Midnight.
The freezing wilderness was illuminated by a scattering of stars, and the air echoed with the biting chill of ice and snow. Hidden on the leeward side of a mountain cliff, a man-made cave had been hollowed out, its entrance concealed by a white barrier.
Inside, a campfire crackled as dry branches burned away. A man clad in black tactical gear sat with his eyes closed, his aura surging in a full cycle. The potent spiritual energy washed over the wounds on his body. At times his brows furrowed; at others, they smoothed out, his expression calm. Beside him, a gaunt woman with withered, black-tinged skin lay in a deep, fitful sleep, her brows tightly knitted, never once relaxing.
Half an hour later.
Chapter 655