CHAPTER 231: EXTREME COLD

The path ahead treacherous as the group pressed deeper into the mountain’s frozen domain. The cold, once biting and harsh, soon turned into something entirely different...an entity of its own, almost alive. The deeper they went, the more it seemed to cling to their bodies, creeping through layers of thick fur and protective Qi like invisible claws. The air was thinner here, sharp and metallic, biting at their lungs with every breath. Even Lucas found himself trembling despite his control over Qi. Frost was beginning to gather on his eyelashes and the ends of his hair, and his fingers had started to lose their feeling.

The guide’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke, his lips blue but his tone still steady. "We’re entering the mountain’s heart," he said, his breath rising in thin wisps of white vapor. "The further we go, the colder it becomes. Many who never returned were not killed by beasts or avalanches... it was the cold that claimed them. The temperature here drops beyond anything natural...by my estimate, it’s already nearing minus one hundred and fifty degrees."

Selene, whose teeth chattered as she pulled her fur cloak tighter around her, managed a strained smile. "Minus one hundred and fifty? We’re walking through the abyss itself."

"It might as well be," Mirielle murmured, rubbing her hands together as her skin showed signs of frostbite. "I can’t even feel my fingers anymore."

"Don’t stop moving," Lira urged her, voice weak yet determined. "If we stop, the cold will settle into our bones." Her breath quivered as she spoke, and Lucas noticed how pale she had grown. The cold here wasn’t just freezing their bodies...it was draining their strength, siphoning away their Qi bit by bit.

Lucas turned to check on Nyx, and to his surprise, she looked almost serene. She remained calm and measured, her dark hair now covered with snow brushing lightly against the white fur of her cloak. Frost clung to her lashes, but she didn’t seem to notice. "You’re not feeling it, are you?" Lucas asked quietly.

She glanced at him, her eyes gleaming faintly. "Not as much," she admitted. "The cold... it’s energy in its purest form. It feels familiar to me. Almost comforting."

"Good," Lucas said with a faint smile, his voice low so that only she could hear. "Keep using it to cultivate. Let it temper your body and Qi. This mountain’s cold can kill, but it can also strengthen those who can endure it."

Nyx nodded softly. "I understand."

Behind them, one of the Empress’s personal attendants stumbled and caught herself on a frozen rock. "My lady," she called weakly, "this cold... it’s unnatural. Even my Qi shield is weakening."

The Empress turned her head slightly, her expression calm and unwavering. The frost that coated her hair made her appear like a goddess of winter herself. "Hold your Qi steady," she instructed. "Don’t fight the cold. Let it pass through you. The mountain only punishes resistance."

Her voice was smooth and unyielding, and even in the midst of the storm, it carried warmth. The two Divas behind her looked strained but disciplined, their breaths shallow as they tried to conserve strength.

Lucas glanced back at Lira, Selene, and Mirielle, who were clearly suffering the most. Lira’s lips were trembling violently, her hands clutched against her chest. Selene tried to help her, wrapping an extra piece of fur around her shoulders despite shivering herself. "If it weren’t for the Empress’s protection, we’d already be frozen solid," Selene muttered through clenched teeth.

Mirielle managed a shaky laugh. "Then maybe we should stay close to her forever."

Lira forced a small smile despite the pain. "If we make it out of this alive, I’ll never complain about summer heat again."

"Keep walking," the guide urged, his voice gruffer now, though concern showed in his eyes. "If you stop, your body will never start again. Remember, only cultivators can survive this far up. Ordinary men would have died hours ago."

Lucas clenched his jaw and looked up. The mountain loomed endlessly above, its peak disappearing into a thick blanket of swirling gray clouds. Snowflakes drifted down like shards of glass, and the world seemed to narrow to the crunch of their boots on the ice and the sound of their breathing.

Every step forward was a battle against the cold, every breath a test of will. And though the Empress walked at the center of their formation, her calm presence the only warmth in the frozen wasteland, even she could feel the mountain’s unyielding challenge pressing upon them.

The Empress, seeing the worsening state of her companions, slowed her pace and turned to face them. Her white fur cloak swayed gently in the frigid wind, and the frost on her hair shimmered faintly beneath the dim mountain light. Her eyes moved slowly from one weary face to another....Selene’s trembling lips, Lira’s pale cheeks, Mirielle’s frozen fingers, and even Lucas’s stiff posture. Though cultivators, they were still flesh and blood, and this cold was no ordinary chill. It was ancient, unnatural, alive in a way that defied comprehension.

Without a word, she raised her right hand. A soft, crimson glow began to spread from her palm, glowing faintly against the cold blue hue of the mountain mist. The Qi she summoned was unlike anything ordinary cultivators could produce; it was warm, steady, and carried the essence of divine fire. The air around them shimmered briefly, and the frost on her sleeve began to melt away.

"Gather close," she said in a calm, clear tone that carried authority yet felt reassuring. "I will not have any of you freeze before we reach the mountain’s heart."

They obeyed without hesitation, forming a small circle around her. Lucas stood near the outer edge, steadying Lira as she stumbled forward. The guide and the two Divas exchanged a knowing glance but said nothing; they too felt the cold gnawing at their bones and welcomed whatever warmth she would grant.

The Empress closed her eyes and exhaled softly, her breath turning into a glowing mist. Then, with deliberate grace, she extended her Qi outward, sending threads of fiery energy toward each of them. One by one, the threads touched their chests, sinking into the region of their dantian. The moment the energy entered, a wave of soothing heat spread through their cores, driving back the frost that had begun to form beneath their skin.

Lira gasped and clutched at her stomach as the warmth flowed through her. "It’s... it’s like sunlight inside me," she whispered, her voice trembling not from the cold but from relief.

Selene closed her eyes, letting the warmth settle in. "I can feel my blood circulating again," she said quietly. "The numbness... it’s fading."

Lucas, too, felt the change immediately. The biting chill that had been gnawing at his bones receded, replaced by a steady inner heat that pulsed rhythmically with his heartbeat. He bowed his head slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he said.

The Empress opened her eyes slowly. "It is only a temporary measure," she replied. "The cold will still seek to claim you, but now you have a flame within. Feed it with your Qi. Let it circulate through your meridians. The warmth I’ve given will halve the cold’s strength, but the rest depends on your own discipline."

Nyx, who had been silent all along, watched the Empress with quiet admiration. "That was fire Qi, wasn’t it?" she asked softly. "But it felt... different. More refined."

The Empress gave a faint nod. "It is the Solar Flame of the Phoenix Path...a technique passed down through my bloodline. It should grant you all a measure of protection."

The guide looked visibly relieved, his breath coming easier now. "You truly are a blessing to us, my lady," he said, bowing slightly. "Without this, I doubt we’d have lasted much longer."

The two Divas smiled faintly, their fatigue easing as their internal energy stabilized. Lira and Mirielle, now able to walk more comfortably, shared a quiet laugh.

Lucas adjusted his cloak and glanced up toward the towering path ahead. The sky above was still hidden behind a swirling shroud of snow and mist, and the endless slope seemed to pierce the heavens themselves. "We should keep moving," he said quietly. "The longer we stay still, the colder it’ll get again."

With renewed energy and their bodies no longer on the brink of freezing, the group pressed onward. The snow beneath their boots crunched rhythmically, their breaths now steady, their Qi burning faintly within...like small flames defying an endless sea of ice.