Chapter 97: Crossing the Cold Abyss Together, Showing Their Tacit Understanding
The bodies of the three black-robed monks were quickly frozen in the freezing cold, like three twisted ice sculptures, adding a touch of eeriness to the deadly stillness of the icy plain. The wind and snow continued to howl, as if the brief but intense life-and-death struggle had never taken place.
Ye Li and Qin Yixuan stood facing each other, breathing heavily. The fervor they'd felt when they'd joined forces to fight the enemy faded slightly, but a deeper worry settled in. They were in an unknown, desperate place, surrounded by powerful enemies (though they'd temporarily dealt with one wave, there was no guarantee there wouldn't be other dangers), the environment was harsh, their spiritual energy was being depleted immensely, and they were completely lost.
"We shouldn't stay here for long," Ye Li spoke first, her voice a little hazy in the snow. She walked over to the three ice sculptures and quickly searched them. Aside from some common spirit stones, elixirs, and a few sinister weapons of considerable quality, she found nothing to prove their identities. Only a black token, neither metal nor wood, engraved with a strange eye pattern, felt cold to the touch and exuded a faintly ominous aura. She put it away, hoping it might yield clues later.
Qin Yixuan also took the pill and, after a moment's rest, her pale complexion regained a touch of color. She watched Ye Li's swift movements, a flicker of admiration in her cold eyes. This woman was not only formidable, but also incredibly thoughtful.
"This ice field seems to be a natural maze, or perhaps some kind of test outside the Xuan Palace." Qin Yixuan looked at the almost identical pale scene around her, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "I've tried several positioning spells, but none of them worked. The spatial laws of this place seem to have been distorted."
Ye Li nodded, feeling the same way. She tried to circulate the "Youhuan Emperor Scripture" and discovered that while the air here was oppressively cold, the extremely cold spiritual energy contained within it was extremely violent. Directly absorbing and refining it was extremely inefficient and would burden the meridians. This undoubtedly made their situation even worse.
"We can't just sit there and wait for death." Ye Li's eyes were firm. "We must find a way out, or find the other missing people." She believed that Master Mu Yun and the other fellow disciples would never give up looking for them easily.
After a brief discussion, the two decided to travel together. Choosing a direction with relatively stable winds, they cautiously explored the unknown ahead. This time, they no longer fought alone, but naturally formed an offensive and defensive alliance.
Ye Li walked slightly ahead, her Black Ice Sword still unsheathed, her consciousness spread out as far as possible, alert to dangers coming from all directions. Her "Universe Traceless Step" was clearly advantageous in this environment, always allowing her to avoid hidden cracks and unstable ice layers in advance.
Qin Yixuan followed closely behind. The Cang Hai Ming Yue Pearl emanated a soft glow, not only dispelling the biting cold but also forming a weak but persistent shield against the strange chill in the air that corroded her mind. Her perception seemed particularly keen to moisture and life fluctuations, repeatedly providing early warning of the dangers lurking beneath the ice.
After traveling for about an incense stick of time, a vast icy chasm appeared ahead. The valley floor was bottomless, shrouded in a thick, cold blue mist. Countless icy ridges dangled faintly, like the sharp teeth of a giant beast. The only way across the chasm was a narrow, slippery natural ice bridge. It trembled slightly in the strong wind, as if it would break at any moment.
"Be careful, there's something strange about this bridge." Qin Yixuan focused her attention and warned, "There seems to be something in the cold fog."
Before he could finish his words, there were a few crisp "cracks" and several dark shadows suddenly shot out from the cold mist below the ice bridge! They were actually several ice-blue, lizard-like monsters with wings! They were extremely fast, spewing blue icy breath from their mouths. Wherever they passed, even the air seemed to be frozen!
"It's an Ice-Wing Lizard! Be careful of their breath, it can freeze spiritual power!" Qin Yixuan recognized this monster and hurriedly warned.
Ye Li's eyes fixed, and instead of retreating, he advanced! Unleashing the "Universe Traceless Step," his figure left a trail of afterimages on the narrow ice bridge. His Black Ice Sword drew an icy arc, precisely slashing at the two Ice Wing Lizards charging in front!
However, these Ice Wing Lizards were not only fast, but also extremely defensive. The Black Ice Sword only left a shallow mark on their ice-armored bodies! Instead, their nimble wings avoided the vital damage.
More Icewing Lizards emerged from the cold mist, more than a dozen of them! They let out sharp hisses and attacked from different directions, their blue icy breath forming a vast net, attempting to freeze the two women on the bridge!
"Mysterious Water Transforms into a Curtain!" Qin Yixuan cried out delicately, forming seals with her hands. A massive aquamarine curtain of light appeared out of thin air, blocking the ice bridge. The blue icy energy collided with the curtain with a hissing sound, causing it to fluctuate violently, but it successfully blocked the first wave of attacks.
"I can't hold on for long! Their breath is corrosive!" Qin Yixuan's face turned pale. It was obvious that maintaining this light curtain consumed a huge amount of energy.
Seeing this, Ye Li knew she had to fight quickly. She took a deep breath, her Yuan Dan swirling wildly, and her extremely cold spiritual energy surged out! She no longer held back, combining some of the techniques she had just learned from the "Mysterious Water Transformation Art" with her own "Star Silence" sword moves!
The tip of her sword trembled slightly, not directly attacking the Icewing Lizard, but rather drawing a strong chill from the surrounding air! Water molecules and ice shards in the air quickly converged on the tip of her sword, condensing into countless tiny, shimmering ice crystals!
