"My heavens, it looks like a golden lotus, grown from the Icefire Spring. The medicinal properties of this single golden lotus are likely incomparable to all the heavenly treasures around the lake combined. However, with such a supreme treasure appearing, it's of no use to us. We can't even get close, let alone pluck it," someone sighed. No matter how good the treasure, they could only gaze at it from afar, unable to reach it.
"It is a joyous occasion to witness the birth of such a supreme treasure."
"Could this be what fell in yesterday?" someone inquired, as everyone had seen something fall into the spring the day before.
"It's possible."
"I wonder what this golden lotus will look like when it fully blooms?"
"It's opening, it's opening!"
Everyone stared intently at the golden lotus in the Icefire Spring. Petal by petal, it unfurled. When the golden lotus was fully bloomed, they finally saw that within it, there was a person!
"What is that?"
"Perhaps a humanoid fierce beast."
"What kind of fierce beast could withstand the power of the Icefire Spring?" [SUDAN NOVEL NETWORK]
"Could it be a spirit?"
"It looks like a person to me."
"A humanoid spirit?"
The crowd whispered amongst themselves, some even secretly rejoicing. If it were a humanoid spirit, perhaps it could help them harvest the spiritual medicine within.
Xiao Man opened her eyes and found herself in an utterly unfamiliar place. The Demon Lord was nowhere to be seen, nor were Nangong Yu and the others. Xiao Man looked around and realized she was in a peculiar spring, half red, half blue, half extremely hot, and half extremely cold.
"Elder Qin, where is this place?" Xiao Man asked.
Elder Qin, hiding within the Sky-Reaching Pagoda, trembled. "If you don't get out soon, the Sky-Reaching Pagoda won't be able to withstand it."
Xiao Man leaped to the shore and discovered countless rare flowers and exotic herbs growing there, each one of celestial quality and rarely seen. She immediately beamed with joy.
"To think such a wonderful place exists in the world, with so many heavenly treasures growing, yet no one has come to collect them."
Those outside the barrier desperately uttered words, but Xiao Man, being inside the barrier, could not hear them at all. When Xiao Man noticed the crowd of people and demonic beasts surrounding the barrier, her heart jolted.
"This barrier is incredibly powerful. Those demonic beasts outside cannot break through it."
Xiao Man sat by the shore and met the gaze of those outside. "Elder Qin, if I were to harvest all these spiritual herbs and then walk out of the barrier, would the demonic beasts outside devour me alive?"
"They certainly would!" Elder Qin replied, secretly gnawing on a heavenly treasure. "Quick, quick, transplant all these celestial-grade herbs into the Sky-Reaching Pagoda."
"Should I transfer the Icefire Spring in as well?"
"Not now." Elder Qin coughed twice. To transfer the Icefire Spring into the Sky-Reaching Pagoda, the barrier would have to be transferred along with it. Otherwise, all the spiritual herbs within the Sky-Reaching Pagoda would be killed by the icy and fiery energies emanating from the Icefire Spring.
"I can't get out now, can I?" Xiao Man looked at the densely packed crowd of people and fierce beasts outside. She didn't need to guess to understand that the white-clothed young man had brought her here, and his purpose was surely to take her life. Although her cultivation was at the peak of the Deity Transformation stage, she couldn't contend with so many people and fierce beasts outside, some of whom were even divine beasts!
"Elder Qin, do you know what this place is?"
Elder Qin looked at the fierce beasts and people outside, falling silent for a long while. "If my guess is correct, this should be Mount Du'e."
"Mount Du'e?" Xiao Man was somewhat bewildered, as she had never heard of this place. "What kind of place is it?"
"A place that can take your life." Elder Qin swallowed. Those outside the barrier were not humans, but rather humanoid fierce beasts who had taken human form. Any one of them could easily overpower Xiao Man.
"Is it very dangerous?"
Elder Qin sighed lamentably. "Do you think you can defeat the people outside?"
Xiao Man looked over. The people outside were all looking at her with drooling gazes, as if she were a delicious delicacy, much like the looks she received from those at the Heavenly Sword Sect.
"One or two of them should not be a problem, but a group, I definitely cannot defeat."
"You can't defeat even one or two!" Elder Qin scoffed. "Do you think they are human? They are all ancient fierce beasts who have taken human form. They are guarding this place, likely because the Icefire Spring is rich in spiritual energy, which is beneficial for their cultivation. And they have long coveted these heavenly treasures within, but they cannot enter."
"Since they cannot enter, we are very safe."
"Safe my foot!" Elder Qin was hopping mad. "Have you forgotten who brought you here?"
Xiao Man's expression remained unchanged. "The white-clothed youth who attacked us."
"He wants to kill you and brought you here. He might be planning to trap you here so he can go back and fetch reinforcements. Once reinforcements arrive, do you intend to offer your neck for slaughter, or go out and feed these beasts?" Elder Qin asked slowly.
Xiao Man casually picked a Nine-Leaf Profound Orchid and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing as she said, "I choose neither."
"Do you have a choice?" Elder Qin exclaimed. "Are you a match for these tens of thousands of demonic beasts outside? These demonic beasts have lived for tens of thousands of years, and there might even be fierce beasts over a hundred thousand years old. If your Fire Phoenix were to reach adulthood, it might still help you escape. But it's too young. It won't help you escape, and its appearance might make the demonic beasts outside want to devour both of you alive as nourishment."
Xiao Man walked to the edge of the barrier and reached out to touch it, smiling at the demonic beasts outside. The demonic beasts outside instantly transformed into their true forms: a nine-headed giant serpent. All nine serpent heads spat out their forked tongues at Xiao Man, eager to devour her alive.
"Elder Qin, have you ever eaten a nine-headed serpent?" Xiao Man asked with a smile.
Elder Qin's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. At a time like this, she was still thinking about eating? She should be thinking about how to escape from here. If they remained trapped here, the one behind this would surely come to hunt them down!
Before Elder Qin could reply, Xiao Man suddenly extended a hand, and spiritual energy formed into a rope, entangling all nine heads of the nine-headed serpent. Instantly, she dragged the flailing nine-headed serpent into the barrier.
The nine-headed serpent never expected Xiao Man to actively drag it into the barrier. Before it could even resist, Xiao Man’s hand moved like a blade, severing two of its heads. She intended to use her alchemy furnace to stew them for soup!
The nine-headed serpent had initially thought that by eating Xiao Man, it would gain great vitality, as Xiao Man had emerged from the Icefire Spring and consumed so many heavenly treasures. Who knew that before it could eat Xiao Man, Xiao Man was already planning to make soup out of it!
"Help, save me!" The nine-headed serpent struggled to crawl out. The aura emanating from the Icefire Spring caused its entire body to tremble. It felt as if its body was being scorched dry. Moving slightly to another side, it felt as if it was about to freeze solid. It could only flail about like an ant on a hot pan. Even so, it could not hold on for long and soon collapsed beside the Icefire Spring, emitting faint cries for help.