Tianhong's flying sword suddenly expanded, like an exploding firework, countless colorful streaks spinning rapidly, instantly enveloping the other three. He shouted, "Brother, Fengzi, let's connect our flying swords!"
Li Qiang's mind stirred, Star-Absorbing Sword immediately joined in, forming a layer within the Tianhong Flying Sword. Then, Geng Feng's flying sword also joined in. Huang Yan was so frightened she didn't dare utter a sound, only quietly grabbing Li Qiang's arm.
As soon as the three flying swords were connected, the entire ice cave was instantly illuminated. The sword light was bright and dazzling, Mystic Cold Qi Tide collided with the sword light as if it were a solid object, just like a red-hot iron block being suddenly put into water, making a loud "hissing" sound.
Geng Feng said softly, "This place is not safe to stay in for long, let's go down to the Ice Eye!" The four of them began to move towards the Ice Eye.
As the flying sword rapidly dispersed the Mystic Cold Qi Tide, it caused a violent tremor. More Mystic Cold Qi Tide out from the Ice Crystal, tightly binding the four of them. They found it extremely difficult to walk even a short distance of about a hundred steps.
Tianhong was getting anxious. He had always just passed through this place before, and he knew he couldn't disturb the Mystic Cold Qi Tide. But this time, a little girl came along and started making a fuss, catching him off guard and putting him in a very passive position. He didn't dare to use some of his powerful Law Treasure because the explosive sound and strong pressure would trigger even more Mystic Cold Qi Tide.
Gradually, the surrounding air turned pale blue. Li Qiang noticed that Tianhong could no longer move, and he whispered, "Brother, put your sword light away, I'll defend!"
The Star-Absorbing Sword suddenly expanded, Li Qiang then realized that the air outside was strange, as if it had a peculiar stickiness, making it extremely difficult to use the flying sword, even more difficult than using it in the sea. After advancing about twenty steps, Li Qiang also slowed down.
Geng Feng transmitted his voice to Li Qiang: " Little Madman, I'm coming!" His flying sword pierced through the inner layer. At this moment, the cultivation levels of the three were compared. Tianhong took more than fifty steps, Li Qiang took more than twenty steps, and Geng Feng Li Qiang slightly more than thirty steps.
Seeing that the four of them had approached the Ice Eye, but could not move forward no matter what they did, the air outside seemed to freeze, and the light circle of the flying sword was being compressed smaller and smaller. Tianhong felt something was wrong, so he quickly took out the Empty Sound Fork, and with a soft, low hum, it flew out from the fork with a reverberation.
The power of the Empty Sound Fork was extraordinary; the vibrations it emitted immediately dispersed the solidified air, and the aura around the flying sword expanded instantly, causing everyone to feel a sudden relief from the pressure.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tianhong shouted, "Let's go down!" Before the Mystic Cold Qi Tide surged forth, the four of them swiftly rushed into the Ice Eye.
As soon as Geng Feng stepped into the Ice Eye, he said, "This is the first time I've witnessed the power of the Mystic Cold Qi Tide. I've only heard of it before, but I've never actually disturbed it."
Tianhong coldly snorted and said, "This kind of Mystic Cold Qi Tide is beyond human resistance. It will only get stronger. If you get trapped inside, hmph, you won't be able to get out."
Li Qiang asked curiously, "Aren't we just going to wait for it to dissipate?"
Geng Feng shook his head and said, "As long as there's noise, this thing will never dissipate; it will only increase. True Essence Power will eventually run out. If you can't leave in time, you're doomed."
Huang Yan hid behind Li Qiang, trembling with fear, and whispered an apology, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry!" She had a strange feeling that Li Qiang would protect her.
Sure enough, Li Qiang laughed and said, "You didn't know either. Just be more careful next time." As soon as he finished speaking, a series of "crack!" and "crack!" sounds were heard. The hole above the Ice Eye was getting smaller and smaller, and in a short while, it was completely sealed off. This was something no one had expected.
Tianhong stared blankly at the top, speechless for a long time. Geng Feng, true to his Fengzi nature, said something that infuriated Tianhong: "Goodness, this is going to be fun. Let's go back and watch the Fengzi blow it up, hahaha!"
