Chapter 239

Chapter 239

Standing at the foot of the mountain and gazing upward, one feels how insignificant they truly are.

The snow-capped peak, perpetually frozen, reaches an altitude of over seven thousand meters with an average temperature of minus thirty degrees Celsius. Climbers face the constant threat of avalanches, blizzards, falls into valleys, and acute mountain sickness. Even with documented routes from successful ascents, the climb remains a perilous challenge, a test of life and death.

"You have arrived at the snow mountain.

"Do not use any items beyond conventional climbing gear, but you may carry a small amount of special medication and food.

"This is a forbidden zone for the extraordinary; no unconventional powers are allowed.

"Even if you possess a superhuman physique, please ascend as an ordinary human.

"Reaching the summit means passing the trial, and the snow mountain will reward all brave and fearless souls."

Comparing the map and information in his mind, this must be the northern slope of the snow mountain, a route that has seen several successful ascents historically, and also the most likely path chosen by Yuan Bing.

Ji Xinghai was well aware of what he faced. He had not wasted any energy or time, having warmed up before arriving. Once the rules were explained, he began his ascent with his ice axe.

The snow underfoot, untouched for years, left deep imprints with each step, making progress both exhausting and demanding balance. But Ji Xinghai was exceptional; even limited to an 'ordinary human' form, his physical prowess far exceeded that of a normal person.

Thus, the thick snow and steep incline posed little challenge to him.

However, during his childhood, in some distant world, climbing a snow mountain was indeed a near-death experience. Yet, driven by a glimmer of hope, the then-weak and homeless boy chose to climb it.

The harshness of nature dealt a severe blow to the young man's arrogance. Though he achieved his goal, he paid a heavy price.

These unpleasant memories lingered briefly, but thoughts of returning home and soon meeting his parents again dispelled any lingering unease.

White snow, white mist, and diffused light—the majestic snow mountain world came into view through his goggles.

After seeing so much fog, approaching the snow mountain was surprisingly refreshing.

"Deviation from the planned route; move two meters to the right next."

"Deviation?" Ji Xinghai, who usually had excellent direction sense, was slightly surprised but immediately moved right—his navigator was his trusted companion. Qin Yu, hovering above the snow, could only guide and confirm their position. But having someone to talk to on this lonely journey was a great help to Ji Xinghai.

"There are no markers or fixed routes on the snow mountain; everything relies on personal exploration, making it easy to stray."

Listening to Ji Xinghai, Qin Yu paused for a moment before saying, "There are still markers."

Within minutes, a bright color appeared beneath a protruding cliff, standing out vividly against the snow and rock.

"Is it a survivor from later attempts or an original challenger?"

The former represents those who entered after the strange entities appeared and failed. The latter refers to those who remained forever on the snow mountain.

"It's a later arrival," said Qin Yu.

During Ji Xinghai's rest periods, Qin Yu had visited the snow mountain alone, using his unusual identity to check and mark the locations of those who had perished here.

Though all had come from the northern slope, only about twenty people were visible along this route, while others had either strayed off course and died elsewhere or were buried under the snow, or had slid down the slopes without a trace.

The snow mountain, with its primitive and harsh environment, questioned every challenger: Are you truly prepared?

Ji Xinghai quickly understood the situation and smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Did you sneak a peek? Do you know where Yuan Bing is?"

"He's on this route. Just fifty-two meters below the summit, there's a protruding rock wall where he took shelter from a sudden blizzard..."

Ji Xinghai recalled the painting: Yuan Bing, hands tucked away, body hunched, sleeping peacefully. Behind him was black rock, and beside him, half-covered in snow, were his goggles and clothes dusted with a thin layer of snow. The mask, once exhaling warm breath, now frozen and devoid of warmth.

In his pocket was a corner of a bright red flag, which he had yet to place atop the mountain.

Just fifty-two meters from the summit, this adventurous genius painter closed his eyes forever.

Ji Xinghai looked up at the snow mountain, which had nearly claimed him too. That weak child had taken one step at a time, completing the journey despite freezing limbs, eventually replacing them with mechanical ones.

"I've climbed snow mountains before, though not as high as this one. The snow there reached my knees, and after the climb, my legs were ruined, leading to prosthetics."

Qin Yu listened quietly.

This was the first time Ji Xinghai spoke about his past.

Qin Yu had long known he harbored many secrets, that his experiences did not match his eighteen-year history, but he never probed further. Now, Ji Xinghai was sharing this story voluntarily—did it signify... trust?

After recounting the worst part, Ji Xinghai changed his tone, his voice rising. "Afterward, I discovered a new world. It turns out that once you get past the initial adjustment phase, mechanical limbs can be quite interesting, capable of doing things natural limbs cannot. You can change coatings and materials frequently, add glow strips, and look really cool!"

With advanced technology, it's great. In that world, even prosthetics could rival real limbs, sometimes surpassing them.

Thinking about this, Ji Xinghai felt the Hungry Academy wasn't bad, as it provided technological assistance. In the future, those missing limbs could also benefit from such convenient and functional prosthetics.

Mechanical eyes, ears, and organs too.

Certainly not as good as the originals, but better than nothing.

As they talked and climbed, they passed the bright spot within minutes.

It was a skeleton, lying there for who knows how long, skin dried and clinging to sunken bones, but the clothes remained bright.

Despite the perpetual frost, the body was mummified, eyes completely gone, leaving hollow sockets.

Ji Xinghai wondered, didn't this person wear goggles when climbing the snow mountain? How brave!

"Were goggles not available? And the boots don't seem like professional mountaineering boots."

"The first person to survive the snow mountain unexpectedly awakened as an extraordinary being. Some believed the peculiar domain of the snow mountain could help awaken others, so they tried. I think they were unprepared; the first survivor wore only ordinary winter clothes, leading them to underestimate the difficulty."

