Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus

After a while, Snow Empress stopped.

Before them lay a sunken Ice Valley, its steep walls covered in thick ice. Moonlight shone upon them, reflecting a cold, glacial gleam.

The source of that thread of white light lay beneath a black rock in the center of the valley.

Xue Lingyun's heart pounded wildly. His little hand clutched Snow Empress's robe so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

It's here!

He could feel it—the warm energy was beneath that rock, thick and rich like honey that would never melt.

"Here?" Snow Empress asked.

Xue Lingyun hurriedly nodded. He stretched his little arm toward the rock with all his might, poking his finger rapidly in that direction. He even let out two excited babbles, his eyes shining as though light had been tempered within them. He practically wanted to leap out of Snow Empress's arms at once.

Snow Empress carried him as she drifted down into Ice Valley.

The valley floor was quiet, with only the mournful whistling of wind passing through cracks in the ice.

That black rock stood alone at the center. Its surface was rough, utterly out of place amid the surrounding ice and snow.

This was Mysterious Ice Rock, a rare material from the Far North. It was incomparably hard and could block most Soul Power detection.

Xue Lingyun's perception reached its peak here.

He "saw" a fist-sized ball of white light hidden within a crack in the rock. Like a tiny sun, it slowly rotated. The energy it released seeped along the rock's veins, forming the silver thread that had led them here.

He pointed at the crack, his tiny body bouncing wildly in Snow Empress's arms. An urgent string of whimpers escaped his throat, as though he wished he could move the rock himself.

Snow Empress extended her hand and pressed her palm against the Mysterious Ice Rock. A gentle yet irresistible stream of Soul Power slowly permeated it.

The next instant, she froze. Obvious surprise flashed through her sky-blue eyes.

She raised her hand, faint cold mist lingering around her fingertips, and gave a light sweep.

With a soft crack, the surface of the Mysterious Ice Rock shattered, revealing what lay beneath.

It was a plant half-buried in gravel.

It stood only half a foot tall, crystal-clear from top to bottom, as though carved from the purest Ice Crystal. Its leaves were spindle-shaped, their veins clearly visible, with milky-white sap flowing within like condensed moonlight.

At its peak bloomed a small flower with nine petals. Every petal was as thin as cicada wings, glimmering with scattered specks of light. At its center, a soft ball of white light slowly pulsated, as though it were alive.

"A Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus..." There was a trace of shock in Snow Empress's voice. "And the kind that has nurtured an Ice Marrow Origin."

Xiao Bai also hopped down and leaned over for a look, his deep-blue eyes wide and round. "This thing... smells so good! Can we eat it?"

"No." Snow Empress shot him an annoyed look. "This is one of the purest heavenly treasures of the Far North. It can refine Ice Attribute Soul Power. To us Soul Beasts, it is an invaluable treasure that can only be encountered by chance."

She carefully reached out, cold mist lingering around her fingertips, and dug out the entire snow lotus along with the soil around its roots.

The instant the snow lotus left the rock, the surrounding air seemed to grow fresher, and that warm energy fluctuation became even clearer.

Xue Lingyun stared at the snow lotus without blinking.

He could feel that the energy radiating from it fit the warm current within his body perfectly, as though they were meant to be together from birth.

That restless warm current from earlier now became docile, greedily absorbing the lingering traces scattered through the air. His entire body felt warm and comfortable, making him want to close his eyes.

So... that strange perception can find treasures?

Snow Empress placed the snow lotus into a Jade Box and stored it in her Storage Soul Tool.

She lowered her head to look at Xue Lingyun in her arms. The little fellow was grinning foolishly at her, a bit of drool still hanging from the corner of his mouth. His bright black eyes were full of pride, like a fox that had stolen a chicken.

"You really are a little fellow who knows how to find things." Snow Empress's voice carried a hint of amusement as she lightly tapped his forehead with her fingertip.