Enraged, Tianhong kicked the road and cursed, "This is the only passage. If it's sealed off, we'll be in trouble! What are you going to use to blow it up? Damn it!" His sudden outburst of profanity startled everyone.
Li Qiang laughed and said, "At worst, we can just Earth Traversal Technique to get away, right?"
Geng Feng slightly dodged Tianhong's kick and said, "Hey, don't be angry, old man. You Little Madman, you can't use the Earth Traversal Technique here. All the layers of Xuanbing are restricted; you can't go down."
Li Qiang observed the surrounding terrain and noticed that the location of the Ice Eye was peculiar. The space above the Ice Eye Ice Eye resembled an upright bowl, while the space below it resembled an overturned bowl, the overall shape like an hourglass. Beneath their feet was a thin layer of blue mist, rolling and undulating like waves on the sea. Sharp, icy pillars protruded from the blue mist, like bamboo skewers in a giant trap, making one's heart tremble with fear.
Having just caused trouble, Huang Yan was now timid. She tugged at Li Qiang and whispered, "Senior, what's that down there? It looks like seawater!"
Li Qiang found this young girl quite interesting. She genuinely treated him like a senior, unlike her initial capriciousness. He chuckled, "I'm seeing this for the first time, just like you. Hehe, don't worry, I've been there before, I know what to do. We just need to follow along."
Tianhong said, "Below is the ' Azure Blue Pool,' which poses no threat to cultivators like us. It used to be a tough spot here; someone set up Sealing and Extension Grand Formation, but my master broke it, so it's no longer a threat. Now, there might be some Mystic Ice Insect and other cold-type monsters in here. Just try to avoid them and don't provoke them." He glanced at Huang Yan, his warning quite obvious.
Li Qiang noticed the curiosity in Huang Yan's eyes and asked, "Brother, are the Mystic Ice Insect very powerful?"
Geng Feng chimed in, "It's not that it's powerful, it's that you can't kill them all. Killing too many will attract the Ice Spirit Essence and some unexpected things, which will be troublesome and waste time."
Tianhong sheathed his flying sword and said, "Try to keep your voice down. Sheath your flying sword first, but be prepared to draw it at any time." Li Qiang and Geng Feng responded by sheathing their flying swords.
Having lost the protection of the flying sword, Huang Yan suddenly shivered and whispered, "It's so cold."
Li Qiang also felt a chill, and couldn't help but be surprised. He hadn't felt the slightest bit of coldness in the Heavenly Melody Grand Formation, but he hadn't expected this place to be so cold and damp. Moreover, this coldness was slowly seeping in, and the Supreme Radiance Shuttle couldn't detect it, so it wouldn't retaliate. Li Qiang had to use his own internal energy to resist it, which naturally made him feel the chill.
With a thought, Li Qiang spread the heat of the Fire Essence around himself, and instantly, a warm current enveloped him. Huang Yan couldn't help but lean closer and immediately felt incredibly warm. Li Qiang used his True Essence Power to separate the heat current from the cold outside, but as a result, his entire figure became blurred and appeared very illusory.
Geng Feng stared in disbelief, muttering to himself, "What is this thing? It's so powerful!"
Li Qiang reached out and put his arm around Huang Yan's waist, saying, "Let's go downstairs." He suddenly realized that Huang Yan's body was incredibly heavy, and wondered: Why has this little girl suddenly become so heavy?
Huang Yan hadn't gotten heavier; her whole body went limp. She hadn't expected Li Qiang to put his arm around her waist. She had never been held by a man before, and her heart pounded, her face flushed, and she was completely flustered. The True Essence Power she had gathered dissipated instantly.
Actually, Li Qiang hugged her so that she could land safely and accurately. He just didn't want this little girl to get hurt, but he didn't expect how Huang Yan would feel about it.
Tianhong glanced at Li Qiang but said nothing. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; he could tell that Li Qiang's action was unintentional.
