Chapter 682: Autumnwatch Peak

Planet M73 was a celestial body located beyond the solar system, with a mass over one hundred and twenty times that of Earth.

Due to its distant position from its host star, surface temperatures remained extremely low, averaging negative fifty degrees Celsius, with extreme cold snaps plunging temperatures as low as negative two hundred degrees. It was a near-uninhabitable death planet.

For years, M73 had served as Chongque City’s primary dumping ground, earning it the infamous nickname, the Junkyard.

The shuttle arrived above the planet and settled into a designated orbit. Dressed in specialized thermal suits, Li Xiaofei, Huang Dinggou, and Little Black entered the descent pod and dropped into low orbit before making a rapid descent toward the planet’s surface. Huang Dinggou had gathered relevant data on this wasteland planet before their arrival.

"There’s oxygen, but in low concentrations," he quickly explained. "There’s liquid water, but it’s trapped beneath a hundred meters of ice. There’s also no vegetation or indigenous life forms either. However, records indicate that some warriors fleeing disasters once attempted to establish survival bases here. However they were all eventually wiped out. Those so-called bases might be abandoned ruins now, if they still exist at all.

"The tallest peak is Autumnwatch Peak, standing at 23,427 meters above sea level, more than 8,000 meters taller than the second-highest unnamed peak."

Huang Dinggou provided a detailed briefing as the descent pod adjusted its landing trajectory. Their landing site was set for a glacier region near Autumnwatch Peak.

The pod's hatch hissed open. A frigid wind howled into the cabin. Snow and ice swirled through the air, pelting their suits like shards of frozen steel.

Huang Dinggou’s teeth immediately began chattering, since he was not nearly as formidable as Li Xiaofei. His body trembled uncontrollably in the subzero onslaught.

Little Black, on the other hand, remained completely unaffected. Its thick, dense fur provided exceptional insulation. Instead of shivering, it joyfully frolicked in the snow, rolling around as if reveling in the icy wonderland.

Li Xiaofei activated the Wind Law he had extracted from Nangong Longjian’s Law Nucleus. Instantly, the raging winds within a hundred-meter radius slowed and stopped, creating a pocket of stillness around them.

Finally, Huang Dinggou stopped shivering. He took a moment to scan his surroundings. Though it was technically afternoon on M73, the light was dim. The ever-present ice storms filtered out most of the sunlight, casting a perpetual twilight gloom over the entire planet.

They had landed in an icy stone forest, where jagged ice formations jutted out to form grotesque, twisted trees and bizarre rock formations. The eerie, lifeless landscape stretched into the distance. The whole region was shrouded in an oppressive silence.

Beyond their immediate vicinity, visibility dropped sharply. The raging snow blurred everything beyond a hundred meters, but faint outlines of towering ice peaks that rose high into the sky were visible.

This planet was a world of endless ice and snow. Vast amounts of frozen waste lay trapped beneath the thick glacial layers. There were scrapped starships, discarded household appliances, and all manner of obsolete refuse from Chongque City.

"Brother Chen," Huang Dinggou hunched his shoulders, speaking through clattering teeth. "I'll stay here with Black Emperor and guard the landing pod. I think I’ll pass on climbing Autumnwatch Peak."

It was simply too cold.

"Woof! Woof woof!" Little Black immediately objected, barking in protest.

Li Xiaofei considered for a moment, then nodded. He said, "Alright. You stay and guard the pod. Little Black and I will make the trip. We’ll be back within an hour."

"Alright!" replied Huang Dinggou who was overjoyed.

As soon as Li Xiaofei and Little Black set off, he wasted no time closing the landing pod’s hatch. Then, he pulled out a stash of snacks and began happily munching away.

The wind and snow raged outside, but it was warm and comfortable inside. Truth be told, Huang Dinggou had no interest in M73. He only tagged along to stay close to Li Xiaofei, ensuring that everyone saw him as the Hall Master’s trusted confidant. That status alone earned him a higher level of respect within the gang.

Ever since Brother Chen had risen in rank, he had thrown some cultivation resources his way which allowed him to train. But Huang Dinggou had no intention of taking it seriously.

For one, he hated hardship. Now that he had finally latched onto Brother Chen’s golden thigh, it was time to enjoy the rewards. For another, he lacked talent. No matter how hard he trained, he wouldn’t achieve much. Grinding away at cultivation would just waste his precious life.

Huang Dinggou didn’t see this as slacking off. He called it self-awareness. Munching on junk food, sipping fine liquor, and watching the wind and snow from the comfort of the pod was the life.

