High-level martial arts: Contract cashback, invincible starting from the Zerg.

The leaden-gray clouds hung very low.

Three ice manta rays, arranged in a triangular formation, broke through the gale. Their translucent ice wings, several meters wide, stretched out like knives, and with each flap, they stirred up a cloud of icy mist, forcefully pushing away the biting cold air three feet away.

Chen Feng, Xue Yue Bing Li, and Xue Yue Yan Ju rode ice manta rays, speeding across the icy plains.

Three swift, silvery-white trails were drawn across the vast snowfield, their speed and power even more striking than a galloping horse across the wilderness.

...

On the back of the ice manta ray leading the way.

Xueyue Bingli sat upright in the center of the saddle, her long silver hair blown behind her by the gale, blending into the snow patterns on the edge of her cloak.

She gripped the ice-patterned reins with one hand, the icy spiritual energy resonating subtly with the bloodline of the ice manta ray beneath her. She let the snowflakes mixed with ice sand strike the windproof cloak like sharp blades, making a dense, rustling sound.

His icy blue eyes were always fixed on the somber, inky blackness of the distant horizon.

On the ice manta ray running alongside Chen Feng to the left and behind, the young Xue Yueyanju stood ramrod straight. His dark ice-colored outfit accentuated his slender yet muscular shoulders and back.

Although he had just come of age, his hand holding the reins showed no sign of wavering.

Even though the wind and snow had turned his cheeks porcelain white, there was no trace of panic in his eyes. Only occasionally, when he looked up at the back of the young master in front of him, a complex expression would appear in his eyes.

As night was about to fall.

The last glimmer of gray-white light from the setting sun was completely swallowed up by the thick clouds.

Within the Great Xia Kingdom, whether in the Giant Beast Wasteland or Gu Yong Upper City, the night sky is always pitch black and gloomy.

However, the night sky over the northern border before Chen Feng was a strangely clear and dark blue.

There wasn't a single star or a ray of moonlight in the sky. The entire heaven was like a giant sapphire frozen for ten thousand years, clear and ethereal, yet exuding a deathly stillness that devoured all life.

Under such a sky, the thick ice and snow on the ground seemed to reflect a faint glow.

The undulating snow-covered hills, the frozen rift valleys, and the solidified, withered ice pillars are all shrouded in a cold, eerie blue light.

This is the unique illusionary realm of the North.

It is a strange phenomenon arising from the intertwining of malevolent energy and the coldness of heaven and earth. Such a phenomenon is obscured by strong light during the day, and only when night falls will its full appearance be revealed.

Just then, Xueyue Bingli, who had been focused on clearing the way, suddenly slowed down, and the ice manta ray beneath her gently folded its wings, hovering steadily in mid-air.

She turned to look at the two of them, her clear voice exceptionally distinct:

"Two hundred miles ahead, we'll enter the Ice Demon's territory. Let's spend the night here."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yueyanju looked up and whispered, "Young Master, the Illusionary Realm after nightfall is several times more terrifying than the Ice Demon Realm."

"I know."

Xueyue Bingli nodded gently.

Her silver-white hair gleamed with a cool luster under the deep blue light, while her icy blue eyes remained as still as ice.

"But that only applies to ordinary clansmen. You and I both have the Ice Dragon bloodline protecting us. I also asked Chen Feng, and his sea of ​​consciousness power has reached the Hong level. In theory, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Xiaoxue glanced at Chen Feng, raised her hand and pointed to the hazy, drifting phantom in the distance. She said to Chen Feng in a solemn tone, "Brother Chen Feng, this is the illusionary realm I told you about... If an ordinary outsider enters, their consciousness will be swept away by the illusion, and their mind will be pulled by the obsessions of their remnant soul. They will unknowingly lose their minds and be unable to distinguish between reality and illusion."

"Once one loses their composure, sooner or later they will rush into the icy valley crevice or fall into the frozen abyss, never to be heard from again."

Chen Feng glanced sideways upon hearing this.

His gaze fell upon the countless points of light in the sky.

Even without using the Lucky Contract System, Chen Feng could clearly sense that these seemingly beautiful points of light concealed extremely corrosive power within the sea of ​​consciousness, silent yet far more terrifying than any overt killing.

"It's alright. With my level of consciousness, these things are no problem for me," Chen Feng said in a deep voice.

......

