The cold winds of the Ice World blew gently across the snow-laden plains, yet to Shi Tian, it was nothing more than a light breeze brushing against his robes.
The air here was bone-chilling, the type that would freeze the blood of ordinary cultivators below Spirit Master if they lingered too long. But to Shi Tian—blessed with the Celestial Yang Physique, fortified by the Primordial Chaos Sutra, and guarded by the ever-burning Chaos Flame—this chill was more of a curiosity than a threat.
He stood just outside the cave, surveying the icy expanse. Frozen ridges stretched into the distance, glistening like carved jade under the pale daylight. He had already memorized the map that the system had rewarded him with. Its markings were precise—caves, frozen lakes, and beast territories.
On the map, Shi Tian found something valuable that could heal Shen Xiaoli's blood essence completely and could increase her strength. It was a precious herb; he made it his first goal.
Inside the cave, Shen Xiaoli sat cross-legged, her breath faintly visible in the air. Wrapped in warm furs, her skin was pale, not from the cold, but from her weakened state. Her Heavenly Yin Physique should've allowed her to absorb the cold, even benefit from it, but the depletion of her blood essence had dulled that advantage.
Shi Tian turned back, stepped quietly inside, and saw her glance toward him.
"Sister Xiali, are you feeling better?" He asked softly.
Shen Xiaoli nodded slightly. "Yes, I can walk."
"Good," Shi Tian said. He took out a few things and placed them in front of her while sitting down in front of her. These were spiritual fruits and body-nourishing tea that he just boiled a few moments ago.
He said, "Some spirit fruits and warm tea. Not much, but enough for energy."
"Thank you," she said, lowering her gaze to the warm tea that was emitting faint spiritual qi.
After that, both of them started eating; neither of them mentioned the incident of the previous night. Shen Xiaoli obviously didn't want to mention it, so he didn't do it either.
"Sister Xiaoli, do you want to see something cool?" Shi Tian smiled mysteriously and said.
"Oh, what is it?" Shen Xiaoli lifted her gaze to look at him and asked curiously.
"Look, what is it?" Shi Tian didn't answer but showed her the map.
"Huh! What is it? You seem happy." Shen Xiaoli got even more curious; she took the map and glanced at it. Her initial reaction was casual; soon she noticed something when she studied the map.
'Why is the terrain on the map familiar?' Shen Xiaoli couldn't help but frown. Suddenly, her eyes widened as realization came to her.
"Is... is this map of this secret realm?" Shen Xiaoli's eyes widened with anticipation.
"Yes!" Shi Tian nodded with a smile.
"Really, how? Where did you find this? It is so detailed." Shen Xiaoli became excited after receiving his confirmation.
"I traded it for a spirit pill from a street bender. I didn't think it would map to this secret realm. I was lucky. Initially, I thought I was a counterfeit map; people made it to dupe others, but after coming to the secret realm, I noticed the terrain of this secret realm matched with his map." Shi Tian smiled.
Many con artists sell counterfeit treasure to con others out of money.
"What a weird coincidence?" Shen Xiaoli rolled her eyes at him. She didn't ask for details. At this time, her attention was on the map. The map was detailed, including locations of treasures, spiritual herbs, beast layers, and lastly, she saw the location of the hidden inheritance in the upper corner of the map.
Her heartbeat increased in excitement.
"Is this map real?"
"Yes, I have matched with the terrain of this secret realm just now, it matches with this map, so it should be real."
"Nice."
"By the way, sister Xiaoli, look at her."
"Frostheart Jade Lotus."
"Yes, this can restore your blood essence completely, and it is not far away from here. Let's get it first."
"Okay!"
After a quiet meal, the two stepped out of the cave together.
The wind nipped at their faces, but the daytime temperatures in the Ice World were tolerable. The spiritual beasts were less active during the day, making it the safest time to travel.
Shi Tian led the way.
