The interior of the dimly lit cave was not the gloomy, chaotic mess one might expect of a magical beast's lair. Instead, it resembled a dreamlike palace of purple crystal.
Countless purple crystals of all sizes were embedded in the walls and vaulted ceiling, casting a soft glow that bathed the space in an ethereal haze.
The air was thick with pure, concentrated Fire Attribute energy, enough to make an ordinary Dou Master uncomfortable.
But for Mo Lin, who possessed ultimate frost Dou Qi, the energy fluctuations were effortlessly neutralized and blocked by a wisp of chill he released, allowing him to adapt at once.
Standing at the entrance, Mo Lin could clearly feel the warmth radiating from the diamond-shaped Crystal Seeking Stone against his chest, like a small ember tucked in his clothes, pointing him toward the Purple Spirit Crystal.
However, he did not act immediately. His sharp, hawk-like gaze swiftly swept over the entire grotto's layout.
"Teacher Snow Empress, can you sense the cub's location?" he silently asked, his first priority being to eliminate any potential interference.
"Deep in that narrow branch passage to the front right. Its aura is weak; it is sleeping." Snow Empress's cool voice immediately gave him a precise location.
A gleam flashed through Mo Lin's eyes as he silently slipped toward that branch passage like Gui Mei.
The tunnel wound downward, the temperature gradually rising, until it opened into a relatively spacious nest at the end.
Sure enough, a small lion cub covered in pale-purple crystals was curled atop a smooth purple crystal platform, breathing in steady snores.
I can't let it wake up and ruin things halfway through. Mo Lin's thoughts raced. A faint cold glint flashed in his eyes as he said in a low voice, "Teacher Snow Empress, help me restrain it!"
A chill far beyond Mo Lin's own level instantly gathered in his palm.
Rather than attacking directly, he pressed his hand through the air toward the cub from a distance!
Emperor Palm: Great Cold Without Snow!
Silently, an invisible, biting chill spread outward and quietly froze the young Purple Crystal Winged Lion King in an instant!
A layer of transparent ice crystals, so thin that it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, covered the cub's body. Its life force and movements were completely sealed, forcing it into the deepest slumber without harming it in the slightest.
That exquisite control over power fully displayed Snow Empress's extraordinary methods.
With his worries behind him resolved, Mo Lin finally withdrew from the branch passage and returned to the main grotto.
He tightly gripped the Crystal Seeking Stone against his chest, which was growing increasingly hot. Relying on its subtle shifts in temperature like the most precise detector, he slowly moved through the jagged clusters of purple crystal in search of the Purple Spirit Crystal's exact location.
After moving for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, he stopped in a relatively level area. Traces of magical beasts lying on the ground and fine tufts of fur remained here. It was clearly where the young Purple Crystal Winged Lion King usually played and rested. Here, the Crystal Seeking Stone's heat reached its peak.
He crouched down, his sharp eyes sweeping over more than a dozen seemingly identical purple crystal floor tiles. Extending a finger, he circulated a nearly imperceptible thread of frost Dou Qi and lightly tapped the stone surfaces.
"Tap, tap, tap..." The knocks were dull and solid. Then his finger landed on an ordinary-looking purple crystal near the edge of the rock wall—
Thud!
A hollow, light echo rang out!
Joy instantly flashed through Mo Lin's eyes. This was it!
His right hand swiftly traced the seams around the tile. With a faint burst of cold from his fingertips, he easily pried up the loose slab.
At once, a dense purple radiance erupted from the small hole beneath like a volcano that had been suppressed for far too long. The intense light stung Mo Lin's eyes, making him instinctively squeeze them shut.
Once the stinging quickly faded, Mo Lin slowly opened his eyes and looked into the small hole.
Inside lay a sharp purple spirit stone about the size of a fist. Its shape was irregular yet clearly angular, and its entire body was crystal-clear and translucent.
Purple streams of light seemed to flow slowly within the spirit stone, releasing a beautiful yet mysterious energy fluctuation so pure that it made one's heart tremble.
It was the Purple Spirit Crystal!
The instant the Purple Spirit Crystal was completely exposed, the Crystal Seeking Stone in Mo Lin's hand became scorching hot, nearly burning his palm.
He hurriedly stored it in his storage ring, then carefully extended his hand. Only after wrapping his palm in a thin layer of ice crystals did he gently retrieve the Purple Spirit Crystal.
It felt warm and smooth to the touch, yet contained immense energy. Without hesitation, he placed the primary target of this journey into his storage ring.
After restoring the stone slab over the small hole, Mo Lin did not leave immediately.
Like the most greedy treasure hunter, his gaze swept over the crystals embedded in the cave walls, each one glowing with a faint purple light.
Since he was already here, how could he leave empty-handed?
"Teacher Snow Empress, can you sense which purple crystals have the purest energy and are the largest?" he silently asked.
"Three zhang to the front left, the table-sized purple crystal embedded in the rock wall has the most concentrated energy. That stalactite-shaped one above the right side is also quite good." Snow Empress's cool voice immediately gave him precise directions.