The four of them carefully descended towards the Azure Blue Pool, as if falling into water. The pale blue mist rippled outwards like the surface of the water, making crisp "plop, plop" sounds. Suddenly, everything in front of them was a pale blue, and all the visible scenery seemed to be coated with blue. The space beneath their feet seemed extremely deep, and its color was also a dark blue.
They flew down silently, and as the surroundings grew darker, the light emanating from Li Qiang became increasingly noticeable. His light was strange; it emanated a pale gold from within and a purplish-red from the outside. Of the four, only Li Qiang possessed such radiance, making him stand out. The others also had light, but it was far less intense than his. Huang Yan seemed to have grown accustomed to Li Qiang's embrace, and her expression relaxed. She excitedly looked around.
Tianhong transmitted his voice to everyone. "Look! These are Mystic Ice Insect! Those ice pillars are the famous Xuanbing Pillars. The center of these pillars contains Mystic Ice Essence, which can be used to refine weapons. They are considered rare treasures. You should know that, brother."
Li Qiang also transmitted his voice, saying, "So the Mystic Ice Essence is produced here, but I don't need it anymore." He has Heavenly Fire weapons, so he doesn't need such an extremely cold substance.
Huang Yan transmitted her voice, "These Mystic Ice Insect are so strange, they can fly."
Countless Little White dots, about the size of a fist, rested on the surface of the numerous ice pillars. They lay flat on the pillars, occasionally flitting away in flocks to another location. Geng Feng pointed to the side and transmitted his voice, " Rare Gold Magpie... there's a Rare Gold Magpie over there. It's truly rare; it's an exceptional treasure. I want to take it..."
Before Tianhong could even send a telepathic message, he glared at him fiercely, swayed slightly to block Geng Feng's path, and then whispered, "If you go crazy again, I'll beat you up!"
Seeing that the old man was truly angry, Geng Feng had no choice but to give up, but in his heart he cried out: What a pity! What a pity! It's such a shame!
Li Qiang suddenly transmitted his voice. "What's down there?"
Tianhong cried out, "Damn it! We've alerted them!" As soon as he finished speaking, a terrifying "ssss" sound rang out, startling swarms of Mystic Ice Insect, and instantly the surroundings were filled with tiny white dots.
Geng Feng shouted, "Alright! Watch me!" He knew that there was no use in remaining silent, so he opened his mouth and spat out flying swords, seven or eight white shadows slowly rising from beneath their feet.
Tianhong shouted, " Fengzi, go and drive away the Mystic Ice Insect! Brother, protect Little Yan'er! I'll deal with the Ice Spirit Essence below!" He unleashed a series of colorful sword flowers and swooped down rapidly.
Geng Feng shouted excitedly, "Haha, this is so much fun! Watch this!" His flying sword, like a large group of small black fish, pounced on the swarm of Mystic Ice Insect. Like water droplets flowing into a pot of oil, a series of explosions erupted, and each Mystic Ice Insect that was blown away released a small wisp of white icy mist. More Mystic Ice Insect rushed over.
Li Qiang asked politely, " Old Madman, do you need any help?"
Huang Yan laughed at Li Qiang's tone and said, "Grandpa Crazy hates it when others help him..."
Sure enough, Geng Feng shouted, "Never mind me, let the Fengzi have his fun!" Given his strength, Li Qiang wasn't surprised that he said such a thing, so he focused his attention on Tianhong again.
Tianhong wasn't afraid of the illusory images of the Ice Spirit Essence; what he was worried about were the real bodies beneath them. Those were his nephews and nieces who had died here, people who had sacrificed themselves for Heavenly Melody City. Although they had lost consciousness, their Primordial Spirit attacked without restraint, making it difficult for Tianhong to destroy their real bodies.
Li Qiang also unleashed his Star-Absorbing Sword, but merely projected its shadow around himself. This was the first time he'd been so relaxed; while others fought, he stood idly by. He chuckled, "Little sister, let's cut down a Xuanbing pillar and see if we can find its Mystic Ice Essence."
Huang Yan was staring intently at Tianhong when she heard this and asked in surprise, "Senior, aren't you going to help Grandpa Zu and Crazy Grandpa?"
Li Qiang chuckled and said, "Look at those two, they're so skilled, there's no need for me to lift a finger."
