Chapter 940 - Half-Step Divine Beast
Although Lynne found suspicious points in the geographic layout of the ice mountain's interior, she continued to venture deeper. She followed the direction of the icy power she sensed.
However, a sudden thought made her pause her steps.
"Master, wouldn't the cold yin mist disappear after I refine the Celestial Ice Spark? Wouldn't the sea of vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest rampage outside and cause a disaster for the people?" Lynne wondered.
'Of course,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empressed confirmed.
'The Celestial Ice Spark is the source of all the cold yin energy in Extreme Misty Forest and this Iceland region. Once you take it away, the cold environment will gradually disappear.'
"In that case, I don't want to refine the Celestial Ice Spark, Master. I don't want to cause trouble for the Crawford Empire. Numerous people will die if all the vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest rush outside," Lynne stated.
'You are being foolish, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress sighed.
'It's good to think about the wellbeing of others; that's what makes you kind. However, you don't understand the power of a Celestial. Once you refine the Celestial Ice Spark and ascend the Celestial Realm, it would be difficult for you to deal with the vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest.'
'With a wave of your hand, you could perma-freeze the entire Extreme Misty Forest and seal all the vengeful spirits inside. Even Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirits wouldn't be able to do anything about it,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.
"You're right, Master. I wasn't thinking things through," Lynne reflected.
She barely stepped into the Seeking Insight-stage Transcendent Realm.
Forget the Celestial Realm; she didn't even understand much about the Acknowledge Paragon-stage Transcendent Realm.
After re-confirming her resolve, Lynne continued to venture into the depths of the cave within the ice mountain.
Before long, she stepped into a much larger cave.
"I can feel it, Master. I am getting very close to the Celestial Ice Spark," Lynne informed.
The icy cave was terrifyingly cold and dark. Anyone besides Lynne would have already suffered severe frostbites and died before they could even step foot on the ice mountain.
Nevertheless, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress did not need Lynne to inform her. She shared Lynne's senses and could understand the situation outside.
'Mm, you should have reached the heart of this ice mountain now. You should be able to find the Celestial Ice Spark very shortly—Be careful, child! You're not alone in this cave,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress suddenly warned.
Lynne immediately paused her steps in shock.
Nevertheless, it was too late to hide her presence. She had already alerted the creature dwelling in the heart of the ice mountain.
Rumble…!
The ground shook, and various surfaces of the ice cracked. Some ice shards fell from the ceiling, but more alarmingly was the split in the icy ground.
It didn't take long before Lynne saw a giant creature raise its head from the enormous crack in the icy ground and stare at her with its frosty blue eyes.
"An ice phoenix!" Lynne exclaimed with wide eyes.
She immediately understood why there weren't any vengeful spirits in the vicinity of the ice mountain.
It wasn't because the vengeful spirits couldn't exist outside the heavy mist.
That was a misconception.
The mist in Extreme Misty Forest contained cold yin energy, but so did the ice mountain! In fact, the ice mountain contained even more cold yin energy!
The only difference was their form; one was gaseous, and the other was solid.
"The Paragon-level vengeful spirits didn't enter the ice mountain because it was the territory of this ice phoenix, Master!" Lynne exclaimed.
'Be careful, child! This ice phoenix is a Half-step Divine Beast. Furthermore, it's not happy with you trespassing on its territory and disturbing its slumber!' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress warned.
"What should I do, Master?" Lynne sought the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's help.
There was no way she could get away from a Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix with her current ability.
Nevertheless, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress could not help think this was a blessing on top of another blessing. She didn't think it was a disaster.
After all, she was the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, the most ancient ice phoenix and ancestor of all ice phoenixes!
Even so, she was pleasantly surprised to discover an ice phoenix in such a place.
'Master can tame this ice phoenix for you, child. However, your lifespan will have to suffer a bit. Are you willing?' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress asked.
However, the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix started to cry with impatience before Lynne could answer.
Kree!
The Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix flapped its wings, and a blizzard of terrifying coldness rampaged through the cave.
Even Lynne, who had high resistance to the cold, felt chills in her body and found it difficult to breathe under the blizzard storm.
"Please help me, Master!" Lynne requested.
Even if she didn't want to tame the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix, she had no choice but to borrow the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's power either way.
There was no other way to escape the disaster.
In the next instance, Lynne's eyes glowed with sharp blue light, and the aura surrounding her body changed, becoming more ancient and authoritative.
The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress had taken over control of Lynne's body.
"Quiet down!" the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress uttered two words in the native tongue of the ice phoenix race.
The Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix immediately felt a terrible suppression on its soul as if the primordial ancestor of its kind was scolding it.
It showed its astonishment and surprise. But, more importantly, it lowered its head in submission in front of the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress after recognizing her supremacy.
"It's good that you understand me," the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress nodded with approval.
"It wasn't easy for you to cultivate to such a level on your own. However, it'll be difficult for you to progress any further on your own. Follow me, and I will resolve all your bottlenecks."
"Kree!" the ice phoenix gave a soft cry in response.
Shortly after, it lowered its head into the big crack before picking out the Celestial Ice Spark with its beak and offering it to the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress as a token of its submission.