49: Chapter 49 Origin Imprint

Inside the ice grotto, time seemed to have frozen.

In the cold pool, the ice lotus, now with only four petals remaining, had its radiance restrained; it floated silently, emitting an ancient and mysterious aura.

A pale blue light barrier rippled like water, isolating the inside from the outside.

Outside the light barrier, Black Wind Fiend, Zhao Qian, Wang Mang, and the others were like trapped beasts, restless and anxious, yet helpless.

Inside the light barrier, Lin Qingxue, Scarface, and the others held their breath, their gazes locked tightly above the cold pool.

Just a moment ago, another petal had fallen from the ice lotus, turning into a stream of light that vanished into the void.

Then, the entire ice grotto trembled slightly, and the light barrier rippled visibly.

Everyone knew that the "test" inside had reached a critical moment.

Lin Qingxue clenched her fingers inside her sleeves, her knuckles turning slightly white.

She and Ye Chen shared a "telepathic" bond.

Although she couldn't perceive the specific situation, she could vaguely feel an extreme sense of pain and struggle, making her heart tighten in sympathy.

At this moment, that feeling of pain receded like the tide, replaced by an indescribable sense of tranquility and profundity, as if born anew.

"He is coming out..." she whispered to herself, her beautiful eyes unblinking.

Scarface, Lin Dong, and the others also swallowed nervously.

Liu Yiyi bit her lip, and Chen Feng gripped the hilt of his blade.

"Hum—"

Above the cold pool, space twisted once again, and that blue light gate slowly emerged, looking more solid than before.

The light gate rotated, and a figure stumbled out, landing with a "thud" on the ice at the edge of the cold pool.

It was Ye Chen!

"Ye Chen!"

Lin Qingxue was the first to rush over, with Scarface and the others following closely behind.

Ye Chen's clothes were tattered, covered in charred marks and frost, and his skin was covered in fine cracks.

Some were still oozing blood, his breath was weak, and his eyes were tightly shut, as if he had exhausted all his strength.

However, beneath his exposed skin, a warm, jade-like light flowed faintly, and the cracks were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Furthermore, an indescribable, profound aura that seemed to merge with the surrounding cold qi was emanating from him.

"Brother Ye!" Lin Dong wanted to help him up.

"Don't move him!" Lin Qingxue stopped him.

She sensed carefully and discovered that although Ye Chen was weak, a pure and massive power was slowly recovering, healing his injuries on its own.

Relieved, she took out the best Medicinal Pill and gently fed it into Ye Chen's mouth.

The Medicinal Pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, Ye Chen's throat moved, he let out a faint groan, and slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were initially unfocused, but then quickly sharpened, becoming deeper and clearer than ever before.

Deep within his pupils, a hint of chaotic blue light seemed to flash and then vanish.

"Clear Snow, Brother Scarface... I'm fine."

Ye Chen's voice was hoarse, yet carried a strange sense of stability.

He struggled to sit up and crossed his legs to regulate his breathing.

As he circulated his Cultivation Technique, the pure cold qi in the ice grotto seemed to be summoned, rushing toward him frantically to form a miniature vortex.

The wounds on his body healed at an astonishing speed; the charred skin peeled off, revealing new, more lustrous skin.

His withered aura climbed steadily, not only recovering rapidly but also breaking through his previous Bottleneck!

The barrier of the Peak of the Fifth Level of Meridian Opening shattered with a roar, and his aura soared, reaching the Meridian Opening Sixth Level directly!

And it didn't stop there, only slowly stabilizing at the Peak of the Early Stage of the Meridian Opening Sixth Level!

Not only that, but Ye Chen's Profound Ice True Essence had become more condensed and pure, carrying a trace of the ancient flavor of Chaos at the beginning of time.

Deep in his Dantian, the chaotic-colored lotus mark obtained from the ice lotus rotated slightly.

It faintly formed a wonderful resonance and circulation with his own Profound Ice Origin, the profound yin cold qi obtained from Lin Qingxue, and the Nirvana of the ten thousand year profound ice.

Although it was only in its infancy, it allowed his control over ice and cold elemental powers to reach a whole new level.

He could even vaguely sense the flow of water and ice elemental Spiritual Qi in the world!

"Meridian Opening Sixth Level?!" Lin Dong gasped, his eyes wide.