Of course, if Xiao Yuer, the ridiculously well-endowed firefighter, was here to help ‘put out a fire,’ then this moment would be absolute perfection. Suddenly—

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The energy radar blared with an urgent warning signal. Something alive was approaching. Huang Dinggou's heart clenched. He instantly turned to the monitor screen, but what he saw made his entire body go cold.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

***

Whoosh!

The sound of cutting wind echoed as Li Xiaofei, carrying Little Black, soared through the sky and landed on the summit of Autumnwatch Peak. This was the highest peak on M73, an immense ice mountain formed by millions of years of accumulated snowfall and compacted into a glacial mass harder than divine iron.

The temperature at the summit had dropped below negative one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius. It was far beyond what could be described as merely freezing cold. Here, water didn’t just turn into ice in an instant, even one’s breath solidified into frost the moment it left one’s lips.

Li Xiaofei had to circulate his cultivation techniques to withstand the extreme cold. But Little Black seemed utterly unfazed. The tiny dog continued bouncing around joyfully. It was full of energy and completely immune to the freezing climate.

As Li Xiaofei stepped onto the summit, his gaze sharpened.

"Eh?"

A hint of surprise flickered across his face. There were traces of artificial craftsmanship at the peak. A circular platform, covering about three acres, had been deliberately carved into the icy summit. There were ice tables and chairs, along with sculpted trees and animals. It was as if someone had transformed this forbidding ice peak into an enchanted snow park.

A light dusting of fresh snow had settled over the sculptures, yet their intricate details remained remarkably vivid.

Could there actually be living people on this planet? Could they be the legendary wandering martial refugees?

Li Xiaofei's heart stirred with curiosity.

He examined the ice sculptures closely. The more he looked, the more astonished he became. At the very center of the platform, a breathtaking ice-carved woman dressed in ancient palace robes was standing beneath a magnificent ice-sculpted osmanthus tree. It was cradling a translucent white rabbit in her arms.

Li Xiaofei walked up to the ice-sculpted tree and took a seat on the frozen chair beside it. He tilted his head back and gazed up at the vast sky above. The stellar expanse stretched out before him in breathtaking clarity.

Then, his eyes locked onto a particular star. Earth. The only one of its kind in the Solar System. So that was the meaning of Autumnwatch Peak, it truly was a place where one could stand and look upon Earth with absolute clarity.

This peak was above the raging snowstorms and howling ice winds that ravaged the rest of the planet. The blue planet would be visible every single day of the year.

Li Xiaofei sat there in silence, staring at the distant world. For a moment, he seemed entranced, lost in thought.

Which timeline does this Earth I’m seeing now belong to? Is it a colony planet under some vast cosmic federation, or is it still the same Earth I know?

Perhaps... the star beast invasions had never happened. Perhaps, on that real Earth, humanity still thrived in peace, free from the countless disasters he had come to know.

He clung to that small hope. And so, he silently offered a blessing in his heart. After a long while, he finally snapped out of his reverie. His gaze drifted back to the mysterious ice-sculpted paradise atop the peak.

Magnificent. Enigmatic. Many of the ice sculptures carried meanings that only a person from Earth would understand.

"This must have been Nangong Longjian’s work," Li Xiaofei mused. "He must have come here often... to gaze upon Earth and drown in his longing."

His eyes swept across the frozen landscape, his mind now focused on an important decision. Where should he bury Nangong Longjian’s ashes?

At last, he made his decision. Li Xiaofei exerted all his strength to carve out a hollow in the frozen ground underneath the ice-crystal osmanthus tree. It took immense effort, but after much struggle, he finally managed to dig deep enough.

He carefully placed the jade urn containing Nangong Longjian’s ashes into the icy tomb. Then, he covered it with crushed ice, sealing it away beneath the frost. He poured strong liquor over the burial site, letting the burning liquid seep into the ice. It was a final offering to the deceased.

Lastly, he took the dark-gold saber, Nangong Longjian’s weapon, and drove it deep into the frozen ground in front of the grave. Its hilt stood tall like a solemn gravestone.

"I’ve fulfilled my promise to you," Li Xiaofei whispered, lowering his head in a respectful bow. "I hope you can find peace in the afterlife. Here, you can watch over Earth, day and night... and one day, your soul may finally return home."

With that, he turned to leave.

But then he halted abruptly and his expression darkened with caution. Ahead of him, a black-cloaked figure stood behind one of the ice sculptures, as if it had been there all along. It was draped in a tattered straw raincoat, its gloomy gaze locked onto Li Xiaofei, watching in eerily silent stillness.