My exclusive card pool

Chapter 186 Frozen Black Lake (Part 2)

A deep blue light emerged from the giant octopus's carcass and then flew straight into Wang Xi's brow.

Only dark blue?

Wang Xi was slightly disappointed upon seeing this.

Kraken was extremely strong, reaching a five-star rating in the upper tier of silver-framed cards, and he thought he could get a purple card.

'Was it not because he killed it alone? Or is it that the Kraken itself doesn't possess purple-quality abilities?'

He didn't know the reason and could only feel regret.

Wang Xi slowly fell and landed steadily on the ground.

The burning crown and the pure white royal robe then vanished.

As Lillian landed, just as she was about to say something, she suddenly stumbled, but Wang Xi caught her in time.

Her face was pale, her blue eyes flashed with murderous intent, her fiery red hair danced wildly, and her aura was extremely unstable.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xi's heart skipped a beat.

This is clearly a symptom of contamination.

He asked with concern, "Lillian, are you alright?"

"I accidentally got some Kraken ink on my skin just now, which contains contaminants..."

Lillian's breathing grew heavier, her body hunched over as if she were struggling: "I...I can't control the power within me anymore!"

Her voice was almost hoarse, tinged with anxiety.

Wang Xi's pupils shrank slightly.

He knew that in the "Seclusion Preview" simulation, although Lillian ultimately killed Kraken, she also caused a fire due to losing control, which destroyed the entire Magic Forest.

The few drops of ink from Kraken weren't enough to turn Lillian to the dark side, but they did become the trigger, inducing her to lose control.

"Stay calm," Wang Xi said in a deep voice. "Give me your hand."

Lillian didn't speak, or rather, she didn't have the energy to speak anymore; she simply silently extended her small hand.

Wang Xi grabbed it and immediately activated the magic power within his body.

Bear!
A burst of snow flames erupted, spreading from his hand until it ignited Lillian's body.

The girl was engulfed in a pure white flame, but it was not hot; instead, it gave off a bone-chilling cold.

A thin layer of frost covered Lillian's face, but her expression revealed a sense of comfort, and even the murderous intent in her eyes faded away.

"Mmm, that feels good." The girl closed her eyes.

This feeling is akin to taking a big bite of ice-cold watermelon on a hot summer day, making you feel like you're instantly elevated.

Lillian was no longer satisfied with just holding hands. Instinctively, she moved closer, pressing her entire body against Wang Xi's chest, and whimpered, "Give me more..."

Wang Xi felt like he had become a tool for venting his anger.

He raised an eyebrow, wrapped his arm around Lillian's slender waist, and intensified the release of his magic.

Bear!!

The flames rose two or three meters high, engulfing the two of them in the fireball.

Lillian's expression was serene, with a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth.

She was so comfortable that she fell asleep in Wang Xi's arms.

"..."

Amusement flashed in Wang Xi's eyes.

Do you feel sleepy as soon as you enter an air-conditioned room?
He shook his head inwardly, then simply picked up the girl in his arms, maintaining the continuous burning of the snow flames as he walked to the open ground and sat down.

Wang Xi let Lillian sleep in his arms while he reviewed the insights he had gained.

He had previously swept across the battlefield, burning the corrupted monsters on the ground, including more than twenty four-star elites who were burned alive, each contributing a green card.

In addition, there is a blue card for the Demon King Medusa and a dark blue card for Kraken.

'Caus, begin the extraction.'

Wang Xi said secretly.

"Consume 3000 energy points (2020 remaining)"

hum-

The 28 green cards were laid out in a row, all belonging to those corrupted water-type monsters, but most of them were trash.

Less than a third are available, only 7 in total.

Such as "Water Ball", "Underwater Acceleration", "Water Surface Walking", "Water Element Protection", "Water Ring Impact", etc...

If Wang Xi was still in the "water-spraying wizard" stage in the early stages, this wave of gains would be quite substantial.

But for him now, the benefit is negligible.

Wang Xi looked down on these 7 low-level water magic cards and planned to sell them in the main world.

As for the remaining 21 worthless green cards, they were all crushed as "dog food".

"1010 experience points gained"

Experience: 1278

Having gained a boost of experience points, Wang Xi was in a good mood.

He continued looking at the remaining two cards.

