Chapter 30: Arriving At The Ice Cave

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Arriving At The Ice Cave

Sui Sui had no idea when he had fallen asleep. Perhaps it was because he had exhausted himself from walking through the snow for so many hours, or perhaps Yizhou’s steady pace had been strangely soothing. Whatever the reason, he had unknowingly drifted into a deep sleep.

He was awakened by someone gently shaking his shoulder. A familiar voice sounded beside his ear, calm as ever. "Junior Brother, we’re here. Wake up."

Still drowsy, Sui Sui slowly opened his eyes. His thoughts were sluggish, and for a brief moment he simply stared blankly ahead, unable to understand where he was. It took him several seconds before his mind finally caught up with reality. As his senses gradually returned, he realized he was still lying on Yizhou’s back, his arms wrapped around the other’s shoulders while his cheek rested against his back.

The realization instantly chased away the last traces of sleep. His eyes widened in alarm as he hurriedly loosened his arms and tried to jump off Yizhou’s back. Feeling him move, Yizhou released the hand supporting him, allowing Sui Sui to land steadily on the snowy ground.

"O-Oh... I didn’t realize we’d already arrived." Sui Sui let out an awkward laugh as he scratched the tip of his nose. "Haha... thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother."

Yizhou glanced at him, his expression as calm as ever, but the faint lift of his brow seemed to say, Oh? Is that so?

Unable to bear the silent stare, Sui Sui coughed lightly and looked away.

"So... how do we get into the cave from here?" Sui Sui asked, hurriedly changing the subject before Yizhou could continue teasing him.

Yizhou glanced toward the vast frozen lake before him. "Didn’t I tell you already? The entrance is beneath the lake. There’s a hidden mechanism underwater that opens the passage to the cave. Before I left last time, I closed it again so no one would accidentally discover it."

"Oh, I see."

Following Yizhou’s gaze, Sui Sui looked toward the icy blue lake. The water was so clear that he could vaguely make out the darkness beneath the thick layer of ice. Just looking at it sent a chill down his spine.

We have to go underwater...?

His scalp tingled at the thought. The wind outside was already cold enough to make him shiver. If he submerged himself in that lake, wouldn’t he freeze solid within seconds?

Yizhou seemed to notice the hesitation on his face.

"Don’t worry," he said calmly. "I’ll cast a barrier around you before we go in. Otherwise, with your current cultivation..." He paused for a moment before the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly. "I wouldn’t want you freezing to death. I’d hate to lose such good nourishment."

Sui Sui stiffened.

...Ah.

Only then did he remember.

Ever since Yizhou had left the sect four months ago to carry out his mission in the Northern Region, they hadn’t had a single nourishing session.

After Yizhou returned, one thing after another happened within the sect, and by the time they finally had a chance to catch their breath, they had already departed on this mission.

Sui Sui never found the right opportunity to bring it up—or rather, he had deliberately avoided mentioning it, secretly hoping Yizhou had forgotten about it altogether. Before he knew it, the matter had gradually been pushed to the back of his mind.

...I’ve already missed so many times.

A trace of unease welled up in Sui Sui’s heart. He stole a glance at Yizhou, only to find the latter as calm and composed as ever.

There wasn’t the slightest hint on his face, making it impossible to tell whether he was simply teasing him or deliberately reminding Sui Sui that he hadn’t been fooled by his little trick.

After casting the barrier, the two of them stepped into the icy lake. The transparent barrier enveloped them like a giant bubble, pushing the freezing water aside and allowing them to breathe freely as they descended.

Although the water pressed against the barrier from all directions, not a single drop seeped through.

As they swam deeper, the sunlight filtering through the surface gradually faded, replaced by an endless expanse of crystal-blue water.

Schools of tiny silver fish occasionally darted past them, while strands of pale aquatic plants swayed gently with the underwater currents, this greatly surprised SuiSui, not expecting any living creatures to survive underwater in this cold lake. Before long, Yizhou came to a stop.

In front of them stood what appeared to be an ordinary wall of massive boulders stretching across the lakebed. It looked completely natural, as though it had been there for thousands of years. There wasn’t the slightest sign that a passage could be hidden behind it.

Yizhou raised a hand and formed several hand seals. Ancient runes flickered at his fingertips as he quietly chanted an incantation.

The next moment, the enormous boulders began to tremble. A low rumble echoed through the water as the seemingly solid stone wall slowly split apart, revealing a narrow passage concealed behind it.

Sui Sui’s eyes widened in amazement.

There really is a hidden entrance here...

The two of them quickly swam inside. As soon as they crossed the passage, another deep rumble sounded behind them.

Sui Sui turned just in time to see the massive boulders slide back into place, perfectly sealing the entrance once more. From the outside, it would look no different from an ordinary cliff on the lakebed.

Yizhou continued leading the way through the winding underwater passage. After swimming for several more minutes, they arrived before what appeared to be a gigantic mirror-like wall in the middle of the lake.

Its surface was perfectly smooth, without the slightest ripple despite being completely submerged underwater. It reflected neither Sui Sui nor Yizhou, only a silvery, glass-like sheen that looked strangely out of place.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yizhou stepped forward.

The moment he touched the mirror, his body passed straight through it as though it were nothing more than water, disappearing from sight.

Sui Sui froze in place.

"Senior Brother?"

There was no response.

He cautiously reached out and poked the mirror with a finger. Instead of feeling something solid, his fingertip sank through the silvery surface without meeting any resistance.

What was this... a portal?

Before he could react, a hand suddenly shot out from the other side, grabbed his wrist, and gave a firm tug.

"Ah!"

Before he could even complain, Yizhou grabbed his wrist once more and led him upward. The two of them kicked off the lakebed, their bodies shooting swiftly through the water toward the faint light filtering down from above.

As they swam, Sui Sui couldn’t help but notice how different this lake felt. Unlike the freezing waters below, the water here was pleasantly cool, carrying a soothing sensation that gently washed over his body. It was as though the exhaustion from the past few days had quietly melted away, leaving him feeling unexpectedly refreshed.

Strange...

This water feels really comfortable.

A moment later, they broke through the surface.

Sui Sui immediately took a deep breath, greedily filling his lungs with fresh air. As he looked up, his eyes widened in astonishment.

The place before him looked as though it had come straight out of a fantasy movie. The entire cavern was illuminated by countless glowing blue crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling, their gentle radiance bathing everything in an ethereal light.

Along the edges of the cave grew several stalks of spiritual herbs, each one swaying gently despite the absence of any breeze. Some of them Sui Sui recognized from the books he had read over the past few days, while others were completely unfamiliar to him.

"Wow... it’s so beautiful," Sui Sui murmured almost unconsciously.

Yizhou merely glanced around before withdrawing his gaze. "No need to stand there admiring the scenery. Prepare whatever you need to do. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave."

Sui Sui nodded and quickly followed his instructions.

The cavern was divided into several smaller chambers branching off from the main cave. Since each of them had their own tasks to complete, they naturally split up.

Sui Sui chose one of the side chambers to prepare everything he needed for the ritual, while Yizhou entered another chamber, crossed his legs, and quietly began meditating.