Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 72 Frost Dragon

The weak points of a crocodile are its eyes and abdomen.

But its eyes are small, making it difficult to hit.

With its abdomen pressed firmly against the ground, it is difficult to attack.

"We can only try to find a way to turn it around."

Zhou Ning pulled out three "evil-repelling talismans" from his waist and threw them out at the same time.

Three golden beams struck the crocodile's head, back, and tail, respectively.

"roar!"

The crocodile let out a scream as several charred wounds appeared on its back scales, wisps of black smoke rising from them.

Enraged, it thrashed about, its tail sweeping and claws clawing wildly, destroying everything in its path.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhou Ning circled around to the side of the crocodile, concentrated his true energy at the tip of his sword, and unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Slash".

A dazzling cyan sword aura shot straight towards the crocodile's belly.

"Pfft!"

The sword energy pierced through the crocodile's abdomen, and blood gushed out.

The crocodile let out a desperate roar, collapsed to the ground, and remained motionless.

Zhou Ning, panting heavily, sheathed his sword.

He walked to the edge of the pool, jumped onto the rocks, dug up the Earth Core Fire Lotus by the roots, and carefully put it into his bag.

"The Earth Core Fire Lotus is in my hands."

As he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a small cave beneath the rocks.

Inside the cave, several white eggs could be vaguely seen.

"Crocodile eggs?"

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and decided not to touch the eggs.

He jumped off the rocks and left the pool.

When they returned to the cabin, Xuan Chengzi was meditating and regulating his breathing.

"Young Master Zhou, you're back." Xuan Chengzi opened his eyes, and seeing that he had returned safely, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you get the Earth Core Fire Lotus?"

Zhou Ning nodded: "Got it."

He took out the Earth Core Fire Lotus from his bag and showed it to Xuan Chengzi.

Xuan Chengzi's eyes were full of envy: "Young Master Zhou is truly skilled. I couldn't even withstand a single move from that crocodile."

Zhou Ning said, "You flatter me, Daoist Master. How is your injury?"

Xuan Chengzi said, "Much better. In another two days, he should be able to walk."

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said:

"Master, I still need to go north to find the water of the Cold Pool. I urgently need the Earth Core Fire Lotus. You should stay here and recover from your injuries. You can return to Qingfeng Temple when you're better."

Xuan Chengzi nodded: "Young Master Zhou, rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

Zhou Ning then took out several pills from his bag and handed them to Xuan Chengzi:

"These pills can help heal your injuries. Keep them for later use."

Xuan Chengzi accepted the pill and expressed his deepest gratitude.

Zhou Ning bid farewell to Xuan Chengzi, left the miasma swamp, and continued northward.

His next target is the water of the cold pool.

According to the "Local Landscape Records", Hantan is located in the extremely cold northern region, frozen all year round, and rarely visited by people.

The water in the Cold Pool is icy cold and contains rich spiritual energy, making it an indispensable material for refining Foundation Building Pills.

"There's one last ingredient."

After leaving the miasma swamp, Zhou Ning headed north.

He wrapped the Earth Core Fire Lotus in talisman paper and placed it together with the Dragon Saliva Grass and the Thousand-Year-Old Lingzhi.

The three medicinal herbs each exuded their unique aura, complementing each other in the baggage.

One last ingredient is needed.

In the cold pool.

Thus, the materials for the Foundation Building Pill are complete.

According to the "Local Landscape Records", Hantan is located in the extremely cold northern region, at the end of a place called "Ice and Snow Wasteland".

The place is frozen year-round, rarely visited by people, and the temperature is so low that even cultivators can hardly bear it.

The water in the Cold Pool is icy cold, yet it contains rich spiritual energy, making it an indispensable ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

"The icy wasteland... is at least three thousand miles away from here."

Zhou Ning estimated the distance and inwardly groaned.

From the Flaming Mountains region in the south to the icy wastelands in the north, it almost spans the entire Central Plains.

Even traveling day and night, it would take at least a month.

Moreover, the harsh environment of the icy wasteland makes it impossible for ordinary cultivators to withstand the extreme cold.

"We must hurry." Zhou Ning gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.

