Crossing the Cultivation Realm: Two Souls Coexist

The closer we got to Qingtian Mountain, the more violent the blizzard roared, as if the entire world was being swallowed up by this merciless white storm.

Gu Yang and Hu Qing struggled forward in the snow, and every step seemed like a silent battle with the power of nature.

The snow on the ground was waist-deep, and every step seemed extremely difficult.

It was as if countless hands were pulling at their legs, trying to drag them into this cold abyss.

The sky gradually darkened, and the gray sky seemed to be covered by a thick curtain, even the stars and the moon disappeared.

Gu Yang stepped on the snow with great effort. Every time he lifted his foot, he could feel the biting cold penetrating through the soles of his shoes and into his bones.

He had to be vigilant about his feet at all times and only dared to follow in Hu Qing's footsteps.

Because this is all compacted snow, it is considered a safe route.

Otherwise, with his current height, he would miss a step and be buried in the snow sooner or later.

His breathing became rapid, and every breath he exhaled condensed into white mist in the air, which was then quickly swallowed up by the wind and snow.

Hu Qing was not having a good time in front either. The heavy snow covered the road surface and he could not see the road. He could only grope his way slowly.

He struggled to keep his eyes open through the snow and wind, trying to find any recognizable landmarks.

But there was nothing to see except a vast expanse of white.

Moreover, if you look at it too much, your eyes will become a little black, which should be the famous "snow blindness".

Snow blindness, also known as "solar eye", is an acute light-induced eye disease.

That is, strong sunlight shines on the snow, and the light waves reflected by the snow shine on the eyes, causing the retina of the eyes to be damaged due to the stimulation of strong light.

Although it was night time, there was still some scattered light on the snow.

The two of them didn't have goggles, so they could only look around to avoid seeing only a little.

Hu Qing looked back at Gu Yang from time to time to make sure he was not left behind or stuck in the snow.

As the two were moving forward, they suddenly heard a few dogs barking in the distance, and some lights were faintly visible in the wind and snow.

Hu Qing immediately became alert with a hatchet in hand, his eyes trying to find the source of the sound in the gray snow fog.

I could only see the light getting closer and closer to me, but there was no human figure.

The visibility around was so low that the two parties had to be ten steps away to see each other.

Opposite Hu Qing and the other man was a middle-aged man wearing bear fur. The fur was a little tattered and his face was covered in dirt.

I was holding a dying black dog in my arms, and it must have been the one that made the sound just now.

Gu Yang recognized him. This was the famous lazy man in the village, named Laizi, who had no wife or children. No one knew what he was doing in Qingtian Mountain on such a snowy day.

But since I've met him, I still have to say hello. Maybe he knows where my parents are?

"Uncle Laizi, why are you still outside so late?" Gu Yang's voice seemed a little trembling in the wind and snow, but he still tried his best to remain calm.

Laizi's eyes were a little evasive. He did not directly answer Gu Yang's question. Instead, he looked at the hatchets and wooden bows in their hands and said in a somewhat stiff tone:

"You little brat, you're still running around outside so late, aren't you afraid of getting into danger?

And you, you are not from our Qingtian Village, right? Are you a beggar?"

Gu Yang and Hu Qing looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other's eyes.

"Uncle Laizi, this is my distant relative. You just came down from Qingtian Mountain. Have you seen my parents?"

Gu Yang tried to strike up a conversation and tried to find out some information about Qingtian Mountain, but Laizi kept silent and just urged them to go home quickly.

Hu Qing watched from the side and found that the beggar's hands were always behind his back, and a few drops of blood were dripping on the ground.

As the wind blew and the snow covered the ground, the bloodstains on the ground disappeared again.

The black dog in his arms had also been hacked in the hind legs. The black fur perfectly concealed the wound, but Hu Qing could still smell a slight scent of blood, but he kept silent.

The snow around was getting heavier and heavier. Lai Zi hurriedly said goodbye to Gu Yang and the others and walked into the village.

Gu Yang and Hu Qing looked at his back, their hearts full of doubts.

Laizi's behavior is so strange. Why would he go up the mountain in such weather?

What about the black dog in his arms?

And the blood on his hands clearly wasn't an ordinary accident.

"Aqing, do you think there is something wrong with Laizi?" Gu Yang asked in a low voice, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes.

Hu Qing frowned. He also felt that Laizi's behavior was suspicious, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"This person is so suspicious, full of suspicious points. Let's go find your parents first. The snow is getting heavier. If some footprints are covered up later, it will be troublesome."

The two put these behind their minds and continued to move towards Qingtian Mountain ahead.

The outline of Qingtian Mountain is looming in the wind and snow, like a distant mountain in a splash-ink landscape painting, both mysterious and out of reach.

Gu Yang and Hu Qing struggled forward in the thick snow, and every step felt like walking in a muddy swamp.

Their strength was gradually consumed in the struggle, their legs became heavy, and their breathing became rapid.

Finally, they arrived at the foot of Qingtian Mountain.

