Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

On the frosty peak, the cold wind was like a knife, cutting painfully into one's face.

Ye Qingzhou pulled up the collar of the Seven Emotions Armor, and the white breath he exhaled instantly condensed into ice crystals.

The flying boat stopped on a platform halfway up the mountain. The Grand Preceptor decided to stay behind to repair the formation and only sent two Golden Feather Guards with him.

"The marker is in the ice cave at the summit."

The Imperial Advisor pointed upwards, "Beware of those icicles; they are said to reflect the weaknesses of the human heart."

Ye Qingzhou nodded and glanced at Nu Yan, who was still unconscious in his arms.

The little firebird's breathing had become much more steady, but its feathers remained dull.

Bai You perched on Ye Qingzhou's shoulder, her silver fur already covered in a layer of frost.

The Xuanjia Turtle, on the other hand, transformed into a tattoo on his right arm, ready to be summoned into battle at any time.

Climbing the steep, snow-capped peaks was more difficult than imagined. The ice walls were as smooth as a mirror, and it took a lot of energy to ascend even one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters).

Two Golden Feather Guards led the way, using specially made ice picks to carve out steps.

"Young Master Ye, hang in there a little longer."

The lead Golden Feather Guard turned and shouted, "We're only a hundred feet from the cave entrance!"

Just as Ye Qingzhou was about to respond, he suddenly felt a surge of heat on the Xuanjia tortoise tattoo on his right arm.

Through the connection of "thought", he saw the scene three seconds later and foresaw that the ice wall on the left would suddenly burst.

"Get out of the way!"

He pulled the two Golden Feather Guards back with one hand.

Almost simultaneously, the ice wall on the left exploded, and countless sharp ice spikes shot out like a torrential rain.

Ye Qingzhou made a decisive move and summoned the Xuanjia Turtle. The turtle shell barrier unfolded instantly, and ice spikes struck it, producing a dense "clanging" sound.

"what happened?"

Jin Yuwei's face turned deathly pale. "How could the ice wall..."

Ye Qingzhou squinted at the crack. The white color of the ice layer was not formed naturally; strange blood streaks were visible inside, clearly the bloodstains left by the man in black robes.

These blood streaks, like living things, are slowly spreading within the ice.

"The Blood Fiend Sect's Corrosive Blood Technique."

Ye Qingzhou said in a deep voice, "Speed ​​up! We must get the Ice Heart Mirror before the entire mountain is polluted!"

The three became even more vigilant for the rest of the journey.

Bai You continuously used his "Worry" perception to explore his surroundings, giving early warnings of several ice walls that were about to collapse.

After the last section of the vertical ice wall was conquered, a dark blue opening finally appeared before our eyes.

The interior of the ice cave was much more spacious than imagined, with countless icicles hanging from the dome, refracting strange light.

In the very center is a circular ice platform, on which floats an ice mirror three feet in diameter, its frame carved with ancient dragon patterns.

"That's the Ice Heart Mirror?"

One of the Golden Feather Guards couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Ye Qingzhou stepped forward slowly. As the distance closed, he felt the dragon-shaped Qi vortex in his heart meridian begin to spin faster, and the Seven Emotions Armor also became slightly warm.

The surface of the ice mirror was normal at first, but when he walked within three zhang, the mirror surface suddenly rippled.

"careful!"

Bai You screamed.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Suddenly, a beam of blue light shot out from the mirror, instantly enveloping Ye Qingzhou.

Two Golden Feather Guards tried to step forward, but were repelled by an invisible barrier.

Bai You and the Xuanjia Turtle were also isolated outside, and could only watch helplessly as Ye Qingzhou stood frozen in the blue light, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused...

In the illusion, Ye Qingzhou stood on the edge of a cliff behind the Ye family's mountain.

The moonlight was as red as blood, and the sounds of fierce fighting could be heard in the distance.

