Into the icy pool!

The Ice Toad King had been waiting for this moment.

Ice spikes seal in poison, shattering instantly upon being cut, and paralyzing anyone who touches them—this is the series of methods it has used to hunt prey for many years.

It had precisely anticipated the delay in the sword's momentum; its tongue, swift as a poisonous whip, aimed directly at Lu Changgeng's throat.

Yang Xiao took a step forward.

The Army-Breaking Spear was swung out horizontally, striking the side of the Tongue Shadow.

Bang--!

A dull thud exploded as the Gang Qi and Demon Power clashed, the resulting shockwave scattering the pebbles along the edge of the pool.

The tongue was deflected by the shot and struck a nearby Black Rock, shattering it instantly and covering the crack with a layer of white frost.

The Ice Toad King, in pain, quickly retreated back into the water, leaving only ripples spreading across the surface of the pool.

Lu Changgeng used the opportunity to retreat back to the shore.

A small bluish-white patch appeared on the back of his hand, the cold poison probing upwards along the pulse in his wrist.

He channeled his Spiritual Power, Gold Pattern Core Illumination Light of the pill circulated along his arm, suppressing the chill below his wrist.

The Ice Toad King sank again.

The pool closed up, the bloodstains dispersed, and it was as if nothing had happened.

Only the surface of the pool faintly shimmered with a dark red hue.

"Gurgle... gurgle gurgle..."

A malicious laugh rose from the bottom of the water, slowly drifting across the surface of the pool.

A blow to the shoulder and neck hurts, but it also injured a Demon Suppression General.

It's worth it.

"If that's all you've got, you might as well go home..." Its voice pierced through the pool and reached everyone's ears, "This great one is going down to rest."

The peripheral Deputy General felt a chill run down their spines.

Just moments before, as the golden spear pierced the water and the Demon King cried out in pain, a glimmer of light appeared in someone's eyes.

Turning around, he saw his general retreating to the shore, his hand pale and bluish.

A Deputy General quickly fetched medicine for treating injuries and handed it to Lu Changgeng.

Another Deputy General gazed at the surface of the pool and sighed softly.

The sword can't reach it, people can't get down to it, and the poison can't be defended against. In the current situation, perhaps unless Dao-Infant Realm expert comes in person, there's no way to deal with it.

Lu Changgeng did not rush to apply the medicine.

He casually picked up the medicine and turned to look at Yang Xiao.

He had seen the golden spear that had injured the Ice Toad King.

And it wasn't a fluke; he saw through the other party's movements.

"Do you have a solution?"

"Um."

Yang Xiao responded and turned to look at the Cold Frost Pool.

The Ice Toad King relies on only three advantages: deep water, freezing cold, and toad venom.

Having long been Poison Immunity, I naturally have no fear of it. As for the icy chill, it's a joke to this body that Core Illumination Perfected Stage.

As for the pool being too deep... that was never a big problem for him.

He walked towards the edge of the pool.

Beneath his feet, Five-Colored Core Illumination Light slowly spread out, seeping into the pool along the shore rocks, with the Cold Frost Pool surface closest to him loosening first.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle.

The frozen water surface thawed, and the sound of the melting ice was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent mountain valley.

The ice water on the shore is melting.

Then, Yang Xiao stepped in.

The Deputy General on the perimeter were all taken aback by this scene.

They had surrounded this pool for many days and knew its nature best.

Let alone entering the water, even standing on the edge of the pool requires relying on Spiritual Power to protect the body and endure it, and every moment spent standing there is a struggle.

The colleagues ahead of me only got a drop of water splashed from the pool, and half of their arms turned bruised and blue.

General Yang actually wants to go straight in!?

Someone instinctively took half a step forward, then abruptly stopped.

There's no way to stop it.

That was the Demon Suppression General had slain several Core Illumination Demon Kings.

Watching a general walk into the pool was a strange feeling, like watching someone walk into a giant, opening mouth.

Lu Changgeng, pressing down on the cold poison on the back of his hand, also witnessed this scene.

Unexpected events can happen.

He originally thought Yang Xiao's strategy was to fight across the water, or to continue "waiting" for the Ice Toad King to change positions with that golden spear.

The accuracy of that spear thrust was enough to allow for a second and third thrust, enough to wear that beast down.

Unexpectedly, the other party insisted on going down there personally.

He opened his mouth.

The words were on the tip of his tongue when Yang Xiao turned to look at him.

Those eyes were calm and still, showing neither a trace of impulsiveness nor arrogance.

Lu Changgeng swallowed his words.

Having cultivated to this level and even gained Pei Xuance's approval to become the Demon Suppression General, the other party naturally had his own reasons.

If you can't stop them, there's no need to.

He was aware of one other thing: once Yang Xiao went into the water, he wouldn't be able to help him.

With only 30% of the Sword Qi remaining after entering the water, and the precise target no longer visible, chasing after it to rescue the person would be tantamount to suicide.

Since you can't help, then protect what you can.

"I'll keep watch on the shore," he said after a moment's thought. "If it tries to come up from somewhere else, I'll stop it."

Yang Xiao nodded.

With a thought, Canglan Water Pattern spread out on the water, and a thin layer of water rose from his body, enveloping his mouth, nose, and surroundings, creating a dry space.

Then, he immersed his entire body in the pool.

Yang Xiao did not rush in rashly.

After entering the water, he first let Core Illumination Light probe into the water to sense the underwater space for him.

The distance of three hundred zhang stretched out in an instant. Although there was some resistance, it was much clearer than what the eyes could see.

Further down, both water pressure and cold air increase simultaneously.

As the light gradually dimmed, the layer of luminous water overhead receded into the distance, until the naked eye could only see less than three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away, and the surroundings became as dark as if the night had sunk.

At the Cold Frost Pool.

The Ice Toad King rested behind a dark green boulder, its broad back pressed against the rock surface, its throat pouch bulging.

The injury to my shoulder and neck is still throbbing.

Just as it was about to use its Demon Power to suppress the pain, it suddenly realized something was wrong. The spot where the golden spear had pierced it was actually emitting a faint crimson flame!

The flame burned briefly in the water before quickly going out.

But the burning sensation didn't subside; it seeped into the flesh along the wound, throbbing and pulsating, like a piece of burning coal being buried inside.

The Ice Toad King was stunned.

It has cultivated itself in this pool for countless years, swallowing countless prey and enduring countless sword wounds, yet it has never seen fire emerge from a gunshot wound.

When the golden spear pierced it, it thought it was just an ordinary use of golden energy, merely breaking through its skin and flesh.

It now appears that what was sealed on the spearhead was far more than just the aura of gold.

This newly arrived Demon Suppression General... seems to have some tricks up his sleeve.

It squinted, trying to figure out where the fire had come from, when it suddenly heard a noise above its head.

The water rippled down, carrying an aura that didn't belong here.

The Ice Toad King looked up.

In the dark yellow eyes, a figure was reflected, diving down, clad in black armor and wielding a long spear, the Core Illumination Light surrounding him particularly striking in the black water.

That human general actually came down in person?

It swam a few feet from its hiding place, floated in the half-lit, half-dark water, and revealed its eyes.

"You actually dared to come down!?"

His tone carried a genuine surprise.

Isn't it better to stay on shore?

Isn't it better to "wait" at a distance with that golden spear than to come down and die?

However unexpectedly, it quickly reverted to its previous disdain.

"You came in here of your own accord, so don't blame me."