Free Web NovelSince she was targeted from the very beginning, Mingxi didn't hesitate to assume the worst about the scoundrel.
Therefore, she had to eliminate the possibility of being followed from the source.
They were temporarily no match for King-level Transcendent creatures. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Moreover, there were four of them.
She didn't want to be ganged up on again.
The closer they got to the extreme northern region, the stronger the wind and snow became, and the lower the temperature dropped.
A thin layer of ice would occasionally form on Golden Yuanbao's head and wings.
It would then immediately shatter it.
The scenery of the Icefield Sea was actually very monotonous.
Other than ice and snow, there was only ice and snow.
Even wild Transcendent creatures were almost pure white in appearance, perfectly blending with nature.
There wasn't even the desolate and bleak beauty of 'withered vines, old trees, and evening crows'.
Looking at snow for too long could even cause snow blindness.
Fortunately, they could occasionally see a splash or two of bright color, which was the proud green and enchanting beauty growing in the ice and snow.
Most were derivative species, like nitrogen grass, that adapted to the cold temperatures due to their Transcendent creature characteristics.
There were also a few naturally occurring wild medicinal herbs, such as Xie Shuangcao, the main ingredient for making cold-resistant potions.
Xie Shuangcao was a unique medicinal herb found only in Ice Whisper City; nowhere else in the world had ever seen such a large abundance of this herb, to the point of being a widespread nuisance.
Why 'had ever seen'?
Because it is now almost extinct.
A few years ago, the snowy region experienced an unprecedented cold snap that lasted for a very long time.
For the health and safety of its citizens, the government began mass-producing cold-resistant potions.
The Xie Shuangcao near Ice Whisper City was extensively harvested, causing the once abundant Xie Shuangcao to almost disappear overnight.
Now, only one or two Xie Shuangcao plants can be found near the Icefield Sea.
In other words, Xie Shuangcao leaped from being a cheap common herb to a high-priced rare medicinal material.
"Lei Lei?"
Golden Yuanbao called out twice, telling Mingxi that it had found a Xie Shuangcao below and asked if she wanted to land.
After deciding to come to the Icefield Sea, its Beast Tamers had begun preparing in advance, meticulously introducing all the species that might grow in the Icefield Sea to it and its two companions, using detailed illustrations, videos, and holograms.
So, it recognized Xie Shuangcao at a glance.
Mingxi, of course, wanted it, wanted it, wanted it, and then some, like a full set of Jianbing Guozi.
The Xie Shuangcao wasn't important; she simply wanted Golden Yuanbao to land and rest for a while.
It must have been exhausted from carrying her, Little Silver Flower, and Lan Yue for so long in the wind and snow.
The Xie Shuangcao that Golden Yuanbao found was growing on a flat area with rather deep snow, with no obstructions around it.
The part of the Xie Shuangcao exposed above the snow looked very much like a reed, with fluffy tips, but its stems and leaves were translucent light blue.
Mingxi carefully cleared away the surface snow first; the medicinal part of Xie Shuangcao is its root system, so collection requires careful action, just like digging for ginseng—the more complete the rootlets, the higher the value.
But in fact, Xie Shuangcao is not difficult to dig.
The original soil layer of the Icefield Sea is generally beneath thick layers of ice, so Xie Shuangcao actually grows in the frozen snow layer.
This Xie Shuangcao was quite large.
Mingxi dug deeper and deeper, almost breaking through the ice layer.
But as she dug, things started to feel a little off.
Why did she feel like the ground was sinking?
Could she be so unlucky as to have dug into an underground ice river, or, even worse, into a sleeping wild Transcendent creature?
Both were possible.
The snow accumulation in the Icefield Sea is very thick, but due to constant compression and condensation over the years, it gradually accumulates into ice layers and frozen snow layers, so it's truly hard to say what lies beneath the ice layer.
"Golden Yuanbao, Lan Yue, let's go quickly."
Mingxi dared not take chances; realizing something was wrong, she immediately abandoned the Xie Shuangcao, gracefully flipped, and jumped onto Golden Yuanbao's back.
Lan Yue reacted quickly as well, leaping a few times and landing on Golden Yuanbao's back.
After making sure they were seated securely, Golden Yuanbao flapped its wings, preparing to take off.
But just as it flapped its wings, a huge suction force came from below.
At the same time, ice-white mist rapidly condensed around them.
In just a blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery was completely obscured.
Dense fog filled the air, blocking their vision.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! ..."
Intense cracking sounds of ice resounded incessantly in their ears, with a density comparable to a 'Flight of the Bumblebee' played so fast it breaks a centipede's legs.
"Damn it!" Mingxi cursed unreservedly.
Standing on the ground, she was giving the world the middle finger!
She hadn't dug into an underground ice river; she had clearly severed God's lineage!
Only this level of hatred could cause them to encounter an ice explosion in such a situation!
An ice explosion is a natural energy explosion phenomenon that inevitably occurs when ice-attributed energy in the air encounters a downdraft, rapidly and extensively accumulating in a certain spatial area, and its concentration exceeds 6 mol/L.
From the appearance of its signs to its full eruption, the entire process of an ice explosion is extremely short, not exceeding three seconds, making it one of the most difficult natural phenomena to avoid.
Those continuous cracking sounds were not just the ice surface shattering, but also the sound of ice energy in the air rapidly condensing and then collapsing due to energy overload.
Mingxi felt a constant sensation of her face and scalp crumbling.
Stimulating!
Clearly, her skin had already been affected by the ice explosion.
If this situation continued, her blood, muscles, and even bones could be caught in the ice explosion.
Not just her, but also Golden Yuanbao and Little Silver Flower.
Within the range of the ice explosion, the only one who might not be affected was the ice-attributed Lan Yue.
Golden Yuanbao and Little Silver Flower also noticed the abnormality in their bodies.
Without thinking, Mingxi decisively recalled Golden Yuanbao and Little Silver Flower into her Pet Space.
"Lei!"
"Luo!"
The two beasts' resistant cries couldn't stop Mingxi's actions.
Once an ice explosion begins, it won't end quickly, and being in the midst of one, they couldn't predict its range at all.
For Golden Yuanbao to try and fly out now would be like snatching chestnuts from the fire.
Its large size meant it would be most affected by the ice explosion, so it was safer to return to the Pet Space.
As for Little Silver Flower, it was too young; in Mingxi's eyes, it was still a little furball, and its body was still developing, making it particularly fragile, so she certainly didn't want it to suffer outside.
"Lan Yue, this time, only you can protect me."
Mingxi smiled bitterly, glancing at Lan Yue at her feet, and was about to crouch down to pick it up.
The next instant, the ground beneath her feet gave way, and a sense of weightlessness overwhelmed her.
"Ice Soul!"
Lan Yue also sensed the abnormality below; without time to think, it extended its claws and firmly hugged its Beast Tamer's thigh.
After a long period of extreme suction and disorienting spinning.
Mingxi felt her body hit something soft, and before she could figure out what it was, her head went numb, followed by an intense, sharp pain.
Before her eyes were flowers of various colors, and silent explosions.
Then, she completely sank into utter darkness...
