Dai Xiaomei and Yao supported each other as they walked into the distance.
As only two people remained, they tied themselves together with a short rope.
Dai Xiaomei, unusually, was in a somber mood and didn't say a word.
Throughout their journey, Dai Xiaomei had been the life of the group, always able to find a reason to laugh.
But now, with only two of the original four left, Dai Xiaomei could no longer force a smile.
"Don't worry! We'll all survive! They are stronger."
Yao comforted Dai Xiaomei, projecting an air of confidence.
In truth, Yao had no idea what to expect. Faced with such a terrifying avalanche, survival was no longer a matter of strength but entirely dependent on luck.
With a little over half the journey remaining, Yao led the way, using a method taught to him by Jiang Fan.
He tested the ground with his toes, then firmly planted a foot, ensuring it was stable, before allowing Dai Xiaomei to follow his footprints.
As Dai Xiaomei walked, she remembered that these methods were taught by Jiang Fan, which only made her feel worse.
The snow-covered mountains after the avalanche were filled with mist, and under the sun, countless colorful rainbows appeared.
Dai Xiaomei and Yao walked as if on a rainbow bridge, with unseen observers following behind.
Dai Xiaomei suddenly recalled that Zhou Niannian had once mentioned a tribe called the Seediq Bale, who revered warriors.
They believed that pure and brave souls ascended to the rainbow bridge after death.
If Zhou Niannian were here, Dai Xiaomei would surely be chatting and laughing with her, and even asking the onlookers to take selfies for them.
But now, her good sister Zhou Niannian was nowhere to be found.
Dai Xiaomei's mood was exceptionally low. In a daze, she seemed to see the souls of Zhou Niannian and Jiang Fan ascending the rainbow bridge and waving to her.
"Wait for me!"
Unconsciously, Dai Xiaomei found herself following Jiang Fan and Yao onto the rainbow bridge.
Suddenly, Yao yanked Dai Xiaomei fiercely, startling her awake.
Yao simply said,
"Be careful, it's an illusion!"
Only then did Dai Xiaomei realize there was no rainbow bridge. She was mere meters from a cliff edge.
If Yao hadn't grabbed her, she would have fallen into the abyss below.
"Be careful! It's an illusion! The weather! Don't look at those rainbows!"
Yao repeated, supporting Dai Xiaomei as they continued to walk.
The netizens in the livestream were stunned. What were they witnessing?
Why would Dai Xiaomei walk directly towards the edge of a cliff?
"Professor Zhang, please explain. This is your science segment."
As expected, Professor Zhang stepped forward to explain.
"This is a projection caused by the weather, similar in principle to a mirage."
"Under such projections, humans can become hypnotized and see what they most desire."
"The cliff area is an open space with more water vapor than solid ground, making it easier for more rainbows to form."
"I suspect Dai Xiaomei saw the rainbows, became hallucinated, and thought of Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian, which is why she almost walked off the cliff."
Professor Zhang lived up to his reputation, explaining the scientific phenomenon clearly.
The netizens nodded in agreement. So it was an illusion, not something supernatural.
However, it was still terrifying. With rainbows everywhere, it was impossible not to look at them.
At this moment, they could only hope that the resolute Yao could guide Dai Xiaomei safely out of the snow-covered mountains.
The remaining journey was far from peaceful.
Meanwhile, in a location out of sight of any observers, two figures appeared.
It was Zhou Niannian and Jiang Fan!
They had not been crushed by the avalanche and had narrowly escaped, but they had become separated from Dai Xiaomei and Yao.
Zhou Niannian was supporting Jiang Fan, struggling through the snow.
They had somehow been swept to the other side of the mountain and were now heading towards the dense forest.
However, the distance to the forest was twice as far as it was for Dai Xiaomei and Yao.
Jiang Fan appeared to be injured, limping and walking with an uneven gait, looking more disheveled than ever.
"It's okay, you don't need to support me, I can walk myself."
Jiang Fan could see that Zhou Niannian was also injured, though not severely, her stamina was clearly depleted.
She was pretending to be unaffected, just holding on.
"Don't say that. If you hadn't protected me during the avalanche, I would have been crushed!"
"I would still support you even if I were dying."
Zhou Niannian was filled with gratitude. The avalanche had come too fast, and she had already been buried under the snow, unable to move.
At the last moment, Jiang Fan rushed over and pulled her out.
However, Jiang Fan's leg was injured by a flying chunk of snow.
If he hadn't been weighed down by her, Jiang Fan might have escaped unscathed.
"Protecting companions is what one should do. Whether it's you, Yao, or Dai Xiaomei, I would save them."
Zhou Niannian sighed. He was so honest.
Without even a makeshift walking stick, their progress was incredibly difficult.
Zhou Niannian gritted her teeth and continued to support Jiang Fan. Suddenly, they both fell into a snow pit.
Fortunately, the bottom of the pit was not a bottomless abyss, but just an ordinary snow pit. After struggling for a moment, they managed to climb out.
However, they were both soaked through. On a snowy mountain like this, being soaked meant certain death.
Zhou Niannian estimated that at their current pace, they would not reach the dense forest they had seen before nightfall.
This meant they would have to spend the night on the mountain.
The problem was, they had lost all their equipment, had no food, and were separated from their teammates.
In this state, spending the night on the snowy mountain in wet clothes meant they could freeze to death at any moment.
"It's okay, we're very lucky. You're an imperial European, you have to believe in yourself."
Jiang Fan saw Zhou Niannian's unease and comforted her.
Zhou Niannian gave a bitter smile. Usually, she was very confident, but at this moment, she no longer believed in her luck.
Looking around, the entire snow-covered mountain had changed.
What had been a relatively smooth path was now riddled with deep pits.
The two of them had no rope and could only support each other step by step.
Who knew where the next bottomless pit might be.
"Believe in yourself, maybe we'll find some treasure later."
Jiang Fan sounded full of confidence, but only he knew whether he truly felt that way.
Zhou Niannian knew that Jiang Fan was trying to encourage her.
She gritted her teeth.
"Let's keep going!"
After a few more steps, Jiang Fan suddenly signaled Zhou Niannian to stop, his expression turning serious.
Zhou Niannian, unsure why, asked in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Fan didn't answer. He stared into the empty space for a long time before finally saying.
"Zhou Niannian, if you don't claim the title of second in luck, I believe no one in this world would dare to claim first."