Gradually, the chill ahead grew increasingly formidable. Even the air was draped with strands of ice pearls, the cold seeping right into the skin.
"How dense the Ice-Snow Laws are. Could it really be him? Would I encounter him earlier in this lifetime?" Ye Yunfei was somewhat startled.
"It seems that, even after rebirth, the people and things one is meant to encounter will still be met, only the timing may differ," Ye Yunfei inwardly mused.
Several hours later, Ye Yunfei estimated he had penetrated deep underground. Finally, he arrived at a vast complex of subterranean palaces! Each magnificent palace was crusted with thick layers of profound ice that seemed ancient and unyielding.
A dense chill flowed between each ice palace, chilling one to the very soul.
"Even a Dao Entry Realm early-stage expert would freeze into an icicle upon coming here," Ye Yunfei shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Where exactly is your head?" Ye Yunfei inquired of the brawny man.
"Follow me," the brawny man replied, leading the way forward. They traversed palace after palace.
Suddenly, loud growls echoed—a pack of white wolves charged toward Ye Yunfei, roaring fiercely. There were over a hundred of them! These wolves' bodies appeared transparent, as if carved from pure ice.
"These are Ice Wolves. Each possesses Star Gathering Realm power. Their numbers equal over a hundred Star Gathering Realm experts—be cautious! When I broke into these underground halls years ago, I fought these Ice Wolves," the brawny man promptly warned Ye Yunfei.
"I know. These Ice Wolves were formed over an immense span of time through an extremely profound Ice-Snow Law, gradually coalescing. I have the means to handle them," Ye Yunfei said with a laugh.
"Means? What means?" the brawny man was taken aback.
Fwish! Fwish!
Ye Yunfei flicked his fingers consecutively, sending out two tongues of flame—Earth Flame and Samadhi True Fire! Both were hetero-flames of yang nature. The world works on checks and balances; yang-affinity hetero-flames were perfectly suited to combating creatures condensed from freezing-cold laws!
Boom! Boom!
The two hetero-flames erupted instantly, swelling into two raging infernos that swept towards the Ice Wolves. The wolves yowled as soon as the flames touched them, melting almost immediately into puddles of ice-water. In moments, all one-hundred-plus Ice Wolves vanished.
"Could those be the legendary Heavenly and Earthly Hetero-flames?" The brawny man couldn't hide his shock witnessing the formidable power of Ye Yunfei's flames. Back in his day, he'd fought tooth and nail against them. Now, Ye Yunfei handled them with ease.
"Here, some of the Ice Wolves possess power comparable to early-stage Dao Entry Realm experts," the brawny man warned.
Just as the words fell, a huge Ice Wolf appeared, dashing toward Ye Yunfei. It emanated an aura equivalent to a Dao Entry Realm early-stage expert!
The Earth Flame and Samadhi True Fire expanded rapidly, transforming into two fire dragons flanking Ye Yunfei as they pounced on the wolf simultaneously. Sensing danger, the Ice Wolf turned and bolted, but it was too late—the twin fire dragons engulfed it. In an instant, the wolf burst into intense flames, melting into a puddle of ice.
"Far too strong!" The brawny man stared dumbstruck.
"My hetero-flames work just as well against Dao Entry Realm Ice Wolves. Like I said, checks and balances," Ye Yunfei grinned.
Truth be told, there was one detail Ye Yunfei kept to himself: these two hetero-flames possessed intrinsic power far surpassing his current cultivation level. However, given his present capabilities, Ye Yunfei was unable to unleash their full potential. Still, due to their innate yang properties, the flames annihilated these ice beings without requiring further incitement.
As they proceeded, they encountered Ice Wolves one after another—none, whether Star Gathering Realm or Dao Entry Realm, survived Earth Flame and Samadhi True Fire.
Finally, guided by the brawny man, they arrived inside a particular palace within the complex. "My head is hidden here. Back in my day, reaching this place required a fierce battle. But you? You glided right in," the man lamented.
Inside this palace lay countless irregular, thick blocks of profound ice stacked haphazardly—a pile here, a heap there.
"My head lies beneath that cluster," the brawny man pointed.
Ye Yunfei waved a sleeve, sweeping away over a dozen ice blocks above, revealing an ice-block underneath containing a single head, its features unmistakeably belonging to the brawny man. No one would have guessed such a secret lay within, if not for his guidance.
A flick of a finger, and both hetero-flames surged forward, melting the ice block instantly.
The severed head rose into the air, erupting with mighty energy. An immaterial figure materialized—the Soul Body of the brawny man!
Not a mere Soul Clone, but his primary Soul Body!
Swoosh! The Soul Clone beside Ye Yunfei flew forward, merging seamlessly with the primary Soul Body.
Instantly, their memories interlinked. "Ye Yunfei, I thank you!" The Soul Body offered a reverent bow.
"No need for formalities. Hurry up and have your head stored within my spatial artifact—I still have an acquaintance to meet," Ye Yunfei responded.
"An acquaintance? Here?"
"Possibly. We’ll know upon sight," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Ye Yunfei transferred the brawny man’s head into his Illusion Tower spatial treasure. With this, every last part of the man’s physical body had been assembled!
Leaving the palace, Ye Yunfei darted deeper into the underground complex. Along the way, Ice Wolves proliferated—more Star Gathering Realm beasts, some at Dao Entry Realm, even a few middle-stage Dao Entry Realm wolves, and even one late-stage Dao Entry Realm beast! Fortunately, Earth Flame and Samadhi True Fire remained their natural bane, making each encounter trivial. The Ice-Snow Laws grew increasingly pervasive, and Ye Yunfei felt his muscular body tremble in the frigidity.
At long last, Ye Yunfei arrived at the deepest point of the complex: a massive ice palace whose location lay at the planet’s core. Stretching across tens of thousands of square feet, it felt almost like a Small World. A thick layer of ice many meters deep covered the floor; chilling white streams churned around. Upon entering, a terrifying icy gust threatened to freeze Ye Yunfei solid.
Flaming barriers of Earth Flame and Samadhi True Fire flanked him, granting him total immunity.
Then, Ye Yunfei’s gaze turned to the center of the palace, where a giant translucent ice coffin rested. Within the coffin lay a behemoth whose entire body seeped dense frost-mist.
"It truly is him," Ye Yunfei smiled knowingly at the giant entombed within, "Ice Demon—my old loyal subordinate."