242 - Mistress, I Was Wrong

# Chapter 242: Icebound (Part 1) With the absence of the fierce beasts, the Longevity Cauldron had a significantly larger space available for movement. Toothless, constantly besieged, was quite agitated, spewing flames relentlessly. In normal circumstances, particularly when play-fighting with Little Fatty and the others, she would undoubtedly dominate. However, the relentless onslaught from the group took its toll, and after several hours, signs of fatigue began to show. Dongfang Minghui watched from the side, filled with concern. She noticed that apart from Toothless, her Uncle Lien and the others had all suffered injuries, with severity much greater than Toothless's. Ding Ding perched on her shoulder, taking in the scene, far quieter than usual, and without a word. "Ding Ding." "Little Nine, what's the matter?" "I want you to release that ice-type fierce beast from before." As an observer, she had the clearest view of the situation. Though her Seventh Sister and the others were powerful, they struggled against the invasive fire-type spiritual power. After hours of fierce fighting, their spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Little Fatty and Yu Chi Shou were the main force against the fire-type attacks, but even they were showing signs of exhaustion, having faced the true dragon fire and withstood many of Toothless's attacks. The crucial issue was that the dragon pill remained inside Toothless, a ticking time bomb, hindering the progression of her Seventh Sister's plan as Toothless had grown stronger. "That beast is an ice type and can effectively deplete Toothless's fire-type spiritual power." Ding Ding twitched its nose slightly, "Hmm, Little Nine, I think I smell barbecue." Dongfang Minghui glanced at it in surprise, feeling a pang of guilt as if she was maltreating a child. However, she soon caught the scent of savory meat within the Longevity Cauldron as well. "Is it just my imagination?" "What smell?" Everyone turned their curious gazes towards Dongfang Minghui, assuming she was the source of this enticing aroma. Within her soul sea, Pig Immortal Grass laughed gleefully, "That fierce beast is probably being roasted to perfection." Dongfang Minghui quickly turned to Ding Ding, "Ding Ding, where did you toss that fierce beast?" Ding Ding blinked its bright eyes, looking confused, but seemed to have grasped the possibility. Swiftly, it flew to the top of the cauldron. The flames atop the cauldron flickered with Ding Ding’s movements, teetering as if they might fall at any moment. Dongfang Minghui tilted her head back, worriedly. "That fierce beast couldn’t have been boiled in the magma, could it?" Pig Immortal Grass was amused by the situation. "Even if it's cooked, that wouldn't be so bad. Ding Ding surely loves a good meal." Imagining that possibility made Dongfang Minghui's stomach churn. Moments later, a large object was thrown down by Ding Ding, who issued a brief warning after the fact, "Everyone step back a bit." "Thud." Ding Ding's hefty toss extinguished the flames on the fierce beast, and it flew back to Dongfang Minghui’s side, commenting, "It smells quite delicious and looks like it would taste good." The fierce beast shuddered violently, assuming at one point it might really be devoured by the magma. But Ding Ding’s toss had somewhat awoken it, leaving it burned and in pain yet also strangely satisfied. Toothless took advantage of the moment to continue meditating and cultivating. This pause allowed everyone to rest and those injured to seize the opportunity to heal. Qian Wanyu approached the fierce beast and gently nudged it with her foot. "I know you can understand human speech. Stop playing dead, or I'll really have you roasted and fed to Ding Ding." Upon hearing this, Ding Ding sat upright like a well-behaved child, eagerly staring at the fierce beast. "What do you all want from me?" The fierce beast’s voice was muffled, as if stuck in its throat. It once commanded great respect on this icy mountain, its calls resonating far and wide, never having encountered such an ordeal. Yet, after meeting this group, it found itself a prisoner, its status diminished, and subjected to frequent beatings—a truly miserable plight. "Oh, so you can speak," Ding Ding said, feigning hurt. It believed, given its 'relationship' with the beast, it should have been the first to know; instead, Qian Wanyu realized it first, which left Ding Ding rather disgruntled. The beast, shivering, sprouted sharp