Translator: AnubisTL
In the end, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing descended into the deep underground ice layer. The temperature inside was shockingly frigid, piercing to the bone!
Even for two cultivators at the Core Formation Realm, the intense cold was undeniable.
Clearly, this was no ordinary underground ice layer.
Occasional gusts of wind swept through from above, dislodging shards of ice that clattered down through the depths.
The pair descended slowly, maintaining constant vigilance with their divine senses, determined not to miss any suspicious details.
They continued their downward exploration for over two thousand meters.
Eternal, unmelting ice surrounded them, its chill seeping into their bodies. Even junior sister Shen, who possessed an ice spirit root, couldn't help but press her lips into a thin line.
"Incredible," Shen Ningbing murmured, her voice clear and echoing in the cavernous space. "This ice fissure is unbelievably deep."
Li Qing didn't reply, instead continuing to scan the area below with his divine sense.
As they continued their descent, both suddenly looked up, their eyes meeting in mutual shock.
Just moments ago, their divine senses had detected a vast underground space!
Beneath the dark, frigid ice layers lay a hidden grotto-heaven!
"Let's check it out!" Shen Ningbing decided immediately, taking the lead as she cautiously flew downward.
The gaps in the surrounding ice grew increasingly narrow, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through. Li Qing's chest and back nearly brushed against the ice walls.
Finally, after navigating the narrowest passage, the space abruptly opened up!
Beneath them lay a vast underground ice palace, stretching out before their eyes.
"Senior Brother... that's..."
Before Li Qing could take a proper look, Shen Ningbing pointed to a human-shaped ice sculpture standing before the palace.
When Li Qing saw the sculpture, his pupils constricted sharply.
The ice sculpture's face was identical to Ancestor Bing Yun's, completely indistinguishable from her!
"Master," Shen Ningbing's voice suddenly became mournful as she prepared to fly forward.
But Li Qing swiftly blocked her path, preventing her from advancing.
This place was still too unfamiliar. He didn't know why Ancestor Bing Yun had transformed into an ice sculpture, and rushing in recklessly could lead to the same fate.
"Junior Sister, don't act rashly!"
Shen Ningbing, however, knew the reason. Her beautiful eyes glistened with tears as she explained to Li Qing:
"This is a forbidden secret technique from the Ice Extreme True Manual. When one's mana is nearly exhausted, this technique can forcefully extract true essence."
"But the price is the permanent transformation of a portion of one's body into ice crystals, an irreversible process."
"Once more than half of the body has been converted to ice crystals, the remaining flesh and blood will begin to transform into ice crystals on their own."
Upon hearing this, Li Qing was deeply shaken. He finally understood the dire straits Ancestor Bing Yun was in.
Having been pursued from the Azure Ridge Domain to the Great Wilderness Domain, she had clearly reached the end of her rope.
Left with no other choice, Ancestor Bing Yun repeatedly used forbidden secret techniques to gain the mana needed to escape.
Ultimately, this transformed her into the ice sculpture now standing before Li Qing and Shen Ningbing.
It seemed Ancestor Bing Yun, realizing she had reached the end of her path, had chosen this place as her final resting place as her body completely crystallized.
After confirming that Ancestor Bing Yun's transformation wasn't caused by external forces, Li Qing stopped restraining Shen Ningbing and allowed her to rush to the ice sculpture.
"Master... your disciple is unfilial. I came too late..."
Hearing Shen Ningbing's heartfelt, sorrowful cries, Li Qing remained silent.
He vigilantly scanned their surroundings while slowly approaching the ice sculpture.
"So Ancestor Bing Yun was ultimately one step too late?" Li Qing frowned deeply, lowering his head in profound regret.
If he had emerged from his seclusion even a moment sooner, could he have prevented this?
"Junior Sister, is there truly no way to reverse this forbidden secret technique?" Li Qing asked.
Shen Ningbing shook her head numbly, her entire being radiating unbearable grief, as if she were beyond recovery.
This was the first time Li Qing had ever seen Shen Ningbing in such a state—lost, disoriented, and utterly bereft, as if she had lost all support.
Watching this scene, Li Qing sighed inwardly.
Ancestor Bing Yun had been a senior he deeply respected, and the current situation was almost unbearable for him as well.
"Junior sister," Li Qing began, "did you know that when I was young, I had no idea cultivators even existed in this world?"
"We were surrounded by mortals, subject to birth, aging, illness, and death. The greatest aspirations anyone had were to pass the imperial examinations or become a peerless Grandmaster Hero of martial arts."
"Then, by chance, I learned the truth: that immortal cultivators, who possessed miraculous daoist arts far beyond mortal comprehension, actually existed in this world."
At this, Shen Ningbing slowly raised her head to look at Li Qing. A faint glimmer of hope finally flickered in her previously desolate eyes.
"Senior brother... what are you implying?" she asked softly.
Seeing a glimmer of hope finally return to his junior sister's eyes, Li Qing spoke gently:
"What I mean is, since immortals exist in this world, what's truly impossible?"
"Nothing is absolute. If Ancestor Bing Yun was transformed into an ice sculpture by a forbidden secret technique, there must be a way to reverse the process!"
"If we can't find a solution in the Azure Ridge Domain, perhaps the Great Wilderness Domain holds the answer? And if not there, we can explore other great domains!"
"Even if we search every great domain and still find no solution, we can ascend to the upper realm."
"The world is vast, and nothing is truly impossible!"
As Li Qing spoke, Shen Ningbing's once-dull eyes gradually regained their luster.
But she still sounded uncertain as she said, "Just ascending to the upper realm..."
Li Qing chuckled. "Junior Sister, when I first joined the Lingyun Sect, no one even believed I could successfully achieve foundation establishment."
This was the truth. Memories of her time at the Lingyun Sect naturally surfaced in Shen Ningbing's mind.
Back then, Li Qing had been utterly ordinary, with nothing remarkable about him.
Yet this unassuming senior brother now stood firmly before her, a cultivator in the mid Core Formation Realm.
In short, who could truly predict the future?
Seeing that Shen Ningbing was no longer in a state of despair, Li Qing let out a small sigh of relief.
If his junior sister had continued to wallow in despondency, it would have been a truly troublesome situation.
"Senior brother, you'll help me, won't you?" Shen Ningbing asked, her gaze fixed intently on Li Qing.
"Of course," Li Qing replied. "Ancestor Bing Yun is a respected elder, and you are my junior sister. I will naturally assist you."
With that, Li Qing finally turned his attention to his surroundings, carefully examining the details of the underground ice palace.
(End of the Chapter)
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