The fine brows beneath the magic hat of Huangquan furrowed almost imperceptibly, and her sigh carried a tone of subtle desolation: "I, too, do not truly know what I am. Perhaps I am the undead you speak of, or perhaps not—merely a construct born from my sister's intense yearning for me..."

"A second personality?" Gan Jing recalled a term from a medical text and blurted it out.

"A second personality?" Huangquan, beneath the magic hat, revealed a thoughtful expression. The smile curving her cold lips seemed frozen by ice, carrying a chill colder than the valley outside in any season: "A very fitting term. Did you devise that?"

Gan Jing chuckled lightly and shrugged. Among those his age, even among the young men aspiring to be civil officials in the Zhence Dynasty, or those dedicated to medicine or other professions, few could match his reading volume.

"I need to meditate now."

Huangquan dropped the icy statement and sat down in the hay, controlling her formidable spiritual energy, quickly entering the meditative phase.

Gan Jing had not expected Huangquan's personality to contrast so sharply with Biluo's. Startled by the recent display of spiritual power, he found himself unable to sleep. Leaning against the wall, he watched the very strange Huangquan, pondering for a long time what was truly going on, before finally asking, "Interested in a chat?"

"Another day," Huangquan replied casually with her eyes closed. "I need to condense spiritual energy to transform it into magical power."

Gan Jing's expression stiffened; he stood frozen on the spot. Condensing spiritual energy to transform it into magical power? Huangquan was only a year older than him! The difference between a Magician and a Warrior was still immense.

Ten levels of spiritual energy condensed into magical power—that meant one was truly a Great Magician! When a group of Magicians formed a magic array, the Great Magician served as the central anchor, integrating the array and the spiritual energies of the other casters to unleash grand magic.

In a one-on-one confrontation, Magicians could only rely on magic scrolls. The intricate arrangements of magical elements prevented them from instantly casting even a low-level spell like a Fireball. Even the simplest spells, like the Slow or Fear spells, required several seconds to complete.

But Great Magicians were different! They were monsters who had completely transformed their spiritual energy into magical power. Not only could they instantly cast a Slow spell, but even a Fireball could be unleashed in a flash.

Of course, if a Great Magician faced a Spellblade one-on-one, they wouldn't resort to instant Fireballs. Spellblades were not straw figures stuck in the ground; they could dodge and defend.

The combat between a Great Magician and a Spellblade still involved magic scrolls, but these were scrolls they had drawn themselves, possessing a power no ordinary Magician could rival.

Spiritual energy refined into magical power? Even the most renowned advanced magical academy in Shen Du, the capital of the Zhence Dynasty, would gladly accept such an individual with a full tuition waiver.

In a sense, the condensation of spiritual energy into magical power to become a Great Magician was somewhat analogous to a Level Ten Warrior achieving the status of a Demon-Slaying Warrior. But if one had to judge whose status was higher, Gan Jing had to admit, it would unquestionably be the Great Magician.

The destructive power of a single Great Magician was limited, but a group of Magicians led by a Great Magician—the resulting oscillation between spiritual and magical forces—was the nightmare of armies on the battlefield.

The texts from the Gan family recorded that Zuo Shou Shenghua, the greatest Magic Sage of the Zhence Dynasty, revered by generations of Magicians as an unparalleled genius, only managed to condense his spiritual energy into magical power and become a Great Magician at the age of nineteen.

Gan Jing looked at the Biluo, or perhaps Huangquan, before him. This woman, only a year older than him, barely seventeen by calculation, was attempting to condense spiritual energy into magical power. If the Magicians' Guild were to witness this, wouldn't they kneel before her and beg her to join their ranks? "Truly strange," Gan Jing muttered, puzzled. Regardless of what Huangquan was, the fact that she and Biluo shared a body was undeniable. Why was it that when Huangquan used this body, she was strong enough to induce a sense of inadequacy in him, yet when Biluo used it, she was so inept, setting the lowest record for the magical students at the Oakland Academy of Magic and Martial Arts?

Two hours passed, and Huangquan's spiritual energy had grown further, though she had not yet achieved the condensation into magical power as she had stated.

A brief, quiet silence settled in the cave, broken by Huangquan's not entirely unpleasant cold voice: "Biluo doesn't know I exist."

"Oh," Gan Jing nodded. "I won't mention it. Are you interested in talking now? I'm genuinely curious about the strange history between you and Biluo that resulted in this bizarre state."

Biluo, beneath the magic hat, parted her lips slightly and let out a soft yawn. "No time today. We can talk another day. If you encounter any danger and need help, you can shout 'Huangquan,' and I can emerge briefly to assist you."

The word "you" echoed faintly in the cave. Biluo's body gently settled into the hay, resuming her slumber, as if the preceding events had never occurred.

