Having survived the ordeal and finally reuniting, there was naturally a wave of emotion, relief, and joy among the group. However, Yan Luo being trapped in danger caused everyone immense worry. Compounding this shadow was the continued silence from Xing Ye and Xing Zhan, casting a pall over their hearts.
Yet, there was good news: Yin Shuang’s magical refinement had finally entered its final stage. Dragon Xin’s return now offered invaluable assistance. One had to remember that Dragon Xin was no longer the person she once was; having passed the Heavenly Gate trials, she had already achieved the cultivation level of the Fourth Heavenly Gate! She was, after all, a Rainbow Sky Magic God now. With her help, Yin Shuang’s workload pressure had significantly lessened.
Of course, completing the final testing phase would still require some dedicated time for adjustments!
Before that, we settled down to devise a detailed plan for rescuing Yan Luo.
“The Ice Seal Tribe is a powerful tribal group located in the northern reaches of the Snow Domain Continent,” Dragon Xin explained, recalling the details. “The tribal clan shares the surname Bing! The current chief is named Bing Chi, roughly a hundred years old! It is said his power is unfathomably deep; within the entire Snow Domain, he absolutely ranks among the top five supreme masters!
Under him are nine other exceptionally strong war generals, also known as the Nine Throne Generals. Each of the nine possesses superb combat skills: three warriors, three mages, and three Daoists!
The power of their commander and vice-commander alone surpasses even the combined strength of Xing Ye and Xing Zhan; they are terrifyingly strong!
It was at their hands that Xing Ye and Xing Zhan were defeated and nearly killed during the previous map acquisition attempt!” Dragon Xin continued.
“…” Matcha was significantly startled, her face cycling through shades of green and white!
“Just the two commanders are stronger than both His Highness Xing Ye and His Highness Xing Zhan,” Mo Hui mumbled. “Doesn't that mean our chances are next to nil?”
“…” I was likewise frozen in place. According to Dragon Xin, wasn't this Bing Chi practically a monstrously powerful super master!
“A master of war battles with wits, not just brute force,” Yin Shuang stated seriously, seemingly reading my thoughts. “We don’t need to clash head-on with them. As long as we find the right opportunity, rescuing Yan Luo shouldn't be difficult.”
“You have a point. My current concern is Yan Luo’s condition—is she even still alive?”
“That is up to fate now,” Yin Shuang replied. “What we can do is rush to the Ice Seal Tribe as quickly as possible, ascertain her status, and then make further plans.”
“We shouldn’t delay; let’s set off immediately.”
The Ice Seal Tribe was over five thousand li from our location. To arrive sooner, we had no choice but to risk traveling by Thunder Eagle! Yin Shuang also had to temporarily set aside her current work and join us in this rescue operation!
Fortunately, nothing perilous occurred along the way. Two days later, we reached the territory of the Ice Seal Tribe! Dragon Xin had been here before and was thus familiar with the terrain. Under her guidance, we successfully arrived at the main city of the Ice Seal Tribe—the Throne!
“Brother guard, please grant us passage!” At this moment, Dragon Xin was clad in a fox-fur greatcoat, a long saber hanging at her waist, and a longbow slung across her back. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a simple, neat ponytail, bound only with a piece of straw rope! Her inherently clear and lovely features were marred by a layer of rough, uneven texture, diminishing her beauty considerably—she looked exactly like a huntress!
In the Snow Domain Continent, hunting was an extremely common profession. People of all ages and genders seemed to possess respectable archery skills! Consequently, Dragon Xin’s attire was as utterly ordinary as could be!
The guard was certainly not polite; he accepted the silver coin Dragon Xin offered as a matter of course, but his eyes remained wary as he scrutinized me, Mo Hui, and Matcha!
At this moment, Mo Hui and Matcha were dressed identically to hunters! Each of us carried the carcasses of several freshly slain Snow Domain Ice Wolves slung over our shoulders! We looked no different from any other hunters!
There was nothing suspicious about us!
And it was at this point that I began to carefully survey the main city of the Ice Seal Tribe!
In my mind, the word ‘tribe’ suggested antiquity, backwardness, primitivism, and poverty. However, the scene before me was startling!
The city gates were immense, built upon foundations of bluestone, appearing majestic and imposing. Flanking the entrance stood two vivid, lifelike colossal statues—monstrous figures with the faces of terrifying beasts, holding massive spears, possessing the heads of sheep and the bodies of men!
Coupled with the imposing, high walls and massive gates, the scene delivered an unparalleled sense of shock and impact!
In a single glance, I recognized this as an ancient fortress city that had endured countless battles yet still stood firm!
Entering and exiting the gates were nobles dressed in expensive attire with long sabers, carrying an air of refined elegance, alongside valiant rangers, dashing on spirited horses! Of course, the majority were common folk dressed like us!
Along the military lanes on both sides stood rows of neatly arrayed, iron-armored guards! These were the garrison troops protecting the main city, the Throne!
