Nie Kong paused for a moment, touched the ice wall again, and the Gourd instantly reverted to its chubby, cute form, aiming its mouth at the spot Nie Kong had touched and sucking in...

Very quickly, a smooth, round hole appeared.

Nie Kong and the Gourd immediately arrived in the third frozen space, then the fourth, the fifth...

Upon entering the frozen spaces, although the connection between Bai Yuqing's true body and her mental imprint remained unstable, it consistently drifted in one direction, which provided Nie Kong with immense convenience.

Following this faint sense, Nie Kong and the Gourd zipped through at high speed.

In less than half an hour, the two had passed through nearly a hundred frozen spaces. By this time, the mental imprint within the spiritual slip had achieved an unusually stable connection with the true body.

"It's right ahead!"

When the Gourd sucked out the one hundred and twentieth small passage, Nie Kong's spirit soared. The instant the hole cleared, Nie Kong sensed a familiar aura.

A streak of violet light flashed, and Nie Kong swiftly slipped through.

In moments, Nie Kong traversed the several-meter-long passage. At the bottom of the frozen space, Bai Yuqing sat quietly, eyes closed, a greatsword resting across her knees.

Her white robes were as pure as snow, her figure graceful, her chest high and arresting. Her face remained as pure and tender as a young girl's; compared to a few years prior, there was practically no change.

Bai Yuqing suddenly snapped her eyes open. Her right wrist trembled, and the greatsword sprang up. The chill emanating from her dark, bright eyes seemed to have congealed into substance, chilling one to the bone.

"It's me!"

Nie Kong quickly drifted out.

"Hmm?"

Bai Yuqing's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. She instantly recognized the voice as somewhat familiar, yet what floated in the air was only a small purple sphere, leaving her uncertain.

Nie Kong hesitated no longer. The "Purple Illusory Spirit Incense" quickly unfurled, and he immediately reverted to his original appearance.

"Nie Kong, is that really you?" Bai Yuqing rose to her full height, looking at Nie Kong with disbelief, undisguised surprise shining in her cold, beautiful eyes.

"Little Sister Bai, I finally found you!"

Nie Kong let out a long breath, a look of sheer relief blooming on his face, only to hear a "thud" behind him. It was the Gourd, which had reverted to its original form, spreading its stubby limbs flat, lying sprawled on the ice surface, gasping heavily, "Nie Kong, that nearly killed me."

Bai Yuqing gazed at the small, fleshball-like creature, a slight puzzlement in her eyes.

Nie Kong laughed, "Never mind him, just let him rest on his own."

Bai Yuqing finally calmed down, resettling into her cross-legged position, and looked at Nie Kong, "Nie Kong, why have you suddenly appeared in the 'Frozen Snow Domain'?"

"I came specifically for you!"

Nie Kong took out the spiritual slip Xu Tuo had given him and explained the reason for his arrival. As he spoke, Nie Kong suddenly realized that while Bai Yuqing’s appearance hadn't changed, her temperament had undergone a seismic shift.

In the past, she had been like a sheathed ice sword, its sharpness blazing forth, radiating an almost untouchable coldness from every part of her. Now, though Bai Yuqing remained cold in expression, that chill was entirely contained within her when she was calm, making it difficult even for Nie Kong to detect.

But if she was provoked, that coldness would erupt violently, just as it had when she first discovered him.

"..."

Bai Yuqing listened quietly. Although Nie Kong’s explanation was very brief, the ice in her cold eyes visibly fluctuated. Before being trapped, she had only managed to transmit the four words "Frozen Snow Domain" back to her master, Xu Tuo. She knew her master would certainly seek out a Heavenly Spirit realm expert to find her once the message arrived.

However, she never could have imagined that the Heavenly Spirit expert who arrived in the Frozen Snow Domain would be Nie Kong!

That wasn't even the main point.

What touched Bai Yuqing the most was that Nie Kong had rushed over without any hesitation upon receiving the news, and he had done so in a mere half-month.

From Jiyang City to the Frozen Snow Domain spanned almost the entire continent. Under normal circumstances, even with a peak ninth-rank flying spirit beast as transport, it would likely take a month. Yet Nie Kong took only half that time, illustrating just how urgent his mood must have been during the journey.

Especially since, after clashing with Bai Yetian in the Frozen Snow Domain, Nie Kong had deliberately placed himself in danger just to expedite finding her trail.

Nie Kong finished speaking, but Bai Yuqing remained silent.

Yet, the hand gripping the sword hilt unconsciously tightened ever so slightly. Even she didn't realize it, but at that moment, the icy strings of her heart were quietly beginning to thaw.

After a brief pause, Nie Kong couldn't help but ask, "Little Sister Bai, how did you end up here?"

"I..."

Bai Yuqing opened her mouth.

Before the rest of her words could emerge, a soft "hum" resonated through the frozen space. Bai Yuqing seemed to recall something utterly repulsive; her delicate brows knitted tightly, and then she rose to her full height, the greatsword clanging heavily onto the snowy ice surface. "Nie Kong, stand behind me."

Nie Kong blinked. "What's wrong?"

Bai Yuqing said gravely, "You'll know soon enough! Hurry!"

"..."

Nie Kong reluctantly scooped up the Gourd, which had just rolled over and sat up, tucking it into his embrace. As he positioned himself behind Bai Yuqing, he suddenly noticed the surrounding ice walls rapidly closing in.

Bai Yuqing commanded again, "Closer!"

Nie Kong quickly shuffled nearer to Bai Yuqing’s back.

Yet, Bai Yuqing's voice sounded again, "Closer still!"

"Even closer?"

Nie Kong was stunned. He glanced down at Bai Yuqing's exceptionally pert, rounded posterior. Any closer, and their bodies would be touching. Seeing Nie Kong hesitate, Bai Yuqing frowned, reached back, and pulled Nie Kong forward. Before Nie Kong could react, their bodies pressed tightly together.

"Whoosh!"

Instantly, a rushing sound erupted from Bai Yuqing's chest. A gust of Wind Spiritual Power, so immense it was nearly terrifying, surged outward, swiftly swirling to envelop Nie Kong and Bai Yuqing, who were now pressed flush against each other. Following this came a crackling sound, as threads of lightning flickered within the Wind Spiritual Power.

Both Wind and Lightning Spiritual Power!

Nie Kong instantly understood. Bai Yuqing must be using the protective treasure Xu Tuo had given her. It was likely thanks to this item that she had managed to maintain her purity over the past half-month, preventing that vile, utterly depraved Poison Spirit, Bai Yetian, from succeeding.

"Hum!"

The humming intensified, and the speed at which the surrounding ice walls contracted also increased.

Before long, the diameter of the originally hemispherical frozen space, which had been reduced to about one meter, was now barely a meter wide—and that was only because the wind and lightning spiritual powers had converged around them into a powerful vortex. Otherwise, the ice walls would have crushed them together tightly.

But even now, there was absolutely no gap between Nie Kong's chest and Bai Yuqing's back. The Gourd, that small ball of flesh, squeezed out from Nie Kong's chest and nestled against the nape of Bai Yuqing’s neck.

…… ……RO