Chapter 921 Cavern  

Standing near the edge of the Crescent Ridge Basin, Mira frowned. "Someone else is here. And they're not weak."

"See! I told you we shouldn't have wasted our time on that stupid dragon!" Hana grumbled. If only Mira had listened to her, they could've looted this place dry already!

"It wasn't a dragon. Never mind, it doesn't matter. However, you're wrong." Mira said while spreading her Soul Sense as far as possible to determine the strength and numbers of the people who had arrived. "If we arrived here before, we would've been public enemy number one. And if what I'm picking up is correct, a group of Sect Masters just entered the valley."

Hana paled. Divine Sea Realm Masters? What're they doing here?! She wanted to tell Mira to go back, that it wasn't worth it but paused. Although she was on her back, Hana could feel the battle intent and greed emanating from Mira. '...I guess these are the consequences of traveling with this monster.' She sighed inwardly, accepting her fate.

"Don't let me die, okay?" Hana muttered.

"As long as I'm alive." Mira chuckled before stepping toward the valley. Her words didn't make Hana feel any better.

She retracted her Soul Sense and crossed the icy winds that kept out intruders. As she had coated herself with a layer of ice along with an outer shell of 'destruction', the elements couldn't harm her.

Nonetheless, she wanted to reduce her Qi usage and aura to a minimum, so as not to disturb those Sect Masters that had entered the valley.

'It's still a bit early to fight them.' At least she didn't want to get cornered by half a dozen of them. 'I might be able to hold my own against that Temple Master guy, though. Considering my Dao should be the bane of his existence.' She just wasn't quite sure how strong someone in the Divine Sea Realm truly was. She'd seen Aelina fight a little, but it never seemed like she was fully serious. Yet, what she showed was more than enough to make her invincible. Even if she used her black tail to the fullest, sacrificing her lifespan in exchange for power, she wasn't confident in surviving against that monster.

If that were just the tip of the iceberg and were fairly common amongst those of her strength and age, it'd be better for her to avoid such people for now. Cloaking herself with the [Hidden World] technique, her entire being seemed to blend in with the surroundings, becoming one with the blizzard. 'With the weather hiding me, it should be difficult for anyone to sense my location.'

Gliding down onto the south mountain peak, she inspected the area, only to find more ice and snow. Walking a few dozen meters away, there still wasn't anything notable, much less rare treasures. Although her vision was obstructed, she expected to find something other than ice.

After a few minutes of walking around and having found nothing, Mira started to grow a bit frustrated.

'Didn't you say this place was supposed to be filled with loot?' She asked Hana, glaring at the poor girl.

Hana shouted back, hiding deeper within Mira's tails, 'Th-that's the information I got! Even I don't know what's going on!' 'Maybe they're all buried? The storm's pretty bad!' She said after some thought, causing Mira's ears to perk up. 'Buried, huh? Sounds oddly plausible.'

Placing her hand on the ground below, she channeled in a massive amount of Ice, Earth, Yin Fire, and Destruction Qi, disintegrating a portion of the mountain and creating a hole big enough to walk through. However, the process took longer than she thought. Not only was the atmosphere bearing down on her, preventing her Qi from working smoothly, but the earth itself was tough.

'This ice is pretty strong. I wonder how long it's been here?' She tapped it with the edge of her scythe, only to have it rebound, not even leaving a scratch. Although that was hardly her full strength, for mere ice to repel even a fraction of her power was impressive.

Nodding to herself, she walked into the cave while continuing to carve out more of the mountain. In fact, she could feel her Dao comprehension rising as she trotted along, causing her brows to scrunch up. 'The environment here is truly unique. Maybe I should take some back with me after I'm done?'

Minutes later, the hole she was digging out started to crack on its own before it burst into pieces, revealing a large underground ice cave.

She dropped down into it, looking at the place in awe. The natural ice formations were beautiful like she had just stepped into a wintry garden. The walls shimmered with a thousand hues of blue and white, reflecting light in mesmerizing patterns. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like crystal chandeliers, and the ground was smooth, almost polished. But what truly caught her attention was the life thriving within this frozen sanctuary.

