How to Escape the Far North?

Having just awakened from her coma, Zhang Lexuan's vision was still hazy and blurred. The first thing she saw was the flickering firelight, followed by the concerned faces of Lin Yan and Jiang Nannan.

"Lexuan, you're awake!"

Hearing the voice, Zhang Lexuan stirred and instinctively tried to sit up. But the sharp pain and weakness that followed made her let out a muffled groan.

At the same time, Zhang Lexuan's clothes had already been damaged in the previous fierce battle. While tending to her wounds just now, Jiang Nannan had also cut away the remaining strips of ruined cloth from her back.

So when she turned to the side, the garment that had barely remained on her body slipped off completely, revealing a hint of crimson atop snowy peaks.

At the sight, Jiang Nannan swiftly pulled out a blanket and gently draped it over Zhang Lexuan, covering up that unexpected springtime view.

Then, remembering that a certain "Lin" was beside them, she immediately turned and shot a fierce glare at Lin Yan, who was pretending not to have seen anything.

Feeling a sudden chill against her body, Zhang Lexuan's previously muddled thoughts cleared completely. Realizing what had happened, her cheeks heated up, and she hurriedly lay back down.

Seeing that the atmosphere had become somewhat awkward, Lin Yan rubbed the tip of his nose and took the initiative to change the subject. "Lexuan, don't move around yet. You're still injured."

Hearing Lin Yan's voice, a faint blush rose on Zhang Lexuan's pale cheeks. She softly replied, "Mm... you two wait a moment. Let me tend to my injuries first."

Seeing her say this, Lin Yan tactfully nodded and casually looked around to distract himself, trying to cast the vision of that snowy whiteness from his mind.

A moment later, Zhang Lexuan suppressed the subtle emotions in her heart and slowly roused the dormant Soul Power within her, guiding it steadily through her meridians.

As Soul Power flowed through her limbs and body, the robust physique and vigorous life force of a Soul Douluo were swiftly awakened in full. Her obstructed meridians were gradually cleared, while the bleeding wounds on her body slowly closed...

More than an hour later, Zhang Lexuan pulled the blanket tightly around herself and finally sat up slowly. The three exchanged glances, tacitly choosing not to mention the earlier mishap.

Looking at the two who had stayed by her side the entire time, Zhang Lexuan's features softened into a weak yet gentle smile. She took the initiative to speak. "I'm feeling much better now. This time, I truly have to thank you both."

Lin Yan waved his hand and smiled with particular sincerity. "Lexuan, you're being too polite."

"If you hadn't risked your life to block the Ice Jade Scorpion's Ice Explosion for me, I'd be the one lying here seriously injured right now. I should be the one thanking you."

"Besides, if you hadn't come hunting soul beasts with us this time, you wouldn't have fallen into such danger."

Lowering her head, Jiang Nannan said with reddened eyes, "That's right, Lexuan! If it weren't for helping me, you wouldn't have been hurt so badly."

At that, Zhang Lexuan gently took her hand and said softly, her expression warm and tender, "Nannan, how could you blame yourself?"

"I accepted this mission of my own accord. In the end, it was this senior sister who failed to protect you properly."

Seeing the genuine guilt and self-reproach in Zhang Lexuan's eyes, Lin Yan was filled with emotion.

No comparison, no harm. If only those Shrek elders who occupied their positions without doing their duties had even half her sense of responsibility...

Afterward, Jiang Nannan carefully recounted everything they had encountered after Zhang Lexuan fell unconscious, as well as their current situation.

Upon learning that the hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion had ultimately retreated in frustration because it feared Lin Yan, Zhang Lexuan looked at him with growing shock and complicated emotions.

Just how many secrets was this junior brother of hers hiding?

Every small piece he revealed always overturned others' understanding and caught them completely off guard...

Even now, Zhang Lexuan still could not figure out what ability Lin Yan had used at the very end to unleash such terrifying power!

From her perspective, she had only seen a flame suddenly fly out from Lin Yan's body—a dazzling flame beyond description!

In truth, this was because the Heart Lamp stood at too exalted a level. Other than Lin Yan himself, anyone without Divine Sense would be unable to perceive even the slightest trace of it, even if the Heart Lamp appeared right before their eyes!

To glimpse the Prajna Heart Lamp, possessing Divine Sense was merely the minimum requirement!

After seeing that "flame," Zhang Lexuan's consciousness had directly sunk into it. The instant she regained her senses, she saw the Ice Jade Scorpion activate Ice Explosion!

At that critical moment, she had no time to think. She gave everything she had to activate her soul skill and block the attack in front of Lin Yan. Then she was severely injured, fell unconscious, and lost all memory of what followed.

After sorting through the chain of events, Zhang Lexuan frowned slightly, her expression grave. "Although we narrowly escaped disaster this time, the Snow Empress's Sealing Order is still in effect. And in our current condition, escaping the Far North will be even more difficult."

Lin Yan nodded slightly and analyzed in a deep voice, "Actually, it's not as though we have no chance!"

"At the very end of the earlier battle, I heard a telepathic message from deep within that Ice Jade Scorpion's mind. It should have been the Ice Empress's voice."

"And it was precisely because of that sudden message that it abruptly woke up when it was on the verge of death."

"The Ice Empress's purpose in sending that message was to summon it back to the Core Zone!"

"Combined with the violent explosions and energy fluctuations that came from the Core Zone earlier, I suspect that the Ice and Snow Emperors have already pinpointed the approximate location of the target they're searching for."

Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan immediately understood. "Junior brother, you mean that other high-level soul beasts will also be transferred to the Core Zone one after another?"

Lin Yan nodded and said clearly, "That's right. If the Ice and Snow Emperors fail to find their target for a long time, they'll most likely continue mobilizing high-level soul beasts there."

"And if they manage to capture the target, then the Sealing Order should be lifted immediately afterward."

After pausing briefly, Lin Yan raised his head toward the scattered faint light falling from above the ice crevasse and continued, "Either way, it benefits our escape from the Far North!"

"The situation on the surface is unclear. Trying to break through recklessly would be no different from walking into a trap."

"For the time being, the bottom of this ice crevasse is safe. We might as well wait here for now. First, we can observe how the situation in the Far North changes, and second, Senior Sister, your injuries need sufficient time to recover."

"Of course, we can't simply sit here and wait for death. So if there are still no signs of the Sealing Order being lifted after three days, we'll proceed along the ice crevasse."

As he spoke, Lin Yan raised a hand and pointed in the direction the ice crevasse extended. "I observed it earlier. This crevasse generally runs southeast. Following this direction will gradually take us farther from the Far North's Core Zone. Perhaps we can escape all the way out by following the crevasse."

After hearing Lin Yan's analysis, Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan thought for a moment before both nodding in agreement. This truly was the safest option available to them.

Over the following days, the three carved out an ice cave at the bottom of the crevasse and set up a tent. While recovering their strength, they kept a close watch on changes in the outside world.

Sure enough, high-level soul beasts in this region continued to decrease over the next few days, confirming their previous speculation.

But given their current condition, silently breaking out of the Far North remained extremely difficult.

Therefore, they decided to first travel southeast along the ice crevasse, going as far as they could.

Afterward, as they moved ever farther from the Core Zone and high-level soul beasts continued to be transferred away, their chances of successfully escaping the Far North would greatly increase as well!