Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

"You're a complete idiot!" Liu Dayong couldn't help but curse. "What are we worth? If we really went with you, we'd just be a burden. Who could we possibly defeat?"

"Even if we can't beat them, we can at least go up and help buy some time!" Pig Old Nine crossed his arms and glared at Liu Dayong. "Even if I were a demon, I'd be much more loyal than you, you coward!"

"You can't just rely on brute force; you have to use your brain!" Liu Dayong retorted irritably. "If you want to steal the flying boat from Great Snow Peak, why don't you wait near another cultivator's cave nearby, and wait for other demon guards piloting flying boats to pass by before seizing the opportunity to rob it? Wouldn't that be better? Why insist on breaking into the heavily guarded demon king's territory? Isn't that just walking into a trap?"

Upon hearing this, Pig Ninth slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, "Oh! So that's how it can be done?"

Watching the two bicker, Gou An smiled faintly and said, "Who says it has to be stolen or robbed? I can simply pay a visit and buy one."

Liu Dayong and Zhu Laojiu were both stunned, looking at each other, speechless for a moment.

"I'm afraid this is not appropriate." After a long while, Liu Dayong hesitated before speaking: "I've heard that the demon king is tyrannical and unreasonable. It would be too dangerous for you to go alone, fellow Daoist."

"It's alright, I know what I'm doing," Gou An said slowly. "While your method is feasible, the risks are only higher."

"Whether it's sneaking in to steal or ambushing and robbing on the road, once exposed, it will completely offend this demon king. That would then bring endless pursuit, and that would be the real trouble."

"I'm new here and haven't figured out anything yet, so it's best for me to keep a low profile."

"Those that can be discussed properly should naturally be prioritized."

"Fellow Daoist is right." Liu Dayong nodded. "It seems we were oversimplifying things."

Pig Ninth looked out at the swirling snow outside the cave and murmured, "But it looks like this heavy snow will continue for several more days. If we set off now, we could easily get lost in the snowfield."

"Then let's wait for the snow to stop before setting off." Gou An put away the Palm Heaven Map, opened his mouth and spat out several wine jars: "For the next few days, we'll stay here, enjoy good wine and meat, and rest for now. We can discuss other matters later."

"Great!" Pigsy Ninth's mouth watered as he saw the wine jar. "I'm going to roast some meat right now. I'm going to eat my fill today!"

For the next few days, Gou An rested in the cave with Liu Dayong and Zhu Laojiu.

Aside from eating and drinking, he spends his days sitting cross-legged absorbing spirit stones to gradually replenish his demonic energy.

After several days of rest, Gou An's physical condition fully recovered, and he returned to his peak.

Liu Dayong and Zhu Laojiu would wander around inside the Palm Heaven Map every day.

While gathering herbs and hunting, they also searched for a suitable place to settle down permanently.

In just a few days, the two of them built a wooden house by a stream in the picture and even cultivated a small piece of wasteland, preparing to plant spiritual herbs and plants themselves as Gou An had said.

During casual conversations, Gou An learned about the two's past.

When Liu Dayong was seventeen or eighteen years old, he was kidnapped from the human territory and brought to this place by the subordinates of the Great Snow Peak Demon King.

He was forced to take a pill, and thus gained the cultivation level of a Qi Refining cultivator.

However, this elixir has a fatal flaw: although it can forcibly stimulate cultivation, one can never make any further progress and will be trapped in this level for life.

By now, he has endured nearly forty years in the harsh snowy region, and the outside world has almost faded from his memory.

Zhu Lao Jiu was originally just an ordinary low-level wild boar demon beast. He was also fed a pill, which allowed him to transform into human form. He has been following Liu Dayong here to collect herbs for the demon king for more than ten years.

There used to be many fellow survivors in this cave.

Some went out to collect herbs and disappeared, some fell into ice crevasses and never came back alive, and others, unwilling to be trapped, risked their lives to escape and were never heard from again.

As time passed, only the two of them, one human and one demon, remained, clinging to each other and barely surviving.

The Demon King of Great Snow Peak will continuously abduct newcomers to replenish the herb-gathering force.

However, for scattered, unaffiliated cultivators like them, they must offer a large amount of snowfield spiritual herbs in exchange for helpers.

Liu Dayong and his companion were short of money and couldn't afford enough spiritual herbs, so they were unable to add more manpower.

When they first saw Gou An frozen and unconscious, the two rescued him, and in their hearts, they also had the idea of ​​recruiting companions.

After hearing their stories, Gou An immediately thought of the Transformation Pills refined in the City of Ten Thousand Demons.

He flipped his hand and took out a jade bottle, poured out a pill, and asked, "Is this what you ate back then?"

Liu Dayong leaned closer and examined it carefully for a long time before shaking his head: "This is not the one I ate; the color of the pill is different."

Pig Ninth stared at the pill for a long time, still unsure: "I can't remember exactly what it looks like, but the smell is somewhat similar."

Gou An put away the pill, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "In that case, I now have a bargaining chip to negotiate with that demon king."

This Transformation Pill is a rare item even in the City of Ten Thousand Demons, and Gou An believes that the Demon King here needs it just as much.

Several days later, the snowstorm finally stopped.

Gou An put on the thick animal skin coat that Liu Dayong had sewn by hand, stepped out of the cave, and leaped into the air, flying towards the direction of the Great Snow Peak.

Looking around, all one sees is a frozen, snow-covered plain, a vast expanse of white stretching as far as the eye can see.

The snow-capped mountains have similar topography, and it is easy to lose one's way if you are hiking. Only by flying can you barely make out your location.

After speeding through the air for several hours, a majestic peak finally appeared on the horizon.

The Great Snow Peak pierces the sky, towering and majestic, its summit hidden in the clouds, its end nowhere in sight.

Gou An continued speeding along, the biting wind howling past as it swept over layers of snow-white mountains.

Just as he was about to approach the snow-capped peaks, a faint halo suddenly appeared in the void in front of him.

An invisible, transparent barrier stretched across the sky, its walls incredibly strong, forcefully blocking Gou An's path.

It was fortunate that Gou An stopped quickly; otherwise, if they had crashed into it directly, they would have been seriously injured.

Just as Gou An stopped and was curiously observing the barrier, the snow on the mountainside of Daxue Peak suddenly churned, and several figures with fluttering wings broke through the ice and soared into the sky at high speed.

The demon soldiers were all transformed birds and beasts, with feathered wings on their backs and wearing ice-patterned armor. Their aura was chilling, and they instantly surrounded Gou An, trapping him firmly in the center.

The leading bluebird demon soldier, with sharp eyes, demanded in a stern voice, "Who dares to trespass into the forbidden area of ​​Great Snow Peak? Immediately state your name and origin!"

The other demon soldiers tensed up, their wings trembling, their spiritual energy gathering and ready to be unleashed, their eyes fixed on Gou An with wary intent.

Gou An remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and replied, "My Daoist name is Gou Zhenren. I have come from afar from the City of Ten Thousand Demons. On my journey, I encountered a blizzard in the snowy region, lost my way, and wandered into this place by mistake."

He paused, then continued in a calm tone, "I have come here with no ill intentions. Rather, I have come specifically to meet the Snowfield Demon King. I have a sure-fire, profitable opportunity to discuss with him in person."