66: Double your physical fitness!

The team continued forward.

Hooves stepped on the soft humus soil, making a dull sound.

Soon, the view suddenly opened up.

They had arrived at the most classic landmark of Changping Valley—Dead Tree Beach.

This was once a dense primeval forest.

Later, the river changed its course, the root systems were submerged, and the trees died in patches.

Now, countless grayish-white sea buckthorn ancient trees stand menacingly between the river and the meadow, like deceased guards.

And behind them was Yaomei Peak of Mount Siguniang, looming down like a wall.

Deadwood, snow-capped mountains, flowing water.

Death and eternity coexisted.

This place inherently possessed a desolate, high-class atmosphere.

"This looks like the spot."

Jiang Yuan lightly pulled the reins and dismounted.

His movements were smooth and flowing, landing without a sound.

He casually handed the nikon z9 to the groom nearby for safekeeping.

Turning around, he pulled the backup camera out of the camera bag on the horse's back.

sony a1.

The lens mounted was the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II, known as the "Mirror of Tomorrow."

This was the ultimate weapon for outdoor portraiture.

It could use the telephoto end to compress space, pulling the snow-capped mountains closer, and also allow for flexible composition without having to retreat into the ravine.

"Zhou Xiu, walk further inside."

Jiang Yuan held the camera one-handed, his finger skillfully turning the dial.

The parameters were instantly adjusted: focal length 135mm, aperture f/2.8, ISO 100.

"Yes, don't look at the lens, look at the snow mountains."

"Show the ring on your hand."

Jiang Yuan crouched down.

Peering through the extremely bright Sony EVF viewfinder,

the 135mm focal length offered an incredibly comfortable sense of perspective.

Yaomei Peak in the background was moderately pulled closer, no longer unreachable, but like a benevolent deity watching over the tiny human in the foreground.

The large aperture blurred the messy tourists and dead grass into soft bokeh.

In the composition,

he deliberately left a large area of "breathing room" on the right side of the frame.

That space was left for the wind, and also for the person who wasn't present.

"Click."

The image was already frozen, even though the sony a1's 30 frames per second continuous shooting made no sound (electronic shutter).

In the photo,

Zhou Xiu was looking down, touching the ring, the wind messing up her sideburns.

The dead trees were fierce, the snow mountains silent.

This kind of top-tier image quality and color science required no post-processing whatsoever.

"Come take a look."

Jiang Yuan walked over and brought up the playback.

Zhou Xiu leaned in for a glance.

With just one look, she froze completely.

She didn't understand composition, focal length, or air-cutting sensation.

She only saw a "sense of story" that struck the soul.

In the photo, she was no longer a disheveled tourist, but a pilgrim saying goodbye to the past.

"Thank you..."

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed.

"This is the most beautiful photo I've ever taken in my life."

Putting away the camera,

Jiang Yuan casually hung the sony a1 around his neck, making it easy to snap photos at any time.

The "cannon" that was the nikon z9 was tucked back into the shockproof bag.

Continuing further in,

as the altitude climbed, the vegetation began to change.

The number of tourists dropped dramatically.

Most hikers had exhausted their strength in the first half of the journey.

The road ahead belonged to the riders.

Lower Ganhaizi had completely dried up, leaving only a barren riverbed, and Jiang Yuan didn't even raise his camera.

Not until they entered Upper Ganhaizi.

A section of the lake surface remained here.

The water, like a mirror, reflected the pyramid-shaped Baimiao Peak.

Alpine meadows surrounded the area, and a wooden plank road stitched across the golden meadow like a gray line.

"Brother Jiang, should I take a picture of you too?"

Zhou Xiu offered proactively, likely wanting to return the favor for the previous photo.

Jiang Yuan smiled and handed her the sony a1 from his neck.

He conveniently twisted the focal length back to 70mm and activated Full-Area Real-time Eye AF.

"Half-press the shutter, and when you see the green frame, press it all the way."