Both men were exhausted, so they found the back of a large rock that offered them some shelter.

Gu Yang took out a tinderbox and some dry firewood from his backpack, while Hu Qing was responsible for collecting more branches.

With the joint efforts of the two, a bonfire was quickly lit. The orange flames jumped in the wind and snow, bringing them warmth and light.

They took out two dry and hard cakes from their backpacks and roasted them on the fire.

The pancakes gradually turn golden under the roasting flames and emit an enticing aroma.

The two of them boiled another pot of hot water. Although it was simple, it seemed particularly precious in this environment.

After drinking the boiling water, Gu Yang and Hu Qing felt their body temperature quickly warm up, and their tired bodies gradually regained their vitality.

They rested briefly, then found the entrance to the mountain and walked up the mountain.

Time is running out, they must find Gu Yang's parents before the snow blocks the mountain. The longer they delay, the harder it will be to find them.

Fortunately, the snow only covered half of the footprints on the road, and some messy footprints could still be seen, all leading to one place.

The two of them followed the footprints. Although they were not fast, they never stopped.

There was snow everywhere, and the two had lost all sense of time.

The gray sky made it impossible to tell the time, and they didn't know how long they had been walking.

Gu Yang's physical strength had reached its limit, and he was swaying in the blizzard.

His legs felt like they were filled with lead, and every step he took required great perseverance.

Hu Qing looked at the footprints in front of him which were becoming increasingly shallow, and felt anxious.

If Gu Yang's parents are not found as soon as possible, their lives may be in danger.

The snow is getting heavier and heavier. I don’t know how much of the footprints ahead can be seen clearly.

He gritted his teeth, turned around, took Gu Yang's hand, tucked it under his armpit, and continued walking towards the end of the footprints.

Gu Yang was about to faint, but this pinch woke him up instantly.

He looked at Hu Qing's strong jawline, a few tears fell from the corners of his eyes, sniffed, and shouted:

"Ah Qing! Put me down quickly, I can still walk, put me down!"

Hu Qing acted as if he didn't hear anything and walked forward with all his strength, not paying any attention to Gu Yang under his armpit.

Gu Yang patted Hu Qing's arm, but when he didn't get any response, he twisted his body.

"Don't move, we're almost there. Save your energy. I feel something is wrong." Hu Qing slapped Gu Yang's butt hard and then said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yang closed his eyes and took the time to recover his strength so that he could prevent Hu Qing from participating in the next battle.

The wind and snow were getting stronger and stronger, and the figures of the two people seemed particularly small in the wind and snow.

After walking for a long time, the trees around us became taller and taller, and we must have reached the depths of Qingtian Mountain.

The footprints here are more disorganized than those seen before, as if many people passed by here, or something struggled here.

The surrounding big trees are like a natural barrier, keeping the raging wind and snow out, making the forest seem a little quiet.

They followed the footsteps for a while, and Hu Qing suddenly stopped and gently put Gu Yang down.

His nose twitched a few times and his brows furrowed as he smelled blood.

Gu Yang also realized that something was wrong. He gripped the wooden bow tightly with the arrow on the string, and was on guard at all times.

The two men walked forward cautiously. Not long after, they were hit by a strong smell of blood. The snow was scarlet and there were some traces of fighting.

Gu Yang's heart sank, his steps became unsteady, and the scene before him made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The bloodstains on the snow were so eye-catching and cruel, and they ruthlessly told Gu Yang a fact that he was unwilling to accept.

He and Hu Qing searched, hoping to find some clues, some clues that could prove that his parents were still alive.

Suddenly, Gu Yang found his father's hatchet in a small pit.

The hatchet that had accompanied his father through countless sunrises and sunsets was now lying quietly on the bloodstained snow.

Gu Yang's heart turned cold in an instant, and his body began to tremble involuntarily.

No matter how fast they rushed, it seemed too late. His father still...

Hu Qing looked at Gu Yang's distraught appearance, and a feeling of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

He was about to comfort him when he suddenly heard light footsteps in the woods behind him.

He almost instinctively turned around quickly with the hatchet in his hand, and the scene before him made his heart beat faster instantly.

They turned out to be two tall snow wolves, their hind hooves still digging in the snow.

Their green eyes looked particularly creepy in the dim woods, revealing their hunger.

Hu Qing knew that they were in big trouble, as this was a natural predator in the snow.

Gu Yang also noticed the movement behind him. He turned around and was shocked when he saw the two snow wolves.

It seems that these two snow wolves must have been attracted by the smell of blood.

He forced himself to calm down. He knew that now was not the time to be sad. They had to survive. Only by surviving could they find the truth.

"Ah Qing, we have to be careful. These two snow wolves look very hungry."

Gu Yang's voice was trembling, but he tried to remain calm.

Hu Qing nodded, holding the hatchet tightly, his eyes fixed on the two snow wolves.

They must now remain vigilant and fight back immediately if the snow wolves attack.

This is the only way to scare the two snow wolves and make them timid.