ice spikes all over its back at Ding Ding’s disgruntled noise, resembling the unseen monsters of the Ice Lotus’s second mountain. Its appearance was quite hideous. However, the former was a self-manifestation of ice spiritual power, while the latter was naturally grown. Seeing the beast’s weak speech and extensive burns, Qian Wanyu proposed, "Would you like to make a deal?" "What kind of deal?" The beast, with ice-blue pupils, kept a wary eye on Ding Ding, as if guarding against a thief. Ding Ding tilted its head, examining the beast’s singed parts hungrily, occasionally smacking its lips and licking its tongue, as if relishing an imagined taste. Experiencing for the first time the sensation of being coveted like fish on a chopping board, the beast was overwhelmed. This little creature was more ferocious than it ever was. Qian Wanyu took a rare ice-type pearl from her spatial storage, "We can use this ice-type spring pearl to heal your wounds." The beast’s hopeful eyes dimmed again, cognizant of the rarity and value of such a pearl. "What do you want me to do?" "We hope you’ll assist us in attacking Toothless and then help us to seal a fire-type dragon pill in ice." "A fire-type dragon pill..." The beast considered for a moment, "And if I refuse?" Qian Wanyu smiled warmly at it, "Ding Ding here is very interested in you. Should you decline, I’ll have no choice but to hand you over to Ding Ding." "And so as not to hinder us, I might have Ding Ding toss you up there again for several hours until we’ve resolved our affairs," Dongfang Minghui added from the side, "Right, Ding Ding?" "Yes, Little Nine." However, this beast really does smell delicious. Accidentally glimpsing Ding Ding's drool, the beast lay there hopelessly, "I agree to your terms." Hearing the beast concede, Ding Ding seemed disheartened, its hopes of feasting on the beast dashed. Crestfallen, it crawled back onto Dongfang Minghui’s shoulder, "Little Nine, I want to eat—" Just as the beast was getting back up, hearing Ding Ding’s words, its limbs slipped, and it collapsed back onto the ground with a thud. The loud crash made everyone worry about the beast's jaw. Dongfang Minghui also felt a subtle pain herself and gently consoled Ding Ding, "Once we’re past this Ice Lotus Mountain, I'll prepare lots of nutritious and delicious barbecue for you. This one’s too old, tough and difficult to chew." The beast, just reaching maturity, felt utterly unlovable and despairingly followed Qian Wanyu to heal its injuries. "Tough and chewy." Ding Ding, eyeing the beast’s thick fur, quickly believed Dongfang Minghui’s reasoning, "Indeed, it doesn’t look very appetizing." The beast kept its ears perked, eavesdropping on their conversation. Hearing Ding Ding’s remark, it nearly wept with joy, redoubling its efforts to absorb the ice-type spring pearl and expedite its recovery, lest it truly be left to such a dire fate. --- After resting for a few hours, everyone was quickly rejuvenated. The beast’s injuries were quite severe. In short, if Ding Ding hadn’t caught the scent of roasting meat, the beast might have been fully refined by the Longevity Cauldron in a few more hours, leaving not even a trace behind. "What do you want me to do?" "Use your most proficient ice attacks against her." Toothless, to maintain her spiritual power, reverted to her beast form. Her eyes burned with an intense red light, and she lunged at the beast, leading to a fierce skirmish that quickly left both parties wounded. "Seventh Sister." "Don’t worry, Ding Ding will be needed soon." Ding Ding awaited the moment when the fire-type power around Toothless waned, eagerly anticipating confronting the troublemaker. Just as it was about to launch into action, Qian Wanyu caught Ding Ding in a golden silk net. "Ouch." Ding Ding struggled frantically, but the net only tightened. It extended a small hand to pull at the net, ready to bite through it. Qian Wanyu promptly released it, recognizing Little Nine’s propensity for squandering rare items. "Bring this with you inside. If that dragon pill acts up, capture it with this net and drag it out." "Okay." Ding Ding cheerfully placed the golden silk net over its head, the net adapting to its form. It looked quite amusing. Dongfang Minghui’s eyes crinkled with laughter, but she still cautioned, "Ding Ding, be careful and don’t fall for that dragon pill’s tricks." "I won’t!" Ding Ding flew into Toothless’s mouth at lightning speed, but soon her previous warning seemed almost prophetic as