After traveling for ten days, he arrived at a small border town called "North Wind City".

Beifeng City is the northernmost town in the Central Plains. Further north lies an endless expanse of icy wasteland.

The city was sparsely populated, and the streets were deserted, with only a few pedestrians wrapped in thick fur coats hurrying by occasionally.

Zhou Ning found an inn to stay in, planning to buy some warm clothes and equipment before continuing his journey north.

The innkeeper was an elderly man in his fifties, surnamed Sun, with a kind face and speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Sir, are you heading to the icy wasteland?"

When Manager Sun saw the thick fur coats and felt blankets he had bought, he asked curiously.

Zhou Ning nodded: "I need to take care of something."

Manager Sun shook his head and sighed:

"That place is absolutely forbidden. It's frozen year-round, with biting cold winds, and even wild animals can't survive there. A few years ago, several cultivators went in to search for treasure, but none of them came out."

Zhou Ning said, "Thank you for the reminder, shopkeeper. I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that he was determined to go, Manager Sun did not try to persuade him further, but instead gave him an extra jug of strong liquor, saying it would help ward off the cold.

The next morning, Zhou Ning left Northwind City and set foot on the icy wasteland.

The wasteland was a vast expanse of white, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The snow was knee-deep, and every step required a great deal of effort.

The cold wind howled, whipping up snowflakes that stung my face like knives.

Zhou Ning circulated his true energy throughout his body, forming a protective aura that shielded him from the cold.

He wrapped his thick fur coat tightly around himself, put on a felt hat and gloves, and began his arduous journey northward.

After walking for three days, he arrived at the foot of an iceberg.

The icebergs soar into the clouds, their crystal-clear surfaces reflecting a dazzling light under the sun.

At the foot of the mountain, there is a dark cave entrance from which white, cold air rises.

"The Cold Pool should be inside this iceberg."

Zhou Ning checked the map and confirmed the location.

He entered the cave and walked along the passageway.

The cave was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Zhou Ning poured his true essence into the Qingfeng Sword, and the sword emitted a faint blue light, barely illuminating what lay ahead.

The passage was very narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

The walls were covered with a thick layer of ice, smooth as a mirror.

The ground was also icy, making it very slippery to walk on, so Zhou Ning had to slow down and be very careful.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

This is a huge ice cave with countless crystal-clear icicles hanging from the ceiling, like inverted swords.

Thick layers of ice covered the cave walls, reflecting a bluish light and illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime.

In the center of the cave, there is a small pool of water.

The pool water was crystal clear, yet it exuded a bone-chilling cold.

The water surface was as calm as a mirror, without a single ripple.

A frozen pool!

Zhou Ning was overjoyed and quickly walked over.

He squatted down and reached out to cup the water in the pool.

The moment his fingers touched the water, a bone-chilling cold instantly rushed into his body, almost freezing his arm.

Zhou Ning quickly withdrew his hand and circulated his true energy to his arm to dispel the chill.

"It's so cold!" he gasped.

The water in the cold pool is dozens of times colder than ordinary water.

Ordinary containers simply cannot hold it; special vessels are required.

Zhou Ning took out a jade bottle from his bag.

This was specially prepared for him by Yan Chixia. It was carved from thousand-year-old cold jade and could withstand extremely low temperatures.

He placed the jade bottle into the pool and carefully filled it.

When the pool water was poured into the bottle, a layer of white frost immediately formed on the surface of the jade bottle, but the bottle itself remained intact.

"The water from the cold pool is in hand."

Zhou Ning sealed the jade bottle and carefully placed it into his bag.

Just as we were about to leave, the icicles on the cave ceiling suddenly began to shake violently.

Icicles fell from the cave ceiling and hit the ground with a crisp sound.

Zhou Ning looked up and saw a pair of huge eyes staring at him from the top of the cave.

It was a colossal, ice-blue beast, the size of a small mountain, its entire body covered in shimmering ice armor.

Its eyes are ice blue, with vertical pupils, radiating a cold light.

Its mouth opened, revealing two rows of sharp, icy teeth.

"Frost Dragon?" Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat.

He had seen records of this giant beast in ancient books.