Chapter 328: Absolute Zero

Enduring the severe cold, Rod looked at the river ahead, still hundreds of meters away, and smiled bitterly. At such temperatures, how could ordinary people enter? Even if everyone were told that this place harbored the rare treasure, the Rainbow Ice Spirit, no more than three people in the entire world could enter to obtain it. Even those at the peak of the Yangxuan realm couldn’t get in—perhaps only those at the very top of the Yangxuan realm, who had touched the edge of the Xuanhuang realm, unseen for hundreds of thousands of years, could enter effortlessly!

Even Rod, at this moment, could not have entered without the power of his eighth-layered physical strength, his peculiar combat energy, and Xuanyuan’s help. If all these factors were combined, Rod’s current physical strength and resistance would be at least on par with those at the peak of the Yangxuan realm.

This place was truly a desolate land—a secluded area, like a mirage in the water, elusive and hazy.

In one smooth motion, Rod took seven steps as if stepping on seven stars. Then, with a loud shout, he took another sixteen steps, each step firm and steady, leaving deep footprints on the thick ice.

Upon closer inspection, these footprints revealed a pattern—twisted yet rhythmic, seemingly fitting some kind of trajectory, as if merging with the universe itself.

After that, Rod stood with his hands behind his back, head held high, and slowly stepped forward, each step incredibly steady. The howling wind fluttered his slightly damp hair and clothes as he moved forward against the bitter cold. His imposing and steady presence left Lucy in awe. If she had felt affection for Rod before, it had now turned into obsession!

Rod, of course, was unaware of this. At that moment, he felt extremely relaxed, his body swaying slightly in the wind. Though the movement was minimal, his steps seemed to follow some kind of pattern, making progress effortless. With each step, his presence grew stronger.

After walking a hundred steps, the river was right in front of him. Meanwhile, the temperature around him had risen to over 200 degrees! There were still forty or fifty meters left. Rod believed that if he reached the end, the temperature would reach its limit—absolute zero! At this temperature, all motion would cease, turning it into an absolute forbidden zone, a confined space.

Even then, the cold had penetrated Rod’s bones, deep into his marrow. It was a cold that came from within, unbearably harsh!

Eyes and jaws clenched, Rod took a deep breath, allowing the cold to stimulate his nerves. His body curled like that of a beast, his legs slightly bent as he tensed every muscle in his body. Then, with a loud roar, he rushed forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey, leaping over ten meters in one go—into a completely different world!

The temperature around him was even lower than Rod had expected, reaching well below absolute zero, at over minus 273 degrees. Rod felt as though everything in this environment had come to an end, including his own life.

His entire body quickly froze, and his life force continued to drain away. Realizing this, he was shocked and frantically channeled his combat energy, charging forward with all his might. Since he had arrived here, he was on a path with no return. Now, he could only move forward, unable to retreat. It was a gamble between life and death—Rod was essentially playing a deadly wager.

Watching Rod step closer to the center, Lucy covered her mouth tightly, afraid that her worries might cause her to scream. She stared at Rod without blinking, not wanting to miss any detail.

When Rod’s movements stopped, Lucy seemed to sense that he was facing difficulties. Her heart tightened as she prayed silently.

How could she know that the world Rod was in wasn’t even a true world at all? It was merely an absolute space, a space of absolute zero temperature—a place where no living being could move, where all life would cease.

Panicked, Rod felt desperate as he tried to move, but his feet seemed glued to the ground, unmovable. His own limbs were out of his control.

“Get up!” Continuing like this would only lead to death. Rod launched one final desperate effort. With a roar, his combat energy surged, propelling him forward. He hoped to leave this deadly place soon and reach that strange river—only there could he be saved.

The temperature there must be unusual, but it certainly couldn’t be as extreme as absolute zero. If it were, the river would have frozen long ago! So, that place was Rod’s last hope.

