After a three-day journey across winding valley trails, the carriage finally came to a halt. The rhythmic clip-clop of the horse’s hooves faded into the whistling howl of distant winds.
Chen Feng pushed open the carriage door and stepped out onto the rugged terrain, breathing in the crisp, biting mountain air. He turned back to the elderly coachman. "Are we here? Is this the destination?"
The coachman shook his head, pulling his coat tightly around his shoulders to ward off the chill.
"This is as far as I go, young master. I cannot take this carriage any further into the restricted zone. From here, you must walk the rest of the way on your own. Just keep heading straight, When you start seeing thick, dark clouds covering the sky, making it look as though a storm is approaching, you’ll know you’ve reached the mountain range. You can’t miss them."
Chen Feng nodded. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a gleaming silver nugget and handed it to the old man. As the coachman eagerly accepted the coin with a grateful bow, Chen Feng asked curiously, "By the way, exactly where is the main entrance of the Mount Hua Sect?"
The coachman pointed toward a massive, towering ridge in the distance that seemed to pierce the very clouds.
"The Mount Hua Sect is a colossal power that governs a massive territory spanning six or seven major cities in this region. If you want to approach the main sect grounds, you’ll have to travel around to the opposite side of the mountain range.
But..." The old man paused, giving Chen Feng a hesitant look. "If you are planning to seek admission into the sect, you will eventually have to return right back to this side."
Chen Feng furrowed his brow, confused. "Why is that?"
"Because of the sect’s entry trial," the coachman explained, lowering his voice slightly.
"You already know about the fierce, glacial gales that lash the Mount Hua mountains. These peaks span tens of thousands of kilometers and are officially classified as one of the Azora Cloud Empire’s **Three Great Forbidden Zones**. Very few people can venture deep into these mountains."
The coachman gestured toward the howling expanse ahead. "As a rule, ordinary folks or low-level practitioners can barely take a step here. To even be considered a candidate disciple for the Mount Hua Sect, you must be able to push at least ten kilometers deep into the freezing, wind-whipped interior—a feat that requires the strength of a powerful Martial artist. That is the ironclad rule they’ve maintained ever since this mysterious gale phenomenon began fifty years ago."
Chen Feng’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued. He studied the old man’s weathered face. "Old man, what do you think causes this bizarre phenomenon? Do you think these violent winds are connected to the colossal boundary mountains that encircle all four empires?"
The coachman let out a dry, raspy chuckle. "Nobody truly knows, young master. The great mountain walls surrounding our four empires are unimaginably gigantic—their peaks vanish into the upper heavens, and no one has ever measured their height. But the Mount Hua ranges are just as mysterious. They alone cover a staggering fifteen percent of our entire empire’s landmass! Just imagine how massive that is."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his tone. "Some scholars believe that these jagged peaks might actually be a sprawling branch of the colossal outer mountain ranges that encircle the entire world. A few daring adventurers even theorize that hidden deep within these mountains are secret passages—not leading out of the empire, but cutting through the very heart of the continent. But of course, no one has ever survived long enough to prove it. Well, I’ve told you all I know. I must be heading back before the mountain winds pick up and trap me here."
With a flick of the reins, the carriage turned around and rattled away down the trail, leaving Chen Feng and Suyun standing at the edge of the wilderness.
***
Suyun looked around at the towering, fog-veiled peaks rising in the distance before turning her gaze to two heavy, intricately carved wooden boxes sitting near their supplies.
She blinked, tilting her head. "Master... what are these boxes for?"
Chen Feng walked over and unlatched the heavy clasps.
Inside the opened wooden chests lay a neat stack of thick, winter-grade garments crafted to withstand sub-zero mountain temperatures.
It was a good thing the coachman had warned him that it would be extremely cold here. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been prepared for it.
Chen Feng sorted through them briefly.
He had only recently discovered that he couldn’t store heavy items in his inventory. He could still store clothes without any problem, but since they were traveling by carriage, there was no need to put everything into the inventory anyway.
And traveling this way seemed quite normal.
They could simply carry their supplies in boxes inside the carriage.
[Each Inventory Slot can store items weighing up to 10 kilograms.]
Anything heavier than 10 kilograms could not be stored inside a single slot.
