Chapter 98 - 73: Seventh-grade Lotus Seed? No, Nine-Grade Lotus Seed

The ice wasn’t particularly thick. Before long, the two of them smashed a hole through the surface.

"The closer we get to the central Ice Lotus, the higher the chances of a Living Water Spirit appearing," Li Shuang whispered. "We can’t approach the Ice Lotus openly. We’ll enter the water here and dive beneath the surface. This water is bone-piercingly cold; anyone without an Ice Spirit Root would find it impossible to even touch. Second Senior Brother, I will inject a stream of Ice Attribute Spiritual Power into you to protect your body. However, you’ll still experience some pain when you enter the water. You will have to endure it for a bit."

Liu Juncheng nodded without hesitation.

To expect such a serendipitous opportunity to fall into his lap without paying any price would be utterly foolish and ungrateful.

"The best results come from absorbing the Living Water Spirit immediately upon finding it. The moment we encounter it, Second Senior Brother, you must absorb it at once. A wonder like this will subtly work its magic over the coming years, continuously tempering your Spirit Root. Once the effects of the Living Water Spirit finally conclude, your Spirit Root Level will naturally increase," Li Shuang said.

This was exactly why she had asked Liu Juncheng to come here himself.

First, the Living Water Spirit’s efficacy would drop significantly once contained and removed from this environment. Second, capturing the Living Water Spirit required a specific vessel. Such a vessel was not easily obtained; otherwise, she would have brought the spirit out for Sheng Yuan ten years ago.

"Understood," Liu Juncheng agreed to her instructions one by one.

Li Shuang channeled a surge of Ice Attribute Spiritual Power into his body, shielding his vitals. Then, the two of them leaped into the Ice Lake.

The icy water was piercingly cold. Li Shuang fared relatively well thanks to her Ice Spirit Root, but despite the protection of the Ice Attribute Spiritual Power, Liu Juncheng couldn’t help but shiver the moment he plunged in. A layer of frost instantly formed on his eyebrows.

Li Shuang cast him a worried glance, but he returned a reassuring look. He could certainly withstand this much pain!

Given the harsh underwater environment, Li Shuang dared not waste any time. She swam straight toward the direction of the Ice Lotus, with Liu Juncheng fighting to keep up.

Almost as soon as they began moving, a look of pleasant surprise crossed Li Shuang’s face. During her previous visit, encountering a Living Water Spirit had been purely by chance. This time, however, the situation was completely different.

Under the enhancement of the Supreme Forget Emotion Technique, her sensing range was far broader than before. Furthermore, she now had the assistance of the Melting Furnace!

"Underwater Ice Crystal: 300 Value Points."

"Ice Moon Fish: 500 Value Points."

"Water Coral: 700 Value Points."

With the help of the Melting Furnace, the various treasures hidden within the Ice Lake were laid bare. However, Li Shuang didn’t go out of her way to search for them, only collecting the items she happened to come across along their path. Wasting time on these minor resources would mean missing out on the true grand opportunity.

They swam onward in stealth. Suddenly, Li Shuang’s eyes flickered.

"Living Water Spirit: 100,000 Value Points."

A message popped into her vision. Joy surged in her heart. The fact that the Melting Furnace had produced a notification proved that the Living Water Spirit was nearby! But just as she prepared to focus all her senses on it, the message vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Li Shuang didn’t panic. The Living Water Spirit was a Heaven and Earth Wonder; its appearances were fleeting and incredibly difficult to capture. With the dual enhancements of her Cultivation Technique and the Melting Furnace, she already possessed an unparalleled advantage for catching it. If even she couldn’t obtain it, then no one else in the world could seize this opportunity.

Pushing the Supreme Forget Emotion Technique to its absolute limit, Li Shuang waited quietly.

"Living Water Spirit: 100,000 Value Points!"

The Living Water Spirit had appeared once again!

This time, with her senses fully dominating the surrounding waters, she pinpointed the Living Water Spirit’s location the very instant the Melting Furnace generated the notification. Her Ice Attribute Spiritual Power instantly surged forward to shroud that spot.

"Second Senior Brother!" Li Shuang shouted.

Liu Juncheng, who had already been waiting in anticipation, dashed forward with all his might.

In the exact moment the Living Water Spirit was about to disappear, his hand brushed against the wondrous entity. In a split second, his entire body was frozen solid into a block of ice. A streak of deep blue plunged directly into his Dantian.

Li Shuang watched from the sidelines with a tinge of nervousness. Because the Living Water Spirit was a Water Attribute wonder and Liu Juncheng possessed a Water Attribute Spirit Root, the entity was naturally drawn into his body. If her Second Senior Brother could survive this extreme, freezing cold, the Living Water Spirit would turn docile, remaining inside to slowly nourish his Spirit Root. But if he failed to endure it, the spirit would likely leave him on the spot. If they failed this once, there would be practically no second chances. Whether this succeeded or not depended entirely on Liu Juncheng himself.

Time ticked by, second by second. Li Shuang stood guard quietly by his side. Seeing that nearly half an hour had passed, she hesitated, wondering if she should wake him up. Right at that moment, the block of ice encasing Liu Juncheng shattered, and his eyes snapped open.

Li Shuang looked at him expectantly. Overjoyed, Liu Juncheng nodded.

It was a success!

The Living Water Spirit was now quietly flowing within his Dantian, and his Spirit Root aptitude was gradually improving at a slow but steady pace.

"Junior Sister, you’ve wasted quite a bit of time guarding me here," Liu Juncheng hurriedly said. "Don’t worry about me anymore. Hurry and fetch the Lotus Seed."

Li Shuang nodded. "Second Senior Brother, leave the Ice Lake immediately and head toward the boulder. The commotion will be massive in a moment, and I don’t want you getting caught up in it."

"Don’t worry," Liu Juncheng agreed.

No longer hesitating, Li Shuang swam straight for the Ice Lotus. Liu Juncheng swiftly surfaced and successfully left the perimeter of the Ice Lake. Afraid of getting in her way, he didn’t dare stay too close. Yet, unable to completely ease his worry, he found a hidden corner nearby to observe from afar.

Beneath the Ice Lake.

With only the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn remaining, Li Shuang swam toward the Ice Lotus with all her strength. Having harvested a Lotus Seed once before, she knew exactly what to do.

She had rehearsed the sequence a thousand times in her mind: upon reaching the Ice Lotus, she would smash through the ice and burst out of the water. The moment she secured the Lotus Seed, she couldn’t linger for even a fraction of a second; she had to flee far away immediately.

Soon, Li Shuang arrived at the center of the Ice Lake. From a distance, she could see the roots of the lotus flower. The roots of the Ice Lotus were anchored directly in the clear water, each strand as pristine and translucent as crystal.

"Seventh-grade Pure Ice Lotus: 3,000,000 Value Points."

"One Seventh-grade Pure Ice Lotus Seed: 1,000,000 Value Points."

A single Lotus Seed was worth a million Value Points! And the lotus flower itself was worth a staggering three million!

However, this Ice Lotus was so deeply rooted here that it was entirely impossible to take away. The only thing she could snatch was the Lotus Seed.

With no time to lose, Li Shuang burst out of the water, reaching straight for the Lotus Seed resting in the heart of the flower.

But right at that moment, the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace offered a new prompt.

"Ninth-grade Pure Ice Lotus Seed: 10,000,000 Value Points."