51: Chapter 50: Another Encounter with the Legacy

[We are preparing to leave from the bottom of the pond.]

The ice lotus swayed gently, sending back a faint thought filled with encouragement and warning.

[Below connects to the Earth Vein Glacial River... there are undercurrents. The cold qi is heavy, be careful... sleeping... waiting for you.]

The thoughts were intermittent and then fell silent.

The light of the ice lotus dimmed a bit more; evidently, maintaining the light barrier and communicating was a heavy burden for it.

"Thank you," Ye Chen thanked it in his heart, then turned to the group and said,

"There's a passage at the bottom of the pond connecting to an underground glacial river, but the situation is unclear. There might be undercurrents and extreme cold. Everyone, stay close to me, use your True Qi to protect your bodies, and hold onto your water repelling pearls. If we get separated, try your best to swim upward and find an exit or a gap in the ice to breathe. Understand?"

"Understood!"

Everyone responded in unison, circulating their True Essence one after another. Various colored halos lit up on their bodies as they gripped their water repelling pearls tightly.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and was the first to leap into the cold pond.

The pond water was bone-chillingly cold; even with True Essence protection and the water repelling pearl, the chill pierced straight to his marrow.

He circulated his Profound Ice True Essence and felt like a fish in water instead. With the enhancement of the Ice Lotus Imprint, his Divine Sense could clearly "see" the situation at the bottom of the pond.

The pond was deeper than he had imagined; he dived down about thirty meters.

Sure enough, on the rock wall at one side of the pond's bottom, he saw a deep cave entrance about five feet in diameter, obscured by water plants and icicles.

A faint current was slowly flowing out of the cave.

This should be the passage the ice lotus mentioned.

Ye Chen made a gesture to those behind him and was the first to swim into the cave.

Lin Qingxue followed closely behind, while Scarface, Lin Dong, Liu Yiyi, and the others entered one after another in a single file.

The passage was narrow at first, only allowing one person to pass at a time. The rock walls were smooth, covered in thick moss and ice crystals.

The water flow was gentle, angling downward.

The deeper they went, the wider the passage became, but the light vanished completely, leaving the surroundings in pitch darkness.

Only the faint glow from everyone's True Essence shields and the soft blue light emitted by the water repelling pearls illuminated the blurry outlines ahead and the solemn faces of his companions.

After swimming for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the sound of water ahead suddenly grew louder, and the current became rapid!

Ye Chen's Divine Sense perceived that the passage took a sharp turn downward not far ahead, and several fork paths appeared!

"Watch out! There are undercurrents and forks ahead! Stay close!"

Ye Chen sent a voice transmission to warn them, while simultaneously speeding up to scout the situation.

However, just as he burst out of the passage and entered a larger underground body of water,

A sudden, violent undercurrent surged out wildly from a side fork!

Like the roar of an underwater behemoth, it instantly scattered the team!

"Ah!"

"Hold on tight!"

Cries of alarm and the sound of frantic bubbles rose. Ye Chen felt an irresistible force strike him, and his body was swept uncontrollably toward the depths!

He tried desperately to steady himself, wanting to grab Lin Qingxue behind him, but he only touched the cold water and the corner of her clothes.

"Qingxue!"

Ye Chen was extremely anxious, his Divine Sense searching frantically within the chaotic currents.

But he only saw Scarface, Lin Dong, and the others also being scattered in all directions, disappearing into various fork paths.

The force of the undercurrent was too strong!

Moreover, the water contained chaotic icy cold qi, which greatly interfered with his Divine Sense perception.

Swept along by the undercurrent, Ye Chen tumbled and collided through the dark, cold underground river channel.

He circulated his entire body's True Essence, the black tortoise armor flickering with light as it resisted the water pressure and impacts.

The Ice Lotus Imprint grew slightly warm, emitting a cool aura that protected his mind, keeping him conscious and faintly guiding him in a certain direction.

It wasn't the direction of the undercurrent, but somewhere deeper diagonally below, from where strange fluctuations were emanating.

Was it the resonance of the jade booklet? Or the guidance of the Ice Lotus Imprint?

There was no other choice at this moment.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and stopped forcibly resisting the undercurrent, instead adjusting his direction according to the guidance of the Ice Lotus Imprint.

Like a swimming fish, he dove toward the depths where the fluctuations originated.

The undercurrent gradually slowed, but the surrounding water temperature was terrifyingly low, making even his Profound Ice True Essence feel sluggish.

