After resting, the three began climbing upward. Fortunately, there were paths already carved out by previous travelers, so they didn't have to ascend in a straight vertical line.
The wind and snow had little effect on Dan Feng when they blew against him—he seemed to have already started adapting to this temperature.
Roxy held her staff, its tip emitting a faint warmth, as if igniting a small flame in this world of ice and snow.
However, this flame wasn't for Roxy herself but for Etrill behind her.
Etrill was currently suffering from the bitter cold.
Even though she was wearing thick clothes, as someone who wasn't an adventurer, she clearly struggled to adapt quickly to such harsh conditions.
Her steps looked unusually labored, each one extremely difficult.
"Are you okay, Etrill?" Roxy stopped, looking back with concern at Etrill who was moving slowly. Worry filled her eyes.
Hearing Roxy's call, Etrill tried hard to make her voice clear amid the howling cold wind: "I'm fine. It's difficult, but this level still can't do anything to me!" Her voice trembled slightly, clearly trying to hide her body's discomfort.
Roxy's heart tightened at the sight of Etrill forcing herself to act strong.
She said to Etrill with utmost seriousness, "Don't push yourself too hard, okay? We'll wait for you."
Etrill showed a smile that reassured Roxy.
At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew, lifting the cloth Etrill used to cover her hair and eyes.
She quickly pulled it back down, and this action allowed Roxy to see her true appearance for the first time.
She was a very beautiful person.
"The passage cave is just ahead." Dan Feng looked at the cave entrance growing closer and closer, then said to the two behind him.
"Okay." Roxy responded, then took Etrill's hand and sped up.
Once they reached the passage cave, it would only be an hour's journey to the Asura Kingdom.
Being pulled by Roxy, Etrill's pace noticeably quickened. Being close to Roxy let her feel the warmth around her.
The magic stone on the staff continuously released heat from fire magic.
Not long after, Dan Feng was the first to reach the passage cave. It was exactly as described—a simple tunnel dug into the mountainside, offering a view of the scenery to the side from inside.
Soon after Dan Feng arrived, Roxy brought Etrill up as well.
Etrill collapsed to the ground, her body already frostbitten in many places.
Seeing this, Roxy immediately cast healing magic on her.
Dan Feng decided to rest in the cave for a bit first. He cast earth magic again to block the wind and snow, then gathered some firewood and lit it up.
It had to be said—Dan Feng's backpack was really heavy right now; it contained almost everything imaginable.
As long as they could reach the Asura Kingdom, he could swap this heavy backpack for something small and light.
After all, the Asura Kingdom was a densely populated area—walking any direction would lead to many villages and towns.
Dan Feng thoughtfully poured two cups of steaming hot water for the two of them, letting them warm up first.
Etrill gratefully accepted the hot water from Dan Feng. For someone who couldn't use magic, this cup of hot water was undoubtedly extremely precious.
She didn't even care if it would burn her and eagerly took a sip.
As the hot water slid down her throat, Etrill's expression instantly relaxed, as if all her exhaustion had been swept away by that single mouthful.
It truly addressed her most urgent needs—during the climb, she had felt not only cold but also thirsty, and this cup of hot water solved both problems at once.
Nearby, Roxy sipped her hot water more slowly and calmly compared to Etrill.
After all, she had already traversed the far more dangerous Demon Continent. A snowy mountain like this was still relatively easy for her.
"Let's rest a bit." Dan Feng said to the two of them. This time, the earth magic wasn't a full house like before but a single outward-facing earth wall.
Because the wind was only coming from the side here—blocking that side was enough.
Time passed minute by minute.
Until Dan Feng heard an unusual sound.
Dan Feng's heart tightened. The sound was exceptionally sharp, instantly putting his nerves on edge.
Without hesitation, he shouted loudly, urging Roxy and Etrill to prepare to leave immediately.
However, just as they turned to flee, a powerful airflow suddenly rushed in, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold.
Dan Feng stared in shock as a massive crimson figure slowly descended onto the cliff fissure at the side.
It was an enormous crimson lizard—its body gigantic, every scale gleaming with red light like burning flames.
Dan Feng realized this wasn't a lizard—it was a Red Dragon.
The instant the Red Dragon landed, its huge wings beat fiercely, kicking up a violent gale.
The gale was like raging ocean waves, madly pouring into the cave, carrying piercing cold and tremendous force.
Dan Feng looked at the majestic figure of the Red Dragon, and Cloud-Piercer immediately appeared in his hand.
He knew full well how powerful a Red Dragon was—this was an extremely dangerous existence.
With his current strength, there was no way he could win.
"Red Dragon! Run!" Dan Feng's voice sounded somewhat weak in the gale, but he still shouted with all his might to Roxy and Etrill.
Their luck this time was truly abysmal—they had actually encountered a straggling Red Dragon here.
This creature was usually pack-based. If a whole group of Red Dragons discovered them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
But the Red Dragon's eyes were fixed on Dan Feng, hot breath constantly puffing from its massive mouth.
It seemed to have locked onto Dan Feng.
Dan Feng gripped Cloud-Piercer and shouted to Roxy and Etrill.
"Dan Feng, aren't you coming? That's a Red Dragon!" After running a short distance, Roxy saw that Dan Feng had no intention of following and shouted anxiously.
"You and Etrill go ahead first. It looks like it's already targeted me." Dan Feng said calmly to Roxy in the distance. At that moment, he and the Red Dragon were staring each other down, as if they might clash in the next second.
The Red Dragon's breathing was extremely heavy, its wings and claws gripping the edge tightly. It seemed to be intimidated by the faint aura emanating from Dan Feng as well.
So it naturally didn't dare act rashly.
"But..." Roxy wanted to say more, but Dan Feng interrupted her.
"Don't worry! I'll do everything I can to survive. You should have seen my strength before." Dan Feng said quickly.
"You're a magician. A Red Dragon's body is incredibly tough—your current magic can't penetrate its dragon scales." Etrill grabbed Roxy and calmly analyzed.
The Red Dragon had already locked onto Dan Feng. There was no possibility of him escaping.