37: Chapter 37 The Ice Lotus Appears, the Ice Scale Python

As they ventured further inside, the light grew dimmer, and they relied entirely on the moss scattered sporadically on the stone walls, which emitted a faint fluorescent glow.

The air was biting cold, turning their breath into frost, and the ground and walls were covered with thick layers of ice, requiring extra caution while walking.

Along the way, they encountered a few more scattered Yao Beasts, mostly Low Grade of the First Rank, which were easily dealt with by the Lin family guards.

Ye Chen also struck a few times, his ice scar sword working in tandem with his Profound Ice True Essence.

Dealing with these cold-attribute Yao Beasts was twice as effective, allowing Lin Dong and the others to witness his strength once again.

After traveling for about an hour, a rumbling sound of water came from ahead, and a vast underground space appeared at the end of the tunnel.

A wide, dark underground river lay ahead; the water was as black as ink, emitting an astonishing amount of cold qi, with broken ice floating on the surface.

On the other side of the dark river was a vast ice field, and deep within the ice field, a towering ice peak was faintly visible.

"We have arrived. This is the Cold Ice Ravine."

Scarface stopped in his tracks, looking at the pitch-black river surface with a solemn expression.

"This Black Water River is extremely cold; not even a goose feather can float on it. Furthermore, there are 'Yin Underworld Leeches' underwater that specialize in sucking human blood and have fierce toxicity. Everyone, be careful. Use your True Qi to protect your bodies and cross quickly."

The group nodded and proceeded to circulate their True Essence, forming protective shields on the surface of their bodies.

Scarface leaped first, his toes lightly tapping on a piece of floating ice on the river surface, using the momentum to dash toward the opposite bank. The others followed closely behind.

Ye Chen felt the pure Yin cold qi emanating from the river, and his heart stirred slightly.

Although this cold qi did not compare to the Profound Ice Origin, it was several times denser and purer than that of the outside world, which was of great benefit to his Cultivation.

He operated his Cultivation Technique and quietly absorbed a wisp of the cold qi from the river, feeling his whole body relax with comfort.

Just as the entire team was about to cross the middle of the river, a sudden change occurred!

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Several black shadows shot out from the pitch-black water like sharp arrows, lunging straight at the guards at the very back!

They were none other than the Yin Underworld Leeches! They were shaped like long whips with ferocious mouthparts, and their speed was astonishing!

"Careful!"

Scarface shouted sharply, turning around to slash out several waves of Saber Qi, cutting down a few leeches.

However, two still broke through the defense and attached themselves to the legs of two guards!

"Ah!"

The two guards screamed, their legs turning pitch-black in an instant, and their protective True Qi was rapidly corroded!

The leeches' bodies swelled up as they frantically sucked blood!

Ye Chen's eyes turned cold. He pointed his fingers like a sword, and two condensed blasts of cold ice finger wind struck, arriving after the initial attack but hitting first, precisely hitting the heads of the leeches!

"Chih!"

The leeches were instantly frozen into ice sticks, falling off the guards' legs and dropping into the river.

However, the two guards were also poisoned; their faces had turned pale and blue, and they were shivering all over.

"Cross the river quickly!"

Scarface signaled for everyone to speed up.

The group leaped onto the ice field on the opposite bank without any further danger.

The situation for the two poisoned guards was not good; the toxicity of the Yin Underworld Leeches was extremely cold and was currently eroding their heart meridians.

Ordinary detoxification pills had very little effect.

"Let me try."

Ye Chen crouched down and placed his palm on the chest of one of the guards, channeling his pure Profound Ice True Essence into him to wrap around that Yin cold toxin, attempting to guide it out.

However, this toxin was exceptionally stubborn and shared the same origin as the cold qi, making it extremely difficult to separate.

Ye Chen frowned slightly; with a thought, he attempted to mobilize that wisp of Nirvana Concept.

