The snow-capped mountains are covered in silver, and the howling mountain wind carries the white snow, which flies and scatters.
On the snow, which was three feet deep, Wu Heng crawled forward with difficulty, his thin clothes stained with dried blood. The swirling cold wind eroded the deep wound on his shoulder, and intense pain spread throughout his body. Wu Heng gritted his teeth and persevered, but his eyes were already weak and he was drowsy.
Surviving for three days and three nights without food or water in this icy and snowy landscape is nothing short of a miracle! He was utterly exhausted by this point. Had it not been for his extraordinary willpower, this sixteen-year-old boy would have been buried atop the snow-capped mountain long ago.
Just as Wu Heng was on the verge of despair, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from not far away.
"Quickly, seal it! It'll be a problem if the Ice Soul Flame gets into the snow!"
"Hmph, it can't escape now. It dared to kill dozens of female disciples of my Ice Palace. I'll make it pay!" A female cultivator summoned a secret scroll, opened the scroll covered with runes, and a surge of light instantly burst forth, exuding a majestic aura.
"Seal!" the female cultivator shouted, and the secret scroll flew out of her hand, heading towards the Ice Soul Frost Flame that had taken the opportunity to escape into the snow mountain. It was a ball of icy, bone-chilling ghostly fire, and everyone's eyes were burning with desire as they looked at it, wanting to possess this heavenly fire for themselves.
"What's going on?" Wu Heng lay on the snow and looked up. He saw a ball of dark blue flame floating in mid-air. Its light was very dim, as if it was on its last breath. Dozens of powerful cultivators were chasing after it aggressively.
"Is it a spirit fire?" Wu Heng was extremely shocked. Before he could react, the flame saw Wu Heng and seemed to have found a glimmer of hope for survival. It plunged into his chest and disappeared.
Subsequently, Wu Heng, exhausted, collapsed unconscious in the snow.
Soon, a dozen or so female cultivators who had been chasing after them arrived, but they seemed to be too late.
"Oh no, it seems the Ice Soul Frost Flame has merged with this kid, what should we do?" A palace maid from the Ice Palace, dressed in a white dress, looked at the unconscious Wu Heng and said anxiously.
A stunningly beautiful woman came to Wu Heng's feet, glanced at him, her beautiful eyes sparkling with curiosity, and said, "Take him back to the Ice Palace first, and then we'll decide what to do."
"Yes, Elder."
......
The far north, a frigid land, an ice palace.
Inside the room, several important figures from the Ice Palace were gathered together, all focused on Wu Heng, who was lying unconscious on the bed.
The Ice Palace Elder, Zi Tong, was taking Wu Heng's pulse. Her pretty face showed increasing surprise as she said, "This kid actually has the Profound Ice Divine Body. No wonder he was able to survive in the snow mountain despite such severe injuries. The Ice Soul Cold Flame entered his body, probably because he wanted to use the Profound Ice Divine Body to recover his strength."
Xuanbing divine body?
Upon hearing this, the people in the room, despite being important figures in the Ice Palace, were extremely shocked. Their gazes toward Wu Heng shifted from disdain to astonishment.
Then Zi Tong shook her head and sighed inwardly, "What a pity. Although this kid possesses the Xuanbing Divine Body, which is rare even once in ten thousand years, he has not awakened his Dao Soul. If he had worked hard to cultivate from a young age, he could have become one of the best among the younger generation. But now it's too late!"
"It's actually the Xuanbing Divine Body, one of the ancient divine bodies. It's perfect for cultivating the ice-type secret techniques of the Ice Palace. Alas, it's a pity that the Ice Palace never accepts male disciples." A middle-aged woman standing next to Zi Tong said with great regret. She was also an elder of the Ice Palace.
"Hmph, what use is a divine body without an awakened Dao Soul? He's over sixteen and still just a cultivator at the second level of the mortal realm. He'll never achieve anything great in his life." The Ice Palace Saintess Leng Han Shuang said with utter disdain for Wu Heng's Xuanbing Divine Body.
She is now the same age as Wu Heng, but she is already a powerful cultivator at the third level of the Innate Realm, two whole realms higher than Wu Heng. She certainly has the right to be proud.
Zi Tong turned to look at Leng Han Shuang with a strange expression, and said softly, "Han Shuang, this Ice Soul Frost Flame is a rare treasure that the Palace Master entrusted to you so that you could quickly break through the innate shackles, reach the Xuan position, and become the king of the younger generation on the continent. Now it has fallen into his body, and there is only one way to take it out."
"What method?" Almost everyone asked at the same time. The Ice Soul Frost Flame was a priceless treasure, something that could only be encountered by chance. Moreover, the cultivators of the Ice Palace all practiced ice-based secret techniques, and the Ice Soul Frost Flame would greatly assist their cultivation. Therefore, everyone was extremely concerned.
"The Ice Soul Frost Flame's primordial spirit is severely injured and has completely fallen into a deep sleep within this young man's body, so this is a great opportunity to seize the spiritual fire!" After Zi Tong finished speaking, she glanced at the people in the room. Everyone's eyes were filled with envy as they looked at Wu Heng, including the proud daughter of heaven, Leng Han Shuang.
Suddenly, an overwhelming killing intent filled the room!
It was obvious that someone wanted to kill Wu Heng and seize the Ice Soul Flame, but the Purple-Eyed Elder had already declared that the Ice Soul Flame belonged to Zi Han Shuang, so all the elders of the Ice Palace held back and did not make a move.
Zi Tong pondered for a moment and said, "Now that the Xuanbing Divine Body and the Ice Soul Cold Flame are completely fused, the only way to seize the Ice Soul Cold Flame is to become a person with whom he has a spiritual connection. Then we can use a secret technique to transfer the spiritual fire."