He saw a woman in white, who was his mother from his previous life. She was running wildly through the forest with her baby in her arms, chased by more than a dozen men in black.

"Stop her! The sect leader has ordered that she be found alive or dead!"

The mother, whose body had previously existed, suddenly stopped and carefully hid the baby in the tree hollow: "Zhou'er, no matter what happens, don't make a sound."

She gently kissed the baby's forehead, leaving a golden ray of light, then turned to face the pursuers.

Ye Qingzhou wanted to shout, but no sound came out; he wanted to chase after her, but he couldn't move.

He could only watch helplessly as his predecessor's mother was surrounded and attacked, watching her white dress gradually turn red...

Just as the mother was about to collapse, the scene suddenly changed.

Ye Qingzhou found himself standing in the Golden Palace, with countless court officials kneeling at his feet.

Princess Mingyue was chained up, her face streaked with tears; the emperor lay in a pool of blood, a dagger embedded in his chest, the hilt of which was engraved with the Ye family's emblem.

"An illusion? Trying to bewitch my mind? Too bad... I am not the original owner. Trying to twist my mind with these past memories is nothing but wishful thinking."

Ye Qingzhou activated the Qi within his body, and the Seven Emotions Armor began to glow.

The scene shifts again, this time deep within the Seven Emotions Realm. A man remarkably similar to him stands on an altar, holding a blood-dripping longsword. Six corpses lie around the altar.

Silver Blade, White Sorrow, Black Armored Turtle, Wrathful Flame... and two other untamed demonic beasts lay dead before Ye Qingzhou, attempting to evoke his despair.

"Seven emotions converge, dragon blood boils..."

The man grinned maliciously as he raised his sword: "Now, the secret realm is mine!"

"Get out of my head!"

Ye Qingzhou roared, unleashing the full power of his Seven Emotions Qi.

Red, blue, and cyan light burst forth from his body, tearing the illusion to shreds.

In reality, the Ice Heart Mirror trembled violently, its surface cracking like a spiderweb. From these cracks seeped strands of black blood—the very essence of the Blood Fiend Sect's corruption!
"Owner!"

Bai You's call finally reached my ears.

Ye Qingzhou was drenched in sweat, feeling weak and exhausted, and the light emanating from his Seven Emotions Armor gradually faded. Two Golden Feather Guards rushed forward to help him, but he stopped them with a raised hand.

"I'm fine..."

He looked at the Ice Heart Mirror, panting, his expression grave: "It amplifies inner fears, but it's also become corrupted."

Just then, the icicles on the cave ceiling suddenly began to melt, and drops of blood fell like rain.

Even more terrifying, the blood droplets gathered on the ground and slowly condensed into a human shape—the black-robed man who fell off the cliff yesterday!
"You didn't expect that, did you..."

The black-robed man's voice was hoarse, and blood trickled from the severed wound on his right arm: "The Blood Fiend Sect's 'Blood Shadow Clone' technique—as long as there's even a drop of blood left, I won't die!"

The two Golden Feather Guards immediately drew their swords, but the man in black robes merely sneered and flicked his hand, sending out two jets of blood.

The Golden Feather Guard's blade corroded and broke as soon as it touched the blood arrow, but the blood arrow continued its momentum and went straight for his throat!

At the critical moment, a blue figure swooped down from the cave ceiling and precisely intercepted the blood arrow.

It was an ice-blue ape, about three feet tall, moving with lightning speed. It froze the blood arrow in mid-air, then shattered it with a single punch.

"Frostheart War Ape?"

The man in black robes staggered back in astonishment, "How is this possible! This kind of monster has long since..."

The blue ape didn't give him a chance to speak, pounding its chest with its arms and letting out a deafening roar. Wherever the sound waves passed, blood froze.

The black-robed man's body began to freeze. He screamed and tried to escape, but the blue ape caught up with him in one stride and slapped him in the chest.

