Chapter 66 Winter silently spread from the ground...

Large swaths of withered roots silently spread from the ground, bursting through the soil, piercing the twisted body, taking root in flesh and blood, greedily absorbing nutrients.

Shi Wenxue heard the veins on the back of her hand suddenly bulge, and she cried out in pain. Her gasps and gasps stimulated Qin Wenxue, whose body trembled and whose eyes had a faint black shadow, making her look particularly ghostly.

Qin Wenxue's condition seemed very strange, like the calm before a storm. Shi Wenzhe strained his throat but couldn't make a sound, and his body swayed reflexively, as if he were about to die. Even in this state, she still managed to spare some attention to take care of Qin Wenxue, and a dense, aching pain spread through my heart.

Shi Wenzhe asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you...?"

Qin Wenxue's eyes followed the movement of her lips as they opened and closed, but she remained silent.

Shi Wenzhe closed her eyes tightly, her expression pained, tears streaming down her face. She took a few deep breaths and said softly, "I'm fine...don't worry."

Qin Wenxue remained oblivious, but the double image in her eyes became more pronounced, like two suns devouring each other in the sky.

Shi Wenzhe grabbed the other's cold hand and said weakly, "Qin Wenxue... wake up."

As the light in Shi Wenzhe's eyes gradually disappeared, the snow falling from the sky grew heavier. She thought silently, "I think I'm really about to die, but this snow is so beautiful. Qin Wenxue has the ability to summon wind and snow; this must be the snow he sent for her."

The heavy snowfall was about to cover up all the unpleasantness and filth of this place, and I could hear my fingers gradually getting cold and my strength waning.

With her last ounce of strength, she gazed intently at Qin Wenxue, her eyes devout and unwilling to look away, as if she wanted to memorize his entire face, etch it into her soul, and carry that memory to meet him again in the next life.

The ticking of a clock echoed in her mind, crisp and clear. Shi Wenzhe even felt the rustling of electricity, like white noise. They attacked her brain in a duet-like manner, and frame by frame, all the scenes of Shi Wenzhe's journey appeared on her pupils, like a fleeting glance.

Shi Wenzhe listened quietly, reminiscing, and in the midst of the heavy snowfall, amidst the cold fragrance of the fresh snow, he began to lose consciousness.

Everything that followed seemed to fade into a blur; she could no longer remember what had happened.

The sight of Qin Wenxue's lonely figure was so stimulating that she couldn't bear to close her eyes. However, she couldn't stop her soul from leaving her body, and the loss of body temperature made her realize that everything was irreversible. The tree roots in her blood vessels were ugly, and perhaps her face was covered with moss, very ugly. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep.

Thirteen Springs moved like a dragon, weaving around the group. Linglong seemed to say something... When Shi Wenzhe listened intently, he heard a deep, muffled voice: "It's a success."

He seemed to have finally achieved his long-cherished wish, laughing like a madman in a terrifying and manic way.

Her fingertips felt the cool, smooth touch of Wusheng. She kneaded and rubbed it for a while, then got tired and started kneading again, then got tired again, repeating the cycle like a prank. She opened her mouth and struggled to make a sound, but the words "Qinwenxue" in her throat had no chance to be uttered before she was plunged into darkness, unable to see the light.

There is a mysterious place in the Wuwang Sea, where a layer of fog shrouds the sky all year round, blocking out the sun. Ships that sail through this sea area seem to be trapped by ghosts and cannot pass through it. Many fishermen have disappeared because of this, and many terrifying stories have been passed down among the people.

People often avoid talking about that sea area, as if uttering a single word would lead to being haunted by that nightmarish sea and losing their lives.

In fact, if they were a little bolder, bypassed the outer layer of fog, and went a little further in, they would have seen a paradise-like place.

Unknown Winter is located in the very center of that sea area. The seawater is as blue as if it had been washed clean, and the white clouds are reflected on the surface of the sea, just like two sides of a mirror. If you don't look closely, it looks like it is floating in mid-air, surrounded by white clouds, with a fairy-like atmosphere, like a fairy mountain.

The winter was vast, surrounded by mountains on all sides, but in the center lay a basin with an endless sea of ​​flowers. Wangdi Mountain was the highest and most precipitous mountain, covered with lush trees. As far as the eye could see, the canopy of trees blocked out the sun, and no living creatures could be seen in the mountains. But it was in these forests that the carefree demon race lived, oblivious to the passage of time. Chang Hong ascended to heaven here, and Qin Wenxue and Linglong were born here.

No matter how big the winter is, it is still just an island. Logically speaking, Linglong and Qin Wenxue are related in some way, and Qin Wenxue must have heard of Linglong's deeds.

But perhaps Linglong took human form too early and left the unknown winter for far too long, so long that Qinwenxue had never heard of her since her birth, though a legend often circulated in Yunmengze.

Legend has it that there was a bird in the Unknown Winter with profound cultivation, the exact extent of which was unknown. However, it was said to be the second demon after Chang Hong to have the potential to ascend to immortality. After Chang Hong's ascension, the bird broke through the barrier on the mountains surrounding the Unknown Winter and flew to the Zhaoyao Continent. On Zhaoyao, it trampled on the human race, commanded the wind and rain, and was unparalleled in the world, becoming their secret idol.

The little demons in Yunmengze were often intimidated by the adults, so they worked hard and their cultivation speed increased rapidly. Qin Wenxue had heard of the bird, but it was different from the story the adults told him. It was usually about the bird causing trouble and being naughty in Buzhidong. But he liked it after hearing it and thought that the bird must be very capable to be able to fly and dive into the ground under Buzhidong's four-sided restrictions.

