Chapter 142: Body Seizure

Shi Yan's heart sank, and a cold dread washed over him.

If it were only the people from the Heavenly Lake Sacred Land, they wouldn't be too much to fear as long as Xia Xinyan unleashed her Reincarnation Martial Spirit.

However, with the arrival of the three major forces from the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven, the Gu family, and the Eastern family, even the activation of Xia Xinyan's Reincarnation Martial Spirit would likely yield no advantage.

The Gal Luo Sea Region, where the Yang and Xia families resided, was on hostile terms with the Black Water Sea Region of the Heavenly Lake Sacred Land and the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven, as well as the Yuan Luo Sea Region of the Gu and Eastern families. It would be fine if their identities remained hidden, but once exposed, without the protection of powerhouse companions, the probability of death would increase exponentially.

The moment Chen Duo and Dongfang Shen landed, Shi Yan knew they were going to be driven to the wall this time.

Sure enough.

"Discuss?" Dongfang Shen was the first to lose patience, sneering as he shouted, "If the two of you don't want to die, go over there immediately and check out the situation, or else forfeit your lives right now! Hmph, we won't kill the woman for now, but we'll make her wish she were dead. Do you understand what I mean?"

Dongfang Shen glared coldly at Shi Yan and his companion, his eyes lingering heavily on Xia Xinyan's curvaceous figure, a trace of lust flashing in his pupils.

Shi Yan's face was dark, and he hated this old bastard to the bone. Especially seeing the old man's gaze roaming over Xia Xinyan's exquisite, alluring body made Shi Yan wish he could grind him to ashes.

Gu Jiange remained silent, shaking his head with a helpless sigh. Yet, his eyes also carried an obscure, evil glint that stealthily lingered on Xia Xinyan.

"Don't waste time," Chen Duo frowned, saying in a deep voice, "I'll count to three. After three, the man dies, and the woman... will find it hard to even die!"

"Let's go." Xia Xinyan lowered her head, tugged at the corner of Shi Yan's clothes, and forcibly dragged him toward the spot where the glacier had first revealed itself.

Shi Yan's face was gloomy and expressionless. Keeping his head down, he followed her toward the glacier.

Dongfang Shen and the others fixed vicious glares on their backs, their eyes venomous and their lips curled into cold sneers. If Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan showed the slightest sign of uncooperativeness, these people would show no hesitation in striking and executing them on the spot.

The four major forces had suffered heavy losses on this trip, especially the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven and the Eastern family. Many of their martial warriors had been frozen to death, and on the outer vessels, experts from both families hadn't even had time to evade before being torn to shreds by the Profound Ice Beasts.

At this moment, suppressing a bellyful of rage, these men would have had Dongfang Shen casually deal with Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan right then and there had the two not retained some utility value.

As they drew closer to the glacier, the surrounding temperature grew increasingly frigid, chilling them to the marrow.

The corner of the glacier that had originally been exposed had now vanished.

In that area, a massive cavern had appeared, emanating a bone-chilling cold and wreathed in wisps of eerie white mist.

Amidst it all, the shimmering glow of ice crystals was faintly visible.

"Crack, crack!"

Xia Xinyan's pearly teeth ground together, and frost began to gather on her delicate hair. With every step, she continuously urged the vital essence within her body to resist the biting cold radiating from the cavern.

In contrast, Shi Yan seemed largely unaffected. Though he was only at the Hundred Tribulations Realm, circulating his internal vital essence left him without any sensation of excessive bodily stiffness.

"You—you seem able to adapt to the cold here?" Xia Xinyan gritted her teeth, glancing sideways at Shi Yan with beautiful eyes filled with astonishment.

"Earlier, when I was cultivating, I accidentally absorbed a portion of the cold energy, and it fused into my body. Here, I honestly don't feel it's all that cold," Shi Yan nodded.

Xia Xinyan was stunned, her expression complex. "Your body absorbed the cold energy? How could you still move freely? Your body should be stiff, frozen into an ice sculpture just like everyone else."

"I'm not sure either," Shi Yan hesitated before saying, "The cultivation technique I practice is rather bizarre. Although it comes with immense pain and danger, it truly possesses many mystical aspects. That's the reason I've never been able to give it up."

