Unlike Cheng Xu's solo exploration, this time there was no fishing reel. Chu Zhiqin found a thin cotton thread and tied the four feathers together tightly to prevent them from getting separated during their descent.

The little white duck that donated five feathers became a great hero. It spread its wings, stood in front of the RV window, and quacked to the distance, which made Aura so angry that he scratched the cardboard box.

The team was really lucky; when the four of them fell into the valley, they did not land on the icy water, but landed steadily on a huge block of ice.

Once the illusion spell wore off, the cotton threads binding the four people's feet snapped open, and they stood up, supporting each other as they walked along the edge of the icy valley.

The ice beneath their feet creaked and groaned as they tried to stay on solid ground, avoiding the icy, bone-chilling water.

Once the body gets wet, its temperature will drop rapidly, which would be fatal in such a cold environment.

Suddenly, the wind picked up and howled through the canyon, whipping up white barriers.

Xi Xi gripped the non-slip trekking poles tightly, taking each step with extreme caution.

With the "Yamato: Princess Kaguya's Bamboo Tube" tied to their forearms, their father, Xi Zhongcang, walked ahead, using his rich experience to pave the way for everyone.

Cheng Xu and his father followed closely behind Xi Xi, vigilantly observing their surroundings and glancing back from time to time to guard against a surprise attack from behind.

Huge ice shards appeared to be drifting along the water's surface, swaying steeply with each step.

This glacial crevasse is like a natural maze, where temperature changes and strong winds cause the ice to constantly melt and move.

Looking at the constantly shifting ice blocks around her, Xi Xi felt a growing sense of unease. She had surf shoes, so she wasn't afraid of water, but if the entire path ahead was blocked by icy water, finding a way around would be a real hassle.

Xi Xi then remembered that she had an extra painting opportunity today, and regretted that she should have secretly painted a pair of surfing rubber shoes for her father before leaving.

In the days leading up to this, she was busy collecting materials to strengthen the RV against freezing temperatures, and then supplying fruits and vegetables to Yu Cuixi. She was already struggling to keep up with her daily painting schedule and had no spare time. In addition, her father's leg problems had delayed this matter. Xi Xi now felt regretful.

"Don't worry, we'll just keep an eye on the direction." Xi Zhongcang had roughly guessed what was going on and turned back to give her a reassuring look.

Suddenly, a violent tremor struck, and the ice beneath their feet began to shake. Everyone was startled and immediately stopped, gripping the surrounding ice walls tightly.

"What's going on? Is it an earthquake?" Cheng Xu shouted in alarm. It's not even the expected cycle yet!

"It doesn't seem like it. It's probably caused by stress changes inside the glacier," Xi Xi calmly analyzed, observing the direction and frequency of the ice vibrations.

The tremors lasted for several minutes before gradually subsiding. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and continued to proceed cautiously.

Even Xi Xi had to admit that her father, Xi Zhongcang, had a really good sense of direction. As they went deeper, they didn't go around in circles and went straight to the place with the golden reflection they had discovered during their previous exploration.

The metallic hue stands out starkly against the backdrop of blue and white ice and snow, and the jarring inconsistency of the color blocks can be seen from afar.

To prevent getting lost, Cheng's father took out a bottle of fluorescent agent from his backpack.

The bottle of fluorescent agent was very small, but no matter how much fluorescent powder was used, it didn't seem to decrease.

In fact, this is a special cultural relic called "Maya Ikcher's Fluorescent Mother-of-Pearl Powder". Cheng's father had previously shown it to Xi Xi for her to see, intending to collect and exchange it. Unfortunately, the mythological system is quite unique, and Xi Xi did not have any other similar items.

In Mayan mythology, Ikcher is the moon goddess, and the walls of her temples are coated with a special luminescent mother-of-pearl powder. Xi Xi once read an archaeological news report that archaeological evidence showed that a medicine bowl containing fluorescent minerals was found at the Copan site, with an inscription that said "Ikcher's light penetrates the body."

In this way, coupled with the group translator of "The Silk Scarf of Maya Itzamna" in Cheng Xu's possession, Xi Xi suggested that the Cheng family focus on collecting cultural relics related to "Maya" in order to achieve the effect of the six-piece set.

Cheng Xu naturally shared this intention, but he did not want to alert the enemy, so he did not use his own connections. Instead, he quietly waited in the trading hall for a long time, but unfortunately, he has not been able to collect any new cultural relics to this day.

Fluorescent fritillary powder is very useful, as it emits strong fluorescence in dark environments and lasts for a long time.

Cheng's father would spray fluorescent agents on the ice wall at intervals to create bright marks.

Finally, they approached the place emitting the golden glow. The sight before them, however, utterly astonished them—

The golden reflective object was frozen in the thick ice wall, and it was impossible to tell what it was up close. However, it could be clearly identified from a distance as a huge ship!

This ship was enormous, completely unlike the cargo ship that had run aground on the beach of the refuge island. It seemed as if it had traveled from another time and space, appearing extremely abrupt.

"This...how is this possible? How can there be a ship here?" Cheng Xu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. This is the underground permafrost layer!?

Xi Xi didn't speak, but instead stroked the surrounding ice walls with a hint of suspicion.

Everyone took out their tools and began carefully digging into the ice around the ship. However, just as they were busy, Xi Xi immediately stopped them, brandishing her light-blade scythe.

A dense swarm of ice insects emerged from the cracks in the ice.

"Watch out!" Xi Xi shouted.

The ice wall in this area felt wrong to the touch; it wasn't as hard as the other side, but rather somewhat sandy, as if it had been repeatedly frozen. Xi Xi took note of this.

Ice worms are not crustaceans found in the desert; rather, they resemble blind parasites with slender, translucent bodies that are almost invisible in the snow and ice.

The group's expressions froze for a moment, then they quickly reacted, waving their tools in an attempt to drive away the terrifying parasites.

But the ice worms were numerous, surging towards them like a tide, and soon covered their clothes and gloves.

Several ice worms crawled into Cheng Xu's trouser leg, and he screamed in terror, "Ah! Bugs! They've crawled in!"

He took the long whip he had taken from the Yamato Guard and kept lashing himself with it.

Despite being preoccupied with his own problems, Cheng's father still used a sharp dagger to scrape away the ice bugs from his son's skin. Fortunately, the inner thermal clothing was made of stockings, so the ice bugs didn't burrow into his flesh and eat him.

Xi Zhongcang immediately drew his Flame Arrow. Instead of drawing his bow, he simply raised the arrow and swung it at the ice worm in front of him.

Xi Xi noticed that the parasites paused for a moment. A thought struck her, and she instantly understood what was happening. Without hesitation, she put away the light-blade scythe in her hand.