Cold.
Bitterly cold.
A cold that seeped into his bones.
Shen Le clenched the dagger hilt tightly and gritted his teeth, trying to stop his upper and lower teeth from chattering violently.
From his fingers to his palm, then up his arm, a chill spread through him, nearly freezing his entire upper body along with it—
Had his eyes not told him otherwise, Shen Le would have thought a thick layer of frost was crawling up his skin, about to freeze him into an iceman...
Circulate your inner energy!
Hurry up and circulate your inner energy!!!
He roared inwardly. The heat in his dantian had been suppressed into dormancy by the chill. Even after taking seven or eight deep breaths in succession, he could not stir it.
Left with no choice, he bit down hard on the tip of his tongue, forcing out a little hot blood and spraying it directly onto his arm.
Borrowing that meager warmth, he forced the frost to retreat. At last, he drew up a breath of inner energy. It circulated three times through his meridians before surging into his right arm, beginning a fierce battle with the cold current at his shoulder.
A stream of heat and a stream of cold tangled together like interlocking fangs, fighting again and again for territory. The surroundings suddenly fell still, and the chill around him immediately receded. The heat within him seized the chance to burst forth, rapidly reclaiming lost ground.
"Phew..."
Shen Le let out a long breath. Only then did he feel warmth return to his entire right arm, which gradually became soft and nimble again. He raised his eyes slightly and swept a quick glance around him, only to freeze in surprise.
Where was this?
A vast river surged past nearby. Reeds along the