How long had he been inside? Not only had he recovered from his serious injuries, but he had also broken through a major Realm!

What exactly was in that test?

Scarface and the guards were also dumbfounded, and then their faces showed wild joy.

The stronger Ye Chen was, the greater their hope of survival!

Liu Yiyi's beautiful eyes sparkled, and Chen Feng was full of awe.

Lin Qingxue felt the aura on Ye Chen that had become deeper and closer to the Origin, and she was inexplicably shocked.

She could feel that the benefits Ye Chen had received were by no means just a simple increase in cultivation.

It was a transformation of his Foundation and potential!

"Congratulations, Young Master Ye!" everyone congratulated him one after another.

Ye Chen slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air containing ice crystals, stood up, and stretched his limbs.

His body made cracking sounds, and a powerful sense of strength filled his entire being.

He felt that he was now more than several times stronger than before entering the light gate!

If he were to face Wang Teng again, he was confident he could defeat him within a few moves!

Even an ordinary Cultivator at the first or second level of the Wheel Sea Realm might not be beyond his ability to fight!

"Thank you all for your concern; I was fortunate to gain something."

Ye Chen nodded to everyone, his gaze finally falling on Lin Qingxue.

Seeing the lingering worry in her eyes and her current joy, his heart warmed, and he said softly, "I've made you worry."

Lin Qingxue shook her head slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her cold face, like an ice lotus blooming for the first time, breathtakingly beautiful.

"As long as you are fine."

Their eyes met, and a silent understanding flowed through the air.

Just then—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Violent crashing sounds came from outside the light barrier!

Seeing that Ye Chen had not only come out alive but had also greatly increased in strength, Black Wind Fiend, Zhao Qian, Wang Mang, and the others could no longer restrain themselves and began to attack the light barrier frantically!

Various colors of True Essence, blade energy, and sword light slammed heavily against the pale blue light barrier, stirring up ripples, but the light barrier remained solid.

"Brat! Hand over what you obtained! Otherwise, when this light barrier breaks, I will definitely tear you to pieces!" Black Wind Fiend roared viciously.

"Ye Chen! You killed my son and harmed the pillar of my Ye family; this hatred is irreconcilable! Come out and die!" Wang Mang's eyes were bloodshot, looking like a madman.

Zhao Qian's eyes were gloomy, and although he didn't speak, his attacks were the most fierce; clearly, he also wanted a share of the spoils.

Ye Chen coldly swept his gaze over the people outside the light barrier, as if looking at a group of clowns.

His strength had greatly increased, and with the Ice Lotus Imprint and the jade booklet in his possession, he had plenty of confidence.

However, he also knew that this light barrier could not exist forever, and those people outside were desperate enough to do anything.

He walked to the edge of the cold pool and looked at the ice lotus that had only four petals left.

At this moment, the ice lotus had its radiance restrained, and its aura seemed a bit weaker; clearly, helping him condense the Origin Imprint and maintaining this protective light barrier had consumed a lot.

A faint, intimate, and expectant thought came from the ice lotus.

Ye Chen's heart stirred, and he tried to communicate with the ice lotus through the chaotic-colored lotus mark deep in his Soul.

He could feel that the spirit of this ice lotus was severely damaged and had fallen into a deep slumber; this appearance and the test it provided were already its limit.

It needed a long time and pure cold energy to recover.

And since he had obtained its Origin Imprint, in a sense, he had also formed a preliminary contract with it and had the responsibility to help it.

"Rest assured, I will help you."

Ye Chen said silently in his heart, while simultaneously circulating his Profound Ice True Essence to pass a trace of aura containing his own Origin and Nirvana to the ice lotus.

The ice lotus trembled slightly, seemingly very pleased, and its light brightened a little.

The thought it transmitted to Ye Chen also became a bit clearer, carrying gratitude and reliance.

"How long can this light barrier last?" Ye Chen asked with his thoughts.

[Origin consumption... at most... half a day.]

A fragmented thought came through.

Half a day! Time was tight!

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed; he must use this half-day to either find a way out or solve the trouble outside!

He looked at Lin Qingxue and Scarface.

"This light barrier can only last for half a day at most. We must find a way as soon as possible."

Everyone's expression darkened. Half a day was too short.