Click~
The man in black robes froze into an ice sculpture, then was kicked to pieces by the blue ape, dissipating into countless ice crystals. Ye Qingzhou watched the suddenly appearing demonic beast warily. Through the "Seven Emotions Beast Taming Technique," he could sense the pure "joy" emanating from the blue ape, a stark contrast to the cold, gloomy environment of the ice cave.

The Frostheart War Ape turned to look at Ye Qingzhou, then suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of neat white teeth. It hopped closer, showing no hostility whatsoever.

"You...want to come with me?"

Ye Qingzhou tentatively reached out his hand.

Blue Ape nodded and pressed his forehead against Blue Ape's palm.

Ye Qingzhou then infused the "joy" energy into the ape, and a strange change occurred—the blue ape's size shrank slightly, its fur became more lustrous, and a blue ancient "joy" character appeared on its forehead.

"Joy, one of the seven emotions..."

Ye Qingzhou smiled: "I'll call you 'Lan Yue' then."

Lan Yue chirped merrily twice, then suddenly pointed at the Ice Heart Mirror. The cracks in the mirror were widening, black blood was seeping out continuously, and the entire ice cave began to tremble.

"It's going to collapse!"

Jin Yuwei shouted, "Run!"

Ye Qingzhou rushed towards the ice platform and grabbed the frame before the Ice Heart Mirror shattered completely.

To his surprise, the mirror felt weightless in his hand and quickly shrank to the size of a palm. A line of small characters was engraved on the back of the mirror: "Observe your heart and see your true nature; return the seven emotions to their true form."

"Take it! Let's go!"

Lan Yue tugged at his sleeve and pulled him outside.

As soon as the four humans and one ape rushed out of the cave, the entire ice cave collapsed with a roar.

The group slid rapidly down the ice wall, with rolling waves of snow behind them. Just as they were about to be swallowed up, a silver light descended from the sky—it was a silver blade.

The silver wolf dragon grabbed Ye Qingzhou's collar and flapped its wings to take off.

When they returned to the airship, the Imperial Advisor was already waiting on the deck. Seeing the small mirror in Ye Qingzhou's hand and the blue ape beside him, a subtle, unreadable look flashed in his eyes.

"The Ice Heart Mirror... has indeed chosen you."

The Imperial Advisor stroked his long beard. "It seems the first trial has been passed."

Ye Qingzhou didn't miss the fleeting glint of bloodlust in Xuan Tianhe's eyes. He feigned exhaustion and changed the subject: "How's Nuyan?"

The Grand Preceptor led him into the cabin. The little firebird was still lying on the soft cushion, but the color of its feathers had changed. The original crimson was now tinged with icy blue patterns, like the cracks in the ice on Frost Peak.

"It absorbed the chill emanating from the Ice Heart Mirror."

The Imperial Advisor explained, "The Vermilion Bird's bloodline and the power of ice have reached a delicate balance. When it awakens, it should possess new abilities."

Ye Qingzhou gently stroked the feathers of the raging flame, sensing the harmonious coexistence of two opposing energies within its body.

This reminded him of the words on Bing Xin's mirror: "Observe your heart and see your true nature; return the seven emotions to their true form."

Perhaps true power requires different emotions to create a balance between each other?

After nightfall, Ye Qingzhou studied the Ice Heart Mirror alone in the cabin.

As he infused the mirror with the power of the dragon vein, another fragment of memory surfaced:
The mother, dressed in white, stood in a secret room, facing a blurry figure.

"The day when all seven emotions converge, the day when the dragon's blood boils."

"This child will be both the key and the lock."

The mother, stroking her swollen belly, said, "If he's destined to bear these things, at least let me leave him the strength to protect himself..."

The scene cuts off here. Ye Qingzhou grips the picture frame and sighs inwardly. It seems that his body has been involved in some huge plan since birth.

Ye Qingzhou was very unhappy with the feeling of being at the mercy of others.

