As the Dream Immortal Boat landed, Lan An and Hua Qing Zhu's expressions turned grave.
A bone-chilling cold seeped through, stinging their skin with its intensity.
The frigid aura emanated from beyond the gate they needed to cross to reach their goal.
"As expected, it's Extreme Ice. Just its residual chill is this piercing," Hua Qing Zhu murmured, affirming her decision to bring Lan An, wielder of Strange Flames.
"What lies beyond?" Lan An mused, stroking his chin curiously.
"Let's find out," Hua Qing Zhu replied coolly, her exquisite face cautious. She summoned ice and earth spiritual energy, forming a formidable shield around her body.
Lan An pondered briefly, then ignited his dual Strange Flames. Golden and purple flames intertwined, enveloping him in a protective blaze.
They stepped through the gate with utmost caution.
A frozen domain greeted them, entirely crafted from ice. Even the air crystallized, forming wisps of chilling mist that drifted through the space.
"Ah!" Hua Qing Zhu gasped. Her Mid Body Unity shield, conjured by her formidable cultivation, proved useless.
Before she could retreat, the Extreme Ice pierced her barrier, freezing her skin inch by inch, seeping into her pores, and slowing her blood and spiritual energy. The cold was unbearable, her body trembling despite her clenched teeth, her ruby lips drained of color.
She'd only taken one step into the room.
"This domain is infused with Extreme Ice from a Peak Tribulation Realm cultivator—truly terrifying," a thought flashed through her mind.
Her body stiffened, frozen solid, her platinum hair now a cascade of ice. She stood like a divine ice statue, breathtakingly beautiful yet immobile.
In this state, death by freezing was inevitable. Even self-detonation wouldn't help—her Nascent Soul would freeze instantly upon escape.
Lan An's face darkened. Despite his dual Strange Flames, the chilling aura infiltrated, thickening his blood, threatening to freeze him entirely.
Yet, his situation was better than Hua Qing Zhu's. He managed to step back, escaping the domain's grasp.
"Even two Strange Flames aren't enough?" Hua Qing Zhu's frozen face betrayed her unwillingness.
She should've anticipated this. Though Strange Flames outclassed Extreme Ice, Lan An's Late Fusion Realm cultivation was too weak to counter the Extreme Ice of a Peak Tribulation Realm master like the Extreme Ice Demon Monarch. Despite her high estimation, its terror exceeded her expectations—a Mid Body Unity cultivator like her was powerless.
As her consciousness faded, her divine sense sealed, silence enveloped her. She assumed Lan An had fled. Why wouldn't he? A peerless genius with vast resources, destined for the world's peak, wouldn't die here with her.
Her blood solidified, her spiritual energy nearly unusable.
"I won't die so pathetically!" Hua Qing Zhu resolved, determined to make a final stand, even if it meant death without regrets.
She channeled her remaining spiritual energy to her dantian, preparing to self-detonate.
Sizzle!
A familiar sound interrupted her. A faint warmth crept through the ice, halting her resolve.
Boom!
The ice encasing her shattered, along with her defensive robe, leaving her bare.
A warm arm pulled her naked form into an embrace, accompanied by heavy male breathing.
Lan An, cloaked in terrifying thunder and fire, unleashed Emperor Flame combined with Tri-Color Tribulation Lightning without restraint. The combined force shattered the Extreme Ice, saving Hua Qing Zhu.
He hadn't anticipated her robe disintegrating, revealing a sight beyond compare.
Her skin, whiter than snow, was flawless and smooth. Her supple waist felt divine in his grasp. Above, her full peaks pressed tightly against him, leaving no gap. Delicate ruby crests adorned them, a gift of nature's favor.
Below, her slender, snowy thighs shyly pressed together, her proud hips curved enticingly, exuding resilience. A mystical valley, faintly visible between her thighs, emitted a fatal fragrance, adorned with neatly trimmed platinum wisps, enhancing its ethereal allure.
Unlike a youthful maiden, this was a mature masterpiece, radiating the charm of a seasoned beauty, ripe and ready to be savored.
Lan An couldn't tear his eyes away until a chilling voice snapped him back.
"Seen enough?"
Hua Qing Zhu gritted her teeth, her icy demeanor shaken. Her body, exposed to a man for the first time, sent her heart racing. If he hadn't just saved her, she'd have crushed him.
"Ahem!" Lan An coughed, holding her tightly as he retreated from the deadly room.
Hua Qing Zhu huffed, summoning a regal white gown to cover herself, restoring her cold, lofty aura.
Only then did she scrutinize the power enveloping Lan An.
Her expression shifted dramatically, her phoenix eyes narrowing.
"Tri-Color Tribulation Lightning? Three Strange Flames?"
As a Mid Body Unity cultivator, she recognized their origins, her heart roiling with shock, unable to calm.
What kind of freak was he?
"You're bold. If the world knew this secret, even Wu San Niang couldn't protect you!" she said, her voice low, eyes complex.