Xia Xinyan nodded gently, sighing inwardly without saying anything further.

"Sooner or later, I will make them pay a bloody price!" Shi Yan bared his teeth, saying grimly.

"If we survive this ordeal, we'll always find an opportunity to deal with them. He who restrains himself can achieve great things; be careful. Once we reach the cavern entrance, I'll immediately use my Reincarnation Martial Spirit and take you flying away from here. As long as we keep some distance from them, me getting you out shouldn't be a problem," Xia Xinyan cautioned.

Shi Yan nodded, looking back at Chen Duo, Dongfang Shen, and their group two thousand meters away, his eyes cold and sharp.

Separated by two thousand meters, as long as Xia Xinyan suddenly activated her Reincarnation Martial Spirit, those people would surely fail to respond in time. This was the reason Xia Xinyan hadn't erupted on the spot, choosing instead to risk coming this way.

At the cavern entrance, cold air billowed, and white mist swirled.

Standing dozens of meters away, Xia Xinyan was already shivering, her teeth chattering audibly, whereas Shi Yan appeared completely unaffected.

"I'll go take a look, just a glance, and then I'll come back," Shi Yan stood beside the cavern, staring fixedly toward the inside, and suddenly spoke up.

For some reason, the closer he got to the cavern, the more comfortable Shi Yan felt.

To others, the bone-chilling cold was not only entirely devoid of discomfort, but it also gave his body a refreshing and invigorating sensation.

Especially the cold air drifting out from within the cavern; it kept Shi Yan's mind sharp and clear without exerting any undue strain on his physique.

The cold energy spilled out from the cavern, slowly drifting to the side. As wisps of it drifted down and settled over Shi Yan, his frozen blood grew cold, yet it sparked a deeply comforting sensation.

It was as if the blood within his veins utterly adored the cold energy here.

Shi Yan was startled. Hesitating for a moment, he tested the waters by pushing the Second Sky of Rampage to its limits, merging the wisps of negative energy within his body directly into his blood.

To his utter astonishment, a massive torrent of cold energy suddenly billowed out from the cavern. The chill came without warning; as if summoned by Shi Yan, it surged out violently from the cavern and straight toward him, enveloping him completely.

"Shi Yan!" Xia Xinyan cried out in alarm, her eyes full of panic. "The cold is too intense, I can't hold on much longer!"

"I'll step closer, you back up a bit," Shi Yan didn't hesitate at all, suddenly striding forward toward the cavern.

With every step he took, the cold energy clinging to his body grew a fraction heavier, and the frost rushing toward him from the cavern accelerated.

Xia Xinyan was dumbstruck.

The bitter cold ahead was so dense that even a martial warrior of her Earth Realm status could barely endure it. Yet Shi Yan was not only safe and sound, but he was actively gathering the frost—a sight that left her completely at a loss, unsure whether she should urge him to flee the area immediately.

"Wait for me a moment," Shi Yan walked step by step toward the cavern, his expression growing increasingly solemn as he said in a deep voice, "Stay further away from me! Absolutely do not come close!"

Massive waves of cold energy poured out of the cavern like rolling billows of smoke, frantically injecting themselves into Shi Yan's body.

Simultaneously, a brilliant flash of crystalline light suddenly erupted from deep within the cavern, accompanied by an extremely bizarre aura of life that violently blanketed the area.

Terrified, Xia Xinyan shrieked, "Shi Yan, retreat quickly! The Profound Ice Cold Flame is showing signs of activity! Get away!"

In the distance, Chen Duo's expression shifted drastically. His body abruptly soared into the air, staring in amazement at Shi Yan, who was walking step by step toward the cavern.

The elderly expert from the Eastern family also took to the air, gazing out into the distance from a high vantage point. He said to Dongfang Shen, Gu Jiange, and the others below, "That brat is walking toward the cavern. A massive amount of cold energy is spilling out from inside, yet the kid is completely unharmed. His body seems to be absorbing the cold energy!"

"Absorbing the cold energy?!" Dongfang Shen cried out in shock. "Did you see wrong? The cold energy emitted by the Profound Ice Cold Flame is bone-chillingly cold; even I can't endure it. That brat should have been instantly frozen into an ice sculpture. How could he possibly still be moving around?"