"Look at this place…" Hana whispered in awe, peeking out from Mira's tails. Her voice echoed softly, blending with the quiet ambiance of the cave.

Mira nodded, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Embedded within the ice walls were herbs glowing with a faint luminescence, their leaves and petals encased in thin layers of frost, but somehow remained vibrant and alive. Trees looked as if they were sculpted from ice, yet bore fruits that sparkled like jewels. "This… This is amazing," Mira murmured, her gaze fixed on an Earth-grade fruit that looked like a frozen flame. She reached out, plucking it from its icy branch. The fruit was cold to the touch, yet energy pulsed within it, a warmth waiting to be released.

"Is it safe to eat?" Hana asked, her curiosity piqued by the strange flora.

Mira examined the fruit. "It's not just safe; it's rather potent. This is a Frostfire Berry. Eating one can enhance one's resistance to cold and even boost inner heat, regulating your body temperature even under extreme circumstances."

"Will it hurt me?" Hana asked hesitantly, not wanting to begin her cultivation journey yet.

Fortunately, Mira shook her head. "You should be fine. It's not meant for improving one's cultivation, despite being Earth-Grade. Without hesitation, Mira bit into the Frostfire Berry. A rush of warmth spread through her body, a pleasant contrast to the chill of the cave. Hana watched, fascinated, as Mira's expression softened, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

Encouraged by Mira's actions, Hana reached out for a berry of her own, tasting the unique blend of cold and warmth. "It's like winter and summer are in my mouth at the same time!"

Mira chuckled at Hana's description, her attention then drawn to the herbs growing out of the walls. She recognized several species, each with its own beneficial properties. There were Ice Lotus Flowers, Glacial Mint which could invigorate one's Qi, Sunderberries that were useful for Alchemy, and many more.

She carefully harvested everything she could by carving them out of the ice and storing them in her Infinity Garden. They ranged from anywhere between Mortal and Heaven-grade. "These will be useful," she noted, her mind already cataloging the potential uses. As they ventured deeper into the cave, they discovered a frozen lake, its surface smooth and undisturbed. Beneath the ice, fish swam leisurely, their scales glinting like precious stones. It was a serene scene, untouched and pure.

Hana, drawn to the lake's edge, crouched down to get a closer look. "Even the fish here are magical."

Mira joined her, observing the aquatic life. "This place... it's like a sanctuary, hidden from the world above. The Qi here is dense and pure. It's no wonder the barrier exists; this is a treasure trove."

They continued to explore, finding more wonders within the ice cave. There were crystalline flowers that chimed with the wind, a melody of the cave's own making. Veins of minerals ran through the walls, sparkling with potential. Mira looted anything and everything she could. Whether they be weak, frozen fish, or unknown metals, she extracted them and tossed them into her storage space to be sorted out. Nothing was safe from her greedy hands.

However, as they walked deeper into the caves, the 'resources' started to become more difficult to reach and pluck. The ice became significantly denser, her Qi was becoming more and more useless, and she had to worry about the cave collapsing if she used too much physical strength.

She didn't want to accidentally destroy a wall or a pillar and have all the resources inside explode, wasting her time.

Mira placed her hand against the wall, attempting to reach a large Mystic-Grade tree that looked to be producing a unique sap, leaves, and fruit–something she was very interested in. Her black tail lit up as she destroyed the ice, but unlike before, where she could delete several chunks at a time, she could only shave off one layer at a time.

'...I really just want to punch a hole in this wall and yank that tree out.' She grumbled but held back. However, after several minutes of hardly making any progress, she gave up and pulled back her fist.

[Explosive Ice Gauntlet]!

A reverberating explosion resounded as her fist collided with the ice. Cracks spread all over the wall as a portion of it imploded. Mira smirked and punched again, sending shards of ice flying. After a few more attacks, her hand pierced through the remaining ice, and she grabbed ahold of the tree. Yanking it out of the ground, she tossed it into her Infinity Garden.

'Uhhh… Mira. Trouble.' She received a shaky message from Hana.

Hardly paying her any mind, she turned around, ready to keep looting, only to come face to face with a red-haired woman wearing a surprised smirk. "Well, what do we have here? It seems a fox snuck into my domain."