Cold Spring in the Well

Seeing that they had reached a preliminary agreement, Qin Yue immediately changed the subject:

"However, I still hope to first take a look at where the mineral vein is located. After all, Ascending Dragon Pills are not easily obtained. I hope Sect Master Nan will forgive me."

"That is only proper. Please, follow me."

Nan Shuishui had anticipated this long ago. She led Qin Yue and Nan Qiuqiu all the way to a large garden in the rear courtyard of the Earth Dragon Sect.

Dragon City had a cold climate, so the flowers capable of surviving here were naturally all cold-resistant varieties. Clump after clump bloomed freely amid the biting wind, creating a breathtaking sight.

Noticing the admiration in Qin Yue's eyes, Nan Shuishui raised the corners of her lips with some pride. "Every flower in this garden was personally selected and planted by me. Day after day, it gradually became a sight worth seeing. If you like them, Little Qin, I can pick a few hardy ones for you to take back later."

"It truly is a beautiful sight." Qin Yue nodded slowly, but still politely declined Nan Shuishui's kindness. "Whether Shrek City or Forest Spirit City, their climates differ too greatly from Dragon City's. Besides, I know nothing about this sort of thing. I would never dare waste Sect Master Nan's painstaking efforts."

As the two spoke, Nan Qiuqiu, who followed beside them, stared at Nan Shuishui in disbelief. She knew her own mother best. Normally, Nan Shuishui treasured these flowers dearly. Even if Nan Qiuqiu accidentally harmed a few, she would receive a lesson born of loving discipline. Yet now her mother had actually offered to give some away? Was this really Nan Qiuqiu's biological mother?

Seeing Qin Yue decline, Nan Shuishui gave up on using flowers to further close the distance between them. She led the two of them deeper into the rear courtyard, stopping beside a well.

The moment he approached the well, Qin Yue felt that the chill in the air was far stronger than it had been in the garden. With his exceptional eyesight, he could even see countless minuscule ice crystals condensed in the air around it.

"This is the place. There is a Cold Spring inside the well, containing rich spiritual energy. We usually use it to nourish the bodies of our Earth Dragon Sect Soul Masters. The ice-attributed mineral vein you wish to see lies beneath this Cold Spring."

Nan Shuishui paused here and looked at Qin Yue, reminding him with some concern:

"However, even I can only barely remain down there for a few seconds. You are still young, Little Qin. If you rashly go down and something goes wrong, our Earth Dragon Sect truly will not be able to clear our name..."

Qin Yue understood Nan Shuishui's concerns. If he made a mistake and died beneath the Cold Spring, it would be an utter disaster falling from the sky for the Earth Dragon Sect. But this was the most crucial step in persuading the Ice Empress. How could he simply leave it at that without even obtaining proof?

"Please rest assured, Senior. This junior came prepared. I will only descend briefly to inspect it and will not venture too deeply. As you said, Senior, I am still young. Naturally, I am unwilling to gamble with my life."

Seeing the sincerity in Qin Yue's expression and finding no sign of pretense, Nan Shuishui silently stepped aside. Still, she decided that if anything seemed amiss, she would rush into the spring and pull Qin Yue out, just in case.

Seeing this, Qin Yue said no more and instead chose to directly reveal the source of his confidence.

He took a small black box from his robes. It was the same kind as the one previously used to isolate the Dragon Core's aura. Who knew where the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had obtained it, but the material used to make the box could block all exchange between its interior and exterior. It was quite extraordinary.

Nan Shuishui immediately understood that this was the "preparation" Qin Yue had mentioned. She knew exceptionally well how frigid it was beneath the Cold Spring, and she instantly became curious about what could help Qin Yue ignore that icy cold and successfully enter the spring.

Qin Yue opened the small black box. A wave of heat, as if it could set even the air ablaze, roared out from within. A hazy mist rose around the well, enveloping Qin Yue, Nan Shuishui, and Nan Qiuqiu like an immortal realm on earth.

Though Nan Shuishui was shocked, her expression remained generally composed, preserving the dignity expected of the Earth Dragon Sect's sect master.

Nan Qiuqiu, however, could not possibly remain as composed as her mother. Her mouth fell open as she let out a startled "Wow!" She stared dumbfounded at the rising white mist around them, utterly destroying the lively charm Qin Yue had noticed when he first saw her.

Nan Shuishui's brow twitched. Though she dearly wanted to discipline her daughter immediately, she ultimately endured it for the sake of Nan Qiuqiu's last shred of dignity and turned her gaze back to the small box in Qin Yue's hand.

Qin Yue reached into the box and took out a Broken Tooth Fragment. Though it was merely a fragment, it was still as large as a palm. One could imagine just how enormous the complete tooth, and its owner, must have been.

This fragment had been given to him by the Scarlet King. It came from one of the Scarlet King's battles with Bear Lord. When the Scarlet King learned that Qin Yue needed something to protect him from the cold, he had dug it out from who knew where.

Of course, a mere fragment contained no power on its own. That wave of heat came from the Soul Power personally infused into it by the Scarlet King. Though there was not much of it, it was enough for Qin Yue to make several trips through the not-too-deep regions beneath the Cold Spring.

As a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse, Nan Shuishui sensed the formidable Soul Power hidden within the fragment almost the instant Qin Yue took it out.

Nan Shuishui had previously witnessed Old Heavenly Dragon of the Heavenly Dragon Sect make a move with her own eyes. Yet at this moment, she instinctively felt that although Old Heavenly Dragon's Soul Power was formidable in quality, it was still far inferior to the quality of the Soul Power within this fragment. It was simply horrifying!

One had to know that Old Heavenly Dragon was the foremost expert of Dragon City, a Level 95 Power Attack System Super Douluo. Yet he was vastly inferior to the original owner of the tooth fragment in Qin Yue's hand. What kind of peerless Beast of Calamity beyond all imagination must that have been?

After seeing the fragment, Nan Shuishui no longer worried about Qin Yue's safety. She then shifted her gaze toward Nan Qiuqiu, who was still circling Qin Yue and crying out excitedly, showing not the slightest bit of a girl's reserve and remaining utterly unaware that disaster was about to strike.

Qin Yue seemed to sense something. He gave Nan Shuishui an awkward smile, as though he too found Nan Qiuqiu's behavior unbelievable. After adding more fuel to the coming family lesson, he immediately leaped forward and plunged into the Cold Spring within the well.

Splash~

The moment the tooth fragment containing scorching Soul Power entered the water, Qin Yue, perfectly protected within it, saw the surrounding Cold Spring rapidly begin to warm. Vast amounts of white vapor billowed upward, completely covering the well mouth and rising like a soaring dragon.

Nan Qiuqiu's eyes lit up at the sight, and she could not help exclaiming, "It's so beautiful~ What do you think, Mom?"

Receiving no response, Nan Qiuqiu found it a little strange and turned to look at Nan Shuishui beside her. "Mom..."

Before she could even finish a sentence, Nan Qiuqiu's mother, Nan Shuishui, grabbed her cheek. At the same time, her mother's cold laugh sounded beside her ear. "Miss Qiuqiu, what exactly did you do just now? And how does Mother usually teach you? Could you help me recall it carefully?"