Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 193 Wish - Rime
At dawn, Shen Anzhi stepped out of the tent, his boots crushing the last thin layer of ice. Looking up, the outline of the Great Snow Mountain unfolded before his eyes.

The main peak pierced the sky like a sharp sword, while the clouds swirling around its waist resembled a jade ribbon casually draped by a celestial being, shimmering with a mother-of-pearl luster in the morning light. She touched the precious mirror at her waist, and the reflection of the snow-capped mountain on its surface suddenly began to shimmer with tiny golden light, as if responding to her heartbeat.

“I heard that the entrance to the sacred mountain is hidden in the rime forest above the snow line.” Ge Wensong shook the snow off his cloak, and the ice crystals hanging from his hair reflected a seven-colored halo: “Sister Lingxuan said that it is a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges.”

Anzhi nodded, but his gaze was drawn to the rime forest in the distance. The entire forest seemed to be under a spell that froze time; every pine needle was wrapped in glistening icicles, and strings of ice beads hung from the branches, swaying gently in the mountain breeze and making a soft, clear sound.

Sunlight penetrates the ice, casting countless dappled patterns on the snow, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a fairytale world sculpted from crystal.

"Sister Anzhi, look!" Ge Wensong suddenly pointed to a huge rock at the edge of the forest, on which were carved mottled ancient seal script: "Where frost grows, wishes come true." As he turned his head, the ice crystals on his eyelashes landed on his cheek, like a handful of diamonds. "Legend has it that making a wish upon frost is especially effective, do you want to try it?"

Anzhi hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked to the tree. The cool mist seeped into her collar, but she was completely unaware. Images of black and white figures flashed through her mind, along with the ruins of Sanqing Mountain destroyed by the black python.

She closed her eyes, her fingertips gently touching the cold tree trunk: "May Tuan Tuan be safe and sound, may the Demon-Slaying Sword be found soon, may the Three Pure Ones Sect..."

"What do you wish for?" Ge Wensong's voice suddenly rang in her ears, startling her so much that she opened her eyes and took a half step back.

Ge Wensong was squatting in a snowdrift not far away, drawing something with a twig, his nose red from the cold: "I bet you're thinking about that little fat guy."

"And you?" Anzhi asked in return, only to see him hurriedly cover the drawing with snow, his ear tips turning a suspicious red.

"It's a secret." Ge Wensong stood up, shook the snow off his trousers, and suddenly pointed into the depths of the forest: "Look, the rime ice is glowing!"

Suddenly, the entire rime forest glowed with a soft blue light, the ice crystals swaying gently in the breeze like lit lanterns. Anzhi was mesmerized when she suddenly felt a warmth on her shoulder; Ge Wensong had draped his cloak over her shoulders. His fingertips brushed against her earlobe, carrying the coolness of the snow-capped mountains, yet causing her heart to flutter inexplicably.

In the afternoon, the sky suddenly darkened. The once light snowflakes became as thick as cotton wool, and the strong wind whipped up snow particles that lashed against the rocks, making a rustling sound.

Ge Wensong reached out to steady the swaying tree trunk, then suddenly pointed ahead and exclaimed, "Sister Anzhi, look!"

A blue, icy barrier stretched across the snow-covered forest, with frost crystals condensing into various strange patterns on it, sometimes transforming into a phoenix spreading its wings, and sometimes into a swimming spirit fish.

Anzhi took out the Five-Colored Treasure Mirror, and the mirror surface resonated with the barrier, shooting out a beam of light that pointed directly at the center of the barrier, where there was a snow-carved archway with the four ancient characters "Entrance to the Divine Mountain" engraved on the lintel.

“It’s a rime ice barrier.” Ge Wensong’s voice was filled with excitement: “Sister Lingxuan said that only those with pure hearts can see it.”

Before the words were even finished, the blizzard suddenly intensified. The wind howled like a ferocious beast, and the snow walls that rose up were as high as two people, threatening to engulf them. Ge Wensong reacted quickly, pulling Anzhi behind a boulder and shielding him from the oncoming wind and snow with his own body.

His cloak fluttered in the wind, like a sturdy shield keeping out the swirling snow.

"Don't be afraid." His voice came close to her ear, carrying a reassuring warmth: "I learned how to deal with avalanches in Huangshan. Let's stabilize ourselves first..."

Anzhi had never felt his presence so clearly before. The faint scent of pine wood on Ge Wensong mixed with the crispness of snow water, the warmth of his body through her thin clothes, and the strength with which he gripped her wrist—so firm, yet so careful.

She suddenly remembered the night in Yading Village when he stood by the campfire swatting away mosquitoes for her, the baked flatbread he always handed her when she was feeling down, and the light in his eyes when he talked about the sea of ​​clouds at Huangshan.

"Wen Song, thank you." An Zhi heard his own voice trembling in the wind and snow, yet it carried an unprecedented firmness. He seemed to understand the regrettable love story between Kui Ran and Kang Qing back then.

Ge Wensong was startled, and as he looked down, his gaze met hers. Snowflakes fell on her eyelashes, like scattered diamonds, making her eyes shine even brighter. He suddenly remembered her stubborn appearance by the Five-Colored Pool, where she exhausted her spiritual power to purify the water; he remembered the tenderness in her eyes as she stroked the bamboo woven fragments; he remembered the resolute determination in her fluttering robes as she danced with her sword.

"What are you saying?" Ge Wensong turned his face away, but the tips of his ears were red as if they were about to bleed: "We still have to go to Qiang City together, find Tuantuan together, and participate in the Qiang-Ge War together."

As the wind and snow gradually subsided, and the sunlight pierced through the clouds again, the two discovered that the barrier had quietly opened.

Deep within the rime forest, a path paved with ice crystals winds its way into the heart of the snow-capped mountains, where the golden corners of a palace can be faintly seen at the end. Anzhi stood up, but nearly fell due to being curled up for so long. Ge Wensong quickly supported her waist, then withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

"Be careful," Ge Wensong whispered, then took out a flatbread from his backpack and broke it in half. "Eat something first, the road ahead is still long."

When Anzhi took the cake, she noticed a fresh scratch on his fingertip, which must have been from when he was protecting her and got cut by the rocks. She suddenly remembered what he had said in Yading Village: "Once we get the Demon-Slaying Sword, we'll go find Tuantuan together and participate in the Qiang-Ge War." A soft spot in her heart was suddenly touched, like a stream thawing in spring, flowing with warm affection.

The frost gradually melted in the sunlight, turning into glistening water droplets. Anzhi watched Ge Wensong's retreating figure, seeing the snowflakes he kicked up as he broke the thin ice, seeing him occasionally turn back to check on her footsteps, seeing the icicles on the tips of his hair sparkle in the sunlight. She suddenly understood that some things had quietly changed in their time together—not dependence, not gratitude, but a tenderness that made her heart flutter whenever she thought of it.

"Wen Song," Shen Anzhi called softly, "Can you tell me what you just wished for?"

Ge Wensong paused, but did not turn around. His voice, carried by the mountain wind and mixed with the sound of melting glaciers in the distance, gently landed in her ear: "I will tell you after the Qiang-Ge War is won."

An Zhi smiled. Perhaps, the most universal thing in this world is never magic, but the human heart.