Li Qiang was puzzled; the sound seemed to be coming from the ice crack.
He was very confident in his hearing. With his current level of cultivation, it was impossible for him to be wrong. He calmed himself down and looked around.
The bottom of the ice fissure where the Mystic Ice Dragon dwelled was relatively flat, about the size of a tennis court, and showed claw marks, as if the Mystic Ice Dragon had cleaned it.
The surrounding ice walls slop inwards, forming a space that is narrower at the top and wider at the bottom. The fiery red plant grows in the corner, and not far away, there is a piece of ice protruding, like an ice ball buried in the ground.
Li Qiang inadvertently walked to the protrusion and realized that it was a sealed ice cave.
Li Qiang used the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Sword to shatter the piece of mysterious ice, revealing a downward-facing ice cave. He immediately noticed the unusual feature inside the cave and hurriedly jumped in to examine it closely. He saw deep sword marks on the ice walls of the cave.
Li Qiang was overjoyed; he had finally found a trace. Without hesitation, he flew downwards, letting out a long, thin whistle.
The howling echoed in the cave. As Li Qiang flew, he listened intently and faintly heard a fleeting sound. He knew clearly that it was not his own howling, and he became excited. He howled as he increased his speed.
The narrow ice cave shook violently after he flew past at high speed, and the loose ice fragments on the cave walls were lifted by the airflow he passed through. After Li Qiang flew over, the surface of the ice cave was as smooth and shiny as if it had been polished.
Li Qiang was like a giant dragon, roaring and surging through the ice. In the narrow parts of the ice cave, he was forcefully pushed open by the Ninefold Evolving Gilt that protected him. Gradually, more and more white mist of broken ice appeared behind him.
After flying for an unknown amount of time, with a loud crash, Li Qiang emerged from the ice cave, only to hear someone shout, "Watch out!" "Stop right now!"
In the instant Li Qiang suddenly stopped, the shattered Ice Crystal and white mist poured down on him, and the golden light of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Sword flashed repeatedly.
Before he could even see his surroundings clearly, he heard two surprised shouts, "Wow! Brother, my eyes are playing tricks on me... Is that my good disciple?"
"Hey, it really is my brother!"
Li Qiang was filled with excitement, and tears almost welled up in his eyes. All the hardships he had endured were worth it. He just wanted to shout and yell, as if only in this way could he release the overwhelming joy in his heart.
Upon closer inspection, he couldn't help but cry out, "Big brother! Master! You...!"
Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan were trapped on an ice wall by dozens of thin, blue Mystic Qi.
Mo Huaiyuan said nervously, "Brother, don't come any closer! This is the Yinlong Mystic Qi, and we're almost completely depleted."
Li Qiang didn't care about the mysterious Yinlong Mystic Qi. He emitted a dazzling light, and countless curling golden rays forcibly probed into it. There was a series of crackling sounds, and he shouted, "Open for me!" The Heavenly Fire Purple Flower mixed in with the golden rays instantly tore apart all the Yinlong Mystic Qi.
Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan stared at Li Qiang in disbelief. They had been trapped in this restriction for a long time, trying their best to break free from the Yinlong Mystic Qi. However, they were completely unfamiliar with this kind of restriction and had no idea that it was the work of an ancient immortal.
Finally, the two came up with a clumsy idea—absorbing this strange Mystic Qi. They worked hard for a long time and finally saw a glimmer of hope, only to have it shattered by Li Qiang in an instant.
Mo Huaiyuan sighed, "Brother Qi, it seems that my brother has made progress in cultivating the divine..." He flew to Li Qiang's side, his white eyebrows dancing, his face beaming with joy.
Qi Junsha suddenly appeared and grabbed Li Qiang's shoulder. Li Qiang was so frightened that he quickly withdrew the Ninefold Evolving Gilt.
Just kidding, this divine artifact is not something Qi Junsha can withstand, especially since he has now initially Fusion the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing, and will automatically counterattack without him even having to think about it.
Qi Junsha grabbed Li Qiang's shoulders and shook him violently, "You brat, what are you doing here? This is a death trap! Anyway, we two old geezers don't care if we die... Didn't I warn you to be careful? You ignored Master's words... I..."
Li Qiang sighed, "Master, elder brother, alas, it's all my fault for dragging you into this. If I had known, I shouldn't have let Gu Xing bring you here."
Mo Huaiyuan said, "Brother Qi, stop talking. We've been planning for so long, and the only thing we're sure of is that he will definitely come. What's the point of talking about him now? Brother, the temptation of reincarnation is too great. This isn't your fault, how could we blame you?"
