At the cave’s entrance, the campfire crackled, illuminating Gao Lingwei’s faintly apologetic expression.

Before her, Rong Taotao wore a complicated expression, at a loss for what to do.

Gao Lingwei reached out and placed her hand on Rong Taotao’s shoulder, saying softly, "Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon."

"Mm... hmm." Rong Taotao hummed in response, finally giving a helpless nod.

Gao Lingwei was leaving with the Snow Burning Army.

Rong Taotao felt his luck was just the worst. It really was.

None of his plans could ever keep up with the changes.

Or perhaps... anything involving the Snow Realm was bound to become complicated and uncontrollable.

His entrance exam, originally scheduled for seven days, was cut to three. The full two-month summer curriculum was then condensed into a mere two days.

He’d wanted to attend his classes at the university in peace, but instead, there was a blizzard, an invasion by a Snow Realm Soul Beast Army, and he ended up unconscious for nearly a month.

Now, just when he’d finally found a suitable partner and a renowned master to guide his training in seclusion north of the Wall, the plan was thrown into chaos again after little more than a week.

Gao Lingwei... conscripted by the Snow Burning Army.

The reason, of course, was that she had absorbed the Divine Pet: Frost Night Xuerong.

At this thought, Rong Taotao couldn’t help but sigh.

He felt that only one word in the world truly fit him: loneliness.

Seeing the look on Rong Taotao’s face, Gao Lingwei’s heart sank. She hated abandoning a teammate, even for a short time, but there was nothing she could do.

For Gao Lingwei, too, plans had failed to keep up with reality.

Just moments before, Gao Lingwei had even asked Zheng Qianqiu to let Rong Taotao join their team to search for rare Soul Beasts together.

But now, she could no longer be so insistent. This was a request for aid from the Snow Burning Army.

Gao Lingwei glanced at the Snow Burning soldiers waiting at the mouth of the cave, patted Rong Taotao’s shoulder again, and said softly, "I will return the moment the mission is complete. I promise."

"Okay." Rong Taotao nodded. "Be careful."

"Pace your training. Balance work with rest, remember to eat properly, and don’t get too tired." A teasing smile touched Gao Lingwei’s lips. She took two steps back, gave Rong Taotao one last, deep look, and then turned to leave.

CLIPPITY-CLOP...

The sound of hooves faded into the distance, eventually swallowed by the swirling white snow.

The Snow Burning Army, Zheng Qianqiu, and Gao Lingwei were gone. They were supposedly heading north of the Third Wall where, rumor had it, a formidable team of Poachers had been skirmishing with the Snow Burning Army for quite some time. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

And Frost Night Xuerong’s appearance, it seemed, offered the Snow Burning Army a chance for a breakthrough.

Inside the cavern, Xia Fangran watched Rong Taotao as he leaned against the entrance, gazing out into the vast, snowy expanse...

Xia Fangran also felt a sense of helplessness. He stepped forward, slung an arm around Rong Taotao’s shoulders, and said, "The Snow Burning Army and Songjiang Soul Martial University have cooperated closely for decades, mutually helping and supporting one another. Our university has both a responsibility and an obligation to provide them with aid.

"You remember when the Snow Realm Army invaded Earth? Almost all the university’s instructors were called away. They all came here to help garrison the Three Walls. You know that."

"Yeah," Rong Taotao nodded.

Xia Fangran thought for a moment, then added, "Now that she’s gone, I’ll be your partner."

"You said that," Rong Taotao suddenly said, turning his head to look at Xia Fangran.

"Hm? What’s wrong?" Xia Fangran raised an eyebrow slightly. Seeing the look of grim determination on Rong Taotao’s face, he had a feeling the kid was about to do something drastic.

Rong Taotao nodded at once. "If we’re partners, you have to fight too. We’re responsible for protecting each other."

"Hmm..." Xia Fangran’s expression was odd. He mulled it over for a moment before saying, "Alright, I’ll take some more pressure off you. You don’t need to protect me. I’ll be the only one doing the protecting. What? You want to leave the cave and head north?"

"No, this cave is great. A perfect place to rest my feet." Despite his words, Rong Taotao walked straight out of the cave.

Xia Fangran was taken aback. "What do you think you’re doing?"

Rong Taotao replied nonchalantly, "Picking a fight. It’s not like I have anything else to do."

Rong Taotao bit his lip, his mind replaying the apologetic, guilt-ridden look on Gao Lingwei’s face.

’Why should you feel guilty?’

’It’s my fault for being too weak, for not being qualified to go with you beyond the Third Wall. Why are *you* the one feeling guilty?’

’If anyone should apologize, it should be me.’

With a casual wave of his hand, Rong Taotao gathered some Shuangxue from the frigid wind and instantly lit it.

The swaying White Lantern Paper Cage was scattered by the harsh wind, only to quickly reform and hover above Rong Taotao’s head.

Placing two fingers under his tongue, he let out a piercing whistle into the vast, snowy expanse.

Xia Fangran stared in stunned silence. He watched Rong Taotao’s back, considered it for a long moment, but ultimately decided against dragging him back into the cave.

’If he wants to fight, then let him fight.’

’He’s spent over a week just drawing and sheathing his blade at a wall. It’s about time he practiced against a proper opponent.’

Xia Fangran stepped forward, his body floating up to hover in mid-air. Looking down at Rong Taotao, he said, "I have no interest in bullying Snowflake Wolves, so I won’t be getting involved.

"If you get tired or hurt, you drag yourself back. The mouth of the cave is the finish line. As long as you make it inside, I’ll drive away any Soul Beast on your tail."

"Deal!" Rong Taotao nodded immediately, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Heh." Xia Fangran floated higher into the sky. He watched the boy’s stubborn figure in the snowstorm below and couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle.

Had it been any other Soul Soldier-stage student standing alone on the Snowfield, acting as bait and actively provoking a Snowflake Wolf Pack, Xia Fangran would have dragged them back into the cave, thrown them in a corner, and kicked the stuffing out of them, all while cussing them out with a, "Are you fucking looking to die?"