Traveling Through Wind and Snow, Secrets of the Ice Palace

Snowfall Without Trace's invitation made Su Yan weigh his options. Temporarily cooperating with a team whose levels and equipment surpassed his could reduce risks and provide intelligence, but it also increased the chance of exposing his secrets. He glanced at Little Big Dipper beside him, which seemed overly energetic after absorbing anomalous energy, its starry markings flowing with light. Then he thought of the distant Ice Flame Palace core and the ever-present threat of Drunken Spring Breeze. He made his decision.

"I am Su Yan, a disciple of Mount Fangcun." Su Yan returned the gesture with cupped fists, neither humble nor overbearing. "It is my honor to travel with you all. I am merely low-leveled, though, and I fear I may hold everyone back."

Snowfall Without Trace laughed heartily. "Brother Su, you're being too modest. Level isn't everything. Your exquisite talisman techniques and that... well, extraordinary Sea Hairy Caterpillar of yours helped us tremendously. In Northern Continent of Jizhou, an extra pair of hands is always welcome. Don't worry. Wind and Snow Pavilion has always acted openly and honorably. We would never burn a bridge after crossing it." The teammates behind him also nodded. Their gazes toward Little Big Dipper were full of curiosity, with little greed.

The Mount Putuo girl in the party, Floating Clouds, even crouched down and tried to pat Little Big Dipper on the head. The little fellow warily dodged away, drawing chuckles from everyone and easing the atmosphere considerably.

"Then I'll impose on you all." Su Yan nodded in agreement. He needed this team's strength to venture deeper into Northern Continent of Jizhou and search for more clues regarding the Ice Flame Palace and Anomaly Nodes.

After introducing themselves, Su Yan learned that aside from the captain, Snowfall Without Trace of Datang Prefecture, the team included Ocean's Smile, a Dragon Palace disciple; Talisman to Stabilize the Universe, a fellow Mount Fangcun disciple; Path of the Underworld, a Netherworld disciple; and the Mount Putuo girl Floating Clouds. It was a standard quest-party composition.

"We accepted a guild quest to investigate the abnormal Energy Fluctuation deep within Northern Continent of Jizhou," Snowfall Without Trace said to Su Yan as he led the team onward. "This area has been unsettled lately. Aside from the monsters becoming more aggressive, strange... spatial distortions have appeared. Like that White Bear Demon just now, it was obviously contaminated by some force. Brother Su, you seem to know quite a bit about these 'anomalies,' don't you?" He asked casually, but his eyes held a probing look.

Su Yan had prepared for this. He answered with a mixture of truth and fiction. "My sect has mentioned them. They say changes in heaven and earth have bred evil entities. I am traveling under my master's orders, and clearing these 'anomalies' is among my duties. This companion of mine..." He pointed at Little Big Dipper. "It is relatively sensitive to such auras." He attributed part of the reason to his sect and the pet's unique nature, making it sound perfectly reasonable.

Snowfall Without Trace nodded thoughtfully without pursuing the matter. "I see. Then our goals are aligned. Based on the quest clues and previous surveys, the source of these anomalous fluctuations may point to an ancient ruin buried beneath ice and snow. We suspect it is the Frozen Secret Realm rumored about on the forums."

Just as expected! Su Yan's heart stirred, but his face remained calm. "Oh? Then this is the perfect opportunity to investigate it."

With the Wind and Snow Pavilion team leading the way, Su Yan's journey through Northern Continent of Jizhou became much smoother. The team was powerful, clearing Snow Foxes, Thunderbird People, and even lone White Bear Demons along the way with remarkable efficiency. Su Yan mainly served in a supporting control role. His [Immobilization Talisman] and [Mind Loss Talisman] produced exceptional results with the team's coordination, greatly improving both their clearing speed and safety. His [Body Double Technique] also repeatedly worked wonders when luring monsters or avoiding area damage, leaving Talisman to Stabilize the Universe, his fellow sect senior, clicking his tongue in amazement. The two privately exchanged many insights about Mount Fangcun.