He casually found a rock to sit on.

Behind him was the reflection of the snow mountain.

His expression was calm, one hand resting on his knee, his gaze fixed on the distance.

That was the relaxed demeanor belonging to a Divine Magnate.

Even if Zhou Xiu's composition was mediocre, it couldn't overcome Sony's Black Technology autofocus and the model's handsome looks... One kilometer further ahead was Lianghekou.

Two glacial streams violently collided here, stirring up white mist.

Following that was the Red Rock Array.

This was a gentle uphill path.

Both sides of the riverbank were covered in stones as deep crimson as blood.

"That's Orange Algae," the Tibetan Uncle leading the horse explained. "It only survives here; if you take it down the mountain, it turns black."

Jiang Yuan raised his camera.

The advantage of the 70-200mm lens was demonstrated once again.

He didn't need to dismount; sitting on horseback, he could easily zoom in to capture the blood-red textures on the stones.

After passing through the Red Rock Array, the road conditions suddenly worsened.

The path was rocky and the slope steepened.

The horse beneath him began to pant heavily, testing every step before placing its hoof.

Jiang Yuan remained firmly seated on the horse's back; his core muscle groups kept him welded to the saddle, and the camera in his hand didn't budge.

Finally,

a huge open area appeared at the end of their sight.

The end of the scenic area—Muluozi.

This was the alpine pasture behind Mount Siguniang, surrounded by snow mountains on all sides.

"Whoa—"

Several yaks lay lazily on the grass, and a few professional MSR tents were pitched in the distance.

Jiang Yuan reined in his horse.

It was twelve noon.

Muluozi had a simple convenience store selling instant noodles and boiling water.

Jiang Yuan ordered a bucket of Braised Beef Noodles.

At this altitude of 3,700 meters, having hot food was a supreme luxury.

He held the noodles and sat on a long bench outside the wooden cabin.

Before him were snow mountains millions of years old, and in his hand were five-yuan instant noodles.

But this didn't stop him from eating with great relish.

Next to him, Zhou Xiu was not doing well.

Her face was pale, and when she took off her hat, her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Her lips had a distinct purple tinge.

Even holding the hot noodles, she couldn't take a single bite, only gasping for breath, like a fish out of water.

"Drink the soup first to warm your stomach; you must be suffering from altitude sickness."

Jiang Yuan offered a simple reminder, his tone calm, but he still casually handed her an oxygen bottle, which he had bought when purchasing the noodles.

"Thank you."

Zhou Xiu glanced at him gratefully, took the oxygen bottle, and inhaled deeply several times.

He, meanwhile, finished his noodles in a few bites, drinking even the soup completely.

Even dressed only in a light shirt, he still felt warm all over at the foot of the bitterly cold snow mountain.

The terror of having a Physique of 40 was fully displayed here.

Due to his Constant Temperature Body Sensation, he even kept the zipper of his jacket open, revealing the black T-shirt underneath.

It was as if this weren't a high-altitude snow mountain, but his own backyard... Return trip.

On the way down the mountain, the light changed.

Side backlighting pierced through the forest, and the Tyndall Effect drew out pillars of light.

Jiang Yuan rode on his horse, occasionally using the telephoto end to snap a few pictures of the light and shadow.

Although the return route was the same path, the perspective was completely different.

They looked up at the snow mountains on the way in, and looked down at the valley on the way back.

The light slanted in from the west, stretching the shadows of the trees long and thin, giving the entire Changping Valley a profound texture.

Simultaneously, a familiar voice sounded in his mind.

"Ding, check-in at Mount Siguniang successful."

"Ding, Reward 1: Physique Doubled (40×2)."

"Ding, Reward 2: 400,000,000 yuan."

"Ding, Reward 3: Energy Drink ×999. (Note: Consumption removes all non-permanent negative physical conditions and restores stamina, while also causing mental excitement, but does not replenish spiritual energy.)"