◇ 【124】 Millennium Ice Cave
Until the evening of the 21st, the basin remained completely silent. Yet, no one left. News of the treasure's discovery first spread from the Wentian Sect. The sect's patriarch was not only highly skilled in cultivation but also versed in divination, making his information highly credible. However, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive. The timeframe predicted by the Wentian Sect patriarch was rapidly approaching, and everyone was becoming increasingly anxious.
Gu Juan's mentality was probably the best among everyone. He used local materials to make a wooden block for Xi Lang to sit on, while he snuggled in Xi Lang's arms and fell asleep.
Xi Lang let him snuggle in the crook of his neck and used a scarf to shield him from the light and cold.
The people around them were very displeased with the two, but no one said anything. The treasure was about to be unveiled, and no one wanted to cause any trouble.
The sky gradually brightened.
When most people were slacking off, the ground suddenly shook, and the snow on the slope slid down rapidly.
Someone shouted excitedly, "There's movement!"
Xi Lang stood up holding Gu Juan, one arm supporting his hips like a child, the other hand carefully holding his back to prevent him from falling backwards, his sharp eyes swept towards the center of the basin.
Suddenly, a muffled thud echoed from the ground, and the flat surface shook violently, as if a tablecloth had been suddenly lifted. A crack, about half a meter wide, appeared in the center of the basin. Following a rumbling sound, the crack rapidly widened, radiating in all directions. Simultaneously, a bone-chilling cold air erupted from the crack, causing even the most advanced cultivators to shiver with cold.
Several young monks with lower cultivation levels had no time to retreat and were hit by the cold air, instantly turning into solidified statues. Under the transparent ice, their expressions of fear were clearly visible.
"Back off!"
Everyone was filled with fear and panic, and the crowd erupted in chaos. Those who had only moments before been divided into different factions were now in a chaotic mess, desperately running back. Those who were quick to react quickly used spiritual techniques and leaped away. Those who had flying swords quickly summoned them.
In the blink of an eye, countless cracks covered the entire basin like a spider web. The mountains on all sides collapsed and the ground cracked, and rocks and earth wrapped in snow rolled and roared.
It wasn't until he'd run five or six miles that the noise behind him gradually died down. Looking back, his surroundings were completely transformed, as if they'd experienced a major earthquake. A dark hole had appeared in the center of the basin, nearly two hundred meters in diameter, as terrifying as the mouth of a giant beast.
Bursts of cold air gushed out of the cave, forming a milky white mist. A few sparrows fled hastily, and as they flew over the cave entrance, they were instantly frozen into ice sculptures and fell into the cave.
"Hiss!" Shang Liuyun took a breath of cold air and couldn't help rubbing his arms.
Xi Lang looked into the distance, and after confirming that Xi Cong and the others were all fine, he withdrew his gaze.
"Such a strong spiritual energy." Gu Juan's voice sounded.
Xi Lang lowered his head and rubbed his cheek with his lips, "Awake."
"Yeah." Gu Juan jumped off him and looked towards the cave entrance.
After waiting a while, with still no movement, everyone approached cautiously. The closer they got to the cave entrance, the lower the temperature became. By the time they were fifty meters away, the low temperature was unbearable, and no one wanted to be the first to approach.
But the rich spiritual energy in the cave was so tempting that the monks were still eager to try it, just like a person who had been thirsty in the desert for five or six days suddenly saw a well and could not resist.
"You go." Yin Ji raised her chin to a young disciple behind her who was in the enlightenment period. The young disciple's pupils were out of focus as he strode towards the cave entrance.
Anyone could see that the young disciple was being controlled by Yin Ji. Yin Ji was indeed a demon cultivator, acting with agility and ruthlessness.
When the young disciple was still twenty meters from the cave entrance, the cold air attacked his face like a virus, spreading to his chest, abdomen, and then his back. Suddenly, the young disciple regained consciousness, his eyes widening. Before he could react, a layer of white frost formed all over his body, and another statue appeared in the basin.
"It seems that those with low cultivation levels may not be able to withstand the coldness of the cave." Zhu Mian pondered, "According to my speculation, only those at the Qigong stage and above can enter."
If he said that, most of the people present would be excluded.
"You two can discuss this slowly. Hehehe..." Yao Qingxue suddenly led a group of twelve or thirteen people, flying off and leaping into the cave without hesitation. The technique she practiced was the "Flying Snow Dance," and she felt as if she were conceived from winter snow, completely unafraid of the cold. She felt this treasure was tailor-made for her, so of course she had to seize the opportunity first! At this point, she was thankful Feng Feiye hadn't agreed to cooperate with her.
As soon as Yao Qingxue made a move, the other sect leaders became anxious. They brought a few good fighters with them and jumped into the cave one after another.
Some people with lower cultivation levels rushed forward in disbelief, but before they reached the cave entrance, they were frozen into ice sculptures with strange postures. They were accidentally bumped into by the monks who were rushing to enter the cave, and shattered into powder. The white ice chips were mixed with blood-colored coagulants, which was disgusting.
