Iceheart Tempering and Shadows in Tow

Deep within the ice cavern, the cold was no longer merely physical. It carried a bone-chilling chill that eroded the soul. The balance between ice and fire in the air had been broken. The Dark Energy rising from the depths was like ink dropped into clear water, constantly polluting and twisting everything around it. The glow on the ice walls flickered dimly, while black veins began to spread through the once-crystalline dark ice like blood vessels.

Little Big Dipper's reaction grew increasingly intense. It was no longer merely restless, but trembled with a mixture of extreme longing and instinctive fear. It pressed tightly against Su Yan's ankle, the light of its star spots flickering as if resisting the invisible pressure of darkness.

"The pollution here is far worse than outside." Talisman to Stabilize the Universe's expression was grave. As a disciple of Mount Fangcun, he was especially sensitive to changes in energy. "Everyone, circulate your cultivation arts and protect your minds. Do not let this evil aura invade you."

Everyone began circulating their cultivation methods, spiritual light of various colors rising over their bodies to resist the all-pervasive dark corrosion. Su Yan pushed the Star Qi Drawing Art to its limit. Cool starlight spiritual power flowed through his meridians, barely blocking out the maddening whispers and illusions. He noticed that the faint silver light emitted by Little Big Dipper seemed to naturally suppress this dark corruption.

The team slowed its advance. Not only did they have to deal with scattered [Corrupted Ice Crystal Guards] (level increased to 35, attacks carried corrosion and confusion effects), they also had to constantly resist the environment's negative effects. Su Yan's [Immobilization Talisman] and [Mind Loss Talisman] were greatly weakened here. He often had to cast them twice in succession before successfully controlling a target, consuming enormous amounts of mana.

"This can't go on. Before we even meet the main threat, we'll be worn dry." Ocean's Smile panted heavily. His Dragon Tornado Rain Strike was only moderately effective against these ice lumps empowered by darkness.

"Hold on. We should be close." Snowfall Without Trace said in a low voice. The longsword in his hand shone with sharp golden light. Every Sweep the Thousand Armies left deep sword marks on the Corrupted Ice Crystal Guards, but his own vitality was being slowly eroded as well.

At last, after struggling through a passage filled with sharp ice spikes like the maw of some monstrous beast, the sight before them made everyone suck in a breath of cold air.

This was an even grander and more expansive ice chamber, as though the entire mountain had been hollowed out. At the center stood a massive altar built from ten-thousand-year dark ice. Above it floated a "heart" about the size of a human head, existing in an eerie state.

One half was a dazzling ice crystal, like the purest sapphire, radiating incomparably pure fluctuations of ice-element laws. A single glance made it feel as though one's soul would freeze. The other half, however, was completely wrapped in thick, ink-like Dark Energy that churned and writhed without end. It emitted an aura of corrosion, chaos, and ending that shared the Same Origin as the surrounding darkness, yet was a hundred times stronger!

Ice and darkness, two utterly opposing powers, clashed fiercely within this "heart," devouring each other and forming an extremely unstable balance. Black energy tendrils extended from the polluted half, burrowing into the altar below and the surrounding ice walls like plant roots. These tendrils were continuously polluting the entire ruin.

[Corrupted Ice Flame Core] (Special Quest Item/Extremely Dangerous)

Description: The source of power for the Ancient Sect "Ice Flame Palace," containing the ultimate laws of ice and fire. It had now been severely polluted by an unknown "Breath of the End" and stood on the verge of losing control. The pollution energy it emitted was continuously destroying the structure of this place and could trigger a far greater disaster.

"So this is... the Ice Flame Core?" Floating Clouds's voice trembled. Even from so far away, she could feel that despairing dark power.

"The jade slip was right. The core really has been polluted." Path of the Underworld tightened his grip on the chain in his hand. "At this rate, it could erupt completely at any moment."

At that moment, Little Big Dipper completely lost control! It let out a shriek mixed with pain and extreme longing, turning into a streak of silver-violet light as it charged desperately toward the Ice Flame Core atop the altar!

"Little Big Dipper! Come back!" Su Yan's face changed drastically. He tried to stop it, but it was already too late!

However, something completely unexpected happened.

Little Big Dipper did not attack the Ice Flame Core. Instead, it came to a sudden halt several meters away. It opened its mouth, not to bite, but to channel all its strength into the star spots on its shell! An unprecedentedly brilliant silver light erupted, forming a tiny yet incomparably steadfast pillar of silver light that shone upon the dark-polluted portion of the Ice Flame Core!

Sizzle—!

Like cold water dripping into boiling oil, a violent, teeth-grinding sound of energy annihilation rang out! Under the silver light, the thick Dark Energy actually began to melt and evaporate like ice and snow beneath sunlight! The process was slow, and the affected area was small, but it was undeniably being purified!

At the same time, the pure icy-blue half of the Ice Flame Core seemed to sense something. It trembled faintly, its cold aura growing even stronger, as though it were cooperating with the silver light to suppress and reject the darkness within itself.

"It's... purifying the core?" Talisman to Stabilize the Universe's eyes widened in disbelief. This mysterious Sea Hairy Caterpillar could actually do something like this?

Su Yan was stunned as well, but he understood in an instant. Little Big Dipper's mutated physique, especially those mysterious star spots, possessed an innate restraint against—and appetite for—the Breath of the End! Its earlier absorption of scattered abnormal data had been like eating appetizers. But the Corrupted Ice Flame Core before it was undoubtedly an irresistible feast! At the same time, however, that feast contained terrifying energy more than enough to burst it apart!

"It's helping us!" Snowfall Without Trace made his decision at once. "Everyone, protect that Sea Hairy Caterpillar! Clear out the monsters being drawn here!"