As the Nirvana cold intent touched the toxin, the previously stubborn Yin cold toxin seemed to have met its nemesis and rapidly disintegrated and dissolved!

Within a few seconds, the blackness on the guard's leg faded, and his complexion returned to a ruddy state.

"Th-thank you, Young Master Ye, for saving my life!"

The guard was both shocked and delighted, hurriedly expressing his gratitude. The other guard was also saved by Ye Chen using the same method.

Scarface, Lin Dong, and the others watched with their mouths agape.

The strange poison of the Yin Underworld Leech was solved just like that?

This Young Master Ye's control over cold qi was simply miraculous!

"Brother Ye, you..." Lin Dong opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"It was just a coincidence; my True Qi happens to counter this poison."

Ye Chen brushed it off nonchalantly.

The Nirvana Concept was one of his greatest trump cards and should not be overly exposed.

After crossing the Black Water River, a boundless ice field lay before them.

The cold wind was like a blade, whipping up ice shards that crackled as they struck their protective True Qi.

The ice field was sporadically dotted with ice shoots and ice pillars; the scenery was magnificent yet fraught with danger.

According to the map, the ice heart lotus was most likely growing near the "Millennium Ice Cave" deep within the ice field.

The team cautiously advanced across the ice field, remaining vigilant for any Yao Beasts that might appear.

After walking for about half an hour, a massive forest of icicles appeared ahead.

Countless icicles, several zhang high and as thick as a child's arm, hung down like sharp swords.

They shimmered with a deep blue light under the faint illumination, forming a natural maze.

"Once we pass through this forest of icicles, the Millennium Ice Cave will be on the other side."

Scarface checked the map, his expression solemn.

"Everyone, stay close. The terrain here is complex, and it is easy to get lost. It is said that 'Phantom Ice Bats' inhabit this place, which can create illusions to disturb one's mind."

The team formed a tight formation and slowly entered the icicle forest. The gaps between the icicles were narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time.

The light was refracted by the layers of icicles, creating a bizarre and dizzying spectacle.

The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, with only the "crunch" of feet stepping on the ice and the heavy breathing of the group.

Suddenly, Ye Chen felt a trace of an extremely subtle mental fluctuation sweep past.

"Watch out for illusions!" he whispered sharply.

Before his voice had even faded, the surrounding scene changed abruptly!

The previously clear icicle tunnel became distorted and blurry, and countless ferocious ice-crystal monsters lunged from all directions, their shrill shrieks piercing their eardrums!

"Steady your minds! It's an illusion!"

Scarface, who was experienced, immediately shouted, his voice infused with True Essence, which jolted everyone's minds into clarity.

However, the illusions did not completely vanish and were still interfering with their vision and perception.

At the same time, the sound of dense flapping wings came from above!

Countless palm-sized, completely transparent "Phantom Ice Bats" swooped down from the tops of the icicles.

The sound waves they emitted could amplify and distort human fear, creating even more realistic illusions!

"Form a defensive formation! Protect Young Master Ye and Young Master Lin Dong!"

Scarface remained calm in the face of danger, commanding the guards to wield their weapons and kill the ice bats.

But the number of ice bats was too great to kill them all, and the illusions were layered; the eyes of a few guards with weaker cultivation began to unfocus, and their movements became sluggish.

Lin Dong brandished his long sword, the sword light dazzling as he slew several ice bats, but he was also distracted and annoyed by the illusions.

Ye Chen held his breath and focused; the jade booklet in his Sea of Consciousness shimmered with a faint light, and that trace of binding power gave him extremely strong resistance to mental interference.

A cold light flashed in his eyes, and the ice scar sword was suddenly unsheathed. He did not attack the entities but instead carved out arcs of cold sword light infused with the Nirvana Concept!

Wherever the sword arcs passed, those illusory ice-crystal monsters shattered one after another like bubbles!

The mind-confusing sound waves emitted by the ice bats were also dispersed by this higher-level Nirvana Concept!