With a loud roar, Rod leaped again, but this time it was as if his body was filled with lead—he only managed to jump less than fifty centimeters high, covering a distance of four or five meters! As soon as he landed, Rod jumped up once more like an antelope! In such an environment, three consecutive jumps nearly exhausted all his energy, pushing him to the brink of death as his skills rapidly failed. Yet he sensed that the temperature around him seemed to be rising after reaching the absolute temperature! The absolute temperature zone was only ten meters wide; beyond that, the temperature returned to normal. But those ten meters were a death zone, a barrier that stopped everyone. Feeling the temperature rise, Rod smiled bitterly inwardly—he had managed to save his life. He would never set foot in this place again, as it had left too deep an impression on him. Taking large steps forward, Rod soon reached the bank of a small river! What he saw there left him stunned and incredulous. Just a step back, the temperature was still over 250 degrees below zero, while here, just a step away, the temperature was above normal zero degrees! It was like two completely different worlds separated by just one centimeter. No wonder there was a river here, no wonder it didn’t freeze—now he understood. It also made Rod even more curious about what caused such a difference in this small river, or rather, this ice cavity, since only a two-meter-wide and less than five-meter-long section was exposed above ground, with the rest buried underground—like a hot spring. Suddenly, Rod faintly sensed that familiar call again—the call of that set of armor, which surprised him greatly. Could there be fragments of armor scattered here too? Which predecessor could have left them here? After pondering for a moment and glancing back at Lucy behind him, he saw that the sky was gradually darkening. Time was running out, so Rod hurriedly followed that feeling forward and found it right at the center of the small cavity. The cavity wasn’t deep, about three or four meters! But even at that depth, it was impossible to see the bottom. So, to find out more, Rod had to go down and take a look.

“I’m going down for a moment; don’t worry!” Though he knew Lucy behind him couldn’t hear him, Rod still tried his best to convey what he intended to do through words and gestures, fearing that seeing him suddenly jump into the water might make her worry and do something foolish. Unfortunately, it seemed difficult to convey his meaning. For about ten minutes, Rod danced and shouted like a gorilla in place. Only after reaching his limit did Lucy seem to understand what he meant and nodded! After arranging everything, Rod took a deep breath, got ready, and jumped into the pool. The water was warm, like a hot spring, and extremely soothing. Every pore in his body opened up, enjoying the comfort of the moment. “Colorful Ice Spirits!” Rod exclaimed as he sank not very deep—he saw colorful ice spirits, and not just a few. The entire bottom of the pool was filled with them, each emitting a faint glow, creating a breathtaking sight. Those colors were unmistakably those of colorful ice spirits. And anything appearing in this place could only be colorful ice spirits. His guess was correct—there indeed were colorful ice spirits here. No wonder this water hole was so extraordinary. It was because of the colorful ice spirits. They weren’t as cold as imagined but carried a gentle warmth, perhaps a manifestation of extreme cold. The sheer number was astonishing—there were no less than a hundred colorful ice spirits! At the same time, Rod felt a subtle energy in the water flowing into his body through his pores and spreading throughout every corner. After studying it for a while and realizing it was harmless, he stopped investigating further. Yet he didn’t know that at that moment, his body was benefiting in an unprecedented way. Such a wonderful water hole must have its advantages! Having existed for millions of years, colorful ice spirits were born here and nurtured for ten thousand years. The most essence of their power had merged into the water. The energy that had entered his body earlier was the purest and best—far superior to colorful ice spirits! Once these substances entered his body, they would settle within.

After years of nurturing, it would gradually integrate into his body, subtly changing his physique and helping him enhance his strength! If not for the fact that Rod’s realm and soul had already reached the Yang Xuan realm earlier, he would surely have felt his realm improving at this moment! Unfortunately, there are no “ifs,” so Rod was destined to discover everything only in the future. Looking at the Rainbow Ice Spirit, the most important thing now was to obtain these items as quickly as possible while finding that familiar sensation and locating the remaining parts of the armor. Rod didn’t dare delay; with a burst of effort, he instantly reached the deepest part of the pool and made direct contact with the Rainbow Ice Spirit.