it found itself perplexed by two identical dragon pills, observing both with a thoughtful tilt of its head. In ordinary circumstances, the left dragon pill would be slightly smaller than the right, a sign, as Little Nine told Ding Ding, of power differences. Now, however, both dragon pills appeared identical. No matter how Ding Ding racked its little brain, it couldn’t come up with a satisfactory answer. "Ding Ding, come here." Both dragon pills simultaneously invited it over, each entangled with black threads, utterly featureless. Ding Ding instinctively moved towards the right, "Toothless, Toothless." "Ding Ding, I'm over here, that’s the bad one." "Ding Ding, I’m on the right, that’s the bad one over there." The two dragon pills argued back and forth for ages, almost deafening Ding Ding with their bickering. Frustrated, it paced between the two, "Toothless, show me your face." "Ding Ding, I can’t do that." "Ding Ding, you need to leave now. Staying here will only harm you," said the left pill. "Ding Ding, leave quickly," echoed the right. Ding Ding looked wistfully between the two pills, nearly tearing its hair out in distress, "Toothless, Toothless." With a sudden whoosh, Ding Ding flew out, leaving Dongfang Minghui startled. She looked after it, spotting an utterly dejected little figure with its head nearly dragging on the ground. "Ding Ding, what happened?" Suddenly Ding Ding burst into tears, crying as it complained, "They're both exactly the same. I can’t tell which one is Toothless." Dongfang Minghui caught the golden beads falling from its eyes, while Qian Wanyu frowned as she listened to its intermittent tale. "Ding Ding, stop crying. Look, you’re losing so many golden beads." "Are those...Ding Ding's tears?" "Yes." Dongfang Minghui gathered a mound of golden beads in her palm for Ding Ding to see. "Stop crying, or else Little Nine might start crying alongside you." Ding Ding was startled by the golden beads, picking one up in puzzlement, "Little Nine, what do we do now? Which one is really Toothless?" "Even Ding Ding can’t tell them apart?" Qian Wanyu’s brow furrowed deeply. Ding Ding had an exceptional talent for distinguishing people, and if even Ding Ding was fooled, it meant the two were entering the fusion stage. But for their size and aura to be perfectly identical... it showed just how cunning this person truly was. "Seventh Sister, how about letting Ding Ding ask a few questions for me?" "That won't work." "The two auras have fused, which means they are devouring each other. This is definitely not good news." Moving back and forth anxiously, Qian Wanyu was soon approached by Yu Chi Shou. "I overheard your conversation. What’s happening with the Young Master now?" Qian Wanyu looked up at him briefly. "The two dragon pills are indistinguishable in terms of aura and appearance, even fooling Ding Ding. It wants us to abandon our plan to ice-seal it." "Is there no way to discern it?" "It’s extremely risky." Qian Wanyu further explained, "When the dragon pills fuse, they access each other's memories. If we make a mistake in identifying them and bring out the wrong pill, it's akin to handing everything of Toothless over." Yu Chi Shou furrowed his brow as well upon hearing this. The two fell silent, weighed down by the potential consequences. Qian Wanyu contemplated various strategies, but all carried significant risk—none of them acceptable outcomes. "Even their memories are shared." Dongfang Minghui recalled Mo Ce’s situation being similar — no matter how they tested, they were always deceived, often realizing the anomalies only too late. Now, before them, was Toothless, without a second chance. A single mistake during the removal of the dragon pill... She dared not imagine further. "Seventh Sister, how about we just leave the dragon pill alone?" Qian Wanyu gently stroked her hand, "Don’t panic. If panic takes hold, judgment errors are more likely. Even if we avoid extracting the dragon pill, it can’t be allowed to continue this way." Ding Ding, too, was too frightened to speak. It clutched a golden bead in its hand, looking at it over and over. "There is one more possibility," Yu Chi Shou’s eyes sparkled with intensity. "Open the Dragon Clan's domain and let the Young Master undergo the trial of each generation’s transmission. It’s said that the dragon pill cultivated by the Dragon God's descendants always shines with the most exalted gold. Then, whether it's a fake or real dragon pill, we can discern it with a single glance." "The