Arrival at the Frozen Cloud Asgard
Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue stumbled out of the high-speed transfer, both looking pale and slightly green.
Jaune had brought them along using a terrifying application of his Golden Lightning Aura combined with a high-speed movement technique, an ability he named Thunder Breathing.
They had covered what should have been a journey of several months in just a few dizzying days.
"That was too fast..."
Chu Yueli muttered, clutching her stomach.
The efficiency was undeniable, but the experience was profoundly unpleasant.
They had arrived at the Frozen Cloud Asgard, a legendary sect built on a massive, perpetually snow-covered mountain peak.
"This place is too cold…"
Jaune commented, his breath misting heavily.
Even with the internal heat generation of his Flood Dragon God Physical Body, the extreme, concentrated Yin energy of the sect's environment made him feel a subtle chill.
As he was about to take another step forward, he was stopped by a voice as sharp and brittle as ice.
"This place does not welcome outsiders. Halt your advance."
Jaune looked up and saw another beautiful woman floating gracefully in the air before them.
This was Murong Qianxue, an equally powerful elder of Frozen Cloud Asgard, maintaining the perimeter defenses.
Jaune looked to Chu Yueli and Xia Qingyue for guidance.
Chu Yueli nodded and stepped forward, her respect for Jaune outweighing the sect's rules.
"Qianxue, he is my guest. I have something of absolute importance to speak with the Matriarch quickly,"
Chu Yueli stated firmly.
Murong Qianxue shook her head, her face implacable.
"You know the rules, Yueli. We can't let a man inside our sect. He can wait here, and you must go ask for permission from the Matriarch."
"I can't do that,"
Chu Yueli refused, her tone leaving no room for argument.
This surprised Murong Qianxue.
She had assumed Jaune was a young master from a powerful, arrogant sect whom Yueli couldn't outright refuse.
But now, she saw that the opposite was true: Chu Yueli was utterly nervous, clearly unwilling to risk offending the young man.
"It's okay, Miss Chu,"
Jaune interjected with a sigh. He came to finish a job, not to fight sect rules.
"I can wait here. I didn't want to go inside such a cold place anyway."
Seeing that he didn't mind the wait, Chu Yueli quickly rushed inside the sect to tell the Matriarch about Jaune's power and the massive, profit-laden offer he represented.
Xia Qingyue didn't follow her master. Instead, she stood near Jaune, subtly trying to ensure his comfort.
"You don't have to do that,"
Jaune told her gently.
"I already told you everything you needed to know. Just focus on cultivating. Sooner or later, with effort, you will reach that place."
To combat the intense chill, Jaune reached into his inventory and brought out a futuristic electric boiling pot.
He used a tiny, controlled spark of Golden Lightning from his Aura to boil water quickly, then prepared a rich, steaming mug of hot marshmallow cocoa.
He gave one cup to Xia Qingyue.
She accepted it hesitantly; she had never drunk anything remotely like it.
The rich sweetness and the intense, foreign warmth were a profound shock to her senses.
"In the future, will you go to the Realm of Gods to open your shop there?"
Xia Qingyue asked, her mind already focusing on the business opportunity.
The question was astute.
The Realm of Gods would undoubtedly be filled with rich, powerful entities.
Opening a shop there might yield unimaginable profit, easily dwarfing the gains he was making here.
"Maybe, but not right now,"
Jaune replied honestly.
He needed far more power and gold coins before he dared step foot into a Divine Realm.
Xia Qingyue nodded, a fire rekindling in her eyes.
At least there was a chance. A new thought struck her: perhaps she could ask him to open his shop branch inside the Frozen Cloud Asgard, making their sect the beneficiary of his treasures.
She sipped her cocoa, the warmth a strange comfort against the immense, chilling power of her own destiny.