Chapter 19: Abyssal Eternal Frost, Ice God's Divine Temple!
Hearing the Xue Di's concerned inquiry, Lei Chen turned to look at her, a relaxed smile appearing on his handsome face. "The tribulation lightning of a mere 700,000-year Heavenly Tribulation is nothing more than nourishment to me. Naturally, I am fine."
Feeling the Thunder God Origin within his body, which had grown significantly stronger and more solid, he was in a quite pleasant mood. He then said to the Xue Di, "I should congratulate you instead for successfully breaking through the 700,000-year bottleneck, taking your cultivation to the next level."
The frost on the Xue Di's peerless face thawed slightly as she shook her head gently, her tone sincere. "If not for your intervention, I could never have safely crossed this tribulation. I will keep this kindness in my heart."
Lei Chen waved his hand dismissively, his tone casual yet carrying an unquestionable weight. "I have already said that helping you is helping myself; there is no need for further thanks. As for you, now that you've broken through 700,000 years and your cultivation has undergone a qualitative change, you should be able to enter 'that' place."
"'That place'?" The Xue Di was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion flashing in her ice-blue eyes. But in just a moment, she seemed to think of something, her ethereal voice carrying a trace of uncertain alarm. "Are you referring to... the Abyssal Eternal Frost?"
"Indeed, it is the Abyssal Eternal Frost." Lei Chen nodded in confirmation, his gaze turning toward the very core of the Far North Land, as if he could pierce through the endless glaciers to see that location which even he found somewhat peculiar.
The Abyssal Eternal Frost was the true forbidden zone of the Far North Land, located at the deepest part of the core region.
It was a bottomless, massive icy abyss, shrouded year-round in an absolute chill that could freeze even light itself. The power of ice contained within was far more terrifying than anything imagined by the outside world.
Even with the Xue Di's previous peak cultivation of 690,000 years, she had attempted to delve deep several times, only to be forced back by a terrifying extreme cold originating from the level of Laws, making it impossible to even touch the core.
But things were different now. In Lei Chen's eyes, the Xue Di, having broken through 700,000 years, was now qualified to enter.
"A 700,000-year cultivation is a massive watershed for a Soul Beast," Lei Chen explained. "Breaking through this barrier results in a qualitative leap in your strength. With your current power, though you will still feel pressure, you can barely enter to investigate."
"How about it? Do you want to see what secrets are hidden inside?"
Without any hesitation, the Xue Di immediately nodded. "I do! Since you mentioned this place, there must be a reason. I am willing to go with you."
She already fully trusted Lei Chen, believing that this Plane Master would never speak without purpose.
"Good, then let's go. And the Ice Empress over there, come along too." Lei Chen smiled slightly, and his form turned into a streak of seven-colored light, sweeping toward the depths of the Extreme North's core.
Seeing this, the Xue Di's body flashed with ice-blue radiance as she immediately followed. Although the Ice Empress nearby was filled with curiosity and worry, she also immediately turned into a beam of emerald light and followed closely behind.
Three streaks of light sliced through the cold winds of the Extreme North at extreme speed, arriving at a strange location in the next instant.
Before them was a massive glacial basin. In the center of the basin was a pitch-black hole nearly a thousand meters in diameter, like a giant mouth opened by the earth. The ice at the edge of the hole was a strange deep blue, appearing as if it had settled over eons.
Before they even got close, an extreme chill capable of freezing the soul rushed toward them, making the Ice Empress, whose cultivation was nearly 400,000 years, unable to help but shiver. Emerald light surged around her as she resisted with all her might.
Deep within that pitch-black hole, it wasn't a dead darkness. Instead, there was a faint, ancient-looking ice-blue glow circulating, and an indescribable aura of antiquity, majesty, and even a hint of divinity was faintly emanating from it.
"We're here." Lei Chen stopped at the edge of the hole and said to the Ice Empress behind him, "Ice Empress, the chill inside the abyss is extraordinary. You cannot currently withstand it, so wait outside. I will have something for you once I come out."
Sensing the terrifying aura emanating from the hole that made even her soul tremble, the Ice Empress knew her strength was insufficient and immediately replied respectfully, "Yes, Senior!"
Although she didn't know Lei Chen's specific identity, the strength he displayed and the Xue Di's attitude were enough for her to address him as Senior.
Lei Chen looked at the Xue Di and nodded. Then, taking a step forward, his figure vanished into the pitch-black hole.
The Xue Di took a deep breath of the freezing air, a look of determination flashing in her ice-blue eyes. Her body erupted with radiance as she followed Lei Chen, resolutely stepping into the most mysterious Abyssal Eternal Frost of the Far North Land.
As soon as they entered the abyss, the surrounding scenery changed abruptly.
The light from the entrance above vanished rapidly, replaced by a strange ice-blue glow. This light didn't come from any light source but seemed to be formed by the condensed chill of the eternal Profound Ice surrounding them.
The passage was not vertically downward but winding and twisting. The ice walls around them were as smooth as mirrors yet incredibly hard, inscribed with countless naturally formed, complex, and Profound Ice runes.
The deeper they went, the more terrifying the chill became. The ice-attributed energy permeating the air was so dense it almost froze the surrounding space. Every distance they advanced required enduring immense pressure.
The Xue Di pushed her 700,000-year cultivation to its limit to barely resist this pervasive extreme cold. She felt a secret sense of dread; if she hadn't just broken through, she certainly wouldn't have been able to endure here for long.
Meanwhile, Lei Chen ahead of her still walked as if strolling in a garden, seven-colored radiance circulating around him, easily isolating the chill that even the Xue Di found pressuring.
After descending an unknown depth, the passage ahead suddenly opened up, and a massive underground ice cave appeared before them.
When she saw the sight within the ice cave, even with the Xue Di's hundreds of thousands of years of temperament, she couldn't help but gasp, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.
In the center of the ice cave, it wasn't the expected gloom, but a massive palace suspended there, constructed entirely of crystal-clear blue ice crystals!
The palace's style was ancient and grand, emitting an aura of Ultimate Ice far denser and purer than that of the outside world. That ancient and majestic sense of divinity originated precisely from here!
Above the main gate of the palace, a complex rune condensed from the purest Laws of Frost emitted a soft yet incredibly majestic ice-blue divine light.
The moment she saw that rune, the Xue Di's delicate body trembled violently. A intense throbbing came from the depths of her soul, and a title originating from her bloodline inheritance escaped her lips involuntarily:
"This is... Lord Ice God's Divine Temple?!"
Lei Chen gazed calmly at the towering divine temple, sensing the pure power of Laws within it, and nodded slightly. "Indeed. This is the Divine Temple of the ancient Ice God."