Inside the scorching underground magma space.
Xiao Yan and Tian Ying stood there, but there was nothing else besides them.
Seeing this scene before him, even Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel slightly surprised. He clearly remembered that the One-Horned Whale Serpent was in this space a year ago, but why was it nowhere to be found now?!
"This is..."
Xiao Yan's face was filled with astonishment. Since Tian Ying had brought him here, the One-Horned Whale Serpent must be here, so why wasn't it here?
Just as Xiao Yan turned his head, he saw the smile on Tian Ying's lips.
"Haha, Brother Xiao Yan, it seems even you haven't found its location!"
Tian Ying smiled, seemingly quite satisfied, with a hint of smugness in his smile.
"Brother Tian Ying, what's going on?"
"Hey-hey..."
Seeing Xiao Yan frown, Tian Ying grinned, then raised his hands, changing hand seals. After a few breaths, the magma that was originally in front of Xiao Yan and Tian Ying suddenly became illusory until it disappeared.
At the same time, a huge creature appeared in front of the two of them.
What appeared before the two was an exceptionally large serpent, but unlike ordinary snake-like magical beasts, it had a single horn shaped like a lightning bolt on its head.
This is One-Horned Whale Serpent!
"This is... a formation?"
"It's an array, but it's a natural array."
Xiao Yan frowned in confusion, while Tian Ying beside him explained with a smile.
"Oh? Formations can actually be naturally formed?"
Xiao Yan Xiao Yan knew that all things in heaven and earth, including beasts, flowers, and birds, were created and nurtured by nature. However, he never imagined that heaven and earth could create such a magical formation on their own.
"Hehe, Brother Xiao Yan, you are unaware of this."
"Array formations and Dou Qi qi are both forces within this world, differing only in their methods of application. However, they are ultimately interconnected. These forces exist between heaven and earth and can be used by humans because they have been successfully arranged and thus controlled. As for array formations like these, their existence is simply due to their correct arrangement over countless historical changes. That's all."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan finally understood. This world was full of all sorts of coincidences. The magical formation that appeared before her was just like the Starfall Pavilion in the Dou Qi Continent. Wasn't it also created by using a meteorite from outer space to form Star Realm, which led to the existence of the Starfall Pavilion?
Having figured this out, Xiao Yan nodded, then pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at the One-Horned Whale Serpent.
After a year, from this moment on, the energy keratin layer on the One-Horned Whale Serpent's body has not changed much. However, Xiao Yan can faintly sense that the One-Horned Whale Serpent's aura is gradually rising. Judging from the current situation, its strength has probably exceeded that of Four-Star Dou Di.
Xiao Yan was also pleased with this. Even though it would take the One-Horned Whale Serpent a considerable amount of time to refine those energy keratin layers, for now, its cultivation path was at least much smoother than Xiao Yan's, which made Xiao Yan feel a little uneasy.
But soon, Xiao Yan felt relieved. Everyone is like this. Where is there any true fairness in this world? There are thousands of ways to obtain power, but the goal is the same: to become stronger. Some people's paths are destined to be smooth, while others' paths are destined to be bumpy. But as long as you want to become stronger, you must keep going. No matter what lies ahead, even if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, as long as you want to become stronger, you must keep going.
Even if someone else's path appears as smooth as a meadow, danger may still lurk within that meadow.
What appears to be a flat grassland might actually be a bottomless swamp under the next step. Compared to these unseen dangers, looking at it from a different perspective, the seemingly insurmountable danger might actually make you feel more at ease.
The path to becoming strong is fraught with hardship and there are no shortcuts in cultivation. The best way to become powerful is to be down-to-earth and take things one step at a time.
Having seen the One-Horned Whale Serpent, Xiao Yan's next goal was to head straight for the heart of Xilin.
That was Xiao Yan's final destination on his journey to the Xilin Mountain Range.
After bidding farewell to the four members of the Tian Ying, Xiao Yan set off alone, speeding towards the heart of Xilin.
Several hours later, the sunlight gradually dimmed, and the once lush green land was gradually covered by ice and snow. The temperature between heaven and earth also gradually became cold.
The cold wind howled, and the snowflakes danced wildly. The whole world was filled with a severe cold, and the snow stretched to the horizon. Xiao Yan's figure was not affected at all by the cold wind.
Gradually, the snowfield behind him filled the area, and before Xiao Yan's eyes stood a slightly blurry mountain, resembling a giant beast.
Upon arriving here, Xiao Yan paused slightly as a graceful figure flashed through his mind—it was Murong Qianqian.
"Sigh, I wonder how that girl is doing now. Anyway, she's better off than me. Her fourth uncle is incredibly powerful, and his family must be quite formidable as well."
After muttering a few words to himself for no apparent reason, Xiao Yan finally snapped out of his reverie. He flipped his hand, and a palm-sized jade tablet appeared in his palm—it was Cold-Delaying Jade.
This was given to him by Leng Bingshuang. I remember giving one to him and one to Murong Qianqian, so that they could safely enter and leave the heart of Xilin in the future.
Having taken out the Cold-Delaying Jade, Xiao Yan's mind stirred, and a Dou Qi of Dou Qi flowed into his palm. Instantly, an invisible energy shield was released from the Cold-Delaying Jade in his hand, enveloping the space within several feet around Xiao Yan. The biting cold wind was kept far away, and Xiao Yan's body felt much more relaxed.
Without further hesitation, Xiao Yan instantly unleashed the Heavenly Severing Steps, and in the blink of an eye, he had already crossed the mountain in front of him and was rapidly flying towards the depths.
Although the Xilin hinterland is called the hinterland, it is still quite large. Even with Xiao Yan's speed, after roughly finding the direction in his mind, it still took him nearly two hours to find the underground ice palace that Leng Bingshuang had built.
Having found the entrance, Xiao Yan, with the help of Cold-Delaying Jade, successfully entered the Leng Bingshuang underground ice palace. At that time, his Spiritual Strength was still weak, so Xiao Yan did not notice anything obvious. But now, the moment Xiao Yan took his first step into the ice palace, he clearly sensed the location of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring inside.