The two men looked at each other, bewildered by the penguin's behavior, finding themselves at a loss for words.
"Alright, looks like I'll have to catch some fish first," Chen Ping chuckled, looking around for tools. The penguin seemed to understand, and pulled an ice fishing rod from under its feathers, handing it to Chen Ping. The ice crystals shimmered, clearly indicating it was no ordinary object.
Ying Huo also received a pair, and she was amazed by the penguins' intelligence. "It's amazing, they seem to understand us," she said softly.
The two fished along the lakeside. The water was icy cold, and the fish were cunning and difficult to catch. Chen Ping and Ying Huo waited patiently. As for skills? Or coordination? That wasn't necessary. They gradually got the rhythm right, and the fish started biting one after another.
The ice crystals on the lake shimmered, and every fish caught seemed to be crystal clear, so beautiful and lovely. I wonder if they taste good?
Once they had caught enough, the penguin nodded in satisfaction, took out an ice crystal from under its feathers, and handed it to Chen Ping. Then it took out a basket and began to fill it with fish.
This left Chen Ping and Ying Huo speechless. They watched as the penguin kept filling its belly with fish and eating one every now and then, and they must have been extremely happy.
After observing for a while, Ying Huo asked Chen Ping, "Chen Ping, do you think this ice crystal is the solution?"
Chen Ping looked at it and saw that there were indeed ancient characters engraved on the ice crystal, which matched the previous riddle. He nodded to Ying Huo and then looked at the penguin.
"You're really up to something. I get the feeling you're trying to profit from this," Chen Ping said to the penguin, speechless.
The penguin seemed to understand, gave Chen Ping a soft call, and then waddled away, still clutching its basket.
......
Regus's team entered the Ice Crystal Castle with wary hearts, only to find it eerily deserted, silent except for the chilling sound of the wind. The group exchanged bewildered glances, filled with doubt and unease, but Regus, with his unwavering determination, led his team deeper into the castle to investigate.
They followed the corridor until they reached the Ice Crystal Hall, where a breathtaking view unfolded before them. On the throne sat the Ice Queen, a figure of both beauty and majesty, her blue eyes fixed upon the uninvited guests.
"Guild Leader! Event Boss!" a member of the team exclaimed. Regus's eyes flashed with joy, as if he could see the dawn of victory.
However, the Ice Queen was not alarmed by their arrival. She smiled faintly, a smile tinged with coldness: "Welcome, challengers, but your trial has only just begun!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Regus waved his arm to give the order, and the team instantly sprang into action, unleashing sword flashes, arrows, and spells straight at the Ice Queen. They were confident that their numerical advantage would be enough to take down the event boss.
However, the Ice Queen merely smiled dismissively, lightly waving her scepter, unleashing a curtain of blue light from the ice. Instantly, the attacks bounced back as if striking a barrier, like icy mirrors, reflecting back towards Regus's team.
The team was caught off guard and was overwhelmed by their own power, resulting in chaos.
The Ice Queen raised her scepter once more, and instantly ice blades materialized, countless of them attacking the team with unparalleled precision, cutting through everything like vegetables, and team members fell to the ground one after another.
Regus was stunned. He couldn't believe it at all. He knew that even he would be injured by so many attacks, considering he was a peak God-King.
The Ice Queen moved with effortless grace, as if in a dance, completely taking control of the battlefield before her.
"Remember, strength is not just about quantity; the true key lies in the combination of wisdom and strength," the Ice Queen said, her voice icy.
"We have no choice but to fight!" Regus gritted his teeth and encouraged his team, who knew that retreating now would mean certain death.
The Ice Queen scoffed, clearly underestimating these challengers. Her scepter pointed again, ice blades materializing, transforming into a dance of ice, precise and deadly, felling members one by one. Under the Ice Queen's pressure, the team retreated step by step until they were utterly routed.
Regus looked one last time, knowing defeat was inevitable; the Ice Queen showed no mercy. She smiled contemptuously, and a chilling aura gathered, freezing the entire ice crystal castle. Regus's team screamed in despair, but it was too late.
In the end, the entire team, including Regus, was frozen solid, turning into popsicles, and standing inside the ice crystal castle.
The Ice Queen frowned slightly as she looked at the popsicles in front of her. Then, she tapped her scepter lightly, and soon many giant snowmen appeared. The giant snowmen then began to carry the popsicles out of the hall.
Seeing this, the Ice Queen slowly closed her eyes, waiting for the next batch of challengers to arrive.
......
On the other side, Chen Ping and Ying Huo found another ice gate. They were going to fight, and the puzzles were tripled, so they were still missing two.
Ying Huo looked at the ice gate in front of her and laughed, "Chen Ping, do you think there will be penguins behind us again? And then we'll be fishing? Hehe, if that's the case, at least there won't be any danger, right?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping shrugged and said, "Who knows? Let's go in and see for ourselves."
Ying Huo nodded twice, and then began to push open the ice door.
The clicking sound rang out again.
Um?
Chen Ping suddenly pulled Ying Huo into his arms, leaving Ying Huo completely bewildered. But the next second, bang bang bang!!! Countless ice spikes pierced the ice gate.
Ying Huo stared in horror at the ice spikes on the ice gate. If Chen Ping hadn't pulled her back, wouldn't she have been pierced through?
After the initial shock, Ying Huo immediately poked her head out of Chen Ping's arms and looked behind her. She saw an ice elemental guard standing not far away, and it was clear that the ice spikes from earlier had been fired by the ice elemental guard.
Ying Huo hurriedly shouted, "Chen Ping, Ice Element Guardian! We've been discovered!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ping released her and said, "It's just an ice elemental guard, not very strong. You can handle it. Hurry up, I'll open the door."
Ying Huo, who had just broken free from Chen Ping's embrace, was momentarily stunned, but quickly drew her spear and charged toward the ice elemental guard.
After Chen Ping pushed open the ice door, he stood aside, watching with great interest the standoff between Ying Huo and the ice elemental guards. Ying Huo was agile and nimble with her marksmanship, each shot precise. She maneuvered around the ice elemental guards, skillfully dodging their ice spikes with every shot while simultaneously looking for an opportunity to counterattack.
"Whoosh!" A shot struck the core of the ice elemental guardian, whose icy body trembled, its light dimmed, and it finally turned into a lump of ice.
"Well done!" Chen Ping clapped and gave Ying Huo a thumbs up. She smiled smugly, put away her gun, and walked to the ice elemental guards, searching them for possible clues.
"Chen Ping, look at this!" She found an ice crystal book among the remains of the ice elemental guard, with runes engraved on it, consistent with the style of the previous two puzzles.
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