Chapter 214: Snowy Mountains
The heat radiating from the Ring of Ignorance told Chu Qiguang that the incantation Yi Siman was offering was definitely something worth seeing.
Yi Siman hurriedly approached him with an expectant look on his face and presented the incantation with both hands. What he handed over was a book. Upon opening it, Chu Qiguang discovered that it appeared to be a diary or travel journal.
"This is a journal I kept during my journey through the north," Yi Siman explained. "The incantation is on the last page."
Instead of immediately skipping to the incantation at the end, Chu Qiguang began reading the travel journal from the beginning.
Yi Siman could tell that Master Omniscient seemed quite pleased with it, which came as a great relief to him.
If only I could persuade him to guide me in my cultivation.
Qiao Zhi jumped onto Chu Qiguang's shoulder with a curious expression, and the two began reading the travel journal together.
***
Twenty-second year of the Tiancheng Era, July 8th.
I finally reached Lensk today. This is the final stop in the Great Qian Empire. Beyond it, farther to the north, lie the Ural Highlands.
***
Tiancheng is the reign title of the Great Qian Empire, Qiao Zhi explained. The twenty-second year of the Tiancheng Era should correspond to the tenth year of the Yong'an Era. It is currently the sixteenth year of the Yong'an Era, which means Yi Siman journeyed to the north six years ago.
Chu Qiguang continued reading and soon discovered that the entries hadn't been organized at all. In the beginning, it wasn't too bad, but before long, they began to resemble pieces of graffiti haphazardly scattered across the pages.
***
Twenty-second year of the Tiancheng Era, August 18th.
The weather is growing colder and colder. The last time I saw another person was over twenty days ago. I've been searching according to the ancient Imperial Heavenly Dao scripture I found on the grasslands, but I've yet to find the so-called divine temple. I also haven't seen any female fiends along the way.
***
Twenty-second year of the Tiancheng Era, September.
I can no longer remember the exact date. The mountains of the Ural Highlands are very steep, and the passage of time has drastically altered many landmarks, including rivers, trees, and mountains. It'll probably be almost impossible to find the divine temple by following the instructions in the ancient scripture.
Once again, I haven't seen any female fiends.
***
Twenty-second year of the Tiancheng Era, September (maybe October?)
I've been traveling along the Vauban River. The mountains ahead are all covered in snow, and the river is also beginning to freeze over. Does the divine temple truly exist? Even if it does, is it still standing? My dried rations are about to run out. I'll continue searching northwest for another ten days. If I still can't find it, I'll have no choice but to turn back.
Still no female fiends.
***
From that point onward, the entries became increasingly casual and scatterbrained.
It seemed that Yi Siman had already begun to lose hope of finding the divine temple, and something was beginning to take priority instead.
***
First day. Nothing but mountains and hills. No female fiends.
Second day. Didn't find anything. No female fiends.
Third day. No female fiends.
Fourth day. No female fiends.
Fifth day...
***
I found some female fiends! There seems to be a settlement of fiends here that are native to the area. Their ancestors may have been bear fiends who migrated from somewhere else. I've never done it with a bear fiend before. I wonder what it'll feel like.
***
Twenty-second year of the Tiancheng Era, approximately November.
The native bear fiends have strong, beautiful bodies, and their skin is supple and tanned from constant exposure to the sun. They're even more physically impressive than the female fiends on the grasslands. Every one of them is about as tall as I am, and they have really long legs. On top of that, they're very passionate. Their primal approach to physical intimacy has given me a kind of carnal pleasure I haven't experienced in a long time. I've decided to stay here and rest for a few days before deciding what to do next.
***
Chu Qiguang quickly skimmed through the remaining, explicit diary entries. Qiao Zhi wanted to tell him to slow down, but he was too embarrassed to say anything.
***
Twenty-third year of the Tiancheng Era, Spring.
It's time to leave.
***
Qiao Zhi was utterly appalled.
Didn't you say you were only going to stay there for a few days? You stayed there for almost half a year!
***
The climate of the Ural Highlands is even harsher than that of the grasslands.
During my time with the native bear fiends, I hunted, ate, and slept with them. Fighting ferocious beasts in the bitter cold has been really good training.
In this place, everything is so simple and pure. It's been a long time since I've been able to focus on myself like this without any distractions. I don't have any pills with me, so my physical constitution has only improved slightly, but I can sense that my saber techniques have improved by leaps and bounds.
Once I return to the grasslands and take some time to rest and recover, I'm sure I'll be able to make some significant progress.
While staying with the native bear fiends, I also tried to learn their language, and I asked them if they knew where the divine temple was. According to the oldest witch doctor in the settlement, there's a holy palace on the summit of a range of mountains to the north. However, it can only be reached after death, and is said to have been a blessing from the gods.
It sounds a lot like a legend adapted from the divine temple of the Imperial Heavenly Dao, so I'm going to take a look. Avul, the best female archer in the tribe, wanted to come with me, but I refused.
I'm like the wind, and I'll never settle for any single woman. Avul is as pure as the spring water flowing through the snowy mountains. She's far better suited to life in this remote paradise.
***
I've been traveling north for five days, and everything around me is covered in snow and ice. Over the past few days, it feels as if I haven't seen any colors aside from the white of the snow and the blue of the sky. I've had to revert to my fiend form to endure the wind and snow.
***
I'm getting closer and closer to the mountain summit, but the snow has also become heavier. I can sense some kind of power within the wind that I suspect to be Dao arts. Did the Imperial Heavenly Dao set up an obstacle here? I can't even light a fire anymore.
Thankfully, Avul is very warm, and I possess the qi and blood of a fifth-state martial artist. By holding each other, we are able to ward off the cold together. I'm really glad that I decided to bring her along after all.
The good news is that I've finally spotted the holy palace the witch doctor mentioned. It stands on the summit of the mountains like a castle in the sky. Along the way, we saw the frozen bodies of many worshipers, which explains why the witch doctor said this place can only be reached after death.
The wind and snow surrounding the divine temple have clearly been supernaturally enhanced, most likely through the Dao arts of the Imperial Heavenly Dao. The fiends here don't know anything about martial arts and Dao arts, so all of them inevitably died before they could reach the temple.