The blue card dropped by the Demon King Medusa is called "Petrifying Eye," which is a permanent function card.

Blue Samsung quality, not upgradable.

Upon use, you will gain this innate ability of hers. She can inflict a petrification curse on a target through eye contact.

"Hmm?" Wang Xi was somewhat surprised.

He didn't expect that he would actually extract Medusa's signature ability.

After reading the description, Wang Xi came to a conclusion:
"Petrifying Eye" is considered a god-tier card for crushing weaker opponents.

When dealing with enemies far weaker than yourself, it's not as simple as petrification; it can trigger instant death!

Instantly crush the weak!
Unless one has extremely high curse resistance, being killed with a single stare is no joke.

Even when facing a powerful opponent, the "Petrifying Eye" isn't entirely useless. It can briefly stun the opponent, which is equivalent to a very powerful control ability.

After all, in high-level battles, victory or defeat, even life or death, can be decided in the blink of an eye.

'That's amazing!'

Wang Xi immediately activated the function card.

A flash of blue light, and the card disappeared.

He felt a special energy suddenly appear within his body.

Wang Xi's eyes flashed like lightning as he tried to activate this energy, while simultaneously glancing at a weed beside him.

Swah——

A gray-white light swept across.

The next second, the weeds instantly turned grayish-white and became stones.

'It seems it's not limited to living beings, and eye contact isn't necessary... but eye contact makes it easier to trigger the petrification curse?'

Wang Xi guessed.

Of course, this ability also has significant limitations, namely its casting range is too short, only three meters.

As he pondered, a sudden inspiration struck him.

Can a curse be cast through eye contact?
This only applies to Medusa.

Wang Xi is different.

He also has another identity: Grandmaster!
The gaze is a form of bodily perception, and the primordial spirit is similar but more advanced. Could it also serve as a medium?

'If I attach my primordial spirit to the "Heart-Stealing Deceptive Hand," will it extend the casting range?'

Thinking of this, Wang Xi immediately started trying it out.

He raised his hand and made a loose grasping motion.

More than 20 meters away, a blazing white palm appeared out of thin air, and an eye suddenly opened in the palm.

Although this eye is fake, it has a spirit.

A wisp of Wang Xi's primordial spirit.

Through the palm eye, Wang Xi's perception range was indeed extended.

Suddenly, a beam of grayish-white light burst forth from the blazing white palm—

Click!

A spiral shell on the mudflat instantly turned to stone.

'feasible!'

Wang Xi was delighted.

Immediately, he was amazed by his own wisdom.

They even developed a combination technique of "Petrifying Eye" and "Heart-Stealing Trick," and optimized the former's shortcomings.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Xi looked at the last card, a deep blue one originating from the Demon King Kraken—

"Forbidden Ink (Function Card/Dark Blue 3-Star/Cannot Be Upgraded)"

"Huh?" Wang Xi exclaimed in surprise. "How come they extracted the Demon King Kraken's innate abilities as well?"

He's incredibly lucky today.

Following the Demon Queen Medusa, another permanent function card has arrived.

"Forbidden Ink" is significantly more powerful than "Petrifying Eye"!
Its capabilities are mainly twofold.

Firstly, ink staining.

It can stain the surface of things with magical ink, greatly increasing their toughness. This was the case with Kraken's wand and longsword in the previous battle.

At the same time, this ink is toxic; if it comes into contact with an enemy, it will continuously erode their body and mind, causing them to become weak.

Secondly, the black fog.

It sprays out a large amount of atomized ink to form a field that shields the senses, which can be used to escape or to trap the enemy.

This card is perfect for me!

Wang Xi couldn't help but sigh.

Although the weapon he created using ice was fairly sturdy, he was still not entirely satisfied.

If it could be dyed with another layer of black ink, it would be enough to handle most battle situations.

There's no need to worry about the weapon breaking.

Moreover, there is another reason.

Wang Xihui's calligraphy.

Ok.

A true calligrapher should produce their own ink.

Very reasonable.

He picked up the "Forbidden Ink" and put it into use immediately.

A deep blue light flashed and then disappeared.

Wang Xi has gained another innate talent.

He raised his arm and swung it. The mastermind!

A pitch-black hand appeared out of thin air, emanating an ominous aura.

Its essence is composed of snow and flame, but its surface is covered with a layer of black ink, making it indestructible yet containing destructive power.

