Shanhai and Dai Luan walked in this mountain peak for five days.

The days of returning to the wild are not so easy. They fled in a hurry, unprepared, and could only try to live with what they had on their back. The warm whirlpool of the sea carried them to the caverns below the mountainside. The cave was very humid and warm, and there were a lot of glowing plants growing in it, which made Shanhai feel like he was back in the cave of Xuanzhen Town at a certain moment, but unfortunately he knew that it was not. After the two went out, the temperature suddenly dropped a lot, and they couldn't help but shiver at the same time. And it seemed that the clouds appeared halfway up the mountainside, and although they were not at the root of the mountain, they were still far away.

In the days that followed, they climbed all the way up with winter clothes that they had only added once. You can eat by digging wild vegetables or setting traps to catch small animals. Shanhai is sometimes surprised by these tricks that Dai Luan is proficient in, compared to the daughter who grew up in the boudoir, she is more like a wild girl who goes up and down the mountain, which is a good thing. And the yin-yang technique made it easy to make fire and draw water, and the first two days, life was quite good.

Dai Luan had a rusty dagger in her hand, and she said that Tang Huailan gave it to her casually. Shanhai was afraid that she would be in danger, so she pinned it on herself, and it was very convenient to cut some necessary things along the way. She probably didn't expect that this unintentional move would save the master and apprentice some trouble. For her and Tang Tianlan, they can neither like nor hate her. In their eyes, those two people are like countless passers-by, everything they do is to make a living, and there is nothing wrong with that.

As for Tang He, Shanhai is not easy to evaluate. He always felt that everything he did was purposeful, and that they didn't exist independently. Behind all these details, it seems that there is an unknown behemoth lurking in the shadows. But it's just a feeling, it doesn't mean much. If he could, he wouldn't want to have any more contact with him, and his friends better not either.

The days that followed began to be difficult. The higher they walked, the colder the air became, and their limited clothing could hardly withstand the cold of the mountains. This kind of cold is not simply cold, it penetrates through clothing, penetrates the skin, and no matter how tightly it is covered, it cannot be stopped. There is also less water and plants, and the few animals are more alert, and they are hungry and full.

But you can raise your head, there is still a long way to go from the long sea of clouds.

Dai Luan may have suffered from the wind chill and coughed incessantly, perhaps because of the thin air. The mountains and seas were fine, but her heartbeat became very fast, and her breathing became heavier. From time to time, she was sleepy and afraid to sleep. Shanhai felt a little hot when he touched her forehead. But Dai Luan eased up a little, and the low-grade fever subsided. It's not a way to do it back and forth, but she doesn't say a word about giving up.

She must be very uncomfortable, Shanhai thought, both physically and mentally.

The Cloud Outer Mirror, even if you just hear its name, you think that it is an artifact magic weapon beyond the Nine Heavens, how can it be something that mortals can easily obtain. It's not the first time that Rin Yamakai feels that he is inadequate, but this time, he feels extremely powerless.

On the sixth day, he had to walk with Dai Luan on his back.

He has lived in the thin air all the year round, and he has done rough work, and it is not difficult to carry a teenage girl, but he didn't expect the medicine box to be heavy. But even if it doesn't add up, it's not too heavy, and for him, something heavier weighs on his heart, making him feel like he has trouble breathing like Ah Luan.

The clouds are just around the corner. There was already a thin fog around him, very hazy and very cool. I can feel the coolness but not freeze. There was a lot of snow on the road, and he often felt cold under his feet. But even if he froze, he didn't say a word, just gritted his teeth and continued walking.

He recalled the time when he was a child, when he was rescued by Jiyue-kun. There was more snow and thicker, making him step on the air with one foot. Although the snow is not so heavy this time, Jiyue-kun may not appear.

It seems that Shanhai has not seen him for a long time.

When Dai Luan felt better, she made trouble, dangled on his back, made him unable to carry it, and then walked on his own. But usually you don't have to walk long and then you have to rest and let the master pick it up again. At noon, the sky was covered with bits and pieces of snow. Dai Luan stretched out her hand on his back, caught a little snowflake, and sighed.

"Let's go back."

Shanhai knew that she didn't mean to give up. In the past few days, she has never shown the slightest reluctance, but is more positive than him, who has a lot of concerns. So she said these things now, firstly, because she didn't want to trouble Shanhai anymore, and secondly, because she had to adjust her countermeasures.

"Good. Now? If I wanted to go back, I would have turned around. ”

“…… Think about it. ”

Shanhai stopped, raised his face, and felt the coldness of the snowflakes falling on his face, and the heat of Ah Luan's breathing. Snow isn't the coldest, melting snow is. By the time the snow stopped, it would be either afternoon or tomorrow morning, and it would be too cold to hold it down—at least not enough to keep them out of the cold, and not enough to eat.

After being silent for a while, Dai Luan still didn't think about it. Shanhai knew her temperament, but he didn't persuade her directly, but said:

"We were in a hurry, unprepared, reckless, and a little inconsiderate. It would be better to leave the green hills and go down to find some villages, or warmer places to reinvigorate. By the way, I can also inquire about the cloud mirror. ”

"Isn't this main peak in the middle of the Juan Yun Mountain Range? Over here...... Will there really be a village, will someone come? Mountains and seas, you know, we haven't seen the slightest shadow of human activity until now. ”

They all stopped talking. The snow continued unabated, and it even fell a little heavier. This made Luan sneeze.

