Setting aside the matter of the formation plate for now, Yang Kai secretly resolved that once they returned, he would have to seek out Yang Yan and ask. If she truly had the ability to forge formation plates, then what need would he have for formation discs or bases in the future? He could simply have her forge a few formation plates to carry on his person, allowing him to deploy grand formations wherever and whenever he pleased.
After a short while, Fei Zhitu and the others had fully recovered. After a brief discussion, the group continued on their way.
Along the path, they would periodically spot exotic flowers and herbs of startling spiritual potency planted casually in nearby flowerbeds. Each and every one of these specimens was worth a fortune; many were rare treasures long thought to have gone extinct, looking indistinguishable from the genuine article.
But having learned their lesson after enduring the Splitting Light Cloud Sea Formation, Fei Zhitu and the others no longer dared to casually touch these exotic plants, lest they accidentally trigger some other formation restriction.
Yang Kai, however, developed a keen interest in them. Based on his knowledge and judgment, he had a feeling that some of the plants growing in those flowerbeds might actually be real.
In other words, not all of them were traps—some were genuinely rare medicinal herbs. But he had no certainty, and they still needed to rescue Qian Tong, so even though he was tempted, he could only follow behind Fei Zhitu and the others, pressing onward without touching any of the plants.
Still, he silently memorized the route, planning to explore this place thoroughly once they had rescued Qian Tong—if the opportunity arose—and determine which were real and which were fake.
Despite their caution, they still ran into considerable trouble along the way. The restrictions and formations in this ancient ruins were impossible to guard against completely. Fei Zhitu, a Void Return Stage Three powerhouse, kept his divine sense constantly probing the surroundings, yet he was utterly unable to see the dangers ahead.
Fortunately, they had Cai He and Du Sisi—two formation masters—in their party, and the pair proved enormously valuable. Whenever the group was trapped by a formation, the two would work together to break it while the others stood guard and blocked the formation's attacks.
As a result, though the journey was rough, no one was seriously hurt. Only the old woman sustained minor injuries, and Yang Kai and Lian Guang—both Saint King Realm cultivators—were well protected and never faced any real danger.
It was a pity, though, that once these formations were broken, nothing like a formation plate appeared again, deeply disappointing Cai He and Du Sisi.
Three days later, the group stood before a wide passage. The corridor was pristine white, appearing to be paved with pure white jade, not a speck of dust upon it. But within the passage, bone-chilling cold permeated the air—wisps of frost so dense they were almost visible to the naked eye, coalescing into various shapes in midair. On either side of the passage, ice spikes jutted upward like a forest of swords, each one gleaming with a cold, sharp light that made one's scalp tingle.
Even standing before the passage without having set foot inside, the group could feel the bitter cold seeping into them. Frost formed on their brows and hair.
"This must be the Ice Path!" Fei Zhitu's expression was grave, speaking as much to himself as to the others.
"With cold like this, how did Elder Qian pass through before?" Ning Xiangchen's aged face had gone slightly pale. He imagined that if he himself were dropped into this passage, he would probably be frozen into an ice sculpture in short order, utterly unable to reach the other end.
Though Qian Tong was a Void Return Stage Three powerhouse, without some extraordinary treasure to counteract the cold here, he would never have been able to bring a Saint King-level refiner through.
"I heard that Elder Qian obtained a Scorching Fire Bead decades ago. He likely used its power," the old woman mused from beside them.
Fei Zhitu nodded gently. "That's right. The old ghost does have a Scorching Fire Bead—otherwise he would have turned back the moment he arrived." He turned to Yang Kai. "Can you manage it?"
Yang Kai squinted at the passage and asked in return, "Lord Fei, do you know how long this passage is?"
Fei Zhitu shook his head slowly. "The mental transmission the old ghost sent didn't mention it, so I don't know the exact length. But since he was able to get through with the Scorching Fire Bead, it shouldn't be too long."
"If it's not too long, there shouldn't be a problem," Yang Kai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The whole reason Fei Zhitu had brought Yang Kai along was to leverage the power of the Artifact Spirit Fire Bird to get through this Ice Path. Now, naturally, was the time for Yang Kai to step up.
"Rest assured, I've made some preparations for this trip as well. I'm not relying solely on your Artifact Spirit," Fei Zhitu reassured him, raising his hand. An artifact resembling a bronze bell appeared in his palm, though this bell was a deep crimson, radiating an intense and pure heat from the flames within.
"The Li Fire Dome!" Ning Xiangchen's eyes lit up. "I didn't expect you to borrow even this artifact, Brother Fei. With it, passing through the Ice Path should be all but guaranteed."
Fei Zhitu chuckled. "The Li Fire Dome is the Hall Master's treasure—even in battle he rarely brings it out. But since this is a rescue mission for the old ghost, the Hall Master naturally wouldn't be stingy."
Hearing this, Yang Kai and the younger cultivators realized that the Li Fire Dome artifact actually belonged to the Shadow Moon Hall Master, and that Fei Zhitu had borrowed it specifically for this operation.
While a borrowed artifact couldn't unleash the Li Fire Dome's full power, using it as supplementary support would be no problem.
Seeing this, Yang Kai nodded, his confidence bolstered. With a thought, the Artifact Spirit Fire Bird surged from within his body. At his command, it transformed into a barrier of light, enveloping all eight of them.
The Fire Bird had no physical form to begin with. While it normally manifested in the shape of a bird, it could also assume countless other forms.