Chapter 1093: The Mutation of Waterfrost Star

The battle between the two prodigies shocked thousands, and the news spread like wildfire. In less than half a day, it had reached nearly half of the Southern Sky Domain. Even the distant Northern Immortal Island, where the Cangyun Heavenly Palace was located, received various reports. The palace buzzed with discussions, and Qing Yin Xianyun's fame soared, almost rivaling that of their top disciple, Zhongli Meng. Many young disciples looked up to her with admiration.

The fervor grew so intense that even the secluded courtyard of the top disciple could hear the commotion. However, the elegant courtyard remained eerily quiet, its gates tightly shut.

Inside the main hall, Zhongli Meng sat in silence, her eyes distant, seemingly lost in thought. Seeing her like this, her fellow disciples exchanged worried glances and began to console her.

"Senior Sister, don't pay too much attention to the rumors. Your breakthrough is just around the corner!"

"Brother Lu is right. Senior Sister Zhongli has extraordinary potential. Falling behind temporarily is no big deal. The title of prodigy will undoubtedly remain yours."

"Exactly! With the resources of our Cangyun Heavenly Palace, reaching the Heaven Tier will be a breeze for you, Senior Sister!"

"Senior Sister? Senior Sister?"

Despite their comforting words, Zhongli Meng remained unresponsive, prompting them to call out to her anxiously.

Zhongli Meng snapped out of her reverie, looking confused. "What's wrong?"

Seeing their concerned expressions and hearing the commotion outside, she finally realized what they were worried about. She chuckled softly.

"You're overthinking it. I'm not concerned about these superficial titles. I was just thinking about Yi Feng. Lately, I've been feeling uneasy."

Ah, so that's what it was. The group awkwardly laughed, their worries dissipating. However, at the mention of Yi Feng, their expressions turned solemn, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

"Senior Sister, your loyalty and righteousness put us to shame."

"Sigh, speaking of Brother Yi, it still fills us with regret."

"We only met him briefly, yet he selflessly helped us. In the end, he perished on Waterfrost Star. We owe him a debt of gratitude and should make amends."

"Exactly! Now that Senior Sister has become the top disciple, we should fulfill our promise and visit Cloudstar to find Yi Feng's family. We should offer them some compensation."

"Well said!"

Filled with righteous determination, they all turned to Zhongli Meng. Though grateful, her brows remained furrowed. After a moment of contemplation, she finally spoke her mind.

"Junior Brothers, your sense of justice moves me. However, lately, I've been feeling increasingly guilty. I want to return to Waterfrost Star to search for Yi Feng. Otherwise, I won't be at peace."

"Even if we can't find him alive, we should at least recover his body."

Hearing this, her fellow disciples sighed.

"Senior Sister, your righteousness puts us to shame. However, Waterfrost Star is infested with demons. Even if we go back, it's unlikely we'll find anything."

"Indeed, Senior Sister. Your intentions are as clear as the sun and moon. Yi Feng would surely appreciate it from the afterlife... There's no need to go to such lengths."

Despite their attempts to dissuade her, Zhongli Meng remained steadfast in her resolve.

"Everyone, Yi Feng selflessly helped us. We cannot be ungrateful. Compensation pales in comparison to a life. If we hadn't been in such a hurry that day, we wouldn't have left so abruptly..."

"We achieved our goals, but Yi Feng was left alone on Waterfrost Star. Even if we find his family in the future, how can we face them?"

"This matter is settled. I must return to Waterfrost Star to search for Yi Feng. I need to see his body to ease my conscience. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep peacefully."

The disciples exchanged glances, deeply moved. They stood up resolutely and bowed.

"We will follow you, Senior Sister, to Waterfrost Star!"

United in their determination, they quickly made preparations. Half a day later, they boarded the Heavenly Palace's flying vessel and plunged into the sea of stars, indifferent to the uproar outside.

After several days of travel, the vessel returned to Waterfrost Star, landing in a glacial valley. Coincidentally, it was the same river valley where they had camped before. As Zhongli Meng and her fellow disciples stepped onto the ice, they were filled with nostalgia, though the absence of Yi Feng made the place feel different.

Zhongli Meng's eyes welled up, but she quickly composed herself and issued orders.

"Just like last time, we'll split up to search for Yi Feng and regroup here. Remember, be cautious at all times!"

The dozen or so disciples solemnly acknowledged her orders, their expressions serious. Despite knowing that Waterfrost Star was teeming with demons and that splitting up was dangerous, they didn't hesitate. Just as Yi Feng had selflessly helped them, they were willing to risk their lives to find his body and repay their debt.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several figures quickly dispersed, and Zhongli Meng herself sped eastward. As she flew through the icy clouds, she remained vigilant, not daring to let her guard down. Though she had been here before, her caution never wavered. In such a perilous place, even the slightest carelessness could be fatal.