Qi Junsha smiled bitterly, "Sigh, only after arriving at Xinbo Cape did I realize how vast this realm is. I originally thought we were the top in this realm, but who knew... that crazy woman is really amazing! I've never admired anyone before, not even Gu Xing, but that crazy woman... I'm truly Qi Ingestion. She's too amazing. I can't understand how she cultivated."
Li Qiang said, "She's one of the earliest ancient immortals, named Mist Star Cold Woman. She's an immortal of the same generation as the Azure Emperor of the Immortal Realm. Losing to her isn't shameful at all. I was also beaten to a pulp by her... Forget it, let's not talk about her anymore. Let's hurry up and think of a way to get out of here."
Qi Junsha was incredulous. "You fought with that crazy woman?"
Li Qiang spread his hands and laughed, "My skills are inferior... hehe, I had no choice but to come down and find you." He then asked, "Master, have you scouted the terrain here?"
Qi Junsha said helplessly, "The terrain? I just came in and I've already discovered a treasure..."
Li Qiang asked, "Is it that fiery red plant?"
Qi Junsha nodded sharply and said, "That's right, it's that plant. This treasure only grows where the Dazzling Outline Demon rests. It's called the Brilliant Plant )."
Li Qiang also remembered that the Brilliant Plant was a kind of spirit medicine, and he asked, "Isn't the Mystic Ice Dragon protecting it?"
Mo Huaiyuan laughed and said, " The Mystic Ice Dragon wasn't here at the time, and Brother Qi was planning to pick some. Unexpectedly, that beast just came back. Hehe, we thought that beast was kept by the madwoman, so we rushed into the ice cave next to us. Who knew it would spew out a mouthful of green mist and seal the entrance."
Qi Junsha continued, "We flew down and triggered a restriction as soon as we exited the cave. Damn it, we've been trapped on the ice wall almost the entire time since we came in... It seems there are many restrictions here, but we couldn't detect them. That madwoman's methods are too clever."
Li Qiang said, "She's relatively ordinary. I've seen much more formidable people, and... they were also women."
Mo Huaiyuan shook his head and said, "I've heard of ancient immortals before, but I always thought it was just a legend. I never imagined they actually existed. Xinbo Cape is indeed strange."
Li Qiang said, "There's nothing strange about it. Xinbo Cape is the birthplace of ancient immortals and gods. Many ancient immortals live in seclusion in this area, and I've seen a few myself."
Qi Junsha suddenly shouted, "Damn it, I want to be reincarnated and start cultivating again! I want to find the cultivation methods of the ancient immortals!"
Li Qiang couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "Master was provoked by the ancient immortal. However, if we can get out safely this time, we still need to go to the Ancient God Repository to find Gu Xing. Perhaps we really can find the ancient immortal's cultivation method."
Upon hearing this, Qi Junsha's eyes lit up. He asked in surprise, " The Ancient God Repository? Gu Xing went to the Ancient God Repository? He's never mentioned anything about the Ancient God Repository."
Mo Huaiyuan was much more composed. He said, "We've been cultivating around Sealed Fate Planet. If it weren't for Gu Xing leading the way, who would have known about Xinbo Cape? It's right that Lord Gu Xing doesn't want to say more. We're just a burden to him. What use would it be for him to know all this?"
Qi Junsha looked Li Qiang up and down, and asked curiously, "What kind of immortal armor is this? There are strange incantations on it. Do you recognize the incantations on the armor?"
Li Qiang laughed and said, "I accidentally obtained two divine artifacts on Purple Soul Star. This is the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, and the Ninefold Evolving Gilt. Master, what are the incantations?"
Mo Huaiyuan raised his white eyebrows slightly, his heart filled with astonishment. Two divine artifacts? In this realm, no one has ever been seen to possess two divine artifacts, and even if someone has one, they might not necessarily use it.
He said with concern, "Brother, is anyone trying to steal it? It's best to be careful."
Qi Junsha shook her fair hand dismissively, saying, "We probably can't even begin to fathom my good disciple's current level. Just look at how easily he broke through the Yinlong Mystic Qi. Who in this realm would dare to steal his things? Even those stronger than him, I doubt they'd bother trying. Brother, don't worry about him, this kid's luck is exceptionally good."
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "Ha, my master is so clever! He's made this kid so happy, haha."
Qi Junsha's eyes crinkled with laughter, and he said smugly, "Of course! If I weren't clever, how could I have taken on such a cunning disciple like you?"