Huang Yan thought Li Qiang was a strange person; his behavior was always so unpredictable. Li Qiang led her close to a pillar of ice, which was as thick as a water vat and had no top or bottom visible. The surface of the ice pillar glowed with a faint Blue Light, making it impossible to see what was inside. He carefully used his flying sword to cut it away.
Huang Yan said, "Senior, I've heard that Xuanbing is very difficult to cut with a flying sword; it's too hard."
Sure enough, the countless fine marks left by the Star-Absorbing Sword on the surface of the Xuanbing returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
Li Qiang exclaimed, "It's not that it's hard, it's that it freezes too fast!"
Huang Yan said, "Yes, it's too cold here. Unless you use something to heat it up, it's impossible here."
Li Qiang looked around and saw that Geng Feng and Tianhong were having a great time fighting. He sheathed his flying sword and said, "Little sister, watch this!" His tone was exactly the same as Geng Fengzi's, which amused Huang Yan. Li Qiang stretched out a finger, which showed a little purple light.
Huang Yan exclaimed excitedly, "I know! It's the Brilliant Swift Heavenly Fire... It's Heavenly Fire, isn't it!"
Li Qiang gently touched the Xuanbing pillar with his finger. With a "whoosh," a large amount of water vapor rose up, but before it could disperse, it turned into small ice particles and fell down with a "whoosh." He then shook his finger to enlarge the small hole in the Xuanbing pillar. Huang Yan's eyes widened, speechless with surprise. The Heavenly Fire was truly amazing. She had heard that in the past, the predecessors of Heavenly Melody City used Samadhi True Fire to burn the Mystic Ice Essence in order to extract it, which required a lot of effort to obtain even a little bit.
The Heavenly Fire quickly reached the center of the ice pillar, and Li Qiang withdrew his finger. At this moment, a strange thing happened: a thick liquid, shimmering with a crystalline Blue Light, slowly flowed out through the small hole.
Huang Yan cried out anxiously, "Oh no! The Mystic Ice Essence is leaking out, Senior... Quickly, think of something! Don't touch it with your hands..."
A thermos appeared in Li Qiang's hand. He chuckled, "Hehe, don't panic, I was prepared." He channeled the Mystic Ice Essence into the thermos.
Huang Yan looked at the thermos with curiosity. This most ordinary thing on Earth seemed very mysterious to her. She asked, "What is this? I remember that you need to make a jade bottle with Mystic Ice Jade to hold the Mystic Ice Essence. They are all small, but yours is so big!"
Upon hearing this, Li Qiang nearly dropped the thermos. This little girl really dared to say such things—"leaking out," "small," "big"—it was all nonsense. The thermos was gradually filling up, and the small hole had solidified.
Li Qiang tightened the cork and laughed, "Mission accomplished, haha." He was quite pleased with himself. Although it wasn't very useful to him, this thing was rare, and keeping it might be very useful in the future.
Li Qiang was probably the first person to use a thermos to store the Mystic Ice Essence. He put away the thermos and said, "This is something we often use in my hometown; it's called a thermos."
Huang Yan was confused and said, "Hot water? A thermos? It contains Mystic Ice Essence... I don't understand, hot water... Xuanbing?" She was completely bewildered.
Li Qiang suddenly saw Geng Feng retreating step by step, and only then did he realize that there were terrifyingly many Mystic Ice Insect above, densely packed like thick smoke. Tianhong had already dealt with the illusory image of the Ice Spirit Essence below, and also noticed something was wrong above. With a thought, his sword flower swept past Geng Feng to meet the Mystic Ice Insect. Li Qiang also pushed the Star-Absorbing Sword forward.
Instantly, a series of popping sounds rang out, but the Mystic Ice Insect didn't care at all and continued to charge towards them one after another.
Although the three cultivation experts were not afraid of the Mystic Ice Insect, they found them extremely troublesome. The sky above was completely filled with white mist, which was formed after the Mystic Ice Insect shattered.
Suddenly, a sharp cry came from afar, and the speed of the Mystic Ice Insect immediately slowed down. Another piercing cry followed, and the Mystic Ice Insect Mystic Ice Insect scattered with a roar, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Huang Yan whispered, "What is it that frightens these Mystic Ice Insect..."
