Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye

Early the next morning, while the sky was still barely light, the three of them had breakfast in the inn's main hall.

The steaming meat porridge and freshly baked flaky pastries chased away the slight chill of morning.

Jiang Zhen set down his bowl and chopsticks and said gently to Ah Yin, "Ah Yin, Ice Empress and I are going out today, to a place that may be somewhat dangerous.

"You stay at the inn. Don't run around. Wait for us to come back, all right?"

Although Ah Yin dearly wanted to go with them, she was sensible enough to know that Brother A Zhen would not leave her behind without reason. She obediently nodded.

"Mm! Ah Yin will behave. Brother A Zhen and Sister Ice Empress, be careful."

Ice Empress glanced at Ah Yin without speaking, merely giving a soft "Mm" through her petite nose in response.

With everything arranged, Jiang Zhen and Ice Empress left the inn, exited Heaven Dou City, and headed straight southwest toward Sunset Forest.

Sunset Forest covered a vast area, far beyond comparison with those Soul Hunting Forests where Soul Beasts were kept in captivity.

Ancient trees towered overhead here, vines twisted around them, and the air was steeped in a primal, dangerous aura.

The roars of Soul Beasts rose and fell throughout the forest, clearly indicating that many powerful creatures dwelled within.

The moment they stepped into the forest's outskirts, Ice Empress frowned slightly. "The energy is so thin, and it's mixed with so much unpleasant Life Aura. Compared to the Extreme North Land, this place is like a filthy swamp."

Jiang Zhen neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying, "The place we're looking for is deep in the forest. I'm not sure of its exact location either. I only know it is near a mountain range."

The two ventured deeper into the forest. Jiang Zhen slowly spread out his Spiritual Power. Though Deep Sea's Eye was not fully activated, it had already granted him perception far beyond that of ordinary people, allowing him to carefully avoid the territories of several especially powerful Soul Beasts.

Ice Empress, meanwhile, appeared utterly at ease. The faint chill naturally emanating from her body caused many sharp-sensed Soul Beasts to retreat long before she approached, not daring to come near.

They made their way toward the central region. The farther they went, the denser the trees became, and the dimmer the light grew.

Time passed bit by bit. They searched for more than half a day and crossed several hills, yet still found nothing.

That so-called "mountain range" seemed to be hidden in the deepest part of the forest.

"Hey, A Zhen, are you sure that place is really here? You didn't remember wrong, did you?"

Ice Empress impatiently kicked away a stone at her feet. The stone shot out and instantly pierced through a Big Tree in the distance.

Jiang Zhen swept his gaze over the surroundings and said gravely, "The information can't be wrong. It's just that the energy field here seems somewhat strange and is interfering with perception.

"That treasure ground contains Ultimate Ice, so there must be some anomaly. Let's carefully sense the direction of the Ice Elemental Energy flow."

At the mention of "Ultimate Ice," Ice Empress's expression eased somewhat. She calmed down, gently closed her eyes, and spread her incomparably powerful Spiritual Power and absolute perception of the Ice Element in all directions.

A moment later, she abruptly opened her eyes, a flicker of surprise and doubt flashing through her jade-green pupils. "Huh? Strange..."

"What is it?" Jiang Zhen immediately asked.

"The energy currents in this forest are very chaotic... but in the southeast, there seems to be an extremely faint yet intrinsically high-level pulling force, drawing in all the Ice Elements."

Ice Empress pointed in a direction, uncertainty coloring her voice. "It's incredibly faint. If my perception of ice weren't sharp enough, I would almost be unable to detect it."

"And from that direction, there's also an unpleasant... fishy poisonous aura."

Jiang Zhen perked up at once. "A fishy poisonous aura? That's right, it must be there! Let's go!"

The two immediately sped off in the direction Ice Empress had indicated.

The farther they went in that direction, the stranger the surrounding vegetation became.

The trees grew increasingly dark in color, even taking on bizarre purple and green patterns. A faint, strange scent began to permeate the air—cloyingly sweet, yet tinged with decay.

"Be careful. This mist is poisonous."

Jiang Zhen warned her. The Profound Water Clear Mind Art automatically circulated across his body, forming an invisible Water Film around him.

Ice Empress merely snorted disdainfully. "A petty trick."

She released a faint breath of cold air. Before the Poison Mist approaching her could touch her Skirt Hem, it froze into tiny ice crystals that rustled down to the ground.

After they advanced a little farther, the scene ahead suddenly changed.

A sea of flowers, dazzlingly colorful and beautiful enough to make one's heart tremble, blocked their path.

