Chapter 583

Chapter 583: Misty Ice Crystal

Ice Tower, Second Layer!

Ye Yun stared at the spiraling ice staircase. After a brief hesitation, he stepped onto it and descended slowly.

No obstacles barred his path, and he soon reached the second layer.

The second layer felt nearly identical to the first, though the icy essence grew sharper. Yet this coldness couldn’t harm Ye Yun.

He stepped forward, scanning his surroundings through the biting chill.

Another half-height ice platform stood before him. Above it swirled a dense mist, faint glimmers flickering within.

Ye Yun frowned but didn’t approach immediately. The Ice Tower wouldn’t let treasures be claimed as easily as the first layer.

Most Golden Core disciples couldn’t even endure the coldness here, but top-tier disciples could. If every layer simply offered treasures for the taking, it’d defy reason.

Ye Yun studied the mist’s shimmer. Could it guard the platform’s treasures? Perhaps hiding beasts.

He shuddered, recalling the beast with Fifth Level Nascent Soul cultivation—power beyond his limits. Even Murong Wuqing had nearly met death and spirit-dispersal.

“Brother Wuqing, where has the teleportation sent you?” Ye Yun muttered. If trapped in such mist, Murong Wuqing might lose himself entirely.

Ye Yun inched toward the platform.

Reaching it, he spread his spirit perception across the platform and mist, probing carefully.

A sudden *hiss* pierced the air as the mist shifted.

Ye Yun leaped back three zhang.

The mist writhed, glowing brighter, until it coalesced into a towering figure—a burly man with eyes like bronze bells, gleaming sharply.

“At last! A visitor after a thousand years of solitude!” The mist-man stretched lazily.

Ye Yun tensed, true qi surging within him, ready to strike.

“Relax, young fellow. No fighting here—this trial’s simple.” The mist-man chuckled, sensing Ye Yun’s wariness.

Ye Yun narrowed his eyes, clasping his hands. “Ye Yun pays respects to Senior.”

“Ah, ‘Senior’! How long since I’ve heard that!” The mist-man grinned. “As the first to reach this layer, I’ll grant you a privilege.”

Privilege?

Ye Yun doubted it. Every Secret Vault trial sought to kill—from the void’s darkness to the Nascent Soul beasts, all beyond Golden Core cultivators. Benefits here? Unlikely.

“My thanks, Senior. Does this mean I may take a treasure and ascend?” Ye Yun asked lightly.

The mist-man boomed with laughter. “Clever tongue! The treasures here await destined heirs—five in total. Your privilege? You may *choose* one. Others get only random picks.”

Ye Yun’s brow lifted. “Five treasures lie here?”

“Five for five heirs,” the mist-man confirmed.

Ye Yun inhaled. “How do I claim one?”

The burly man pondered and said, "To reach the second layer of the Ice Tower, you must have extraordinary talent, top-tier cultivation, or deep understanding of the Ice Element Law. Though you’re only at the first level of the Golden Core stage, you’ve resisted the Cold Aura here. It seems you comprehend ice principles deeply. I’ll test you with an Ice Element Secret Technique. Endure it, and you pass."

Ye Yun stepped forward. "Senior, please begin."

The mist-formed man spread his arms. Strands of Ice Spirit Qi materialized, glowing blue like frozen spider silk. All ambient ice energy rushed to form a shimmering orb in his palms.

"This simple technique contains forty percent of this layer’s Ice Spirit Qi. Resist its coldness penetration to pass."

Ye Yun’s eyes narrowed. "If I endure longer, may I take two treasures?"

The mist-man blinked, then laughed heartily. "Absorb it completely, and all treasures here are yours. Fail within a day, and you’ll be sent back empty-handed."

Ye Yun’s heart leaped. Though he’d asked casually, this exceeded his hopes. The Heart of Immortals and Demons could devour far more than this.

"Complete absorption? Impossible!" Ye Yun feigned distress.

The man grinned. "Fail gracefully and take one treasure home. The third layer’s no free prize – absorb or destroy the orb to proceed."

Ye Yun inhaled sharply. He’d assumed passing meant treasure and progression. This changed everything.

"Then I’ll try absorbing it. Maybe boost my cultivation too." Ye Yun declared boldly.

The man frowned. This first-level Golden Core brat survived the tower’s cold through ice mastery alone. Yet he thought to absorb forty percent of the layer’s energy? Even peak Golden Core cultivators couldn’t manage this!

"Your confidence baffles me. Then taste my Ice Sealing!"

The mist-man hurled the orb without ceremony. No fancy moves – just pure, concentrated coldness.

Ye Yun sat cross-legged, hands clasped at his abdomen. Blue light engulfed him completely.

Crack!

An ice cocoon encased him. Any ordinary Golden Core disciple would lose most cultivation resisting this. Failure meant death and spirit dissolution.

The mist-man’s eyes gleamed. "Succeed, young fellow, and take everything – even this ice platform. Fulfill my ancient oath so my soul fragment may finally rest after centuries."

Inside the Ice Crystal Seal, Ye Yun’s entire being froze – meridians, blood, bones, five internal organs. Only his Soul’s Fire remained flickering.

"Heart of Immortals and Demons – DEVOUR!"

A black-white vortex exploded from Ye Yun’s brow. The ancient artifact tore through invading coldness, shredding ice bonds. His true qi surged – he could shatter the prison now.

But why settle for one treasure? The vortex intensified, draining the orb’s essence relentlessly.

Within an hour, the blue glow dimmed. Ye Yun’s silhouette grew visible through thinning ice.

The mist-man’s jaw dropped. Shock melted into wild joy. After thirteen hundred years… could freedom finally come?