Based on the current pattern, the number of blue crystals required to activate a single rune will not change. Therefore, Shen Yunhao only needs to collect sixty more crystals to fully activate all the runes.

After another unsuccessful attempt to open the middle ice gate, Shen Yunhao was plagued by a headache.

Because he had basically killed all the ice crystal beasts that could be killed behind the ice gate on the right, and the rest were those he couldn't handle.

This refers to the inability to handle the situation, not the inability to defeat it.

Because Shen Yunhao is no match for any of these giant beasts in a head-on confrontation. The reason he was able to defeat them was mainly due to the various buffs he received.

In particular, the runes that fell off the light screen could not only act as access control and immobilization spells, but also allow him to blend into the surrounding ice crystal environment, making those ice crystal beasts that relied on the heat effect completely blind.

This is also the main reason why he was able to escape successfully despite being outmatched in his many attempts.

But once the behemoth's mobility and perception reach a certain level, Shen Yunhao will have no way to dodge or run away; charging at it would be tantamount to suicide...

In recent days, while hunting ice crystal beasts, Shen Yunhao has also been deliberately observing the trend of the ice crystal cave. Judging from the places he has been so far, his previous guess about the tree-like structure is completely correct, and the further he goes, the stronger the ice crystal beasts will become...

However, this also shows that Shen Yunhao's theory of the cave as the end point is wrong.

It's impossible for the weakest monsters to be near the finish line, while the strongest are at the starting line.

Shen Yunhao dared not go any further after reaching the fourth branch of the tree. He guessed that the monsters there possessed at least the combat power of the Void Soul Realm.

Moreover, starting from the Blue Cave, the situation behind the three ice gates should be completely different.

Leaving aside the central ice gate, if the structure behind the left ice gate is the same tree-like structure as the right one, then given the black-clad man's strength, it would be impossible for him to get here...

Moreover, given the current situation, the only place left for Shen Yunhao to collect the remaining sixty blue crystals is the left side...

In other words, if there are other people in this secret realm, they are most likely located to the left of the ice gate...

True cultivators are naturally far superior to ice crystal beasts, so if Shen Yunhao wants to obtain ice crystals there, he will naturally have to take on greater risks...

"There is no day or night here, but judging from my senses, I've probably been here for about seven or eight days... I wonder how the wisteria is doing!"

At this moment, Shen Yunhao once again thought of Mo Yan, who had come in with him.

Logically speaking, given Mo Yan's strength, even if she were suppressed by this secret realm, she should still be doing better than him...

Those ice crystal behemoths that he couldn't handle, his little sister should be able to deal with easily.

"If there are no clues on the right, then the most likely clues are on the left!"

With this in mind, Shen Yunhao, having finished his rest, finally opened the ice door on the left once more.

After several days, when he came back, the scene here was exactly the same as when he left. Shen Yunhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Maybe that man in black came alone to search for treasure, without any other teammates, and was just scaring himself..."

Shen Yunhao explored the cave, but the ice crystals under his feet were becoming fewer and fewer, and some damp rocky ground appeared.

"It's definitely different from the one on the right!"

Before long, Shen Yunhao discovered that... the passage had narrowed!

After confirming that there was no other way out, Shen Yunhao continued forward until the passage became narrower and narrower, less than a meter wide, at which point he finally stopped.

The area ahead was pitch black, covered only by a few ice crystals, with mostly soil and rocks.

"The chill here seems to be getting weaker..."

Shen Yunhao raised his palm and looked at the blue runes that were shimmering slightly in his palm.

If the chill in the Blue Cave is enough to freeze a cultivator at the Void Soul Realm into an ice sculpture, then here, a cultivator at the Soul Control Realm could probably withstand it easily.

"It seems that the Blue Cave is indeed the end of this road!"

In such a narrow space, it would be difficult for even a person to pass through, let alone an ice crystal beast.

"This place..." Shen Yunhao murmured, his palm pressed against the cold stone wall, "Is it really naturally formed?"

After squeezing through the last narrow gap, the view suddenly opened up before me.

Outside was still a place similar to an underground cave, but it was completely different from the Ice Crystal Cave where Shen Yunhao had been. In addition to large areas of rocky land, there were even some strange glowing plants scattered around. It was unknown how they survived in such a cold environment.

Looking back, the crevice in the stone was almost integrated with the ice wall behind him. If Shen Yunhao hadn't come out from inside, he would never have been able to discover that there was a passage here!

"No wonder it can hide a treasure of the Void Illusion level. Who in their right mind could find this place? If that man in black hadn't been lucky enough to obtain the treasure map, he wouldn't have been able to get in at all!"

Shen Yunhao shook his head, memorized the surrounding environment, and then continued to explore outside.

Having spent a long time in the ice cave, the terrain here looks very spacious, but also quite complex.

It was somewhat similar to the "Pansiling" scene that Shen Yunhao had seen in a certain game before. The pervasive cold and ice crystals reminded him that this place had an extremely harsh living environment, and ordinary creatures could not possibly set foot here.

"Let's find out where the Ice Crystal Beast is first..."

His two main purposes in running away were to find the Ice Crystal Beast and the Wisteria.

However, after wandering around the cave for about half an hour, they still hadn't encountered anything.

"The terrain here is complicated and we can't stray too far from that cave entrance. If we can't find our way back, we're doomed..."

However, just as he was considering whether to return to the Ice Crystal Cave, a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy came from afar, followed by the roar of ice crystals shattering.

"There are people fighting!"

Shen Yunhao's heart tightened, and he immediately concealed his aura.

The runes on his palm glowed slightly, seemingly forming an invisible barrier that enveloped him. To outsiders, Shen Yunhao was no different from a piece of ice crystal.

"Let's go take a look. Maybe we can find clues about that brat..."

After hesitating for a while, Shen Yunhao decided to quietly approach by following the sound.

After walking for about ten minutes, Shen Yunhao finally saw the site of the battle, but no one was still there, only...

"These broken wisteria vines... it really is her!"

Shen Yunhao was stunned for a moment, then revealed a look of wild joy.

The ground was covered with broken purple vines and bloodstains frozen in ice.

"This isn't wisteria's blood; it's from a battle that took place here with someone else?"

Shen Yunhao frowned as he noticed half a piece of green jade pendant in a crevice in the rocks not far away.

"This is... a protective magic artifact?"

Thinking of this, Shen Yunhao could no longer restrain himself and continued walking forward along the traces of the battle...