Chapter 223: Sealed in Ice by One

At the center of the Secret Realm, there is an ancient Demon Race Grand Hall.

Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense swept over and discovered the Ancient Demon Sect and the Blood Demon Cult, both searching for treasures inside these Grand Halls.

The ice sculpture woman directly led Ye Liuyun and the others to the Altar behind the Grand Hall and descended there.

Then she lifted her foot and stamped downwards. The strike shook the entire area, making the ground and mountains tremble as if an earthquake. Immediately, centered on her, a range of nearly a thousand zhang was frozen, forming an ice‑snow prohibited zone.

"Earth Dragon, appear!" she shouted straight at the Altar.

Roar!

A roar suddenly came from beneath the Altar, and that sound likewise shook the entire ice‑snow area, causing Ye Liuyun and the others to lose their footing, nearly being knocked over.

Immediately, the entire Altar began to shift backward, revealing an underground opening.

At the opening stood a massive black monster, its skin pitch‑black, its huge eyes like lanterns, gazing outward.

"Ice Woman? What are you crazy about, running to my place? Do you know this will expose my location?"

The Earth Dragon, without waiting for the Altar to fully open, began to complain hastily.

"So this ice sculpture woman is called Ice Woman!" Ye Liuyun only now learned her title.

After the Altar was fully opened, the Earth Dragon's massive body finally crawled out of the opening.

Its limbs emerged, and its body, already over fifty zhang long, was out, but its tail remained inside the opening.

The body resembled a crocodile, but the head bore some resemblance to a Dragon Head; it lacked dragon whiskers, and its horns were like sharp ox horns. Its jet‑black scaled armor radiated rolling Demon Qi.

That aura, even with Ice Woman shielding Ye Liuyun and the others, still made them shiver.

"No nonsense, I will take your bloodline crystal stone to boost my disciples' bloodline power. Otherwise, I will use all my power to freeze you and go find it myself," Ice Woman said domineeringly.

Ye Liuyun hadn't expected Ice Woman to be so overbearing. From her previous words, he hadn't seen any hint of it.

That's simply a straightforward snatch plus threat!

The Earth Dragon cast a glance at Ye Liuyun and the others, its gaze making their hearts race.

"For these few ants, you want to fall out with me? They're not Demon Race; what right have I to help them?" the Earth Dragon immediately turned to Ice Woman, scrutinizing the aura within her.

Upon seeing, he was startled. Ice Woman's words were not empty; her lingering regret would not sustain long. If a life‑or‑death struggle ensued, both he and she would end up mutually destroyed, to the advantage of the outside Human Race.

"I have no time! You needn't bargain with me; there's no negotiation. If you refuse, I'll have to take a desperate gamble."

Speaking, her whole body's icy force surged, ready to attack the Earth Dragon.

The Earth Dragon hurriedly shouted, "You mad woman! Stop. I'll agree to you!"

The ice sculpture woman immediately tempered her demeanor. "Smart of you! After all these years as neighbors, I don't wish to hurt you! Moreover, there are other Human Race members; if you get frozen, the items in your Treasure Vault will likely be gone."

The Earth Dragon, irritable, pounded the ground a few times, flipping Ye Liuyun and the others onto the earth. Yet it dared not clash desperately with Ice Woman.

"You still try to trap me before you die! When your lingering regret fades, watch me tear down your ice palace!"

"Whatever you like! Once this thread of lingering regret disappears, I'll be gone, so who cares about the ice palace! Hurry and take us inside," Ice Woman urged.

Roar!

The Earth Dragon let out another great roar, then its massive body turned and entered the tunnel first.

"Follow behind me!" Ice Woman instructed, then led Ye Liuyun and the others onward.

After they entered, the Altar rumbled shut.

Outside, the Ancient Demon Sect and the Blood Demon Cult, after the tremors and roars ceased, sent people to investigate, only to find the area already frozen.

Inside, they could see nothing and didn't know what had happened. Attempts to force entry failed against the icy barrier, so they gave up and continued searching other Grand Halls for treasures.

The surrounding Grand Halls housed many varieties of Demon Race, so although they gained much, the cost was high. Almost every party had already lost more than half its members.

Ice Woman, leading Ye Liuyun and the others, followed the Earth Dragon cautiously, still not fully trusting it.

Ye Liuyun activated his Golden Pupil, observing the interior of the tunnel.

At the same time, Lei Ming transformed into a beast form, perching on Ye Liuyun's shoulder, while Wu Qingcheng donned the invisibility cloak, ready to vanish.

Ye Liuyun and the others followed the Earth Dragon into an underground Grand Hall; upon entering, they were all stunned.

Inside the hall, a chaotic pile of various heavenly materials, weapon treasures, Crystal Stones, Spirit Stones, covered the floor in a thick layer.

"How many treasures has this Demon Race Earth Dragon collected!" Even the affluent Ye Liuyun couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The Earth Dragon flicked its massive tail, lightly striking a wall; the wall then thundered upward, revealing another Grand Hall, within which a solitary blood‑red Crystal Stone, ten‑plus zhang across, stood alone in the center.

"Go in!" the Earth Dragon said casually.

Then he simply lay atop a pile of Crystal Stones and treasures, closing his eyes.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil scanned and detected a problem in that Grand Hall.

He and Qiong Qi also possessed some Formation knowledge; though not experts, they could still discern whether a Formation was present.

He immediately used his Divine Sense to communicate with Ice Woman. "Senior, that Grand Hall contains a Formation."

Ice Woman was also observing, but she didn't understand Formations; without Ye Liuyun's hint, she truly couldn't see it.

She hesitated, standing in place.

At this moment, the Earth Dragon opened its eyes and asked, "What? You're not going in? Worried there are traps inside?"

A doubtful expression appeared in its eyes. He thought inwardly, "Could Ice Woman actually understand Formations?"

Then, as if resolved, Ice Woman's entire aura erupted, and the icy force struck directly at the Earth Dragon.

"My apologies!" she said after launching the attack.

Only by subduing the Earth Dragon would they truly be safe.

She then rushed toward the Earth Dragon. Her Divine Sense told Ye Liuyun, "I'm not sure I can seal it to close the Secret Realm. Remember, before the ice layer is broken, leave this place. Take good care of the two of them!"

Immediately, Ice Woman's Divine Sense let out a sigh, and the entire ice sculpture body transformed into a surge of icy force, rushing toward the Earth Dragon!

"Senior, rest assured! I will not fail the trust placed in me!" Ye Liuyun hurriedly replied, comforting Ice Woman's lingering regret.

The Earth Dragon let out a fierce roar; with the plan exposed, further pretenses were useless. It spat a burst of Demon Qi, blocking Ice Woman's first attack.

But the second, it was truly powerless. Within the ice sculpture lay Ice Woman's Primordial Power and lingering regret, so it didn't struggle, finding a comfortable posture and lying down.

It knows this power cannot kill it, only trap it for a while; after all, the Ice Maiden's Primordial Power and lingering thoughts have already been drained too much!

But in his eyes a fierce light flashed, glaring viciously at Ye Liuyun and the others. m.

Immediately, the earth dragon turned into an ice sculpture, standing still where it was.