He didn't know that the bird was Linglong, nor did he know where Linglong came from. All he knew about Linglong was a little bit of information he pieced together from various sources when he arrived at the Thirty-Three Palaces. He didn't know that winter was like a dream of butterflies, an unreal but beautiful dream. Linglong didn't know that the place he had always wanted to escape from when he was a child was the unreachable other shore that he had been chasing all his life.

Shi Wenzhe felt strange at that moment. It was as if she were buried under thick soil, unable to move, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of earth. A thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly remembered that she was already dead. Could it be that Qin Wenxue had buried her? Where was she buried? Shi Wenzhe thought to herself, "I should have left some last words for Qin Wenxue. She liked the sea, not the soil."

But then she wondered, how could someone who's dead still be breathing? Where was she then? Was she dreaming?

Shi Wenzhe coughed, her mouth full of mud. She thought to herself how close she had come to suffocating.

Suddenly, the soil became sticky and damp, and her head felt itchy, as if she were about to grow legs. She heard Shi Wenzhe cry out "Ai Ai Ai Ai!" and suddenly she shot up, her head swaying as she broke through the soil and smelled the fresh air.

Shi Wenzhe looked left and right, and before her was the familiar Peach Blossom Valley. The valley was lush with vegetation, and a light drizzle was falling, soaking the green plants all over the mountain. She felt like she had lost her soul and didn't react for a long time. But before she could react, her body was like a bamboo shoot, rising higher and higher, shooting out several hundred meters. Shi Wenzhe hesitated and looked down, trembling as she looked at the distant ground.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—" The sound of leaves fluttering in the valley rang out. Shi Wenzhe finally realized that she had turned into a nameless tree. The tree suddenly rose from the ground, as if it had suddenly appeared out of the sky and earth. It stood tall and graceful, blocking out the sun.

The tree sprouts new branches and buds, its branches overlapping each other, forming a dense canopy.

As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and the seasons turn, Peach Blossom Valley grows larger and larger. The river widens from its narrowest point, trees sprout new branches, and flowers and grasses wither and die only to bloom again. The creatures in the valley are replaced one after another, but the great trees still stand tall, perched atop the mountain in Peach Blossom Valley, like silent elders, watching the creatures in the valley multiply and thrive, day after day, year after year.

Shi Wenzhe had lost count of how many times she had witnessed the death of living beings. The creatures in the valley had a different kind of affection for this tree, like the awe and reliance that people have for gods. When they were born, grew old, sick, or died, they would always kneel and worship devoutly under the tree. The first time she received the spiritual power, Shi Wenzhe would panic and cry out, feeling that those emotions were so heavy that they were burning her. She did not deserve such love.

But time is a cruel mistress. Sometimes, the broken branches are trapped inside the tree trunk and cannot get out. Their bodies are strong, but their souls are old. The tree is neither sad nor happy, unmoved by the outside world, and dutifully bears the title of mountain god bestowed upon it by others.

Until one day, a tired little bird flew over from the horizon. It folded its wings and fell to the ground like a shooting star, crashing into a broad tree trunk with a thud, its beak embedded in the wood.

Fate arrives quietly, and no one knows when it will happen. It will be an encounter that will be unforgettable for both of you.

Shi Wenzhe was startled, her eyes widening as if they hadn't been open for thousands of years. She clutched her heart and cried out in alarm. The tree also felt a momentary tremor, the dull throbbing reaching Shi Wenzhe's ears, leaving her dumbfounded.

The little bird was soaking wet. It flapped its wings to shake off the water, sneezed, curled up, and without asking if the tree minded, decided to nestle in the tree to rest.

The big tree stirred slightly, its leaves rustling like waves. Linglong felt as if she had returned to that island where winter never came, listening to the ebb and flow of the tide, and felt even more sleepy.

"Who are you?" A gentle voice suddenly rang out, and Linglong's beady eyes widened in shock. She looked around in terror and realized that it was the peach tree beneath her feet that was speaking.

Linglong's voice was soft and delicate as she whispered, "I am Linglong."

The peach tree asked curiously, "What kind of bird are you? Your feathers are so beautiful."

Linglong's feathers were colorful and beautiful. He knew that he was small and agile and was loved and praised by everyone in the unknown winter, but the praise from the unfamiliar demon race made him even happier.

He blinked, a little shyly. He cleared his throat and hopped around on the branch, saying happily, "I am a kingfisher." He then asked, "You are beautiful too, peach tree."

He looked up at me sincerely and asked that fateful question: "What's your name?"

Peach Blossom Valley was silent for a while. He was neither happy nor unhappy. He said in a low voice, "I have no name."

Linglong was surprised: "How could that be? Didn't your elders give you a name?"

“I have no elders; I suddenly emerged from the ground.”

Linglong opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. He could sense that his newly met friend didn't seem disappointed, but how could someone who wanted everything to be perfect tolerate others being different from others?

So the kingfisher rolled its eyes, raised its voice, and hesitantly said, "How about... I give you a name?"

"Your peach tree is truly beautiful. I have only ever seen this one in heaven and earth. Yet you were born of nature, without father or mother. Perhaps it is because the valley is full of spiritual energy that you were nurtured and sent to guard this place."

"I've been to the human world. In the teahouses, many people say that peach trees are trees of marriage, and the blooming of peach blossoms means that the stars of love are about to move." Linglong pondered for a while, his mind blank. He was mischievous and playful all day long, and he couldn't concentrate on his studies. The demon race and the human race are different. The demon race advocates releasing one's nature, while only humans pay attention to knowledge and etiquette. So, Linglong has grown up without a single piece of learning.