Chapter 385 - 391: Treasure Hunting in the Icy Valley

It was hard to say whether the system did it by accident or on purpose, but it had given Xiao Heyun a persona that was a complete knock-off of Liu Xingzhi.

Besides, Yun Yunzhou was one of Liu Xingzhi’s admirers. In her eyes, Xiao Heyun’s act must have looked like a pathetic imitation.

She might even feel that he was insulting Liu Xingzhi.

The more Song Wanning thought about it, the more amused she became. ’If Xiao Heyun wants to win that girl over, he’s going to have his work cut out for him.’

Her eyes narrowed. ’Since that’s the case, I might as well add some fuel to the fire and really put his feet to the flames.’

Meanwhile, Jiang Cen had followed the directions from the book in her memory and had actually managed to find Zhang Shuning’s location.

Unfortunately, as the "female lead," Zhang Shuning’s luck was extraordinary, and she had already taken the item long ago.

Jiang Cen’s face darkened with rage, but it was her own fault for being greedy. On the way, she had stumbled upon someone else treasure hunting. She’d hidden silently before launching a sneak attack, catching him completely unawares.

After killing the man and rushing over, she was already a step too late.

But seeing the methods Jiang Cen used to kill, Song Wanning’s brow furrowed.

’Jiang Cen is a Spirit Cultivator. How does she have a Ten Thousand Demons Banner?’

’Does she have secret dealings with the Demon Clan?’

In the Spirit Realm, just as in the Lower World, Spirit Cultivators and Demon Cultivators were competitors, as incompatible as fire and water.

For Jiang Cen, the daughter of an Ancient Cold Sect elder, to possess a Ten Thousand Demons Banner was deeply suspicious.

’If she really does have a connection, this could be the perfect opening. It might even be a way to influence that Supreme Elder.’

’I have to get my hands on the treasure now! I can’t rest easy otherwise!’

Jiang Cen was now sick with regret. If she hadn’t been so greedy, those treasures might have been hers. Instead, she had given up something great for a trivial gain.

So, just in case, she had to go and get the ultimate treasure recorded in the book first.

’Since even the female lead in the book didn’t find it, yet the author deliberately mentioned it, it must mean this treasure was meant for me!’

She smirked. ’So what if Zhang Shuning is the protagonist?’

’She’s still no match for me.’

Jiang Cen began searching for the treasure’s location according to the book’s descriptions.

’Let’s go. We should take a look, too.’

Song Wanning wasted no more time. The priority was to snatch the treasure.

After a moment of thought, she released her doppelganger, sending it to explore the other parts of the Secret Realm.

Then, following the Blood Lotus’s guidance, she sped off in pursuit of Jiang Cen.

Although she encountered some trouble along the way, she dealt with it all. A few hours later, she located Jiang Cen.

But she didn’t approach rashly. Instead, she used the Three Lives Mirror as a medium to observe Jiang Cen’s every move.

She trailed her for seven days before Jiang Cen finally found a place that closely matched the description in the book.

"I finally found it!"

Jiang Cen’s eyes gleamed as she stared at the valley before her, her expression one of absolute determination.

However, the book didn’t have many details about this valley, so she would have to explore it slowly on her own.

She paused for a moment in thought, then activated all of her defensive Spiritual Artifacts, encasing herself in protection before cautiously entering the valley.

The moment she stepped into the valley, a dense fog rapidly billowed in from all sides, completely obscuring her vision.

A bone-chilling cold washed over her, and Jiang Cen couldn’t help but shiver.

"What the hell is this white fog?"

Her brow furrowed, and she grew even more cautious.

Her Divine Sense was also suppressed, leaving her to fumble her way forward one step at a time.

Song Wanning, who was following behind, watched her enter the valley. Her expression shifted slightly, and she immediately followed her in.

The instant she touched the fog, goosebumps broke out all over her body as the cold pierced straight to her heart.

But soon after, a brilliant light flashed within her bones, instantly dispelling the chill and leaving her feeling warm all over.

She had only taken a few steps when an even more intense cold assaulted her, instantly frosting the tips of her eyebrows.

In the past, her Spiritual Energy would have been severely restricted here. After all, her single Fire Spirit Root clashed with water and ice. But with her altered constitution, all she had to do was circulate the power within her bones, and the frost on her body would melt away, causing her no trouble at all.

This was quickly proven. While Jiang Cen struggled to take a single step, Song Wanning moved as if on solid ground and soon passed through the outer layer of fog.

But after emerging from the fog, she entered an even colder, more frozen land.

Who would have thought that a simple veil of fog could separate two completely different worlds?

Song Wanning already had a vague guess about the treasure’s nature; it was most likely related to the ice attribute.

In the Three Lives Mirror, Jiang Cen was still struggling through the fog.

She curled her lips in satisfaction and quickened her pace.

The ground was covered in ice, making every step treacherous. To make matters worse, flight was impossible here; a low-hanging restrictive barrier floated overhead.

Far in the distance, she could see a towering ice sculpture.

Song Wanning controlled her balance as she slid toward it.

Sliding on ice was a rare experience. The three little ones were also filled with interest, their curiosity piqued by the ice sculpture.

After a few minutes, she finally slid to a stop in front of the ice sculpture. Only when she got closer did she realize it was standing in a deep pit.

The pit was several dozen meters wide, with a statue rising up from within it.

Looking closer, she saw the statue was of an ancient, vicious beast, one that had long been lost to legend.

Peering deeper into the pit, she saw that besides the statue, the surrounding walls were covered in thick ice, but a passage was visible below.

Song Wanning didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped down.

The moment she landed, the sound of cracking ice came from beneath her.

Her body immediately plummeted downward, giving Song Wanning no chance to react.

The opening she had fallen through quickly sealed itself again, leaving no trace that anyone had just dropped through.

CRACK—

Another cracking sound came from below, and her body, which had just stabilized, began to fall once more.

Song Wanning’s heart sank. ’I can’t believe this seemingly solid ice would suddenly shatter.’

’It seems like it was designed this way from the start.’

So, she stopped resisting and allowed herself to fall down the hole.

However, after this repeated several times, the Spiritual Energy in her body was suddenly sealed.

Her body was completely encased in ice, turning her into a human-shaped ice sculpture.

CRACK—

The ice beneath her feet continued to crack, and her body once again fell uncontrollably. Song Wanning’s expression turned serious as she rapidly melted the Cold Ice, freeing herself.

By now, she had no idea how deep underground she was. She only knew that the air had grown thin, and the rich, damp smell of earth filled her nostrils.

She still couldn’t stop her descent and could only endure it passively.

Finally, after about ten minutes, the Cold Ice beneath her stopped shattering, and she at last felt solid ground under her feet.

Song Wanning stood up and looked around, only to find she had fallen into an Ice Palace.