The following morning, at the north gate tower of Hangu Pass.
Before dawn, the sentries on the city wall had already changed, and the black-armored warriors on night duty descended the ladder.
The soldiers on the early shift climbed the battlements. Some of them glanced into the distance a few times, then bent down to adjust their armor plates.
Lin Feng stood in the center of the city gate tower, his hands resting on the battlements, facing north.
Zhao Hu and Meng Yi stood on his left and right sides, one expressionless and the other standing ramrod straight.
Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan stood two steps behind him without saying a word.
After giving his final instructions, Lin Feng turned to look at the two men: "Zhao Hu will be in charge of the North Gate defenses during the day, and Meng Yi will take over at night."
If a large-scale attack occurs and Hangu Pass is at risk of being lost, activate the 【Beacon Fire Returns】 event on the Great Wall.
"At that time, Ye Lan, Lord Jiang, and I will teleport back directly."
Zhao Hu and Meng Yi simultaneously placed their right fists against their chests: "We obey."
Lin Feng didn't say anything more. He turned around, his gaze slowly sweeping over Zhao Hu and Meng Yi's faces, finally landing on Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan.
"Let's go." Lin Feng didn't pause; as soon as he finished speaking, he was already airborne.
Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan followed closely behind, and the three figures rose into the morning light almost at the same time, flying towards the northeastern horizon.
Silver Dragon Beacon Snow had been waiting for a while in the open space below the city gate.
It crouched in the center of the open space, its wings folded at its sides, its silvery-white scales shimmering in the morning sun.
Seeing the three people fly out from the city wall, it raised its silvery-white head and let out a low cry.
When Lin Feng landed on its back, Feng Xue tilted its head slightly, as if to make sure he was settled.
Jiang Zhaoyue then landed on the back of the dragon's back. After settling down, she sat cross-legged, placed her spear horizontally in front of her knees, and naturally scanned her surroundings.
Jiang Yelan landed next to Jiang Zhaoyue, her hand gently resting on the surface of the scales.
Feng Xue seemed to sense the light touch, tilted her head slightly, and let out a low, short murmur from her throat.
"Let's go." As soon as Lin Feng finished speaking, Feng Xue's wings suddenly spread out, the air currents swirling up and throwing down the pebbles and dust on the ground, and her silver-white body soared into the air and flew eastward.
Zhao Hu and Meng Yi stood in a row on the city tower, watching the silvery-white ball rise into the sky. It adjusted its direction in mid-air and then began to accelerate, soaring towards the eastern horizon.
Feng Xue's speed gradually increased from zero. Her body tilted slightly, and she rose to a higher altitude with the help of the airflow. She quickly climbed to a height of several hundred meters. The Hangu Pass below shrank rapidly in her field of vision, turning into a gray square.
Lin Feng stood at the very front, squinting against the wind as he looked at the gradually widening horizon ahead.
He was going over the plan for this trip to the Eastern Arctic region in his mind.
Last night, news came from Europa that they had accepted his conditions: the Ancient Builder's Heart would be delivered in thirty days, with the condition that he would go to the Eastern Extreme Region to provide support as soon as possible.
The undead army is now divided into three routes: two flanking forces are attacking Silver Shield City in the northeast and Lionheart City in the southeast, while the main force is attacking Graystone City in the east.
Europa's leadership judged that Graystone City wouldn't last long and was already preparing a second line of defense in White Tower City, 400 kilometers to the east of Graystone City.
From Hangu Pass to the edge of the explored area of Antarctica, a distance of about 1,600 kilometers, Feng Xue carried them on this leg of the flight to conserve their energy.
After passing the edge of the explored area, there are still more than 3,000 kilometers to the western border of the Eastern Extreme Region, and another 600 kilometers to the White Pagoda City to the east.
I don't plan to let Fengxue follow for the rest of the journey. It's too big, and flying in the unfamiliar airspace of the Eastern Arctic region would easily expose its target.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the border, they will land and begin a ground march, allowing Fengxue to return to Hangu Pass on her own.
He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced slightly at the back of the dragon.
Jiang Zhaoyue sat at the back of the dragon's spine, her hands resting on her knees, her gaze occasionally sweeping across the horizon in front of her, and occasionally landing on Jiang Yelan.
She noticed that Jiang Yelan adjusted his sitting posture several times, his hand gently stroking the scales back and forth.
Jiang Zhaoyue watched for a while and couldn't help but say, "Ye Lan, what you're touching is defensive scales. When Feng Xue is flying, her senses on the surface are very dull."
Try it on the side of its neck, near the base of its ear; the scales are thinner there, and you'll see a reaction.
Jiang Yelan stood up, walked to the side of Feng Xue's neck, and touched the spot Jiang Zhaoyue had indicated.
Feng Xue's ears twitched, and a low purring sound came from its throat, as if it had been touched in a comfortable spot. The wingtips adjusted their direction and continued to maintain the flight posture.
Jiang Yelan withdrew his hand and turned to look at Jiang Zhaoyue: "There was indeed a reaction."
Jiang Zhaoyue smiled slightly: "When I first sat on it, it was like this too, and it even looked back at me."
Lin Feng withdrew his gaze, his voice carrying a hint of amusement: "It seems Feng Xue quite likes the two of you."
Fengxue let out a soft cry, and its wingtip adjusted its angle slightly, as if in response to the statement.
After a while, Jiang Zhaoyue suddenly turned her head and asked curiously, "Lord Lin, what does Fengxue usually like to eat?"
Lin Feng was taken aback; this question had truly stumped him.
After Fengxue was born, it was either flying in the sky or fighting in battles. It seems that he never seriously considered what it "liked to eat".
Jiang Yelan also turned her head, looking like she was waiting to hear the answer.
There was a two-second silence.
"...Spiky boar, I guess." Lin Feng answered uncertainly.
There was a moment of silence.
Jiang Yelan asked calmly, "How many at a time?"
Before Lin Feng could speak, Feng Xue beneath him let out three soft cries, each one shorter than the last, as if counting off.
Lin Feng glanced back at them, his expression sincere: "Didn't it answer itself?"
Jiang Zhaoyue couldn't help but laugh, and Jiang Yelan looked away without asking any further questions.
Fengxue flicked its tail triumphantly, and the quietness on the dragon's back returned. Unlike the silence before, it now exuded a sense of ease, as if they could stay together without saying a word.
...
Eight hours later, the three arrived at the edge of the explored area in Antarctica.
Lin Feng patted Feng Xue's neck, and the silver dragon slowly folded its wings and landed on a gray-brown wasteland.
The three jumped off the dragon's back. Lin Feng turned to Feng Xue and patted its nose: "Let's go back. Don't wait for us."
Fengxue let out a soft cry, as if in response, then spread its wings and its silvery-white body soared into the air.
It flew toward the western horizon, quickly shrinking into a tiny silver dot before disappearing at the edge of the clouds.
Lin Feng withdrew his gaze and glanced at the sky. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun was still hanging in the western sky, showing no sign of setting.
He estimated the distance and speed, then turned to the two and said, "Run at full speed for two hours first, then maintain a steady pace of 30 meters per second. This speed will not consume much energy, and we should be able to cover another 1,000 kilometers before dark."
Jiang Zhaoyue nodded: "No problem."
The three immediately set off, two figures and a swift shadow sweeping across the gray-brown wasteland.