Mo Huaiyuan laughed too, "You two... what kind of master and disciple do you boast like this? It's making you a laughingstock..."
Li Qiang and Qi Junsha almost said in unison, "I'd love to!" They couldn't help but burst into laughter.
After a long separation and overcoming numerous hardships, they finally met again. Both master and apprentice were overjoyed, Mo Huaiyuan was no exception. However, he managed to remain calm and looked at the lively master and apprentice with deep satisfaction.
Mo Huaiyuan said, "I'll go down and scout the terrain. Wait for me a moment."
Li Qiang swayed and stopped him, saying, "Brother, don't go down. All the restrictions here are rebellious. If you go over, they will be activated. If you turn back, the restrictions will function at their maximum. Besides, we're not far from the core area. I heard that it's full of blue Mystic Qi, which is the Yinlong Mystic Qi you."
Qi Junsha suddenly realized, "No wonder I couldn't break through the ice here with my Law Treasure. Sigh, I really admire that crazy woman. How could she set up so many restrictions? It's impossible for her to set up restrictions one by one. I really can't figure it out."
Li Qiang's understanding is vastly different now than before. He explained, "This kind of restriction doesn't require someone to personally set it up. Instead, the entire restriction array is driven underground, changing with the terrain. She must have a map of this place... Wow, that's impressive."
He suddenly understood that High Person Mist Star must have used his Divine Sense to scan the entire Xuanbing. Since he had done the same thing, even though there were restrictions that prevented him from exploring a large area, he knew the difficulties involved, so he couldn't help but praise High Person Mist Star.
Mo Huaiyuan stopped in his tracks, exclaiming in surprise, "A rebellious restriction? That woman is truly vicious!"
Qi Junsha still looked like a young boy. He shook his head and said, "Don't mention that bad woman. Ugh, it was so embarrassing. I was so hesitant and timid; I was no match for her at all." He was still holding a grudge against High Person Mist Star, who seemed to have given him a hard time.
Li Qiang smiled slightly; he didn't think losing to the ancient immortal was anything shameful. He said, "Let me see if there's a way out." Only then did he have time to examine his surroundings.
This is a space resembling a skylight, with the ice walls below sloping inwards like an inverted funnel. The bottom is dark and its depth is unknown, with many huge icebergs peeking out from behind, like peaks emerging from a cloud-shrouded mountain range, making it impossible to see what lies below.
Li Qiang turned his head and said, "This place is so strange, how come there are so many gaps inside?"
Mo Huaiyuan said, "Mystic Ice is an extremely cold substance. After it solidifies and contracts, it will naturally have large cavities. There's nothing strange about it."
Li Qiang pointed downwards and said, "Look at those blue dots below; you need to use your internal energy to see them."
Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha stared intently at it for a long time. After a while, Mo Huaiyuan sighed, "I can't see it, it's too far away."
Qi Junsha glanced at Mo Huaiyuan and sighed, "Brother, I'm too ashamed to face my disciple. I can't see any blue stars either..."
Li Qiang blushed slightly; he was using his Divine Eye, so of course he could see through the restrictions.
He quickly said, "That seems to be a very large restriction. Fortunately, Master and Elder Brother are trapped here. If they went down, it would be troublesome. If someone who triggers that restriction is sent to its core, it's almost certain they will die, or at least be trapped inside and unable to get out. Unless they have the strength of an ancient immortal, escaping will be very difficult."
Qi Junsha's face showed annoyance, and he said angrily, "This vicious crazy woman! Humph, she wants to kill us... This Fengzi, this shrew..." Although he kept cursing High Person Mist Star, he also admired her strength in his heart.
Li Qiang waited until he finished cursing before continuing, "Going back the way we came is probably difficult. Let's try to carve a hole horizontally through this ice wall, and then go upwards. Let's see if that works."
Mo Huaiyuan shook his head and said, "The ice here is different from other places. It's comparable to the hardness of magic weapons and Law Treasure swords. It's simply impossible to break through. Brother Qi had a shuttle-shaped Law Treasure, which was completely destroyed. That treasure only managed to break through one ice wall before it was finished."
Li Qiang was secretly surprised. He had seen Qi Junsha's treasure before. Back in Heavenly Melody City, they relied on it to break out of the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Ice Cave. At that time, it didn't take much effort at all, and they broke through the mysterious ice there in one go.
Qi Junsha shook his head and said, "Brother, my good disciple is using a divine artifact now, and the Xuanbing here might not be able to stop it. I think we can give it a try."
