Under Bing Yao's guidance, the three traversed layers of mountains and forests.
During this time, Ye Zhenghao realized that the temperature was continuously dropping. Even for someone of his cultivation, a trace of chill began to set in.
Soon, a grand ice and snow mountain villa appeared within their view.
Everything within the villa was crafted from ice. The ground was covered in a layer of snow, which sparkled translucently under the sunlight.
The next moment, the three entered the villa.
Inside the estate, the ground was littered with fragments of ice sculptures, and there was a faint scent of blood.
Seeing how quiet everything was, Bing Yao's face instantly turned pale. The stillness here made her wonder if her senior sisters and the others had met with misfortune.
With this thought, Bing Yao suppressed her tears and quickly spoke, "Two elder brothers, I beg you, please don't turn back, will you? Go in and take a look. Perhaps my senior sisters and the others can still be saved..."
Bing Yao knew very well in her heart.
Normally, once the battle in this area concluded, it meant the rescue mission was over. Many who came to rescue would choose to retreat.
If the rescued were already dead, there was no need for them to continue taking risks, lest they lose their own lives.
Unless the rescued were elites of their own faction, holding a certain status, would people then venture deeper.
But the current Ye Cangtian was merely an outsider. How could he risk himself for a dead person?
On the other hand, Ye Cangtian was someone who saw things through to the end. Seeing Bing Yao's eyes welling up with tears, he felt even more pity.
The next moment, he spoke calmly, "Don't worry. Since we've come, we must see people alive or retrieve bodies. I will definitely help you to the very end!"
Upon hearing this, Bing Yao immediately bowed, saying, "Bing Yao thanks Brother Ye for his generosity. If there's ever a time Bing Yao can be of use, Bing Yao will not refuse!"
"No need for formalities."
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and then strode into the villa.
Upon reaching the third level of the villa, the ice sculpture fragments on the ground disappeared, replaced by intact human-shaped ice sculptures.
They were carved with lifelike detail, and a few golden crystals were embedded in their chests.
"Two elder brothers, be careful. These ice sculptures are very powerful!" Bing Yao quickly reminded them.
Ye Cangtian nodded, then smiled at the nearby Ye Zhenghao and said, "Zhenghao, these ice sculptures likely possess quasi-heavenly realm strength. Do you have the confidence to eliminate them all?"
Ye Zhenghao glanced down the corridor. There were at least thirty ice sculptures in the entire corridor, and the fighting spirit in his eyes immediately ignited.
Facing so many quasi-heavenly realm ice sculptures simultaneously was no small challenge for him, but the greater the danger, the more it could stimulate his full potential.
Thinking thus, he stepped forward, donned his gauntlets, and said, "Leave it to me!"
*Crack, crack, crack...*
As Ye Zhenghao stepped forward, the ice sculptures instantly opened their scarlet eyes and then charged at Ye Zhenghao, brandishing their weapons.
Ye Zhenghao remained undeterred, meeting the charge head-on with his Fierce Tiger Fist.
Instantly, the sound of collisions boomed.
Seeing over thirty ice sculptures attacking one person, Bing Yao became very anxious and quickly asked, "Big Brother, can he handle it alone? Are you really not going to help him?"
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and replied, "Don't worry. If he can't even deal with these ice sculptures, then don't expect him to break through his bottleneck!"
"Ah? Break through his bottleneck?"
Bing Yao was stunned. Could it be that this person, like herself, had come here for a trial, to achieve a breakthrough?
Thinking thus, she subconsciously asked, "Big Brother, may I ask what realm Brother Zhenghao is trying to break through to?"
She could also sense Ye Zhenghao's powerful aura, but she couldn't ascertain the extent of his strength.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian glanced at her and then said, "He is currently at the seventh level of the quasi-heavenly realm. He wants to break through to the eighth level. He has been suppressed for a long time, and only recently have there been signs of a breakthrough..."
"Quasi-heavenly realm seventh level!"
Bing Yao almost shrieked. With such cultivation, even among the major peak powers, he would absolutely be considered an upper-tier figure!
After all, her senior sister was only at the fifth level, and she was still among the top three of the younger generation in Snow Peak!
Wait.
Just then, Bing Yao seemed to recall something. If Ye Zhenghao was this powerful, then wasn't Ye Cangtian even more formidable?
With that thought, she looked at Ye Cangtian again and then shyly asked, "Big Brother, may I ask what your realm is?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian looked at her and asked playfully, "If I say I'm the pinnacle of combat power, in the heavenly realm, would you believe me?"
"Hmph! I don't believe a word of it. If you don't want to say, then don't!"
Seeing his mischievous smile, Bing Yao snorted. This was clearly him teasing her.