Without another word, Mo Lin moved like lightning. Ice Emperor's Claws instantly covered both hands, transforming into the sharpest ice chisels and picks.
Like a humanoid miner, he precisely and efficiently went after the high-quality purple crystals Snow Empress had indicated.
The ice claws struck the purple crystals with crisp cracking sounds. Large chunks of priceless, pure purple crystal were swiftly pried loose and tossed into his storage ring without so much as a glance.
His movements were so fast that they left afterimages behind. Time was precious, after all—Yun Yun was outside holding off the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King under immense pressure.
In just a few minutes, several dozen top-quality purple crystals had been added to his storage ring. Every single one would be enough to drive countless alchemists and Artifact Refining Masters mad.
"Enough. The Companion Purple Crystal Source is the real priority. Do not lose sight of the greater goal over small gains," Snow Empress reminded him at the right moment.
Mo Lin stopped at once, turned without hesitation, and sprinted along the route he remembered toward the narrow passage leading to the Companion Purple Crystal Source.
With the temporary power granted by Yun Yun's secret technique, his speed far surpassed his usual limits, his figure drawing a blurred white streak through the passage.
He cautiously darted past the branch junction. After confirming once more that the cub remained frozen, Mo Lin plunged into the tunnel where the scorching energy grew ever denser.
At the end, the massive purple crystal platform and the purple sphere floating above it were already in sight.
Suppressing his excitement, Mo Lin quickly arrived beside the platform.
Beneath the platform, the frozen young Purple Crystal Winged Lion King still maintained its sleeping posture, its crystalline layer of ice glimmering under the purple light.
His attention was entirely drawn to the purple sphere. He could feel the immense energy contained within it.
With a flick of his hand, the sharp Purple Spirit Crystal he had just obtained appeared in Mo Lin's palm.
Following the method he knew, he raised the Purple Spirit Crystal and precisely pressed its tip against the shell of the Companion Purple Crystal Source.
"Crack..."
A crisp fracture sounded. A crack appeared across the purple sphere's surface, then quickly spread.
Before long, the sphere shattered, and thick, translucent purple liquid slowly flowed out from within.
An even purer and gentler energy aura spread through the air, soaking nearly half the stone platform.
"Collect it quickly! The energy in this Purple Crystal Source dissipates fast!" Snow Empress urged.
Mo Lin had long been prepared. He immediately took seven or eight fine jade bottles from his storage ring and swiftly began filling them with the cool purple liquid.
He moved with incredible speed, nearly becoming a blur. Six small jade bottles were quickly filled to the brim.
Although the sphere appeared fairly large, it did not contain much Purple Crystal Source liquid. It ran dry after filling only six bottles.
Mo Lin looked at the purple liquid splashed across the stone platform by the shattering, clinging to its uneven surface and tiny depressions. His mouth twitched in pain.
This was all essence! Waste was shameful!
Just as Snow Empress and Ice Empress assumed he was about to finish up and retreat, what happened next made the two well-traveled sovereigns of the Extreme North fall silent.
Mo Lin suddenly pounced onto the stone platform and, to their astonishment... bent down without the slightest hesitation, stuck out his tongue, and began licking up the Purple Crystal Source remaining on its surface with the precision and speed of the stingiest miser counting his final coin.
His movements were fast and clean. With a nimble curl of his tongue, he swept every precious drop into his mouth. Even the liquid that had seeped into tiny cracks in the stone was melted free with ice water on his fingertips before he licked it away.
"You... you... Have you no shame?! This is... this is utterly disgraceful! You have completely humiliated me!" In the Sea of Consciousness, Ice Empress was first dumbfounded, then erupted in a shriek of furious embarrassment. She was so angry that even her phantom figure shook violently.
Mo Lin was utterly unaware—or rather, he simply did not care.
After licking up the final visible drop of Purple Crystal Source, he smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction. Feeling the gentle yet immense flow of energy rising in his abdomen, he let out a small, contented burp.
Only then did he stand up, pat his hands, and righteously argue to the air—though he was actually speaking to the Sea of Consciousness. "What do you know? This is called leaving no grain behind! Cultivation resources do not come easily; not a single bit can be wasted! This is a treasure that can strengthen my foundation and increase my power!"
"I... I have nothing to say to a vulgar brute like you!" Ice Empress was so enraged that she could barely speak coherently. She directly severed the spiritual connection and retreated to a corner to sulk.
Mo Lin merely shrugged. His gaze swept over the stone platform, licked so clean it nearly reflected light, then over the poor little Lion King still dreaming beneath the ice nearby. A satisfied smile curled across his lips.
Purple Spirit Crystal, high-quality purple crystals, and the Companion Purple Crystal Source—he had obtained them all! This trip had been an overwhelming success!
He wasted no more time. His body moved, his speed rising to the limit as he shot toward the cave entrance like an arrow loosed from its bow.
He had to retreat safely before Yun Yun could no longer hold on, or before the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King realized its nest had been looted!
Before you continue