Dragon Clan's domain..." Qian Wanyu hadn't considered that the dragon's progeny had such a trial. "I recall you previously obstructing our efforts to find the Dragon Clan's domain, and now?" Yu Chi Shou replied helplessly, "As the guardian of the Dragon Clan's domain, I would ordinarily oppose opening it to humans unless it concerns the safety of the Young Master." Dongfang Minghui nodded in agreement after glancing at him. Qian Wanyu didn’t press further. "But none of us knows the location of the Dragon Clan's domain. That map was inscribed on the dragon pill itself, its authenticity unknown." Yu Chi Shou was taken aback, "What? You don't know the Dragon Clan's domain? What do we do then?" Her earlier mention had been more of a probe. "You seem not to know either." "Yes, when the dragons chose to seclude themselves, my ancestors took up the duty to protect the Dragon Clan's domain, destroying all information about its location to prevent disturbances." Qian Wanyu eyed him suspiciously, feeling that from his words, the dragons seemed to be hiding from someone, rather than merely secluding themselves. "Let's follow this map for now. Maybe it’ll soon lead us to the Dragon Clan's domain." "But—" "No buts. The situation is dire, and you should hope this is the worst of it right now. Our task is to prevent the dragon pills in Toothless from continuing to devour one another." "The ice coffin." "Hmm?" Yu Chi Shou muttered, "Those two ice coffins we encountered on the Ice Lotus Mountain could allow the Young Master to rest in the larger one." Qian Wanyu didn't know what to say. "Given the collapse of Ice Lotus Mountain, if they fell from that height, the coffins must have shattered." But she recalled the smaller ice coffin’s scratch marks, "Wait, were those coffins made with something special?" "Indeed, those ice coffins can preserve a body indefinitely, even freezing a person’s internal organs." “Quite a treasure.” The pair came to an agreement quickly, instructing the fierce beast to keep Toothless occupied with constant attacks. Dongfang Minghui listened quietly, watching Toothless with pity as the two left the Longevity Cauldron. "Is this truly our last option?" Upon sealing, the physical functions wouldn’t cease. Would the dragon pill truly no longer pose a threat? --- Qian Wanyu and Yu Chi Shou went outside to search for the two ice coffins previously buried by the ice mountain. Qian Yiling and the others quickly gathered around her. "Yu'er, why have you come out?" "Mother, we need your help locating two ice coffins. One is about the height of an adult beastman, and the other is smaller, for a child." "Ah?" The group swiftly ran to the site of the original collapse and began the search for the ice coffins. "These ice coffins were likely crafted by Lien’s father to keep his son perpetually young." "One large, one small. Though the large coffin was found, his father wasn’t," Yu Chi Shou remarked sentimentally, considering Lien as the first human encountered on Ice Lotus Mountain in decades, perhaps even centuries. Their speed was quick, though others, like Mu Sheng and Zhi Lan, were slower. Yet with Yu Chi Shou’s released fire-type spiritual power, they located the upright ice coffin in the snow within half an hour. The smaller coffin was beside it. Despite such turbulence and a steep fall, aside from a chip on the lid, everything was intact. "Take them both." When Ding Ding transported them back inside, Lien looked at the two coffins with a complicated expression. Years ago, he had been awakened from the smaller coffin and cried for his father when he first saw that person. The individual did everything to comfort him, bringing fun toys, tasty food, and even capturing beasts from Ice Lotus Mountain to frighten him... Unfortunately, he had since forgotten that person entirely. Lien, now detached, sat quietly nearby, watching the other work tirelessly for this so-called Young Master. Such devotion was quite amusing. "Seventh Sister, where did you find these intact coffins? They're remarkable for not breaking." “Yes, these coffins can halt growth; quite extraordinary.” Despite Qing Mo being in a deep slumber, Qian Wanyu couldn’t identify the coffins’ material, though she recognized a living example among them. Dongfang Minghui felt a deep pang of reluctance, as if she were back to the moment she saw the Green Star laid to rest in an ice coffin by the Fairy Queen, a person who still hadn't awakened. "Seventh Sister." "Don’t worry, once we find