Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, Double Blessing

"It really was a snow lotus—and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus at that."

Xia Yu casually spread out his spiritual power and probed deep into the Ice Rift Valley before him. He quickly discovered what heavenly treasure had emerged this time.

It was a snow lotus that had just broken through to the hundred-thousand-year level.

If this Ice Rift Valley had not appeared, no one would have imagined that deep underground in the inner regions of the Extreme North, an exceptionally rare Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was growing.

Snow lotuses found it extremely difficult to develop sentience. Thus, even after reaching the hundred-thousand-year mark, they still could not be considered plant-type soul beasts.

However, the one Xia Yu had detected was somewhat different.

If his senses were correct, this Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was brimming with spirituality and was not far from becoming a plant-type soul beast.

It was clear that this snow lotus had good fortune of its own.

Otherwise, it would have ended up like the snow lotus in Snow Empress's possession. Even after reaching the hundred-thousand-year mark long ago, it had not developed the slightest spirituality and had no possibility of becoming a plant-type soul beast.

In the end, it had even become the catalyst for Snow Empress's rebirth in human form, giving everything it had.

Now, though, this Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus had encountered Xia Yu and the others. It likely would not repeat the fate of its kind.

Barring any surprises, this Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus could become a plant-type soul beast.

Yes, after sensing the snow lotus's unusual spirituality, Xia Yu had decided to give it a hand and help it transform into a plant-type soul beast.

As for how to do it, that was simple. After all, they possessed the finest ice-attributed heavenly treasure: Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow.

No, they would not even need the Ten-Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow. They only needed to make good use of the Extreme Cold Springwater they had collected from the spring, and it would probably be enough to nurture the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus's sentience.

Once this Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus transformed into a plant-type soul beast, they would gain more than just its main body. There would also be a 100,000-Year Soul Ring and a Soul Bone.

It had to be said that Xia Yu's plan was truly excellent. It maximized their gains completely.

However, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was in for a miserable time. From this moment on, its fate had been thoroughly arranged by that black-hearted bastard, Xia Yu.

"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus? That's an incredibly rare treasure! Brother Yu, hurry! We have to pick it before the ferocious beasts of the Extreme North are alerted..."

The moment she heard it was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, Meng Hongchen became wildly excited.

Without another thought, she grabbed Xia Yu and jumped toward the depths of the Ice Rift Valley, racing against time to pluck that snow lotus.

It was not surprising that Meng Hongchen thought this way. After all, quite a few famous ferocious beasts dwelled in the Extreme North.

For example, Snow Empress, ranked third among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts; Ice Empress, ranked seventh; and the 250,000-year Titan Snow Demon King, who had not made the top ten.

Just hearing titles like Emperor and King made it obvious that these beings were terrifyingly powerful.

Before their operation to hunt Ice Jade Scorpions, Meng Hongchen had mentioned that they should be careful and avoid making too much noise, lest they attract Ice Empress, the sovereign of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan.

But Xia Yu had rejected that suggestion, even saying that she could swagger sideways through the Extreme North if she wanted.

Naturally, Meng Hongchen had not taken him seriously. She had even argued with Xia Yu over it.

But with her tiny frame, how could she possibly out-argue Xia Yu?

In the end, they naturally followed Xia Yu's lead. They strode boldly into the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan's territory and openly completed their soul beast hunt.

Even so, Meng Hongchen had not lowered her guard against the ferocious beasts of the Extreme North.

In her view, not encountering Ice Empress only meant they had been lucky. It proved nothing else.

But the reputations of those ferocious beasts in the Extreme North had been built on real slaughter. They could not help but remain wary and cautious.

And so, to ensure that the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus ended up safely in their hands, she displayed astonishingly efficient action.

Soon, the two reached the deepest part of the Ice Rift Valley and entered an extremely concealed ice cavern.

A huge snow lotus grew at the bottom of the cavern. Its body was a translucent jade-blue, gently swaying with the surging essence of heaven and earth as it released an intoxicating fragrance...

"Huh? There's something beneath the ice cavern?"

Naturally, Xia Yu had also seen the true form of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.

However, he was not drawn in by the snow lotus's beautiful appearance or fragrance. Instead, he focused on its overly developed root system.

After carefully investigating, he discovered that something else was hidden beneath the ice cavern.

That object was what supported the snow lotus's growth and nurtured its rich spirituality.

This immediately piqued Xia Yu's curiosity. Whatever lay beneath the ice cavern had to be extraordinary if it could nurture such an unusual Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.

No matter how one looked at it, it was undoubtedly a rare treasure.

And since it was a treasure, there was no reason to let it go.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Yu immediately summoned Ghost Moon and began digging through the solid ice beneath his feet.

As for Meng Hongchen, Xia Yu did not need to tell her anything. While he was investigating what lay beneath the ice cavern, she had already made her move on the swaying Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.

Taking advantage of the convenience brought by her Ultimate Ice attribute, she had already dug open the roots of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus and begun dealing with its root system.

At her speed, it would not take long for her to completely harvest the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.

Boom!

Thanks to Ghost Moon's power and the support of Ghostly Frost Flame, Xia Yu quickly dug out a passage beneath the ice cavern as well.

One meter, three meters, five meters... fifteen meters, twenty meters.

Only after excavating through a full twenty meters of dense, hard ice did Xia Yu find what had been sustaining the Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus's growth.

Two enormous snow marten soul beast corpses lay leaning against each other, frozen lifelike within the ice.

Judging from the auras they emitted, both had been soul beasts over a hundred thousand years old.

By Xia Yu's estimation, the larger of the two snow martens had at least two hundred thousand years of cultivation.

"I never expected two soul beast corpses over a hundred thousand years old to be supporting the growth of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. No wonder it developed spirituality stronger than others of its kind. That explains it."

Looking at the two snow marten soul beast corpses before him, their causes of death unknown and their bodies pressed intimately together, Xia Yu could not help but sigh.

Douluo Continent truly was the planet where the God of Love had fallen. Love really could nurture anything.

Look at this—two soul beast corpses that had been dead for who knew how long had given a snow lotus unimaginable spirituality simply because their love had made them remain together even in death...

Fine, Xia Yu was making all of that up.

He did not care in the least why the snow lotus's spirituality was unusual. What he cared about was how much value remained in the two soul beast corpses before him.

He had come down here looking for treasure and had dug for so long. He did not want to return empty-handed. That would be far too much of a loss.