The passage was long. The two of them descended for what felt like ages, and the cold grew heavier with every step. Even the stone walls were coated in thick frost.
At the bottom of the steps stood a gate made of ice.
Xiao Yi Xian raised a sleeve and gave it a gentle wave. The ice gate shattered, scattering shards across the floor.
The scene beyond it came into view.
Behind the gate lay a vast stone chamber nearly a hundred zhang across.
The chamber was remarkably dry. Its walls were lined with thick slabs of Warm Jade that kept the bitter cold beneath the earth at bay.
Three full rows of Rosewood shelves ran along the walls.
The shelves held no ordinary spirit stones or gold coins. Instead, they were packed with tightly sealed Green Jade jars and crystal bottles.
At the very center stood a long jade table, with more than a dozen bundles of notes made from tanned Beast Hide stacked neatly on top.
Xiao Yi Xian stepped over the broken ice and entered. Her nose twitched.
The air held no medicinal fragrance, only the bitter, fishy-sweet scent of countless poisons mingled together.
"Xian'er, was this where Ice Venerable researched poisons?"
Qing Lin followed her in, peering around with surprise written all over her small face.
On the shelves to the left, fist-sized cores floated in pale yellow medicinal liquid.
The cores came in every color, their surfaces speckled with dark red spots. A few even throbbed faintly.
They were all core essences from high-ranking poisonous magical beasts.
Xiao Yi Xian walked to the jade table and casually opened the topmost bundle of Beast Hide notes.
Dense lines of charcoal writing covered it. The handwriting was hurried and carried a trace of agitation.
"Seventh-Grade Dark Nether