Han Jun frowned and looked at Ling Wei. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Nothing..." Ling Wei replied almost immediately.
"Wei Wei." Han Jun called.
Ling Wei looked at Han Jun and sighed. "Ming Yue lives here; this is her world, her palace, her territory. She sealed herself here after that incident. She was the one who willingly gave out her treasures to those who successfully passed the test. Normally, she is supposed to welcome people, not attack them and kill an ice cultivator without a second thought. I don't understand what she's doing," she replied.
Han Jun's brows knitted together, and suddenly, his heart started racing violently. He touched his chest and looked ahead. "The Ming Yue you are talking about... who exactly was she?" he asked.
"Of course, she was the same unwanted being that caused—" Ling Wei didn't finish her words as she suddenly fell silent. "If it's possible, I don't wish for you to remember her at all, but I am still powerless after all my efforts," she murmured.
Han Jun looked at Ling Wei and then gazed into the distance, his racing heart not calming down. "What is happening?" he thought to himself.
"Brother Han! Please... please send us back! We don't want any treasure again!" one of Yong Li's men cried.
Han Jun looked at the three men, who were now shivering, and then turned to Shu Fang. "Can you send them back?" he asked.
Shu Fang stared at Han Jun for a while before nodding. She waved her sleeve, and one by one, the three men disappeared.
Right after the men vanished, the frozen ice floor started cracking. Suddenly, countless blue lights erupted from the cracks, forming a huge cage and trapped Shu Fang, Ling Wei, and Han Jun.
"What is with this craziness?" Ling Wei cursed, flying toward the cage, intending to break it.
Just as she came within a few meters, she was met by ice ropes that suddenly appeared from the cage. The ropes tied her in the air. She struggled to free herself, but she couldn't.
Suddenly, her legs and hands turned numb, and her teeth began to chatter. The cold air escaped her mouth as her body temperature gradually dropped.
"Ling Wei!" Han Jun shouted in alarm. Without thinking, he left the ice lotus and flew toward Ling Wei.
"Han Jun!" Shu Fang called, trying to stop him, but she was a step too late.
Ice thorns erupted from the ground, aiming for Han Jun, but he easily blocked them. He arrived in front of Ling Wei, who was suspended in the air by the ropes, and grabbed her extremely cold hand, desperately trying to free her.
Just as he touched the rope, thorns suddenly grew out of it, piercing through Han Jun's hand.
"Mm!" Han Jun groaned in pain and moved his hand away, blood escaping from his injured palm. Ignoring his pain, he locked his gaze on the rope. Suddenly, his entire body ignited with flames. He opened his eyes wide and hugged Ling Wei, using the fire to push back the ice that had infiltrated her body.
Strangely enough, the ice only seemed to grow stronger as the fire attacked it.
Shu Fang's eyes widened as she realized something. "The ice isn't ordinary ice... it's the ice of the awakening divine being! No... this is not right; the fire is of no use! Han Jun is in danger!" She murmured, her eyes wide with fear.
"Golden sword, unleash to your fullest!" Right after Shu Fang's command, a golden portal appeared from thin air, and a massive golden sword slowly emerged. Without waiting for a command, it dashed toward the ice ropes suspending Ling Wei and severed them.
Ling Wei's body was still frozen, and she had already lost consciousness.
Floating in the air with Ling Wei in his arms, Han Jun called out, "Wei Wei!" not knowing what to do.
Suddenly, as if sensing that it was Shu Fang who had liberated Ling Wei, the ice cage released ropes from every direction, gathering to bind Shu Fang instead.
Seeing the approaching ropes, Shu Fang used her light barrier to shield herself, but it was useless. "Cursed! I'm still not in full control of my powers! If I let these ice ropes tie me, I'll freeze to death!" she murmured, dodging the ropes while using the golden sword to cut them. But the more she cut, the longer they grew, and she could only evade while wielding the sword.
She left the golden lotus and moved to Han Jun's side, dodging ropes that came for him as well.
"Wei Wei! Open your eyes, please!" Han Jun was feeling heartache as his efforts to wake Ling Wei proved futile. "The book... it should be able to help," he murmured. "But how am I going to activate it?" He thought deeply and recalled that the book informed him it activates according to the situation. "That's right... let me try risking my life," he murmured and said to Shu Fang.
"Direct the ropes at me!"
"What!" Shu Fang lost focus on dodging, allowing one rope to curl around her arm. "Cursed," she whispered, feeling her blood freeze. Immediately, she cut off the rope. "Are you willing to die just like that?" she asked, not daring to lose concentration.
"I know what I'm doing. Just do as I say," Han Jun replied. He couldn't understand why he was willing to risk his life. Shouldn't he be more concerned about his own safety? Why on earth was he feeling such a desperate need to protect Ling Wei? He was experiencing an unfamiliar feeling of not wanting to part with his family.
Shu Fang didn't speak for a long time. "Trust him first... if anything goes wrong, I can help," she thought to herself and then said, "I will do as you say." She raised her sword, shining lightly against the ice ropes, and then directed them toward Han Jun.
