The scene in the chasm had descended into chaos. After the first spirit beast was devoured, a second and third followed in quick succession.
The devouring power of the Ice Fire Demon Lotus was clearly terrifying. Once wrapped in its petals, all a spirit beast could do was struggle in its death throes — escape was utterly impossible.
Some of the more powerful spirit beasts reacted swiftly. Seeing others consumed by the Demon Lotus's petals, they turned tail and fled at once.
But around the chasm, over a hundred vines had spread out like just as many tentacles, forming a dense, impenetrable encirclement. Combined with the massive, maw-like lotus blossoms, no matter how desperately the spirit beasts tried to break free, they could never escape the sea of vines.
Jiang Chen urged the Gold-Munching Mouse King: "Old Gold, quickly — follow me down. We're going to cut off its retreat."
"Cut off its retreat?"
"Don't ask questions — just follow my lead, and you'd better be fast!" Jiang Chen urged urgently, leading the Mouse King deep underground.
The Gold-Munching Mouse King poured all its strength into the effort. It moved as if swimming through water, the rock walls offering no resistance to its drilling speed whatsoever.
One had to admit — the Gold-Munching Mouse clan possessed a truly formidable talent for burrowing.
"Good, we've gone down about two or three thousand meters. This should be about right," Jiang Chen calculated precisely using his Seven Apertures Spiritual Resonance.
Sure enough, once the rock wall gave way, the pair suddenly found themselves at the very bottom of the chasm.
Under the effect of Jiang Chen's Seven Apertures Spiritual Resonance, everything was as clear as broad daylight no matter where he looked, his vision completely unobstructed. Combined with the searching power of his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil, he quickly locked onto the target.
"That's it — straight ahead."
At the bottom of the chasm, the temperature was warm as spring. There was neither the bone-piercing cold nor the searing heat of flame.
Jiang Chen knew this was the balance created by the Flame Heart Ice Marrow. Only in such an environment could the Ice Marrow's evolution progress at maximum speed.
"Hurry, hurry — we have to be fast!" Jiang Chen raced through the depths below the chasm.
He knew this was a race against the Ice Fire Demon Lotus. He could only hope those spirit beasts would keep the Lotus occupied a little longer.
As long as the Ice Fire Demon Lotus vines hadn't retracted, Jiang Chen was safe.
The moment they finished absorbing their prey and pulled back, Jiang Chen would be facing over a hundred Ice Fire Lotus vines single-handedly.
Every single one of those vines packed power at least equivalent to the peak of the Spirit Realm.
If that happened, his death would be certain.
But if Jiang Chen reached the Flame Heart Ice Marrow first and absorbed it, the Ice Fire Lotus vines would instantly lose their life force without their core spirit to sustain them — and would pose no threat whatsoever.
So now it all came down to a race against time.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen stopped in his tracks. Ahead, a hazy mist rose and swirled like an underwater altar, radiating an aura of mystery.
"It has to be there!"
His heart pounded wildly. He knew this was an opportunity — but also a gamble.
He was about to rush forward when he halted abruptly. Surrounding the underwater altar were eight more vines and eight Ice Fire Blossoms, standing guard in a tight defensive ring.
"Damn it — this Flame Heart Ice Marrow is cautious indeed." Jiang Chen was bitterly frustrated. The treasure was right in front of him, yet he couldn't reach it.
Any one of those eight Ice Fire Blossoms wielded power no weaker than the peak of the Spirit Realm. At his current cultivation level, getting close would be suicide.
Yet walking away was unthinkable.
"Old Gold, I'm afraid I'll have to sacrifice a few of your grandchildren," Jiang Chen said, turning to the Mouse King.
The Gold-Munching Mouse King gave a wry smile. "Does it really have to be this way?"
"If I can't become stronger, how can I help your entire clan grow stronger?" Jiang Chen's reasoning was airtight.
The Mouse King sighed helplessly. "I don't even know if this trade-off is worth it anymore."
"Old Gold, this isn't like you at all."
"Enough — I'll summon a batch of my descendants to draw the attention of those eight Ice Fire Blossoms. Whether you get what you want is entirely up to you!"
"As long as your grandchildren can stall them for three to five minutes, I guarantee I'll seize it!"
The Mouse King wasted no more time. He summoned thousands of Gold-Munching Mice and sent them charging toward the underwater altar.
The Gold-Munching Mice were fearsome in any environment, absolutely fearless of death. Upon reaching the altar, they threw themselves at the vines of the eight blossoms and began gnawing at them with manic fury.
Jiang Chen coiled his energy, waiting for his moment. The instant all eight blossoms were engaged by the mice, he launched himself forward like a leaping fish and plunged directly into the underwater altar.
Looking down, he saw a spirit creature resting atop the altar — shaped like a small infant, half blue and half red, crystalline and luminous, radiating an astonishing aura.
All around it, dense tangles of vines clearly extended outward from this very spot, spreading in every direction.
"This is the Flame Heart Ice Marrow!"
Jiang Chen reached out to grab it, but before his fingers even touched it, a searing wave of heat nearly scorched his hand to a crisp.
He jerked his hand back at once.