The eighteen hours spent in the glacial basin were a grueling test of endurance and patience. The wind never ceased its relentless howl, tearing at their small snow trench, threatening to bury them in drifts. The cold was a physical presence, constantly probing for weaknesses in their warming arrays and insulated gear. Sleep was fitful, achieved only through deep meditative breathing techniques Lin Fan had taught Yue Qingqian to conserve energy and maintain focus.
Lin Fan rarely rested. He spent most of the time outside the trench, braving the biting wind, constantly observing the sky through gaps in the swirling clouds, his spiritual sense mapping the chaotic energy flows around the peak. He checked their equipment repeatedly – the ropes, the ice picks, the jade vials for collection, and especially the delicate timing mechanisms linked to the celestial charts he had memorized.
He noted the increasing frequency of minor avalanches on the surrounding cliffs, triggered by the unstable energy and the mountain's own groaning adjustments. He also detected the fleeting auras of several powerful, high-altitude beasts circling far above, drawn perhaps by the impending celestial event or simply patrolling their territory. None approached their basin directly, likely deterred by the peak's inherent hostility or Lin Fan's subtle, passive 'threat-deterrent' runes placed around their camp.
Yue Qingqian, when not resting, practiced the erratic breathing technique, further attuning her aura to the chaotic environment. She also reviewed the mental blueprint of the final stages of the teleportation array, visualizing the complex energy flows, trying to understand the principles even if she couldn't yet replicate the construction.
As the designated time approached, the sky began to change. Even through the thick cloud cover, a strange, ethereal luminescence started to filter down. The howling wind took on a deeper, resonant pitch, as if the mountain itself was vibrating in anticipation. Lin Fan checked his celestial charts, etched onto a frost-resistant metal plate.
"The conjunction is beginning," he announced, his voice tight against the roar of the wind. "The Blood Moon eclipse will commence in approximately two hours. We need to move now if we want to reach the summit before the peak intensity."
He looked up at the terrifying, storm-shrouded summit looming above them, invisible yet palpably present. "The final ascent will be the hardest. We climb. Flight is too unstable and exposes us. Stick close, follow my exact path, and conserve your energy."
They secured their gear, ensuring every buckle was tight, every rope coiled correctly. They performed a final check on their warming talismans and Wind-Breaking Amulets.
Lin Fan took the lead, driving an ice pick into the sheer wall of ice and rock that formed the basin's upper edge. He tested its hold, then began to climb, his movements economical and certain despite the bulky gear. Yue Qingqian followed, mimicking his movements precisely, her innate physical grace, honed by years of sword training (even if she didn't use it), adapting quickly to the demands of the vertical ascent.
The climb was brutal. The ice was treacherous, sometimes brittle, sometimes deceptively slick. Gusts of wind, far stronger than in the basin, slammed into them without warning, threatening to tear them from their holds. Visibility was often reduced to mere feet as thick, icy clouds swept across the mountainside.
They ascended into the heart of the storm that perpetually shrouded the summit. The air grew thinner, making each breath a conscious effort. Ice shards, driven by hurricane-force winds, hammered against them relentlessly. Lin Fan navigated by instinct, by the subtle shifts in the rock face he could feel through his gloves, and by the occasional glimpse of a specific rock formation revealed by a momentary gap in the clouds.
Higher and higher they climbed, into a realm where only the hardiest beasts and the maddest cultivators would dare to venture. Above them, unseen through the storm, the celestial alignment was reaching its climax. The Blood Moon was beginning to cast its eerie, crimson glow upon the churning clouds. The air itself began to thrum with a strange, potent energy – the pure, condensed power of yin-aligned celestial bodies, focused by the conjunction onto this single, highest point.
They were nearing the summit, just as the heavens prepared to weep their impossible dew.