"Sky-Piercer Peak," Lin Fan stated, pointing to a forbiddingly blank area on the sect map, marked only by jagged contour lines and ominous symbols indicating extreme weather. "The library records are sparse, mostly cautionary tales. It technically falls within the outer perimeter claimed by the sect, but no one actually goes there. Too high, too cold, too dangerous."
He tapped the map again. "Altitude exceeds thirty thousand zhang. That means thin air, violent storms, and extreme cold capable of freezing even a Foundation Establishment cultivator solid within hours if unprepared. The spiritual energy is thin and chaotic, making flight difficult and draining near the summit. And because it borders the wild lands..." he trailed off, letting the implication hang. High-level, undocumented beasts were a distinct possibility.
This expedition was, in many ways, even more perilous than the Ghost Market or the Dragon-Locking Pool. Those were dangers within a known system. This was venturing into the truly unknown, racing against a celestial clock.
Lin Fan wasted no time. The next four days were a blur of intense, specialized preparation. He raided his own meticulously organized, hoarded collection of miscellaneous materials – beast furs acquired ages ago for unknown future needs, cold-resistant minerals chipped from cavern walls during unrelated excursions, fragments of failed warming arrays.
He worked with focused intensity, crafting their gear:
Extreme Cold Gear: He layered thick, windproof cloaks made from Snow Ape fur over inner robes embedded with low-level, long-duration Warming Talismans. He fashioned boots lined with insulating fire-rat pelts and gloves that allowed for fine motor control while resisting frostbite. Even their copper masks were modified with an inner layer of warming runes.
Climbing Equipment: Standard ropes were useless in potential ice storms. He forged crampons and ice picks from a dense, non-spiritual alloy he'd created, designed for grip on sheer ice and rock. He included specialized pitons and anchoring hooks.
Wind Resistance: He created several heavy-duty 'Wind-Breaking Amulets', designed to create a small pocket of relative calm around the wearer, crucial for maintaining stability during flight in the upper altitudes and during the violent storms the peak was known for.
Collection Vessels: Finding a container pure enough to hold Lunar Essence Dew without contaminating it was critical. Lin Fan located several pristine, uncarved blocks of thousand-year-old Ice Jade within the miscellaneous items Yue Qingqian had 'borrowed' during her deep storage 'meditation'. He carefully hollowed them out, creating several small, exquisitely cold jade vials, sealing them with stoppers made from purified Moonstone – perfect yin-attribute containers.
Enhanced Concealment: He modified their Breath-Concealing Pearls, recalibrating them to better mimic the thin, chaotic spiritual energy signature of the high-altitude environment, making them less like stagnant water and more like the howling wind itself.
Yue Qingqian assisted where she could, primarily by keeping watch and ensuring their master remained undisturbed. Lin Fan checked on Daoist Wuwei twice a day, subtly replenishing the Dream Lily pollen in a specially designed slow-release incense burner near the rocking chair. The master slept soundly, a faint, peaceful smile on his face, oblivious to the life-or-death preparations happening just outside his door. Lin Fan averted his gaze quickly after each check, the quiet deception a necessary but uncomfortable weight.
On the fifth day, Lin Fan deemed their preparations complete. They were as ready as they could be to face the vertical, frozen wilderness. Their emergency supplies were restocked, escape talismans replenished, and the single-use teleportation glyphs felt heavy in their pouches.
"The celestial alignment begins tomorrow night," Lin Fan said, looking up at the sky, his eyes calculating the precise trajectory of the moon and stars based on the ancient texts. "The Blood Moon peak, coinciding with the Triple Conjunction, will occur roughly three hours after midnight, lasting for less than an hour. We need to be at the summit, ready to collect, during that exact window. Travel time is estimated at twelve hours each way, assuming minimal delays."
He looked at Yue Qingqian. "We leave tonight, just after moonset. Maximum stealth protocols. We fly low, following the western ridge line, staying clear of all known patrol routes and sect outposts. Once we cross the Cloud-Sea border into the untamed peaks, we are truly on our own."
The final hours passed in tense silence. They ate a high-energy meal, performed a final check of their gear, and secured Xiao Xiao Peak under its maximum automated defense settings. The sleeping form of Daoist Wuwei was left secure in the rocking chair, a silent guardian of an empty home.
Just after the moon dipped below the horizon, plunging the mountains into deep shadow, two figures, bundled against a non-existent chill and masked against recognition, slipped silently from the edge of the Ninth Peak. They didn't soar high, instead hugging the contours of the mountains, two fleeting shadows racing against time towards the distant, storm-wreathed giant that pierced the heavens – Sky-Piercer Peak. The air grew colder, the landscape more desolate, with every li they flew. The true test had begun.