Though this was my first direct contact with the native inhabitants of this continent, I could deeply sense the fierce martial spirit permeating the populace—it seemed everyone valued combat!
Furthermore, their civilization did not seem backward; at least, I couldn't see any area where it lagged behind Qi or the Demon Dragons!
It seemed that many things, often, could not be understood merely by their literal names!
To my mind, the great city of the Throne appearing alongside the ancient term ‘tribe’ felt incongruous!
Apparently sensing that we didn't have much money to spare, the guard didn't even bother speaking, merely nodding slightly to grant us passage!
Thus, we successfully infiltrated the city!
Prior to this, Dragon Xin had already detailed the long history of this main city for us.
The Throne City was not exclusively populated by the Ice Seal Tribe; many people from other tribes came for trade!
Due to its unique geographical position, the Throne had become the largest marketplace within a thousand li radius, which is why the city gate checks weren't overly strict!
Of course, avoiding some level of exploitation was impossible; such conditions were common in other cities across the Snow Domain Continent!
One had to understand that while conducting business here required paying significant levies, it was vastly safer than other regions! Therefore, spending a little extra money was well worth it!
The streets were thronged with people, the rumble of carts and horses mixed with the high, resonant calls of vendors competing with each other!
On both sides of the street lay vast expanses of shops and small stalls!
The merchandise was dazzlingly varied! From exquisitely crafted artifacts to various daily necessities, they had everything!
However, we were in no mood to admire these sights!
Since we had successfully entered, the next task was naturally to gather intelligence!
Information regarding a high-profile political prisoner like Yan Luo would certainly not be available in the marketplace!
Therefore, our next step was to infiltrate the central hub of the Throne City—the location that previously served as the imperial palace; however, in the Snow Domain Continent, that palace was called the Ice Palace!
Only by reaching that location would we have a chance to gather the necessary information!
The Ice Palace was situated exactly in the center of the Throne City! Through the descriptions previously provided on the magic sandbox, I understood that the entire Throne City was constructed to conform to the complex and ever-changing topography of mountains and hills here!
This involuntarily reminded me of Mancheng!
However, unlike Mancheng, this Throne was perpetually covered in snow, with an intensely cold climate!
The specific geography and hilly terrain made this large city exceptionally strong, defensible, and difficult to assault! When faced with an attack, they only needed to secure several strategic passes and lower the city gates to prevent large enemy forces from entering! In such naturally perilous locations, defenses were minimal. Thus, although the Throne City was vast, if the main gates were sealed, it could function as a small, isolated nation. Moreover, there were numerous farmlands and orchards within the city, cultivating specialized crops suited for cold regions! I couldn't name them, but one thing was certain: this city possessed robust self-sufficiency, capable of sustaining an army of millions even if besieged for ten or twenty years!
Consequently, the Throne was renowned across the Snow Domain Continent as the most impregnable natural fortress city!
Under the cover of night, I reached the exterior of the Ice Palace’s towering walls without much difficulty.
For this reconnaissance mission, I was acting alone for security reasons. However, Dragon Xin had previously mapped the geographical layout and structure of the Ice Palace onto a magic sandbox for me to memorize! Not only that, but I also carried a spare map tucked into my pouch!
I cautiously lay prone in a corner, meticulously observing the situation outside the palace walls!
It was evident that the Ice Palace’s guards were extremely rigorous! Every stretch featured a colossal torch, like a pillar, illuminating the surroundings so brightly that it made little difference from daytime!
Furthermore, there were numerous guards patrolling the palace walls, each looking stern and vigilant. This itself wasn't the main issue; for top-tier masters like us who could ascend and descend freely, these individuals were little more than window dressing!
On the Mafa Continent, the royal palaces of every nation possessed defensive magical barriers!
Fortunately, there were no such magical barriers here, suggesting the Mafa Continent was more advanced in magical civilization!
Still, I dared not underestimate the defensive capabilities of the Ice Palace!
The outer walls of the Ice Palace were quite high, about fifteen zhang!
Although my skills allowed me to scale the walls easily, the intense light radiating everywhere, coupled with a large contingent of guards, presented a headache. Moreover, there were patrols on the ramparts. Using my heightened senses, I could clearly feel even more guards inside the walls, including several masters whose strength was not insignificant!
Sneaking in undetected would not be easy!
It seemed I would have to activate my state of momentary invincibility again!
Confident that in such a state, these guards would never detect my presence!
Once my mind was made up, I hesitated no longer!
Activating momentary invincibility simultaneously, my entire body zipped past the wall like a gust of wind!
Then, I landed softly inside the palace walls!
After carefully regulating the slightly chaotic flow of energy within my body, I completely suppressed my aura!
Since waking up, the most noticeable change, besides the massive surge in my Battle Qi strength, was the incredible mastery I now possessed over Battle Qi control techniques and environmental perception!
Through instantaneous bursts of Battle Qi, I could enter a nearly invincible state for a split second—that technique was what I previously called momentary invincibility!
