The mountain gate of the Qingchen Sect was located halfway up a snowy mountain. Behind the gate, there were several small paths leading to various peaks.
Feng Wuchen carried Feng Ning on his back and followed Shen Hongyi down a long mountain path, finally arriving at a desolate and ruined mountaintop.
As for Wuhen Peak, not only had it fallen, but if he were told that it had been completely severed, he would have no doubt in his mind.
The buildings atop the peak were mostly in ruins, indistinguishable from rubble.
At the entrance, there were several withered trees and overgrown weeds, clearly neglected for many years.
"How many disciples remain at Wuhen Peak, besides you?" Shen Hongyi asked.
"Two!" Feng Wuchen replied.
Feng Wuchen's eyes flickered slightly, feeling somewhat reassured. It was better than being completely alone.
"And the other one?" he asked.
"Who?" Shen Hongyi glanced at Feng Ning, who was beside Feng Wuchen. "Aren't you two the only ones?"
"..."
Feng Wuchen was speechless.
"My sister isn't a martial artist; she doesn't count."
Shen Hongyi shrugged. "Then it's just you. You're the one who chose to join Wuhen Peak. I didn't force you!"
Feng Wuchen chuckled, "Of course."
After a while, Shen Hongyi led Feng Wuchen into a very dilapidated hall.
The hall was leaking water from all directions, and flowers and weeds had even grown in the corners.
In the center of the hall, there was a massive stone coffin.
Shen Hongyi walked up to the stone coffin and tapped the lid.
"Hey, old man, wake up!"
"..."
After a long silence, Shen Hongyi raised her eyebrows.
"Old man, if you don't get up now, I'll drink all the good wine I just brought back!"
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a loud sound echoed, and the lid of the stone coffin was abruptly pushed open from the inside.
The next moment, a disheveled old man with white hair appeared before them.
"Wine? Where's the wine?"
This scene startled Feng Wuchen, and he quickly shielded Feng Ning behind him.
Feng Ning, even more frightened, covered her eyes.
"Old man, let me introduce you. These two are the new disciples. Feng Wuchen, and his sister, Feng Ning."
Then, Shen Hongyi pointed at the old man.
"This is the current peak master of Wuhen Peak, Luo Fenggu! I just call him 'Old Man Luo.'"
"Peak Master?"
Feng Wuchen carefully sensed the old man before him, his surprise growing.
The stone coffin lid was no lightweight—it seemed to weigh at least two or three hundred pounds.
Yet, when the old man emerged, Feng Wuchen hadn't sensed the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.
In other words, the person who pushed open the coffin lid had done so purely with physical strength!
Not only was there no spiritual energy fluctuation, but the old man's breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
At one point, he even wondered if the person before him was not a living person but rather a lifeless corpse.
To think that such a remarkable figure existed on the fallen Wuhen Peak.
The old man glanced at Feng Wuchen and slowly frowned.
"At your age, you're only at the innate realm? Why bring such trash to Wuhen Peak?"
Shen Hongyi rolled her eyes. "With such a crumbling place, it's already good enough that anyone's willing to join, and you're still picky!"
Luo Fenggu didn't pay any more attention to Feng Wuchen and instead extended his hand toward Shen Hongyi. "Where's the wine?"
Shen Hongyi shrugged. "Qingchen Sect is recruiting new disciples today. The mountain paths are blocked with a barrier, so we can't leave the mountain. Where would we get wine?"
"You… you… you little brat dare to trick me!"
Upon realizing he had been deceived, Luo Fenggu puffed out his cheeks and glared angrily, looking quite comical. Then, he immediately returned to the coffin.
However, he didn't immediately close the lid. In that moment, it seemed he remembered something.
"You said Qingchen Sect is recruiting new disciples today?"
"Yes!"
"What's today's date?"
"April fifteenth!"
"Ah… damn! Damn it! How could I forget this?"
Luo Fenggu muttered in panic, then sprang out of the coffin in his tattered burlap clothes, barefoot. With lightning speed, he rushed out of the hall, disappearing from view with a few quick moves.
The group stood in the cold wind for a while in confusion. Shen Hongyi finally spoke awkwardly, "Our peak master isn't all there sometimes. Just get used to it... get used to it. I'll take you to your place now."
Following Shen Hongyi, they passed the hall and reached an open area behind it. Even Feng Wuchen couldn't help but take a few deep breaths.
Behind the hall, for several miles, the ground was dotted with unmarked, desolate graves—hundreds, perhaps thousands, creating a bleak and eerie atmosphere.
"This is…"
When Feng Wuchen asked, a fleeting sadness flashed in Shen Hongyi's eyes.
"Aren't you curious about where the disciples of Wuhen Peak are? They're all buried here."
"What happened to Wuhen Peak? Why has it become like this?"
Shen Hongyi didn't answer Feng Wuchen's question, simply continuing forward.
After about fifteen minutes, the three of them finally passed through the vast graveyard and arrived at a row of dilapidated wooden houses.
Due to years of neglect, most of the houses had rotted away, leaving only a few that were still standing, though precariously so.
"Pick one. Get settled in. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, Shen Hongyi turned toward the graveyard.
Feng Wuchen chose a house that was still relatively sunny, and began clearing the snow and rubble outside.
Before long, Shen Hongyi returned, though she had several items in her hands.
"This is..."
"Since you're already a disciple of Wuhen Peak, you can't lack the entry gift."
With that, Shen Hongyi handed Feng Wuchen a bundle of items, which included a long sword, a martial arts manual, and an ancient ring.
"Storage ring?"
Feng Wuchen's eyes lit up.
Such a thing was rare, and back at the First Tower of the World, he had inquired about its price. A good-quality storage ring would cost at least a million gold coins.
However, this ring had a small crack on it, clearly nearing its limit.
At most, it could last another year or so before the enchantments inside would collapse and render it useless.
Though slightly imperfect, Feng Wuchen didn't mind.
Every time he stored the Burning Sun Sword inside his body, he feared exposing the secret of the Longyuan Sword.
Now with this ring, it would be easier to conceal his treasures.
"Where did you get this?"
"Found it in the graveyard."
Feng Wuchen: "..."
Shen Hongyi chuckled softly, "I'm kidding! It's just some relics left behind by the old disciples of Wuhen Peak. But after so many years, most of the items have lost their spiritual properties. You can make do with them."
At this moment, Feng Wuchen felt an unexpected warmth flow through his heart.
Though Wuhen Peak was in ruins, and there were hardly any disciples left, he felt a rare sense of human kindness from Shen Hongyi.
"Thank you, Senior Sister!"
After an afternoon of work, Feng Wuchen finally managed to get his living space in order.
As night fell, he looked at the peacefully sleeping Feng Ning on the bed, and inexplicably sighed in relief.
The snow mountains where Qingchen Sect was located contained ancient ice that could chill the bones.
For ordinary people, this cold would be unbearable. But Feng Ning was different.
She possessed the body of an Evil Fire Phoenix, her body naturally filled with fire energy. This cold air, instead of harming her, helped to balance the fire energy within her.
At least for the next three years, her internal fire wouldn't explode.
Just as Feng Wuchen was preparing to meditate and rest, a knock suddenly came at his door.
"What is it?"
"Luo Old Man is back. Come with me to the front hall."