Chapter 1382: Ice Ritual

The frog-fish opened its mouth, seemingly about to speak again.

Suddenly.

The cave dwelling's protective barrier opened, and a rat demon pushed open the door and emerged.

The rat demon resembled an ordinary mouse in appearance, but its size was vastly different.

This rat demon was as large as a calf, with thick limbs. Its fur displayed iridescent, neon colors, as if light constantly shimmered across its body.

It was precisely for this reason that it was named the Rainbow Rat.

The rat demon's eyes darted around, revealing undeniable weakness and exhaustion.

Bi Fang and the other demons simultaneously looked towards the cave dwelling. Upon seeing the rat demon, their faces lit up with joy.

However, after observing the rat demon's condition,

the male and female demon kings' expressions subtly darkened. They exchanged glances, then instantly appeared on either side of the rat demon, like bodyguards, subtly guarding against the other three demons.

The cunning fox offered a charming, highly alluring smile.

Displeasure flashed in the frog-fish's eyes.

Bi Fang, however, seemed oblivious, his expression unwavering. He looked at the rat demon and asked with concern, "Friend Rainbow! How are your injuries?"

"One day, this grudge will be settled! Cough, cough..."

The rat demon looked towards the Crescent Moon Realm, hatred welling up in its eyes.

Its voice was frail, like that of a very old person, sounding utterly depleted.

After a few coughs, the rat demon's hatred subsided. It turned to Bi Fang and murmured, "Rest assured, friends, this king won't perish just yet! However, I require a period of quiet recuperation to complete my divine ability and fully merge my clone with my main body. During this time, I can only appear in my demon form, and my cultivation will be severely restricted, making it inconvenient for me to act. I'll have to rely on all of you."

Bi Fang breathed a sigh of relief and pressed, "Friend, can you first locate the Xuantian Palace traitor's hiding spot? I fear that individual may have already escaped this sea region."

Unexpectedly, the rat demon gently shook its head and offered a wry smile. "Casting that secret art is extremely taxing, and my current condition cannot sustain it. I'll need at least a few days of quiet recovery..."

Noticing the disappointment on the faces of Bi Fang and the others, the rat demon paused. "Rest assured, friends, he has been gravely wounded by me several times, and this last encounter left him utterly depleted, almost at death's door. Had it not been for the unexpected interference of that individual named Shen, who ruined my plans, I would have captured him long ago! He must be hiding now to recover from his injuries and won't be able to escape far. I can vaguely sense that he is still somewhere in the nearby sea region. Once I regain a portion of my cultivation, I'll extract him immediately."

Bi Fang and the cunning fox exchanged worried glances. "We fear that Old Man Feng and the individual named Shen will find him first! They even planned an ambush against Friend Rainbow in advance, which suggests they might have already uncovered some crucial information."

The Rainbow Rat knew Bi Fang's fears and sneered, "My main body was besieged. Feeling no hope of escape, I decisively self-destructed, preventing them from succeeding."

At this point, the female demon king beside the Rainbow Rat interjected, "Friend Bi Fang, there's no need to worry. The Xuantian Palace traitor is highly skilled in concealment arts and isn't easily apprehended. Even Friend Rainbow, acting personally, would require considerable effort to pinpoint that individual's hiding place."

Upon hearing this, Bi Fang's expression softened slightly. He offered reassurance, "Friend Rainbow has endured much suffering! Once this matter is concluded, we will certainly help you settle this score!"

The Rainbow Rat remained noncommittal, turning to re-enter the cave dwelling.

The demon kings had no choice but to continue waiting.

An unknown space.

Darkness enshrouded it.

In the depths of the darkness, a faint blue luminescence flickered intermittently.

It appeared to be an underground location.

Where the luminescence shone, an irregular black stone wall was visible, adorned with jagged, protruding rocks. Surprisingly, the surface of the stone was covered in a layer of frost.

A chill emanated from the blue luminescence.

Four man-height ice pillars stood on the ground, positioned in the four cardinal directions. Each was covered in runes, from which the luminescence originated.

