Chapter 1072: Cold Pool

Mount Daxue is not named because of today's snowfall, but rather it refers to a range of towering mountains surrounding Yunzhong Commandery. Due to its high altitude and harsh terrain, the mountains are covered in snow year-round, which is why it's called Mount Daxue (Great Snow Mountain).

The highest peak in the Daxue Mountain range is called Daxue Peak. Not only is it covered in snow all year, but at sunrise, it is the only peak among the mountains that is entirely bathed in sunlight, appearing brilliantly golden.

Therefore, all the local indigenous tribes, and even the demon race, consider Mount Daxue to be a sacred mountain.

Since ancient times, many myths and legends have existed here. For example, it is said that the god worshipped by a certain tribe was born here, the saint of another tribe achieved enlightenment here, or a celestial deity descended and manifested divine power.

The variety of such legends is endless.

Although cultivators in this world are far stronger than ordinary humans, the fierce blizzards that plague Mount Daxue year-round create an environment unsuitable for human survival.

Furthermore, the presence of various fierce beasts and mysterious forbidden zones within the snowy mountains means that while many have attempted pilgrimages to Daxue Peak over the years, very few have survived.

Although the two of them had been on the mountain for a long time, they were still only on the outskirts of Mount Daxue and had not yet reached the forbidden zones.

"I have a strange feeling about this place; be careful," Yu Yanluo said, looking around. Mount Daxue held too much mystery, and she dared not let down her guard.

Zu An reassured her, "If it's strange, it means we're in the right place. It seems we're getting closer to the truth."

Yu Yanluo paused, then a faint smile appeared on her face. "You're quite the optimist," she said.

The two continued their search while chatting, eventually stopping at a cave entrance.

"They disappeared in this direction just now," Zu An remarked. "It seems this must be the place."

On Mount Daxue, amidst such blizzard conditions, Zu An would struggle to find even a small animal.

Fortunately, there were some faint footprints at the cave entrance, so, without a doubt, this should be the place.

Yu Yanluo also agreed with this assessment. "Be careful," she cautioned.

Although the blizzard provided cover, Jian Taiding and his companion were both agile and cunning. There was no guarantee they wouldn't discover they were being followed and ambush them inside, which would be disastrous.

Zu An nodded and became fully alert. The two quietly made their way into the cave.

As soon as they entered the cave, the howling of the blizzard outside vanished. It was eerily quiet, as if the inside and outside were two different worlds.

The cave walls glowed a translucent blue-white, like jade, yet also like cold ice.

Yu Yanluo couldn't help but shiver, hugging her shoulders tightly.

With her arms wrapped around herself, Zu An found it awkward to hold her hand. So he placed his palm on her back, and a gentle, warm energy flowed into her body.

A blush flashed across Yu Yanluo's face. She had deliberately folded her arms across her chest precisely because she was worried he would notice her being cold and then try to hold her hand to transfer warmth.

Although their relationship was good, her temperament, developed over many years, still made her unaccustomed to physical contact with men.

She never expected him to be so considerate; if he couldn't hold her hand, he would place it on her back instead.

The key was that he acted out of pure kindness, and her back wasn't a particularly sensitive or private area, so she couldn't really scold him.

To divert her embarrassment, she transmitted her voice through energy: "The unusual cold we felt earlier must be coming from here. It's strange; I've been in Yunzhong Commandery for so many years, but I've never heard of a cave like this on the mountain."

"Mount Daxue is vast, it's normal for you not to know about everything, Madam," Zu An replied in a low voice. "This place has unusual phenomena; it's likely strange. Be careful."

Yu Yanluo nodded slightly, then took the lead and walked further inside. This way, she could escape the hand that made her blush.

Zu An quickly followed. The further they went, the more piercing the bitter cold became.

At first, Yu Yanluo tried to keep some distance from Zu An. But as they went deeper, a thin layer of frost subtly formed on her long, curled eyelashes, and she couldn't help but lean closer to him.

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle inwardly; this woman's body was quite honest.

He re-grasped her soft hand, and warmth flowed into her once more.

Soon, a faint blush gradually appeared on Yu Yanluo's pale cheeks, making her already beautiful face even more charming and vibrant.