"How can we achieve a spiritual connection?" Leng Hanshuang asked urgently.
Zi Tong looked at Leng Han Shuang with a strange expression again and said, "Han Shuang, if you want to connect with him on a spiritual level, there is only one way, and that is for the two of you to get married."
"Impossible!" Leng Hanshuang shouted resolutely. How could she, a peerless saintess, marry such a mortal? Moreover, he was a useless cultivator without a Dao Soul.
"Marriage?" Upon hearing this, the elders of the Ice Palace all looked at each other with strange expressions.
Zi Tong seemed to have anticipated the outcome and was not surprised. She advised, "Han Shuang, do you know that this Ice Soul Frost Flame is a great opportunity for you? If you miss this opportunity, you will never encounter it again in your life. Sacrifice the small self for the greater good!"
"Han Shuang, you are the Holy Maiden of the Ice Palace and a stunning talent on the continent. You are the only one who can lead the Ice Palace in the future. You must not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains."
"Frost, if you can obtain this Ice Soul Flame, you will definitely be able to overpower the younger generation of strong people from other holy lands in the future. This is a great opportunity, and you must not miss it."
The elders also began to earnestly persuade them.
A look of hesitation appeared on Leng Hanshuang's exquisite face. She was as otherworldly as a fairy from a fairyland, with soft hands, skin as smooth as cream, and bright, sparkling eyes. Every frown and smile could bewitch all living beings.
Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes and said, "Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless. Aunt Purple Eyes, I'll kill him and then take the Ice Soul Flame, won't that solve the problem?"
"What a cruel woman! She actually tried to murder her future husband!" Wu Heng cursed inwardly as he lay in bed pretending to be asleep, but he dared not show any unusual behavior for fear of being discovered by everyone. In fact, he had already woken up, but he had not woken up because he saw people discussing the Ice Soul Flame in the room.
"No." Zi Tong shook her head and said, "If we kill him, the Ice Soul Frost Flame, which is completely fused with the divine body, will also disappear into the world."
"Am I really going to marry this nobody who doesn't even have a Dao Soul?" Leng Han Shuang glanced at Wu Heng, feeling extremely disappointed. She was arrogant and looked down on everyone, and she didn't even consider any of the younger generation of strong people on the continent. Wu Heng was simply not worthy of her attention.
"Alas," Zi Tong sighed, "Fate is so cruel. The Ice Soul Flame was about to be obtained, but fate has set up a chasm that is difficult to cross."
"Frostbite, are you really going to give up Ice Soul Frost Flame?" Purple Eyes asked seriously.
"I…" Leng Hanshuang hesitated, and she hated Wu Heng for interfering at this moment.
"Very well, since you are unwilling, I will report this matter to the Palace Master and will certainly not blame you." Zi Tong felt a little regretful, and then said, "This Ice Soul Frost Flame is too precious for us cultivators who cultivate the secret techniques of the Ice Palace. If I could obtain the Ice Soul Frost Flame, I would be willing to marry this boy, sacrifice my own interests, and achieve the Great Dao."
"Elder, are you really willing to marry this boy?" The elders asked in surprise, their faces filled with strange expressions. But then they thought, what's wrong with risking their lifelong marriage if they could obtain the Ice Soul Flame? Besides, this boy has a divine body. Even if he doesn't have a Dao Soul, he might become a great figure if he works hard to cultivate in the future.
"Ah? Elder, you are?" Leng Hanshuang exclaimed in surprise, and felt a little regretful for not agreeing to the request.
"Hehe, what's so surprising? The Ice Soul Frost Flame is a rare treasure that only appears once every 100,000 years. If you miss it, you'll never have the chance to touch it again in your lifetime." Purple Eyes chuckled, her peerless beauty breathtaking, and said in a sweet voice, "But this brat got lucky!"
The elders were all surprised; they had never seen the incomparably majestic Grand Elder of the Ice Palace show such a girlish expression.
"Haha, this woman knows her stuff. I, Wu Heng, am handsome and dashing. Marrying me is a blessing for you!" Wu Heng chuckled to himself, slightly opening one eye to glance at Zi Tong. Seeing that she was also an unparalleled beauty, he closed his eyes again with a satisfied smile.
"Kid, you better behave yourself. If you're going to pretend to be asleep, then keep sleeping." Suddenly, a cold and beautiful voice entered Wu Heng's mind. He was startled. It turned out that Zi Tong had already discovered that he was pretending to be asleep, but she didn't expose him.
Wu Heng was somewhat embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do at the moment, so he could only grit his teeth and pretend to be asleep.
"I...I am willing to marry him." At this moment, Leng Hanshuang suddenly shouted, but she immediately regretted it after saying it.
"Haha, since you're willing, we won't compete with the juniors. I'll go and report to the Palace Master now!" Zi Tong laughed freely, seemingly unaware that she was about to marry Wu Heng. She floated away from the room, leaving behind a fragrant scent.
Leng Hanshuang immediately realized that the Grand Elder had set a trap for her, deliberately trying to lure her into it.
Only when something is about to be lost do people suddenly realize its value and strive to hold onto it. What a brilliant scheme! The elders were full of admiration and left the room one after another.
The large room suddenly felt empty, leaving only Leng Hanshuang and Wu Heng.
"Sigh, why did Leng Hanshuang suddenly agree to marry me? Now I've lost a great beauty," Wu Heng sighed inwardly.
But rumors say that the Ice Palace Saintess has skin as white as ice and bones as white as jade, and is so beautiful that she is coveted by all the young and powerful men of the continent. She must be a rare beauty in the world. Thinking of this, Wu Heng felt a little better. He never thought that a good-for-nothing like him could marry the proud and beautiful Leng Hanshuang. If this news were to spread, he wondered how many rivals who were pursuing Leng Hanshuang would be indignant.