I walk sideways in the game world

After Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin left the crowd, they didn't immediately return to the inn, but instead headed straight out of the city. The setting sun made their figures appear particularly slender.

"Brother Xiaoyao, where are we going now?" Xia Lin followed behind Ren Xiaoyao and asked curiously.

"Go find something," Ren Xiaoyao said calmly, looking straight ahead, "something that might change our fate."

Xia Lin's heart moved. She knew that what Ren Xiaoyao was talking about was exactly the "rare treasures" recorded on a piece of tattered parchment scroll that they had accidentally obtained some time ago.

This parchment scroll is very old and the text on it is obscure and difficult to understand. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin could only barely make out part of the content and knew that it seemed to be a treasure map pointing to a treasure with great power.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are we really going to look for that treasure?" Xia Lin was a little worried. "I always feel that things are not that simple. What if..."

"I know what you're worried about," Ren Xiaoyao interrupted her, "but wealth and honor are achieved through risk. If we don't try, we'll never know the truth."

Xia Lin was silent. She knew that once Ren Xiaoyao made a decision, he would not change it easily. Moreover, she also understood that there was always a blazing fire in Ren Xiaoyao's heart, driving him to keep moving forward and explore the unknown.

Along the way, they inquired about clues about "rare treasures", but the rumors were so numerous that it was difficult to distinguish true from false. Just when they were about to give up, they accidentally learned from a tavern owner that a mysterious old man lived in seclusion in a deep mountain thousands of miles away. It was said that he was knowledgeable and omniscient.

"Maybe he knows something," Ren Xiaoyao's eyes flashed, "Let's go meet him."

So the two of them rode non-stop towards the mountains.

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to travel, but Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin were skilled and brave. They overcame all obstacles along the way and finally arrived at a quiet valley after seven days.

"This should be it," Ren Xiaoyao said, looking at the misty valley before him, turning to Xia Lin, "Let's go."

As the two stepped into the valley, a breath of fresh air hit them, making them feel relaxed and refreshed. However, just as they went deeper into the valley, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them...

"Who dares to trespass into the forbidden area?"

"Who dares to trespass into the forbidden area!" The deep voice echoed in the valley, startling a flock of birds.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked cautiously in the direction of the sound, and saw an old man wearing coarse linen clothes, with white hair and a youthful face, holding a green bamboo stick, staring at them with a sharp gaze.

"I am the junior Ren Xiaoyao, and this is my good friend Xia Lin. May I ask who this old lady is..." Ren Xiaoyao clasped his fists and saluted, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

The old man looked them up and down and snorted coldly: "What are you doing here?"

"To be honest, we two juniors have heard that you are well-educated, so we have traveled thousands of miles to come here just to seek your advice," Ren Xiaoyao said earnestly. "We have a tattered parchment scroll in our hands, which seems to point to a rare treasure, but we are struggling to decipher its secrets. We hope you can guide us."

Charlene also stepped forward, took out the parchment scroll she was carrying, and presented it with both hands.

The old man took the scroll, unfolded it, and examined it carefully, his brow furrowing. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "This scroll does indeed record a treasure, but its exact location is vague, and I cannot say for sure."

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin felt a chill in their hearts. Did they come here all the way, only to return empty-handed?

As if he could see their disappointment, the old man paused and then said, "But..."

"But what?" Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin asked in unison, with hope rekindled in their eyes.

The old man pondered for a moment and slowly said, "When I was young, I traveled extensively. I vaguely remember seeing a place similar to the one described in this scroll deep in the icy wasteland of the Far North..."

He told Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin everything he had seen and heard that year, as well as the legends about that place, in detail.

"Finding that treasure is no easy task," the old man concluded. "You must think carefully. Once you embark on this journey, you may face unforeseen dangers."

"Thank you for your guidance, old man. I have made up my mind!" Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with determination. Hadn't they traveled thousands of miles and endured such hardships just to find this opportunity?

The old man nodded, said no more, turned around and walked deeper into the valley, leaving only one sentence echoing in the wind: "Let everything go with fate, take care of yourself."

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin watched the old man's departing figure, their hearts filled with gratitude. They knew they were about to embark on a journey full of unknowns, and the old man's guidance was like a beacon, illuminating their direction...