These flowers had bizarre forms, their petals glimmering with seven-colored radiance. They swayed without wind and released an overwhelmingly sweet fragrance. Yet a single breath of it was enough to make one feel dizzy and disoriented.

"Jade Scale Seven Absolute Flowers?"

Jiang Zhen recognized this terrifying plant-type Poison Array.

In the original work, this was the first barrier guarding the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye. Its poison was incomparably potent; those below the rank of Titled Douluo would find it difficult to force their way through.

Ice Empress frowned even more deeply. "So this is that disgusting, fishy poisonous smell! These lowly poisonous flowers dare block our path?"

Just as Jiang Zhen was considering how to get through, Ice Empress had already run out of patience.

"Out of the way!"

She spat out the two words coldly. She did not even make a motion; only a flash of light flickered in her jade-green eyes.

An invisible, formless Domain Power, cold to the absolute extreme, silently spread outward from her toward the flower sea ahead!

Crack... Crack...

A dense series of faint freezing sounds, sharp enough to make one's teeth ache, rang out.

The dazzling sea of Jade Scale Seven Absolute Flowers ahead rapidly withered and stiffened at a visible rate, becoming covered in a thick layer of dark blue frost!

The ultimate cold not only froze their forms, but instantly snuffed out their life force!

That dense Poison Mist did not even have time to spread before it was completely frozen inside the flowers.

With merely a trace of her domain's aura released, this Death Flower Sea—enough to make even a Soul Douluo perish in resentment—was transformed in an instant into a silent forest of ice sculptures!

Jiang Zhen was secretly startled. Was this the power of the Northern Extreme Heavenly King, whose cultivation was nearing four hundred thousand years? Truly terrifying.

Passing through the Death Flower Sea that had been cleared away in an instant, the scene ahead finally came into view.

It was a peculiar valley. Its entrance was concealed by dense poisonous miasma and twisted trees; without Ice Empress's guidance, it would have been extremely difficult to find.

Yet the moment they stepped into the valley, both of them immediately felt their bodies grow lighter. The foul air and poisonous miasma outside vanished at once.

The energy within the valley was so dense it seemed almost impossible to disperse. Even a single breath left one feeling refreshed, with Soul Power stirring eagerly.

But the most astonishing sight was at the center of the valley—

It was a dreamlike basin.

At the heart of the basin, there was no vegetation at all, only two utterly different springs gathered together with a clear boundary between them, like a Taiji Diagram.

On one side was a blazing crimson spring, roiling with scorching bubbles and radiating unbearable heat, as though molten lava were flowing within.

On the other was an icy white spring. Its surface was calm as a mirror, yet it exuded a chilling cold capable of freezing one's soul. A faint mist of ice drifted above the water.

The two utterly opposing energies merged perfectly here, not only without clashing or exploding.

Instead, they formed a subtle balance, together creating one of heaven and earth's miracles—the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye!

Around these Ice Fire Twin Springs grew countless strange flowers and exotic herbs.

They came in all manner of forms, radiating a shimmering treasure-like glow. Their rich medicinal fragrance was nearly tangible; any single one of them, if taken outside, would be enough to cause an uproar throughout the Spirit Master World.

"It actually... it actually truly exists..."

Even the ever-proud and icy Ice Empress could not help falling into a slight daze.

Her emerald pupils reflected the magnificent springs where red and blue intertwined.

In particular, that milky-white Ultimate Ice Spring exerted an unparalleled attraction on her.

She could clearly sense that the Ultimate Ice energy contained within that spring was even half a step purer than that of the Extreme North Core Circle where she cultivated!

Jiang Zhen's heart surged as he gazed upon the miraculous spectacle before him.

After such a long journey, they had finally found this place!

His gaze swept rapidly across the entire valley as his Spiritual Power spread out like spilled mercury.

However, just as he had expected, aside from the Immortal Herbs and the twin springs, the valley was completely empty.

There was no sign of that Titled Douluo famed for his poison.

It seemed Dugu Bo was not here at the moment.

"Looks like we arrived at exactly the right time." The corner of Jiang Zhen's mouth curved upward as he spoke softly.

Ice Empress had already been completely drawn in by the Ultimate Ice Spring and unconsciously took several steps forward.

Feeling that power of the same origin, yet even purer, she murmured, "This is the place... You were right. This place... is very good."

For the first time, her eyes revealed undisguised approval toward Jiang Zhen, along with a trace of impatient fervor.

The treasure was right before them!

(Because I updated too much and the word count exceeded 50,000, I couldn't do a trial release and had to put it on the shelves directly, so I can't get recommendations (?????＿?????))

(Thank you all for your support.)