At the entrance to the Mysterious Ice Cave on Miao Miao's rear mountain, two disciples shoved Bai Shuo inside, activating the barrier at the entrance. In an instant, the doorway became encased in a layer of icy frost.
“Senior Brother Yi Fan, do you think she might actually freeze to death in there?” asked Chang Xu, the youngest disciple of the inner sect.
Yi Fan, who was usually calm and composed, did not answer.
“Sigh, I hope she can endure it. Normally, when I went to the medicine hut to fetch herbs, Bai Shuo was always nice to me. Honestly, I have a hard time believing she would steal a jade slip and use forbidden methods to cultivate her spiritual power,” Chang Xu said, feeling a pang of sympathy.
“She admitted it herself, and all of us saw it with our own eyes. What use is your disbelief?”
“Senior Brother!”
Yi Fan stared at the cave entrance for a while. Suddenly, he conjured a small packet of fire stones and some firewood in his hand. With a flicker of spiritual energy in his palm, these items disappeared from his grasp.
“Senior Brother?”
“The last time I got hurt, she secretly slipped me a spiritual pill,” Yi Fan coughed slightly, turning his head with an impassive expression.
“Thank you, both of you!” Bai Shuo's voice came from behind the ice barrier. It sounded distant but was surprisingly strong.
Chang Xu and Yi Fan glanced into the cave. Chang Xu murmured, “Look at her, so resilient, as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. Even if we ascended to immortality, she'd still manage just fine.”
Yi Fan remained silent, sighing inwardly. Even the inner sect disciples couldn’t withstand the Mysterious Ice Cave for three days, let alone Bai Shuo, who was only a demi-immortal. He could only hope Junior Brother Chong Zhao would exit his seclusion soon; maybe then Bai Shuo might have a sliver of hope.
Inside the cave, Bai Shuo nestled behind a rock, happily setting up her firewood. The Mysterious Ice Cave was a secret realm, specifically refined by the founder of Miao Miao to discipline inner sect disciples. Below the level of Immortal Lord, spiritual energy was unusable within it. Though Bai Shuo was a demi-immortal, here she was like a mortal stepping onto a snowy plain—turning into an ice block was inevitable. Fortunately, she had always been respectful and cheerful with the inner sect disciples, and except for the Liu Yun disciples, the other brothers generally treated her kindly.
“Who would’ve thought these senior brothers actually have some humanity,” Bai Shuo chuckled, warming herself by the fire. Glancing around the icicle-filled cave, she started to ponder everything that had happened that night: “Back then, Zhe Sang wasn’t this clever. How did he become so cunning after just two years away... An Immortal Lord body? What kind of fortune did he encounter to advance to such a high level? Ugh…”
Bai Shuo lightly hit her head. “How foolish of me. At least I didn’t get A-Zhao involved. The little paper figure sent word to Old Turtle; that big monster should have already left the island.”
Before she was imprisoned, Bai Shuo had sent the little paper figure to find Old Turtle, instructing it to seize any opportunity to get Fan Yue off Miao Miao. Although Zhe Sang had cast a shadow-following curse on Fan Yue, he would surely enter seclusion to prepare for his duel with A-Zhao over the next three days, making this the best chance for Fan Yue to escape.
At the herb hut on the outer island, the old turtle, who had been in a deep sleep, was suddenly woken by the little paper figure, which danced around him energetically. The old turtle instantly transformed into human form, his white beard trembling in agitation.
“You say she stole the mountain-guarding jade slip and was caught by the sect leader?!”
The paper figure quickly nodded, gesturing wildly.
“What?! Locked in the Mysterious Ice Cave at the back mountain?”
The paper figure made a show of wiping its eyes as if it were crying.
“I must go and plead with the sect leader…”
Leaning on his cane, the old turtle hurriedly prepared to head to the inner island, but the paper figure grabbed him, turning itself into a small piece of wood and snapping in two with a sharp crack, then returned to its paper form, whimpering pitifully.
“She told me to get that little tree spirit off the island, or else that boy will die?”
The paper figure nodded vigorously.
Although the old turtle did not understand why Miao Miao was targeting a little tree spirit, Bai Shuo was always quick-witted. Her urgency in sending the paper figure could only mean that the tree spirit’s identity was unusual.
The old turtle immediately rushed to the small grass hut behind the herb hut, shouting as he pushed open the door.
“Boy! Wood!”
The grass hut was completely silent; the little tree spirit, who usually loitered around inside, lost in thought, was nowhere to be found.
In the inner hall, Er Yun looked worried, disapproving of Song Feng's decision.
“Uncle, are you really going to let Senior Brother duel with Junior Brother Chong Zhao?”
“Your senior brother has now attained the Immortal Lord level. He requested a fair duel, and I cannot deny him that,” Song Feng replied in a solemn tone.
“But Junior Brother A-Zhao was assigned to Miao Miao by decree of the Heavenly Palace. How can you suddenly change the chosen representative?”
“How do you know that A-Zhao will certainly lose?”
Er Yun hesitated. “Junior Brother is injured…”
“If, after three days, his injuries are not healed, then even if he represents Miao Miao, he might not be able to stand out and defeat the disciples of other immortal sects,” Song Feng said, glancing at Er Yun with a faint look.
“Uncle!”
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