"His body really is absorbing the cold energy!" Chen Duo took a deep breath, speaking with a strange expression, "This phenomenon... this phenomenon..."

"What is it?!" Gu Jiange, Qu Yanqing, and the others asked one after another, calling out urgently.

"The Profound Ice Cold Flame has chosen him as a vessel; it's going to seize his body!" Chen Duo's expression shifted repeatedly as he hurried to say, "The Profound Ice Cold Flame is merely in the form of a flame. Although it possesses conscious life, it lacks a physical form. Heavenly fire without a physical form is easily controlled, sealed, and suppressed. But once heavenly fire acquires a suitable vessel, and its life consciousness usurps the vessel's soul, it will be able to display even more divine abilities just like a martial warrior, and unleash soul attacks!"

"How could that person possibly become a target for possession?" Qu Yanqing exclaimed in shock. "Aren't only those born with the Profound Ice Body Martial Spirit targeted for possession by the Profound Ice Cold Flame? Ordinary people simply cannot withstand the cold of the Profound Ice Cold Flame; the moment they make contact, they freeze to death. Possession is impossible!"

"I don't know either," Chen Duo shook his head. "Once the Profound Ice Cold Flame successfully completes possession and gains a physical form, I'm afraid no Divine Realm martial warrior in the Endless Sea will be able to subdue it. If that really happens, not only will all our efforts be in vain, but not a single one of us will escape this place alive! We must kill him!"

Dongfang Shen instantly grasped the implication behind Chen Duo's words. "Attack! Since the Profound Ice Cold Flame has chosen him as a vessel for possession, it must know he can withstand the cold. As you all just said, that brat's body can absorb the cold energy—that confirms it beyond a doubt!"

"Agreed, we must kill him immediately!" Chen Duo nodded. A small silver hammer immediately flew out from his sleeve, and amidst the roaring sound of wind and thunder, it fiercely blasted toward Shi Yan at the cavern entrance.

Over on Dongfang Shen's side, without a moment's hesitation, the group unleashed their respective powers.

Gu Jiange no longer maintained his hypocritical facade. With a soft shout, the Dragon-Slaying Sword flew from the back of his neck, and the Fire Carp Beast materialized, transforming into a hundred-meter-long fiery dragon that bared its fangs and clawed viciously at Shi Yan.

"Shi Yan! Come back!" Xia Xinyan suddenly screamed, her voice carrying a trace of a sob. "Come back! I remember now! Your immunity to the cold means you're a suitable vessel for it to seize—the Profound Ice Cold Flame is preparing to possess you!"

Shi Yan, who had been reveling in the infusion of cold energy, finally realized something was terribly wrong upon hearing Xia Xinyan's shrill cry.

He was about to retreat when he suddenly felt the rolling cold energy inside his body erupt. A massive consciousness surged out from the cavern like a pack of wolves, and an intense, overwhelming wave of cold wrapped tightly around him.

That consciousness was exceptionally cold and malevolent. The moment it appeared, it flooded straight into his mind, harboring the intent to usurp his soul from the very start.

In the distance, wave after wave of attacks from the four major forces came continuously hurtling toward him.

Pain racked Shi Yan's mind. Clutching his head, he roared, his eyes turning blood red as he bellowed, "Get out of here! Don't worry about me!"

With that, summoning his remaining strength, Shi Yan stumbled backward, plunging straight down into the bottomless cavern.

The moment Shi Yan entered the cavern, the cold air at the entrance swirled rapidly, freezing in a flash into a thick sheet of solid ice. The ice formed like a giant door, sealing the cavern entrance completely shut.

"No!" Xia Xinyan shrieked.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The various onslaughts from the four major forces crashed down recklessly, battering the cavern entrance, yet failed to shatter the barrier.

Chen Duo and his group charged forward swiftly from the distance, their faces grim.

Gritting her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred, Xia Xinyan abruptly unleashed her Reincarnation Martial Spirit and soared into the sky.

Her figure sped rapidly toward the outside of Menluo Island, while her venomous voice echoed from afar: "You've killed him! Just wait for the wrath and vengeance of the Yang and Xia families!"