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Over the last month, the Snow Empress felt her strength returning. The nurturing power of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well worked wonders on her injuries. While she healed, the world outside was changing fast.
The alliance between the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce, the Body Sect, and the Tianhun Empire was now official. This news sent shockwaves through the continent.
Suddenly, the many eyes watching the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce vanished. The pressure from rivals stopped overnight. Business for the group began to move smoothly across the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
This new power made many wavering sects take notice. Those who once hesitated to join the chamber now rushed to sign deals. Some even joined the Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce entirely. Their influence grew rapidly, like a snowball rolling down a mountain.
The Earth Dragon Sect was one of the groups that chose to work with them. However, Kong Mingan had a very specific reason for visiting them. He was interested in the cold spring hidden deep within the Earth Dragon Sect. More specifically, he wanted to find the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cave located at the bottom of that spring.
The two arrived at the ancient well in the backyard of the Earth Dragon Sect without anyone noticing. As they stood by the edge, a freezing chill rose from the water. The Snow Empress felt her eyes light up. She could sense a pure, extreme cold energy coming from deep below. It was exactly what she needed.
Without saying a word, Kong Mingan grabbed the Snow Empress's hand and jumped into the well. He used his spirit power to create a barrier around them. This kept the water away and blocked the biting cold. As they dove deeper, the temperature dropped even further. Thick frost began to form on the walls around them. Kong Mingan let out a breath of cold air and was about to increase his protection.
Suddenly, the Snow Empress let go of his hand. She reached out and hugged him around the waist, pulling him close to her. Kong Mingan was confused and looked up at her. Her expression remained calm and cold, as usual. She released a wave of concentrated ice energy that wrapped around them both. This new shield was much stronger than his own.
Kong Mingan stayed silent for a moment. He knew he could have used his Elementalization to ignore the cold, but he didn't want to stop her. Seeing how naturally she focused on protecting him from the cold current, he decided to let her lead. They continued their journey through the dark undercurrents until they reached a large underground space.
The rocks here were no longer normal. They were a deep, dark blue and gave off an intense cold. This was the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cave. The Snow Empress looked around with a complicated look in her eyes. She had suspected this place existed, but now she was certain. A cave like this had to contain Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow.
She looked at Kong Mingan. He was using a faint blue light in his eyes to scan the area. She remembered what he told her before they started this journey. He had promised to repair her Origin. She realized now that he had planned this all along.
Kong Mingan spoke softly near her ear. He asked her to help him remove the Ice Extreme Divine Crystals from the walls. The Snow Empress shook off her thoughts and nodded. She waved her hand, sending out a wave of spirit power.
The hard crystals were pulled from the rock walls by an invisible force. Kong Mingan opened a small portal to another dimension and stored the crystals inside. He planned to study them and find a use for them later.
Once the crystals were gone, they moved deeper into the cave. Eventually, the pressure around them vanished. They fell into a smaller, hidden chamber. The air here was filled with an incredibly pure cold energy. Crystal pillars that looked like white stalactites grew from the ceiling and floor. Inside them, a strange liquid moved slowly.
The Snow Empress stared at the pillars. This was the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow. For a spirit beast with her ice powers, this was the ultimate treasure. If she absorbed this, she could fix her injured Origin. It would even give her the power to survive the massive Heavenly Tribulations that would come in the future.
While the Snow Empress was lost in thought, Kong Mingan acted quickly. He used his spatial power to create thin lines that cut down the crystal pillars. He then moved the precious liquid in front of her. He told her to start absorbing it, asking if it would be enough to heal her.
The Snow Empress was stunned. She looked at the treasure and then back at him. She asked him if he truly understood how valuable this was. Kong Mingan simply told her that he knew. She was still confused and asked why he was giving it to her so easily. He looked at her with a natural expression and asked why he wouldn't want to give it to her.
She froze as she looked into his eyes. She tried to see if he was lying, but his gaze was steady. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she looked away. A heavy silence filled the cave. She didn't say anything else but nodded and sat down to meditate. She began to guide the energy of the marrow into her body. The pure cold began to flow through her, slowly healing the damage done to her soul by the heavens.
Kong Mingan watched her quietly. While she healed, he turned his mind to his own training. He was working on the next step of his Elementalization technique. He wanted to find a way to make his elemental form permanent without using too much energy. To do this, he needed an anchor point.
He had decided on the best anchor a long time ago. He would use his spirit rings. Specifically, the seventh spirit ring, which is known as the Spirit Avatar. He believed that even though his path was different from a normal Spirit Master, the seventh ring was still the key to a massive change in power.
In his mind, he calculated the future of his cultivation paths. For those who focused on magic and elements, the seventh ring would grant them full Elementalization. This would make their attacks stronger and make them very hard to kill.
For those who focused on their bodies, the seventh ring would allow them to control their blood and life force. They would be able to heal from almost any wound as long as they had energy left.
He felt satisfied. The two systems of power he was building were finally coming together. He sat there in the cold cave, watching over the Empress as they both grew stronger in the dark.