'I've become stronger again.'

Wang Xi said secretly.

'All the hard work paid off.'

...

...

When the sky is dark.

The great war has come to a complete end.

The corrupted monsters that had come ashore from the lake were wiped out by the witch's team. The air was thick with the pungent smell of burning and fish, and the mudflats were littered with twisted remains.

"It's finally over." Bev, unable to hide her exhaustion, turned to the wolf witch: "Are you alright, Sophia?"

"I'm fine." Sophia reverted to her twin-tailed girl form, standing with her hands on her hips by the lake, gazing at the opposite shore.

She wiped the blood from her cheek, her red cloak fluttering in the morning breeze. Her pupils contracted slightly as she gazed at the enormous octopus carcass on the lakeshore.

Sofia had already noticed this scene.

She took a deep breath, and without saying a word, she started running along the mudflats towards the other side of the lake.

"Sophia! Wait a minute!"

Beverly called out.

But Sofia ignored her.

Seeing this, she sighed helplessly, looked at the messy scene, and had no choice but to call on Prince Diaz to help clean up the battlefield.

He then chased after them.

Cinderella Godariel and Pinocchio exchanged a glance and followed in unison.

The two were also very concerned about Gai's situation.

When the group reached the other side, they were all shocked by the enormous, black octopus carcass.

I didn't feel it when I was far away, but now that I'm closer, I can truly feel that terrifying sense of oppression.

"Mr. Kraken is dead..."

Sofia murmured softly.

She remembered that when she was a child, this old man often told stories to the little monsters in the forest, and his gentle laughter seemed to still echo in her ears.

The girl with twin ponytails strode towards the corpse, reaching out to touch the stiff tentacles, where familiar patterns still remained on the suckers.

Beverly approached and sighed, "He's no longer the Mr. Kraken we knew."

"..."

Sofia didn't answer; she just stared blankly.

Boom, boom.

At that moment, the Granite Giant King Simon also dragged his wounded body over. He stood silently beside the corpse, like a mournful monument.

Many other monsters followed, and the kobolds, goblins, and forest fairies all lowered their heads, with some of the older ones beginning to sob.

This blackening and pollution that began several years ago has caused them to lose too many relatives and friends.

"Where are Lord Kai and Lady Lillian?"

The Flame Demon Matalil looked around and asked.

Only then did everyone shift their gaze from Kraken's corpse and look around.

"Over there!" Finally, the sharp-eyed Pinocchio pointed to the lakeside a little further away.

Wang Xi was sitting on the ground, holding the sleeping Lillian in his arms, the morning light gilding him with a golden edge.

It looked so sacred.

Everyone was taken aback at first, but then, at Beverly's urging, they hurried over.

“Mr. Kai,” Beverly stepped forward first, her voice filled with concern, “What’s wrong with Lillian?”

Wang Xi opened his eyes and looked at everyone: "It's nothing, he just fell asleep. Although he was stained with Kraken ink, fortunately he didn't lose control."

As he spoke, his palm remained gently pressed against Lillian's back, with wisps of snow-white flames appearing and disappearing.

Seeing this, Bev and Sophia exchanged a glance.

They knew very well that it was Mr. Kai's meticulous care that prevented Lillian from losing control.

I couldn't help but feel grateful.

"What's the situation on the battlefield?"

Wang Xi glanced at the wounds on everyone's bodies and asked.

Bev sighed, "It's all resolved, but... we lost a third of our rock giants, and the kobolds, goblins, and other monsters also suffered heavy casualties."

Everyone was silent for a while.

A gentle breeze rippled across the lake, yet the dark water still exuded an ominous aura.

"Damn it!" Sophia suddenly spoke, her wolf eyes flashing with furious fire. "As long as this damned Black Lake exists, the pollution will never disappear! Who knows when the next riot will be?"

Bev hesitated before saying, "Perhaps... we should consider migrating."

"?!"

Everyone was shocked.

"Lady Bev, what did you say?" Talil looked up abruptly, her fiery mane bristling: "Leave the Forest of Magic?"

“It was a last resort.” Bev’s voice was weary, and sadness flickered in her eyes. “With Mr. Kai’s help this time, we barely made it through. But what about next time? And the time after that?”

"I don't want to see any more of my comrades turn into that horrible state..."

"Gai."