"Star Silence—Ice Dust Explosion!"
She swung her sword, and the countless ice crystals, like soldiers receiving orders, transformed into an icy torrent, shooting towards the group of ice-winged lizards!
This is not a head-on attack, but an extreme range control and energy erosion!
Puff puff puff!
The ice crystals struck the Icewing Lizard's carapace, causing no fatal injuries. However, the extreme chill and star-shaking power contained within them instantly seeped in! The Icewing Lizard's movements became visibly slow, fine cracks appeared on its ice armor, and even its icy breath weakened considerably!
"Good opportunity!" Qin Yixuan's beautiful eyes lit up. She seized the moment when the Ice Wing Lizard was delayed and shone brightly with the Cang Hai Ming Yue Pearl. "Mysterious Water Binding!"
Streams of mysterious water like spirit snakes separated from the light curtain and quickly wrapped around the ice-winged lizards whose movements had slowed down, binding them tightly!
How could Ye Li miss such a good opportunity? Her figure was as fast as lightning, and her Xuanbing Sword was like the scythe of the god of death. With each flash, it accurately pierced the vital points of a bound Icewing Lizard - their relatively vulnerable eyes or the connection between their wings and the body!
The sword flashed and ice chips flew!
However, in just a dozen breaths, more than a dozen ferocious ice-winged lizards were all killed, and their bodies fell into the bottomless ice rift valley.
The crisis is over.
Qin Yixuan removed the light curtain, panting slightly, and looked at Ye Li with amazement. Ye Li's manipulation of Bingchen just now was exquisite, and her timing was impeccable, far beyond the reach of an ordinary cultivator in the early stages of the Spiritual Mansion Realm. This woman's potential and combat talent were truly terrifying.
"The method you used to induce the cold air just now..." Qin Yixuan couldn't help but ask.
"I've gained some insights, combining them with the 'Mysterious Water Transformation Art' given to me by my senior sister," Ye Li said frankly, not hiding anything. After fighting side by side, her trust in Qin Yixuan had increased significantly.
Qin Yixuan suddenly realized, and her opinion of Ye Li's comprehension increased. Although the "Mysterious Water Transformation Art" was not a top-notch technique, the fact that it could be integrated into his system and exert such power in such a short time was a testament to its extraordinary ability.
The two men took a moment to recover their breath, took a pill to restore their spiritual power, and then carefully stepped onto the trembling ice bridge. With their previous cooperation, they had a tacit understanding when crossing the bridge. One of them went forward to explore the way, while the other stayed behind to keep watch, and they successfully crossed this natural barrier.
After crossing the Ice Rift Valley, the environment didn't improve, but rather worsened. Actively attacking "Ice Soul Spirits" appeared. These energy forms, condensed from pure icy will, had minimal physical effects and were extremely difficult to defeat. There was also the eerie "Ice Mist," which created a lifelike illusion and bewildered the mind.
During a battle against a phantom ice fog, Ye Li, due to the similar nature of their cultivation techniques, was less affected and promptly saw through the illusion. He then intervened and pulled Qin Yixuan back from the illusion, who had nearly walked into a hidden ice cave. Qin Yixuan awoke from the illusion, and staring at the abyss so close, she felt a lingering fear, and her gratitude and trust in Ye Li deepened.
When they were besieged by a large number of ice soul monsters, Qin Yixuan relied on the special inhibitory effect of the Canghai Mingyue Pearl on energy bodies to build a solid defense, creating opportunities for Ye Li to defeat them one by one.
They shared elixirs, took turns on duty and rest, and occasionally shared insights from their cultivation. Though only fragmentary, these insights often provided inspiration. Qin Yixuan was surprised to discover that Ye Li's understanding of the nature of power, especially the laws of ice, far surpassed her own level of cultivation, often hitting the nail on the head. Ye Li also learned from Qin Yixuan a great deal about the precise manipulation of spiritual energy and the application of water-based transformations.
In this extreme environment, the two relied on each other, supporting each other as they faced life-or-death trials together. What began as a forced alliance gradually blossomed into a natural understanding and trust. Qin Yixuan's delicate and resilient heart beneath her cool exterior left a deep impression on Ye Li. Ye Li's decisiveness, calmness, and reliability, as well as the occasional hint of a depth belying her age, only served to instill in Qin Yixuan an enigmatic allure in this "rival."
Days passed quietly amidst this endless trek and constant battles. They had no idea how far they had traveled, or whether they were heading in the right direction, but the bond between them grew stronger and stronger amidst the trials of ice and snow.
On this day, after they worked together to kill a giant ice ape guard that was comparable to the late stage of the Spirit Mansion Realm, the monotonous ice field in front of them was finally no longer the front. The outline of a towering palace covered with ice and snow appeared faintly.
Hope seems to be right before our eyes.
The two stood on an ice hill, looking at the shadow of the palace in the distance. Although they were tired, there was a light in their eyes.
"It seems that we are about to get out of this desperate place." Qin Yixuan said softly, with a barely perceptible relaxation in his tone.
"Yeah." Ye Li nodded, looked at Qin Yixuan's temples, which had been slightly whitened by the wind and frost, and suddenly said, "Thank you for these past few days."
Qin Yixuan was slightly startled, then a very faint but real arc appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Each other."
The wind and snow were still blowing, but the atmosphere between the two seemed to have warmed up a lot.
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