"One box is for girl, the other is for me," he said, scanning the surrounding dense woods to see if there was any private spot for changing. He turned to Suyan and instructed, "You should pick out your winter clothes and get changed. We need to brave the cold ahead."
Suyun hesitated, her cheeks flushing. They were out in the open wilderness, surrounded by towering trees and rocky trails—where on earth was she supposed to change? *Do I really have to change out here in the woods?* she wondered nervously.
Ignoring her hesitation for a moment, Chen Feng closed his eyes and tried to sense the ambient air currents.
The wind blowing from directly ahead was intensely fierce, carrying an unnatural, biting chill.
It didn’t feel like a standard meteorological storm at all. The oncoming freezing gale was saturated with dense inner energy, as if it were being artificially manipulated or guided by some massive hidden formation.
Chen Feng felt a deep wave of confusion; the sheer density of this anomalous energy wind defied normal logic.
Channeling his inner energy, he executed a wide-area wind-perception sweep to scan the immediate surroundings. Within moments, his eyes snapped open. "There’s a cave about three kilometers away."
He glanced at the cave’s location in his mind, then looked back at Suyun. "We should head there. But first, take these boxes—carrying them will serve as your first round of physical training."
Suyun blinked in surprise, but quickly nodded. Following her master’s command, she stepped up to the heavy chests.
She had never carried anything heavy in her entire life.
The boxes were crafted from dark, heavy ironwood banded with aged brass, built sturdy enough to protect fragile garments during long-distance transport.
Suyun reached down and heaved both chests onto her shoulders. However, the combined weight was entirely too much for her small frame; her knees buckled instantly, and she staggered under the heavy load.
Chen Feng stepped forward, effortlessly lifting one of the boxes off her shoulders. " Seems like You can’t carry both. Leave this one to me." He heaved the heavy chest onto his own shoulder with ease.
Left with the remaining ironwood box, Suyun clutched it tightly against her chest with both arms, straining under its weight. With a determined nod, she turned toward the mountain trail, and the master and disciple began their march.
After marching for what felt like hours, Suyan was completely exhausted. Although the distance was only about four kilometers, the path was grueling—winding through rugged mountain terrain, treacherous roots, and uneven, jagged rocks.
To make matters worse, Suyun wasn’t wearing proper hiking boots, and her bare feet were already bruised and scraped from the harsh ground.
In contrast, Chen Feng’s footsteps remained steady and sure. His physique had been drastically strengthened by his system rewards, allowing him to traverse the rough landscape with ease.
He glanced back at Suyun, a pang of genuine concern tugging at his heart. He wished he could spare her the suffering, but he knew he couldn’t coddle her. To truly master advanced techniques like the *Heavenly Eagle Steps*, her body would have to endure far worse; her footwear would inevitably tear apart during agility training, and her feet would bleed anyway.
She had to build physical tolerance and mental grit right from the start.
Besides, Chen Feng himself couldn’t use the Investment Points to upgrade his techniques now.
He currently only had around five or six thousand points left—a drop in the bucket when it came to mastering a Supreme-Grade technique like the *Flame Phoenix Heavenly Scripture*.
Dumping all his remaining points into it would only yield a meager 4% or 5% comprehension rate. That was precisely why he had journeyed to these treacherous mountains: to force a breakthrough, hoping to grind out at least 10% to 15% mastery of the technique’s first layer through sheer environmental pressure.
The scripture possessed a total of five grueling layers, and every ounce of progress demanded absolute perseverance.
So, if he wanted to master this technique quickly, he would have to train himself.
After traveling for some time, they finally arrived.
The winds grew even colder and stronger as they approached the cave. The sky had also begun to darken, making it look as though a storm was about to arrive.
Su Yun looked toward the darkening sky and said, "Master, I’ve heard that the weather here is always like this. It never rains here. There are only strong winds and freezing gusts. Sometimes, it even snows, and when it does, the snowfall can be extremely heavy."
Chen Feng listened carefully before looking into the cave.
Inside, the bones of the bear still lay scattered across the ground.
"Surviving in this place really won’t be easy," Chen Feng muttered. "But we’ll only stay here for a short while."
"So there shouldn’t be any problem".