the Dragon Clan’s domain, Toothless will be fine," Qian Wanyu reassured her, firm in her belief that high-risk scenarios also presented high opportunities. If Toothless could successfully absorb and fuse the dragon pill, it would undoubtedly be a boon for her cultivation. "All we need to do is ensure that dragon pill remains silent." Ding Ding flitted about, curiously inspecting the small ice coffin. It would occasionally pause on the coffin’s lid and then dart inside. "Little Nine, Little Nine, it's fun in here. Come check it out!" But Dongfang Minghui couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to play with Ding Ding. She approached the small ice coffin, gently extracting Ding Ding from it. Toothless, injured from the fierce beast’s attacks, listened to their discussion about sealing her with a resigned acceptance. "Seal me if you must. I won’t resist." After discussing a plan with the fierce beast, Qian Wanyu and the others worked together, utilizing the ice-type spring pearl to temporarily seal Toothless. "Toothless." "Are we certain this is okay?" they gathered around the ice coffin, watching as Toothless lay with her eyes shut, appearing as if in deep slumber. Qian Wanyu placed the ice-type spring pearl into Toothless's hand before turning to Ding Ding, "Ding Ding, do you still sense any restlessness from the dragon pill or anything else?" Ding Ding stood atop Toothless’s stomach, listening closely. When it neared the hand holding the pearl, a frost rapidly formed over its ears, causing Ding Ding to leap away in fright, landing on Dongfang Minghui’s shoulder. "Little Nine, Little Nine, I think I lost my ears!" Dongfang Minghui couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to lightly touch Ding Ding’s small ears. The chill from the touch traveled directly to her heart, causing a shiver. "Ding Ding, your ears are still there. What did you find?" "Nothing." Aside from faint breathing, there was nothing else. "Seventh Sister, I want to stay here with Toothless." Qian Wanyu considered the fierce beast before her. "Alright. I'll have Little Fatty and the others stay with you." Ding Ding volunteered eagerly, "I, I, I’ll stay with Little Nine." Before she left, Qian Wanyu wrapped Dongfang Minghui, who seemed lost in her thoughts, in a reassuring hug. "Ninth Sister, once we reach the Dragon Clan’s domain, Toothless will gradually recover. I’ll find it quickly, don’t worry." Dongfang Minghui nodded slightly, "I believe in you, Seventh Sister." Yu Chi Shou remained in the Longevity Cauldron with Toothless along with Lien, Little Fatty, and Little Bean Sprout. Ding Ding’s request was denied, and it struggled desperately, shouting, "I want to stay with Little Nine! Don’t hold me back! Little Nine, help!" Qian Wanyu carried it away, "Stop fussing, you have something to do for me." Ding Ding was visibly unhappy, arms crossed, glaring at Qian Wanyu in protest. "If you do this, you can go back to Little Nine." "What is it?" Ding Ding’s face was still long, but there were sparks of curiosity in its eyes. Qian Wanyu led the group to a door fitted with the Hehuan Jade, "I need you to help me find the river of the Yin-Yang Spring." Mu Sheng didn’t quite understand, "Sister Wanyu, why are you heading back down after just coming up?" Qian Wanyu gazed at them. Besides Uncle and Mother, Zhi Lan, Mu Sheng, and Xiao Miao were following her; she left the others in the Longevity Cauldron with Ninth Sister. "Mother, Uncle, I have a bold theory I need to test." "What theory?" "I suspect there’s a path behind the spring of the Yin-Yang Spring. I don’t know where it leads, but it must be fresh water and related to this Ice Lotus Mountain." "Yu’er, shall I go with you?" "No, you all should go into the Longevity Cauldron. Let Ding Ding guide you after me." Ding Ding pouted and mumbled insistently about wanting to stay with Dongfang Minghui, like a little monk reciting scriptures. "What’s wrong with Little Nine?" "You can ask Uncle, but don’t mention anything to Ninth Sister." "Brother?" Qian Wanyu patiently explained, "Although we took the Yin-Yang Spring’s pearl, there are still plenty of fish in the river. Don’t you want Little Nine to prepare fish fillets for you?" "I do, I do." Ding Ding’s mouth watered at the thought, immediately refocusing its efforts. "Let’s go down then." Ding Ding eagerly enlarged the Longevity Cauldron to allow everyone to enter, securely sealing its bottom to prevent them from falling out. Then, it lifted the cauldron