Chapter 14: The Thousand-Year-Honed Frost Lotus

On the vast meadow, overwhelmed by such a heavy blow, Ling’er Chu seemed utterly drained of all strength, collapsing to the ground as if all her energy had been sucked out.

In less than half an hour, her emotions had plunged from great joy to profound sorrow, descending into an abyss.

This blow was different from any before, for she had lost face in front of everyone.

From now on, in the northwest region, she would likely be shunned and scorned by all.

As the crowd dispersed in all directions, Yi Lin felt a slight relief wash over him.

Just thinking about the threatening postures of those people earlier sent chills down his spine.

After steadying his emotions, he helped Ling’er Chu to her feet and held her tightly in his arms.

“They’re all sycophants and opportunists. Let them go; there’s nothing to regret.”

“Ling’er, you need not be so heartbroken. Brother Yi will always protect you.”

“That Ye Fan is just a good-for-nothing who lives off others. He won’t escape death forever!”

“Since those scoundrels have betrayed us, we must rely on our own strength.”

Yi Lin’s approach to Ling’er Chu was unerring; he had her completely under his control.

Sure enough, his passionate words moved Ling’er Chu deeply.

She sobbed softly, “Brother Yi, I knew it—you are the kindest person to me in this world.”

“Without you, I truly have nothing.”

Hearing such words from Ling’er Chu made Yi Lin feel a certain disgust.

To him, her usefulness was rapidly diminishing.

If Ye Fan hadn’t interrupted just now, perhaps he would have completely pushed this foolish woman away by now.

“Alright, no more crying!”

“Since we’ve come here, we can’t leave empty-handed. Let’s explore a bit.”

Saying this, Yi Lin was about to lead Ling’er Chu deeper into the dense forest.

Suddenly, Ling’er Chu remembered something and asked, “Brother Yi, since you’ve been here before and know something about this place, do you know if there’s any spot where rare treasures are hidden?”

Her words reminded Yi Lin that three years ago, when he entered the Qishan secret realm, he had indeed discovered a treasure trove.

But at that time, as the secret realm was about to close, he had no chance to investigate further. Now was the perfect time to explore.

“You reminded me, Sister Ling’er. I know a place where treasures must be hidden. Follow me quickly!”

When Yi Lin found that place, he was alone, so the secret was known only to him.

Recalling the scene, the strong spiritual energy there was enough to entice anyone who entered.

---

Yi Lin still clearly remembered the location to this day.

About two hours later, the two of them stopped at a cold pool.

Even before approaching, Ling’er Chu sensed an extraordinarily unique aura.

Although she had never seen it with her own eyes, she was certain this was the place Yi Lin mentioned.

“Sister Ling’er, this is it!”

Seeing the cold pool again, Yi Lin’s voice grew excited.

Familiar feelings surged within him; he took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

Places harboring rare treasures usually had guardian spirit beasts.

These beasts were powerful, not something ordinary people could handle.

Only those who had entered the secret realm knew this; Ling’er Chu was unaware, and Yi Lin had never told her.

At this moment, Ling’er Chu seemed even more excited than Yi Lin.

Entering the secret realm for the first time and having the chance to witness treasures was a rare fortune.

“Brother Yi! This is wonderful! I knew you were the most reliable!”

“I can clearly sense that the aura in the center of the pool is the strongest. That thing must be hidden there.”

The entire pool was covered with thick cold energy, making it impossible to see the object in the center with the naked eye.

To see it clearly, one had to dive in.

Yi Lin knew the danger involved, so he didn’t act immediately but instead entrusted the task to Ling’er Chu.

“Sister Ling’er, since this is your first time in the secret realm, experience the thrill of retrieving the treasure yourself!”

“I’ll let you take credit for this!”

Hearing this, Ling’er Chu was overjoyed and could hardly contain herself, but still said to Yi Lin, “But Brother Yi, you found it first; the credit should be yours.”

“Silly girl, what are you saying? There’s no need to distinguish between you and me.”

“Alright! Go and bring back the treasure, and let the sect leader be pleased!”

Ling’er Chu nodded gratefully and then plunged into the cold pool.

The biting chill couldn’t dampen her burning desire to obtain the treasure.

The pool wasn’t large, and she quickly reached the center.

The mysterious aura hitting her face made her heart pound with excitement.

As the second young lady of the Cold Spirit Sect, she had visited the sect’s treasury countless times and seen many treasures.

But she was absolutely certain that this object, hidden beneath the cold energy, was far more precious than anything she had ever seen.

---

Even without mentioning anything else, the aura it emitted was so potent that merely inhaling it felt like her spiritual power was increasing.

Ling’er Chu first waved at Yi Lin, then dove headfirst into the cold pool.

On the shore, Yi Lin narrowed his eyes, watching the situation closely.

He had expected Ling’er Chu to encounter a guardian spirit beast, but to his surprise, less than two minutes later, she leapt out of the pool.

Yi Lin clearly saw that in her hand was a pure white lotus flower.

The strong aura emanating from the lotus was exactly as he had sensed.

Ling’er Chu returned safely to the shore holding the lotus, her face glowing with joy.

“Brother Yi, look! This must be the legendary Cold Tempered Snow Lotus. Judging by its color, it must be over a thousand years old.”

“I once saw this in a pharmacopeia. It is said to be an extremely precious divine herb.”

“Refined into pills, it can prolong life, cleanse the spirit and marrow, and even forcibly enhance one’s foundation!”

“If auctioned, it would be worth at least hundreds of millions of spirit stones!”

Ling’er Chu’s voice trembled with emotion; she hadn’t expected such a treasure here.

Snow lotuses a hundred years old were already rare, let alone those a thousand years old.

It was unlikely that there was a second one in the entire northwest region.

Listening to her description, Yi Lin was also stunned.

However, such a valuable item had no guardian spirit beast. Had he known, he would have taken it himself.

Just as the two were excited, a terrifying roar echoed through the sky.

Before they could react, a massive figure burst out of the cold pool and flew toward them.

A giant serpent covered entirely in ice emerged, its aura comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator!

Both Yi Lin and Ling’er Chu, with their Foundation Establishment and Core Formation levels respectively, were terrified, their scalps tingling as they stared at the oncoming ice serpent.

In this critical moment, a resolute gleam flashed in Yi Lin’s eyes. He snatched the thousand-year-old Cold Tempered Snow Lotus from Ling’er Chu’s hand and then pushed her toward the serpent.

With disbelief on her face, Ling’er Chu watched as Yi Lin turned and fled without looking back.

At that moment, she was utterly desperate, death’s shadow closing in.

Yet, just as the serpent was about to swallow her, a tall figure suddenly appeared, pulling her from the serpent’s jaws.

Opening her eyes, Ling’er Chu saw it was none other than Ye Fan standing before her.