"Then he died without regret." How confident must one be to attempt climbing a snow mountain without basic equipment?

The Snow Mountain realm imposes certain limitations on those who enter: one cannot bring in equipment beyond the ordinary, and one cannot use extraordinary abilities, including supernatural powers and skills derived from equipment. For example, Ji Xinghai couldn't use the Gluttonous Feast Scripture, nor could he access the spaces of the Magical Food House or the Ten-Li Red Makeup.

The Snow Mountain realm's peculiarity lies in its absolute 'magic suppression' in exchange for 'non-participation.'

In such circumstances, basic equipment becomes crucial. Entering without full gear is no different from seeking death.

After passing the first marker, new markers would appear every ten to fifteen minutes, each with its own story. Or perhaps they had no stories initially, but over time, many legends were attached to them, which Qin Yu then relayed to Ji Xinghai.

Story after story accompanied him as he traversed the majestic snow mountain. Looking back, he was already halfway up, with the path behind him covered by wind and snow, leaving no trace.

Ji Xinghai defined himself as 'neither too fast nor too slow.' In reality, when it came to climbing the snow mountain, he was incredibly swift. Thus, in just two hours, he covered the distance that a normal adult would take a day to climb.

At this point, he paused briefly, taking out a sticky rice cake from a temperature-controlled box in his backpack.

He sliced a square piece of steamed sticky rice and placed it on an iron plate greased with lard, frying it until the outside was golden brown and the inside soft and glutinous. He sprinkled chopped scallions and shrimp, added a dash of yellow wine for fragrance.

The temperature on the snow mountain was minus twenty-seven degrees Celsius. Ji Xinghai quickly put the slightly warm sticky rice cake into his mouth, savoring its softness, the aroma of the yellow wine, the richness of pork, and the refreshing taste of scallions and shrimp. Alongside these special foods came the effects of 'fatigue reduced by one, reduced by one' and 'fullness increased by one, increased by one.'

After finishing the small sticky rice cake, he took a satisfying sip of the perfectly sweetened red date, pear, and lily soup from his thermos, feeling every cell in his body warm up like they were soaking in a hot spring. His limbs, stiff from trudging through the snow, felt revitalized and flexible again.

"With my physical strength and these special foods, climbing the snow mountain feels like cheating," Ji Xinghai looked up at the seemingly endless snow mountain. "But this isn't a competition; if it's cheating, so be it."

"Let's continue." He adjusted his hat and goggles, grabbed his ski pole, and climbed upward once more. This time, his pace quickened, and his footsteps left only shallow imprints in the snow, as if he had suddenly mastered lightness.

Qin Yu checked the route map and estimated the time. If he maintained this pace, they could reach the summit before nightfall.

Before the sun even began to set, Ji Xinghai arrived beside the frozen corpse of Yuan Bing. He detached his backpack, transforming it into a simple sled.

The stiff corpse of Yuan Bing was tied onto the sled and dragged forward.

"Well, since we're here, might as well take you to the top."

By now, the air was much thinner than at the base, requiring more effort to climb. Yet Ji Xinghai remained composed, and if not for the visible veins on his hands, one might think this was an effortless task.

Qin Yu noticed but did not comment. He opened an umbrella to shield Ji Xinghai from the sun's glare—though, with his goggles, Ji Xinghai didn't really need it.

Fifty-two meters may not seem long on flat ground, where it might take just a few minutes to move, but on the snow mountain, many people spend their entire lives unable to cross this distance.

Ji Xinghai dragged the corpse of Yuan Bing step by step, with golden sunlight falling upon him and the corpse behind him.

The thin layer of snow on the corpse began to melt, revealing patches of blueish skin turning red. The ice-covered goggles and mask also started to show their original colors.

Qin Yu noticed and extended his hand, creating a barrier between them. Ji Xinghai smiled, gathered his strength, grabbed the rope with one hand and the ski pole with the other, and charged into the radiant light at the summit.

Once his eyes adjusted to the blinding light, Ji Xinghai saw the summit's scenery.

The vast sky, jagged ridges, and a single beam of light piercing through.

It was the sun, unobstructed and shining purely and brilliantly.

This was a view only seen from the highest point on earth, imbued with mystery and allure by the presence of danger and death.

"How beautiful."

Ji Xinghai heard a gentle voice behind him. He turned around and saw Yuan Bing, who had removed his goggles, still sitting on the sled, though the rope was untied.

"Thank you," it said to Ji Xinghai.

"You're welcome, it was nothing."

"I thought I was trapped in the land of death forever, unable to progress." Yuan Bing laughed softly.

"I thought I would never see the view from the summit in this lifetime, but you brought me up here.

"The cost was my life, abandoning everything. I wonder if it was worth it.

"Perhaps it was. This world is so beautiful; nature is the greatest artist.

"So, do you have any wishes?"

Ji Xinghai had no particular wish. Even if he did, he preferred to accomplish things on his own rather than rely on others.

However, gazing at the vast snowy peak and feeling the beauty after the harshness, he suddenly had a new idea: "Any wish?"

Yuan Bing smiled. "Anything within my power."

"To capture this moment in a painting. Sharing something beautiful makes it even more beautiful."

Ji Xinghai spoke beautifully, but his true intention was: the restaurant needed decorative paintings, and since Yuan Bing was a genius painter, the artwork would surely enhance the somewhat dull interior.

Yuan Bing merely smiled. "Of course."

"You have received a self-recommendation from 'Snow Mountain,' unlocking a new employee, new food items, and a new branch 'Snow House,' where all chilled foods will have a 20% performance boost.

"May you continue to strive, grow, and become the best food house on the planet."

Ji Xinghai: ... What?!