He had already studied the path. The terrain ahead would be rough—a field of cracked ice, followed by a steep descent into a basin shrouded in perpetual fog. According to the map, that was where the herb grew: Frostheart Jade Lotus, a seventh-rank spiritual herb known for healing blood essence and restoring feminine yin energy. Perfect for Shen Xiaoli.
But the path wouldn't be peaceful.
He tightened the grip on his storage ring. His spear was within—his Chaotic Spear, bonded by will and spirit. His instincts told him they would encounter danger before they reached the herb.
As they passed through the frozen plains, Shen Xiaoli suddenly paused.
"Wait."
Shi Tian turned around.
She bent down and touched the snow. "There's a scent here. Not human... beast."
Shi Tian lowered his stance slightly, his spiritual sense extending forward. Just as he activated it, the air shifted.
A loud crunch echoed from the left, followed by a burst of snow.
A Frosthide Panther leapt out, its silvery fur blending perfectly with the ice. The beast was large, its body nearly ten feet long, muscles rippling beneath its hide. A pair of curved horns jutted from its skull, pulsing with frigid energy.
"Spirit Grandmaster peak… no—early Spirit Lord stage," Shi Tian murmured, eyes narrowing.
Shen Xiaoli instinctively stepped forward. But Shi Tian stopped her and said, "Sister Xiaoli, you haven't recovered completely yet; you should avoid battle for now.
"I'll handle it," Shi Tian said calmly, drawing out his spear in one smooth motion. The chaotic aura surged from his body like an awakened dragon.
The spear glowed faintly as strands of Chaos Flame curled around the shaft. Shen Xiaoli's eyes flickered lightly as she felt a strong aura from him. Turned out, his cultivation was catching up to her.
The panther pounced with a roar, mouth wide open, icy mist trailing its breath.
Shi Tian's body flickered.
Phantom Steps.
He vanished from the path, appearing behind the beast mid-air, twisting his spear down in an arc.
"Heaven Piercing Spear!" he shouted, thrusting forward.
The beast barely turned before the tip struck its shoulder, sending it spiraling into the snow with a loud crash. Blood splattered across the white.
It roared in pain, but before it could recover, Shi Tian dashed again, his Light Wind Movement Technique making him blur like a streak of grey. He appeared above it this time.
"Let's test your hide."
With practiced fluidity, he activated the first layer of his Chaotic Spear Art.
"First Form—Cracking the Heavens!"
The spear burst forth with swirling chaos Qi, its shaft glowing with black and gold light. The strike landed cleanly on the beast's chest, and with a loud BOOM, it was blown into the ice, a crater forming beneath its limp body.
The fight was over in seconds.
Shen Xiaoli watched in silence, her eyes reflecting a glint of surprise. His progress… was astonishing. Just a few months ago, he was still playing with basic martial forms. Now, even powerful spiritual beasts at the Spirit Lord level were little more than training dummies.
"Tian'er, You've become… too strong. It's good." She muttered with a faint smile on her face. She was happy for him. At the same time, she felt curious about how he improved so fast.
Shi Tian chuckled, flicking the blood off his spear. "Just enough to protect those close to me."
She didn't respond, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer.
The two continued their journey through the basin.
By midday, the terrain grew harder to navigate. Jagged spires of ice jutted from the ground like a frozen graveyard. The cold grew sharper, the air filled with faint howls carried on the wind.
Shi Tian paused again.
"We're close," he said, scanning the surroundings.
Then he spotted it—a faint glimmer of blue nestled between two massive glacier walls. The Frostheart Jade Lotus.
But between them and the herb stood another guardian.
A Snowfang Direwolf, nearly twice the size of the panther. Its coat shimmered with spiritual light, and its aura radiated mid-Spirit Lord stage, maybe even late.
Shi Tian looked at Shen Xiaoli. "Sister Xiaoli, stay back. I'll deal with this one too."
She hesitated. "Be careful. It's strong."
He smirked slightly. "Good. I need the exercise."
As he stepped forward again, spear spinning in his hand, the snow beneath his feet cracked, and the second battle of the day began.