Xun Kun nodded slightly, retrieving the prayer beads Yun Chen had given him. But this time, the beads showed no reaction at all. His brows furrowed. "Ran Xi, are you certain they were pulled into this place as well?"
Yunxi thought for a moment before replying. "I'm eighty percent sure. When the Polar Extreme Wind Zone mutated, it would have affected any Nascent Soul cultivators who hadn't left the inner perimeter. Knowing Yun Chen's temperament, he wouldn't just stand by. He and the others would have rushed to help, which would have brought them closer to the center… increasing the chances of being dragged inside."
"You're right. But the prayer beads aren't reacting. Where do we even start looking? And according to what Han Lian told us earlier, this secret realm had a cultivation limit for entry. Our cultivation is being suppressed, which means only Nascent Soul cultivators should be able to enter the Misty Snow Domain. Yet here we are. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"
Yunxi tugged her pure white cloak closer, her almond-shaped eyes thoughtful. "You're right. The Misty Snow Domain has its own realm spirit. Cultivators who don't meet the requirements should have been blocked outside. But both of us made it through."
Xun Kun took two steps forward. His eyes glimmered with sudden insight. "Ran Xi, could it be that a evil cultivator of similar strength forced their way in? The realm spirit might have dragged us here to counterbalance them."
Her almond eyes brightened. Perhaps Xun Kun had guessed correctly. "That's entirely possible. Back in the inner perimeter, I fought that late Divine Transformation evil cultivator. I didn't get a chance to search his soul before he blew up his divine soul without hesitation.
Since then, we haven't seen any other Divine Transformation evil cultivators. They might have found a way to infiltrate the Misty Snow Domain, forcing the realm spirit to pull us in for protection."
Xun Kun sighed. "We don't know what's going on in this secret realm. It's better to regroup with Han Lian and the others as soon as possible."
Yunxi stood at the edge of a frozen lake, scanning the endless whiteness stretching to every horizon. She pulled a white silk ribbon from her storage bracelet—the one she'd bought in Jihan City—and tied it around her eyes, shielding them from the blinding glare of snow.
Xun Kun followed her example. He removed his intricately carved mask and tied a black silk ribbon of similar make over his eyes.
Once they were fully prepared, the two of them left the lake behind.
Only after their figures vanished from sight did a massive white bear silently surface from beneath the ice. Its pitch-black eyes watched the pair's retreating backs with confusion.
When the two cultivators first fell into its territory, the bear had been delighted, circling beneath the surface as it prepared for a feast. But before it could get close, they'd leapt from the water. It had been about to strike when it sensed the dangerous aura coursing through the woman's body. The instinctive chill that ran down its spine stopped it in its tracks.
It wasn't that it didn't covet the juicy prey. It was that it feared it would die trying to take it. As a fifth-rank ice beast, it had survived this long and claimed dominion over the realm by following strict survival rules—chief among them: never provoke an opponent stronger than yourself.
Besides, the realm had been behaving strangely. Before its activation, the bear had sensed several cultivators with odd, menacing auras entering. Alarmed, it had hidden deep in its lair beneath the lake, not daring to show itself.
Later, the snow finches brought word that many high-rank beasts had been slaughtered, their bodies completely obliterated. The bear had been so terrified it didn't leave the lake for days, convinced those terrifying intruders would target it next.
Today, it had only surfaced because the rumors said those strange, dangerous figures had gone to the center of the realm. It thought it safe to stretch its legs, visit old acquaintances, and confirm who was still alive. Instead, two formidable cultivators had appeared in its territory.
After much hesitation, the ice bear sank back into the depths, deciding it would stay hidden until the realm closed. No one would drag it from the safety of its lake.
Meanwhile, Xun Kun and Ran Xi attempted to take flight, only to find their movements suppressed. The area was sealed against aerial travel. They had no choice but to rely on the Shrinking the Earth technique to speed their journey.
Only when Xun Kun sensed the bear's gaze disappear behind them did he speak again. "Ran Xi, why didn't it attack?"
Yunxi's lips curved into a slight smile. "Self-preservation is instinct for beasts. It might have tried its luck against one of us, but against both, it would only be donating its pelt. A beast that's reached the fifth rank isn't foolish enough to make that mistake."
Xun Kun's lips quirked with amusement. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted by its fur. That pelt could make an excellent winter robe."
Yunxi chuckled softly. She had entertained the same thought, but since the bear hadn't attacked and they needed to locate Han Lian quickly, neither of them wanted to waste time.
In the end, the cautious beast's instincts had saved its life.
They traveled for over an hour through endless snow without encountering a single living creature—not even another cultivator.
In this featureless landscape, Xun Kun's poor sense of direction became obvious. Worried Yunxi might also lose her bearings, he suggested, "Ran Xi, let's rest for a bit. You can check our heading, and then we'll move on."
Yunxi nodded casually, confident they were moving away from the lake where they'd landed. The lack of any other life confirmed her suspicion: the ice bear ruled this entire area, and no other beasts dared to encroach.
At her agreement, Xun Kun brought out his portable magic residence and set it up behind a snowdrift. He invited Yunxi inside to recover.
The residence's defensive array activated automatically, allowing them to remove their heavy cloaks once inside. Each chose an empty room to meditate and recover.
The Misty Snow Domain was saturated with ice spiritual energy. Even without actively circulating her cultivation technique, Yunxi's ice spiritual root absorbed it naturally, so she'd expended very little energy during their journey.
Xun Kun, however, was less fortunate and had to use spirit stones to replenish himself.
An hour later, Yunxi was fully recovered, her spiritual energy reserves restored despite the suppression of her cultivation base. She left her room and entered the sitting hall, gazing out the window at the white expanse, silently reviewing everything that had happened since they'd entered the Misty Snow Domain.
Half an hour later, Xun Kun joined her, refreshed. "Ran Xi, have you finished meditating?"
She turned to him and nodded. "Yes. The spiritual energy here complements my cultivation technique, so recovery is quick."
Xun Kun nodded in understanding, then asked, "You seemed deep in thought just now. Did you realize something?"
"I was thinking about that evil cultivator."
"What about him?"
"He said… we wouldn't be able to stop the Evil God's return."