Chapter226 – The tunnel

“This cave leads directly to the deep sea beneath the Far South,” Devourer explained. “It’s separated from the seawater under the ice. The Eternal Ice Beds are inside.”

Lauren bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

“Go.”

She took a few steps, then stopped. Turning back, she asked quietly, “Freya… if I want to find you again, where should I look?”

Devourer smiled faintly. “Why would you look for me?”

Lauren hesitated. The question had been gnawing at her for years. “What exactly happened between you and Master?”

Devourer paused. “What did master tell you?”

“He said you were disobedient.”

Devourer blinked, then let out a soft laugh. “And weren’t you disobedient too?”

Lauren: “…” That wasn’t an answer.

“When Master left,” Devourer asked, “did he mention me?”

She shook her head. Not only had Master never mentioned him—he hadn’t even left him a share of the inheritance. Back then, it had been obvious. Master had been furious.

Devourer was silent for a long while. Finally, he said, “It’s nothing dramatic. I insisted on entering Sky-covering Valley. I wanted to make up for some mistakes I made long ago. Our master didn’t approve. I went anyway.”

His voice remained calm, but there was something heavy beneath it. “I hurt him.”

“What mistakes?” Lauren pressed gently.

Devourer smiled, gaze distant. “Old stories about Starfell Summit. Better left buried. The current Starfell Summit… is not what it once was. Manage it well. Don’t disappoint your master.”

The atmosphere had turned painfully awkward. Lauren’s inner gossip demon was screaming. But she restrained herself.

“Master ascended several years ago,” she said instead. “There are no elders left at Starfell Summit. Just me and Tarot.” She met his eyes. “You don’t need to hold onto whatever happened back then. The sect leader has been searching for you. If you have time… go back and visit.”

Devourer nodded lightly. “I will.”

“I’ll go in first.”

“Yes.” He made no move to follow her.

If she wasn’t mistaken, by the time she came back out, Devourer and Tyler would already be gone. Lauren gave him one last long look—then turned and stepped into the cave.

.....

The tunnel sloped downward, cold air thick and biting. The first stretch was clearly carved by human hands—smooth walls, deliberate edges. Further inside, however, the ice formations became natural.

Some chambers were vast and cathedral-like. Others narrowed into tight passages barely wide enough for one person.

Massive icicles hung from the ceiling like frozen spears. They looked dangerous as hell—but in this extreme cold, they were solid and unmoving.

Along the walls fluttered clusters of ice moths, their translucent blue bodies glowing faintly and casting an eerie light through the cave. They illuminated her path in a soft, ghostly shimmer.

Lauren sensed no hostility from them and continued deeper into the frozen labyrinth.

The temperature inside the cave was several times colder than outside. Lauren had to circulate the spiritual power of her core constantly, drawing in the frigid energy and refining it just to keep her blood from freezing solid.

Even with an Immortal Ice Root, if she relaxed for a second, she’d turn into a goddamn ice sculpture.

After a long while with no sign of her returning, Briar cautiously slipped out of the inner space.

The instant its tiny feet touched the ground, frost crawled up its body. It yelped and immediately retreated. “Why the hell is it so cold?!” Briar’s voice rang in her mind from inside the space.

Lauren answered calmly, “This is the Far South. Only a place like this can produce a ten-thousand-year Eternal Ice Bed. A delicate flower like you—afraid of both heat and cold—should stay inside. You’ll freeze stiff.”

“I was going to help you,” Briar grumbled. “Forget it. I’m not going out.”

Lauren ignored it and continued forward. The deeper she went, the more numerous the ice moths became. Their faint blue glow brightened the tunnel until it looked like she was walking beneath a frozen sky of stars.

She’d read about these creatures in the sect library. Ice moths could only survive in extreme cold. Raise the temperature even slightly, and they’d die.

Otherwise, she would’ve caught a few and tossed them into her inner space. They were far prettier than fireflies.

After half an hour, she finally reached the end of the tunnel. The cavern that opened before her was enormous.

Ice moths filled the space in dense swarms, casting a dreamlike blue radiance over everything. And there—

The Eternal Ice Beds were everywhere. A standard 1.8-meter bed would be nothing. She could carve out a 3.6-meter platform without even trying. The ice layer here was thick beyond measure.

The air was heavy with moisture—but not ordinary vapor. It was spiritual energy, condensed so densely it had taken on a mist-like form.

Lauren’s eyes gleamed. She’d made the right choice coming here. If she cultivated in this environment…

Her advancement would skyrocket. Ascending to the upper realm wouldn’t just be a distant fantasy—it would be within reach. Without another thought, she sat down, crossed her legs, and entered meditation.

Inside the inner space, Briar blinked. “…Why is she cultivating?”

Weren’t they here to dig ice? Briar sighed. Once the little fairy sank into cultivation, she wouldn’t wake up for months. Or years. Looks like I’m stuck in here for a while.

Still, it wasn’t idle. The spiritual plants needed tending. There was a huge stretch of wasteland still unplanted. It pulled out several luminous grasses that were overcrowding one corner and replanted them farther away.

Time passed. Just as it was reorganizing another patch of soil, Lauren’s voice suddenly echoed in its mind.

“Briar, dig me a cave. Something like the Ice Cave at Starfell Summit will do.”

“Oh. Okay.” Briar obediently agreed and began looking for a suitable location.

It looked around. Flat land. Endless flat land.

No mountains. Where the hell was it supposed to dig a cave?

Briar scratched its head. Fine. If there’s no mountain, I’ll make one. It began widening irrigation ditches, piling the excavated soil higher and higher in one area.

One year passed.

Two years.

Three. By the end of the third year, a small hill had formed. With a hill in place, digging a cave was easy.

Briar carved out a proper chamber beneath it, shaping the interior carefully until it resembled the Ice Cave at Starfell Summit.

......

When Lauren finally emerged from seclusion, three full years had passed.

She opened her eyes slowly, a faint chill radiating from her body. Mid-stage Spirit Transformation. In just three years.

If the sect leader saw this, he’d probably turn green with envy. If he didn’t work harder, she’d surpass him soon.

She stood and entered her inner space. “Briar? Where are you?”

She didn’t see it at first—only a massive shadow rising in the distance. Briar popped out from the cave entrance, covered in dirt. “I’m here! Look at the cave I dug for you. Isn’t it great?”

Lauren flew closer—and stopped short. “What the hell…?”

That enormous shadow she’d noticed earlier wasn’t a trick of the light. It was an entire hill. “You built this?”

“Yeah! I widened some irrigation ditches and piled the soil up. Then I dug a cave underneath. Doesn’t it look just like the one at Starfell Summit?”

Lauren circled the hill once, inspecting the cave interior. It was solid. Spacious. Surprisingly well-shaped.