[Today's diary entry has ended, System calculating...]
[Congratulations Tang Ya, for appearing the most times in the diary. Reward: spirit power Rank increased by three levels, one ten-thousand-year spirit ring (life attribute), and a minor evolution of her Spirit.]
[Today's group chat activity was insufficient; no water-spouting dragon king was produced. Group members, please keep up the effort.]
Finally... another reward!
After paying such a heavy price, she finally received a reward from the diary book!
Tang Ya let out a long sigh of relief, her heart filled with gratitude.
She knew that receiving the reward today was entirely because of Ao Yao's intentional actions. Many times when he mentioned her, Ao Yao deliberately used her name instead of a pronoun like "she," which allowed her to stand out and become today's lucky winner.
So, Ao Yao did not break his word.
I really should be more sensible... right?
Just as Tang Ya was thinking about how to ask Ao Yao out again, her expression suddenly changed.
Almost the exact same situation as last time occurred—her Spirit, Blue Silver Grass, emerged uncontrollably once more. But unlike before, this time her Spirit seemed to be undergoing a very mysterious transformation...
...
---
"Not here either! Brother Tianmeng, we've been walking for so long, why can't we find any Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow!"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's slightly anxious voice, a hint of helplessness appeared on Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's chubby face.
In fact, they had only just begun their journey to find the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow.
They hadn't been on the road for long, and Huo Yuhao had already asked impatiently several times. This Heart-Nature...
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm couldn't help but sigh inwardly, but he knew he couldn't blame him. After all, Yu Hao was only a twelve-year-old boy who had suddenly suffered such a massive blow.
If everything had gone according to plan and he had successfully become the possessor of the Ultimate Ice Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Spirit, all the suffering Huo Yuhao had endured would have served to temper his character, allowing him to eventually emerge from his cocoon as a butterfly.
But as luck would have it, his plan had gone awry... no, the Ice Empress and Snow Empress had learned of his plan in advance, resulting in Huo Yuhao obtaining only the most garbage Spirit. He could understand the boy's anxiety.
To this day, he still couldn't understand how the Ice Empress and Snow Empress had found out about his plan and set a trap in advance.
"Little Yu Hao, don't worry. As long as I lead you patiently, we'll eventually find a Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave like the one I stumbled upon. Even if we have to search every inch of the Extreme North Land, I will help you change your fate Heaven-Defying!"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had to offer another word of comfort.
The only thing that comforted him was that despite Huo Yuhao's impatience, he remained exceptionally respectful and didn't harbor any resentment over the failed plan.
As long as they supported each other, they would find a way out of this situation!
"Sigh... Back then, I stumbled into this place by accident, and my cultivation skyrocketed until I became an unprecedented Million-Year Spirit Beast. Although I've absorbed most of the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow in this Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave, it's still worth coming here to try our luck."
"If there's any leftover Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, it could improve your situation."
"Yu Hao, be patient. Trust me, things will take a turn for the better."
Under Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's consolation, Huo Yuhao's expression softened considerably, and a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes once more.
He didn't need much; even a tiny piece of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow that could improve his garbage Spirit, even if only slightly, would satisfy him!
"Brother Tianmeng, you... you didn't absorb all of it back then, did you?"
"Ahem, well... I can't quite remember, but I shouldn't have been that gluttonous. I must have left a little, right?"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's old face flushed, and he couldn't help but cough awkwardly.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao knew he wouldn't get a straight answer from Tianmeng Ice Silkworm. He could only sigh and enter the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave under his guidance.
A moment later, Huo Yuhao's expression went blank.
Is this... is this the f*cking Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave?
Where's the ice!?
A Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave without a single bit of ice?
Forget the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, there isn't even a single block of ice left!?
Looking around, all Huo Yuhao could see were bare walls, with at most a few tiny frost crystals clinging to them.
Not only was Huo Yuhao bewildered, but Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was also completely dumbfounded.
When he left this Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave... it didn't look like this, did it?
Even if he had absorbed all the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow in the cave, he wouldn't have been so insane as to make all the regular ice disappear, right?
What use would he have for ordinary ice?
"Oh no! I've got it!"
After a brief silence, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm suddenly cried out, prompting Huo Yuhao to ask hurriedly, "What is it, Brother Tianmeng?"
"The Ice Empress! It must be the Ice Empress!"
"She knew I was lucky enough to find a Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave and that my cultivation increased greatly, so she must have come here looking for it too. With her Heavenly Tribulation approaching, she definitely hoped to use the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow to consolidate her power and help her Breakthrough the Heavenly Tribulation! That's why there isn't a single piece of ice left!"
As for why there wasn't even ordinary ice, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had a guess.
The Ice Empress obviously wouldn't fail to recognize the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow; she likely came here, found nothing, and in her frustration at leaving empty-handed, stripped away all the ice.
That would certainly fit the Ice Empress's personality.
Hearing Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's speculation, Huo Yuhao's expression turned dejected, but Tianmeng Ice Silkworm used it to comfort him: "Yu Hao, look at it this way."
"Even the Ice Empress covets this Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, which proves just how precious it is. This means it can definitely improve your current situation! As long as we search patiently, we'll find it. Who knows, we might step out of this Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave and walk straight into another one?"
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao nodded vigorously.
"Yeah! Brother Tianmeng, I won't give up! I refuse to believe that fate is truly this cruel to me, that I don't have a single shred of good luck!"
"Brother Tianmeng, lead me out of this Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave! Let's go search somewhere else!"
As his words fell, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm suddenly froze.
"Uh... let me think about how to get out... I... don't seem to remember. How about we go back the way we came?"
"Go back the way we came?! It's so high, how long would it take me to climb out, Brother Tianmeng! You're joking, right?"