Deep within the ice cave, the sound of wind and snow was gradually replaced by a low hum. It seemed to rise from underground, yet also echoed beside their ears, making their eardrums ache.
Chen Wuya stood at the edge of the altar, one hand still pressed over the Heart of Extreme Cold in his robes. It was hotter than before, nearly scorching his chest. He looked down at Bai Zhi. She leaned against the ice wall, her breathing somewhat steadier, but her face remained pale, and her fingers had never left her abdomen.
"We can't wait any longer," he said.
Mo Feng was staring at the compass. The signal on its screen had already begun spreading. The false energy fluctuations were traveling in two directions—southeast and northwest. The guardian had left, but they all knew this was only the beginning.
"The ice blade the young lord left behind..." Bai Zhi said softly. "It wasn't meant as a call for help."
Chen Wuya nodded. "He wanted us to find this place's true secret."
Mo Feng put away the compass and took the Clockwork Spider from his pack. The little thing was jet-black all over, its six legs thin as needles, trembling faintly in his palm. He pressed it to the ice wall and gave it a gentle push. The spider swiftly crawled into a crack and vanished.
A few minutes later, the compass trembled. A red path appeared on the screen, stretching downward into the depths beneath the ice.
"There's something here," Mo Feng said. "Runic arrays are buried in the ice wall—an ancient sealing structure. Someone's trapped inside."
Chen Wuya's gaze tightened. "It's the young lord."
The three said no more. Chen Wuya bent down and helped Bai Zhi to her feet, letting her lean against his shoulder. Her