"May I ask what brings Your Excellency to our sect?" Nan Shuishui asked nervously. She knew all too well that the Body Sect's ways were neither wholly righteous nor wholly evil.
"Master Nan, the Body Sect is rather interested in the secret realm belonging to your Earth Dragon Gate," Du Busi said calmly, looking at Nan Shuishui.
"Huh?" Nan Shuishui paused, then hesitated. Although their Earth Dragon Gate hadn't been able to explore much of that Millennium Cold Spring, she was still reluctant to just hand it over.
"What? You're unwilling?" Du Busi furrowed his brows slightly and took a step forward.
In an instant, a terrifying wave of Soul Power swept out from Du Busi. Nine Spirit Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, red, red, and red—rose into the air, and the pressure of his Soul Power crashed down on Nan Shuishui like a tidal wave.
"Of course we're willing." Only when Du Busi's Soul Power pressure struck her did Nan Shuishui finally snap out of it.
This was Du Busi, the sect master of the Body Sect! A Level 98 Super Douluo! A supreme powerhouse at the pinnacle of the continent! She had no right to refuse.
If it came to a fight, everyone in the Earth Dragon Gate put together wouldn't be enough for Du Busi to beat.
Nan Shuishui sighed helplessly and had no choice but to lead Du Busi and Xiao Jinchen toward the Millennium Cold Spring of the Earth Dragon Gate.
The Earth Dragon Gate wasn't very large, and the group moved quickly. Before long, they arrived at a well.
"Your Excellency, this is the place," Nan Shuishui said with a bow, though she clearly had no intention of mentioning the Ice Extreme Divine Crystals.
"So it really is here." Xiao Jinchen was a fire-attribute Soul Master, so he was extremely sensitive to ice-attribute energy. He could already feel the chill emanating from the mouth of the well.
"Old geezer, I'm going down first. Wait for me up here." Xiao Jinchen called to Du Busi, then prepared to jump into the well.
"Wait!" Nan Shuishui stopped Xiao Jinchen outright. She hadn't expected the young man beside Du Busi to be the one going in. If he died in there and the Earth Dragon Gate was blamed, they'd be in trouble.
"Young friend, it's very cold in there. Even a Titled Douluo can't go deep," Nan Shuishui warned.
"Don't meddle," Xiao Jinchen said, displeased.
Xiao Jinchen knew the temperature inside was extremely low, but he had the Heavenly Flames protecting him, so he wasn't afraid at all. Besides, the deepest part was full of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow!
With Du Busi watching, Xiao Jinchen jumped straight into the cold spring.
Du Busi didn't leave. Instead, he stayed there to keep watch. Seeing him remain, Nan Shuishui stayed as well.
As soon as Xiao Jinchen entered the cold spring, the chill hit him. His Emperor Flame Martial Soul erupted at once, keeping the cold at bay.
Having already fused with two Heavenly Flames, Emperor Flame had long since surpassed the bounds of an Ultimate Attribute. The cold clearly couldn't affect Xiao Jinchen at all.
Before long, Ice Extreme Divine Crystals of various sizes, glowing with a pale blue light, appeared before Xiao Jinchen.
Xiao Jinchen flicked his fingers, sending several streams of flame at the Ice Extreme Divine Crystals. In no time, he had gathered them all into his Storage Ring.
The farther he went, the more piercing the cold became, as if it had reached the utmost extreme. But it had no effect on Xiao Jinchen whatsoever.
After reaching the innermost part of the spring, Xiao Jinchen entered a pitch-black cavern.
With a thought, Emperor Flame's seemingly ordinary flames suddenly blazed bright.
Emperor Flame's light filled the entire cavern. Blocks of ice reflected its beams, transforming the surroundings into a dazzling expanse that looked like a starry sky.
"Wow." Xiao Jinchen stared at the breathtaking sight before him and couldn't help clicking his tongue. "So this is Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow?"
Xiao Jinchen took a deep breath and sent stream after stream of flame at the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow before him.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As Xiao Jinchen's flames struck the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, piece after piece broke off, and he gathered it all into his Storage Ring.
"Forty-five pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow." Xiao Jinchen murmured wearily. He had been here for a whole day, and collecting the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow hadn't been easy.
Outside.
"Why hasn't that kid come out yet? Could he really have died in there?" Du Busi yawned and muttered.
"Splash!"
With a burst of water, a figure shot out of the spring, trailing a cascade of thick water before crashing down heavily and sending rings of murky ripples across the surface.
"Xiao Jinchen, you're out!" Du Busi exclaimed in delight when he recognized him.
"Old geezer, let's head back to the Body Sect first," Xiao Jinchen said, his face somewhat pale.
Seeing how Xiao Jinchen looked, Du Busi nodded. "All right, let's go back."
As he spoke, Du Busi wrapped Xiao Jinchen in Soul Power and flew straight away from the Earth Dragon Gate.
"Whew."
"Finally, they're gone." Seeing Du Busi leave, Nan Shuishui let out a sigh of relief, then murmured, "What a pity about the Millennium Cold Spring."
A day later, in a room at the Body Sect.
The little room wasn't large and was even somewhat dilapidated.
The furnishings were simple too: a lamp, a small table, and a few chairs.
This was Xiao Jinchen's place to stay at the Body Sect.
Even a Soul Guidance Lamp—a household Soul Tool—sorry, they didn't have one!
After a day of rest, Xiao Jinchen had fully recovered.
Xiao Jinchen lightly tapped his Storage Ring, and a jade bottle dropped into his hand.
"Damn human! Let me out right now!" As soon as Xiao Jinchen took out the jade bottle, Ice Empress started shouting.
Xiao Jinchen brushed a finger across it, and a lovely figure suddenly darted out of the jade bottle.
She was a little green-haired girl, with four green demonic markings on each side of her delicate, fair face.
Her long, dark green hair fell down her back, tied into little braids that made her look very cute.
"Damn human! I'm going to kill you!" Ice Empress roared at Xiao Jinchen as soon as she came out.
"Oh? You're still threatening me?" Xiao Jinchen looked at Ice Empress with an amused smile. Emperor Flame rose in his hand, and Fallen Heart Flame separated from it.
Xiao Jinchen pointed a finger, and Ice Empress's forehead suddenly lit up.
"Ah!"
Ice Empress let out a piercing scream.
Fallen Heart Flame's innate skill! It burned the soul!
"You despicable... human!"
"Ah!"
Before Ice Empress could finish speaking, another scream rang out as Xiao Jinchen burned her soul again.
After an unknown amount of time...
"Boohoo, I was wrong. Stop burning me." Ice Empress sobbed. She had truly had enough. At first, she could still fight back a little, but as time passed, the inhuman torment became more than she could bear.
Xiao Jinchen lowered his eyes to look at the little figure before him.
Ice Empress, who had been so haughty and defiant just moments ago, had now lost every trace of her former might as the ruler of the frozen wastes. Her little face was red from crying, and she looked so pitiful, with tears like pear blossoms in the rain.
A faint smile spread through Xiao Jinchen's eyes. He didn't ease the pressure of his fingertip and showed no intention of stopping.
"Now you know you were wrong?" Xiao Jinchen narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Where's all that confidence you had when you said you'd kill me?"
Ice Empress bit down hard on her soft pink lip, enduring the searing pain and torment throughout her body as she glared at the human who kept pressing her.
But that fierce look no longer had the slightest power to intimidate. All that remained was a deep sense of grievance and helplessness.
Ice Empress slowly lowered her head and whimpered, "I... I won't kill you... I won't dare again... Put the flames away... Boohoo, it's so hot, it hurts so much... Boohoo... I was wrong..."