Mo Huaiyuan said, "I know he's using a divine artifact... I..." He was afraid that Li Qiang's power was insufficient and he would be harmed by the artifact. In fact, Li Qiang had the Evolving Incantation Divine Armor, so there was no danger. It was a very rare matching artifact.
Qi Junsha suddenly realized what was happening and said, "My dear disciple, please don't force yourself. If it doesn't work, we'll think of another way."
Li Qiang said, "Let's give it a try!" He activated his Golden Venerable Divine Heart, and a large amount of Divine Yi Power surged into the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing, causing a dazzling golden curtain to rise from his back. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into three streams of light that surrounded him.
Li Qiang swept his hands together, and two of the streaks landed between them. He uttered a soft shout, "Transform!" A golden dahlia as tall as a person appeared in front of him.
Qi Junsha burst out laughing, "My dear disciple, what... what are you doing? What's the use of making such a big flower?"
Li Qiang smiled slightly, and the Fire Essence he had been cultivating in his chest stirred. A purple spark flew up from his arms and quickly entered the petals, instantly creating a large cloud of hot white mist.
The immense energy of the Heavenly Fire, though contained within the petals, still emitted considerable heat. Upon encountering the surrounding frigid air, it instantly transformed into white mist and rose into the air.
Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan understood Li Qiang's intention. Qi Junsha praised, "Good! My good disciple has Heavenly Fire, which is perfect for melting the Xuanbing. Then, using the divine artifact to break it will be a piece of cake! Haha, good! Good! Good!"
He praised the student three times, feeling not only pleased with himself but also proud. His student's skills were his own; he didn't care whether he had personally taught the student or not.
Using the Ninefold Evolving Gilt, Li Qiang propelled the dahlia chrysanthemum closer to the Xuanbing Wall. Suddenly, he rotated his hands, and the golden chrysanthemum immediately turned purple and began to spin rapidly.
Li Qiang shouted, "Big brother, Master, follow me!"
Qi Junsha shouted excitedly, "Wonderful, wonderful! Brother, let's go up." He and Mo Huaiyuan followed closely behind.
The purple chrysanthemums shot out wisps of purple flames, which, upon touching the black ice, produced a muffled "whoosh" sound. Because the black ice was extremely cold, the sudden encounter with the extremely hot Heavenly Fire immediately caused a series of cracking sounds. The flames formed by the Heavenly Fire were also mixed with the golden light of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing. The black ice wall was easily broken open with a large hole.
Li Qiang quickly advanced forward and soon penetrated deep inside. Qi Junsha followed behind, praising the area highly, because he had also tried it and knew how difficult the mysterious ice here was to deal with.
After advancing parallel to the ice wall for a distance, Li Qiang said, "Be careful, I'm preparing to break through upwards."
Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha both flew out their immortal swords to protect their bodies.
Mo Huaiyuan said, "Brother, you just need to watch out ahead. The two of us are capable of protecting ourselves."
Li Qiang pointed at the rapidly spinning chrysanthemum, then turned and flew upwards. The melted ice formed a viscous liquid that spilled down; it wasn't water, and no one knew what it was, but it quickly solidified again behind the three of them.
Qi Junsha warned, "My dear disciple, you absolutely mustn't stop now... or you'll be trapped inside the Xuanbing Wall."
Li Qiang turned his head and looked down, and was shocked. The area behind him was completely sealed off, with only a short section open. Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan were pressed tightly against his feet, and the viscous liquid flowing down from above quickly solidified at their feet.
Li Qiang hurriedly urged the spinning chrysanthemum to continue its upward surge.
He kept praying that he would find a larger rock, so that he could break through it and catch his breath, since rocks were much softer than ice.
At the current rate, the Fire Essence will soon be unable to keep up; this is an extremely cold world, and the consumption of Heavenly Fire is too great.
They didn't know how long they had walked this path, because the passage behind them was immediately blocked, so they had no way of knowing how far they had crawled upwards.
Li Qiang was showing signs of fatigue, but he persevered with all his might. The purple flames on the spinning chrysanthemum grew smaller and smaller, while the golden light of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Jade grew brighter and brighter, and the sound it emitted gradually became clearer and crisper.
Qi Junsha and Mo Huaiyuan were both secretly alarmed. Although their current skill level was not as high as Li Qiang's, their experience was extensive, and they could easily see that Li Qiang was already at his limit.
Qi Junsha couldn't help but remind him, "My good disciple, don't overexert yourself, slow down a bit."
