As the three of them moved forward, they sent out their Divine Sense through the wind and snow to probe their surroundings. Before long, the thinly dressed woman's face suddenly lit up with joy. She pointed in a direction and said, "There should be spirit herbs over there!"
Saying this, she hurriedly led the other two over in that direction.
A few dozen zhang away, after some effort, the three pushed aside several feet of deep snow. Beneath it, a plant as clear as crystal was growing. Under the sunlight, its stems and leaves refracted a mesmerizing halo, looking like crystal, quite beautiful.
At the very top of the plant, several snow-white fruits the size of fingernails had grown. A faint, clean fragrance emanated from these fruits.
"Sister Ji is so amazing! You could discover the White Jade Fruit even though it was hidden so deep." The younger girl looked excited and clapped her hands.
Ji Meng chuckled, gazing at Zhu Yingyue with doting affection. She comforted her, "If you pay more attention to observation, you'll discover them too."
Zhu Yingyue pouted. "I'm already trying very hard, but I can never compare to you. I can't even compare to Senior Brother Qi."
Qi Chao's expression soured upon hearing this. "Am I that weak?"
Zhu Yingyue huffed. "You're much worse than Sister Ji."
Ji Meng patted her head. "I'll share some with you when we get back. Don't be discouraged."
The girl nodded with a naive, sweet expression.
Qi Chao stepped forward and said, "Let's harvest it first. Be careful not to damage the roots. Wait another ten or so years, and it will bear White Jade Fruit again."
Ji Meng nodded. She extended her slender, jade-like hands and carefully plucked the fruits, placing them into her own Cosmos Bag.
For spirit grasses and herbs like this that could regenerate, martial practitioners generally wouldn't harm their fundamental source when collecting them. Exhausting the supply in one go wasn't a good phenomenon; it would also reduce the overall yield of spirit grasses and herbs in the world.
Having made a harvest, all three looked quite pleased. Suddenly, Qi Chao and Ji Meng furrowed their brows, looking in a direction as deep vigilance appeared on their faces.
They sensed someone approaching rapidly from that way.
Moments later, a blurred figure emerged from the wind and snow. Soon, the person arrived about a dozen zhang in front of the trio.
Yang Kai observed their expressions but didn't mind. Suddenly encountering strangers in this wilderness, anyone would be vigilant.
Before approaching, he had first confirmed that their cultivation levels weren't enough to threaten him, which was why he revealed himself so openly.
If there had been an expert at the Transcendent Realm, Second Stage or above, Yang Kai would have avoided them.
The three of them didn't appear very old and shouldn't be difficult to talk to.
Yang Kai gave a slight nod and revealed a friendly smile.
"Who are you?" Qi Chao stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Ji Meng and Zhu Yingyue, and demanded coldly, "How did you end up in this snow mountain?"
"A traveler passing through. I accidentally lost my way," Yang Kai said, his expression amiable.
"A traveler?" Qi Chao frowned, looking Yang Kai up and down, suspicion welling up on his face. "It's not that simple, is it? You entered these snow mountains—don't you have some other purpose?"
The other party's demeanor was unfriendly. This left Yang Kai puzzled; he didn't know where he might have offended him. He could only explain, "I really am just passing through. I sensed your presence and came to take a look. No other meaning. I just wanted to ask for directions out of here. I've been wandering in these snow mountains for quite a few days now."
As he spoke, Yang Kai suddenly noticed the White Jade Fruit tree behind them. Its crystalline appearance made him glance at it a couple more times.
Qi Chao observed his words and expressions, his vigilance growing. He stared deeply at Yang Kai. Yang Kai's expression remained calm, without any trace of discomfort.
He hadn't lied. Although he had been teleported from within the Minor Mystic World, his current goal was indeed just to figure out a clear direction and leave this boundless snow mountain range first.
After a good while, Qi Chao finally retracted his hostility and slowly nodded. "I'll believe you for now. But this snow mountain isn't somewhere outsiders can wander freely. If you want to leave, just head in that direction."
As he spoke, he pointed in a direction.
Yang Kai turned his head to look, cupped his fists, and said, "Thank you. Perhaps we'll meet again."
With those words, he activated his movement technique and shot off in that direction.
"Wait!" Qi Chao shouted coldly once more.
"What is it?" Yang Kai halted, frowning slightly.
"Didn't you collect any spirit herbs or medicinal ingredients while in these snow mountains? If you did, please hand them over. This is our Divine Sect's territory. Everything here belongs to our Divine Sect. Outsiders cannot take even a single blade of grass!"
A look of amusement surfaced on Yang Kai's face, mixed with a touch of impatience. Setting aside the fact that he hadn't collected anything, even if he had, with the other party using such a commanding tone, there was no way he would hand it over. This endless snow mountain range was vast; no single force could possibly occupy it all entirely.
Glancing at the two women behind him, Yang Kai couldn't be bothered to start a conflict. He said flatly, "I didn't."
The next moment, Yang Kai felt a Divine Sense sweep over his body without any restraint or courtesy.
This person has such audacity? Yang Kai was amused. Was he not afraid of a counterattack that could severely injure him in an instant?
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai made no move, allowing himself to be scanned.
After a short while, Qi Chao nodded with satisfaction. "You may go."
Yang Kai said nothing, turned, and plunged into the wind and snow.