Chapter 240: Xue'er, It's Me...
The Snow Empress glided toward the edge of the pool, her movements possessing an ethereal grace. As she crouched beside the churning waters, the pristine hem of her white skirt cascaded over the jagged rocks, hovering just a fraction of an inch above the moisture.
Spreading her slender fingers, she extended her right hand over the Lovesick Heartbroken Herb trapped within the thick block of ice. She didn't touch the frozen surface directly; her palm hovered silently in the air, maintaining a deliberate distance.
A wisp of pure, white chill seeped from her porcelain skin. It was incredibly faint, resembling the soft mist of a quiet winter breath. This delicate layer of frost drifted downward, settling onto the solid ice block without the slightest impact or tremor. It draped over the frozen prison like a gossamer blanket of snow.
Beneath her hovering hand, the thick ice layer began to tremble. This shudder did not stem from brute force or external pressure. Instead, it was an instinctive, almost organic reaction—as if the frozen energy within recognized its absolute sovereign, yet simultaneously fought against an intrusive divine will. Spiderweb cracks materialized across the surface, expanding rapidly. They weren't being pried apart by violence; the ice was willingly loosening from its very core.
A few paces away, Huo Yuhao remained on his knees against the harsh stone. He watched the unfolding scene with wide, unblinking eyes. His pale lips quivered slightly, but the violent shaking in his bloodstained hands had finally ceased. His gaze was locked onto the frozen herb, tracking the Snow Empress's hovering palm and the expanding fissures racing across the ice.
Deep within Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness, the dormant, illusory projection of the Ice Empress suddenly stirred. Her spiritual form materialized, her piercing gaze cutting through the physical boundaries of her host's body to observe the outside world.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the Snow Empress. She took in the sight of the woman in the flawless white dress, her waist-length snowy hair cascading down her back as she crouched by the pool, effortlessly manipulating the absolute chill from her palm.
The Ice Empress's pupils contracted into sharp slits.
"Xue'er..."
Her voice echoed in the mental void—low, heavy, and layered with an indescribable complexity. It had been an eternity since she last laid eyes on her peer.
Their previous encounter had been within the sterile confines of Mingde Hall, where greedy humans had trapped the Snow Empress within the insidious God Sealing Platform. Back then, her condition had been utterly tragic. Her soul had been fractured and weak, teetering on the very edge of oblivion, barely able to string together a coherent thought.
Yet the figure before her now told a completely different story. Though still a considerable distance from her absolute peak, the Snow Empress radiated a steady, tranquil aura. Her spirit power had solidified, flowing with natural grace. She had already recovered at least seventy to eighty percent of her original foundation.
The Tianmeng Iceworm's voice abruptly echoed through the Sea of Consciousness, laced with undisguised shock.
"How is this even possible? How did she recover so fast? The last time we saw her, she was locked inside that damned God Sealing Platform, completely paralyzed!"
The Ice Empress offered no reply. Her spiritual gaze remained glued to the woman outside, scrutinizing every minute shift in her posture. She knew her old companion far too well to be deceived. That pristine aura, the flawless circulation of her absolute chill—none of it could be faked. The Snow Empress had genuinely reclaimed a massive portion of her strength.
Tianmeng continued to ramble, his tone carrying a heavy, bitter edge. "She was literally on the verge of dissipating into nothingness. How much time has even passed since that auction? How in the world did she pull this off?"
A heavy silence stretched within the mental domain before the Ice Empress finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It was Liu Yuan."
Tianmeng was entirely dumbfounded.
"Liu Yuan? Are you serious? What kind of heaven-defying ability does a mere Spirit Emperor in his sixties possess to heal someone of her caliber? Even with that old ghost Electrolux backing him up, it shouldn't be this ridiculously fast!"
The Ice Empress ignored his frantic questioning. She watched the white mist cascading from the Snow Empress's palm, observing the ice shattering under her silent command.
A sudden, intrusive thought surfaced in her mind. She thought of her own desperate choice. Back then, facing the absolute limit of her lifespan, she had allowed Tianmeng to tempt her into a massive gamble, binding her fate to Huo Yuhao.