Between the four ice pillars, the intense cold had solidified into a massive block of ice.

A white block of ice floated above the ground. Remarkably, a person lay motionless within its core, sealed by the profound ice.

The individual was clad in white, their face deathly pale and devoid of color. They showed no signs of life, appearing almost like a corpse.

An unknown amount of time passed.

A faint blush appeared on the white-clad person's face, suddenly injecting a hint of life. Their eyelids fluttered, and they unexpectedly awoke.

A barely perceptible sigh echoed through the space.

The white-clad figure examined their own body internally, a truly dreadful sight, and their expression turned bitter. "While the Ice Sacrifice Secret Art can facilitate recovery, it fundamentally depletes my own essence. This state won't last long; I'll become even weaker later. Once the profound ice is unsealed, that fellow will come knocking. Before that, I must eliminate this critical hidden threat..."

The luminescence flickered.

The white-clad figure closed their eyes, their aura once again becoming dormant.

'Boom!'

The stone door suddenly exploded.

Only Bi Fang and the two other demon kings—one male, one female—were guarding outside.

Startled, they instantly stood up and looked towards the Rainbow Rat, who had burst out of the cave dwelling.

The Rainbow Rat's eyes were bloodshot, its breathing ragged, and its head swayed restlessly, its expression agitated.

"What happened?"

Bi Fang felt an ominous premonition, yet managed to maintain his composure.

The Rainbow Rat panted, "The mark is stirring! That individual is attempting to break my tracking secret art!"

Upon hearing this, the three demons' expressions drastically changed.

Immediately after, the Rainbow Rat let out a cold snort. "To dare to tamper with the mark so boldly, that person truly doesn't know what's good for them! This king will ensure their demise right now! Please, three friends, lend me your aid!"

The three demons' surprise turned into delight.

The Rainbow Rat opened its sharp snout and let out a piercing shriek towards the sky.

The shriek was incredibly sharp, like a demonic wail piercing the heavens, clearly audible even beyond the island.

The demon soldiers stationed nearby, upon hearing the shriek, immediately fell into a panic. Some bird demons flying in mid-air stiffened and plunged headfirst into the sea.

Setting aside the chaos outside,

As the Rainbow Rat shrieked, it spat out a mouthful of vital blood, which hovered in mid-air. Bi Fang and the other three demons exchanged glances, then simultaneously moved to help the Rainbow Rat stabilize the vital blood.

The Rainbow Rat's eyes gleamed like lightning.

Shortly after, the vital blood suddenly burst and dispersed.

A look of exhaustion appeared in the Rainbow Rat's eyes as it growled, "Go!"

With that, the Rainbow Rat's body shrank to the size of an ordinary mouse, and it leaped forward.

Simultaneously, spiritual light flickered around the male and female demon kings. The male transformed into a hawk-like eagle demon, while the female demon king shifted into a green snake. Both then jumped onto the eagle demon's back, joining the Rainbow Rat.

Bi Fang also manifested his demon form.

Two streaks of escape light, one black and one crimson, shot out from the demon island, heading directly west.

Not long after they departed, the sea surface rippled. A green streak sliced through the water, approaching at high speed; it was the frog-fish, carrying the cunning fox.

Meanwhile,

On the nameless island,

Island Master Shen was at a complete loss.

He suddenly felt an unusual sensation from the bloodworm in his palm. His expression subtly changed, and he quickly activated a secret art. He then discovered the bloodworm taut, pointing directly west, effortlessly pinpointing the Xuantian Palace traitor's location.

Island Master Shen was both startled and pleased. He immediately rushed out of the hall, retrieved his communication artifact, and began sending messages to others. When it came to Daoist Master Mingyue, he hesitated for a moment.

After a brief hesitation,

Island Master Shen decided to invite Daoist Master Mingyue to accompany him, just in case.

During this time, the demon race had shown no inclination to retreat, clearly unwilling to give up.

Although they had successfully ambushed and seemingly eliminated the mastermind, the Rainbow Rat, Island Master Shen couldn't be certain whether Bi Fang possessed other means to locate the Xuantian Palace traitor.