53: Chapter 53 Entering the Snow Mountain, a Blizzard Strikes

With a flash of white light, the entrance to the Ancient Tomb opened.

The six-member team, including Su Chen, stood together in front of the entrance.

Behind them was the vast, empty hall of the Ancient Tomb gaming center.

Before them lay the vast, white expanse of the Changbai Snow Mountain.

The six of them exchanged glances before stepping into the entrance of the Ancient Tomb.

As they entered, the door behind them slowly closed.

Everything from the outside world was cut off.

From this moment on, they would have to explore the secrets of the Cloud Top Palace within this snow-covered mountain.

They would have to pit their wits against the unknown monsters within.

Until they successfully conquered this place!

...

"It's starting, it's starting! I'm so nervous!"

"The second game has started just like that. It feels like a dream; it doesn't feel real at all."

"God bless, let them be safe and successful this time too."

"This snow mountain looks so cold. It's a good thing they were well-prepared and brought plenty of cold-weather and mountaineering gear, otherwise they would have frozen to death just after entering."

"That's true. And I heard that Su Chen gave a lot of advice regarding the equipment. It seems the ancestral ancient books he studied before departure really came in handy!"

"To be honest, the presence of Su Chen in this team makes me feel very reassured. Of course, the others are also excellent, each with their own specialties!"

...

With the start of the Dragon Kingdom's second round of the game, it also attracted the intense attention of all other nations.

It was different from before, when they only came to watch the spectacle.

This time, they were all in a state of facing a formidable enemy.

Because they knew clearly that the Dragon Kingdom at this moment could no longer be spoken of in the same breath as before.

They had just broken through the Ancient Tomb, which had the highest difficulty in the game.

They leapt directly from the bottom of the rankings to the very top.

And if this second SSS-level Ancient Tomb was broken through by them again,

then the Dragon Kingdom would take a commanding lead, becoming an entity that was almost impossible to surpass!

This was a result none of them wanted to see.

...

"Even now, I still can't accept that the Dragon Kingdom's last expedition actually succeeded!"

"That's right, this result is just so frustrating!"

"It doesn't matter. As long as they lose this time, their previous advantage will cease to exist! As the saying goes, it's like returning to square one overnight!"

"God bless, they will definitely fail this time. Amen."

"Everyone doesn't need to be too nervous. I don't believe they can win a second time just because they won once. To put it bluntly, last time was just pure luck, but luck doesn't last forever."

"I'll just watch right here to see how they step-by-step head toward failure, and how explorers like Su Chen will be killed by the monsters in the Ancient Tomb."

"Haha, that will truly be a gratifying scene. I can't wait to see it."

"This is the only motivation supporting me to keep watching their livestream. I look forward to this moment coming sooner!"

...

After Su Chen and his team entered the snow mountain, they headed straight in the direction of the Ancient Tomb.

According to the markings on the map, they would need to walk for at least a day and a night to arrive.

However, the temperature in the snow mountain was low, and the thick snow made progress difficult.

Therefore, Su Chen suggested that everyone only travel during the day and find a place to camp and rest at night.

Exploration could not be rushed; besides, the game had no time limit.

Everything should prioritize stability.

In this way, the earliest they could reach the location of the Ancient Tomb would be before tomorrow night.

The first half of the journey went quite smoothly.

Although the snow mountain environment was harsh, they were not ordinary people, and they also had the ten percent health reward from last time.

Everyone's physical fitness and stamina were higher than the average person.

They were completely capable of resisting the impact of the environment.

At noon, they found a sheltered place to rest and replenish energy.

However, not long after they set off in the afternoon, a blizzard hit the snow mountain.

The snow peaks, which had been covered in a faint golden glow, were instantly swallowed by a grey-black tide of clouds.

The world suddenly lost its color, and the surrounding continuous snow ridges turned into blurry, pale, gigantic shadows.

The wind first sounded like a low, mournful whimper, rolling up from the depths of the valley.

In an instant, it tore into sharp roars, echoing repeatedly as it slammed against the rock walls.

Fine snow particles were the first to sweep in, fiercely scraping against their exposed skin like sharp little pebbles!

Within moments, fist-sized clumps of snow mixed with shards of ice crashed down.

Su Chen and his team's vision was instantly blocked by an airtight wall of snow.

The cliff walls and ice crevices ten meters ahead all dissolved into a chaotic, white expanse.

For a moment, it was impossible to distinguish sky from earth, or mountain from valley.

The snow under their feet piled up rapidly, first covering their ankles, and in the blink of an eye, reaching their calves.

Every step they took sank deep into the snowdrifts, and every time they pulled their feet out required all their strength.

The biting cold wind penetrated everywhere, and their limbs soon lost all sensation.

In the vast, boundless snow mountain, their few tiny figures were like injured little animals.

Moving forward with difficulty and stumbling.

"It's so cold. I can barely feel my legs; I'm just walking mechanically," came Tang Xiao's weak voice.

As the only girl in the team, her stamina was slightly weaker.

Coupled with the onslaught of the cold wind, her expression was now somewhat dazed.

Cao Hua, being the most robust, was also gritting his teeth.

"Damn it, this snow mountain is too unreasonable. It was sunny and beautiful this morning; how did it turn hostile by the afternoon?"

"Hey, Fortune Teller, do you have any Talisman that can be stuck on the body to keep warm and ward off the cold?"

"Or, something that could make the blizzard on this mountain stop would also work?"

Wang Yi opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of white air.

"What do you think a Talisman is? A hand warmer? Keeping warm and warding off cold, indeed!"

"And making the blizzard stop? You think too highly of me. I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with the Mountain God of this mountain; I don't have any connections!"

Captain Song Lei was panting, walking beside Tang Xiao.

Constantly keeping an eye on her condition.

Hearing the conversation between Cao Hua and Wang Yi, one in front and one behind, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"At a time like this, you two still have the heart to bicker."

"Save your energy, both of you. Stop talking; aren't you afraid your tongues will freeze if you talk too much!"

Just at this moment, Su Chen, who was walking at the very front, stopped.

He took a bundle of rope from his backpack and handed it to Ye Xing behind him.

"Pass it back, have everyone tie the rope around their waists."

"The blizzard is too strong, and visibility is getting lower and lower. If we're not careful, someone will fall behind."

"We will all tie ourselves together with the rope. That way, if someone has an accident, the others will immediately feel it, making it easier to rescue them!"

Everyone heard this proposal and thought it was a good idea.

"It has to be Su Chen; he's so resourceful. This is indeed much safer. Why didn't I think of that?"

Cao Hua said with emotion while tying the rope around himself.