Little Big Dipper became the team's "anomaly detector." It seemed particularly eager for that dark-blue anomalous data energy, always discovering lightly corrupted monsters ahead of time and, during battle, deliberately or inadvertently rushing over to "take a bite." After every absorption, its starry markings brightened, and its aura subtly grew stronger. The team went from surprise to familiarity, eventually jokingly calling it a "little purification expert." Floating Clouds even tried to win it over with all kinds of cooked food. Little Big Dipper showed little interest in most dishes, but it was especially fond of Roasted Wolf Meat seasoned with a special spice, which gave Floating Clouds a considerable sense of accomplishment.

Along the way, Su Yan also took the opportunity to clear several small Anomaly Nodes marked by the Compass near the team's route. With the team protecting him, the process was much easier. The Compass's restoration progress slowly rose to 23%, while his level reached 14 through battle after battle and the rewards from the nodes.

As they went deeper, the environment became increasingly harsh, and the monsters' levels approached 30. They also encountered other teams searching for the secret realm. Everyone remained wary of one another, but no conflicts broke out. Su Yan took particular care to avoid any players suspected of being Drunken Spring Breeze.

One day, following the quest clues, the team arrived before a massive glacial canyon. The entrance was sealed by a thick ice wall that shimmered with unnatural blue light. Its surface was smooth as a mirror, yet complex runes faintly flowed within it, radiating powerful Energy Fluctuation and bone-piercing cold. This seemed to be the entrance to the Frozen Secret Realm mentioned in the forum post.

"This is it!" Ocean's Smile pointed at the ice wall. "This wall is incredibly hard. We tried every method and couldn't break it. Dragon Tornado Rain Strike couldn't even leave a mark. And this cold is strange. Get too close, and even your health slowly freezes."

Snowfall Without Trace stepped forward and tried attacking with sword qi. Sure enough, it only left a shallow white mark on the ice wall, which instantly healed.

"Looks like we'll need a special method to open it." Talisman to Stabilize the Universe frowned as he examined the runes on the ice wall. "These runes... are ancient. I've never seen them before."

Su Yan stepped forward. He could feel the [Crimson Tail's Gratitude - Data Core Fragment] in his robes growing slightly hot, resonating intensely with the ice wall. He extended his Spiritual Power toward it, only for it to be immediately blocked by a gentle yet unyielding force.

"Let me try." Su Yan took out the red Data Core Fragment. The instant it was exposed to the air, its red light flared brightly, reflecting one another with the rune-light flowing inside the ice wall.

The runes on the ice wall seemed to activate. Their flow accelerated, projecting a fragmented Star Map phantom onto the wall. At the center of the Star Map was a distinct, flame-shaped indentation.

"This indentation... seems to match the shape of the fragment in your hand, Brother Su?" Snowfall Without Trace's sharp gaze immediately noticed the crucial detail.

Su Yan nodded. Without hesitation, he pressed the Data Core Fragment in his hand toward the flame-shaped indentation.

"Bzzzz—!"

A deep hum rang out as the fragment fitted perfectly into place. The next moment, the entire ice wall shook violently. The blue light on its surface receded like a tide, revealing a deep passage leading into the glacier beyond! An even more ancient and purer Energy Fluctuation surged from within, carrying the contradictory auras of freezing cold and blazing heat!

"It opened! It really opened!" Floating Clouds cried in delight.

Everyone from Wind and Snow Pavilion showed joy on their faces, and the way they looked at Su Yan changed once more. This kid truly was not simple!

"Brother Su, words cannot express our gratitude!" Snowfall Without Trace said solemnly. "The situation inside is unknown. Let us explore it together. Any gains will be divided according to contribution. What do you say?"

"That is only right." Su Yan nodded. He needed the team's strength, so naturally he had no objection.

The group cautiously entered the passage. Contrary to expectations, it was not pitch-black inside. The ice walls on both sides emitted a faint blue-white glow, lighting the path ahead. The air was freezing, yet strangely carried a hint of dry warmth, as if ice and fire had reached an eerie balance here.

