Terror in the Ice Cave: The Nine Heads Begin to Awaken and the Giants' Choice

The entrance to the Forgotten Ice Cave resembled the gaping, fanged maw of a monstrous beast. Two Ice Soul Giants stood there gripping enormous axes, their scarlet eyes fixed on Tang San's group. Fine black markings covered their ice armor, traces of erosion by an evil power. With every breath, they exhaled black mist laden with cold.

"Be careful. They're stronger than ordinary Titled Douluo." Tang San tightened his grip on the Heart of the Ice Plains, blue light flowing across his palm. "I'll see if I can awaken them first. Be ready to back me up."

Lin Ye's Lotus Flame danced at his fingertips as he used Golden Crow Perception to lock fully onto the Ice Soul Giants' cores. "Their energy cores are in their chests, wrapped in black mist. If we fail to awaken them, I'll strike the cores directly with Lotus Flame."

Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Tai Long and Oscar spread out as well, forming a semicircle, ready to respond to any unexpected developments.

Tang San walked slowly toward the Ice Soul Giant on the left, the Heart of the Ice Plains shining ever brighter. When he came within ten meters, the giant suddenly roared and brought its axe down on his head with enough force to split mountains and shatter stone!

"So fast!" Tang San's pupils contracted sharply. Blue Silver Grass erupted beneath his feet, and he darted sideways, narrowly dodging the axe. It struck the snow, instantly gouging a chasm several meters deep as cold air burst outward.

"Looks like peaceful communication won't work." Tang San's gaze hardened, and he poured the Heart of the Ice Plains' power into his Blue Silver Grass. Glowing softly, the blue vines wound toward the Ice Soul Giant's arm like nimble serpents.

The Ice Soul Giant's movements faltered. Where the Blue Silver Grass had wrapped around it, the black markings began to recede, revealing the ice armor's original crystalline surface. The scarlet light in its eyes flickered wildly, as though it were struggling.

"It's working!" Tang San's heart leaped, and he increased the Heart of the Ice Plains' output.

Just then, the Ice Soul Giant on the right attacked, sweeping its axe sideways and forcing Tang San to withdraw his Blue Silver Grass and dodge. The giant on the left seized the chance to break free. A flash of savagery passed through its scarlet eyes as it swung its axe at him again.

"Lin Ye!" Tang San shouted.

"Coming!" Lin Ye's Lotus Flame shot out like two golden arrows, striking both Ice Soul Giants squarely in the chest.

"Sizzle-"

Flame and ice collided with a piercing sound. The black mist hissed and steadily melted away in the Lotus Flame. The Ice Soul Giants roared in pain, their bodies trembling violently as the black markings on their chests receded at a visible rate.

"Now!" Tang San activated the Heart of the Ice Plains again. Blue Silver Grass surged out like a tide, completely enveloping both Ice Soul Giants. Blue and golden light intertwined, forming an enormous purification barrier.

The Ice Soul Giants struggled madly inside the barrier, but could not break free. The scarlet light in their eyes gradually faded, and the black markings vanished completely, revealing their originally pure, ice-blue eyes.

A moment later, the Ice Soul Giants stopped struggling. They slowly lowered their axes and bowed their heads to Tang San in submission.

"We did it!" Xiao Wu cried in delighted surprise.

Tang San withdrew the barrier, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Purifying two Ice Soul Giants, each comparable to a Titled Douluo, at the same time had taken a tremendous toll on him. He walked up to them, and the Heart of the Ice Plains lit up again. "Can you tell us what happened here? Why were you corrupted?"

The Ice Soul Giant on the left raised its axe and pointed deeper into the cave. In a low, muffled voice, it said, "Seal... loosened... nine heads... awakening... we... corrupted..." Its speech was stilted; evidently, it had not communicated with anyone for a long time.

"Has the Nine-Headed Ice Serpent really awakened?"

The Ice Soul Giant nodded. "Already... three heads awake... greed... anger... jealousy... the rest... soon too..."

"Then why didn't you stop it?" Oscar asked.

"We... were infiltrated... by its power... if not for... Heart of the Ice Plains... we would have... completely fallen..." A trace of lingering fear colored the Ice Soul Giant's voice.

Tang San looked into the depths of the cave, where darkness reigned and a faint, heart-rattling presence could be felt. "How did the seal come loose?"

"Someone... damaged it..." The Ice Soul Giant's voice grew angry. "Wearing... black clothes... bearing... strange symbols..."

"Remnants of Spirit Hall?" Dai Mubai frowned.

"Doesn't seem like it." Tang San shook his head. "Spirit Hall's symbols aren't in a strange style. They sound more like... another organization." He recalled the vague information conveyed by the Chaos Azure Lotus: a new force seemed to be rising on the fringes of the continent. "Whoever they are, their goal is clearly to release the Nine-Headed Ice Serpent and create chaos."

"We have to stop them." Lin Ye's gaze grew grave. "If the Nine-Headed Ice Serpent fully awakens, the consequences are unthinkable."

The Ice Soul Giant suddenly dropped to one knee and made a gesture of supplication to Tang San. "Please... help us... reinforce the seal... only... Heart of the Ice Plains... and... Power of Chaos... can do it..."

