"Where did that human go?"
Snow Empress's cold and stunning face was like a mask of frost as she questioned the ten-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion before her.
"We don't know either."
The Ice Jade Scorpion shook its head and let out a series of clicks and hisses.
"When we sensed that Lord Ice Empress was in danger, we immediately tried to rush out to help her.
But at that time, the cave entrance was blocked by a blue crystal wall formed entirely of plant-type spirit beasts. No matter what we tried, we couldn't break through.
We were about to dig another exit when… Lord Ice Empress's aura suddenly vanished.
By the time we got outside, there was nothing left."
Hearing this, Snow Empress's expression grew even colder.
"Damn human!"
Her voice rang with icy fury as she shot into the air.
Without hesitation, she summoned the leaders of the spirit beast clans of the Extreme North and issued her orders:
"A human has entered our Extreme North and killed the Ice Empress!
Return and immediately mobilize your clans to search for all human Spirit Masters within the Extreme North. Kill them on sight!
If you encounter a powerful human Spirit Master, report to me at once—
This Empress will personally strike them down!"
At Snow Empress's command, the spirit beast clans of the Extreme North moved as one. A wave of slaughter surged outward, sweeping across the entire land in search of human prey.
...
Extreme North Outer Regions
Amid the whirling snow, a group of figures cloaked in thick white fur were swiftly traversing the endless expanse of ice and snow.
Beneath their hoods, every face was that of a young woman.
Leading them was a graceful and dignified beauty with long blue hair, noble bearing, and a gentle, water-like demeanor.
Following behind her were young women in their early twenties—
Among them, two girls that Ye Yu would instantly recognize: Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.
The rest were members of the Skywater Team.
After the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, more than three years of cultivation had passed.
Shui Bing'er's cultivation had finally broken through to level 50, the threshold of a Spirit King.
Thus, Shui Linglong, the Headmistress of Skywater Academy, had personally brought her to the Extreme North to help her hunt for her fifth spirit ring.
Shui Yue'er, Xue Wu, and the others had come along to broaden their horizons.
"In order to help the academy perform well in the next Elite Tournament," Shui Linglong said softly as they traveled through the snow, "your first four spirit abilities lean heavily toward utility, with insufficient attack power.
For your fifth spirit ability, it would be best to obtain a powerful ice-attribute offensive skill—ideally one with area-of-effect damage."
"What kind of spirit beast do you think I should hunt for my fifth spirit ring, Headmistress?" Shui Bing'er asked.
Shui Linglong smiled slightly, her blue eyes meeting Shui Bing'er's.
"You're a diligent and perceptive child. After what I've just said, you must already have some ideas, no?"
A gentle smile appeared on Shui Bing'er's beautiful face.
"Yes… I do have some thoughts."
Among ice-attribute spirit abilities, one of the most famous and destructive—especially with area damage—was Ice Snow Storm
There were many ice-attribute spirit beasts capable of granting such a skill.
But in terms of maximizing its power, the spirit beast's bloodline should be as strong as possible and highly compatible with her martial soul.
At present, her targets included: the Ice Snow Flying Luan, the Extreme Cold Gale Eagle, the Blizzard Ice Butterfly, and the Ice Bear.
However, just as Shui Linglong and the others advanced from the outer region toward the inner region of the Extreme North in search of a suitable ten-thousand-year ice-attribute spirit beast…
From the inner region, a massive beast tide—driven by the order to hunt humans—was surging toward them.
...
Deep Underground – Ice Cave
Over a thousand meters beneath the surface, Ye Yu stepped out of the Blue Silver Space into an enormous ice cave.
The space here was vast, with numerous ice tunnels leading in every direction—some narrow as pinholes, others wide enough for several people to walk abreast.
"Oh? This place is bigger than I expected."
From within the Blue Silver Space, the Skydream Iceworm scanned the surroundings with its spiritual sense and was surprised at the cave's size.
It had once fallen into this area through an ice fissure, but landed in a much narrower space.
Ye Yu, however, had used a slender tendril of the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree's root to snake its way down through the fissure, splitting and extending until he found a spacious chamber.
Only then did he grow a full Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree and teleport here.
This particular area was unknown even to the Skydream Iceworm.
Standing in the cave, Ye Yu immediately expanded his Blue Silver Domain to its maximum range, covering several hundred li.
A place capable of nurturing Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow and even Top-Grade Cold Marrow was undoubtedly a land of treasures.
And if ice-attribute heavenly materials could grow here, the Blue Silver Domain would easily sense them—its sensitivity to plants was unmatched.
In a place like this, ordinary plants could not survive; if something had managed to grow, it was almost certainly an ice-attribute treasure.
Through the winding passages, Ye Yu moved swiftly, extending the Blue Silver Domain in all directions.
Before long, he detected the faint presence of a plant.
Rushing toward it, he arrived in a broad chamber.
At its center lay an underground cold pool, emanating frigid air that rolled across the surface in a veil of mist.
And in the middle of the pool grew a pure-white snow lotus—its stem and leaves crystalline, its petals glowing faintly, each about an inch across. The jade-like stamens radiated biting cold.
Ice Heart Snow Lotus
A smile spread across Ye Yu's face.
According to the Immortal Herb compendium, there were many ice-attribute immortal herb. Aside from the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, there were also the Ice Heart Snow Lotus, the Ice Spirit Vermillion Fruit, and the Ice Soul Snow Spirit Flower.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was a deadly "poisonous herb" that could not be consumed.
The Ice Heart Snow Lotus, however, was different.
Like ginseng or ganoderma, snow lotuses were already renowned in the world of medicine—and the Ice Heart Snow Lotus was the most supreme of them all.
For ice-attribute Spirit Masters, its effects were extraordinary: not only could it greatly increase cultivation, but it could also enhance the ice attribute of their martial soul itself.