But Lin Dong was far too frantic to heed Qingtan's attempts to stop him. He abruptly shook off that cold little hand and, without looking back, sprinted toward the depths of the mountain forest, intending to seek his father's help.
With the chill flaring up, Qingtan's body went weak, all strength drained from her. She had no power to stop him. She could only endure the bone-piercing cold racking her body, press her pale lips together, and watch helplessly as the boy's figure vanished into the deep, shadowy woods in the blink of an eye.
However, no sooner had Lin Dong's figure disappeared down the forest path than several soft footsteps slowly sounded from deep within the woods.
Qingtan forcibly suppressed the bone-deep yin chill surging and raging inside her, and with difficulty lifted her pale little face to look toward the sound. The people who entered her sight were not the parents she had imagined. Instead, a calm-looking young man in green robes was walking over at an unhurried pace, accompanied by two girls, one older and one younger, who were gradually approaching this place.
"Hm? Such dense Malevolent Qi cold energy!"
Ying Huanhuan's eyes flickered, her watery almond eyes filled with surprise. She turned to look at Ling Qingzhu beside her, her face full of curiosity.
"Such piercing, biting yin cold is actually coming from a little girl who hasn't even started cultivating? But her face is deathly pale, and she's trembling all over. She looks like she's in terrible pain. Could she have some strange illness, or has something gone wrong?"
Beside her, Ling Qingzhu's gaze darkened. Her cold, clear eyes quietly fell on Qingtan as she carefully observed the icy chill constantly leaking from her body, then slowly began to explain.
"This uncontrolled yin malevolent power