Shortly after diving into the frigid pool, Shu Yan directly sent Xu Jiujiu into the Undead Demiplane. At the same time, he transmitted a message to Bibi Dong, asking her to look after Xu Jiujiu. Without Shu Yan's protection, the undead creatures within the demiplane—once they caught the scent of fresh blood and flesh—would not be so easy to reason with.
Fortunately, with Bibi Dong overseeing the overall situation there, Xu Jiujiu would only be suppressed by the plane's aura after entering. At least in the short term, she would not face any real danger. In fact, it was far safer than having her follow the three of them.
The trio continued descending along the well's waterway and soon reached its depths.
The temperature grew increasingly frigid, yet the water showed no signs of freezing. Pure ice-attributed天地元力 circulated through the surrounding waters, drawn toward the three of them by the Extreme Ice power within their bodies.
According to Nan Shuishui, the spring was about thirty meters deep. In reality, however, it was far deeper than that. Thirty meters was merely the limit that she, a Soul Douluo, could endure. Below that, even a Titled Douluo would struggle to enter with ease.
Upon reaching a suitable depth, the Snow Empress extended her spiritual power to probe the stone walls. After a brief search, she located an inconspicuous mechanism. Activating it upward, she then opened another switch on the opposite side. With a dull, heavy rumble, a narrow door—just wide enough for one person—appeared before them.
To their surprise, when the small door opened, an even more terrifying chill than that of the icy spring surged outward. The Snow Empress frowned slightly, then added another layer of protection around Shu Yan.
Such low temperatures meant little to her or the Ice Empress. But for Shu Yan, whose cultivation was only at the Soul King level, it was indeed severe. Though the cold might not cause him serious harm, extra protection was better than none. The Snow Empress was always meticulous when it came to him.
After entering the cavern, the surrounding water was repelled by a strange force. The Ice Empress excitedly took the lead, emerald light blooming from her hand and illuminating the entire cave.
The cavern was not large. Nearly everything in sight was composed of ores and crystals. Under the emerald glow from the Ice Empress, the originally sky-blue minerals shifted into a deeper, more mysterious azure hue. The entire space radiated an almost dreamlike beauty.
"This is Ice-Extreme Divine Crystal! This is Ice-Extreme Divine Crystal!"
The Ice Empress leapt up and touched one of the cavern walls, crying out in excitement. The thrill on her face was almost tangible.
A trace of astonishment appeared on the Snow Empress's face as well. Floating midair, she circled the cavern once before speaking with emotion:
"Ice-Extreme Divine Crystals born alongside a Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cavern… and there are so many here. This means a Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cavern must exist nearby. Shu Yan, I truly like this surprise you've given me… very much."
Shu Yan extended his hand, sensing the cave wall of Ice-Extreme Divine Crystal, which seemed to carry a faint vitality. Smiling lightly, he said:
"With so many companion crystals here, the core energy must be somewhat dispersed. The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow produced here probably won't be as abundant as the one the Skydream Iceworm encountered in the Extreme North. But it should certainly be enough for the three of us. For us, this is absolutely a treasure trove."
The Snow Empress raised her brow slightly, a hint of surprise in her eyes. Meanwhile, the Ice Empress was already pacing around the cavern several times, hardly listening to a word Shu Yan had said.
Given the situation, the Snow Empress did not rush to ask how Shu Yan knew all this. There would be time for that later—more pressing matters awaited.
At that moment, the Ice Empress returned to their side, licking her lips as she spoke eagerly:
"These are all companion Ice-Extreme Divine Crystals. I haven't found any trace of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. If nothing unexpected happened, the marrow should lie even deeper beneath the well we just passed. Shu Yan, Xue'er, what should we do now? Do we collect these Divine Crystals first?"
The Snow Empress turned her gaze to Shu Yan.
"Shu Yan, what do you think?"
After a brief moment of thought, Shu Yan replied:
"No rush. Let's pack up all these Ice-Extreme Divine Crystals first. As the hardest and rarest ice-attributed metal, they'll be of great help to us. There's no need to hurry for the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. We should handle things step by step."
The Ice Empress was about to protest, but a single look from the Snow Empress nearly made her choke on her words. In the end, she could only comply reluctantly, helping Shu Yan gather the crystals.
As they used their Extreme Ice soul power to harvest the Divine Crystals, the Snow Empress slowly approached Shu Yan. Continuing her work, she asked softly:
"What do you plan to use these Ice-Extreme Divine Crystals for?"
Shu Yan paused briefly, then smiled.
"These crystals are extraordinary. Even the Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear's Dark-Gold Dreadclaws would struggle to damage them. They're among the hardest metals in the world. If possible, I'd like to use them to forge a true divine weapon."
The Snow Empress was momentarily stunned, then nodded.
"If possible, I think that's an excellent idea."
"The reason they're called Divine Crystals is because they already contain a trace of life. In the Extreme North, that life essence is known as an Ice Spirit. To truly unlock their full potential, you must show goodwill to the Ice Spirit within. Only when you fully communicate with it can you be said to have truly mastered the Ice-Extreme Divine Crystal."
"Unfortunately, the birth of an Ice Spirit is not guaranteed—it's extremely rare. In a cavern this large, perhaps only a few crystals might give rise to one."
Shu Yan nodded. As they conversed, another massive chunk of Ice-Extreme Divine Crystal fell into his hands under the power of Extreme Ice. He stored it within his soul tool.
Using various methods, the three of them worked swiftly. In less than half an hour, the once-spacious cavern had been stripped nearly clean of its Divine Crystals, leaving behind only a thin layer of blue ice residue.
The Snow Empress raised her hand slightly. A surge of terrifying soul power forced back the water that had begun flowing in through the now-unprotected stone door. Then she spoke softly:
"Next, we must descend deeper to search for the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cavern. The cold there will only be more terrifying than here. Without Extreme Ice or exceptionally powerful ice attributes, even the most powerful human Limit Douluo would struggle to remain inside for long. That is the truth. Shu Yan, although your Extreme Ice and snow attribute is as powerful as mine, for safety's sake, Ice'er and I will add another layer of protection to you—just in case. In that kind of environment, even the smallest accident could lead to irreversible consequences…"
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