Chapter 53: Hundred Thousand Years of Ice and Fire LotusIn the Extreme North Land, Snow Empress's palace.The faint golden light shimmering around Dai Youheng gradually receded. On the forehead of the Evil Shadow Demonic Tiger's phantom behind him, the character 'King' glowed intensely one last time before slowly sinking into his body and disappearing.He let out a long, turbid breath, which condensed into a white plume in the cold air, lingering for a long time.His eyes opened, gleaming with sharp light. His previous fatigue and subtle hidden injuries were swept away, and his condition was adjusted to an unprecedented peak. His spirit power was full and surging."How is your condition?" Snow Empress's thought resonated at the opportune moment."Better than ever before." Dai Youheng clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, full of confidence. "We can start now."Snow Empress's thought also carried a hint of solemnity and determination. "Good. Xiao Bai!"At the palace entrance, the Ice Bear King, resembling a small mountain, raised his head at the sound."Transform into human form and come in with us! Your power might be needed to assist in suppression below." Snow Empress commanded."Okay, Mother!" Xiao Bai responded with a muffled voice. His massive body suddenly emitted a strong ice-blue light, which rapidly contracted and deformed.In the blink of an eye, the mighty and terrifying overlord of the Extreme North disappeared, replaced by a small Fatty who looked about a dozen years old.He had a round figure, chubby cheeks, and wore an ice-blue fur coat. His eyes were large, revealing a sense of honesty and curiosity, making him appear even somewhat cute. Only the powerful ice-attribute energy fluctuations subtly emanating from him hinted that he was no ordinary youth.It was the first time Dai Youheng had seen Xiao Bai's human form, and he raised an eyebrow slightly, but now was not the time for curiosity. He nodded at Xiao Bai, who was in human form.Then, guided by Snow Empress, he turned and walked towards the depths of the ice castle. Xiao Bai followed quietly behind him, taking sturdy steps.Passing through several deep corridors carved from ten-thousand-year-old ice, the temperature dropped lower and lower, and the ice crystals condensed on the walls seemed to contain ancient coldness. Finally, they arrived before a massive ice wall.Snow Empress's thought fluctuated, and a complex ice-blue rune flashed on the ice wall. Immediately after, accompanied by a low rumble, the heavy ice wall slowly slid open to reveal a downward stairwell glowing with alternating red and blue light.An extremely contradictory aura surged from within—extreme coldness and scorching high temperature strangely intertwined, yet miraculously maintaining balance without annihilating each other.Dai Youheng took a deep breath and stepped into the passage.The dangerous yet clearly targeted challenge he was about to face stood in stark and cruel contrast to the desolate atmosphere in the valley.Descending the stairwell where red and blue light intertwined and ice and fire energies fiercely clashed, Dai Youheng and Xiao Bai's steps were firm and cautious.At the end of the passage was an even heavier, massive ice door inscribed with countless profound ice patterns. Snow Empress's thought fluctuated again, and the ice door slid open silently, and even more violent and pure ice and fire energies surged out like a broken dam!Behind the door was an incredibly spacious circular secret chamber. The walls, ceiling, and floor of the chamber were entirely composed of ten-thousand-year-old, unmelting extreme solid ice. The ice walls were covered with powerful sealing runes, which now flickered erratically, desperately suppressing the heart-pounding presence in the center of the chamber.In the center of the secret chamber stood a massive ice pillar, more than ten meters in diameter. The ice pillar was crystal clear, and a strangely shaped plant was vaguely visible sealed within it.The main body of the plant was an incredibly thick, massive stem with red and blue spiral patterns intertwined, deeply rooted beneath the frozen ground. At its top, two gigantic lotus flowers branched out!One was as fiery as an eternally burning sun, its petals entirely composed of solidified lava and flowing golden-red magma, emitting terrifying high temperatures capable of melting refined gold. This was the source of the scorching heat felt earlier.The other was as cold as an ancient star of ice, its petals formed by the purest extreme ice energy, ice-blue and translucent. Its chilling aura seemed capable of freezing time and space, originating from the same source as the surrounding chamber environment but even purer.It was the hundred-thousand-year plant-type Spirit Beast—the ice fire twin lotus!However, upon entering, a heatwave far more scorching and aggressive than that in the passage immediately assaulted them, like an invisible fire beast roaring to incinerate any intruder."Indeed!" Snow Empress's thought carried solemnity and a hint of helplessness. "For thousands of years, I've tried to nurture and transform it with extreme ice, but not only has it not shifted towards the ice attribute, its fire attribute has become even purer and more dominant! What kind of existence is the source of that trace of divine force affecting its fire attribute? And why did it appear in the core of the Extreme North?"Her confusion had no answer."Xiao Bai." Snow Empress swiftly ordered, "When I unseal it, immediately use your human form to fully restrain it! It is currently fire-attribute dominant, conflicting with your ice attribute, so you must be careful! Although it has no intelligence, its species strength is extremely high, and its power is absolutely no less than that of the Abyssal Ice Prison Tiger before. The moment it breaks free, it will instinctively attack wildly!"This secret chamber was designed according to Snow Empress's main body size. If Xiao Bai were to revert to his Ice Bear King true form, he would instantly collapse the place."Mother, don't worry!" The chubby young man, Xiao Bai, said with a confident expression, patting his chest, "Even if I can't change back to my original form, dealing with a stationary flower is no problem!"His ice-blue spirit power began to surge around him.Snow Empress's thought focused on Dai Youheng. "Youheng, walk to the ice pillar, and use Emperors Palm, Great Cold Without Snow! This seal does not recognize the strength of spirit power, only the essence of energy. Only extreme ice of the same origin can activate it to dissolve!"The seal of this ice pillar was not about the intensity of spirit power, but about spirit power sensing. Even extreme fire, unless it had power comparable to Snow Empress, would struggle to melt it. It would only actively open when it sensed Snow Empress's extreme ice.Dai Youheng had Snow Empress's spirit ring on him, and the extreme ice he unleashed, condensed from the snow soul condensing ice pill with Snow Empress's power, was of the same origin as her power.He held his breath and concentrated, raising his right palm. Extreme cold instantly condensed, his palm lines becoming clear as jade, and all the moisture in the surrounding air instantly crystallized into fine ice shards that swirled around him. It was one of Snow Empress's three Absolute, Emperors Palm, Great Cold Without Snow!He gently pressed his palm against the cold pillar wall.Buzz—!As if receiving the final command, the massive ice pillar suddenly burst forth with incomparably brilliant ice-blue light.The dense sealing runes within the pillar seemed to come alive, rapidly circulating, then quickly dimming and dissipating.Crack... crack... The massive ice pillar began to show countless cracks from where Dai Youheng's palm pressed, rapidly spreading throughout the entire pillar."Retreat!" Snow Empress urgently cried.Dai Youheng retreated explosively, instantly moving behind Xiao Bai.Boom!!!The massive ice pillar completely shattered, turning into a sky full of ice dust that scattered! The ice fire twin lotus, sealed for thousands of years, finally fully revealed itself in the secret chamber!