After advancing less than a hundred meters, the passage suddenly opened up. A vast cavern, like a crystal palace, appeared before them! Its walls were made of mysterious ice that had not melted for ten thousand years, crystal-clear and reflecting faint light from an unknown source. Massive ice pillars supported the ceiling, and inside them were frozen vague objects resembling magical artifacts or ancient texts! Broken ice crystals and traces of battle littered the ground, showing that a brutal slaughter had once taken place here.

"This... is the ruin of the Ice Flame Palace?" Path of the Underworld's voice was filled with shock.

The cavern was not empty. Ice Crystal Guards and Snow Souls condensed from pure ice elements wandered throughout it. They were level 32 to 35, and their auras were powerful.

"Prepare for battle!" Snowfall Without Trace shouted.

The monsters here were more troublesome than those outside. The Ice Crystal Guards had incredibly high defense, while the Snow Souls excelled at spiritual attacks and ice magic. The battle became exceptionally difficult. Even Wind and Snow Pavilion's elite team felt tremendous pressure. Once again, Su Yan's talisman control and Little Big Dipper's "purification" ability played crucial roles.

After clearing a group of monsters, the team discovered a frozen skeleton beneath a massive ice pillar. Beside the bones lay a damaged jade slip.

Ocean's Smile carefully broke open the ice and retrieved the jade slip, attempting to decipher it.

"How is it? What does it say?" Floating Clouds asked curiously.

Ocean's Smile furrowed his brow and slowly read the remaining information on the jade slip. "...demonic qi contamination... Ice Flame Core out of control... the elders sacrificed themselves to seal the palace... yet the core has already been corrupted, disaster may result... those who come after... do not lightly take the Heart of the Ice Flame... only with pure... can it..."

The jade slip broke off there, and the remaining information was missing.

"Demonic qi contamination? Ice Flame Core?" Snowfall Without Trace's expression turned grave. "It seems the destruction of the Ice Flame Palace was not a natural disaster, but man-made? Or rather... was it an early victim of that kind of 'anomalous energy'?"

Su Yan was deeply shaken. Demonic qi contamination! This seemed to match the "External Erosion" Patriarch Bodhi had mentioned, the shadow of the Calamity of the Era revealed by the Compass, and the various data anomalies he had encountered before! The Ice Flame Palace had most likely been attacked by that Breath of the End—or rather, demonic qi—a long time ago! And that Ice Flame Core seemed to be an extraordinary treasure, but it had already been corrupted!

His gaze turned toward the depths of the cavern, where even denser Energy Fluctuation seemed to be emanating. The Compass was also trembling slightly, pointing in the same direction.

"It seems the depths of this ruin conceal a major secret—and immense danger," Talisman to Stabilize the Universe said gravely.

At that moment, Little Big Dipper suddenly grew restless again and let out a low growl toward the depths of the cavern. This time, its reaction was stronger than ever before! The starry markings on its shell even began to emit a faint silver glow on their own, as though resisting something—or yearning for something.

Su Yan could sense that, aside from the ancient aura of ice and fire intertwined, the depths of the cavern contained a dense, suffocating dark energy. It was Same Origin as every anomalous data trace he had absorbed before, yet a hundred times purer and stronger!

The Corrupted Ice Flame Core was likely deep within! Little Big Dipper's reaction showed that the thing held a fatal attraction for it—and also contained extreme danger!

"Are we still going deeper?" Path of the Underworld looked at Snowfall Without Trace.

Snowfall Without Trace pondered for a moment. His gaze swept across his teammates before finally settling on Su Yan. "Brother Su, what do you think?"

Su Yan looked at the restless Little Big Dipper, then felt the Compass's guidance and the call and threat coming from the depths. He took a deep breath, and his gaze became resolute.

"Since we are here, we should at least see what lies ahead. But the danger before us is unknown. Everyone must be careful."

The clues were right before him. Fragments of the world's truth might lie in the depths, and he could not stop now. Moreover, he vaguely felt that the Corrupted Ice Flame Core might be closely connected to restoring the Compass and even resisting the Calamity of the Era.

After a brief rest and replenishing their condition, the team cautiously advanced toward the depths of the ice cavern, into that unknown place where light and shadow intertwined and danger lurked at every turn.