The surrounding illusions receded like a tide, restoring the scene to the original forest of icicles.

The pressure on the group was greatly reduced.

"What powerful Sword Intent!"

Scarface exclaimed in awe.

Lin Dong also breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze toward Ye Chen becoming even more complex.

Ye Chen did not stop; as he unfolded his sword momentum, streaks of blue sword qi, as if imbued with life, precisely struck and killed the Phantom Ice Bats one by one.

Once an ice bat was touched by the sword qi, it froze instantly, fell to the ground, and shattered. In just a moment, the dense swarm of ice bats was wiped out.

The crisis was resolved.

The group looked at the corpses of the ice bats littering the ground, lingering fear in their hearts.

"Young Master Ye, thanks to you again this time."

Scarface said sincerely.

If not for Ye Chen, they would likely have been trapped in the illusion for a long time, or even suffered casualties.

"It was just a small effort."

Ye Chen sheathed his sword and looked toward the depths of the icicle forest.

"Let's continue; the ice cave shouldn't be far now."

Passing through the icicle forest, the view suddenly opened up. A massive ice cave, like the mouth of a giant beast, appeared before them.

The entrance to the ice cave was ten zhang high, and cold qi poured out from it as if it were tangible, with huge icicles hanging from the cave mouth.

The temperature here was terrifyingly low; even their exhaled breath would instantly freeze into ice crystals and fall.

"This is it, the Millennium Ice Cave."

Scarface's expression was serious. "The ice heart lotus can only grow in the extreme cold of the deepest part of the cave. But the situation inside is unknown; there may be more powerful Yao Beasts. I will take half the men and go in with Lin Dong. Young Master Ye, how about you take the other half and wait outside to provide support?"

He was worried about the danger inside the cave and wanted Ye Chen to stay in the relatively safe outside area.

However, Ye Chen shook his head. "I will go in with you all. The ice heart lotus is very important to me."

He sensed an extremely pure cold-type energy fluctuation deep within the cave, which was very likely the ice heart lotus, and he could not miss it.

Seeing Ye Chen's insistence, Scarface did not try to dissuade him further. "Alright! Then everyone, be careful and stay vigilant!"

The group lit their special wind-proof lanterns and cautiously stepped into the Millennium Ice Cave.

The space inside the cave was immense; the walls were all ten-thousand-year ice, smooth as mirrors, reflecting the lantern light in a bizarre and fantastical way.

Beneath their feet was a thick layer of ice, and walking on it produced hollow echoes.

The further they went, the heavier the cold qi became, and the area illuminated by the lantern light grew smaller.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a corner appeared ahead. Turning the corner, the group was instantly stunned by the scene before them!

This was a huge ice chamber. In the center of the ice chamber was a small cold pool. The pool water was not black, but like the purest sapphire, emitting a soft glow.

In the center of the cold pool grew a lotus flower.

The lotus was crystal clear throughout, as if carved from ice and jade; it had seven petals that rotated slowly, emitting a fragrance that was rich to the extreme and incomparably pure cold qi!

It was none other than the ice heart lotus!

However, by the side of the cold pool, a behemoth was coiled!

It was a giant python covered from head to tail in azure scales!

The python's body was thicker than a water bucket, and coiled up, it looked like a small hill; its cold, vertical pupils were staring fixedly at the intruders.

Its scarlet snake tongue flickered in and out, emitting a terrifying aura!

A Second Rank Yao Beast, the Ice Scale Python!

Its strength was equivalent to that of a human at the Early Stage of the Wheel Sea Realm!

"Ice Scale Python! A guardian beast!"

Scarface's expression changed drastically, his voice sounding dry.

Even if they all combined their strength, they were likely no match for this Second Rank Yao Beast!

The Ice Scale Python seemed to have been disturbed from a good dream; it let out a low hiss, its massive body slowly uncoiling, and its cold killing intent locked onto the group.