I walk sideways in the game world

The golden light faded, and the ancient scroll turned to ash, leaving only the image of the snow-capped mountains deeply etched in the minds of Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin. The Sand Wolf King on the altar seemed to be suppressed by some force, roaring angrily but daring not to act rashly.

"Looks like we have to go to the Snow Mountain." Ren Xiaoyao put away his sword and turned to look at Xia Lin, his eyes gleaming with determination. He knew the road ahead was still full of unknowns and dangers, but he would not retreat.

Charlene took a deep breath, putting the image of the scroll turning to ash behind her. Her gaze became firm again. "Well, I believe this trip to the snowy mountains must be related to finding the golden key."

They ignored the still roaring Sand Wolf King and turned to leave the desert ruins. They all knew that some battles were inevitable, but now, there were more important things to accomplish.

The towering snow-capped mountains reach the sky, their peaks covered with snow year-round, reflecting the dazzling sunlight. A biting cold wind whistles past, sweeping up a sky of snowflakes, covering everything in a vast expanse.

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin trudged through the knee-deep snow with difficulty. The biting cold wind blew on their faces like a knife, and every step was extremely difficult.

"It's... so cold here..." Xia Lin exhaled a breath of white air, and a thin layer of frost had formed on her eyebrows.

"Yeah, we have to speed up." Ren Xiaoyao said, tightening his fur coat, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He knew that the more dangerous the place, the more likely it was to hide secrets.

At this moment, an ethereal voice rang out in the wind and snow: "Anyone who trespasses into the forbidden area of the Snow Mountain will die!"

As soon as the words fell, a woman in a white dress, skin whiter than snow, appeared before them. She had long silver-white hair, and her deep blue eyes gleamed with an icy light, as if emanating from the Netherworld, a chilling sight.

"Who are you?" Ren Xiaoyao asked vigilantly.

"I am the Snow Girl, the guardian of the snowy mountains," the woman replied coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"We..." Xia Lin was about to explain, but was stopped by Ren Xiaoyao. He knew that in the face of such a powerful existence, any explanation would be pale.

"We are here to look for something." Ren Xiaoyao looked directly into the Snow Girl's eyes and said in a deep voice, "If we can pass your test, would you be willing to tell us how to find it?"

The Snow Girl smiled coldly, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes: "Test? Do you think you are qualified to accept my test?"

"You won't know whether you are qualified until you try." Ren Xiaoyao looked at him without flinching.

The Snow Girl was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "If you want to pass my test, it's very simple. As long as you can survive in the ice and snow for three days, I will tell you everything you want to know."

"Three days?" Xia Lin exclaimed. How could it be easy to survive in this ice and snow for three days?

Ren Xiaoyao didn't say anything, but just held Xia Lin's hand tightly, with a determined light in his eyes.

"Remember, my patience is limited," the Snow Girl said coldly, her figure gradually disappearing in the wind and snow. "Three days later, if you are still alive, come find me at the top of the snowy mountain."

The Snow Girl's warning echoed in the wind and snow. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked at each other. They knew that a life-and-death test had begun.

"Three days..." Ren Xiaoyao muttered to himself, an inexplicable light flickering in his eyes. "Can we do this?" The wind and snow grew stronger, as if the Snow Maiden were mocking them. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin held hands and trudged forward across the vast snowy plain.

"Three days..." Charlene's teeth chattered, and her breath instantly turned into white mist. "Can we really do this?"

Ren Xiaoyao held Xia Lin's hand tightly and encouraged her, "Trust me, we can do this. We need to find a place to shelter from the wind first."

They trudged through the snow, one foot deep and one foot shallow, and finally found a natural ice cave under an ice cliff. The entrance of the cave was not big, but it was enough to shelter them from the wind and snow.

"We need to make a fire to keep warm," Ren Xiaoyao said, and began to collect dead branches around the cave entrance. However, the strong wind blew up the snow, freezing everything solid, making it difficult to light a bonfire.

Charlene took out a flint from her backpack and tried again and again, but the sparks kept going out in the strong wind. Just when their hopes were about to be dashed, a white fox suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave, holding a burning branch in its mouth and carefully placed it at Charlene's feet.

The white fox glanced at them, turned around and disappeared in the wind and snow.

Xia Lin was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "It's the Snow Girl! She must be helping us!"

The bonfire lit up, dispelling the cold and darkness, and also igniting hope in their hearts. They relied on each other, sharing their only food and water, and struggled hard in the ice and snow.

Snow Girl stood in the distance, watching all this quietly. She originally just wanted to teach them a lesson, so that they would give up. However, Ren Xiaoyao's bravery and perseverance, and Xia Lin's optimism and kindness, gradually touched her heart.

She began to help them secretly, leaving them food and water, and even saving them when they were in danger. However, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin were completely unaware of all this.

"Be careful!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly threw Xia Lin to the ground. An ice arrow whizzed past their heads and nailed into the ice wall behind them.

"Who is it?" Ren Xiaoyao looked around vigilantly, but could not see anyone.

"It's a trap set by the Snow Girl!" Xia Lin said in shock, "She's testing us!"

Ren Xiaoyao nodded. He knew that the Snow Girl's test was far more than that. They had to be more careful to survive.

Three days passed in agony, as they overcame cold, hunger, and fear, as well as the numerous tests set by the Snow Woman.

When they reached the top of the snow mountain exhausted, the Snow Girl was already waiting for them there.

"Congratulations, you've passed my test." The Snow Girl's voice was still icy, but Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin both detected a subtle softness. "Now, I can tell you how to find..."