Xue Lingyun chuckled and snuggled further into her embrace.

He was tired. The excitement from before faded, and the exhaustion of his infant body came rushing in. His eyelids felt as heavy as if they had been glued shut.

Holding him, Snow Empress turned and began to walk back. Xiao Bai followed behind, still muttering, "Really can't eat it? It smells pretty sweet..."

The return journey seemed much shorter. Xue Lingyun rested against Snow Empress's shoulder, listening to the faint sounds of her steps on the snow and Xiao Bai's occasional muttering. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

But before his consciousness completely sank into sweet darkness, tonight's miraculous and undeniable "treasure hunt" flashed through his mind like lightning piercing the fog, suddenly illuminating the conjecture he had harbored since transmigrating—one he had never doubted, yet had not dared fully believe!

Huangji Jingshi... really worked!

It was not some vague philosophy, nor was it theory on paper.

In this Douluo World, where Soul Power, elements, and the primal energy of heaven and earth existed, those profound records concerning observing qi, discerning fortune, and tracing veins could actually take such a direct form—becoming clear "light" and "lines" in his perception, guiding him to the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus hidden beneath the Mysterious Ice Rock!

This was no coincidence. This was the "way" he had personally verified!

Perhaps what that book recorded was a supreme method for interpreting the laws of heaven and earth in this world.

Then... what about the <Dharma Cleansing Marrow and Changing Tendons Scripture>?!

The thought exploded in his mind like thunder, immediately bringing even more violent trembling and longing.

Since the method of "observing the Heavenly Dao" in Huangji Jingshi was undeniably real, what about the <Dharma Cleansing Marrow and Changing Tendons Scripture>, which likewise originated from the ultimate truths of his previous life and focused on "cultivating oneself"?

Did the various methods it described in detail—"cleansing the marrow and purging the body," "changing tendons and tempering bones," and "circulating through the heavenly cycle"—mean that... there truly existed a clear path of cultivation, one that led directly to the supreme foundations of body and soul?!

Those clumsy attempts at regulating his breathing before had likely not even touched the fringes of one hundred-millionth of this technique's power.

Once he grew a little older, when his body could support more complex movements and breathing methods, and he could formally begin cultivating the Foundation Establishment Chapter recorded within... an indescribable burning anticipation instantly swept through his young body and mind.

Perhaps the true treasure he had found tonight was not the precious snow lotus that could nourish him.

What he had truly found were the two most fundamental and solid cornerstones that could support him as he walked step by step through this chaotic and magnificent world, until he stood upon its absolute peak!

Sudden realization, understanding, anticipation, and a weighty certainty intertwined, forming an unprecedented clarity.

Just then, Snow Empress's slightly cool fingertips gently settled atop his head. A stream of incomparably gentle, refreshing energy seeped into him, soothing his overly excited emotions at just the right moment.

Wrapped in both reassurance and warmth, the last trace of clarity in Xue Lingyun's mind dissipated. His little head unconsciously rubbed against Snow Empress's embrace in search of a more comfortable position, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Yet at the corners of his slightly pursed lips lingered a faint curve where understanding and determination intertwined, somewhat at odds with the pure sleeping face of an infant.

They returned to Ice Palace.

Snow Empress did not leave immediately. She simply sat quietly, allowing that small weight to rest securely against her in her arms.

Her gaze lowered to the child's completely relaxed sleeping face. She watched his nostrils gently flare with each breath, his long lashes casting faint shadows over his eyelids.

She watched that tiny, nearly contented curve unconsciously lift at the corners of his mouth.

A trace of gentleness quietly spread through the depths of her sky-blue eyes, so faint that even she herself did not notice it.

Only after a moment did she slowly withdraw her gaze and look out the window at the boundless snowy night and icy dome. Her expression returned to its usual calm and distant serenity.

Only the unseen aura surrounding the child in her arms remained warm and constant, like a silent, everlasting protection.