The hatch clicked open, and Lan Yue peeked in, holding an ice-blue fruit in her hands. She placed the fruit next to Fury Flame and made a "eat" gesture.

"Prepared for it?"

Ye Qingzhou smiled.

Lan Yue nodded, then pointed to herself, then to Ye Qingzhou, and finally drew a large circle encompassing everyone.

"friend?"

Ye Qingzhou guessed.

Lan Yue happily did a somersault, then curled up in the corner and fell asleep.

Looking at the newly tamed demon beast, Ye Qingzhou felt a warmth rise in his heart. No matter how treacherous the road ahead, at least he was not alone.

The airship continued northward, heading towards the second marker, with its goal of reaching Aurora Lake.

It is said that the guardian of the Trial of Sorrow lies dormant there, and Ye Qingzhou has a vague feeling that an even crueler truth awaits him...

When the aurora lake appeared on the horizon, everyone on the airship held their breath.

The lake's surface was like a mirror, reflecting the colorful aurora borealis flowing in the sky, a breathtaking sight.

However, the Xuanjia tortoise tattoo on Ye Qingzhou's right arm was faintly burning, a sign of danger.

"The second marker is on the island in the middle of the lake."

The Imperial Advisor stood at the bow of the ship, with Xuan Tianhe perched on his shoulder. "According to records, the guardian of the Trial of Sorrow lies dormant here."

Ye Qingzhou gently stroked the Ice Heart Mirror in his arms. Since returning from Frost Peak, this small mirror had become his constant companion. Occasionally, fragments would flash across the mirror's surface, but no complete memory images would appear again.

"Master, there's something in the water."

Bai You suddenly pricked up his ears, and his silver hair stood on end slightly.

Ye Qingzhou used his "Sorrow" Qi to sense the sadness permeating the lake, which became stronger the closer he got to the center of the lake.

Two Golden Feather Guards had already prepared the small boat, but Lan Yue seemed unusually anxious, constantly tugging at Ye Qingzhou's sleeve.

"You don't want me to go into the water?"

Ye Qingzhou understood what it was trying to express.

Lan Yue nodded vigorously upon hearing this, then made a "dangerous" gesture, pointed to herself, then to the lake, and finally covered her head and trembled.

"It said there was something in the lake that frightened it."

Bai You translated: "A very terrifying thing."

The Imperial Advisor stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "The Frostheart Battle Ape is naturally optimistic, but it fears nothing more than sorrow. The guardian of Aurora Lake must be a demonic beast of 'sorrow.'"

After a moment's thought, Ye Qingzhou decided to go alone.

He entrusted the unconscious Nu Yan to Bai You's care, and boarded the small boat with only the Xuanjia Turtle and the Bingxin Mirror.

After hesitating for a long time, Lan Yue finally jumped up and grabbed his clothes tightly.

As the small boat glided towards the center of the lake, strange ripples began to appear on the water's surface.

The ripples were quite strange; instead of spreading outwards, they converged towards the small boat, as if something underwater was attracting them.

The aurora's reflection twisted and distorted, gradually turning a blood-red hue.

"careful."

The Golden Feather Guard, rowing the boat, spoke in a strained voice, "Legend has it that Aurora Lake devours the sorrowful."

Ye Qingzhou gripped the Ice Heart Mirror tightly, suddenly noticing a change in its surface. He saw the image of his former mother appear in the mirror, shaking her head at him, her lips moving as if to speak. There was no sound, but he understood lip reading:
"Don't look into the water."

At that moment, a pale face rose from the water, almost touching the bottom of the small boat.

It was a woman's face, beautiful yet sorrowful, with long hair flowing like seaweed. Her eyes were pure black, without any whites, staring straight at Ye Qingzhou.

"A monstrous beast of sorrow... a weeping blood mermaid."

The Imperial Advisor's voice came from afar, buzzing loudly. (End of Chapter)