Moreover, if the other party was truly a heavenly realm expert, he could have easily dealt with those ice and snow magic wolves with just a wave of his hand. Why would he let Ye Zhenghao take action?
After all, those ice and snow magic wolves were only at the earthly realm. Even if there were more of them, Ye Zhenghao's involvement wouldn't have stimulated his potential.
"Heh heh."
Seeing the huffy Bing Yao, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and said nothing.
He then turned his gaze to the fiercely fighting Ye Zhenghao and said calmly, "Zhenghao, we are here to save people. If you keep dawdling like this, they might already be dead!"
It wasn't that Ye Cangtian couldn't urge him on.
The battle had been going on for a quarter of an hour, yet Ye Zhenghao hadn't eliminated a single ice sculpture. At this pace, when could they enter the innermost hall!
"Understood. Just watch!"
Ye Zhenghao's voice echoed from within the ice sculptures. These ice sculptures were indeed formidable. With his current strength, facing them all at once, he was at best evenly matched.
Therefore, to quickly slay the ice sculptures, he could only employ the ultimate technique of the Fiery Flame Courtyard, the Immortal Flame Body.
The next moment, his entire body's spiritual energy surged. As he activated the Immortal Flame Body, the surrounding temperature slightly increased.
*Boom, boom, boom...*
Following that, an even more violent sound echoed. The Immortal Flame Body, combined with the Fierce Tiger Fist, unleashed power that rivaled that of a Great Perfection realm expert.
And these ice sculptures, with their combat power of only the fourth or fifth level, could not withstand such ferocious attacks.
"This... it's like a different person!"
Watching Ye Zhenghao shatter ice sculptures with every punch, Bing Yao was dumbfounded. This was simply a violent aesthetic!
*Snap! Snap!*
A short while later, Ye Zhenghao clapped his hands, leaving behind countless ice sculpture fragments, and walked over. "It wasn't satisfying. Once I got a little serious, these ice sculptures were all gone."
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and said, "Don't rush. There should be even more formidable existences in the innermost hall. I hope you can still say the same thing then!"
"I..."
With that remark, Ye Zhenghao immediately shut his mouth.
Based on his understanding of Ye Cangtian, Ye Cangtian would never speak without reason. Since he said so, there must be a powerful being in the final hall.
Therefore, he couldn't boast now, or he might very well eat his words later!
Seeing that he had extinguished Ye Zhenghao's arrogant flame, Ye Cangtian chuckled triumphantly and then led the two towards the innermost room.
Pushing open the great door.
Everything in the hall came into view. It was like a world of ice; everything was made of ice.
"Senior Sister!"
"Big Brother, that's my Senior Sister!"
The next moment, Bing Yao beside him suddenly cried out.
The first thing he saw upon entering the hall was a woman in the corner.
The woman was in a pitiful state, covered in wounds. Her limbs were rigidly impaled on a cross of ice by sharp ice cones.
No!
To be precise, it wasn't just the woman. Beside her, there were three men, also impaled on ice crosses in the same manner.
Seeing the wretched state of the four, Ye Cangtian frowned and said slowly, "Don't worry, they still have a breath left, though it's very faint."
Upon hearing this, Bing Yao pleaded, "Big Brother, you must save them!"
"Hahaha..."
"Little bug, you've returned? And you found help in such a short time! Not bad, not bad!"
"However, even if you found help, you still won't be able to save them!"
Just as Bing Yao's voice fell, a sinister laughter echoed.
A woman wearing icy crystal armor, seated at the main seat, put down her ice cup filled with dark red liquid and scanned everyone with sinister eyes.
Hearing the woman's terrifying voice, Bing Yao trembled all over and instinctively hid behind Ye Cangtian.
Although the woman before them was extremely beautiful, in her eyes, she seemed like a demon.
Ye Cangtian, standing beside her, glanced at the woman and said calmly, "I won't waste words with you. Release these people, and I will let bygones be bygones. You can continue to exist!"
"Release them? What a joke!"
"They destroyed so many of my creations, shouldn't they pay a price?"
"Besides, who do you think you are, that I should listen to you just because you tell me to release them!"
The woman glanced at Ye Cangtian, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
Not only did she refuse to release them, but with a wave of her hand, an ice cone shot directly towards the woman on the cross.
The implication was simple: what if you don't release them? What if I kill them right in front of you?
"Hmph!"
Seeing the ice cone fly past, Ye Cangtian suddenly snorted coldly. With a casual flick of his hand, a dagger shot out, shattering the ice cone into pieces.
Only then did he say, "Since you are stubborn and refuse to see reason, today you shall face only death!"