with one small hand. With the Hehuan Jade fitting snugly into the wraith-like door, a torrent of water suddenly burst forth from inside. Qian Wanyu quickly grabbed the Longevity Cauldron held by Ding Ding, preventing herself from being swept away by the flood. "Bloop." Ding Ding puffed its cheeks, occasionally blowing bubbles. "Ding Ding, let’s go down." The water’s resistance was substantial, but after they jumped in, the large doors gradually closed, cutting off the water flow. The outside water, subjected to the cold winds, froze once more into thick ice. "Bloop." Ding Ding tried to spread its wings but found them immovable. Relying on the cauldron's weight, it swiftly descended to the once dry expanse below, now fully submerged. "Bloop." Qian Wanyu struggled to employ her spiritual power underwater. Fortunately, the water had calmed considerably over the past hours, no longer hot and unpredictable. Guided by Ding Ding, they soon found the submerged base of the Yin-Yang Spring. The water was deep, reaching dozens of meters. The deeper Qian Wanyu went, the more strained she felt, fearing she might have erred in her assumptions. "Bloop, bloop," Fish. Ding Ding caught a dumb fish, tossing it against the cauldron to kill it. Qian Wanyu was exasperated, especially seeing more fish accumulating in her space each time Ding Ding copied the pattern. She regretted earlier tempting Ding Ding with fish fillets. With a gentle knock on the Longevity Cauldron, she signaled Ding Ding not to forget their main task. But all Ding Ding thought was, I’m going to have lots and lots of fish fillets~ Qian Wanyu drew out her Water Thunder Whip, dislodging the fish from Ding Ding’s hands and motioning towards the spring’s nearby opening. If they stayed longer, she’d reach her limit soon, yet the little one was still carefree. Ding Ding gave her a displeased look. She examined the size of the two springs’ openings, suddenly understanding why an imbalance in the Yin-Yang Spring had caused the ice layer to spread throughout the area. "So that’s where the problem lies." It wasn't just because Little Fatty and Toothless had absorbed much of the fire-type spring’s spiritual energy but also due to the disparity between the spring openings. The balance was previously maintained by two pearls’ suppression. The ice-type spring’s opening had indeed widened. Upon her initial casual glance, she hadn’t mistaken it. Over the past hours, a head-sized opening had formed, with cold water cascading rapidly through, far faster than the other spring. "Ding Ding, chisel this spring opening open." "Bloop." Ding Ding raised the Longevity Cauldron and struck the spring opening with force, creating a hole. The ensuing torrent tossed Qian Wanyu around, producing three splashes as she tumbled through the water. She anchored herself by lashing her Water Thunder Whip around the longevity vine patterns on the cauldron’s wall, reluctantly pulling out through the spring opening with Ding Ding’s help. "Bloop bloop." Ding Ding wanted to ask where they were going, but every attempt to speak caused bubbles to erupt. Once outside the springhole, they lost their direction. Qian Wanyu gestured toward a powerful ice stream ahead, indicating that following it could lead them to the ice spring's source. "Bloop." "Bloop." Endless spiritual power within Qian Wanyu battled against the cold on her dark side, leaving her drowsy and struggling to follow the water flow’s end. Her pace steadily slowed. Holding the Longevity Cauldron, Ding Ding, oblivious to her plight, scanned the river vigilantly, back and forth, seeking life—any fish would do. However… its eyes strained in vain; there wasn't a single fish to be found. "Roar—" A small white tiger emerged from Qian Wanyu’s soul sea, biting into the person who was dangerously sinking, tirelessly swimming upwards against the current. Ding Ding glanced back, spotting the magnificent tiger beast. It greeted it in its way, bloop bloop~ bloop bloop~ Little White Ball didn't even glance at him, high and mighty as it focused on pulling Qian Wanyu, swiftly paddling its limbs. It quickly surpassed Ding Ding, who was dumbly watching them. Realizing it had been ignored, Ding Ding intensified its bubbly protest—bloop—bloop—bloop— --- When Qian Wanyu awoke, she found herself beneath a blue sky, with a cold breeze that made her hair stand on end. With a hand shielding her eyes from the not-so-blinding light, she squinted a bit, uncomfortable as her eyes adjusted. Splash— The sound