77: Chapter 77: If we told Hyotei and Yuki-tei that we were from ten thousand years in the future, would they believe us?

The next morning, the wind and snow in Ice North City abated slightly, and a hint of white appeared on the horizon.

Lu Jing rose early, changed into a thicker cold-proof suit, and wrapped himself up tightly, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He first made a round in the city, buying some compressed rations, medicine for injuries, and a few bundles of anti-cold fuel.

The depths of the Far North were uninhabited, so these items were essential.

After storing the supplies into his spirit tool, he walked out of the gates of Ice North City and officially stepped into that boundless ice field covered by ice and snow.

Just after leaving the city gate, the bone-chilling wind struck again, several times more bitter than it was inside the city.

The snow underfoot was deeper, reaching his knees, and every step was exceptionally difficult.

Looking around, there was only a boundless expanse of white; it felt as though the only sound left between heaven and earth was the howling of the wind and snow, and even the direction was hard to discern.

After walking for about half an hour, a crooked wooden sign stood in the snow ahead, with a few blurry, dark red characters written on it: "Spirit Beast inhabit this area, enter with caution!"

The wooden sign was covered in ice shards, and there were obvious claw marks on the edges, clearly damaged by a Spirit Beast.

This was the final warning from the residents of Ice North City to intruders; crossing this point meant entering the true forbidden zone of death.

Lu Jing glanced at the wooden sign but did not stop, continuing his trek toward the depths.

To him, Spirit Beasts were not a threat, but rather one of the goals of this trip.

As he trudged through the snow, stepping unevenly, he released his Mental Energy, scouting the surroundings like an invisible net.

Most Spirit Beasts in the Far North were adept at concealing their aura, and a moment of carelessness could lead to an ambush.

"Tian Meng, where is the Ice Empress's specific location?"

Lu Jing asked in his heart while walking.

According to Tian Meng's previous certainty, it should have known the Ice Empress's whereabouts like the back of its hand.

Hearing this, in the sea of Mental Energy, the chubby body of the Tian Meng Ice Silkworm stiffened, and its tone carried a hint of awkwardness: "This... I don't know either."

"What did you say?"

Lu Jing stumbled, nearly falling into the snow, and was completely dumbfounded. He asked: "You don't know? Then why did you pat your chest yesterday and say you had it covered? If you don't know, why did you bring me here?"

This was simply ridiculous! The Far North was so vast; if the Ice Empress were hiding in some ice cave and not coming out, was he supposed to run around like a headless chicken looking everywhere?

Moreover, that wasn't the scariest part. The scariest part was that if he found the wrong cave and encountered other powerful Spirit Beasts, he would be finished.

By then, never mind the spirit ring and Spirit Bone, even their lives might be left behind in the Far North.

"So what if I don't know?"

Tian Meng snorted, its voice full of righteousness, and retorted: "The Ice Empress is one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North. Her status is noble, so she must live in the core area of the Far North! As long as you walk toward the deepest part, you will definitely find the core area. Once we get there, with my perception, I will definitely be able to lock onto her location. Leave the rest to me!"

Lu Jing was choked up by its words. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed to make some sense.

The Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North each occupied a piece of territory in the core area; as long as he walked toward the place with the densest energy, he would always find clues.

He sighed helplessly: "Fine, I suppose you have a point. Let's keep moving forward."

The journey ahead became increasingly difficult.

The wind and snow grew heavier, with goose-feather-like snowflakes almost obscuring his vision, reducing visibility to less than ten meters.

The cold wind scraped against his face like a knife; even with Soul Power protecting his body, he could feel waves of stinging pain.

The snow on the ground had long since surpassed his waist, and every step required a great deal of effort, causing his Soul Power to be consumed much faster than expected.

"This damn place..."

Lu Jing panted heavily, wiped the snow foam off his face, and couldn't help but exclaim: "It truly is a forbidden zone for humans. In this environment, apart from those like us with a clear goal, I'm afraid few people would be willing to come here to die."

An ordinary Spirit Master, let alone venturing deep into the core area, would probably be frozen into an ice sculpture just upon reaching the vicinity of this warning sign.

"That goes without saying."

Tian Meng's voice rang out in the sea of Mental Energy, carrying a hint of pride: "Otherwise, why do you think the names of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress are so mysterious? Even ten thousand years later, the number of people who know of their existence is very few. Apart from their powerful strength and the fact that they rarely leave the Far North, the most important thing is this damn climate, which is simply not something ordinary people can withstand."

Lu Jing nodded and continued to bury his head and push forward.

After walking for about another hour, he suddenly stopped. Becoming interested, a hint of contemplation flashed in his eyes as he asked: "Tell me, if we tell the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress that we are people from ten thousand years in the future, will they believe us?"

The Tian Meng Ice Silkworm was stunned, and only answered after a moment of silence: "Unlikely. This kind of thing is too outrageous; it simply exceeds the cognition of Spirit Beasts. If it were me, without seeing evidence with my own eyes, I would definitely think the other party was talking nonsense."

Although the lifespan of a Spirit Beast is long, something like "time travel" already exceeds the rules and scope of the Douluo Continent. Even Tian Meng, who has lived for nearly a million years, finds it inconceivable.

To be honest, even now, it cannot understand how the three of them traveled to ten thousand years ago.

Logically speaking, a lotus flower shouldn't have this kind of ability, even if it contains the attribute of destruction.

Lu Jing, however, grinned, a hint of craftiness flashing in his eyes: "I have a way to make them believe. Perhaps, when the time comes, I might even be able to trick the Snow Empress into joining as well."

"Really?"

Tian Meng became interested, its tone full of curiosity, and asked: "What method do you have?"

It knew the Snow Empress's temperament too well; she was one who would rather break than bend. Wanting to make her bow her head was even harder than the Ice Empress succeeding in her tribulation.

If Lu Jing really had a way to persuade the Snow Empress, that would simply be a fantasy.

"Of course it's real."

Lu Jing kept it a mystery, deliberately whetting its appetite, and said: "However, this matter might require your cooperation."

"Cooperation? How do I cooperate?"

Tian Meng became even more anxious, questioning incessantly: "Tell me quickly, what exactly is the method?"

Compared to having the Ice Empress sacrifice herself, it still wanted to know more about how Lu Jing would persuade the Snow Empress.

Lu Jing, however, did not answer again, only smiling and saying: "You'll know when the time comes. The most important thing now is to find the Ice Empress; don't let it be that we can't even see her face, or anything we say will be in vain."

Although Tian Meng was itching with curiosity, it knew Lu Jing was telling the truth, so it could only suppress its curiosity and urge him in the sea of Mental Energy: "Then hurry up! I feel that the energy fluctuations ahead are getting stronger and stronger; we should be reaching the edge of the core area soon!"

Lu Jing did not hesitate any longer, took a deep breath, circulated his Soul Power to resist the bone-chilling cold, and quickened his pace as he walked forward.