Chapter 448 - 444: Ice and Fire Fish

"Greetings, sir." The woman in the white gown spoke, her voice as soft as silk and her expression a captivating blend of fragility and allure, enough to make anyone’s heart ache with a desire to protect her. "You looked familiar the moment I walked in. Have we met before?"

Qin Li sighed softly. ’Do I really look like such a nice guy?’ he thought. He raised his head and looked at the beautiful woman. Her demeanor was coquettish and alluring, yet her gaze was as clear as spring water. "Miss," he said, "you’re mistaken. I’ve never met you."

The moment Qin Li spoke, he could feel the young man in the white martial attire at the neighboring table let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, he sensed the peculiar stares from the other patrons in the restaurant. Qin Li chuckled inwardly, ’They probably all think I’m a coward, don’t they? Rejecting a beautiful woman who approached me first.’

The woman in the white gown didn’t seem offended, smiling dazzlingly as if she had expected this exact reaction. "Aren’t you going to invite me to sit down for a chat, sir?"

The eyes of everyone else in the restaurant nearly popped out of their heads. One by one, they silently cursed the heavens for being blind. Why did something like this never happen to them? For such a stunning woman to take the initiative with a man... This... this was the kind of romantic encounter they all dreamed of!

The women standing behind her also seemed a little surprised, but they maintained their composure, simply standing by and watching in silence.

Qin Li didn’t need to look to know that the young man in white martial attire now despised him. The whole scene was rather comical. The woman in the white gown was clearly trying to divert trouble his way, dragging him into her mess, yet her every action was so graceful that it was impossible to hold it against her.

Qin Li gave a wry smile. "I don’t think that’s necessary, is it? We don’t know each other, just two strangers crossing paths. We’ll probably never meet again after today. Besides... I have other business to attend to, so I’ll be on my way."

Seeing the waiter return with his change, Qin Li immediately stood up and made to leave.

"Hey! You have no manners at all! Are you even a man?" the quick-witted girl in the green dress finally exploded, glaring at Qin Li. She was absolutely furious. This man was outrageous! Her Senior Sister had never, ever approached a man like this before!

Qin Li glanced at the girl in green with a smirk and said coolly, "Only my woman would know if I’m a man or not."

With that, he strolled leisurely through the group of women, took the silver coins from the dumbfounded waiter, and walked out of the restaurant.

He left a room full of gawking onlookers in his wake. Countless people were mentally stamping their feet and beating their chests. ’How can someone so completely clueless about women exist in this world!’

Qin Li’s retort, "Only my woman would know if I’m a man or not," made the green-gowned girl’s face flush crimson with embarrassment. Pouting, she stomped her foot and muttered, "Men! Not a single one of them is any good!"

A flicker of disappointment showed deep in the white-gowned woman’s eyes. Her intuition told her this handsome young man was extraordinary, which was why she had wanted to get to know him. She hadn’t expected him to be so blunt, not even giving her a chance to talk.

Meanwhile, the young man in white martial attire was feeling immensely pleased with himself. ’Good,’ he thought. ’The guy knows his place. He understands that he can’t touch a woman this young master has taken an interest in!’

The young man in white martial attire stood up. With a flick of his wrist, his folded fan snapped open. He deliberately angled it so the Erotic Painting on its surface faced the woman in the white gown. Flashing what he thought was a charming smile, he said, "My lady, why be so distant? I am utterly devoted to you. How about you allow me to play host and treat you and your lovely companions to a meal at the Imperial Garden?"

GASP!

A wave of sharp intakes of breath swept through the restaurant, and many of the gazes directed at the young man were now tinged with fear.

The Imperial Garden! That was a place the Royal Family used exclusively to entertain its most honored guests!

Ordinary people, even a merchant whose wealth could rival an entire kingdom, could never hope to dine in the Imperial Garden!

Everyone had already pegged him as a nobleman’s son, but they never imagined his status was so high it was almost beyond comprehension. Though no one recognized him, that single sentence was enough to drive every young woman in the city into a frenzy.

The woman in the white gown shot the young man a look of disgust, her voice turning icy. "We appreciate the kind offer, sir, but we are not from the same world. Let’s just leave it at that."

With that, she turned to the women with her. "We’re leaving."

"Not from the same world? Heh..." The young man let out a soft chuckle. "Do you truly believe you’re so noble you can look down on everyone else? No... you’re all mistaken. Gravely mistaken! In this world, there is no ’secular,’ no ’Mysterious Land,’ and no ’Land of the Far West.’ There are only Martial Artists, separated by nothing but their strength!"

The young man’s words made the woman in the white gown flinch. She shot a surprised glance at the nonchalant young man in white before replying coolly, "Oh, is that so? What does that have to do with us?"

And with that, she led her companions out of the restaurant.

"’Don’t believe we have the strength?’ Heh..." A sinister glint flashed in the young man’s eyes as he followed them out.

