Proving Immortality Starting with Hextech Runes

A biting wind raged across the land.

As far as the eye could see, everything was covered in silver, except for the massive fortress standing at the edge of the ice field, which revealed a heavy and solid outline.

Yan Family Fortress, located in the far north of Nanjiang, was originally under the jurisdiction of the Golden Knife Sect.

After the Jin Dao Sect was destroyed, the far north was divided and devoured by various powerful local families.

The Yan family was one of the largest aristocratic families among them.

However, its base is located at the far north, at an extremely high altitude, and the roads along the way are winding.

Furthermore, activating the Flying Leaf Magic Treasure requires a considerable amount of spiritual energy, making it inevitable to stop and rest along the way.

Therefore, the journey from Hansongmen to Yanjiabao takes nearly two months.

At this moment, an ordinary-looking young man and a female Taoist priest dressed in a blue jacket and skirt stood in front of the gate of Yan Family Fort.

The city gates were wide open at that moment, and a long queue had formed in front of them.

"We've finally arrived at Yan Family Fort..." Qingling wrapped her blue jacket and skirt tighter around herself, her nose red from the cold.

She glanced at the slowly moving queue ahead and muttered to the gray-robed youth beside her:

"This far north is so cold! I feel like my spiritual energy is circulating much slower."

"After traveling for two months, I haven't even had a hot meal a few times, and I have to be constantly on guard against those petty thieves..."

"Sigh, I wonder if it was worth the trip for all those things Grandpa insisted on exchanging..."

Chen Xu listened to Qingling's incessant chatter and sighed helplessly.

After nearly two months of travel and getting to know each other, Chen Xu discovered that Qing Ling was an extremely talkative person, completely different from her aloof image when they first met.

Her mouth barely stopped moving the whole way.

Although they can be a bit noisy at times, their lively energy makes the journey less boring.

At this moment, Chen Xu replied calmly, "Alright, let's line up and go in first."

The two then moved to the end of the line.

The biting wind, carrying ice crystals, stung my face.

Qingling tightened the collar of her jacket and skirt again. As the number of cultivators around her suddenly increased, she regained her usual aloofness.

Chen Xu, standing behind Qing Ling, appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he had secretly released his divine sense to investigate.

After all, there are no Core Formation cultivators in this far north, so he doesn't need to worry about his divine sense being discovered.

Inside the Yan Family Fortress, the ground was covered with mysterious array patterns, providing a continuous source of heat.

The streets inside the fortress were well-planned, and a huge temporary canopy was erected in the square area, which was where the treasure exchange event was held.

The square was lined with stalls, creating a rather spectacular scene.

Suddenly, Chen Xu's divine sense spotted a black-robed cultivator in an inconspicuous corner at the edge of the square.

"That outfit...that imposing aura...isn't that the person in charge of the Dark Pavilion Trade Fair from before?"

Chen Xu was surprised and pondered to himself:

"No wonder the Dark Pavilion's trade fair was canceled without explanation this year; it turns out they've moved it to Yan Family Fort to hold a treasure exchange event..."

Just then, the black-robed cultivator seemed to sense something and was about to trace its source when he felt the divine sense disappear, so he had to give up.

He was displeased: "Hmph! I wonder which fellow Daoist has such an unruly divine sense; how rude!"

Outside the gates of Yanjiabao, Chen Xu withdrew his divine sense, and sighed inwardly:

"That black-robed cultivator's spiritual sense was actually much stronger than that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"If I hadn't hidden it in time, he probably would have found out..."

He secretly realized that he needed to be careful even when using his divine sense to probe before he had sufficient strength...

Soon, it was Qingling and Chen Xu's turn in the queue.

The Yan family cultivator guarding the gate, dressed in a thick fur coat, expressionlessly extended his palm: "Entry fee: ten low-grade spirit stones per person."

Chen Xu stepped forward, preparing to pay the spirit stones, but Qing Ling beat him to it.

After all, Qingyi had given Chen Xu a storage bag containing many good things, so he should pay for the twenty spirit stones.

However, since Qingling has already paid the spirit stones, then let it go.

With the spirit stones in hand, the gatekeeper nodded slightly and cleared the way.

Upon entering Yan Family Fortress, the two felt a gentle warmth rising from beneath their feet, slowly dispelling the chill.

"Phew... I'm finally alive!" Qingling exhaled a long breath of white air, and her cheeks, which had been frozen pale, began to warm up.

Chen Xu carefully sensed it for a moment and then said:

"It must be the effect of the earth fire combined with the formation; it will probably consume a considerable amount of spirit stones every day."

The streets inside Yanjiabao were wide and there were many pedestrians.

Led by Chen Xu, Qingling walked through several alleys and arrived at the square where the treasure exchange event was held.

"Huh?" Qingling followed closely behind Chen Xu, asking suspiciously, "Senior Brother Chen, why do you seem so familiar with this place?"

Chen Xu continued walking, his tone calm: "Most of the cultivators who come here are here for the Treasure Exchange Conference."

"I just randomly followed a cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Qingling suddenly realized, "Oh... I see."

Her attention was then drawn to a roadside stall selling spirit beast meat buns, and her eyes lit up:

"Those steamed buns smell so good! Shall we buy some to try after we exchange our things?"

The steamers on that stall were stacked high, emitting billowing steam.

The stall owner, a burly man wrapped in a thick animal skin coat, was calling out his wares:

"Hot, steaming snow-white meat buns! Three low-grade spirit stones each! They're warming, filling, and give you energy!"

At this moment, Chen Xu also smelled the aroma of the steamed buns, swallowed hard, and replied:

"The treasure exchange event hasn't started yet, but these steamed buns smell so tempting. Maybe I should buy some to warm myself up before going in..."

Qingling nodded repeatedly, speaking rapidly, "That's great, that's exactly what I was thinking!"

"Boss, give me... six! No, eight steamed buns!"

As she called out, she jogged to the stall and took out spirit stones from her storage bag.

The two held the hot buns wrapped in thick oil paper and ate them heartily, not caring that they were too hot.

The snow lion meat filling is a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, rich in fat, and bursts with juicy flavor with every bite, piping hot and fragrant.

The noodles, infused with the chewy aroma of wheat, instantly send a warm current through your body, bringing indescribable comfort.

Qingling squinted her eyes contentedly and mumbled indistinctly, "Mmm...so red!"

However, after a few bites of the hot buns, the warmth seemed a bit too much.

Both of them felt their skin burning slightly, as if they had drunk strong liquor.

"These snow-white pork buns are really satisfying..."

Chen Xu sighed inwardly, and his spiritual energy instinctively circulated through a small cycle, which slightly suppressed the burning sensation.

Meanwhile, Qingling's cheeks quickly flushed red.

She rubbed her burning cheeks with the back of her hand, her voice slightly breathless: "This steamed bun... how come it has such a strong aftereffect? ​​It's even more potent than Grandpa's spirit wine..."

Chen Xu's gaze lingered on her flushed cheeks for a moment, then he said calmly:

"Snowy creatures are known for their dryness, so the fillings used in the steamed buns made here to ward off the cold must also be quite potent."

"It's alright, try circulating your spiritual energy through a few small cycles, that should alleviate the symptoms..."