Ying Huo looked at the cave entrance in front of her, then turned to Chen Ping and asked, "Chen Ping, is this the right place?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping nodded and said, "That's right, according to the map, this is the place. Let's go, why don't we go in and take a look?"
After saying that, Chen Ping went straight in. Ying Huo saw this and immediately followed with her short legs. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a maze-like scene with crisscrossing and winding passages, each corner seemingly leading to unknown possibilities.
"Hmm, this maze doesn't look easy. We need to be careful not to get separated," Chen Ping warned, looking around and trying to memorize the features of the surroundings to avoid getting lost.
"Understood, Chen Ping, I'll stay with you." Ying Huo nodded, staying close to Chen Ping, gripping her spear tightly, and remaining vigilant.
They began their exploration cautiously, each step deliberate. The passages appeared similar, but in reality, they concealed hidden dangers. Chen Ping occasionally marked the paths with small pebbles to avoid repeating the same route. Ying Huo, on the other hand, used his sharp eyes to observe the wind direction, looking for any possible anomalies.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew by, and Ying Huo became alert. "Chen Ping, something's there!"
Chen Ping immediately went on guard. The two leaned against the wall, and around the corner, an ice elemental guardian silently appeared, patrolling. It had icy blue eyes, an ice armor body, and held an ice blade; it was clearly not an easy opponent.
"A maze guard? Be careful not to disturb it." Chen Ping whispered, signaling them to be quiet. The two quietly retreated, looking for a way to avoid it.
They quietly bypassed the maze through other passages, thankfully escaping detection by the ice elemental guards, and continued deeper. The maze's secrets deepened, the passages becoming increasingly complex, and they encountered some traps, but Chen Ping's experience allowed him to overcome them all.
"It seems this maze truly tests one's wisdom and patience," Chen Ping said with a smile.
Ying Huo's eyes were filled with doubt as she looked at the passageway, which had remained largely unchanged, and murmured, "Is this how it is? I didn't see that coming."
Seeing this, Chen Ping shook his head speechlessly and continued to delve deeper.
As they ventured deeper, they soon made a discovery. At the end of the passage ahead, an ice door came into view, its surface adorned with intricate ice carvings that emitted a faint blue glow.
"Chen Ping, it's a door! We found it!" Ying Huo excitedly pointed to the ice door, her eyes filled with excitement.
......
Meanwhile, Regus's team displayed astonishing combat prowess outside the Ice Crystal Castle. Like an unstoppable torrent, they swiftly and efficiently eliminated all the giant snowmen guarding the castle.
Regus looked at the piles of wrecked snow, nodded in satisfaction, and ordered, "Rest, recover your strength, and prepare to enter the castle. The event boss is inside, and the rewards await us."
The team members sat down and began to regulate their breathing; some took potions, while others meditated to recover from the battle's depletion as quickly as possible. Regus stood to the side, his eyes gleaming with intense desire and ambition as he plotted how to quickly defeat the boss and claim the legendary event reward.
Inside the Ice Crystal Castle, the Ice Queen's rage had reached its peak. As the Ice Queen, she possessed unparalleled nobility and majesty, so even in her raging fury, she remained calm. However, this fury transformed into a bone-chilling cold, causing the temperature throughout the castle to plummet and countless frost crystals to condense in the air.
The Ice Queen closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again, her gaze carrying an icy blue light: "It seems you are some warmongering challengers~ Heh, killing my people for no reason. Well then, I will show them the true power of ice!"
With a flick of her cane, an ice mirror appeared within the castle, reflecting the image of Regus's team entering. The Ice Queen sneered, "Want to kill me for a reward? Then prepare to die!"
Outside the castle, the entire Regus team had recovered and taken their medication. Everyone adjusted their condition and then began to push open the door and enter.
They surged menacingly towards the Ice Crystal Castle. The gates were flung open with a bang! A wave of icy cold swept over them; the castle was eerily silent. Regus, leading the way, walked in, unaware that true death awaited them.
......
Back in the maze, Chen Ping and Ying Huo arrived at the ice door. Looking at the smooth ice door, they exchanged a glance, nodded, and then pushed it open together.
Click, click!
Numerous cracking sounds rang out, clearly the sound of ice splitting open. Ying Huo was somewhat worried that this might attract ice elemental guardians, but thankfully, the ice gate opened completely, and no ice elemental guardians appeared.
Behind the ice gate is another passage, and it's at a corner.
Chen Ping and Ying Huo stepped through the ice gate, their footsteps making a soft sound on the smooth ice surface. They carefully made their way along the winding corridor until they reached a corner. They exchanged a glance, and Chen Ping read tension and curiosity in Ying Huo's eyes.
Immediately, Chen Ping gently rubbed her head, then peered over. The sight before them astonished them: a spacious ice cave suddenly appeared, its interior shimmering with a deep blue light, illuminating a group of huge and adorable penguins. They stood or lay down, seemingly completely undisturbed by the outside world, enjoying themselves immensely.
"Penguins? In this icy wasteland?" Ying Huo exclaimed in a low voice, rubbing her eyes in disbelief. These penguins were enormous, far exceeding what one would expect, and their presence added a strange touch of life to this cold ice cave.
Chen Ping looked at Ying Huo and said, "Isn't it normal to see penguins in the freezing cold?"
Ying Huo: "Hehe, I know, I was just a little surprised."
As the two were talking, a peculiar penguin caught their attention. This penguin held a piece of shimmering ice crystal, as if waiting for something.
Chen Ping's heart stirred, and he said softly, "Perhaps this is the answer to the first mystery we are looking for."
They slowly approached the penguin, trying not to disturb the other penguins. Seeing this, the penguin seemed to possess a spirit, gently waving the ice crystal in its hand in front of them, then waddling and watching them.
Ying Huo: "Uh, Chen Ping, what does this mean?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping was speechless and said, "How would I know?"
The penguin seemed to know Chen Ping and Ying Huo's doubts. It waved to them, then waddled along, leading its plump body as if gliding smoothly on the ice, heading towards some destination.
Chen Ping and Ying Huo exchanged a glance. Although they had doubts, they decided to follow. Soon, an ice lake appeared before them. The lake surface was shimmering with ice blue light, and it was surrounded by ice-sculpted pillars, making it seem like a fairyland.
The penguin stopped by the lake, turned around, pointed at the water with its beak, and its eyes gleamed with intelligence.
Chen Ping and Ying Huo realized that they were being asked to fish.
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