Chapter 184: Extreme Cold Realm 01

If Gu Feng could join their clan, that would naturally be the best.

After all, Gu Feng's level is high but he's a defective specimen, so Ye Xi'an couldn't truly like him; if a fight actually broke out, Gu Feng might not be welcomed by them.

Several males' mental calculators clacked inside their heads, but they could never have guessed that Ye Xi'an is not a person of Zhu Shen Xing, having no concept at all of what a defective or non‑defective product is, and instead thought Gu Feng was pretty cool.

"I'm level nine!"

Gu Feng proudly told Ye Xi'an his level, which was also the only thing he could show off.

"Wow! You're amazing."

Although she didn't know exactly how strong level nine was, Ye Xi'an knew it was certainly stronger than her family's.

"So let me join you on the mission; I don't mind the star rating."

Deep down, Ye Xi'an also hoped to go with Gu Feng, after all, a thick thigh like that shouldn't go unused, and she could also help Gu Feng carry gear, making it a win‑win.

She turned to Lin Zhi Jing and the others: "Since Gu Feng said so, let's go together, what do you think?"

Ye Xi'an saying that meant she had already decided, so what else could they say?

The few hurried to the Qiu family to deliver fruit, but Qiu Yi wasn't there, so they turned and went to the Mission Hall to receive a mission.

For some reason, the Mission Hall was unusually crowded today.

Inside the Mission Hall, the noisy chatter nearly lifted the dome, and even finding a place to stand was difficult; everyone was packed together.

The air was thick with excitement, and each face bore a clenched, eager expression.

Ye Xi'an was squeezed to the point of gritting her teeth; in front of her was Lin Zhi Jing, behind her Bao Jing, and her left and right hands were each pulled by Yi Yang and Ji Jiangci, leaving her practically immobile.

She felt her feet were already off the ground.

"What's going on? There are way too many people today."

Yi Yang's round blue eyes were full of confusion; he held Ye Xi'an's hand tightly, fearing that if he wasn't careful his wife would be swept away by the crowd.

Bao Jing snapped irritably, his brown eyes under black hair scanning the crowded throng, looking extremely impatient.

"Who knows what's going on."

Lin Zhi Jing adjusted the silver wire glasses on his nose, his gray phoenix eyes calmly observing the surroundings, trying to find order amid the chaos.

He saw that in front of the largest holo‑screen at the hall's center, the crowd was packed so tightly that countless heads jostled, occasionally erupting in exclamations.

He guessed the cause could be found there.

He patted the shoulders of the few and gestured toward the screen: "Let's go take a look."

"Fine, but I don't think I can walk; you two really have me suspended in the air!"

Ye Xi'an gasped for breath, her feet thumped twice but didn't touch the floor.

A pleasant laugh rang in her ear as Ji Jiangci leaned close: "So what should we do, my dear wife? Can you think of a way to get across?"

Ye Xi'an, cheeks flushed, nudged Ji Jiangci with her head: "What else can we do? Bao Jing, Lin Zhi Jing, you two just push me over like this."

Anyway, she's thick‑skinned now, not afraid of a social death.

Lin Zhi Jing and Bao Jing obediently complied, shuffling step by step toward the screen in that posture.

In the chaos, Ye Xi'an saw Gu Feng looking a bit uneasy.

Gu Feng, standing two meters tall with his imposing build, was very conspicuous among the beastfolk crowd.

He clearly had a striking red head, yet he kept his head down, silently trailing behind her.

Ye Xi'an's purple eyes flashed with a hint of sympathy; she thought Gu Feng resembled her former self.

So she withdrew her right hand from Ji Jiangci's grasp and, with effort, took Gu Feng's hand.

The warm touch made Gu Feng's towering figure pause briefly; the pair of un‑retractable qilin horns on his head were especially conspicuous in the crowd.

"What's wrong?" Gu Feng asked.

"I'm afraid you'll get lost, so I'm holding you."

After saying that, Ye Xi'an mimicked the smile of the Virgin Mary on TV and smiled.

She believed that in Gu Feng's eyes, she seemed as kind and gentle as that old mother; Ye Xi'an silently sighed, realizing she was far too kind.

Gu Feng's complexion instantly turned fluorescent pink; he lowered his head and muttered a soft "hm."

With no hand left to hold, Ji Jiangci watched Ye Xi'an and Gu Feng's clasped hands enviously, silently slipped over to Yi Yang's side, and seized Ye Xi'an's other hand.

As for Yi Yang? He can do whatever he wants.

The few managed to squeeze near the screen and finally read its contents.

【Emergency S‑Rank Mission: Exploration and Resource Gathering in the Extreme Cold Realm】

The massive title flickered with glaring red light, and below was a dense block of mission details.

"The ice layer of the Extreme Cold Realm is beginning to melt, an unknown area is appearing, possibly becoming the second habitable planet of my Zhu Shen Xing!"

"We now call for brave beastfolk and families to explore, gathering all usable resources, including but not limited to: unknown ores, special plants, exotic beast crystal cores, ancient ruin data…"

"Mission rewards: Contribution Points evaluated based on the value of submitted resources, with no upper limit! There are also rare weapon rewards, or you can go to the Federation warehouse yourself to choose your desired prize!"

The crowd erupted in even louder discussion.

"Oh my God! A second habitable planet?!"

"If that's true, we'd be rich!"

"Anything goes? Doesn't that mean you can just pick up random stuff for experience?"

"Who cares! I'm going! Opportunities like this only come once every few hundred years!"

Ye Xi'an was also tempted, since the Extreme Cold Realm would be awash with Contribution Points.

"Shall we take this mission…?"

Ye Xi'an whispered, her voice tinged with eager anticipation.

She turned her head, her gaze scanning the varied expressions of the husbands.

Lin Zhi Jing furrowed his brows, his gray eyes filled with scrutiny and worry, clearly assessing the mission's risk.

Under Ji Jiangci's cool brown, slightly curled hair, his teal pupils held his usual gentleness, yet a trace of anxiety about the unknown could not be concealed.

Bao Jing's eyes lit up, seeming already eager to rush into that icy snowfield.

Yi Yang blinked his innocent blue eyes, glanced at the screen, then at Ye Xi'an, his simple face saying, "I'm fine with anything, I don't mind."

"But so many people are going, there's no guarantee something won't go wrong," Lin Zhi Jing has never liked taking risks, unless he already has a hundred percent certainty.

"Always being scared won't improve one's abilities," Gu Feng, who kept his head down, suddenly said. He doesn't have a family shield like Lin Zhi Jing; he has always been alone, and fearlessness is his way of surviving.

Ye Xi'an saw their hesitation; this time she wasn't as rash as before in picking the mission: "Then, let's first check the mission details, and decide after we read them."

The few of them nodded in agreement, but there were too many orcs claiming the mission, and to use the machine they had to queue.

Only when the sky was completely dark did it become Ye Xi'an's group's turn.