The enhancement of my spiritual perception also broadened my sensory range significantly. If I entered the state of the Illusory Demon Eye, not even the slightest rustle of wind within a radius of a dozen li could escape me!
I knew this level of perception already far exceeded the range of the Illusory Demon Eye, but I couldn't assign a clear definition to this state!
Another crucial element was Lan Xi—the control and retraction of one’s aura. As long as I completely retracted my energy signature, even the top-tier cultivation of a Phoenix Sky War God, standing right next to me, would fail to detect my existence!
It was precisely relying on these three special skills in the dense forest that I successfully slew Mo Luo Yin Zhi and seven other experts from the Holy Word Church, rescuing Dragon Xin!
I was confident that these three skills would allow me to move through the Ice Palace unimpeded!
The internal structure of the Ice Palace was complex, and the guard presence was equally severe! Despite the successful infiltration, I maintained the highest level of vigilance, cautiously making my way toward the center!
However, the Ice Palace was enormous, and Dragon Xin could only provide a generalized structural map; she certainly wouldn't know exactly where Yan Luo was imprisoned!
Therefore, all I could do was search area by area!
This presented quite a challenge for someone unfamiliar with the layout!
Relying on my nimble footwork and superior speed, I managed to evade quite a few guards along the way!
But I still had no clue how to proceed with the search!
Just as I felt utterly lost, a faint 'thump' sound echoed!
A ripple suddenly appeared across the clear three-dimensional image in my mind! Vaguely, I sensed a fuzzy fluctuation approaching!
Something was happening!
I was secretly startled!
Although the fluctuation was faint, it absolutely could not escape my perception!
Someone was approaching, and this person was not weak—could it be an ambush post? I quickly sharpened my focus and slipped into a nearby flower bed!
In the dim moonlight, a blurry afterimage suddenly flashed out. Although its speed was rapid, I managed to catch sight of it! It was a masked figure!
However, I sensed no strong Battle Qi fluctuation from this person, but rather a very peculiar magical fluctuation!
It felt like a gentle wind—formless and intangible, yet present everywhere!
Not only the feeling, but the person's speed was as swift as the wind!
Clearly, this individual also had some ulterior motive! Their speed was fast yet cautious; moreover, this person seemed to have a precise destination, heading straight toward a particular direction rapidly!
Who could it be!
Were there other nocturnal visitors within this Ice Palace!
Though I didn't know what was happening, I carefully followed behind him to see what unfolded!
Perhaps there might be an unexpected gain!
The masked figure ahead seemed quite familiar with the layout of the Ice Palace!
The route chosen was invariably subtle and concealed, heading directly east!
Soon, the surrounding palace structures disappeared from view!
What came into sight was an incredibly tall, massive structure, resembling a colossal tower from a distance!
However, the moment I approached, I felt a slight, familiar fluctuation!
Ah! It was killing intent!
This person was well-hidden, and their aura was well suppressed, but it wasn't enough to deceive my senses!
Yet the masked figure ahead seemed unaware, continuing forward for a considerable distance before abruptly stopping! Then, they swiftly darted under the shade of a nearby tree!
It seemed he only realized something was wrong at this moment and hastily sought cover!
“What stray dog is lurking there? Speak up and show yourself!” A crisp, pleasant female voice echoed from the tall tower ahead!
The masked figure ahead visibly stiffened! Clearly, that voice was directed at him!
This situation seemed somewhat unexpected!
“Daring to trespass in the palace, yet lacking the courage to reveal yourself?” The pleasant female voice in the darkness remained calm, yet it exuded a strong wave of killing intent!
“And what stray cat is screeching loudly in the middle of the night, aren't you afraid of frightening people to death!” The masked figure finally spoke. To my surprise, the voice sounded quite young, perhaps no older than twenty!
Apparently knowing concealment was no longer possible, he boldly stepped out, but instead of moving toward the tower, he began slowly retreating!
It seemed he intended to withdraw, or perhaps use retreat as a tactic to draw his opponent out!
“I wondered who it was,” the female voice sounded again. “It’s that boy, Sui Feng! You’re unlucky to run into this lady!”
“Little sister Yue Ge, I’m older than you by a few days, after all,” the masked figure replied playfully. “Is that how you address your elder brother?”
“Little brother Sui Feng, don't act as if you know the immensity of heaven and earth!” the female voice retorted undaunted. “Who said you are older than me by a few days?”
“You just did.”
“Did I?”
“I heard you just now, with my own ears.”
“You little brat, you’re playing games with me!”
What in the world was this situation!
I was somewhat bewildered!
These two were arguing in the Ice Palace late at night over nothing, and they seemed quite familiar with each other!
The verbal sparring contest was still raging fiercely!
“I am your older brother.”
“I am your grand-aunt.”
“I am your father…”
“I am your mother!”
After a few rounds, they had both retreated all the way back to the womb!
I, hiding in the shadows, listened with my jaw dropped!
Was this some kind of staged drama!