Tianhong said, "I'm not sure either, it seems to be the voice of the Dazzling Outline Demon... but..." His expression was uncertain.
Geng Feng shook his large head, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if he wanted to say something but held back.
This was the first time Li Qiang had heard the name " Dazzling Outline Demon," and he asked, "What kind of thing is that?"
Tianhong quickly whispered, "Don't make a sound!" The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
It's worth noting that Tianhong had the highest cultivation level among the four, and even he was nervous, which shows how terrifying this so-called "Dazzling Outline Demon" must be. Huang Yan couldn't help but hug Li Qiang's waist; she had the lowest cultivation level and was also the most timid.
A soft rustling sound arose, like something gliding across the ground, but there was no ground here, making it all the more eerie. Tianhong suddenly pointed to a pillar of black ice not far away. Li Qiang felt Huang Yan's body tremble slightly. He looked up and was also slightly startled.
Two blue dots appeared in the hazy light, sliding down the ice pillar. Gradually, a gigantic head emerged, and Li Qiang exclaimed in a low voice, "A dragon!"
It was a head that looked very much like a dragon's, with eyes that shimmered with Blue Light, white scales, long golden whiskers, and four sharp silver claws on its outstretched forelimbs, deeply embedded in the ice pillar. Slowly, its body was also revealed, coiling around the ice pillar in circles.
Li Qiang thought to himself, "Was that just a dragon's roar? My God! There really was a dragon!"
Tianhong's face showed a hint of fear. He transmitted his voice to everyone, "Whatever you do, don't attack it! This thing is beyond our ability to deal with! Whatever you do, don't!" The four people were suspended in the air, and the flying swords shrank their sword circles as everyone watched the situation unfold.
The "dragon" slowly descended along the ice pillar and gradually disappeared without a trace.
Tianhong breathed a sigh of relief, repeatedly saying, "That was close! That was close!"
Li Qiang asked excitedly, "Is that Dazzling Outline Demon a dragon?"
Tianhong said, "That's right, it's also called a dragon. This is Mystic Ice Dragon, but we usually call it Dazzling Outline Demon. It only lives in the extremely cold Xuanbing layer and is extremely powerful. Unless you have the cultivation of Loose Immortal, anyone who provokes it will die. Fortunately, it never attacks first, so as long as you don't disturb it, you'll be fine."
Geng Feng laughed, "I really want to see just how powerful it is. Old Madman is really curious."
Tianhong stroked his short mustache repeatedly, having lost all interest in cursing. He said, "Forget it. With your Dazzling Outline Demon were to expel its inner core, even your Nascent Soul wouldn't be able to escape. Even if you add me and my brother, it would still be the same."
Li Qiang said, "Let's go downstairs; we've wasted too much time here."
Geng Feng grinned and handed Huang Yan something, saying, "Girl, here, take this." It was a rectangular crystal box, inside which lay two Mystic Ice Insect.
Huang Yan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Grandpa Crazy is the best, thank you Grandpa Crazy."
Li Qiang asked curiously, "What's the use of this?"
Geng Feng said, "It's no use. The little girls are bored in Heavenly Melody City. This is just for them to play with." Li Qiang found that Geng Feng was actually very thoughtful, noticing these small things, which was completely unlike his Fengzi personality.
They descended without encountering any more monsters. The four quickly reached the bottom, where they looked around at what resembled a forest of icicles. The ground was littered with scattered items: broken armor, weapons, and fragments of monster corpses. Tianhong and Geng Feng were used to such sights, but Li Qiang and Huang Yan were quite curious. Huang Yan whispered, "Senior, what's that?"
Li Qiang glanced at it and knew it was a corpse, buried in the ice shards, with only the shoulder blades showing. He hurriedly interrupted, "There's nothing to see, let's hurry up and catch up..." Before he could finish speaking, he froze, seeing seven or eight more corpses not far away, all wearing armor and staring angrily.
Tianhong and Geng Feng both lowered their heads. Huang Yan stared blankly, tears silently streaming down her face.