Inside the Nature Alliance's laboratory.
Leilin stared at the enormous iceberg before him, a trace of regret on his face.
Surrounding the iceberg, a large number of crystals emitting blue fluorescence were arranged in the shape of a magical array, their blue rays continuously sweeping across the iceberg's surface.
"Icy radiation simulation failed. The Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's life data continues to decline."
The Chip's feedback sounded, devoid of any emotion.
Bang! Suddenly, the blue-glowing crystals began shattering one after another, and the magical array's light dimmed abruptly.
"Still a failure, then?" Leilin sighed.
The Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor he had captured had been steadily losing its life force ever since he'd taken it out of the Ice Cavern — and that was only because it had placed itself in an iced state; otherwise, it would likely have died long ago.
Leilin had no better solution either. After numerous failed attempts to simulate the Frost World's unique radiation, he had abandoned that line of thinking and instead prepared to make the most of the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor.
Extracting the ancient bloodline was no longer possible, and he had already recorded all the information within the bloodline. So...
Leilin shifted his gaze to the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's back. The twisted female face rune was remarkably vivid, almost as if it had come alive.
Through the memories encoded in the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's bloodline, Leilin knew that all these Ice Jade Scorpions descended from that Morning Star-rank Scorpion Man.
And when the Scorpion Man had been swept into the spatial rift, a drop of a giantess's blood had fallen onto his back!
From that point on, the Scorpion Man's bloodline had been tainted by a far more powerful one.
And on the Scorpion Man's descendants, this rune would appear.
Strictly speaking, the rune on the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's back was merely a faint projection of that giantess's bloodline power.
Yet even that faint projection's wail had nearly ensnared Leilin in an illusion.
Moreover, the bloodline of such a higher being — even just a trace of its aura — possessed all manner of wondrous power.
"Chip! How's the analysis of this Fear Rune coming along?"
Leilin asked directly.
"Analysis complete: 45% obtained. Incomplete Icing Rune, Healing Rune. Can supplement 31% of the data on the Banshee's Wail," the Chip reported faithfully.
"Hmm?" Leilin was somewhat surprised. "It seems the Ice Jade Scorpion's Icing healing talent was actually shaped by the influence of the giantess's bloodline over time..."
Then, a sudden inspiration struck him — a plan to make the utmost use of the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor.
"Combine the Sea of Consciousness repair technique I obtained earlier with the Ice Jade Scorpion's Icing talent. Burn the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's bloodline, activate the rune on its back, and form a single-use Bloodline Imprint..."
Blue light flickered continuously in Leilin's eyes as calculations raced through them. "This way, I can use the Icing ability once myself, and at an amplified level at that. The bloodline power within should be more than enough to repair the damage to my Sea of Consciousness..."
While using solidified Spiritual Power could achieve the same, the time required was far too long. Besides, Leilin wanted to recover his Second-rank Warlock strength as soon as possible.
Icing was inherently the Ice Jade Scorpion's unique talent. When gravely wounded, they could encase themselves in thick layers of ice — not only providing excellent defense, but also gradually healing their injuries.
Now, Leilin intended to apply this ability to himself.
"Chip, if we do it this way, what's the feasibility?"
A torrent of information and images flashed past, and the Chip immediately delivered its verdict: "Feasibility: 87%. The subject must first undergo Icy Radiation tolerance modification!"
"As expected, it's possible!" A gleam of delight flashed in Leilin's eyes.
The Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's Icing talent, combined with the faint power projection of an ancient, powerful bloodline — at this level, even a Second-rank Warlock's Sea of Consciousness could certainly be repaired.
This was also the most efficient way to utilize the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor.
After all, Leilin already had a large stockpile of Ice Jade Scorpion materials. And for him, mere external materials were nothing compared to the importance of his own strength.
"Good! In that case, some preliminary preparations need to be made!"
Leilin gazed at the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor within the iceberg. Surrounded by massive blocks of ice, the creature looked even more ethereal, its green coloring seeming almost alive.
Only its steadily fading life force spoke of its impending death.
"Chip! Prepare the Bloodline Combustion Potion. Some advance preparations must be made!"
A cold gleam flashed in Leilin's eyes.
To fully exploit the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's Icing talent, burn its bloodline completely, stimulate the Fear Rune on its back, and form a specific Icing Bloodline Imprint would naturally require extremely intricate manipulation.