When the three ice manta rays folded their icy wings and landed on a sheltered hill, their translucent icy bodies curled up into three ice walls, perfectly shielding a small space from the biting cold wind.

A cluster of pale blue campfire suddenly rose up, its warmth barely suppressing the eerie blue chill that permeated the area around the three people and their three mounts.

Chen Feng took off his windproof robe, which was covered with ice crystals, and shivered slightly as he approached the campfire to warm his frozen hands.

"Brother Chen Feng~"

Xueyue Bingli, who had brought over some dry rations, sat down next to Chen Feng.

"Beyond these two hundred miles of Ice Demon territory lies the Eternal Frozen Rift, inhabited by numerous colossal beasts. We may need to find a small path to break through... Also..."

Xiaoxue lightly tapped the ground with her fingertips, deliberately moving a few inches closer to Chen Feng.

The two women's shoulders were almost touching, and the warm light of the campfire made Xueyue Bingli's features appear gentle, completely unlike the cold and sharp one she had shown when leading the way. Their intimate posture was undisguised.

On the other side, Xueyue Yanju sat alone opposite the campfire, separated from the two by a cluster of flickering flames.

Seeing Xiaoxue and Chen Feng so close, Xueyue Yanju immediately frowned.

"We must keep all three of our ice manta rays safe. Even if we lose just one, we might not be able to get to the permafrost fortress."

When they first landed on the icy plains, she took the initiative to stand beside him for warmth. Now, with their cloaks covering each other and whispering intimately, every move she made stung his heart.

"Young Master, let me guarantee Chen Feng's safety. My Ice Dragon bloodline can protect me from the cold, while your bloodline power still needs time to heal."

Xueyue Yanju's words sounded very high-sounding.

But when his gaze fell on the two of them, he still couldn't hide a hint of awkward resistance.

Xue Yue Bing Li was slightly taken aback. She turned her head to look at the boy opposite her and explained calmly, "It's alright. My ice dragon bloodline has already stabilized. This bit of cold air can't harm me."

After saying that, she reached out and handed most of the frozen fruit and dried food wrapped in oilcloth to Chen Feng, while a few strands of her soft, silvery-white hair gently brushed against Chen Feng's forearm.

The warm light of the campfire fell into her icy blue pupils, leaving only the gentle and peaceful feeling of being beside Chen Feng.

This intimate and unreserved manner once again made Xueyue Yanju across from her feel a lump in her throat.

He snorted coldly, then got up and walked out of the circle.

The figure gradually disappeared into the night.

"Yanju doesn't seem very happy," Chen Feng asked, puzzled.

Xueyue Bingli followed Chen Feng's gaze, but her fingertips unconsciously twirled the bread in her hand.

"He wouldn't have acted like this when he was out there gaining experience," Xiaoxue explained with a smile.

Chen Feng took a bite of the frozen fruit in his hand, and the cool, sweet taste instantly melted on his tongue.

Just a few frozen dried fruits restored half of Chen Feng's strength, and the bread Xiaoxue gave him was extremely filling, quickly making Chen Feng feel full.

After a while, Chen Feng couldn't help but ask.

"Would he...?"

"Brother Chen Feng isn't an outsider," Xiaoxue said earnestly, without the slightest intention of backing down. "From the moment we met again, we've always been friends. What's wrong with being a little closer?"

Chen Feng nodded, but rubbed his hands, which were already slightly red from the cold.

"Don't move."

After speaking, several strands of warm, icy spiritual energy instantly condensed at the tips of Xiaoxue's five fingers, and then slowly covered Chen Feng's palm.

The moment their skin touched, Chen Feng's right hand returned to normal instantly, and the slight, piercing sensation completely disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, Xiaoxue once again covered Chen Feng's left hand with that wisp of warm, icy spiritual energy, driving away the chill from his hand once more.

"This is a 'cold-dispelling technique' that is known to all our people. It's also a key spell that ensures we won't be harmed by the cold. I hope Brother Chen Feng won't find it offensive..."

Looking at Xiaoxue's hands, which were as white as green onions yet flawless, Chen Feng suddenly recalled the grand banquet the two of them had at Haixing City.

He recalled the time he comforted her by the river.

"Are you feeling better, Brother Chen Feng?" Xiao Xue's cheeks seemed to be tinged with a light pink, which was made particularly noticeable by the firelight.

"I feel much better, thank you, Xiaoxue."

"Hmm~"