of water splashing returned her memories quickly; she and Ding Ding had been moving against the water current. Qian Wanyu abruptly sat up, feeling a deep soreness in her body, as if she'd been through a grueling gravity chamber workout. "Seventh Sister, are you trying to scare me to death?" Dongfang Minghui's complexion was worse than Qian Wanyu's, as if she'd been in ice-cold water for too long, her lips tinged with purple. Qian Wanyu grabbed her wrist to check, "What did you do this time without telling me?" Dongfang Minghui put a steaming bowl of porridge in front of her, "Seventh Sister, you're overthinking. I made this porridge with great effort for you. Drink it, warm yourself." Only then did Qian Wanyu realize Dongfang Minghui’s hands were icy. She looked around and noticed they were on a rather strange platform—about a hundred square meters in size—surrounded by waterfalls, yet this platform was dry. "Is this the source of the ice water?" "It should be." Even Dongfang Minghui was unsure of their location. When Ding Ding released them from the Longevity Cauldron, they were already here, isolated by the waterfalls and waterways around them. "Yu'er, how are you feeling now?" "Mother, I'm fine, just a bit exhausted." Little White Ball wagged its tail, nudging Qian Wanyu, reminding her of how it had heroically saved her at the last moment. She extended a hand to gently stroke and hug its large head. "Little Nine, Little Nine." "Hmm? Ding Ding, what’s up?" Dongfang Minghui extended her hand, letting Ding Ding perch on her palm. "I found fish." Ding Ding proudly displayed its find, striking a cute pose. Qian Wanyu simply tossed the unfortunate fish Ding Ding had caught from her spatial storage. A pile of dead fish soon surrounded them. Luckily, the cold climate kept the space from smelling foul. Little White Ball sniffed disdainfully, picked up a fish with its mouth, and dropped it in front of Dongfang Minghui, then tossed another. "Seventh Sister, see? I'm practically their personal chef now." "Little White Ball hasn't had your cooking in a while." "Yes." With that, Dongfang Minghui busied herself with preparations. Watching her work, Qian Yiling sighed, "Yu'er, you were too reckless this time. You nearly frightened Little Nine to death." Qian Wanyu just smiled, saying nothing. "Ninth Sister is not as fragile as you think. In the coming days, Mother, feel free to put her to work." Qian Yiling observed Ding Ding buzzing like a little bee around Dongfang Minghui, bombarding her with questions, to which she patiently responded every time. "So you want Little Nine to forget her worries for now?" "Yes, though I suppose just Ding Ding is enough to keep her occupied. After spending hours with it, I feel like I’ve exhausted a lifetime’s worth of patience." Soon, they saw Ding Ding flap its wings and fly, diving straight into the waterfall below, without hesitation, before plunging into the water with a splash. Moments later, it emerged clutching a slippery, ten-meter long creature, neither completely snake nor dragon-like. The creature flailed, managing to slip from Ding Ding’s grasp. However, with the gold silk net attached to Longevity Cauldron's top, Ding Ding quickly captured the slippery creature again. "Little Nine, Little Nine, I caught a fish!" "What?" Dongfang Minghui was busy preparing the pile of dead fish thrown from Seventh Sister's spatial storage. She didn’t like eating stale things, but seeing Ding Ding’s regretful expression, she reminded herself that this savage world meant raw eating or not at all. Eating long-dead things was commonplace. As long as it didn’t stink, she could tolerate it. "Little Nine, Little Nine." "Huh?" When Dongfang Minghui looked up, the ‘fish’ Ding Ding captured alive horrified her, stopping her heart momentarily—it wasn't a fish at all but something that resembled a small dragon. Though much smaller compared to Toothless, it was like a young dragon. Qian Wanyu rose, moved slightly, and cast a disapproving glance at Ding Ding. "Ding Ding, that’s not a fish, and you've scared Ninth Sister." Dongfang Minghui swallowed hard, cautiously leaning closer, "Ding Ding, is it still alive?" Hearing it wasn’t a fish, Ding Ding discarded the coiled gold silk net disdainfully, "I searched for so long underwater and only found this one." Seeing the creature motionless, Dongfang Minghui carefully untangled the net, intending to check its pulse. Suddenly, it sprang to life, snapping its mouth open and lunging for her hand.