But certain preparations had to begin now — first, to ensure the Scorpion Emperor survived until then, and second, to acclimate Leilin himself to the extreme cold of the Icing process.
...
Three days later. Inside the laboratory.
"Leilin! May I come in?" Xiling's voice came from outside.
"I've activated the warning array. Come in!" Hearing Leilin's response, she pushed the door open without hesitation.
"This is..."
The moment she stepped inside, Xiling instinctively pulled her clothes tighter.
Throughout the laboratory, thick white mist billowed continuously, coating the surrounding walls and equipment in a heavy layer of white frost.
And Leilin lay naked in an enormous glass tank.
Around him, large quantities of cold blue ice liquid continuously soaked his body, slowly seeping into his flesh bit by bit, tinting his entire form with a faint blue hue.
"What are you doing?"
Xiling was long accustomed to seeing Leilin naked, so she walked up without the slightest blush, examining the tank with a somewhat puzzled expression.
This icy aura was extremely familiar to her.
"Isn't this the unique cold radiation from the Ice Cavern?" Xiling suddenly realized where it came from.
"No! It's merely an imitation! It doesn't even reach half the original's effectiveness, and it can't slow the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's decline!"
Leilin took a deep breath, and the blue ice liquid in the tank rapidly faded — from deep blue to light blue to pale blue, and finally turning almost completely transparent.
After a dozen seconds or so, the liquid in the tank had become entirely clear.
Only then did Leilin stand up and step out casually.
Xiling picked up the towel laid out nearby and dried the droplets from his body like a gentle wife.
"That Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor — what are you going to do with it?" Xiling asked. "You'll need to attend the Eastern Region Academy Joint Assembly with me, and when that time comes, only Grandpa Xidelin will be here. He can't handle a First-rank Peak Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor!"
"Don't worry. I'll have it 'dealt with' before then!"
Leilin smiled broadly.
Through days of Icy Radiation training, he had gradually adapted to the extreme cold. After just a few more modifications, he would be able to use the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's innate Icing ability to heal his injuries without any side effects.
But naturally, none of this needed to be said to Xiling. She was a smart woman who knew which questions to ask and which to leave alone.
"Need to get dressed?"
After tending to Leilin, Xiling rested her head on his shoulder, her nimble little tongue tracing his earlobe in a silent invitation.
"Not at all!"
Leilin grinned and pushed Xiling down beneath him...
A warm, gentle breeze blew against their faces, making one drowsy.
In the underground world, the humans of the Dark Extreme Region had no complete system of four seasons. They observed only two methods of division: one based on tectonic activity, splitting the year into Earth Warm Season and Earth Cold Season; the other based on particular crops, dividing the year into Planting Season and Harvest Season.
This warm, light breeze was the most obvious sign of Earth Warm Season.
Leilin sat in a carriage with Xiling beside him. A pleasant, fragrant scent drifted continuously from her hair, making his heart itch.
Driving outside were Aobo and Ilya, two Third-rank Apprentices.
Within the Nature Alliance, they were the only two who could be considered presentable.
The animals pulling the carriage were naturally not horses, but a unique subterranean creature — the horn horse!
These creatures stood considerably taller than ordinary horses, their bodies covered in bony scales, and most notably, a single horn atop each head.
They were hardier than horses and could resist a certain amount of radiation, making them the mount of choice for Dark Extreme Region Wizards traveling abroad.
Of course, this was only true for ordinary Apprentices and Wizards.
As for more powerful Wizards, they could naturally tame fierce magical creatures or ride directly atop top-tier magical pets.
For a small faction like the Nature Alliance, traveling by horn horse was somewhat embarrassing.
But there was nothing to be done about it. Ever since Xiling had taken over, the Nature Alliance's situation had not been good. They faced suppression from multiple directions, and according to the intelligence she had gathered, their opponents might even plan to strip the Nature Alliance of its faction status at the Joint Assembly!
Under these circumstances, Xiling had no choice but to actively seek outside help, eventually turning to Leilin.
Although Leilin had initially decided to simply serve as an honorary professor — a title in name only.
But Xiling had been truly perceptive, handing over full authority of the Nature Alliance to him, and Leilin naturally didn't mind accepting such a generous gift.
His future plans required the involvement of some faction. He had originally intended to help the Nature Alliance expand its influence, then call on them to act as agreed.
But now it seemed that directly controlling this organization himself was also not a bad option.
Leilin glanced at Xiling, whose expression remained calm, and thought to himself.