But... what if she had been given a chance to start over? What if she had encountered Liu Yuan first?
The Ice Empress forcefully shook her head, scattering the dangerous line of thought. There were no 'ifs' in this world. Her path was already set.
Back beside the churning pool, the Snow Empress slowly raised her hand.
The thick block of ice sealing the Lovesick Heartbroken Herb rose in tandem with her gesture. The frozen prison did not violently shatter, nor did it melt into water. Instead, the entire layer of ice smoothly peeled away from the delicate plant, sliding off as effortlessly as a silken robe slipping from a shoulder.
The extracted shell of ice hovered in mid-air, rotating lazily beneath her palm. Within the frozen mass, traces of pure white chill clashed violently against a lingering, golden divine force. Faint, sharp sizzling noises echoed as the two extreme energies ground against one another.
A tiny crease formed between the Snow Empress's brows.
Applying a fraction more force, she intensified the white mist pouring from her skin. The absolute chill instantly thickened, completely swallowing the suspended ice block.
The golden divine force thrashed wildly within the blinding white mist, fighting for dominance, but its resistance was futile. After a few brief moments, the golden light flickered and extinguished entirely. Stripped of its internal support, the heavy chunk of ice plummeted from the air, splashing heavily into the boiling Yang Spring and sinking rapidly into the scalding depths.
Huo Yuhao tracked the sinking ice before his gaze snapped back to the dark red Lovesick Heartbroken Herb. Freed from its frozen cage, the immortal herb rested near the water's edge, its delicate leaves slowly unfurling to reveal a stunning, vibrant crimson hue.
His eyes burned. Hot moisture welled up, threatening to spill over, but he bit down hard on his lower lip, forcing the tears back.
Pivoting on his knees, he faced the Snow Empress and slammed his forehead against the jagged rock in a deep, resounding kowtow.
"Thank you."
His voice was utterly hoarse, choked with an overwhelming tide of relief and gratitude.
The Snow Empress spared him a brief, indifferent glance. Without uttering a single syllable, she rose to her feet and gracefully stepped back, retreating to the periphery of the spring.
Huo Yuhao immediately shifted his orientation toward Liu Yuan. He opened his mouth, preparing to offer the same deep gesture of gratitude, but Liu Yuan casually raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Save the kowtowing," Liu Yuan stated, his tone perfectly flat and pragmatic. "I already told you. I only stepped in because of Elder Yi. You owe your life and this herb to him, not me."
Huo Yuhao's lips parted, but the words died in his throat. He shifted his gaze to the gray, illusory projection floating just behind Liu Yuan. Electrolux was still present, his spectral form faint yet distinctly outlined against the misty backdrop.
The old necromancer did not meet his eyes. Electrolux turned his head slightly, his gaze drifting toward the distant cavern walls, deliberately avoiding the emotional display.
Understanding the silent rejection, Huo Yuhao lowered his head, swallowing his unspoken words.
Turning back to the Lovesick Heartbroken Herb, he slowly extended his hand. His fingers shook violently—no longer from crippling despair, but from severe blood loss and physical exhaustion.
Gritting his teeth, he forced his hand steady. He gripped the hilt of his small knife and ruthlessly dragged the blade across the existing, mangled wound over his heart. Fresh, hot blood welled up instantly. He leaned forward, allowing the crimson droplets to fall directly onto the dark red leaves of the immortal herb.
The moment his heart's blood struck the foliage, it neither coagulated nor froze. Instead, the liquid was rapidly absorbed, seeping smoothly along the complex veins, traveling down the slender stem, and sinking deep into the root system.
A miraculous transformation occurred. The plant's muted dark red coloring ignited into a blinding, vibrant crimson, before finally settling into a rich, lustrous ruby hue. The tightly bound flower bud slowly unfurled. Its delicate petals, as thin and translucent as cicada wings, stretched outward to reveal a cluster of brilliant, golden-yellow stamens.
A weak, exhausted smile broke across Huo Yuhao's pale face.
