Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

The group walked out towards the light of day, and the sight before them startled them.

This place is a completely different world from the lush greenery on the cliff top; what comes into view is an endless expanse of ice and snow.

The three of them remained silent throughout the journey; the only sound was the soft crunch of their shoes on the snow.

The ice and snow on the road were very thick. Yu Luoning slipped and stepped on a raised patch of snow, causing her to fall backward uncontrollably.

When people are panicked, their hands will instinctively reach out and grab at each other in mid-air.

And this grab, perfectly positioned, caught Shi Shangxu by the sleeve.

With a bang.

Yu Luoning slammed into Shi Shangxu again, and the air became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Cui Xiu stopped and stared coldly at the two people lying in the snow, a beautiful and affectionate scene. The veins on her forehead throbbed twice.

He strode forward and unceremoniously pulled Yu Luoning up.

Shi Shangxu, oblivious to his own situation, looked on with worry, "Is Ningning alright? Did she hurt herself?"

Yu Luoning patted the snow off her clothes, shook her head repeatedly, and muttered somewhat embarrassedly, "Don't ask me anymore, did you hurt yourself? Why did I use you as a cushion again?"

Seeing her embarrassed expression, Shi Shangxu smiled slightly. His smile was like a spring breeze, instantly melting away the surrounding ice and snow. "It's alright, I'm strong, it doesn't hurt."

An untimely sneer abruptly broke the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.

Cui Xiu crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "You can't even walk steadily. You're really stupid."

Immediately afterward, Cui Xiuling's gaze fell directly on Shi Shangxu, "And you, you're usually the closest to her, why didn't you properly supervise her cultivation? If it were me teaching her, I would have already used rare and precious materials to help her reach the Golden Core stage. Why is she unable to even maintain her balance on an icy snowy path?"

Cui Xiu's sarcastic remarks instantly froze the atmosphere.

Yu Luoning turned her eyes to the side and glared at him angrily.

That's really like bringing up a sore spot; his cousin comes from a poor family.

He himself couldn't even produce many rare and precious materials. These words were a real blow to Shi Shangxu.

At this moment, Shi Shangxu's gentle expression did not fade; his long eyelashes drooped down, casting a faint shadow on his eyelids.

He raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting Cui Xiu's cold stare.

He said, "Senior, I don't quite agree with what you said. The path of cultivation is like climbing a treacherous peak. If one only seeks shortcuts and tries to force growth, even if one's realm increases, one's state of mind will not match it, and it will eventually leave hidden dangers. Ningning's foundation is solid now, and she is taking one step at a time. This is the right path to seeking immortality."

Cui Xiu frowned, clearly disdainful of this argument.

Seeing this, Yu Luoning immediately stood up to defend Shi Shangxu, nodding repeatedly, "That's right, we mortals have to take things one step at a time, unlike you, who were born with extraordinary talents."

At this point, she lowered her head again and muttered a complaint, "Confucius had seventy-two disciples, but not all of them became outstanding or achieved great success."

Seeing her standing with Shi Shangxu, Cui Xiu felt extremely irritated, and her tone was full of impatience, "What are you muttering to yourself with your head down?"

Yu Luoning immediately raised her head and said loudly and firmly, "I'm saying that I'm very satisfied with my current cultivation progress. I won't allow you to talk about him like that!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ice and snow seemed to freeze for a moment.

Cui Xiu's body stiffened abruptly. He stared intently at Yu Luoning, his deep-sea purple agate pupils filled with a chilling coldness.

After a long while, Cui Xiu gave a short, mocking laugh, then looked away from the two of them.

"Very well, you two are deeply in love, then pour out your hearts to each other in this freezing weather. I'm leaving, I won't get in your way."

After saying that, Cui Xiu turned around abruptly and stepped into the vast snowstorm ahead without looking back.

Yu Luoning felt a tightness in her chest when she saw him walking alone into the snow.

This guy is also carrying a bad luck buff; what if something unexpected really happens to him?

It's infuriating that they all take advantage of her soft heart.

Shi Shangxu gently placed his hand on her shoulder and said softly, "Ningning, don't worry, let's follow them. This place is eerie, so let's try not to go alone."

Yu Luoning nodded, and the two of them followed behind Cui Xiu.

However, the deeper one goes into the ice field, the more drastically the surrounding temperature drops.

