In the deepest recesses of Yu Tao's meridians, wisps of white flames, as fine as dust, began to emerge.
These were the sub-flames of the Bone Spirit Cold Fire controlled by Yao Lao. Over the past few days, Yao Lao had mixed these flames into the food they both consumed, allowing them to enter Yu Tao's body.
Now, it was time for them to take effect.
A flash of light appeared from the ancient black ring, causing Yu Tao to shiver, instantly transforming into a rigid ice sculpture.
Standing beside him, Huo Yuhao chuckled, lying down on the ground and then laying Yu Tao down as well, burying him in a nearby snowdrift.
Just as he finished this in less than ten breaths, he felt an incredibly terrifying presence. Immediately, Huo Yuhao felt a heavy pressure on his back, pushing him forcefully into the ground.
The fire membrane formed by the Bone Spirit Cold Fire was extremely flexible, protecting Huo Yuhao's body from harm. Huo Yuhao remained motionless like a lifeless object until he could no longer sense that powerful presence.
"Whoosh!"
A hand broke through the thick layer of snow, and Huo Yuhao emerged from the snowdrift, breathing in the icy air. Surveying his surroundings, he saw enormous footprints, each about five meters long and over two meters wide. The traces left by Huo Yuhao were not even a third of the length of these footprints.
"You're really lucky, kid. You actually encountered one of the three great kings of the Extreme North, the Titan Snow Devil King. This guy also possesses spiritual attributes, blocking my detection. Fortunately, my spiritual power far exceeds his, and I detected him when he got close enough," Tianmeng Iceworm sighed with relief in the sea of spirits.
"Titan Snow Devil King," Huo Yuhao muttered in his heart.
"Yes, the Titan Snow Devil King is one of the three great kings of the Extreme North. In this land, they are akin to the rulers of the Star Dou Forest. They are the true dominators of the Extreme North, almost invincible in this harsh environment."
Yao Lao spoke calmly, "It's not that invincible. If we were to face it directly, I could still take Yuhao away from here."
Tianmeng:
I know you're impressive, but saying that makes me look bad, bro!
"Alright, since we've avoided this so-called Titan Snow Devil King, let's continue exploring," Huo Yuhao said. "But teacher, are you sure it's okay to leave him here like this?"
Huo Yuhao was naturally referring to Yu Tao, who was now an ice sculpture. Someone as naive as Yu Tao would never have suspected that something was added to his food.
Yu Tao: I'm really speechless at how cunning you are!
"Didn't you just give him that Vitality Pill I refined? With the energy from that pill, plus his own not-so-weak physique, he can hold out for half a month," Yao Lao chuckled.
"Moreover, with my sub-flame masking his presence, no one or soul beast will find him. He'll just lose the memory of being frozen during this time."
Huo Yuhao nodded, chuckling as he took off the massive Heavy Xuan Ruler from his back, using it as a shovel to dig a deep snow pit.
He then threw the frozen Yu Tao into the pit and buried him, even placing a small wooden marker on top for easy retrieval later.
Tianmeng:
Yao Lao:
Why does it feel like you've done this before?
A soft white light suddenly flew out from Huo Yuhao's chest, expanding in the air until it matched Huo Yuhao's size, fitting snugly around his body.
"Hmm, what's this?" Yao Lao asked in surprise.
"This is my remnant body. What you saw before was my original body. It has been clinging to Yuhao's chest, and now it's wrapping around you to emit a trace of aura to lure our target," Tianmeng said lazily.
"So, after Yuhao absorbed the second soul ring, your remnant body was no longer needed, right?" Yao Lao's voice carried a hint of excitement.
"Such a good thing! It's truly valuable! Strong life force, strong spiritual energy, it can even be used as the main ingredient for refining eighth-grade pills."
Hearing Yao Lao's words, Huo Yuhao's eyes also lit up. Eighth-grade pills could indeed bring the dead back to life!
Tianmeng: ???
In just fifteen minutes, the usually calm Tianmeng was rendered speechless three times.
I'm here trying my best to help you absorb a 400,000-year-old ferocious beast as your second martial soul, and you're thinking about using my remnant to refine pills?
I'm so sincere, and you don't even care about my emotions?
"By the way, Yuhao, we're already close to the Myriad Ice Cavern where I used to slumber. Do you want me to take you to see that so-called strange fire?" Tianmeng Iceworm asked.
Before Huo Yuhao could respond, Yao Lao eagerly agreed. Mentioning the strange fire even stirred signs of awakening in Electrolux, who had been in a deep sleep.
Most of the materials for refining the Soul Nourishing Dew had already been purchased by Huo Yuhao from the Treasure Pavilion, though not in his own name to keep the matter secret.
After all, refining pills was something he couldn't let others know. The human heart is unpredictable, and even though the Body Sect treated him as a successor, there might still be those who coveted his pill refining skills.
Not to mention Shrek Academy. If Shrek knew about the existence of pill refining, Huo Yuhao might end up staying in the Sea God Pavilion with Mu En for the rest of his life.
To refine the Soul Nourishing Dew, he still needed the main ingredient, Snow Condensing Flower, which was said to only appear near the core area of the Extreme North. With this trip to the Extreme North, Huo Yuhao intended to collect it as well.
Following Tianmeng Bro's guidance for about two hours, Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed as he spotted a blue ice lake ahead.
"This is it. Below the ice lake is a cold spring. Dive into it, and you'll enter the Myriad Ice Cavern," Tianmeng Bro said. "Don't worry, my remnant body is water and fire-resistant. You won't have breathing problems, just go straight down."
Listening to Tianmeng, and looking at the blue lake ahead, a burning light flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
Yao Lao also emerged from the ancient black ring. The master and disciple exchanged a glance, smiled slightly, and then leaped into the lake.
Strange fire, here I come!