Chapter 144: The Cold Pool

From this single sentence alone, Mo Bai recognized whose voice it was. It belonged to the woman in white whom he had first encountered at the restaurant in Guihai City, where she had engaged in a fierce and delightful dispute with the little demoness that completely razed the establishment to the ground; the helper he had sought out when Little Hua was kidnapped; and the companion who stood by his side against the Myriad Spear Formation during the final moments of the Spirit Ascension Arena—Xiao Xue!

Mo Bai stopped outside the cavern and said in a clear voice:

A sudden silence fell inside the cave. After a long moment, the person within spoke: "So it is the great hero Mo. May I ask what brings you here? The Flower Ice Pool is a forbidden ground of the Yi Hua Sect, and outsiders are not permitted to enter at will. Did the great hero Mo wander here by mistake, or...?"

Clearly, Mo Bai had not expected this place to be of such immense importance. Recalling how the Crimson Wood Woman had directed him here without the slightest hesitation, a sense of gratitude stirred within him. He replied with a bitter smile: "It was your sect's Senior Sister who told me of this place. I have come to retrieve a medicinal herb to heal my friend, Nalan Xin'er."

"To heal injuries?" Xiao Xue asked with a trace of bewilderment. "Is Miss Nalan injured? There is nothing within these freezing pool waters that serves as a remedy for injuries."

Mo Bai responded, "Indeed, Xin'er is indeed hurt. Though I am unaware of what martial arts technique was used against her, the Crimson Wood Woman insisted that we must come to this freezing pool and obtain a single leaf of the Seven-Leaf Lotus in order to save Xin'er."

At that, Xiao Xue uttered an "Oh," and said, "Then please enter, great hero Mo."

Mo Bai finally let out a long breath and stepped into the cavern. The moment he raised his head, he caught sight of Xiao Xue clad in snow-white garments. Against the backdrop of the chilly mist, she appeared even more tranquil and ethereal. For a fleeting second, Mo Bai was left entirely at a loss, for this woman bore such a striking resemblance to the millennium-old ice sculpture at the Rain-Cold Pool. In that instant, Mo Bai felt as though he had been transported back to the homeland of his childhood.

Xiao Xue looked at Mo Bai, and Mo Bai looked back at her. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, though her complexion appeared even paler amidst the biting cold. With a light cough, she asked, "What are you looking at, great hero Mo?"

Only then did Mo Bai snap out of his daze, mentally chastising himself for having encountered numerous beauties yet losing his composure today. With an awkward smile, he explained, "This scenery reminded me of some past events."

"Oh? Could it be that there is another place in this world comparable to the Flower Ice Pool?" In truth, Xiao Xue had already harbored suspicions. Back at the Spirit Ascension Arena, the man before her had emitted a spiritual energy that felt strangely comforting to her. Coupled with his current words and his calm reaction to the freezing temperature of the Flower Ice Pool, it was evident that he was intimately familiar with such environments. This realization only deepened her curiosity.

Without concealing anything, Mo Bai said, "Miss Xiao, I wonder if you have ever heard of a place called the Rain-Cold Pool? The climate there is remarkably similar to this place."

Xiao Xue shook her head and replied, "I rarely leave the Yi Hua Sect and do not possess the vast knowledge of exotic wonders across the world that Senior Sister Yuzhi has. However, judging by the name alone, it must be an exceptionally frigid place."

The memory of that place resurfaced in Mo Bai's mind, prompting a bittersweet smile. "Indeed, it is a place that truly tempers one's willpower. I suppose Miss Xiao cultivating here must also stem from a special sentiment."

Xiao Xue offered a faint smile. She rarely smiled, and she herself could not fathom why she had let down her guard today. In truth, her smile made her far more breathtaking than when she wore an icy expression. Xiao Xue was not an unrivaled beauty in the traditional sense, but her smile today was enough to etch itself permanently into Mo Bai's memory. "Perhaps. I was born with a constitution vulnerable to the cold. Normally, I should not be cultivating in such a place; seeking out a region of extreme warmth would be far more beneficial to my spiritual practice. Yet, for reasons unknown, whenever I find myself in places of extreme warmth, I am utterly unable to muster any strength. Conversely, here, despite the freezing desolation, my potential is somehow stimulated. Thus, I have continued my cultivation here, and before I knew it, more than a decade has passed."

"Although I lack Miss Xiao's unique constitution, I have always believed that cultivating in such a harsh environment keeps one's mind consistently clear and fosters extraordinary resilience. This bone-chilling cold is indeed something ordinary people cannot endure," Mo Bai replied.

Xiao Xue nodded, then seemed to realize something as she asked with a slight frown, "By the way, great hero Mo, you mentioned earlier that you came here to heal Miss Nalan. Yet the Seven-Leaf Lotus can only treat a specific kind of injury... Could it be that Miss Nalan's spiritual gateway has been damaged?" At this, Xiao Xue's brows furrowed even deeper, for she clearly hoped this supposition was false, fully aware of the grave implications.

With a helpless nod, Mo Bai acknowledged, "There was simply no other choice. That is why I had no alternative but to rudely intrude upon this place today, hoping to enter the freezing pool and pluck that single lotus leaf."

After a brief moment of reflection, Xiao Xue said, "Great hero Mo, it is not that I doubt your capabilities, but this freezing pool is exceptionally cold, and the conditions beneath the water are extremely complex. Unfortunately, I am feeling somewhat indisposed today and cannot assist you in descending into the pool to retrieve the Seven-Leaf Lotus."

Mo Bai immediately stated, "Miss Xiao need not trouble yourself. I can go down on my own. I only wish to know what precautions must be taken when harvesting the Seven-Leaf Lotus."

Xiao Xue answered, "As long as you do not disturb its roots, plucking a single leaf will cause no harm to the Seven-Leaf Lotus. After forty-nine days, it will regenerate a new leaf. However, I am still uneasy about whether you can safely harvest it. Why not wait until my strength recovers slightly tomorrow, and I will descend into the pool to retrieve it for you? As long as Miss Nalan ingests the lotus leaf within three days, her injuries will be successfully resolved without any lasting consequences for her future."

Yet Mo Bai insisted, "My heart burns with anxiety at this moment. I earnestly request Miss Xiao to grant me this convenience and allow me to descend into the pool right now."

Xiao Xue nodded, then shook her head as she proposed, "Great hero Mo, how about this: spar with me using three freezing techniques. If you can effortlessly shatter my moves, I will be able to set my mind at ease. Otherwise, I simply cannot watch you throw yourself into danger!" As she uttered these words, Xiao Xue herself could not comprehend why she had grown so concerned over Mo Bai.

A wave of warmth washed over Mo Bai's heart. To experience such warmth amidst this desolate expanse of ice and snow felt truly wondrous. Hesitating no longer, Mo Bai replied, "Very well, then I ask Miss Xiao to enlighten me."

Xiao Xue slowly stepped back two paces and extended a hand. A sound of breaking water echoed as a millennium-old ice thorn slowly rose from the depths. Pulled upward by Xiao Xue's power and wreathed in frigid mists, it instantly froze the surrounding air, demonstrating that the temperature of the pool water was far lower than that of the cavern itself.

With a flick of her wrist, Xiao Xue hurled the millennium-old ice thorn toward Mo Bai, saying softly, "Let us see if the great hero Mo can manage to grasp my ice thorn!"