"Brother Ye, what do you plan to do?" Lin Dong asked.

Ye Chen didn't answer immediately but carefully observed the ice grotto.

Apart from the narrow crack they had entered through and the cold pool, there seemed to be no other exits in the ice grotto.

But when he attached his Divine Sense to the Ice Lotus Imprint and sensed carefully, he discovered that at the bottom of the cold pool, there seemed to be an extremely hidden ice vein passage leading to deeper areas!

Moreover, the direction of the passage faintly pointed underground.

It was in the same direction as the faint sense coming from the jade booklet regarding something deeper in the Molten Fire Abyss!

Could it be that beneath this ice lotus Secret Realm, it connected to other places? Perhaps it was even the source that attracted the jade booklet?

"Perhaps... there is a way," Ye Chen pondered.

"But I don't know where it leads, and it might be even more dangerous."

"No matter how dangerous it is, it's better than staying here and waiting for death!" Scarface gritted his teeth and said.

"Once the light barrier breaks, those jackals outside will never let us go! Young Master Ye, tell us what to do, and we will do it!"

Lin Dong and the others also nodded one after another.

Having experienced so much, they already trusted Ye Chen unconditionally.

Lin Qingxue looked at Ye Chen and nodded gently.

"I'll listen to you."

Ye Chen did not hesitate any longer.

"Alright! Let's regulate our breathing and recover first. After half an hour, we will leave through the passage at the bottom of this cold pool! Brother Scarface, Brother Lin Dong, organize everyone to prepare means to avoid water and resist the cold. Miss Liu, Brother Chen, you should also recover as soon as possible."

Everyone accepted the order and immediately took action.

Lin Qingxue took out some water-avoiding beads and cold-resistant Talismans to distribute to everyone.

Ye Chen sat down cross-legged again; he wanted to use this final time to thoroughly consolidate his Meridian Opening Sixth Level cultivation and familiarize himself with the newly acquired power, especially the use of the Ice Lotus Imprint.

He had a premonition that the path ahead would definitely not be peaceful.

Inside the ice grotto, everyone was racing against time.

Outside the light barrier, the attacks were intensifying. The countdown of half a day had begun.

Inside the ice grotto, time was like a taut bowstring.

Everyone seized the final half-hour to frantically regulate their breathing, treat their injuries, and prepare supplies.

Lin Qingxue distributed the remaining few water-avoiding beads and cold-resistant Talismans to everyone, her expression solemn.

Scarface and Lin Dong whispered about possible situations and countermeasures.

Liu Yiyi helped Chen Feng re-bandage his wounds, her movements gentle, but her brows remained tightly furrowed.

Ye Chen sat alone by the cold pool, closing his eyes and focusing.

His cultivation at the Early Stage of the Meridian Opening Sixth Level had been thoroughly consolidated; the Profound Ice True Essence in his Dantian was like a deep pool, concealing surging power beneath its calm surface.

The chaotic-colored ice lotus mark deep in his Soul rotated slowly, echoing from afar with the main body of the ice lotus in the cold pool, giving him a feeling of being able to command the cold qi of this ice grotto as easily as moving his own arm.

He tried to mobilize the power of the mark, and a trace of extremely faint chaotic cold qi lingered at his fingertips.

Wherever it passed, the air seemed to be frozen and purified, its power far exceeding that of ordinary Profound Ice True Essence.

"It's a pity that this mark is only in its infancy and consumes a huge amount of energy, so it cannot be used lightly." Ye Chen thought to himself, deciding to use it as his final trump card.

He focused more on familiarizing himself with his surging power and gaining a further understanding of the Nirvana.

Having crossed the "Heaven and Earth Bridge" and walked through the Purgatory of Ice and Fire, his understanding of Nirvana had deepened by another layer.

It was not just an end, but also contained the profound mystery of finding balance in extreme opposition and nurturing new life within destruction.

"Time is up." Ye Chen opened his eyes and stood up.

Everyone immediately stopped regulating their breathing and gathered around.

Every person's face showed tension, but more of it was determination.

Staying here was waiting for death; pushing forward might still offer a glimmer of survival.

Ye Chen walked to the edge of the cold pool; the water was deep blue, bottomless, and radiated pure coldness.

He looked at the ice lotus, which had only four petals left, and communicated with it using his thoughts.