Chapter 50: The Cold Spring of the Earth Dragon Gate
Dragon City — by the Cold Spring of the Earth Dragon Gate.
After reaching a consensus with Xue Di, Xiao Qiang and the Snow Empress swiftly arrived at Dragon City, where the Earth Dragon Gate was located. As one of the two major sects within the city, the location of the Earth Dragon Gate wasn't hard to find — all it took was a silver coin and a few questions directed at the locals.
Once the path was confirmed, Xiao Qiang only needed to use a simulated soul skill to slip unnoticed into the heart of the Earth Dragon Gate. With a touch of mental interference and psychological suggestion, he easily persuaded a disciple of the sect to reveal the exact location of the Cold Spring.
As for whether that disciple's odd behavior would draw suspicion or lead to the top brass of the Earth Dragon Gate discovering the intrusion — well, Xiao Qiang couldn't care less.
With Xue Di's overwhelming strength, even if the Heaven Dragon Gate and the Earth Dragon Gate joined forces, they wouldn't last long against her. If Xiao Qiang hadn't wanted to resort to unnecessary slaughter, and wasn't concerned about the attention Xue Di's appearance might attract, she could've directly interrogated the Earth Dragon Gate's leader in a blink.
"Yes, this emperor can indeed sense a genius treasure of the ice attribute beneath this Cold Spring. You did well, human."
Soaking her feet in the spring, the Snow Empress closed her eyes, enjoying the soothing chill. Nearby, Xiao Qiang stood on a layer of floating ice, methodically preparing vacuum-sealed ice balls.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao had only ventured into this secret spot after attaining his seventh ring. Xiao Qiang, with just level 48 soul power, couldn't hold his breath for long. To avoid unnecessary risks, he needed to prepare hundreds of air-filled ice balls in advance.
After all, once submerged in the depths, oxygen would become a precious commodity — and he certainly couldn't expect the Snow Empress to spare him a few breaths. She wasn't yet the divine Snow Empress of the God Realm legends, and their relationship hadn't reached such levels of intimacy.
Once he felt the oxygen preparations were sufficient, Xiao Qiang turned to Xue Di.
"Xue Di, I'm ready. Let's go down."
With that, the two dove into the cold spring.
The moment they submerged, Xiao Qiang summoned the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial spirit to guard against the deepening chill. Even Huo Yuhao, with seven rings, had relied on his martial spirit and soul skills to endure the freezing cold within this place. With just four rings and level 48 soul power, Xiao Qiang had no room for arrogance.
As they sank deeper, darkness swallowed them. Xiao Qiang expanded his Mental Detection and activated Mental Sharing to compensate for the lack of visibility.
"I never thought my first dive would be into such a dark, oppressive place… Not a pleasant feeling," he muttered inwardly, expanding his detection range. Soon, he spotted a mass of glowing blue liquid below.
Without hesitation, Xiao Qiang used his tools to collect a sample of the spring water. According to the novel, this water had a temperature nearly identical to the Cold Spring at the Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire. Though he didn't know its exact future use, it was wise to take some just in case.
After consuming several oxygen balls, Xiao Qiang finally located a protruding stone mechanism.
Thanks to his current Lingyuan Realm spiritual power, he could recall any memory at will. That included detailed descriptions from the original story — including this mechanism. In that tale, activating this mechanism once cost Huo Yuhao 40% of his soul power at around level 74.
There was no way Xiao Qiang could move it alone. Fortunately, Xue Di was right beside him.
"Xue Di, lift this protrusion."
Xue Di raised her hand, gently pulling it up. Across from them, a dent formed in the opposite stone wall. Xiao Qiang swam over and pressed it hard. With a faint click, he turned and signaled Xue Di to press the original bulge once again.
The stone wall began to tremble slightly. Then, with a low rumble, a narrow stone door — barely wide enough for one person — slowly opened.
As it did, an intense wave of cold air burst out. Were it not for both Xiao Qiang and Xue Di possessing the Ultimate Ice attribute, the cold alone would've frozen them solid.
"Xue Di, the Ice Extreme Divine Crystals and the Ten Thousand Years Mysterious Ice Marrow are all inside. Take as much as you want. I don't need to go in — the cold in there is beyond what I can bear. I'll wait here."
According to the novel, the temperature within the cave would've overwhelmed even Huo Yuhao at five rings. Xiao Qiang, still below that level, had no business pressing his luck. Further inside, the cold was said to grow unbearable even for a seven-ring Soul Saint like Huo Yuhao — a classic Schrodinger-level cold: both fatal and helpful depending on plot necessity.
That was one of the biggest reasons he had sought Xue Di so urgently. With her strength, she could explore the entire cave and retrieve its treasures with ease. Even a Titled Douluo wouldn't be able to withstand the cold's mind-numbing effect.
Xue Di gave Xiao Qiang a brief glance. A piece of her robe fluttered loose and flew toward him, wrapping around his body and forming a snug, cold-resistant suit.
"Come."
"Okay."
As they stepped into the cave, the light reflected off the massive troves of Ice Extreme Divine Crystals, dazzling even the spirits within Xiao Qiang's mind.
"Those are Ice Crystals! And so many of them! This has to be the Ten Thousand Years Mysterious Ice Cave! Xiao Qiang, I can't believe we're really here!"
The Ice Empress's voice trembled with excitement. Though she had begun to trust Xiao Qiang more — especially after he helped resolve the tension between her and Xue Di — she was still stunned at the sight before her.
"Of course! He's the one my brother chose. His luck is beyond comprehension," Tian Meng declared proudly.
Surprisingly, the Ice Empress didn't argue with him this time.
"You chose well," she admitted. "Honestly, I wasn't confident in becoming a god before. But if Xiao Qiang keeps finding opportunities like this, then my godhood is practically guaranteed."
"Exactly! He's the one chosen by my brother. Don't worry," Tian Meng repeated.
Xiao Qiang: "…"