"Let's take another look and go down the mountain. We're almost in the clouds. ”

She compromised. After all, she is not stupid, and she will not really drag a fragile body to the master. She was anxious at first, trying to find the cloud mirror as soon as possible. Now, for her, for them, the Cloud Outer Mirror has long had nothing to do with the lost Ten Thousand Ghost Will, but has become a symbol of Shi Wuqi and Mu Wan's safety.

Mountains and seas are in favor. Dai Luan jumped off his back again and walked on her own. She was a little more energetic than before, perhaps because she knew the deadline for the next step and had some hope. The snow doesn't get heavier anymore, it just keeps falling. They walked for a while, until when they were actually in the vast sea of clouds, it was already dusk.

During the demon season, it was quiet and terrible, and the snow stopped. The clouds wrapped around their eyes, and the two clasped each other's hands. The sun sets, dyeing the clouds and mist in this area golden yellow from the side, like being in a wheat field, giving people the illusion of warmth and harvest.

At least the fleeting joy was real.

The snow on the ground was also shining with crystalline and sparkling light, as if a tiny broken diamond had been sprinkled into it and covered with snow. The master and apprentice knew very well that looking for a cloud mirror here was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack and an iron tree blooming. The fatigue of the past few days has completely awakened them from their panic, and their mentality has been sharpened a lot.

"Let's go." Shanhai said, squatting down and letting her come up.

Dai Luan didn't have the strength to lose her temper, so she obediently came up. She was really tired, but also relieved. Although there is still a long way to go in the whole sea of clouds, climbing the peak is never to conquer, but only to prove that you have come.

And then there is.

It was dark, and the sun was setting quickly. In the last glow, Shanhai decided to take a few more steps and find a relatively safe place to rest. It is said that it is easy to go up the mountain and difficult to go down, which is true. First of all, the body is already tired, and secondly, the road down the mountain is steeper than going up, and you should pay more attention to the footing. Finally, the road he came from was covered with a new layer of snow, so he couldn't tell the path he had walked, and he had to go back by feeling.

It was darker, and strange bird chirpings could be heard in the distance. They may be home, or they may be hunting at night. But it didn't matter, he just wanted to find a hiding place as soon as possible, so that he could recuperate and make sure the two of them left safely.

It was completely dark around him, he had a bag on his arm, and Dai Luan in the other hand, unable to use magic to make a fire. He didn't dare to slow down, his eyes widened in the dark night, and he tried to move forward by the reflection of the snow. Feeling the stones to cross the river is probably what it feels like. He didn't want to gamble, but they returned too late to delay for a moment.

The more anxious you are, the more chaotic the rhythm becomes. He suddenly stepped on a piece of frozen snow, his feet slipped, and the whole person fell sideways. Dai Luan fell off his back and slid down the steep terrain. For a moment, she screamed in panic, struggling to stop. But it's like falling into quicksand, the more you move, the faster you slide. Shanhai wanted to stand up and stop her, but just now he seemed to have sprained his foot, and he couldn't use his strength at all, and he almost rolled down with her.

Then, there's a cut of cliff.

It all happened too fast – or logically, but never as a matter of course. Shanhai made a strong move with the other foot, and jumped farther than Ah Luan and closer to the cliff by relying on light skills. He grabbed a piece of dead vines on the ground with one hand, and dragged the apprentice with the other. The two of them are still sliding, but the mountains and seas are one step closer to danger.

They fell off the cliff, clutching the dead vines tightly in their hands. The vine was fairly sturdy, but not long enough, and it quickly stopped. The inertia made him shudder, and the dead vines crackled on the sharp edge of the cliff.

Shanhai threw Dai Luan up hard, but he couldn't do it, Ah Luan only grabbed a section above him, and there was still a distance from above. With such a tug, the vines sounded again.

"Can you climb up?!" He shouted below, and clouds of snow and rubble fell on his face.

"No, not really!"

Dai Luan's voice was a little crying. He had barely heard her cry, and was a little anxious now.

It was too dark for them to see clearly. Dai Luan used both hands and feet, desperately holding on to this life-saving straw. In the past, when she had the courage and vitality, she might be able to climb up, but now the situation is too bad for her to move. Shanhai glanced at the front of him, this cliff is so dead that it is concave inward, he can't kick on the cliff at all, otherwise he can jump up and pull her in pain.

"What should I do......" The sick and weak Dai Luan even had a problem holding on to the rope, she asked for help, "Shanhai, Shanhai, you must have a way." What to do, what should we do now......"

Shanhai looked at the unreachable cliff in front of him, and at this time, the edge of the cliff above was like a knife, and the dead vines were cut deep again. The weight of the two of them could not last much longer.

He raised his head and glanced at the full moon, which he couldn't help; He lowered his head, and under his feet was an abyss that the moonlight could not reach.

“…… Well, I have a way. ”

As he spoke, Shanhai pulled out the dagger on his waist.

Dai Luan probably sensed something, and as soon as she looked down, she saw a short knife that was particularly dazzling in the moonlight, and even the rust was clearly visible. She panicked, but didn't dare to struggle, just shouted hoarsely.

"What for! What are you doing? Stop! We have a way, there must be another way, mountains and seas, listen to me......"

Shanhai didn't look at her, but seriously sawed the dry vines, and said to himself:

"Ah Luan, you listen to me too—you have to live."

"Don't, you threw the knife away, I'm not kidding you! Stop, mountain ......"

- Master.

After the clear and crisp cracking sound, only the heart-rending echo of Dai Luan was left in the valley, stacked layer upon layer.

That should have been the first time she had called Master to him.