With agonizing care, he reached out and plucked the Lovesick Heartbroken Herb from its rocky crevice. He cradled the immortal plant in his palms, treating it with the utmost reverence, as if holding the most fragile treasure in the universe. His eyes remained bloodshot, but the suffocating shadow of despair had completely vanished.
Standing a short distance away, Liu Yuan observed the boy cradling the glowing herb. He remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking up.
"For Elder Yi's sake, I will give you one final piece of advice."
Huo Yuhao immediately looked up, his expression attentive.
Liu Yuan's voice was devoid of any warmth or mockery; it was merely a cold, objective statement of fact.
"In the future, curb your impulsive nature. Look before you leap." He paused, his dark eyes locking onto the kneeling boy. "If no one had been here to stop you from throwing yourself into that boiling spring today, you would be nothing but melted bones by now."
He took a slow breath. "And if you died here... what about Wang Dong'er? Who would be left to save her?"
Huo Yuhao's jaw slackened. He tried to formulate a defense, but the harsh truth of the words paralyzed his tongue.
Liu Yuan didn't wait for a response. "There is one more thing. When you finally return, ask Wang Dong'er directly if she is actually ill."
Huo Yuhao flinched, visibly startled by the sudden shift in topic.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice suddenly strained and defensive.
"I don't mean anything," Liu Yuan replied smoothly, his expression unreadable. "I am simply telling you to ask her. What is written in a letter is not necessarily the truth. What other people feed you is not necessarily the truth, either. There is absolutely no harm in confirming the reality of the situation with your own eyes."
A heavy, suffocating silence descended upon Huo Yuhao. He stared down at the radiant Lovesick Heartbroken Herb resting in his palms, his mind racing through a dozen different terrifying implications. Slowly, he lifted his head to study Liu Yuan's impassive face.
Finally, he gave a stiff nod.
"I understand."
The atmosphere within the subterranean cavern of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well remained a chaotic battleground of extreme temperatures. Scalding, crimson steam continuously billowed from the Yang Spring on the left, while a bone-chilling, pale mist rolled off the Yin Spring on the right. High above the churning waters, the intense heat and absolute cold collided, weaving together to form a dense, swirling canopy of fog that blanketed the entire basin.
Having said his piece, Liu Yuan turned his back, dismissing Huo Yuhao from his attention entirely.
He strode purposefully toward the right side of the basin, halting at the jagged edge of the Yin Spring. Crouching down, he casually dipped his fingers into the milky-white liquid to test the temperature. The water was intensely cold, yet it lacked the vicious, flesh-destroying bite of normal extreme ice. Instead, it possessed a deep, refreshing chill that instantly invigorated the mind and cleansed the spirit.
The Snow Empress approached silently, standing just behind his shoulder as she observed his probing movements.
"Is the ambient cold energy within this Yin Spring of any use to you?" Liu Yuan asked, glancing up at her.
The Snow Empress shifted her gaze toward the swirling, frosty waters. A faint glimmer of approval flashed in her eyes before she gave a small nod.
"It is. The ice energy concentrated here is exceptionally pure. If I am allowed to cultivate within these waters for a short period, my overall recovery speed will increase drastically."
Liu Yuan stood up and took a deliberate step back, gesturing toward the edge.
"Then stay here and cultivate. We will wait for you to finish."
The Snow Empress met his gaze for a fleeting second. She did not bother to voice a refusal or offer unnecessary thanks.
Gliding to the very precipice of the Yin Spring, she gracefully seated herself on a smooth stone. She slipped her bare, porcelain feet directly into the freezing current and gently closed her eyes. Instantly, a massive surge of absolute white chill erupted from her core. Her innate aura smoothly merged with the primordial cold of the spring, blending so perfectly that it became entirely impossible to distinguish where the Snow Empress ended and the Yin Spring began.
A short distance away, Huo Yuhao remained rooted to the spot, silently watching the sovereign of the extreme north immerse herself in the mystical waters.
Suddenly, a familiar, trembling voice echoed from deep within his Sea of Consciousness. However, this time, the Ice Empress was not speaking to him. She was projecting her spiritual intent outward, reaching across the cavern directly toward the meditating figure by the spring.
"Xue'er... it's me."
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