Gan Jing rubbed his somewhat sleepy eyes, grabbed his Zhanmadao, and leaned against the wall, falling asleep on the hay.

The morning sun spilled onto the snow of the Four Seasons Valley, making the entire valley strikingly bright. The light, which should have been warm, carried no hint of heat, certainly not enough to melt the silvery snow.

Gan Jing ate his portion of rabbit meat, then casually scooped a handful of snow into his mouth to replenish moisture, gripping his Zhanmadao as he surveyed the surroundings of their camp.

Having integrated his ten Dou Qiao to reach Level Ten Warrior status, Gan Jing wore only a thin layer of clothing. While he still felt the cold, he was not shivering and rubbing his hands like the day before. Merely connecting the initial ten Dou Qiao, even before becoming a true Demon-Slaying Warrior, already showed a stark difference from a Level Nine Warrior.

Gan Jing stood before the valley passage, where the avalanche had completely stopped, gazing up at the expanse of white snow reaching almost to the heavens. His immediate desire to leave quickly dissolved.

The thick snow layer looked solid, but who could guarantee it wouldn't suddenly collapse during a climb? Even if one managed to reach the top of the snowdrift, the uppermost layer of snow was clearly not hard. If he stepped on it, there was no telling if he would sink straight into the snow.

The most terrifying part—Gan Jing spotted a pair of fierce, sharp eyes at the apex of the white snow. Just a single glance caused the hairs on his body and the hair on his head to stand straight up.

A magical beast! A Snow Tiger! Gan Jing instinctively tightened his grip on the Zhanmadao. The Gan family texts contained records of the Snow Tiger; it was an extremely rare Tier Three Magical Beast! Its speed was like a gale, its claws could tear through rock, and it possessed fierce territorial instincts. Any power below that of a Demon-Slaying Warrior engaging one was certain to die from the Snow Tiger's attack.

Gan Jing only needed one look into the Tiger's pupils to know there was no need to verify the records; he secretly felt fortunate he hadn't attempted to climb the snow earlier, or he would certainly have been seen as trespassing on its territory.

And then—

Above the thick snow layer, two more white shapes appeared. Gan Jing’s heart plummeted to the valley floor: three Snow Tigers! The two white shapes he had just seen were two more adult Snow Tigers! Their bodies, excluding the tail, were over three meters long!

"Thankfully, thankfully..." Gan Jing retreated quietly, brandishing his Zhanmadao, feeling a renewed sense of relief. Although the Snow Tigers' eyes were filled with fierce intent, they also seemed to shine with deep apprehension, as if wary of entering the Four Seasons Valley itself.

Snow Tiger: Tier Three Rare Magical Beast, extremely aggressive, generally fearless. However, once it develops a fear of something, it will remain afraid indefinitely and absolutely will not approach the feared object. Gan Jing didn't know what the Snow Tigers feared about the Four Seasons Valley, but he knew he was likely safe enough; these three beasts, capable of tearing him to shreds easily, would absolutely not enter the valley.

Gan Jing relaxed, pulling the map detailing the peerless Fengyun Dou Qi from his pocket. Comparing it with the surrounding valley environment, he carefully discerned his bearings.

After a brief comparison, Gan Jing realized the map was unlikely to be a fake. At the very least, the major topographical features of the valley matched the drawing almost perfectly. Someone who had been here must have drawn it with such accuracy.

"So, I have to head further into the Four Seasons Valley, pass through the small woods, then cross a forest-like area made of stones—a Stone Forest—and then I'll see a lake. The hiding spot for the Fengyun Dou Qi should be right at this location by the lake."

Gan Jing looked up and sighed. He had planned to come another day, but since he had ended up in the Four Seasons Valley this way, and the exit was blocked by three Snow Tigers, he might as well risk adventuring inside to find the Fengyun Dou Qi marked on the map.

Gan Jing glanced back at the two women who had just squeezed out of the cave. He hesitantly raised a hand and scratched his head. Who knew what dangers lurked in this forest? Even as a Level Ten Warrior, he couldn't guarantee his life going in. Bringing the two of them along would likely extinguish even the slimmest chance of survival.

Leave them here? Gan Jing scratched his head repeatedly in distress. Even if he left them, he would need to figure out a way to find them some food. Since they came together, abandoning them now—he truly couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.

Ah!

Shuilian Ying'er let out a piercing shriek, startling Gan Jing out of his thoughts. He turned to see that the female swordsman had spotted the three magical beasts on top of the snowdrift.

Gan Jing smiled. It was no wonder Shuilian Ying'er screamed; he had nearly soiled himself when he first saw those three beasts.

"Don't be afraid, you two," Gan Jing walked quickly over to them. "These things seem quite afraid of the Four Seasons Valley. According to the books I read, they will never enter this valley. We should find a way to get some food."

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