"Let's go." Ren Xiaoyao retracted his gaze and looked at Xia Lin, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

After bidding farewell to the mysterious old man, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin set off without delay, embarking on a treasure hunt to the Far North. As they journeyed north, they passed through towering mountains and vast grasslands, a scenery completely different from the martial arts world of the Central Plains.

The further north you go, the colder the weather becomes. The biting wind feels like a knife cutting through your skin, causing it to ache. Xia Lin, a martial arts practitioner since childhood and possessing deep internal strength, was able to withstand the biting cold, but Ren Xiaoyao was clearly having trouble adapting.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are you cold?" Xia Lin asked with concern when she saw that Ren Xiaoyao's face was a little pale.

"Not bad." Ren Xiaoyao suppressed the chill, smiled and shook his head, "This little bit of cold is nothing. We still have to hurry up and get on with our journey."

Charlene looked at him with concern, took out a thick fox fur coat from the package, and carefully put it on him. "This is made of the fur of a snow fox I hunted in the snowy mountains. It's very warm."

Ren Xiaoyao felt warm in his heart, and he held Xia Lin's hand and said, "Lin'er, thank you. It's great to have you by my side."

Along the way, they climbed over countless steep mountains, waded through icy rivers, and encountered attacks from ferocious wild beasts, but they supported and encouraged each other and never thought of giving up.

"Brother Xiaoyao, look!" One day, when they were trekking across a desolate Gobi desert, Xia Lin suddenly pointed ahead and exclaimed.

Ren Xiaoyao looked in the direction of her finger and saw a towering snow-capped mountain on the distant horizon, shining brightly under the sunlight.

"If I'm not mistaken, that snowy mountain is what we're looking for," Charlene said, pointing to a pattern on the parchment scroll. "Look, the shape of the mountain on this pattern is exactly the same as that snowy mountain!"

Ren Xiaoyao's heart was lifted. After going through so much hardship, they finally found the location of the treasure! However, when they approached the snow-capped mountains, they found that things were not that simple.

I saw that the only road leading to the snow mountain was full of traps and mechanisms, and if you were not careful you would be doomed.

"It seems someone got there first." Ren Xiaoyao's face was solemn. "Lin'er, be careful. Let's take it one step at a time."

"Don't worry, Brother Xiaoyao," Xia Lin smiled confidently. "Although these mechanisms are intricate, they won't faze me." She pulled out a booklet from her bosom and began to leaf through it carefully...

Xia Lin, a learned and talented strategist, drew on the wisdom of her ancestors from a booklet and shared with Ren Xiaoyao the methods for breaking the traps. Some required the combined efforts of two people, harnessing their inner strength to push stones and change their positions; others required keen observation to locate trigger points hidden in the stone walls. Ren Xiaoyao was deeply impressed by Xia Lin's ingenuity. The two of them worked in perfect harmony, like dancing on a treacherous chessboard, each move a thrilling yet steady one.

"Brother Xiaoyao, look!" Xia Lin pointed to a cave hidden by vines ahead. "If I'm not mistaken, the treasure is inside!"

Ren Xiaoyao followed Xia Lin's finger and, sure enough, behind the dense vines, a deep cave entrance loomed. The two of them worked together to push aside the vines, and an ancient and mysterious aura filled them. At the entrance stood a stone tablet, engraved with ancient characters. Although Ren Xiaoyao didn't recognize the writing, he could sense the powerful power it held.

"This text..." Xia Lin frowned slightly, as if trying to make out something, "I think I've seen it somewhere..."

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and looked up at Ren Xiaoyao. "Brother Xiaoyao, this should be an ancient formation that can only be opened using a specific method!"

With that, Xia Lin began to carefully observe the area around the cave entrance, searching for flaws in the formation. Ren Xiaoyao stood guard beside her, alert to any movement. As time ticked by, beads of sweat formed on Xia Lin's forehead, but she showed no sign of giving up, remaining completely absorbed in studying the formation.

Finally, Xia Lin's eyes lit up. She pointed to a huge rock on the left side of the cave entrance and said, "I found it! The center of the formation is right there!"

She pulled a dagger from her waist and, without hesitation, slashed her finger, letting a drop of blood drip onto the boulder. The blood quickly melted into the boulder, and the previously calm boulder suddenly emitted a dazzling light. Then, the entire cave began to tremble violently...

At this moment, a dark figure appeared silently behind them and said coldly: "You have worked hard, I will take over this treasure."