The Sun family made a silent decision here, and thus decisively moved up the time for their next journey.
After all, the opening hours of the Central Hell of Plunder are fixed, and they don't have any extra time to waste now.
Moreover, the Eastern Wind and Thunder Hell, the Northern Cold Hell, and the Western Vajra Hell that follow are all formidable opponents. The Western Vajra Hell, in particular, is the most dangerous of the nine hells and is also known by a more widely known name—the Avici Hell.
He was prepared for large-scale casualties in order to pass the test completely.
After all, the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released.
Sun Qiang decided not to rest at all, and disregarded the numerous burns on the Sun family members, making a very forceful decision to set off immediately.
The place where they rested was at the intersection of the tomb passages of two smaller hells; further ahead, there was only one passage left.
From this passage onward, the architectural structure completely breaks away from the tomb passage pattern, becoming almost a pristine cave.
As Yan Qing walked, she realized something was wrong.
The passageway beneath our feet is made of mud, with only very rough finishing, making the tactile sensation underfoot feel exceptionally real.
At first, the temperature underfoot was scorching hot, which is understandable given the proximity to the lava lake.
But the further I walked, the cooler it became under my feet, and eventually it even got a little cold.
Further on, a thick layer of white frost was clearly visible on the ground, indicating that the temperature had dropped significantly.
"Be careful, we're about to reach the frigid hell of the north," Yue Qi whispered to her from behind. "Wear more clothes, it'll get even colder later."
Indeed, Yan Qing's teeth were chattering from the cold as he spoke. So she quickly stopped, pulled out a set of snow mountain cold-weather clothing from her ring, and changed into it.
Just to be on the safe side, she even equipped herself with goggles to prevent snow blindness. In short, her main goal was to be absolutely safe.
The Sun family group ahead had done the same, all of them tacitly changing into thick clothes. She also noticed that each member of the Sun family was carrying a spray bottle filled with liquid.
"What is that?" she whispered to Yue Qi.
Yue Qi looked up and continued tending to his equipment. "That's old ginger juice, capable of melting ice that's been frozen for millennia. In the frigid hell of the North, there must be plenty of this stuff. — This is the experience of a tomb raider; it's normal that you don't understand."
Yan Qing felt a little regretful, as she had never actually prepared for this.
"Do we have anything else that works similarly to ginger juice?" We should always be prepared, right?
Yue Qi laughed, a hint of mischief in his smile. He pointed at Yan Qing and said, "Aren't you the perfect one?"
"Me?!?" She can't break the ice? Is she supposed to learn from the ancients and lie on the ice to thaw it? That's ridiculous!
Yan Qing's dazed expression completely amused Yue Qi, and he laughed again, his voice cheerful and relaxed.
"What are you thinking? I'm talking about your ability! — Aren't you a fire-based ability user? Fire is a great weapon against ice!"
So that's what it is! Yan Qing lowered her head somewhat embarrassed, realizing that she had forgotten that she was also a superhuman.
It seems she's still not very familiar with the process! She'll need to use it more often in the future.
By this time, the Sun family, who were leading the way, had finished resting and everyone began to assemble, continuing their journey deeper into the cave.
The temperature dropped even more noticeably this time. Not only was there a thick layer of frost on the passageway beneath our feet, but also on the walls on both sides, and the perceived temperature was getting colder and colder.
After another sharp turn, at the end of the passage, they finally saw the familiar stone path again. However, the entire stone path was covered with a thick layer of ice.
"We're here!" Sun Qiang shouted, then gestured for everyone to stop.
"The road ahead is completely covered in ice. I suggest we send someone to test it out. On this kind of road, if someone slips, who knows what the consequences might be."
Behind him, a disciple of the Sun family stepped forward. Fully armed, he strode onto the icy stone path.
Yan Qing watched as he walked very carefully, yet he still nearly fell several times, making her extremely anxious the whole time.
Fortunately, the ending was good. The Sun family disciple went inside safely.
And then, he never came out again.
There wasn't a sound; the entire space was so quiet you could hear the breathing of the person next to you. In this oppressive atmosphere, everyone waited for another half hour before Sun Qiang finally broke the silence.
"Xiao Ba's fate is currently unknown, so we've decided not to wait any longer and to go straight in. Does anyone have any opinions?"
Yan Qing didn't say anything; anyway, they just said they didn't want to go, and the Sun family probably wouldn't agree anyway.
There was no way to retreat. As was customary, every time they cleared a small hell, the entrance to retreat was completely blocked, leaving them no way to escape and forcing them to keep moving forward.
It seemed everyone thought the same way, so no one raised any objections. Therefore, Sun Qiang decisively made the decision.
"Okay, let's go in together then."
There were ten people left, so they paired up and helped each other onto the incredibly slippery stone path.
The stone path was covered with solid ice, making it a natural ice rink. For Yan Qing, an ice sports enthusiast, standing firm was a piece of cake; she could even give you a couple of "swallow spreads" moves.
Yue Qi, on the contrary, was truly trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.
He clearly couldn't roller skate, which Yan Qing could tell from the strength of his grip on her arm. Yue Qi was currently struggling to control his body and carefully moving forward.
She could only proactively teach him some basic skating knowledge: "Don't stand with your legs straight; a V-shape stance makes it easier to stay upright. Also, when starting, lean forward; this helps you find your center of gravity and prevents you from falling—"
While the two were teaching and learning, Yan Qing took a moment to look at the others and discovered that they were indeed all hidden masters!
From Sun Qiang, who was leading the team, to Wen Jiajia ahead of them, everyone was skating with an air of complete ease. Although they were much more cautious than before, compared to Yue Qi, they were simply in a completely different world.
The usually imposing, calm, and composed Yue Qi was actually the only one present who couldn't roller skate, which must have been quite embarrassing for the master!
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