After spending quite an amount of time traveling, Li Luo's group finally arrived before the frosty cave abode with the guidance of Elder Sister Jin. They entered the cave in a single file and eventually reached the frost-sealed area.
It was here that Li Luo noticed that another group was already present and that their robes were emblazoned with the logo of the Golden Dragon Bank.
Therefore, the faction they belonged to wasn’t a mystery.
They were standing guard outside of the pa.s.sageway, and they seemed a little confused. When they noticed Elder Sister Jin, they made their way over.
"Halt!" Elder Sister Jin watched the group with a chilly look in her eyes.
"Elder Sister Jin, what has happened here? What about Brother Mu Yao?" a beautiful lady by the name of Bai Lingyan asked with a frown.
"Hmph. Mu Yao brought men to ambush my Young Mistress. You, the members of the Golden Dragon Bank from the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent, sure have some gall!" Elder Sister Jin snorted icily.
"What?" Everyone's faces turned pale.
Bai Lingyan's expression was tinged with fear as she cautiously asked, "Elder Sister Jin, you can't spout such lies. How could Elder Brother Mu Yao do such a thing?"
Young Mistress Qing was from Golden Dragon Mountain and also a member of the Lu Family. How could Mu Yao not understand that? His grandfather, the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent headquarters' Grand Elder, was nowhere near as influential or powerful as someone from Golden Dragon Mountain.
Unless... It was also a command from Golden Dragon Mountain.
Additionally, this situation seemed to have touched upon the internal affairs of the Golden Dragon Bank's core, and Bai Lingyan couldn't help but feel some cold sweat form on her brow as she thought about the possible ramifications.
"Are you here to help Mu Yao?" Elder Sister Jin coldly declared.
Bai Lingyan's face turned gloomy before she answered solemnly, "We have no such intention... This matter has nothing to do with us."
Shooting the rest of the group a glance, they cautiously retreated, not intending to take sides.
Elder Sister Jin did not stop them from backing off, but neither did her expression warm up at the sight of this.
With the Golden Dragon Bank's team retreating, Elder Sister Jin turned towards the pa.s.sage that had been sealed with ice. Her eyes flickered briefly before she turned to speak to Li Luo. "Once the frost seal is lifted, we have to escort the Young Mistress out. I doubt Mu Yao would truly dare to harm her, but I'm afraid they have already achieved their goal."
At this point, Elder Sister Jin felt helpless deep down. She had wanted to gather some strong helpers to directly suppress Mu Yao and his team, therefore allowing Lu Qing'er to obtain the Glacier G.o.dlotus. Alas, Li Wuyuan was unwilling to intervene and Li Luo had brought a small group of friends instead. Unfortunately, they were all at the low Heavenly Pearl Tier, so how could they be a match for Mu Yao?
As a result, the goal to obtain the Glacier G.o.dlotus had to be shelved in favor of escorting Lu Qing'er away safely.
The reason that Mu Yao had obstructed Lu Qing'er was likely due to the orders of the faction behind him. However, Elder Sister Jin believed that he wouldn’t dare to harm her. After all, if Lu Qing'er's father was enraged, even his grandfather as a Grand Elder would be unable to save him.
Li Luo couldn't help but smile. He knew that this Elder Sister Jin thought that their group had no hope of deterring the other party. However, rea.s.suring her now was also useless. He would let his actions speak for themselves.
Elder Sister Jin took a step forward and shot the icy talisman ahead. It turned into a beam of cold light that tunneled into the ice, causing the entire frost seal to gradually recede.
When Elder Sister Jin saw this, she dashed forward with the group of helpers nipping right at her heels. The moment they pa.s.sed through the archway into the cave interior, they were struck by the bone-chilling air.
The frozen platform could be seen by everyone, and a Glacier G.o.dlotus was at the highest point, emitting a mysterious light whilst spewing out boundless amounts of frigid energy. It seemed as though the entire reason why the cave abode was so cold was because of the object before them.
However, Li Luo was not focused on the Glacier G.o.dlotus. The moment he entered, his gaze fell upon a frozen figure. From a glance, he could tell that this person was slender and graceful. Her icy flesh and jade-like bones seemed to give her an almost saint-like presence.