The ropes came closer and closer, moving at their fastest speed. Han Jun's heart raced as the ropes approached. He grabbed Ling Wei tightly and closed his eyes, prepared to be pulled into his mind's sight.
Just as the ropes were only a few meters away, everything paused. Even a goddess like Shu Fang found herself trapped in this stillness.
Han Jun waited for some time but noticed nothing was happening. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "What's going on?" he murmured.
Suddenly, a large ice door slowly emerged from the icy ground right in front of the cage. It nearly reached the heavens. The ice door opened, revealing a space hole inside. Before Han Jun could comprehend what was happening, the cage they were locked in was dragged into the space hole. As soon as they were pulled in, the door closed and descended into the ground again.
*Inside the Ice palace*.
The ice cage was teleported inside the palace. The entire palace looked majestic and beautiful. Everything inside was made of ice; everything appeared rich and tempting.
The floor was a smooth, slippery ice-blue, glistening as if it were dusted with the finest diamond glitter. Ornate icicles hung from the ceilings like shimmering chandeliers, refracting light into dazzling rainbows that danced across the walls. Each surface sparkled with an ethereal glow, reflecting the magnificence of the palace's architecture.
Majestic pillars of ice rose high into the ceiling, intricately carved with delicate patterns of swirling frost and crystalline flowers that seemed to come alive in the ambient light. The air was cold and crisp, filled with the faint scent of winter blossoms, as if the very essence of winter had woven itself into the very fabric of the palace.
In the center of the palace stood a grand throne made of glimmering ice, adorned with shimmering stones that mirrored the night sky. A gentle waterfall cascaded down nearby, its water cascading like silk, creating a soothing melody that filled the vast space. The sound echoed softly, harmonizing with the gentle hum of magic buzzing in the air.
Stunning murals lined the walls, painted with scenes of ancient legends and narratives from a long-lost world, illuminated by an ethereal light that seemed to pulse with life. At intervals, delicate snowflakes fell from nowhere, drifting down like feathers, adding to the enchantment of the setting.
As Han Jun and Shu Fang looked further into the palace, they noticed ornate ice sculptures depicting heroic figures and mythical creatures frozen in time, their expressions caught in moments of grace and bravery. Each sculpture seemed to tell a story, adding layers to the enchanting ambiance of the space.
The light from an unseen source bathed the entire palace in a soft glow, making the intricate details of the ice walls shimmer and occasionally flicker, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. It felt like they had stepped into a realm beyond ordinary time, a sanctuary of beauty steeped in magic.
Shu Fang's consciousness returned, and her first concern was Han Jun. "Han Jun!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side with a worried gaze.
"I'm fine," Han Jun replied, giving her an assuring smile.
Shu Fang breathed a sigh of relief and then looked around the unfamiliar palace. "Where are we?" she asked, not really captured by the beauty of the palace. She was the golden goddess and beautiful things are nothing special to her.
"I'm not too sure," Han Jun responded as he stood up, cradling Ling Wei in his embrace. He glanced around, trying to find any trace of anyone but found none. Frowning, he shouted, "Is anyone here?"
His voice echoed throughout the vast palace, reverberating into the distance. Suddenly, the cage they had been trapped in melted away, allowing them to walk free.
As soon as Han Jun's feet touched the ice floor, a sudden blue light appeared out of nowhere and entered his left eye. "Ha!" he gasped, feeling his head fill with something new and familiar yet painfully unclear. A blurry scene played in his mind: "To confirm that you hold an equal place in my heart as others, I specifically built this ice palace for you... If one day I am not beside you, you shall stay here... part of my memories lies within, and this will keep me in your heart forever."
"Whose memories are those?" he wondered, wishing to see the face of the owner of the voice, but suddenly the blurry scene vanished, causing a sharp pain in his head. "Argh!" he groaned, grabbing his forehead and taking two steps back.
"Han Jun!" Shu Fang panicked, rushing to his side to support him. "What happened to you?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
"I'm fine," Han Jun said, though his face was pale. He steadied himself as the throbbing in his head gradually calmed down.
Shu Fang wanted to speak, but suddenly, not far from where they stood, the ice floor dipped, and a glass ice coffin emerged from the ground. Inside the coffin lay a peerlessly beautiful woman, her hands resting gently on her stomach.
Her beautiful blue hair spilled gracefully over the ice glass coffin's floor, and resting perfectly upon her head was a shining, mighty crown. Her eyes were closed, showcasing the delicate blue shimmers of her upper eyelids. Between her brows, a gently carved ice stone glimmered. She was dressed in a majestic blue gown, and her legs were elegantly concealed within beautiful glass heels.
She was such a sleeping beauty that she could cause the downfall of a nation—a true irreplaceable beauty.
As soon as Han Jun saw the lady inside the glass coffin, his vision turned blurry once again, and he fainted.
"Han Jun!" Shu Fang screamed, rushing to his side. She knelt beside him, her heart racing with fear. Desperate to wake him up, she gently shook his shoulder. "Han Jun, please wake up!"