Godaril called out instinctively.

She noticed that the young man had a furrowed brow and was staring intently at the black lake, seemingly lost in thought.

"Bev, I disagree!"

Sofia took a deep breath and gritted her teeth.

"This is my home! I was born here, I grew up here, and I will die here! Blackening and pollution want to take away my home? Then try it!"

Just as the argument was about to escalate, Lillian, who was in Wang Xi's arms, stirred slightly.

"Well……"

The Fire Witch slowly opened her eyes, the morning light reflected in her blue pupils. She didn't seem fully awake yet, instinctively snuggling closer to Wang Xi, a movement that startled Godariel, who then clenched her fists.

That place was clearly her territory.

Wang Xi looked down and said, "You're awake, Lillian? How are you feeling?"

Lillian blinked, then realized she was being watched by a crowd. She quickly sat up straight. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you all."

Although the last four words were addressed to everyone, her gaze never left the young man's face.

Bev coughed lightly: "Lillian, what are your thoughts on the Black Lake and the migration...?"

"Hmm." Lillian stood up, but turned to Wang Xi and asked softly, "What are your thoughts?"

She passed the problem on to the man she trusted.

Wang Xi pondered for a moment and thought of someone: "Professor Isabella is very knowledgeable; perhaps she has a solution."

"Go ask her?" Sophia frowned, seemingly reluctant, but after being glanced at by Lillian, she said nothing more.

Lillian said calmly, "I'll go with you."

...

...

The cold wind howled past the snow-capped mountains.

Wang Xi led the way, with Lillian walking beside him. Godariel and Pinocchio followed behind, the former occasionally glancing up to steal a glance.

The group arrived at the Ice Crystal Castle.

“Teacher.” Wang Xi stood at the bottom of the steps and bowed. “Your student, Kai Farrell, has returned.”

no respond.

Just as he was about to call out again, the castle gates opened silently. Isabella stood inside, her golden hair cascading down her back, her icy blue eyes revealing no emotion.

"come in."

Her voice remained indifferent.

The castle was much warmer inside than it appeared from the outside. Isabella waved for several ice crystal chairs, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

“Teacher,” Wang Xi said sincerely, “it is such a happy thing to see you again.”

Isabella wasn't there when he last came to the snow mountain.

Isabella glanced at him indifferently, but a hint of gentleness lingered deep in her eyes.

She ignored Wang Xi and turned her gaze to the girl in the white dress: "Even the Fire Witch is here. It seems things are more serious than I thought."

Clearly, Isabella also knew something.

Lillian nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

She was also a quiet and reserved person, so the task of telling the story was naturally left to Wang Xi.

Wang Xi briefly explained the events of the Battle of Black Lake. After listening, Isabella raised her hand and summoned an ice mirror. The mirror reflected the scene of the northern continent—scorched earth, withered forests, and wandering, corrupted creatures.

“I recently went further north.”

Isabella lightly touches the mirror, and the image changes.

"The situation there is much worse than here. Several kingdoms have been destroyed, and less than one in ten survived."

She then took out a piece of transparent ice from her sleeve, inside which was frozen a jet-black olive-shaped object.

"I found this in the north. My ice magic cannot completely destroy it, so I can only seal it temporarily."

Wang Xi's heart sank.

At this moment, Isabella shook her head and said, "Perhaps there are solutions overseas."

Wang Xi thought for a moment, then looked at Pinocchio: "Does your hometown, the Clockwork Kingdom, also have this kind of dark pollution?"

The puppet boy fell into thought and reminiscence.

Finally, he nodded hesitantly: "It seems so, but the situation isn't serious... My father also invented a device that I heard can control and utilize some kind of 'black energy'."

Everyone was shocked.

Wang Xi wondered to himself, "Could Pinocchio have mistaken oil for black pollution?"
"I've never seen it, I've only heard about it, and I don't know if that counts as controlling black pollution."

Isabella and Lillian exchanged a glance—this was the first real interaction between the two supreme beings.

“Then,” Lillian said softly, “we need to go to the Clockwork Kingdom to find a solution.”

“This is the only way.” Wang Xi looked at the Ice Queen: “But before that, teacher, can we freeze the Black Lake temporarily? At least to buy some time.”

Isabella pondered for a moment.

"You can give it a try."

(End of this chapter)