Caishen gripped the positioning compass in her hand, her gaze fixed on the flickering constellations in the sky. The secret realm formed its own miniature universe, with star patterns only discernible to those who entered it personally.
She carefully observed the compass needle, attempting to pinpoint the Frost Venom Toad's location. This poisonous creature only dwelled in the core region of the "Profound Nether Ice Plains," an area enveloped by nine layers of frigid barrier formations.
Taking a deep breath, Caishen concentrated, meticulously studying the compass's subtle fluctuations. Finding the Frost Venom Toad required not just patience and skill, but also considerable luck.
Li Xuanxiao narrowed his eyes. "As I thought. Be careful," he warned.
Suddenly, several spiritual tide rifts tore open within the passage, unleashing torrents of frost-laden energy like a cascading galaxy. Li Xuanxiao summoned his Spiritual Flame to shield himself, Caishen, and Zhang Zi.Emerging alongside the spiritual tides was a troop of fully armored soldiers—reconstructed from bones and ice, their hollow eye sockets burning with azure flames as they patrolled with crystalline halberds. The soul-stealing ice bells on their saddles chimed in the wind.
The bell tones pierced through the blizzard, striking Zhang Zi's spirit like a hammer, causing blood to seep from her seven orifices. Caishen, protected by numerous treasures, fared slightly better.
"This is the place!" Caishen's eyes lit up. Her grandfather had told her that areas guarded by Iceclad Wraiths marked the Frost Venom Toad's habitat. The window of opportunity was fleeting.
"Zhang Zi, stay here!" Li Xuanxiao commanded before charging toward the passage with Caishen.
Channeling his Spiritual Flame, Li Xuanxiao's breathing synchronized with powerful heatwaves erupting from his body like volcanic fury. Behind him, his Dharma Form manifested—a colossal figure holding aloft a giant cauldron.
As Li Xuanxiao intensified the flames, the cauldron's phantom image trembled in resonance. A deep reverberation sounded before the cauldron unleashed an immense pillar of fire that engulfed the Iceclad Wraiths.
Where the fire passed, the air itself ignited into an inferno. The wraiths' icy armor melted rapidly under the assault, emitting sizzling screams.
"Damn... that's intense," Zhang Zi gasped from afar, feeling the residual heat even at a distance.
Rushing through the passage, Li Xuanxiao frowned. The deeper they went, the more the ambient energy transformed—inhaling it now would condense into ice blades attacking his meridians.
At the passage's end loomed an enormous frost gate, towering into the clouds like a bridge between heaven and earth. Thick ice sheets covered its surface, radiating bitter cold.
With a ponderous groan, the massive door began opening as if pushed by invisible hands. Before it fully parted, however, a bluish-black poison mist seeped through the gap like a specter, mingling silently with the outside snowstorm.
Li Xuanxiao's extraordinary sensitivity to toxins immediately detected the danger—this mist could freeze meridians upon contact. Fortunately, he noticed just in time.
Suddenly, piercing cold air burst forth, crystallizing into countless razor-sharp Profound Ice Arrows that rained toward Li Xuanxiao.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The arrows shrieked through the air. Swinging his sleeve, Li Xuanxiao conjured a barrier of magical light that intercepted the projectiles with thunderous collisions, sending shockwaves rippling outward.
Through his Dharma Eye, Li Xuanxiao spotted a massive Frost Drake lurking behind the gate. Covered in crystalline armor, it exhaled azure mist while staring at him with glowing blue eyes.
Li Xuanxiao's gaze turned icy as his Dharma Form's colossal hand reached out with overwhelming pressure toward the drake. But just before contact, the surrounding air temperature plummeted violently.
In an instant, a flood of thick frost surged forth, encasing the giant hand completely. The rapid freezing spread across the fingers, causing cracks to form across the once-indestructible Dharma hand.
At the critical moment, blazing flames erupted from the palm. Illuminated by fire, the Dharma Form revealed its true visage—radiant with scorching energy that melted the encroaching frost.
The Frost Drake attempted escape, but enchanted chains inscribed with talismans shot from Li Xuanxiao's palm, capturing the creature in a cage. Rather than killing it, Li Xuanxiao stored the subdued drake away.