Li Luo's face broke into a smile. They had not met for a year, and Lu Qing'er seemed to have also undergone a ma.s.sive transformation. Despite that, there was still a sense of familiarity that could not be ignored.
Meanwhile, Lu Qing'er's frost seal was swiftly dissipating. Ten breaths later, her frozen eyelids began to flutter and she locked eyes with Li Luo.
A smile appeared on each of their faces.
The two had never expected to meet again so far from the Xia Kingdom after merely a year.
Elder Sister Jin quickly briefed her. "Young Mistress, I've only managed to bring Li Luo. The experts from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li were unwilling to lend a hand."
Lu Qing'er, on the other hand, didn't seem to be crestfallen. Just the fact that Li Luo had arrived was sufficient. Whether they could resolve the problem at hand wasn't as important—after all, the worst case scenario was to forgo the Glacier G.o.dlotus.
"Long time no see, Li Luo," Lu Qing'er greeted softly as she walked towards Li Luo slowly with happiness in her eyes.
"Why did you leave the Xia Kingdom? And how did you end up in the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent?" Li Luo asked elatedly.
One of the joys in life was to meet an old friend in a foreign land.
"More importantly, even though you are here, you were hiding yourself! Why didn't you show yourself sooner?"
Listening to Li Luo speak so casually to the lady before them, Li Fengyi and Li Jingtao curiously observed Lu Qing'er, especially Li Fengyi. Her eyes glinted at the prospect of hearing the juicy gossip related to these two.
The lady was wearing a veil, and the faintly exposed outline of her face suggested that she was a beautiful individual. She had a slender and elegant figure that boasted a certain attractiveness. Most importantly, her skin was sparkling, almost like white jade, which stirred the heart of anyone who looked at her.
Hearing Li Luo's dissatisfied question, Lu Qing'er laughed lightly and removed the veil. The cave seemed to brighten the moment her exquisite features were revealed.
Everyone’s eyes lit up at that instant. This lady had both a stunning appearance and demeanor that were comparable to Qin Yi’s.
Li Luo, on the other hand, was focused on the face he recognized. She had undergone a ma.s.sive change. Her temperament had become much more icy and aloof, giving others a feeling of n.o.bility and distance. It was like looking upon a snow lotus flower, growing alone atop an icy mountain, only able to be seen but not touched.
However, when they locked gazes, he could sense a heat burning beneath those seemingly distant eyes.
Lu Qing'er must have encountered her fair share of experiences in the year they spent apart.
It was at this point that Li Fengyi nudged him with her elbow as she teased him, "You said that you had a fiancee in the Xia Kingdom. Could it be this lady before us? She's truly outstanding! It's no wonder you rejected the sisters I tried to recommend you to."
Li Luo felt a little awkward, and just as he was about to reply, Lu Qing'er beamed at her slightly and gave a small nod. "Elder Sister, you've misunderstood. The one he is engaged to isn't me. It's a lady whose looks and talents are both unmatched. I simply can't compare."
Li Fengyi looked like she had been struck by a bolt of lightning and seemed a little embarra.s.sed at this point. In an attempt to make amends, she hurriedly spoke up. "Little Sister, you are giving me too much face. You are the most radiant pearl in the skies. How much more impressive could a person else possibly be? Even if someone like that exists, how could this brat be a match for her?"
She was being exceptionally polite to Lu Qing'er. In terms of appearance and disposition, Lu Qing'er was already at the peak. Such individuals were the focus of their peers and drew endless followers. Just what sort of woman would compel her to put herself down?
Lu Qing'er grinned and shook her head. "Li Luo is quite impressive as well. In just the short span of one year after arriving from the outer divine continent, he has already reached the peak of his peers. In terms of ability, he is second to none."
Listening to her praise for Li Luo caused Li Fengyi to knowingly nod in agreement, and her opinion of Lu Qing'er shot up by several notches.
Li Luo could only smile bitterly. However, his expression quickly changed as he turned around and focused on the group of individuals that had now been unsealed. Specifically, the fellow named Mu Yao was glaring at him drearily.