Chapter 780 - 657: Flood Dragon (Part 2)
Qin An thought for a moment and then asked, "There must be other solutions, right?"
Li Ruofeng knew his abilities and character well, and also knew that he never gave up easily. Therefore, now that Li Ruofeng had called him over, besides showing him the Holy Relic, there was likely another solution in mind.
Li Ruofeng was straightforward, with no twists and turns, and directly nodded: "That’s right, besides forcibly removing the poison, there is another method, which is to go to the back mountain of the Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple and find the Frozen Cold Water from the cold pool there."
"Frozen Cold Water?" Qin An asked with a frown, "Isn’t this something used to craft weapons? Can it be used to detoxify?"
Being a Blacksmith, he had an unparalleled understanding and knowledge of various materials, so when Li Ruofeng mentioned the Frozen Cold Water, he immediately knew what it was.
It can be said that this is an invaluable treasure comparable to the Holy Relic; just one piece can imbue crafted items with freezing power.
Moreover, this freezing power is no simple feat; even an ordinary Cultivator, armed with a weapon made of Frozen Cold Water, could elevate to multiple levels instantly, making Overcoming Adversity not a daunting task.
However, the emergence of the Frozen Cold Water requires an extremely cold location, and the chances of it appearing are astonishingly low.
He didn’t know exactly what he would encounter here, but he knew that as long as he could solve the problem and obtain the Holy Relic, everything would be worth doing.
Qin An did not hesitate and said, "In that case, I’ll make a trip to the cold pool in the back mountain."
There was nothing more to say, now that the topic had reached this point.
The sooner he went to search for the so-called Frozen Cold Water, the sooner he could return and obtain the ultimate potential within his grasp.
By then, he could audaciously enhance his own strength.
Unexpectedly, upon saying that, Li Ruofeng shook his head again.
"An extremely terrifying monster resides in the cold pool where the Frozen Cold Water exists, though it belongs to the Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple."
"During the battles with the previous dynasty, the monster contributed significantly, and I classified it as the temple’s Guardian Divine Beast."
"At that time, even Your Majesty issued an edict, stating that since the monster had corrected its ways, it should be allowed to remain."
"After the Frozen Cold Water appeared, this monster immediately became aware and claimed it as its own. If Mr. Qin intends to obtain the Frozen Cold Water, he must first get past this monster."
Saying this, Li Ruofeng sighed deeply, feeling quite helpless.
Qin An thought briefly before nodding and saying, "In that case, lead the way to the back mountain and let’s have a look."
They were here, and despite any discussions, there would be no progress.
Instead of letting the matter stagnate, it would be better to go and take a look, perhaps gaining something in the process.
Li Ruofeng knew that Qin An was a decisive person, so once Qin An decided to go, he did not hesitate and proceeded toward the back mountain.
...
The Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple was nestled against the mountains, with a series of rolling peaks behind it. Although these peaks seemed to embellish the scenic beauty here, they evoked a sense of yearning in people’s hearts.
As Qin An walked, he muttered inwardly about how to converse with the monster he would soon meet.
Soon, Qin An arrived at the location of the cold pool at the back.
The closer Qin An approached the cold pool, the more he felt a biting chill assault him, causing goosebumps all over his body.
Even from afar, the chilling impact was palpable, indicating that this place was no ordinary site.
Leading another stretch ahead, Li Ruofeng finally stopped in a dense forest area.
In front of the forest lay a deep and bottomless pool of water.
Upon closer inspection, one would find the pool radiating an astonishing cold.
Li Ruofeng coughed and approached the pool, saying, "Senior, I’ve come to discuss a matter."
As soon as he finished speaking, the tranquil pool suddenly began to shake violently.
Next, at the center of the pool, a massive dragon head emerged.
The dragon head was unimaginably large, and even within a limited scope, it carried an imposing aura of dominance.
The dragon slowly spoke, casting its gaze on Qin An: "I know... you are the renowned Mr. Qin. I wonder what important matter brings you to the Cyan Cloud Taoist Temple this time?"
Li Ruofeng glanced at Qin An and then said, "Senior, the matter is such, Mr. Qin wishes to borrow the Frozen Cold Water from the cold pool to detoxify the Holy Relic."
As soon as he spoke, the place fell into silence.
The dragon fixed its large eyes on Qin An, a complex expression flashing across its gaze.
Qin An slightly frowned, sensing the dragon’s gaze, and feeling that the dragon seemed to have some unspoken difficulties.
Thinking of this, Qin An slowly said,
"If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak; should I be able to assist, I certainly will."
He came here to obtain the Frozen Cold Water to resolve the poison within the Holy Relic and take it away.
He was willing to try and resolve any challenge that arose.
The dragon sighed and pulled back its complicated look: "If it were any other matter requiring my help, Mr. Qin, I would oblige; however, this particular task is extremely challenging."
"To neutralize the poison in the Holy Relic, the power of the Frozen Cold Water is needed, but removing this water from the pool would immediately result in the death of my only progeny."
At this, the dragon lifted its forepaw and gently swirled it through the cold pool.
Soon, a vortex formed in the pool, and from it rose a gigantesque egg.
Within the egg, there were faint signs of life, though exceedingly weak.
Surrounding the egg were streams of water threading around, imbued with a subtle chill.
Qin An furrowed his brow.
He said nothing, knowing that the dragon likely had more to say, so he patiently listened for the dragon to continue.
After a brief pause, a hint of sorrow flickered in the dragon’s eyes: "Back then, my spouse and I assisted Emperor Xuanwu in a vicious battle."
"My spouse was gravely injured, bearing our offspring, and before passing away, left behind our progeny."
"However, due to the injuries, our progeny has been unable to hatch for years."
"I could not bear to let him die, so I used the power of the Frozen Cold Water to sustain his life, year after year."
"If the Frozen Cold Water were taken away, he would likely perish on the spot—he is my only bloodline, so I wish for him to live."
With that, the dragon waved its claws again, and the egg sank back into the pool.
Qin An furrowed his brows again, acknowledging the complexity of the matter.
Given the dragon’s explanation, extracting the Frozen Cold Water was impossible.
And considering what it sacrificed for the Daqian Kingdom, forcefully seizing it was not an option either.
This seemed to be a deadlock.
Li Ruofeng glanced around and suddenly suggested: "Actually, there might be a way. Over the years, I’ve considered removing the poison from the Holy Relic and came up with certain methods, though they are extremely difficult."
The dragon slightly shook its head. "Beyond difficult; it’s like climbing to the heavens."
Qin An raised an eyebrow and asked, "I wonder how we can obtain the Frozen Cold Water?"
While Li Ruofeng claimed it was extremely challenging, he still had to voice it so Qin An could comprehend.
Li Ruofeng seemed to imply there was still room for maneuver, and if there was a chance to attempt it, Qin An wanted to give it a try.
If no result came from trying, he could then abandon the idea and seek out other Holy Relics’ whereabouts.
A flicker of struggle passed in Li Ruofeng’s eyes, and after several moments of silence, he finally began to explain.