Chapter 509: Chapter 169: You Take the Lead, I Follow—Co-Ruling the Western Pole, How About It?

The piercing cold wind, the chaotic dance of snow and hail...

Heaps of blackness pressed in from all directions, yet upon touching Li Yuan’s body, they swiftly melted away.

He paused, looked up, silently watching the majestic and myth-like scene before him.

This seemed like a giant’s Ice Crystal Garden, where ghostly blue broken pillars lay scattered across the earth. The freezing wind, like giant pythons armed with snow-white blades, slithered between them, alternating speed and making eerie sounds.

Between the ice pillars, various human figures frozen in ghostly blue ice and snow appeared lifelike, still maintaining the same posture as the moment they were frozen.

Li Yuan bent down, grasped one frozen person. Flames reluctantly spread, quickly thawing the frozen figure.

Water dripped down, transforming into ice particles mid-air, clinking and clattering as they hit the ground, merging with the frozen soil.

Li Yuan quietly looked at that person.

If he were still alive, he would awaken after thawing.

However, that person did not wake up.

Upon thawing, his body hung limply with no sign of life.

"Hey, wake up."

Li Yuan called out to him.

"Wake up."

But the person still showed no response.

Li Yuan was patient, maintaining this person’s body temperature, and even took the Wine Gourd from his waist, giving him a sip of Spring Dream Brew.

He waited for a full half-hour until a strange, long-dead stench began to emit from the body. Only then did he frown, reposition the person, press them back into the ground, and refreeze them. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Indeed, this is not an Immortal Tomb, but a lie."

Li Yuan was grateful he hadn’t been deceived; otherwise, bringing Xue Ning and other loved ones here would have been akin to sending them to Hell.

He continued to walk, observing his surroundings.

Soon, he discovered a staircase-like ravine to the west of the Immortal Tomb.

This ravine connected far into the distance, forming a natural slide. As the snow fell, the slide’s height was continuously accumulating thick and high layers of snow.

When the snow accumulates to a certain extent, it would be pushed into the slide’s opening and gradually pushed downwards.

Some corpses nearby were also slowly moved by this pushing force towards the slide.

Over time, corpses would certainly flow out.

’Ice Coffin Ghost.’

’People who come here, upon realizing they are not merely frozen but truly dead, must feel an immense grievance deep in their hearts.’

’Though there is no Ghost Realm Meat Field here, this flowing glacier can carry these grievance-ridden corpses outside, potentially reaching some Land of Extreme Yin, thus forming Ice Coffin Ghosts.’

’Everything fits.’

’So then...’

Li Yuan pulled out the White Snake Blade from his coat, turning towards the depths of the Immortal Tomb.

’All answers lie within that labyrinth.’

He walked forward cautiously, alertly watching his surroundings.

However, the ’3600~51341’ flashing around him brought him a sense of relief.

After all, the black shadow that attempted to assassinate him previously was only ’625~635’ in data.

’Whatever unexpected events happen, at least I can fight, right?’

Li Yuan thought so, then stopped before the labyrinth.

The labyrinth, towering several stories high, with its twists and turns vaguely visible inside.

Except for the entrance, both sides of the labyrinth descended into bottomless abysses.

Li Yuan stood at the maze’s entrance, pondered briefly, raised his hand, and pressed it against the giant ice crystal wall at the entrance.

Sss...

Ssss...

Flames surged from his body, making contact with the ice crystal.

The massive wall began to melt, but like a sandcastle being toppled, it refroze just as it began to flow.

Li Yuan tried for a while; after melting several dozens of feet of the wall with no resulting change, he no longer held back.

Clenching the White Snake Blade tightly, the Concealing Power within it resonated like the sea as he lightly tapped the ice wall...

Bang!!

The ice wall shattered.

Li Yuan continued forward.

Bang bang bang!!

One ice wall after another shattered.

Li Yuan began deconstructing the maze.

After dismantling for a while, finding still no reaction from the labyrinth, he attempted to fly.

"No flying restrictions."

He started to maneuver.

Twisting around the fracturing maze entrance, occasionally tossing ice blocks into the distance, he appeared to be testing the existence of boundaries or something similar.

Li Yuan advanced steadily.

Steadily dismantling the maze.

Finally, as he dismantled several more feet, he heard a resigned and distraught female voice from deep within the labyrinth.

"Barbarian King, stop tearing it down, come in for a talk."

Li Yuan halted his actions and said, "You come out for a talk."

"Is the Barbarian King, such a figure, really afraid to see a little woman like me?"

Li Yuan shouted, "Afraid!"

Deep in the labyrinth, the woman was silent for a very long time before saying, "This involves a great secret, and since you’ve made it here, you are qualified to know it.

In the future, you lead, I assist, we govern the Western Pole Nine Flames together, defending this place, how about it?

As a token of sincerity... I am willing to become your woman."

At the sound of her voice, a coquettish laugh...

Ice and Snow Giant Wolves surged out of the vast labyrinth like a tide, their number surpassing that of the Nine Clans combined. Clearly, these Ice and Snow Giant Wolves held a secret; otherwise... Li Yuan should have been able to tame them.

He quietly narrowed his eyes, smiling, unmovable.

The giant wolves moved gracefully like dancers, sweeping their tails around him. At the far end, a girl draped in Silver Gauze, barefoot, danced seductively atop the wolves’ backs, emerging with the snow.

Her face was pure, her gaze alluring, like a virtuous maiden first taking to water, stirring one’s heart.

Upon seeing Li Yuan, she smiled sweetly, stretching her body, swaying her hips like a ripe peach on a branch ready to be picked.

"Barbarian King, come..."

Wolf Mother tempted.

"Take me, and let’s rule this place together."

Li Yuan glanced at the ’625~635’ beside her, stepping forward.

Wolf Mother smiled, opening her arms. She lightly tapped the fluffy back of a wolf and swept down from midair.

Li Yuan reached out, as if to embrace her, but just as he was about to touch her body, he accelerated suddenly, turning into a blur, his fingers grasped her neck like lightning, slamming her savagely onto the ice ground.

The pack of giant wolves immediately snarled.

Wolf Mother still grinned, saying, "Does the Barbarian King like to use such force? Then... why not come and crush my body."

Li Yuan chuckled, "No, now we can chat, what secrets are hidden here?"

Wolf Mother said, "Can’t the Barbarian King just carry me into the maze? Once inside, you’ll naturally know. Now, I’m in your hands, to kill or not is but a thought away."

Li Yuan replied, "No rush... First, tell me why I can’t tame your wolves. I’m a Beast Tamer with some skills; logically, I should be able to tame your wolves."

Wolf Mother paused, "Is this the right time to talk about this?"

Li Yuan replied, "Yes."

Wolf Mother: ...