The Snow Girl's words came to an abrupt end. She looked behind Ren Xiaoyao and her expression suddenly became extremely solemn.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled, and he slowly turned around. He saw a figure in a black robe, holding a black staff, quietly appearing behind them...

"Who is it?!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, his hand already tightly gripping his sword. Xia Lin also stood up quickly, drew the dagger from her waist, and stared at the newcomer with vigilance.

The man in black didn't say anything, but slowly raised his head, revealing a pale and handsome face. His eyes were cold, and a contemptuous smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if he didn't take Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin seriously at all.

"Who are you? Why are you following us?" Ren Xiaoyao asked again, his tone full of hostility.

The man in black still didn't answer. He turned his gaze to the Snow Girl and said in a strange language: "Are you the guardian of the Snow Mountain? It seems that you have found my prey."

The Snow Girl stared back at him coldly and said, "Who are you? Why are you trespassing on my territory?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that you'd better not interfere with what I want." The man in black said, raising the staff in his hand. A powerful dark force spread out in an instant, shrouding the entire mountaintop in gloom.

"What do you want to do?" Charlene felt an unprecedented pressure, as if an invisible hand had strangled her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"You will soon know what I want to do." The man in black smiled grimly, his eyes greedily looking at an ice cave behind the Snow Girl, where a strange energy fluctuation was emanating.

"You want to take the Heart of the Snow Region?" The Snow Girl's face changed drastically, her eyes filled with anger and fear.

"Heart of the Snow Region?" Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged glances, each seeing shock in the other's eyes. They then realized that the Snow Girl had been protecting a sacred artifact, and the man in black had come for it.

"Yes, it is the Heart of the Snowland." The man in black laughed triumphantly, "As long as I get it, I will gain supreme power. Then, the whole world will submit to me!"

"Don't even think about succeeding!" The Snow Girl roared, and a ball of ice and snow storm condensed in her hand, sweeping towards the man in black.

"You are overestimating yourself." The man in black sneered and waved his staff lightly. A black light curtain opened instantly, blocking the ice and snow storm.

"Snow Girl, you are no longer my match." The man in black approached the Snow Girl step by step, greed glittering in his eyes. "Hand over the Heart of the Snow Region obediently, and I can spare your life."

"You're dreaming!" The Snow Girl confronted him fearlessly, her eyes full of determination.

"Then don't blame me for being rude." The man in black said, raising his staff again, and an even more powerful dark force was gathering.

"Stop!" Ren Xiaoyao suddenly stood in front of the Snow Girl, looking at the man in black with a firm gaze, "Your opponent is us!"

"Just you guys?" The man in black glanced at them with disdain. "You don't know your own limitations."

"Really?" Ren Xiaoyao raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a confident smile, "Maybe, we can talk."

"Talk?" The man in black was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "What do you want to talk to me about? About how to submit to me?"

"No, I want to talk to you about cooperation." Ren Xiaoyao said word by word.

The smile on the man in black's face gradually disappeared, and he stared at Ren Xiaoyao sharply, as if trying to see through his innermost thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple. We will help you get the Heart of the Snowland, but in exchange, you must agree to one condition."

"What conditions?"

"Let's get out of here safely."

The man in black fell silent. He stared at Ren Xiaoyao intently, as if weighing something. A tense atmosphere hung in the air, like a taut string that could snap at any moment...

The ice crystals surrounding the Snow Girl seemed to condense a little more. Her sharp eyes swept back and forth between Ren Xiaoyao and the man in black, trying to see some clues from their faces.

"Do you think I'd believe humans' sweet talk?" The Snow Girl's voice was as clear and cold as the collision of ice spikes. "I've seen too much of your greed!"

"Snow Girl, please trust us." Ren Xiaoyao stepped forward, looking directly into her eyes, his tone sincere and firm, "We came here just to explore this world and learn about different cultures. We never thought of taking anyone's treasure."

He turned sideways and pointed at Charlene behind him. "My partner can vouch for me. We've helped many people along the way and have never done anything that would harm others."

Xia Lin took a step forward, nodded slightly, and gave the Snow Girl a kind smile to show her affirmation.

Ren Xiaoyao continued, "We don't know what this friend wants, and we won't interfere. We just want to leave here safely and continue our journey."

The man in black watched coldly from the side. When he heard Ren Xiaoyao's words, a hint of sarcasm appeared on his lips. He wanted to see how this human boy would convince this stubborn snow mountain elf.

The Snow Maiden was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. The ice cave behind her emanated a faint glow, the power of the Heart of the Snowy Land, a responsibility she had guarded for so many years.

She knew the power of the Man in Black, and knew that it would be difficult for her to stop him from taking the Heart of the Snowland on her own. The appearance of these two humans might be an opportunity, a chance for her to escape from this predicament.

"Okay." The Snow Girl finally nodded, agreeing to Ren Xiaoyao's proposal. "I can let you leave, but you must promise not to reveal what happened today to anyone!"

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged a glance, noticing the joy in each other's eyes. They said in unison, "We promise!"

"I hope you can keep your promise." The Snow Girl said coldly, turned and walked towards the depths of the ice cave, and her dark blue figure gradually disappeared in the ice and snow.

The man in black looked in the direction the Snow Girl left, a hint of viciousness flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He turned to Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin, a meaningful smile curling up at the corner of his mouth.

"Pleasant to work with."

He took the lead, heading in the direction the Snow Girl had disappeared. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin followed closely behind. The three figures vanished into the vast snowy plain, leaving behind only footprints of varying depths, silently signaling the beginning of this game...

A bitter cold wind howled, sweeping up the snow and gradually covering their footprints, as if nothing had happened. In the distance, a majestic city shone golden in the afterglow of the setting sun. That was their next destination, a place full of unknowns and challenges...