Zhongli Meng carefully scanned the glaciers below, not wanting to miss any clues. She was fully alert, but after a while, she found nothing. Not only was there no sign of Yi Feng or any other humans, but even the once-rampant demons had mysteriously vanished, as if they had been wiped out overnight!

Zhongli Meng's eyes filled with suspicion. Something was wrong. After flying for another incense stick's worth of time, the land remained pure white and eerily silent, sending chills down her spine. An inexplicable sense of foreboding enveloped her.

She immediately stopped and sent a message, then hurried back to the glacial valley. By the time she returned, her fellow disciples had also come back, their faces filled with confusion.

"Senior Sister! Something's strange. I didn't see a single demon along the way!"

"Same here!"

"This doesn't make sense. This is a demon-infested area. Even on the outskirts, we should have encountered some demons."

"We haven't been gone that long. Why has Waterfrost Star suddenly become so quiet?"

"Could the demons be plotting something?!"

As the voices of confusion grew, Zhongli Meng frowned.

"This is indeed strange. Waterfrost Star is behaving unusually. Let's stick together from now on. While searching for Yi Feng, we'll also investigate what's going on. If the demons are up to something, we must report it to Lan Star immediately!"

Everyone nodded, their expressions grave. They took to the skies again, their nerves taut as they spread their spiritual senses to search the area. Yet, no matter how hard they looked, they found nothing.

Finally, they spotted a few figures in the distance. But before they could get a closer look, the shadows vanished without a trace, leaving only snow and ice behind—not even a footprint!

Zhongli Meng and her fellow disciples were filled with suspicion, as if they were on the verge of uncovering some colossal conspiracy. They fully unleashed their spiritual senses and sped across the glaciers, searching desperately. The tension was palpable.

After what felt like an eternity...

They finally discovered a suspicious figure lurking in a dense cluster of icy hills!

Almost simultaneously, Zhongli Meng and her disciples locked onto the figure with their spiritual senses and charged forward, unleashing their Dao power. A dozen figures surrounded the area, ready for battle. The sheer force of their Dao power sealed off the surrounding hills.

"Come out!"

"You sneaky demon, show yourself and fight!"

No matter how much they called out, the shadowy figure refused to emerge. Zhongli Meng frowned and cautiously approached the hillside. When she saw what was there, she froze.

Seeing their senior sister stunned, the others mustered their courage and approached. There, hidden beneath a block of ice, was a three-zhang-long ant!

At the sight of it, their hearts skipped a beat.

A Blood Ant!

This was a legendary elite among demons, known for living in swarms, their ferocity, and their bloodthirsty nature. They were often at the Saint level!

A formidable enemy!

Everyone tensed up, ready for a life-or-death battle. But upon closer inspection, the giant ant was trembling, clutching its head, its teeth chattering. It looked utterly terrified, as if it were on the verge of crying!

This was a far cry from the ferocious demons they had heard about.

Everyone was dumbfounded, staring at each other in confusion.

The youngest disciple, Brother Lu, scratched his head and looked at the others in bewilderment.

"Uh... Senior Brothers, is this really a Blood Ant? Why is it acting like this?"

An older disciple narrowed his eyes and cautioned, "Brother Lu, don't let your guard down! Demons are cunning and cruel. This must be some kind of trap!"

At these words, everyone's vigilance skyrocketed, and they drew their weapons. But before they could attack, the giant ant suddenly let out a wail!

"Don't! Don't kill me!"

"I... I'm just a baby! You humans are too cruel! Waaah!"

It burst into tears, its sobs echoing through the icy valley.

Zhongli Meng and her fellow disciples were completely stunned, their weapons frozen mid-air. Even the youngest disciple was at a loss.

"This..."

What kind of trap was this? A pity ploy? Feigning weakness? Were demons really this good at acting?

Before he could ask his seniors for guidance, the giant ant had already curled up in an ice crevice, trembling and kowtowing desperately.

"Don't come any closer! Please don't kill me! I don't know anything!"

"Please, spare me! Waaah!"

In the blink of an eye, the ice beneath it cracked from its frantic kowtowing!

It seemed genuinely terrified, not putting on an act.

The youngest disciple's eyes widened in disbelief. He turned to the others, only to find them equally bewildered, standing frozen like statues.

Even Zhongli Meng was left utterly perplexed.

What on earth was going on...?