The pressure was also increasing. Had he not broken through to the Meridian Opening Sixth Level, significantly strengthening his Physical Body and True Essence, and possessed the black tortoise armor for protection, he would likely have been crushed long ago.

After diving for an unknown amount of time, a faint blue light that didn't originate from the water repelling pearl appeared ahead.

Ye Chen's spirits lifted as he swam toward it with all his might.

The blue light grew brighter and brighter until finally, he burst out of the narrow waterway, and the view before him suddenly opened up!

This was a massive underground space completely frozen by solid ice!

In the center of the space stood a strange building over thirty meters tall, constructed entirely of translucent blue ice crystals.

It resembled a miniature palace, yet also looked like an altar.

The faint blue light emitted by the palace illuminated the entire space and also fully revealed the extreme cold of this place.

From the ceiling of the space hung countless massive icicles, and the ground was as smooth as a mirror.

Ye Chen surfaced and climbed onto the ice. He was soaked through, and a thin layer of ice immediately condensed on him.

Ignoring the cold, his gaze was fixed intently on that ice crystal palace.

The sense of summoning from the jade booklet reached its peak here!

It almost felt like it would burst out of his body!

Meanwhile, the Ice Lotus Imprint deep in his Soul also trembled violently at this moment, conveying complex emotions of excitement, yearning, and a hint of sadness.

Could it be... that this was what the jade booklet was truly sensing?

Something of the same Origin as the ice lotus spirit, or perhaps even more ancient?

Ye Chen looked around but saw no sign of Lin Qingxue, Scarface, or the others. He was anxious, but he knew being frantic wouldn't help now.

He walked to the front of the ice crystal palace. There was no door, only a faint blue light barrier enveloping it.

Mysterious runes flowed across the light barrier, somewhat similar to the one guarding the ice cave, but much more complex and ancient.

Ye Chen tried to reach out and touch the light barrier.

The moment his fingertips touched the barrier, a stream of information flooded into his mind:

[Profound Ice Palace... Legacy Trial. Only those who possess the Profound Ice Origin, the Intent of Silence, and a resilient will may enter. Entering means accepting the trial; success grants the Legacy, failure results in the destruction of the Divine Soul... proceed with caution.]

Another trial?

Ye Chen's brow furrowed.

Right now, he only wanted to find his companions as quickly as possible and leave this godforsaken place.

However, the longing of the jade booklet and the abnormal movements of the Ice Lotus Imprint both told him that something vital to him lay inside.

Furthermore, the aura emitted by this "Profound Ice Palace" shared the same Origin as the ice lotus; perhaps he could find a way to help the ice lotus recover.

Or even find clues on how to leave this place?

Just as he was hesitating, a sudden "splash" sounded from the waterway he had come through!

Ye Chen whipped his head around and saw a figure somewhat disheveledly climbing onto the ice, soaked and shivering—it was Liu Yiyi!

She seemed to have been washed nearby by the undercurrent as well and had followed the blue light here.

"Young Master... Young Master Ye?"

Seeing Ye Chen, Liu Yiyi was both surprised and delighted, and a hint of color returned to her pale face.

But she was immediately frozen by the extreme cold here, her lips turning purple. She hurriedly circulated what little Azure Wood True Qi she had left to resist.

"Miss Liu, are you all right? Have you seen the others?"

Ye Chen asked quickly.

Liu Yiyi shook her head and panted,

"No, I haven't. I was scattered by the current and drifted along until I saw the light here, so I... I swam over. It's so cold here!"

She was at a lower cultivation level, and the attribute of her Azure Wood True Qi was countered here, making it extremely difficult for her.

Seeing her in a bad state, Ye Chen stepped forward and transferred a strand of gentle Profound Ice True Essence into her to help her resist the cold qi.

Liu Yiyi felt a cool yet warm aura enter her body, and the chill significantly lessened.

She gave Ye Chen a grateful look, a faint, imperceptible blush rising to her face.

"This seems to be an ancient ruin."

Ye Chen pointed at the ice crystal palace and the light barrier.

"There might be clues on how to leave, but a trial must be passed to enter. Meditate here and don't go near the light barrier. I'll go give it a try."

"Young Master Ye, be careful!" Liu Yiyi said worriedly.

Ye Chen nodded. He didn't enter immediately but sat down cross-legged first to adjust his condition to its peak.

Then, he stood up and stepped into the blue light barrier.

The light barrier swallowed him like ripples on water. The scene before his eyes changed; it was no longer an ice cave but a void of starry sky.

