Amid the swirling snow and wind, Yang Kai stood in place for a full three hours before Liu Yan finally returned from within that icy peak.
Seeing the mysterious look on her face, Yang Kai couldn't help but grow curious. "What did you go over there for?" he asked.
Instead of answering, Liu Yan called out toward the side, "Come on out, there's nothing to be afraid of!"
Her gaze was fixed on an empty patch of ground where nothing could be seen.
Yang Kai was taken aback, but he knew Liu Yan wouldn't play tricks on him, so he held his breath and focused his senses, carefully observing that spot.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't perceive a thing. Liu Yan sighed helplessly. "Master, please wait a moment. It still seems a bit timid. Let me talk to it."
With that, Liu Yan crouched down, her beautiful eyes fixed on the snow beneath her. Spiritual energy surged outward as she appeared to communicate with someone invisible.
After a long while with no response, Liu Yan's expression darkened with irritation. "If you don't come out right now, I'll melt you!" she warned coldly.
The moment those words left her mouth, the flat surface of the snow suddenly bulged upward, as though something was pushing its way up from below.
Yang Kai's eyes went wide as he watched, marveling at the sight.
Before long, the snow burst apart and a small object shot out from beneath, transforming into a streak of light that danced through the air.
Though it moved at tremendous speed, Yang Kai could see it perfectly clearly.
It was a snowflake — roughly the size of a palm!
But this snowflake was utterly unlike any ordinary snowflake. It seemed to possess a certain degree of sentience, as if it had thoughts of its own. Not only that, but flame-like patterns flickered across its surface, constantly burning and warping the surrounding air.
"What… is that thing?" Yang Kai asked, his eyes practically bulging from his head.
Liu Yan replied, "I can't say for certain, but it should be a similar existence to my original form!"
As she spoke, she beckoned at the snowflake with a flick of her finger. The dancing snowflake immediately settled down, drifting to hover before her — though it refused to come any closer, no matter what.
Yang Kai examined the snowflake with great interest, only to discover that right in its center were faint traces of facial features. Though they were indistinct, they were unmistakably a face.
"A naturally born extraordinary treasure?" Yang Kai breathed.
This snowflake must have been created by the unique environment of the Winter Domain, forged over countless years into some kind of marvel. No one in all the world probably knew what kind of being it truly was.
"Something like that," Liu Yan nodded. "But it's also a type of ice flame. If it weren't, I wouldn't have been able to sense its presence."
Hearing this, Yang Kai immediately understood.
Liu Yan was originally the spirit of an artifact given form. She devoured all manner of Heavenly Flames, and the essence of this snowflake was apparently another type of Heavenly Flame — which explained the inexplicable connection between her and it.
Only, one was cold and the other was hot, diametrically opposed, which was why the little snowflake didn't dare approach Liu Yan and was terrified of her.
"You brought it here… what did you intend to do with it?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
In theory, Liu Yan could easily devour this ice flame. Though its nature was frigid, it had already developed spiritual intelligence, which would be tremendously beneficial for Liu Yan's own growth.
But she clearly had no intention of absorbing it. The fact that she had brought it specifically to Yang Kai meant Liu Yan wasn't looking to use it to enhance her own power.
"Well, it's very familiar with this place — it can help us find what we're looking for!" Liu Yan said with a smile.
"What a great idea!" Yang Kai's eyes lit up at once.
Liu Yan furrowed her brow, however. "But… its intelligence is quite limited. Communication is very difficult. I'm not sure if it'll actually be of any use."
"It's still better than me wandering around aimlessly," Yang Kai grinned. "As for whether it works — we'll find out soon enough."
With that, he turned a gentle gaze toward the little snowflake and said, "Is there anything good around here? Take us to find it."
The little snowflake hung motionless, floating silently in midair.
Yang Kai looked awkwardly at Liu Yan. "It doesn't understand me?"
Liu Yan pressed her lips together and laughed softly. "It's never seen a living person before — how could it understand human speech? The only way I can communicate with it is through spiritual energy."
As she spoke, Liu Yan sent a pulse of spiritual energy toward the little snowflake.
This time, the creature clearly understood. It wobbled slightly in the air, then suddenly shot off in a specific direction.
Yang Kai exchanged a glance with Liu Yan, and the two immediately followed.
Before long, guided by the little snowflake, Yang Kai and Liu Yan arrived at a valley. The snowflake came to a stop above a certain patch of snow, circling one spot over and over again.
"There must be something good here," Liu Yan said.