Inside the tea house's private room, the delicate fragrance of tea lingered in the air, shutting out the bustle beyond.
Lan Fozi cradled a cup of hot tea and took small sips, her lively eyes occasionally darting toward the composed Jiang Zhen seated across from her.
"Hey, have you made up your mind?"
She set down her teacup and leaned forward slightly, a sly yet expectant smile on her face.
"My guide fee is very reasonable, you know? I guarantee I'll help you find those awful, stinking orcas!"
Jiang Zhen found her feigned shrewdness rather amusing.
Without another word, an incomparably dazzling Ice Blue Radiance suddenly blossomed in his palm.
In an instant, the temperature in the private room plummeted. A thin layer of frost even formed over the surface of the hot tea in the cups.
A vast energy—pure, ancient, and containing the boundless origin of ice—spread through the room, turning the small private room into an immortal realm of ice.
The smile on Lan Fozi's face froze at once, replaced by utter shock and disbelief.
She abruptly rose to her feet, eyes wide as she stared fixedly at the strange crystal pillar in Jiang Zhen's hand. It was about a foot long, crystal-clear throughout, with what seemed like countless icy stars flowing within it.
"Th-This is..."
Even her voice trembled. As a Deep Sea Demon Whale, her perception of energy far surpassed that of ordinary Spirit Masters or Soul Beasts.
From that ice-blue crystal pillar, she could sense a longing so intense that even her soul trembled!
To her, this was a supreme tonic, worth far more than any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures she had ever known!
"Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow."
Jiang Zhen calmly stated its name.
"Take me to the Evil Orca King's pod. Once it's