Three things were suspended within the starry sky.

On the left was a drop of Chaos-colored liquid, similar to the Profound Ice Origin liquid he had obtained before, but with a more ancient aura.

In the middle was a damaged, crack-filled blue ice crystal fragment, and on the right was a simple, ancient scroll formed entirely from cold qi.

That ancient thought sounded again, much clearer this time.

[Choose one of three. Choose the Origin to solidify your Foundation and enhance your potential. Choose the fragment to obtain a fragmented Legacy, which is fraught with unknown dangers. Choose the scroll to obtain the introductory chapter of the "Profound Ice Secret Records" and progress steadily. Time limit: ten breaths.]

One of three?

Ye Chen's gaze swept over the three items. The Origin liquid was certainly tempting, but it seemed to be just an accumulation of quantity.

The scroll was safe, but it was only an introduction. His gaze finally fixed on the damaged blue ice crystal fragment.

At this moment, both the jade booklet and the Ice Lotus Imprint sent out intense throbs!

Especially the Ice Lotus Imprint, which conveyed an incredibly longing emotion, as if that fragment were a lost part of itself!

"I choose the fragment." Without hesitation, Ye Chen made his choice.

As his voice fell, the starry sky and the other two items disappeared.

Only the blue ice crystal fragment slowly drifted in front of Ye Chen.

It then transformed into a streak of light, sinking into his brow and merging directly into the Ice Lotus Imprint deep within his Soul!

"Boom—!"

Ye Chen felt his Soul shake violently as countless fragmented images and vast amounts of information flooded into his mind!

It was a scene from an incredibly ancient era, a glacial age.

A Chaos ice lotus that reached from the heavens to the earth supported the world, then encountered a great calamity, shattering and dissipating...

This fragment was formed from a single point of its core essence, containing the most fundamental Profound Truth of the "Ice" Law and a portion of Legacy memories!

Though fragmented, its level was terrifyingly high!

After merging with this fragment, the Ice Lotus Imprint brightened several times over, its form becoming clearer and more solid.

The aura it emitted carried a hint of eternal majesty.

A pure and vast power of the ice Origin fed back, washing through his Physical Body, Meridians, and Divine Soul!

*Crack...*

It felt as if something inside his body had shattered.

The Bottleneck of the Meridian Opening Sixth Level Early Stage was instantly broken. His aura surged wildly, reaching the Sixth Level Middle Stage directly!

And it was still slowly rising!

But this wasn't the greatest gain.

The greatest gain was that his comprehension of "Ice" had been elevated to an entirely new Realm!

Although the Law fragments contained within those shattered images were currently incomprehensible, they opened the doors to a higher level for him!

Furthermore, from the scattered memories carried by the fragment, Ye Chen learned of the Origin of this "Profound Ice Palace" and information regarding a secret path to leave this place!

By the time he finished digesting this information and reopened his eyes, he was already inside the ice crystal palace.

In the center of the palace was a simple ice platform, upon which lay an ancient token that was neither metal nor jade, engraved with snowflake patterns.

[Preliminary approval granted, bestowed with the 'profound ice token' (imitation). Holding this token allows one to sense auras of the same Origin and open a teleportation under specific circumstances. This palace is about to close and go into slumber, leave quickly...]

The token automatically flew into Ye Chen's hand, feeling ice-cold to the touch.

At the same time, the light barrier behind him began to fluctuate violently, and the entire ice crystal palace trembled slightly, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Not daring to delay, Ye Chen grabbed the token and turned to rush out of the light barrier.

Outside, Liu Yiyi was waiting anxiously. Seeing Ye Chen emerge with a more powerful and profound aura, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let's go! This place is going to collapse! I know how to leave!"

Ye Chen pulled Liu Yiyi along and, according to the information in the fragment's memories, rushed toward a seemingly smooth ice wall on one side of the ice cave.

He injected Profound Ice True Essence into the token in his hand. The snowflake patterns on the token lit up, shooting a beam of blue light onto the ice wall.

The ice wall melted silently, opening a passage.

Ye Chen pulled Liu Yiyi and dove inside.

Behind them, the ice crystal palace collapsed with a bang, buried once again by eternal ice.

The passage didn't go up but angled downward, becoming deeper and colder.

But with the profound ice token in hand, Ye Chen could clearly sense the faint spatial fluctuations and a familiar Profound Yin aura coming from ahead.

Was it Clear Snow? Or... an exit?