Chapter 722 344: A Thousand Miles of Ice, Ten Thousand Miles of Snow

In the vast expanse of the heavens and earth, the entangled snow resembled the snow-white silken threads draped by a celestial being.

In the boundless whiteness, only the ice ocean rose and fell, the sound of its waves crashing against the shoreline rocks.

You Su hid beside the rocks, standing still and gazing far into the sea that blended with the heavens and earth.

This place was too cold and monotonous, You Su even felt his consciousness dull like a snail. Although he had been awake for quite some time, he was still numb like a snowman.

The tide of consciousness gently flowed in his mind, and that chaotic night finally came back to him. Looking at the world he was in, You Su felt as if it was from another era.

The cold wind howled, his clothes were already soaked, making him feel the bone-chilling cold more deeply, the piercing pain like needles drilling into his marrow.

He shivered several times, instinctively wrapping himself tightly.

Fortunately, he did not feel very weak; otherwise, You Su didn't believe he could survive in this icy world.

Judging by the intensity of that night's battle, he would have been paralyzed for a long time after being severely overdrawn, but now that he was awake, at least he had basic mobility.

He must have been inside the belly of that giant whale for a long time, long enough for his body to almost heal itself.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was being sucked into a giant gluttonous mouth. The long journey in the whale's belly was warm, so the stark contrast upon being harshly awakened by the cold made him feel an almost suicidal hopelessness.

But he persevered.

He struggled forward in the snow, with each step sinking into the thick snow. He found a rock sheltered from the wind, and though he hadn't walked far, he leaned against the rock, panting heavily, his breath like his elusive fate.

He attempted to form a hand seal to ignite fire, but the flame at his fingertips flickered only briefly before extinguishing.

The art of magic requires communication with the corresponding Profound Qi of the heavens and earth. Trying to conjure fire out of thin air amidst this endless snow was beyond his capability, just as no skilled user could call forth fire at the ocean's bottom.

Luckily, he was well-prepared, still having two Fire-Burning Talismans in his Qiankun Bag. Fire-Burning Talismans were the cheapest and most common talismans, but at this moment, they were a lifeline for You Su.

The talismans already stored with fire attribute Profound Qi, they floated and burned gently; You Su quickly shielded this hard-won flame with his body.

He then took out a few pieces of dry clothes from the Qiankun Bag to serve as kindling.

He endured the cold, first removing his wet clothes, which would only drain more heat from his body. Only when he shakily put on the thoroughly warmed clothes did he feel truly alive again.

But upon warming himself, he realized that his stomach was now nearly pressed against his spine.

He took out some food and water from the Qiankun Bag, his lips already cracked and peeling. He ate the precious food in small bites, afraid he might finish it with a misstep. The ice-cold water and hard food scraped his throat, and as he swallowed, his nose inexplicably felt a twinge, a wave of indescribable sadness welling up in his heart.

He wasn't afraid of the road he had chosen; he only worried that his choice might bring a cataclysmic change to those he cherished.

Master, senior sister, junior sister, and Xueruo…

Those beautiful days were irretrievably gone…

But they would never be lost forever.

You Su clenched his fist, thinking resolutely.

If possible, he hoped that his master could peacefully reside in the Lotus Pool, that his senior sister could continue her simple life, that his junior sister could smoothly breakthrough the Condensation stage, and that Xueruo could shoulder the burden of the Snake Race. He also hoped they could all wait for his return in peace.

You Su took a deep breath, the icy air instantly filling his chest cavity.

Mourning over the change of seasons held no meaning in the extreme cold of winter; what he needed to do now was find a way out of the snowy plains before he was completely consumed by the ice and snow.

Even though he didn't know where he was or whether moving forward had any meaning, he knew that staying still would certainly not lead to survival.

The overwhelming white snow easily disoriented a person, making them lose sense of direction or even self. Fortunately, You Su had taken good care of the sunglasses given by Qianhua First Seat, which made this pure white world less glaring.

The cold wind, mixed with salt grain-sized snow, howled as if it came from a singular breach in the heavens.

To protect against cold and wind, You Su wore almost all the clothes from his Qiankun Bag. He looked at the direction indicated by the Compass, boldly guessing that he was on the Beiao Continent. With the sea behind him, heading south gave him a greater chance of survival.

Thankfully, he was still within the Five Continents, not fallen into the lair of the Evil God…

You Su thought, comforting himself, then set off south, trudging along.

...

"Clan Leader, how much further do we have to go?" a little girl timidly asked.

The girl wore a thick coat made from animal fur, the wide brim of her hat almost covering her face, the cold wind blowing her bangs into disarray. She seemed about twelve or thirteen, yet she was delicately adorable.

The one she called Clan Leader was an old man wrapped in a black cloak, with enduring snow piled in the wrinkles of his face. Hunched over, he leaned on a wooden staff while moving through the snow, making one doubt that the howling wind might blow him away at any moment.

"A long way," the old man replied.

"Oh..."

The girl nodded, then immediately followed the Clan Leader's footsteps, her steps somewhat lively.