Chapter 873: Lingxu Spring

"The disturbance seems to be coming from the very bottom of the abyss. If we're lucky, we might not even run into it."

Ling Feng forced a relaxed smile. "Of course, if you choose to leave now, you should be safe. Those bloodcrows have already fled."

"I..." Wang Chuanjia and Bai Yuan exchanged glances before finally deciding to stick with Ling Feng.

Right now, staying by Ling Feng's side seemed like the safest option.

After all, the Demonic Jiao Prince was also searching for the Lingxu Spring. If they were unlucky enough to run into him, death would be inevitable.

Naturally, Xue Ji was once again tasked with leading the way. This time, she carefully suppressed all traces of her aura. In this situation, her Nine-Tailed Fox bloodline might instead attract the attention of whatever monstrous creature lurked below.

The rest of the descent was eerily silent—not a single Abyss Bloodcrow in sight. The abyss was deathly still.

But whether it was their imagination or not, they could faintly hear a gnashing, grinding sound from the depths below—like the teeth of some beast being sharpened. The sound sent chills down their spines.

In the suffocating silence of the abyss, that noise echoed endlessly, pressing down on them like an invisible weight.

Soon, they reached a depth of over three thousand zhang and began searching horizontally.

The Lingxu Spring was said to be hidden within a cavern somewhere in this area.

Under that oppressive, unseen pressure, they carefully combed the cliffs for any sign of the spring.

Fortunately, luck was on their side.

They didn't waste much time before a wave of cold qi hit them.

"We're close!"

Xue Ji's spirits lifted briefly before her expression darkened again. The "companions" beside her weren't fellow demons—they were led by Ling Feng, that devil!

As a prisoner, even if they found the treasure, she had no reason to celebrate.

In fact, she bitterly wondered why the Demonic Jiao Prince and his group hadn't arrived yet.

Ling Feng's brows rose slightly. It seemed the Lingxu Spring absorbed the Yin-malevolent energy of the Nether-River Deadwater, purifying it into spring water infused with pure soul essence source, while the residual malevolent energy dispersed as cold qi around the spring.

Sure enough, before long, they spotted a cavern ahead, its entrance blanketed in layers of black snow.

A bone-chilling, corrosive aura seeped from the cave. Even with Ling Feng's formidable physique, he couldn't suppress a shiver.

Behind him, Jiang Biyi instinctively clung tighter, using him as a personal heater.

The group circulated true qi (or elemental qi) to protect themselves as they pressed forward. With treasure so close, excitement bubbled up in everyone.

Stepping inside, they realized the Yin-malevolent energy from the abyss' depths condensed into black snowflakes the moment it neared the cavern, piling up outside.

The Lingxu Spring truly was a marvel of nature.

"

Haha!

General Ling, you really are blessed by fortune!"

Wang Chuanjia and Bai Yuan grinned widely. Despite the dangers, they were glad they hadn't given up earlier. Even if Ling Feng took the lion's share, just getting a taste of this treasure would be a massive boon!

Xue Ji, however, remained sullen and silent, her mood sour.

Ling Feng simply smiled faintly and said nothing. The abyss still hid great dangers—lingering here was unwise.

The group ventured deeper into the cavern, with Xue Ji leading the way. Through gritted teeth, she explained, "Within a hundred zhang of the Lingxu Spring, temperatures drop to extremes—unbearable for ordinary people. The closer you get, the colder it becomes. To collect the spirit spring water, you'll need something to resist that freezing cold."

Her words proved true almost immediately.

Their feet began sticking to the ground, each step requiring immense effort. A layer of frost coated their shoes, and their clothes grew heavy with accumulating snow.

Shiver—

Bai Yuan trembled, his face twisting in discomfort.

"Bai Yuan, what's wrong? You're an ice-based cultivator—why are you worse off than me?" Wang Chuanjia couldn't help but tease.

"This... this cold is different. It's not normal ice. It's... it's seeping into my soul."

Bai Yuan exhaled sharply, only for his breath to freeze into white crystals midair.

Even Xue Ji's complexion worsened. Her already pale face turned ashen, like carved jade devoid of blood.

Jiang Biyi, however, remained completely unaffected. A soft white glow enveloped her, shielding her from the cold.

No doubt, another treasure gifted by "that woman" she kept mentioning.

Aside from her, Ling Feng's resistance to the cold was downright absurd. Though his Chaotic Body wasn't specifically ice-resistant, his cultivation leaned heavily toward fire-attribute techniques. Combined with the abnormal fires he'd devoured, this level of cold meant little to him.

When they reached the hundred-zhang mark from the spring, Bai Yuan's body suddenly froze solid—not just his flesh, but his soul as well.

Ling Feng glanced back and, without hesitation, smacked him away with a palm strike, channeling fire-attribute true qi to melt the ice encasing him.

Bai Yuan gasped as the frost receded, shivering violently as he bowed in thanks.

Wang Chuanjia wasn't faring much better. His earthen armor had hardened like steel, weighing him down unbearably. Each step left deep footprints in the frozen ground, his movements sluggish and strained.

Even Ling Feng began feeling the bite of the cold, though Jiang Biyi remained perfectly comfortable, even turning to tease him.

"Hey, bad guy, you look terrible!"

"The Lingxu Spring is just ahead," Xue Ji muttered through chattering teeth.

Originally, the demons' plan involved the Demonic Jiao Prince distributing Starflame Stones at this point—their energy would have allowed them to endure the cold near the spring for half an hour.

"Wait here. I'll bring back some spirit spring water for you."

Ling Feng patted Wang Chuanjia's shoulder. The man's willpower was impressive, but going any further would be suicide.

"Th-Thank you..." Wang Chuanjia stammered.

"Try meditating here. It might benefit you."

Ling Feng wasn't about to share much of the spirit spring water, but the cold air carried traces of its energy. Absorbing even a little would still benefit them.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

As expected, none of them were fools. They immediately began meditating, even Xue Ji sat cross-legged.

She knew she wouldn't get any of the spirit spring water, but absorbing the faint spiritual energy in the air was better than nothing.