She understood what possessing such powers meant. If Lan An reached Tribulation Realm, Dragon Crossing Star would kneel at his feet. The Extreme Ice Demon Monarch had dominated with just Extreme Ice. Lan An, with three Strange Flames and Tri-Color Tribulation Lightning—Heavenly Dao's power—could slaughter a hundred Monarchs if fully grown.
Strange Flames were one thing, but Tribulation Lightning was coveted by all. If the planet's Tribulation Realm elders learned of this, they'd hunt him relentlessly, seizing his powers or killing him to prevent his rise. Even Wu San Niang, mighty as she was, couldn't fend off a swarm of Tribulation Realm foes.
That's why Lan An hid his full strength, even in life-or-death battles.
Hua Qing Zhu wouldn't have risked revealing such a secret to save him. Her heart swirled with turmoil—gratitude, confusion, and a scolding for his recklessness.
"Letting a beauty die before me isn't my style. Besides, I trust you won't spill my secret," Lan An said, shrugging casually.
He owed Bai Lian Hua two life debts. Saving Hua Qing Zhu, no matter the cost, required his full power—Emperor Flame and Tribulation Lightning combined.
Hua Qing Zhu's body trembled, a strange warmth stirring her heart. She huffed, masking it. "Only the dead keep secrets forever. That was foolish."
"Call me foolish, then. If you were a man, you'd be dead," Lan An grinned.
"You…" Hua Qing Zhu inhaled deeply. He'd risked everything to save her. She relented, warning, "Never reveal Tri-Color Tribulation Lightning to others. It'd spark a Tribulation War, coating the planet in blood."
Though she cited the world's safety, Lan An sensed her genuine concern.
"I only show it to my wives," he said earnestly, meeting her gaze.
Her heart skipped, flustered by his slick words. Unable to match his verbal prowess, she changed the subject. "How do we cross this Extreme Ice Domain?"
Lan An smirked, his thunder and fire reigniting. Gesturing for her to stay put, he stepped back into the room.
The Extreme Ice surged, but he repelled it effortlessly.
"Spirit Fusion Palm!" he roared.
His hands formed a strike, channeling his full power, including Nirvana Spirit Water. His strongest technique tore through, cracking the unyielding space like a spiderweb.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Where Spirit Fusion Palm struck, Extreme Ice shattered, melting into the air. A corner of the domain vanished instantly.
Lan An aimed to obliterate the Extreme Ice Domain.
His Five Supreme Cauldrons spun, absorbing ambient spiritual energy, swiftly restoring his reserves.
Satisfied, he unleashed Spirit Fusion Palm again, ravaging the domain.
Boom! Crash!
From outside, Hua Qing Zhu heard the relentless destruction, curiosity drawing her to peek inside.
She witnessed his brutal assault.
Her lips twitched. She hadn't expected such a barbaric approach, nor his seemingly endless spiritual energy. Spirit Fusion Palm, a devastating technique, was used repeatedly without fatigue.
If the Monarch knew his trial was being demolished so crudely, he'd be livid.
"What a monster," Hua Qing Zhu muttered, suddenly feeling useless. Lan An had handled every challenge, rendering her Mid Body Unity strength moot.
A day passed. Lan An's rampage reduced the Extreme Ice to a ten-meter patch. The rest of the domain reverted to a normal cave, safe for Hua Qing Zhu to enter, trailing him.
Suddenly, Lan An's eyes gleamed. He halted Spirit Fusion Palm, eyeing the remaining Extreme Ice without further destruction.
"Why stop?" Hua Qing Zhu asked, puzzled.
He handed her a jade stone infused with his soul force. "If you're in danger, crush it. I'll come immediately."
"What are you planning?" Her curiosity peaked. He always surprised her.
Lan An grinned, not answering. Enveloped in thunder and fire, he dashed to the remaining Extreme Ice patch and sat cross-legged.
Before Hua Qing Zhu's stunned eyes, he retracted his flames and lightning.
Crack!
Without protection, the diminished Extreme Ice still froze him solid, its chill piercing his flesh and bones, causing unimaginable pain.
Even Hua Qing Zhu couldn't withstand it initially.
"He's insane!" she exclaimed, rushing to free him.
Boom!
The ice shattered as his thunder and fire erupted, freeing him.
Suppressing the agony, Lan An grinned wildly, feeling his body grow sturdier.
"Haha, it works!"
He retracted his powers again, letting Extreme Ice freeze him once more.
This time, he endured longer, releasing his thunder and fire just before losing consciousness, strengthening his body further.
"Using Extreme Ice to temper his body?" Hua Qing Zhu gasped, shocked by his audacious method.
Did he always train so harshly?
"Go on without me. I'll break through to the next body cultivation stage!" Lan An instructed, freezing himself again.
He'd tempered with Strange Flames and Tribulation Lightning before. Now, Extreme Ice offered similar grueling progress.
"I can't keep relying on him," Hua Qing Zhu muttered. Giving his figure a deep look, she proceeded alone.
As her elegant silhouette vanished beyond the gate, Lan An withdrew his gaze, murmuring, "Hope nothing goes wrong…"
He closed his eyes, fully immersed in cultivation.