The cold wind blew straight into their bones, and without the protection of spiritual energy, the group could only rely on their willpower to endure it.

The mouse on Yu Luoning's shoulder was shivering from the cold, its soft fur covered with a layer of white frost.

It exhaled, rubbed its little paws, pointed to a huge ice peak at the end of the ice field, and said, "Master, the Nine Nether Cauldron is at the highest point of that ice peak."

Seeing that the mouse was frozen and turning purple, Yu Luoning immediately put it back into her spatial jade bracelet.

She squinted at the distance, feeling that the icy peaks were unreachable.

She couldn't help but let out a long sigh. "I wonder how long it will take to get there. What kind of place is this? Why is it so eerie?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Cui Xiu stopped in front of her, without turning around, and said in a low voice, "This is not the real world, it is the illusion of inner demons."

Shi Shangxu and Yu Luoning looked at him in surprise.

Shi Shangxu stepped forward and asked in a gentle voice, "Senior, are you familiar with the Nine Netherworld Cauldron?"

Cui Xiu replied arrogantly, "Of course I know, but I'm not going to say it."

Shi Shangxu: "..."

Yu Luoning gently tugged at Shi Shangxu's sleeve and shook her head at him.

Cui Yaojing was still angry, and for now, they could only wait for him to calm down on his own.

The three continued their journey toward the ice peak despite the wind and snow. Each step required a great deal of effort, and the thick snow completely submerged their calves.

Yu Luoning glanced at Cui Xiu, who was walking at the front. She saw his wide robes, like purple clouds, fluttering in the cold wind, forming a barrier behind him that subtly shielded her from most of the cold wind.

The old saying is true: you can't judge a person by what they say; you have to see what they do.

Cui Xiu is a typical example of someone who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Just now she had a cold face, but her actions revealed her unconcealed concern.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Yu Luoning spotted a natural snow cave hidden under the thick snow.

She pointed to the snow cave and called out, "There's a cave over there. The snowstorm is too heavy; let's rest for the night before we continue!"

Cui Xiu paused, ignored her, and continued walking forward.

Seeing this, Yu Luoning hung his head in dejection.

Shi Shangxu looked up at the swirling snow in front of him and said gently, "Ningning, the snow is bad for your health. I'll go to the snow cave to start a fire and wait for you."

After saying that, he gave Cui Xiu a deep look, then turned and walked towards the snow cave.

Yu Luoning paused for a moment, her eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded.

Without thinking twice, Yu Luoning rushed forward and grabbed Cui Xiu's hand.

Cui Xiu's hands were as cold as iron, but Yu Luoning took them in her palms without hesitation and rubbed them against her chest.

"Oh dear, your hands are all frozen. Let me warm them up for you."

Cui Xiu scoffed, "Who needs you to warm me up? It's my own business if I freeze to death, why are you meddling?"

"Of course I couldn't bear to see you cold, don't be angry. It's all my fault, I didn't treat you equally. With both husbands by my side, I acted foolishly and neglected my little Cui. I'm so sorry."

I have now deeply reflected on my mistakes, and I hope you will be magnanimous and give me a chance to make amends.

Yu Luoning tilted her head slightly, blinked her eyes, and looked very obedient.

Cui Xiu's violet-like face softened with a dark glow, and she smiled enigmatically, "Two husbands? You must have miscounted."

If it were an ordinary person, being mocked and ridiculed like this twice in a row would probably have left them feeling embarrassed and ashamed.

Yu Luoning didn't take it to heart at all. He was in the wrong anyway, and when it's time to coax a man, you have to be shameless.

Neither of them was willing to back down, and even the best relationship could only end in disappointment.

Her smile remained unchanged. Instead of letting go, she held his cold hand and pressed it directly against her warm neck.

The moment their skin touched, Choi Soo's jaw suddenly tightened, and her slender fingers trembled uncontrollably.

The warmth from his palm was so intense it made his eyelids twitch violently.

"Let go!" Cui Xiu said coldly.

"I won't loosen my grip unless you come back to the cave with me to rest."

Noticing that Cui Xiu's originally stiff body had loosened up a bit, Yu Luoning took advantage of the situation, opened her arms and wrapped them around his lean waist, burying her face in his broad chest and rubbing against him.

"Oh, you fairy, you are truly the fairy who torments my life."