The group took a short rest at a small tavern outside.
The tavern was nestled in a sheltered mountain valley, with a sign hanging at the entrance that was so weathered by wind and snow that the words were almost illegible.
The group drank some warm wine and tea, ate some hot food, and had a good night's rest in the tavern.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
The group packed their belongings and headed towards the Far North Ice Plains of the Core Zone.
The further north you go, the faster the temperature drops.
The snow underfoot grew thicker and thicker, making a crunching sound as I stepped on it.
The surrounding trees gradually thinned out, replaced by an endless white wasteland.
The cold wind, carrying tiny ice crystals, stung my face like needles.
Shortly after they ventured deeper into the ice field, a moving white wave suddenly appeared ahead of them.
It was a group of ice-attribute Soul Beast, numbering about thirty or forty, their bodies covered in snow-white fur, and their size was about the size of a calf.
Their eyes gleamed with a deep blue light as they ran swiftly across the snow, their hooves pounding the ice with rapid, rhythmic sounds.
They spotted the intruders, let out a low growl, then lowered their heads, revealing sharp fangs, and charged towards them.
"It's Ice Plains Snow Rhinoceros!"
Qian Daoliu did not stop walking; he simply raised his hand and waved it, and the phantom of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul appeared behind him.
Golden flames danced around the phantom, bright and intense, and several sword energies imbued with golden flames shot out from the fingertips.
The sword energy, like a golden stream of light, landed precisely a few meters in front of the Soul Beast.
Flames exploded on the ground, sending up a scorching heatwave that melted the ice, revealing the dark permafrost beneath.
Sensing the intense heat, the Ice Plains Snow Rhinoceros panicked and turned tail, fleeing into the depths of the ice field.
They ran even faster than they had come, disappearing into the white snowstorm without looking back.
Qian Daoliu withdrew his hand. "Let's go."
He closed his eyes and sensed the spiritual imprint he had left on the Hundred-Thousand-Year Mirror Shadow Beast.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and pointed southeast.
"In that direction."
Azure Luan nodded. "I'll lead you there, and we'll be quick."
Then, the Azure Luan transformed into a giant azure divine bird, its azure feathers gleaming in the sunlight.
Several people leaped onto the back of Azure Luan Azure Luan Phoenix, which flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
The cold wind whistled past my ears, and the ice field below swept rapidly backward.
The Azure Luan flew extremely high, passing through several layers of low-hanging clouds.
Sunlight shone on the icy plains, refracting a dazzling light. Along the way, they encountered several waves of ice-attribute flying Soul Beast, the Ice Crystal Falcon.
They are covered in silvery-white feathers with icy blue Shimmer edges, and their wingspan can reach five or six meters.
Its feathers blend almost seamlessly with the wind and snow during flight, making them extremely difficult to spot with the naked eye. Its deep blue eyes allow it to accurately lock onto prey even in blizzards.
At this moment, the Azure Luan intruded into their airspace, and the flock of Ice Crystal Falcon swooped down from the clouds in an attempt to intercept it.
However, Qian Daoliu only released a tiny bit of his own aura.
The terrifying pressure belonging to the Peerless Douluo spread outwards like an invisible wave.
Sensing the oppressive force, the Ice Crystal Falcon panicked and changed direction, fleeing into the distance.
A few oblivious creatures were still approaching, and Light Feather Douluo raised his hand and fired an arrow.
The icy blue arrow pierced the sky, striking precisely the wing of the leading flying Soul Beast.
The ancient Ice Crystal Falcon let out a mournful cry and plummeted to the ground, its head tilting precariously. The remaining falcons scattered in panic at the sight.
At the speed of the Azure Luan Phoenix, it would take less than a day.
They entered the Core Zone of the Far North Ice Plains, where the temperature was more than half that of the outer areas.
The breath exhaled instantly condensed into tiny ice crystals in the air. The ice on the ground was so thick that its bottom was unseen, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light.
There was no vegetation around, only endless white and blue.
The wind became even fiercer here, scraping across every inch of the exposed panels like a knife.
That night, they had no choice but to camp out in the wild.
Qian Daoliu found a spot beneath a sheltered ice wall.
A dry area was burned off the ground with flames, the golden flames burning quietly in the night wind, dispelling the surrounding chill.
The firelight illuminated the surrounding ice walls, reflecting a warm glow onto the ice surface; this was mainly for Gui Yuan to warm himself.
Having already reached the Core Zone, even the ancient fox fur coat that Gui Yuan was wearing was no longer of much use, as he needed to circulate a large amount of Soul Power to resist the cold.
Although Gui Yuan had consumed the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and had resistance to ice, this did not mean he was completely immune to this extremely harsh environment.
Under Qian Daoliu's care, he didn't feel the slightest bit of cold. Sitting by the fire, he stretched out his hands to warm them over the flames, feeling warm all over.
He whispered, "Thank you, Grandpa Qian."
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly, without saying anything more.
Gui Yuan couldn't help but think to himself that the ice resistance provided by the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was rather weak.
What happened to the immortal Immortal Herb with Ultimate Ice properties?
Could it be because my Martial Soul isn't ice-attribute?
So even after taking it, too much energy is wasted?
He vividly remembered that the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass that grew ten thousand years later gave birth to Soul Beast consciousness, and it even had a cultivation of one hundred thousand years, becoming Huo Yuhao's Soul Spirit.
It also provided his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Soul with Seventh Soul Ring, making it extremely powerful.
However, this strength wasn't very evident in him; the gap was quite large.
Qian Daoliu sat on the other side of the fire, his gaze fixed on the distant, dark blue ice plain. His expression was calm as he slowly spoke.
"I'll just make do for tonight."
"I'll warm you up, then you can rest."
"At the current distance, we should be able to reach the location of that Hundred-Thousand-Year Mirror Shadow Beast by tomorrow."
Bibi Dong, wrapped in a thick cloak, sat beside Gui Yuan.
She turned her head to look at Gui Yuan, her face full of concern. "Are you alright?"
Gui Yuan laughed and said, "With Grandpa Qian's Soul Power here, it's not cold at all."
Light Feather Douluo sat to one side, poking at the fire with a twig in his hand.
Sparks flew up with his movement, flashing across the night sky.
He glanced at Gui Yuan: "Your Martial Soul is indeed at a disadvantage in this Far North, as it's neither ice nor fire attribute."
"Generally speaking, unless you're Titled Douluo, you can't hold out for long in this Core Zone. Once your Soul Power is exhausted, you'll be stuck here forever."
Azure Luan held a cup of hot tea in both hands and asked, " Great Enshrined, should we kill that Mirror Shadow Beast tomorrow?"
Qian Daoliu was silent for a moment, then said, "It depends."
" Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast possesses the intelligence of an adult. If it is willing to sacrifice itself for Xiao Yuan, then Xiao Yuan won't have to endure too much pain, which is a good thing."
"If it refuses... then we'll have to kill it."