Sure enough, Little Big Dipper's purification seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest. The space around the altar twisted, and several [Core Guardian · Shadows] (Level 38!) with even more distorted forms and black mist billowing from their bodies emerged from the ice walls. They let out silent roars and pounced toward Little Big Dipper!

"Stop them!" Snowfall Without Trace shouted, charging forward first. He opened with [Striking After the Enemy], drawing the aggro of the nearest shadow beast.

The battle instantly reached a fever pitch! These shadow beasts were not only high-level, their attacks also carried powerful shadow damage and mental impacts. Their forms flickered unpredictably, making them difficult to lock onto. The Wind and Snow Pavilion squad fell into a bitter fight, every member going all out. Ocean's Smile unleashed Dragon Tornado Rain Strike without restraint, Talisman to Stabilize the Universe fired talismans like a barrage, Path of the Underworld's Corpse Rot Poison continuously weakened the shadow beasts, and the glow of Floating Clouds's healing spells barely ceased.

Su Yan pushed Mount Fangcun talisman arts to their utmost limit. The [Body Double Technique] constantly created phantoms to disrupt their vision. [Immobilization Talisman] and [Mind Loss Talisman] desperately restricted the shadow beasts' movements and skills, while [Soul Chasing Talisman] seized every chance to finish them off. His mana poured away like floodwaters through opened gates, and he stuffed high-grade Calming Incense into his mouth like candy. He knew he had to buy Little Big Dipper enough time!

Little Big Dipper's situation was no easier. Every time it purified a trace of Dark Energy, its body trembled, and the glow of its star spots dimmed slightly. It was clearly bearing an immense burden. Yet it continued to hold on stubbornly. Though thin, the silver pillar of light remained firmly pinned to the polluted section of the Ice Flame Core.

Second by second, time passed. Everyone in the Wind and Snow Pavilion squad was injured. Floating Clouds's mana was nearly exhausted, and their pills were running low. Yet the dark-polluted region of the Ice Flame Core atop the altar finally shrank by a visible margin!

Just as everyone saw a glimmer of hope, another change occurred!

Perhaps the purification process had disturbed the balance within the Ice Flame Core. The core suddenly shuddered, and a terrifying Energy Impact mixed with extreme frost and dark corrosion erupted without warning!

"Watch out!" Su Yan only had time to shout. Instinctively, he poured the last of his mana into the [Body Double Technique], creating two phantoms in front of himself and Little Big Dipper. At the same time, he lunged forward and tightly shielded Little Big Dipper in his arms.

Boom—!

The invisible impact swept through the entire ice chamber! The ice walls shattered inch by inch, and enormous ice pillars came crashing down!

The Wind and Snow Pavilion members were violently thrown away by the immense force, slamming heavily into the surrounding ice walls. Their health bars instantly dropped to critical levels, and they fell into brief unconsciousness.

Because he had his doubles and had prepared defenses in advance, Su Yan was less severely injured. Even so, he coughed up blood and collapsed, with only a sliver of health remaining. Little Big Dipper in his arms had dimmed to the extreme and fallen asleep.

After the shockwave passed, the ice chamber was in utter ruin.

Yet the sight atop the altar made Su Yan's pupils contract as he barely raised his head.

The [Corrupted Ice Flame Core] still floated there, but the dark area on it had visibly shrunk by nearly a third! Though it remained unstable, the suffocating pressure it emitted had weakened considerably. More importantly, at the center of the core, where pure darkness and icy blue had originally intertwined, there was now a tiny... brilliant point of silver! That silver light shared the Same Origin as the glow of Little Big Dipper's star spots. Like a faint starlamp lit in the darkness, it stubbornly resisted the surrounding filth.

Little Big Dipper's purification had worked! Though it had failed to purify the core completely, it had planted a seed of "purification" within it!

Just then, a burst of applause abruptly sounded from the entrance of the passage they had come through.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

"Wonderful, truly wonderful!" A mocking, greedy voice rang out. "Who would have thought that you ants could actually shake this ancient core—and even produce such an... interesting bug?"

Su Yan's heart sank. He turned his head with difficulty.

Seven or eight figures had appeared at the passage entrance at some unknown time. The leader wore a luxurious brocade robe and held a Jade Bone Fan. Who else could it be but Fleeting Life, Dreaming? Beside him stood not only World Crusher and Boundless Dharma Sea, but also several unfamiliar faces with even fiercer auras, all clearly above level 35! They all bore the guild insignia of Drunken Spring Breeze. Clearly, they had come prepared and had been secretly following them all along!

Fleeting Life, Dreaming's gaze first swept hungrily across the glowing Ice Flame Core on the altar, then locked onto Su Yan and the unconscious Little Big Dipper in his arms like a venomous snake.

"Looks like we came at just the right time." A cruel sneer curled across Fleeting Life, Dreaming's lips. "When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits. Su Yan, where do you think you can run this time? Hand over that precious bug of yours and the Compass, then tell me how to control the core. Perhaps I'll consider giving you a quick death."

A desperate situation!

Every member of the Wind and Snow Pavilion squad was heavily injured and unconscious. Su Yan was in terrible condition, Little Big Dipper was asleep, and their enemies were fully rested and overwhelmingly stronger!

Su Yan watched Fleeting Life, Dreaming and the others close in step by step. Then he glanced at the Ice Flame Core atop the altar, where a tiny silver star flickered within. He also thought of the Compass in his mind, whose restoration progress had quietly risen to 25% after absorbing some of the pure energy that had scattered earlier—a mixture of Iceflame power and purified Dark Energy. His mind raced.

Fighting head-on meant certain death! He had to find a way to break the deadlock!

His gaze fell upon the unstable Ice Flame Core, within which a seed of "purification" remained.

An extremely risky plan instantly took shape in his mind.