Wood Release Adds Fuel to the Fire, Great Buddha Wears Susanoo

After a short rest, the two prepared to set out and claim the opportunity in the Secret Realm first.

Ye Chen crouched down and glanced back at Lan Lengshuang.

Lan Lengshuang didn't understand what Ye Chen meant. "What...?"

"Get on. Stop dragging your feet." Ye Chen was at his wit's end. Hadn't she been pretty smart before?

Had she suddenly gone stupid?

"I'm not getting on..."

"You can't keep up with me. Hurry up!" Ye Chen was getting angry. Right now, every second counted.

They had already wasted plenty of time resting.

If those natives reached the place first...

Seeing that Ye Chen was angry, Lan Lengshuang had no choice but to comply.

She hesitantly wrapped her arms around Ye Chen's neck from behind.

Ye Chen grabbed Lan Lengshuang's thighs. "Stop dragging your feet!"

Lan Lengshuang's whole face burned red.

He had to admit, carrying Lan Lengshuang on his back made running much easier than holding her in his arms.

They also had more body contact, which kept them warmer.

But neither Ye Chen nor Lan Lengshuang noticed someone following several hundred meters behind them!

It was Yan Feng, who had disappeared earlier. He had planted trackers on Ye Chen and Lan Lengshuang. All he had to do was keep his distance, then jump out and kill Ye Chen once they got the treasure.

Then wouldn't Lan Lengshuang be his to do with as he pleased?

Ye Chen and Lan Lengshuang had no idea they were being followed.

Meanwhile, in the natives' village...

"Village chief, the Secret Realm has opened, hasn't it?"

"Yes. Our clan's duty is to guard the treasure. For generations, we numbered in the thousands, yet now... all that's left is this little village."

The man they called village chief raised his small walking stick and spoke weakly.

"I don't know if those of us left can protect the treasure..."

The village chief let out a long sigh.

He looked at the dozen or so clanspeople remaining around him, then stopped short of saying more.

"Village chief, what's there to fear? They're just a few outsiders. Let me, A-Da, take some men and kill them!"

A burly native spoke proudly.

Judging by the aura he gave off, he was at the Seventh Realm of Awakening.

"Alas, I suppose that's our only choice." The village chief closed his eyes and sighed.

"A-Da, take Xiao'er and Asan and kill them."

"Yes!" A-Da was overjoyed to receive the order.

The village chief handed Ada the Secret Realm key. "Follow the direction this compass points and wait for those people!"

"And remember, staying alive comes first..."

A-Da nodded without a care, then turned and left with the other two.

Two were at the Sixth Realm of Awakening, and one was at the Seventh.

All three had survived in this harsh environment.

Their bodies were exceptionally strong, too. After all, they had to hunt Sea Beasts for food.

Sometimes they even had to face iceburst bears, a mutated kind of polar bear.

Across the endless glacier, Ye Chen carried Lan Lengshuang toward their destination, one step at a time.

He had no idea how long they had been walking. His phone had frozen and shut down long ago.

Finally, just as Ye Chen's strength was about to give out, he saw a massive Palace in the distance.

Ye Chen's legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees. Gasping for breath, he stared at the Palace, which looked like a miracle.

"Ye Chen, we found it!" Lan Lengshuang climbed off his back and hugged him, beaming.

She had completely forgotten her usual cool composure.

What Lan Lengshuang didn't know was that Ye Chen could barely move his feet anymore.

"Let's rest for a bit," Ye Chen said with difficulty.

Only then did Lan Lengshuang notice something was wrong with Ye Chen. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just a little cold. I think my feet are frozen..."

Lan Lengshuang had been channeling Spiritual Power into Ye Chen, but hers was of the Ice Element.

That energy had kept him at zero degrees. If Ye Chen's body hadn't been so strong, he would have succumbed long ago.

Lan Lengshuang finally realized what she had overlooked.

She hurriedly took off her coat and wrapped it around Ye Chen. "Ye Chen... how are you? Are you okay?!"

Ye Chen's consciousness began to fade. "Cold..."

"So cold..."

Seeing Ye Chen's condition, Lan Lengshuang gritted her teeth and pulled him into her arms.

Snow and wind began sweeping through the already frigid world.

After an unknown amount of time, Lan Lengshuang could no longer withstand the cold either.

They both drifted into unconsciousness.

"Today's lottery reward has arrived. You have received the Zanpakutō Ryūjin Jakka."

The system's voice rang out, but Ye Chen had already passed out.

"Such a hassle..." the system said helplessly.

Then a small golden sphere sank into Ye Chen's chest.

At the same time, warmth surged from within Ye Chen's heart.

A long blade appeared in Ye Chen's hand.

Intense heat poured from it, enveloping him and Lan Lengshuang.

"Honestly, I'm not your babysitter..."

After that quiet complaint, the system fell silent.

A little while later, Ye Chen finally woke from his unconsciousness, feeling the heat radiating from his body.

Ye Chen shook his groggy head, then suddenly realized someone was sprawled across his chest.

Ye Chen froze. "Hey, little niece!"

Lan Lengshuang was sleeping soundly. Holding a warm furnace in this frozen wasteland felt wonderful!

Ye Chen swallowed and patted Lan Lengshuang's cheek.

"Little niece..."

Lan Lengshuang didn't stir. She had been channeling Spiritual Power into Ye Chen the whole time. It hadn't been much, but she was only at the Third Realm. Her reserves of Spiritual Power were nearly empty, and she was exhausted.

Ye Chen stood up helplessly, took a spare set of clothes from his Storage Ring, and tore them into strips.

He hoisted Lan Lengshuang onto his back and tied her in place with the strips.

Then Ye Chen examined the changes in his body and the long blade he had been holding earlier.

"Ryūjin Jakka..." Ye Chen murmured.

He gave a wry smile. "This system really takes good care of me. It even managed to get its hands on this."

"Tell me it doesn't keep you warm."

Ye Chen didn't answer, and the system said nothing more.

As he studied the enormous Palace before him, Ye Chen suddenly spoke.

"Thanks, system."

He kept his eyes on the Palace as he thanked the system, catching even the eavesdropping system by surprise.

"You're welcome," the system replied.

As the strongest fire-type Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka radiated heat even as he held it.

Is it planning to have me add Flame Hell to Deep Forest Emergence? Ye Chen felt things were taking an increasingly strange turn.

Hashirama's Wood Release alone was enough to give him a foothold in this world.

And now he had this blade, too...

These were powers at the very pinnacle of two different worlds.

"Wood plus fire. Is there a problem?" the system said airily.

Then it grumbled to itself, If you hadn't come to this godforsaken place...

I'd rather have seen the Great Buddha wearing Susanoo first...