"Senior Sister, that man is still following us. What should we do?" one of the women asked.

"What do you mean, ’what should we do’?" the green-gowned girl said fiercely, her puffed-up cheeks making her look surprisingly cute. "We should just attack them! Teach them a harsh lesson and tell them to get lost!" She was still resentful of how Qin Li had teased her and was now taking all that frustration out on the young man in white.

A woman in the group who appeared older, perhaps around thirty, and was wearing a black cloak, spoke slowly. "Enough. What he said wasn’t entirely wrong. In this world, there truly is no division between ’secular’ and the ’Land of the Far West.’ We all live on the same continent. The only true distinction is strength, not region. I may have underestimated that young man. He might have a powerful background. We’re here on official business; we shouldn’t stir up unnecessary trouble."

The woman in the white gown nodded. "She’s right. We should hasten to the Celestial Pool. Once we’ve obtained the item, we’ll leave. This is not our territory, after all."

The group continued on their way, heading for the city gates. This major city served as a defensive outpost for the Celestial Lake Kingdom’s Imperial City, which was only a few dozen li away. The kingdom’s namesake, the Celestial Pool, was situated over seventy li east of the Imperial City, atop a mountain peak more than ten thousand meters high.

The mountain was virtually impossible for ordinary people to climb. Even for a reasonably strong Martial Artist, successfully reaching the summit was no easy feat. The cliffs were precipitous, the terrain was treacherous, and the area teemed with all kinds of formidable Spirit Beasts.

Therefore, even though the Celestial Pool was the symbol of the Celestial Lake Kingdom, very few people had ever actually laid eyes on it.

Legend told that the Celestial Pool was over a thousand meters deep. The mountain had once been a massive volcano. After it went extinct, the crater filled with water, forming an immense, funnel-shaped pool—wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

The Celestial Pool was home to a creature known as the Ice and Fire Fish. It was said that these fish could swim through lava hot enough to incinerate a person in an instant, yet they could also travel freely through ice that was ten thousand years old.

Every spring, the Ice and Fire Fish would enter the lava flows deep within the earth, traveling through the magma to an unknown Land of Extreme Cold. There, they would lay their eggs in the ancient ice before undertaking the long migration back.

Many of the Ice and Fire Fish would perish during this return journey, deep within the lava flows inaccessible to humans.

In short, it was a creature of myth. Almost no one had ever actually seen an Ice and Fire Fish, but for millennia, the legends about them had never faded.

Humanity’s fascination with it had never waned. But for certain ancient families and Sects that had survived since the Primordial Era, this was no mere legend.

It was a fact, as real as could be.

The world was full of incredible wonders. For instance, in the Mysterious Land where the Qin Family was now stationed, one could find the Cold Holy Water, which had near-miraculous healing properties and could even resurrect the dead, and the Dragon Whip Grass, which granted immense Primordial Power when eaten raw. Both were true marvels of the world.

As for the Ice and Fire Fish, its greatest property was not the enhancement of one’s martial strength. Its unique life cycle gave it a miraculous effect: eternal youth!

If there was one thing in the world that all women desired in unison, it would be to remain forever young. Neither wealth nor status could compare.

But could youth truly last forever? The answer was no.

Once a Martial Artist reached the Celestial Shattering Realm, their aging process slowed considerably. But no matter how slow, they still aged. Upon reaching the Shattered Void realm, that process could be slowed to an absolute crawl.

But with the passage of time, the marks of age would still appear on their faces and in their eyes. It was inevitable.

Only by reaching the state of Pill Nascent Soul Transformation did one gain a single chance to reverse the aging process and regain their youth. But at that level, most were desperately focused on their next breakthrough. Who would have the luxury of leisurely reshaping their appearance?

Therefore, if something existed in this world that could halt the passage of time and keep one forever young, it would undoubtedly drive every woman to a state of frenzied excitement.

The Ice and Fire Fish was just such a creature. Its unique life cycle created this magical effect. In fact, as far back as the Primordial Era, people had specialized in catching these fish, which always fetched astronomical prices at auction.

Top-Grade Alchemy Materials, the finest Spiritual Artifacts, and all manner of Top-Grade Elixirs could be traded for one.

In other words, the Ice and Fire Fish was, without a doubt... a living, breathing treasure.

After arriving in the Celestial Lake Kingdom, Qin Li had heard this legend as well. It was said that traces of the Ice and Fire Fish could be found in the kingdom’s Celestial Pool, but that no one had ever managed to catch one.

Qin Li himself didn’t have any particular desire for the fish. His goal was to find Lengqiu Palace, but first, he planned to eliminate the enemy who had wronged Hu. As someone who held sway over all eight of the Celestial Lake Kingdom’s Mysterious Lands, finding that Sect’s whereabouts would not be difficult. And as it happened, the Mysterious Land closest to his current position was located on that very same mountain peak—the one that held the Celestial Pool.