Lightning flashes, a rabbit darts.

Chen Xu dodged the icy thread, while Wei Yuan almost burst into tears.

But its mouth trembled several times without actually crying, feeling too ashamed to cry.

It could only watch Chen Xu with panic and fear, then suddenly looked around.

Upon looking, an indescribable eerie feeling suddenly emanated from all around.

Wei Yuan discovered that apart from a lush cluster of Jade Needle Grass around the cold pool, there were a few strange stones, some flowering bushes, with the flora of varying heights, truly a vibrant scene, intoxicating in its beauty.

However, upon closer inspection, you'll find.

The flowers blooming by the cold pool at this moment were mostly camellias, peonies, Wei Yuan remembered, camellias and peonies are not cold-loving flowers; what reason do they have to bloom by a cold pool?

Furthermore, those assorted flora, although Wei Yuan didn't know every type, it also knew these absolutely shouldn't grow by a cold pool.

Coupled with the previous Jade Needle Grass and Sword Worm incident, and the fact that its earth escape was ruined by freezing, Wei Yuan was certain that this cold pool harbored great oddities.

It moved slightly, instinctively wanting to jump down from Chen Xu's hand.

Chen Xu hurriedly enveloped it, asked, "Ah Yuan, what are you doing?"

Wei Yuan responded with shame, instinctively said, "I, I am too bad, recklessly running to this place, implicating Brother Chen, I should stay far away."

Chen Xu felt helpless, holding the small hedgehog, his warm palm gently stroked the little creature from top to bottom.

Although being a hedgehog, it's not suitable for petting, but such a gentle touch revealed how truly sincere and adorable the little guy seemed in his palm.

Chen Xu smiled gently, saying, "Have I not involved you? When haunted by the evil ghost from Pufeng Mountain, didn't you risk coming to warn me?"

Wei Yuan opened its mouth, stilled in Chen Xu's palm.

Chen Xu said, "Between you and me, there's no need to fuss over benefits too much, or, won't Ah Yuan regard me as a dear and close friend?"

Wei Yuan shook its head, its soft spines almost creating an afterimage.

Chen Xu laughed, saying, "So how could I blame you? Alright, the cold pool has suspicious oddities, you must have guessed, Ah Yuan, should we explore these oddities?"

Wei Yuan quickly said, "Whether to explore depends entirely on whether there's something Brother Chen seeks here. I, I can dive once more to see down there!"

On the cliff, a deer and a rabbit quietly observing below became slightly agitated.

The white rabbit hurriedly said, "Sister Lu, we can remind the people below again, quick, stop them, tell them the secrets of the cold pool, so we can ask for the Jade Needle Grass."

The deer thought similarly.

It hastily drew a breath, intending to speak again but heard Chen Xu say, "Such unknown mystery, without full preparation, there is no need for exploration.

Ah Shi, do you remember my initial goal?"

Yes, Chen Xu had told Wei Yuan that he was ascending Lingxi Snow Mountain to gather [Snow of the Past Year].

Wei Yuan was startled, hurriedly said, "Of course I remember."

Chen Xu then said, "On life's journey, whether big or small matters, large or small goals, whatever the pursuit, there are always various chaotic sceneries and temptations along the way.

These temptations aren't necessarily bad; many are quite good.

But anyone with steadfast goals never wavers easily, because no matter how good any temptation is, it can cause one to gradually lose their way.

Eventually, without realizing, veer away from the initial goal.

So much so that one day when you turn back, you might even discover you've forgotten what you initially intended.

Ah Yuan, do you understand when I say this?"

Wei Yuan contemplated, hurriedly nodded, saying, "Though many may have a beginning, few persist to the end, so it is. Brother Chen, I understand, let's continue up the mountain quickly."

Chen Xu smiled, "No rush, the Jade Needle Grass can still be harvested."

After speaking, he didn't pick the Jade Needle Grass himself but raised his hand to lightly gesture, levitating the wine jar from the ground into his palm.

Wei Yuan's coldness had dissipated, so it promptly and instinctively leaped onto Chen Xu's shoulder.

Chen Xu waved his wide sleeves as he swiftly moved away from the cold pool without looking back.

He took several steps swiftly, disappearing several yards away in a flash.

On the cliff, the deer and rabbit were dumbfounded.

"He, he just left? He really just left? Didn't even check the cold pool? There are surely treasures in it!"

The deer stomped its feet again, the mountain path beneath its feet nearly trampled into countless tiny pits.

The rabbit was equally dumbfounded, paralyzed in its gaze.

"This, this person... This person took away the sword worms, those, those jade needle grasses..."

Just as a flash of inspiration lit up in the rabbit's mind, delighted at the prospect of harvesting those jade needle grasses, it saw a shadow resembling cold mist unknowingly appear by the cold pool.

This mist-like shadow was, of course, the concealed Mud Ball Daoist Soldier.

The Daoist Soldier naturally had an innate skill for stealth and could appear invisible. However, upon reaching the cold pool, it was frozen by the chill, revealing the outline of its hidden form.

Yet the Daoist Soldier, being a non-living entity, not hindered by the cold despite its visibility, moved swiftly to harvest the Jade Needle Grass from the ground one by one.

Every time it picked one, it stored it in the Profound Nether Ruins.

This Profound Nether Ruins was a shadow-storage space with Netherworld attributes, opened by Chen Xu using Netherworld's Unbreakable Divine Power, operable by his physical body or through remote control of the Daoist Soldier.

Though the Jade Needle Grass appeared lush, most were actually disguised sword worms.

Now that the sword worms were collected by Chen Xu, the scattered remaining Jade Needle Grass numbered only twenty-seven.

The Daoist Soldier swiftly harvested them all, the Profound Nether Ruins opened and closed silently and unnoticed, even the cold pool's chill couldn't reveal its presence.

So the deer and rabbit on the cliff could only watch as a shadow resembling icy mist passed through the Jade Needle Grass, blinking, they vanished one by one.

Deer: ...

Rabbit: ...

The two little demons were stupefied, attempted multiple times to rush down and grab the Jade Needle Grass, but ultimately lacked the courage to act.

In the end, even the misty silhouette by the cold pool vanished.

Meanwhile, Chen Xu swiftly ascended the mountain with the hedgehog and mouse, no longer lingering by roadside scenery. Instead, he ascended using Wind Control, swiftly passing treacherous paths and perilous cliffs, reaching the summit to witness snow covering the green mountain.

The two little demons were stupefied, attempted multiple times to rush down and grab the Jade Needle Grass, but ultimately lacked the courage to act.

In the end, even the misty silhouette by the cold pool vanished.

Meanwhile, Chen Xu swiftly ascended the mountain with the hedgehog and mouse, no longer lingering by roadside scenery. Instead, he ascended using Wind Control, swiftly passing treacherous paths and perilous cliffs, reaching the summit to witness snow covering the green mountain.

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