His voice echoed through the icy valley, but there was no reply; only the relentless wind and snow remained.
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the white mist at the mouth of the crevasse. One was a familiar figure, her gaze cold and still as the moon—Li Yueying. The other was tall and lean, with an odd, composed aura, eyes hiding a depth like a dark abyss—Xuan Ye. The two stood side by side, as if born from the storm and wrapped in it, radiating an unfathomable pressure.
"Are you all right?" Li Yueying's voice was low, yet clear, like the only warmth amidst the snowstorm. Ye Chenyu looked up sharply, seeing her slightly furrowed brows, her eyes holding a complex coldness.
Xuan Ye stepped forward lightly, almost like a shadow. His gaze swept over Ye Chenyu before resting on the depths of the crevasse, as if evaluating the hidden threats there.
A tight knot formed in Ye Chenyu's chest. He felt an indescribable pressure—Li Yueying and Xuan Ye's appearance was no coincidence. Instinct told him that both harbored secrets, and that this rescue was the result of their combined effort.
"Follow me, the crevasse is unstable," Xuan Ye's voice was low but carried an irresistible authority. He drew a faint line of light through the air, freezing the snow and ice to form a slightly glowing path. Ye Chenyu hesitated briefly, then followed the two along the illuminated trail.
Within the crevasse, cracks in the ice looked like countless veins in turmoil. Snow drifts collapsed repeatedly, as if the Northern Mountains themselves were whispering secrets. Ye Chenyu sensed low murmurs in the wind, like countless spirits conversing, or ancient deities silently observing. Unease crept into his heart—this place was far more than desolate ice and snow. Ancient powers, possibly surpassing even the Southern Mountain ruins, lay hidden here.
Li Yueying led the way. Her figure moved through the storm like a cold blade, each step precise and decisive. Ye Chenyu watched her closely, noticing a flicker of vigilance and wariness in her eyes—she clearly knew the Northern Mountains well.
Xuan Ye calmly suppressed the collapsing snow and ice. His movements were slow but extraordinarily precise; every gesture seemed to command the wind and ice itself. Occasionally, he glanced at Ye Chenyu, a trace of inscrutable meaning flickering in his eyes.
Questions surged in Ye Chenyu's mind: What exactly were their intentions? Why appear at this moment? And what unspoken connection might exist between them?
Ahead, deep within the glacial crevasse, a darkened cave mouth appeared, seeming to lead to the very heart of the Northern Mountains. Strange runes were etched into the ice walls on either side, as if whispering and guiding the path forward. Ye Chenyu instinctively felt a pulling force, realizing that he had already been drawn deep into this northern wilderness, and the arrival of Li Yueying and Xuan Ye was aligned with this force.
The three moved silently forward. The snow beneath their feet creaked; the wind carried a low, oppressive rumble. Ye Chenyu felt an ominous premonition: the secrets of the Northern Mountains were drawing the three of them in, irresistibly and inexorably.
Far within the glacial depths, a long-slumbering gaze quietly observed the trio. It remained silent, yet it chilled Ye Chenyu to the bone.
Outside the crevasse, the snowfield remained desolate. Yet amidst the wind, Ye Chenyu thought he heard approaching footsteps—low, slow, yet unmistakably near. He realized this expedition into the Northern Mountains was more than a journey of exploration—it was a silent trial.
Li Yueying slightly turned her head and whispered to Ye Chenyu: "Remember, do not trust everything you see."Xuan Ye merely nodded, his gaze piercing the icy mist, as if peering into an unspeakable existence.
Ye Chenyu followed closely behind, a tension rising in his chest unlike anything he had felt before. Deep within the Northern Mountains, it was not merely snow and wasteland—ancient, indescribable powers lurked here, and he was being swept into a vortex even he could not fully comprehend.