Gu Yinyin and Luo Qingyou turned pale, and one after the other ran to the side to vomit violently. Xi Cong, Han Lin and other grown men also turned pale.
Gu Juan frowned. Xi Cong and the others weren't very advanced, so he had originally planned not to take them in. Seeing this, he changed his mind. When they entered the world of cultivation and the immortal realm, they would encounter even greater difficulties and dangers, fiercer competition, and perhaps even murder. If they couldn't even endure this, there was no point in continuing their cultivation.
Xi Lang's face was also stern. He and Xiao Juan couldn't always take care of the others; they still had to walk the path on their own.
Gu Juan sent a message to him, "Old man, let them go in with us. This time we will treat it as a test for them. If they can't get over that hurdle in their hearts..." If they can't get over that hurdle in their hearts, even if they continue to practice in the future, they will not be able to achieve very high achievements.
Xi Lang nodded without objection.
Xi Cong, Gu Yinyin and the other seven heard Gu Juan's secret message at the same time.
"There's a purple pill in the elixir I gave you that can keep your body at a constant temperature for seven days. Take one and then go in with the others."
Xi Cong and the other seven looked at each other, each took out a pill and ate it, then walked closer to the cave entrance. As expected, they didn't feel that cold anymore, so they breathed a sigh of relief and jumped into the cave one after another.
Gu Juan and Xi Lang deliberately waited for a while and then followed him down.
Feng Feiye saw Chengfeng and Polang going down, and led his masters to follow closely behind them.
"Father, when are we going down?" Bai Shanxin couldn't help but feel a little impatient. At this point, apart from some people with lower cultivation, the only major sects that hadn't left were the Wentian Sect and the Xuanyuan Family.
Bai Xiangnan glanced at the Xuanyuan family who were sitting on the Diaoyutai, guessing that they were plotting a trick of taking advantage of the situation. However, when he thought that the treasures below might have been divided up by others, he lost his patience.
"Walk."
Gu Juan jumped into the cave and saw a layer of ice about ten centimeters thick on the wall. When he touched it with his fingers, they instantly turned purple, almost black, and he lost all feeling. He quickly circulated his true energy, and his fingers regained their color.
The corridor is slanted downwards, so it can be used as a slide.
He and Xi Lang held hands and slid down together. In the blink of an eye, they had covered nearly a hundred meters. The temperature dropped as they went down, but it didn't bother them at all.
After sliding for about twenty minutes and going nearly seven or eight miles underground, the slide finally reached the end.
After finding the traces of Xi Cong and his companions, Gu Juan and Xi Lang walked ahead of them unnoticed, and only then did they have the leisure to look around.
This was a vast ice cave, resembling an oval hall at first glance. The walls were covered in a thick layer of ice, about twenty centimeters thick, visible through cracks. The dome rose high, rising more than ten meters from the ground. Countless dangling ice cones shone crystal clear, somehow emitting a silvery glow, illuminating the entire cavern with a brilliant light. The hall had five irregular openings, extending into the distance, unfathomable.
One of the cave entrances is the source of spiritual energy.
Looking around and not seeing Yao Qingxue, Zhu Mian's face changed slightly, and he went straight to the source of the spiritual energy, "Let's go!"
The rest were unwilling to fall behind.
At this moment, a low roar of a wild beast was heard from the depths of the cave, echoing in the cave, eerie and terrifying.
Everyone paused and continued running forward.
Luo Qingyou, Gu Yinyin, Han Lin, Li Ruicheng, Zhang Muheng, and Tian Yunzhi all looked at Xi Cong. "Still following?"
Xi Cong smiled bitterly. To be honest, he was a little nervous. But he felt he couldn't retreat.
Xi Lang's deep voice suddenly rang in their minds.
"Are you scared? Huh?"
Xi Cong's eyes narrowed, and he waved his hand, saying, "Follow me!"
Several people hurried after them, trying to find Gu Juan and Xi Lang in the crowd ahead, but to no avail.
They didn't even think about the fact that Gu Juan and Xi Lang's cultivation was much higher than theirs. How could they possibly be discovered if they intentionally avoided them?
After walking about five miles further, everyone slowed down and looked up in shock at the icicles hanging in front of them.
This icicle was at least two meters long, with a diameter of about fifty centimeters at its thickest point. It hung nearly ten meters above the ground, precariously teetering. The entire cone shimmered with tiny specks of silver light, a pulsing spiritual energy. But that wasn't the most extraordinary thing. The most extraordinary thing was that within the transparent, glass-like cone, a white lotus flower could be clearly seen slowly opening. A faint fragrance emanated from the tip of the cone. A gentle inhalation of it felt as if it had been cleansed, refreshing the mind and spirit.
Bai Xiangnan cried out in disbelief, "This must be a thousand-year-old ice cave! Only a thousand-year-old ice cave can produce such a rare flower!"
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