Mo Huaiyuan remained silent, directing the immortal sword to force the flowing liquid downwards, hoping to create a space for Li Qiang to rest when he could no longer hold on.
Soon, the Fire Essence withdrew its Heavenly Fire, its energy lingering weakly in Li Qiang's chest.
Left with no other choice, Li Qiang relied on the power of the Ninefold Evolving Gilt to continue breaking through the ice and ascending, but at a much slower pace than before.
Mo Huaiyuan said, "Brother, there's still room to rest, no need to rush."
Since the Fire Essence withdrew its Heavenly Fire, the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing Jade was unable to melt the Xuanbing (mysterious ice), but could only shatter the hard Xuanbing. Therefore, there was no longer any flowing liquid, and what lay beneath the three of them were fine ice fragments.
Li Qiang crawled upwards for a while longer before finally stopping. He said with lingering fear, "I dare say, the High Person Mist Star has already left, otherwise she would never have let us get here. We were pretty lucky."
Qi Junsha said with a pained expression, "My dear disciple, hurry up and cultivate. We'll talk about other things later."
Although he had forced this apprentice to take him in, he was also his most prized and only apprentice. The apprentice was generous, efficient, and never hesitant or indecisive, which suited his temperament perfectly. He liked him from the bottom of his heart.
Li Qiang immediately began cultivating. In fact, he had already been injured when he fought with High Person Mist Star, and his injuries had worsened when he desperately tried to control the Ninefold Evolving Gilt Flowing.
He had just sat down when he spat out a mouthful of golden blood, startling Mo Huaiyuan and Qi Junsha into a panic, unsure how to treat him. They both knew that once Li Qiang had cultivated to godhood, he was beyond their ability to save.
Li Qiang suddenly had a divine pill in his hand, but he couldn't even lift his hand; all his strength was running wildly around him.
Qi Junsha had just cried out, "What's going on?" when Li Qiang's overflowing strength pinned her firmly against the ice wall.
Mo Huaiyuan was also unable to move. He remained relatively calm and quickly realized something was wrong; Li Qiang seemed to be on the verge of going off the rails.
Qi Junsha spotted the elixir in Li Qiang's hand at a glance and shouted, "Quick! Brother, think of something... he has a magic elixir!"
Mo Huaiyuan suddenly rose upwards. As soon as he moved, the Divine Yi Power in Li Qiang's body seemed to find an outlet, surging and crashing against him.
Qi Junsha's body immediately relaxed, and he instinctively released a burst of energy while shouting, "Open your mouth!"
Li Qiang was still very clear-headed. Hearing Qi Junsha's loud shout, he opened his mouth wide and a Five Assemblies Pill — the Adversity-Crossing Divine Pill —flew into his mouth.
The moment the divine pill entered his mouth, Li Qiang felt as if his throat had exploded, and countless streams of heat rushed into his body, instantly forming a vortex in his chest cavity. The Divine Yi Power that had overflowed was rapidly drawn back. Knowing that he could not delay, he immediately began to cultivate in seclusion.
Mo Huaiyuan nearly lost his soul in that instant. The immense pressure made him feel the threat of death for the first time. Fortunately, it lasted only a short time and the pressure disappeared immediately.
He slid softly to Qi Junsha's side, his voice trembling. "Brother, if you had been any slower, you wouldn't have seen me again."
Qi Junsha glared at him and said, "Brother, don't talk nonsense..."
Mo Huaiyuan shook his head and said, "I'm not talking nonsense. Good heavens, my brother has really become a monster. The power emanating from him seems to be crushing me. To be honest, I felt the breath of death. Sigh, this is the first time I've felt this way in so many years. I now realize that his skill is beyond our reach."
Qi Junsha stared at Mo Huaiyuan in disbelief. After a long while, he finally believed Mo Huaiyuan's words, because he had never heard Mo Huaiyuan tell a lie since he met him.
He said with emotion, "Brother, if possible, let's cultivate to godhood together after we're reincarnated. Cultivating to immortality has completely lost its challenging meaning for us."
Mo Huaiyuan leaned against the ice wall and sighed, " The Heavenly Recommendation Scripture for God Cultivation may not be suitable for our cultivation. We'll have to see what he says then. Who knows what our situation will be after reincarnation... Reincarnation is not easy. We might even be reduced to ashes. I just hope that my Divine Sense will not perish. I don't necessarily expect to have a good physical body."
Qi Junsha turned to look at Li Qiang, about to say something, but was startled by Li Qiang's appearance.
He pointed at Li Qiang and said, "Brother, what... what is he doing?"