Just then, a violent coughing sound came from afar.

Immediately followed by Jian Taiding's frustrated voice: "Damn it, why is this place so cold!"

In fact, with his Master-level cultivation, he should theoretically be able to withstand the unusual severe cold here.

Unfortunately, he had sustained severe injuries recently, which now made him unable to endure the conditions here.

Zu An and Yu Yanluo's eyes lit up. It seemed they had indeed found the right place.

"When the Duke of Yunzhong fled here before he died, I always found this place a bit strange," Uncle Ming said, his voice clearly cautious. "Be careful, Second Master."

Hearing this, Zu An's heart skipped a beat. It seemed this was indeed where the Duke of Yunzhong met his end. The act he and Yu Yanluo had put on these past days had indeed fooled them!

He excitedly looked towards Yu Yanluo, but saw her expression darken, with a hint of sadness in her brows.

Zu An then remembered that Jian Yanyou was her husband. Although only in name, they had cooperated for so many years and were clearly friends. Now that it was confirmed her missing friend was indeed dead, sadness naturally welled up in her heart.

Zu An patted her hand to comfort her. Yu Yanluo came back to her senses, collected her thoughts, and continued walking forward.

After a long, tunnel-like passage, there was clearly an opening ahead leading into a spacious area, from where the voices originated.

Zu An felt a headache coming on. If they entered now without knowing the situation inside, they might very well be discovered by Jian Taiding and his companion.

But if they didn't go in, they wouldn't know what was happening inside. He tried using his jade cong to summon small animals, but as expected, there were no living creatures inside.

Just then, Yu Yanluo held up a crystalline stone—the same sound and image recording stone from before.

She motioned for Zu An to hide with her around the corner of the opening, then carefully extended the sound and image recording stone.

Because the stone was very small, unless the two people inside were intently staring at that spot, they certainly wouldn't discover it.

Next, she took out another sound and image recording stone, which seemed to have complex runes carved on it. After she arranged the two stones using a special technique, a soft light emitted from the stone near them and projected onto the opposite wall.

A clear image was displayed on the wall, showing a spacious area inside, seemingly as large as several football fields.

Due to the pale blue ice around, the visibility throughout the cave was excellent.

Several-meter-long icicles hung everywhere from the ceiling, and every now and then, a chunk would fall from above.

If those sharp icicles fell from dozens of meters high, a cultivator caught unawares might be impaled on the spot.

Yet, even such sharp and pointed icicles falling to the ground only created splashes of ice shards, and the ground seemed unharmed.

The ground was rugged and full of strange-shaped rocks, but deeper inside, there was a pool of water.

Above the pool, a giant icicle, dozens of meters long, hung suspended vertically. Calling it an icicle wasn't entirely accurate, as it looked more like the stalactites found in southern karst caves.

But in this freezing cold place, how could stalactites exist?

This icicle was much larger than the others and had an imposing presence, like Mount Tai pressing down. If it were to fall, it felt as if the entire space would be destroyed.

However, Zu An and Yu Yanluo were more curious about something else: in such a cold place, why was there still a pool of water?

Logically, it should have frozen solid by now.

At this moment, Jian Taiding and Uncle Ming stood before the pool, staring blankly at it.

"I really didn't want to come here again," Jian Taiding said, his voice trembling slightly, unsure if it was from the cold or a guilty conscience.

"I didn't want to come either," Uncle Ming said after a long silence. "But we were forced by that impostor."

"Then I'll trouble you to go down," Jian Taiding said, looking into the pool with clear apprehension. "I'm injured now and might not be able to withstand the power of this cold pool."

Uncle Ming hesitated slightly but still nodded and said, "Alright!"

After speaking, he performed a series of preparations, and after warming up, he directly jumped into the pool.

A moment later, he leapt out, clutching a large ice sculpture. He was soaking wet, and as soon as he reached the shore, his entire body began to freeze at a visible rate.

He hastily circulated his inner energy and simultaneously moved closer to the already lit bonfire to warm himself. Only then did he somewhat recover, exclaiming, "Second Master, the Duke's body is still here. That fellow was indeed an impostor!"