Tang San looked into its sincere eyes and felt the stirring from the Chaos Azure Lotus. He nodded. "We'll help you. But we need to know where the core of the seal is. And what state is the Nine-Headed Ice Serpent in now?"

"Seal's core... at the altar... deepest in the cave..." the Ice Soul Giant explained. "Nine-Headed Ice Serpent... bound... to altar by chains... the ones who damaged it... already... opened... three locks..."

"Three locks for three heads?"

"Yes... each lock opened... one head awakens..."

Tang San took a deep breath. "We'll set out now. Can you come with us?"

"We... must guard the entrance... prevent... others... from entering..." The Ice Soul Giant rose to its feet. "I will... give you... directions..." Using its axe, it drew a simple map on the ice, marking the altar's location and the dangers along the way. "Inside... many... corrupted... ice plains creatures... be careful..."

"Thank you." Tang San put the map away and gave his companions a signal. "Let's go."

Following the Ice Soul Giant's directions, the group entered the Forgotten Ice Cave. It was even colder inside than outside. Thick ice covered the walls, and many unknown creatures were frozen within it. Some were still caught in struggling poses, making for a strange and terrifying sight.

"These are all... creatures whose souls were devoured by the Nine-Headed Ice Serpent." Lin Ye's Golden Crow Perception picked up faint traces of resentment within the ice. "Their souls are trapped inside, unable to rest."

Tang San circulated the Chaos Azure Lotus's power, casting a gentle light over the ice. The images of the creatures within gradually grew peaceful, then finally turned into specks of starlight and vanished into the air.

"Now they can rest," Tang San said softly.

As they continued deeper, they encountered the "corrupted ice plains creatures" the Ice Soul Giant had mentioned. Ice plains wolves' eyes had turned red, Ice Silkworms' silk was laced with deadly poison, and even the tiny ice mice had become unusually savage, lunging at them without fear of death.

Tang San and the others dealt with them carefully, doing their best not to hurt them and using only Blue Silver Grass and Lotus Flame to purify the evil power within them. But the deeper they went, the stronger the corrupted creatures became. Even a Soul Douluo-level ice plains giant bear appeared, and the fighting grew increasingly difficult.

"This can't go on." Dai Mubai panted as he fended off the giant bear's attacks. "We're using up too much Soul Power."

Oscar promptly handed him a Recovery Sausage. "Replenish yourself first. We should be close to the altar up ahead."

Tang San looked at the faint red light ahead, determination flashing in his eyes. "Lin Ye, clear a path with Lotus Flame. We'll get there and back quickly!"

"Okay!" Lin Ye's Lotus Flame burst forth, forming a wall of fire that temporarily drove back the creatures around them.

The group seized the chance to pick up speed, charging toward the red light. The closer they got, the thicker the resentment in the air became. The Chaos Azure Lotus trembled violently within Tang San, as though resisting some kind of power.

At last, they reached the altar at the deepest point of the ice cave.

The altar was made of black rock and covered in strange runes. The runes glowed red, casting the entire space in a hellish light. At the altar's center, an enormous serpent's body was bound by countless black chains. Three heads had already grown from its body, corresponding to greed, anger and jealousy. Each head had its eyes closed, yet gave off a heart-rattling presence.

Several people in black cloaks stood around the altar, using some kind of ritual in an attempt to open the fourth chain. The symbols on their cloaks were twisted and strange, just as the Ice Soul Giant had described.

"There really are outsiders here!" A fierce glint flashed in Dai Mubai's eyes.

Tang San signaled everyone to be quiet, then quietly hid behind a huge block of ice and watched. He noticed a complex formation drawn beneath the feet of the black-cloaked figures. A black crystal stood at its center, and it was the power emanating from this crystal that was eroding the seal on the chains.

"They're using a dark crystal to destroy the seal," Tang San said in a low voice. "We have to destroy the crystal first."

"I'll go!" Xiao Wu volunteered. "I can use Teleportation to get close without a sound."

"No." Tang San shook his head. "There are energy fluctuations around the formation. Teleportation would be detected. I'll use my Blue Silver Grass instead."

His Blue Silver Grass spread silently beneath the ice, creeping toward the crystal at the center of the formation like a black venomous snake.

Just as the Blue Silver Grass was about to touch the crystal, one of the black-cloaked figures suddenly turned around, revealing a face covered in runes. "Found you!"

A bone staff suddenly appeared in his hand. The skull at its tip glowed red, and a black ray shot toward the block of ice where Tang San was hiding!

"Watch out!"

Tang San and the others hurriedly dodged. The ray struck the ice, instantly reducing it to powder.

All the black-cloaked figures on the altar turned around. Bone staffs, sickles, venomous claws... all manner of bizarre weapons were aimed at them.

The bound Nine-Headed Ice Serpent's three heads suddenly opened their eyes and let out a deafening hiss!

Battle was on the verge of erupting. And this time, they faced not only the mysterious people in black, but also an ancient Ferocious Beast on the brink of awakening. The chill in the depths of the ice cave seemed to have frozen time itself, waiting only for an earth-shattering clash.