Increased strength

As Lin Feng drew nearer to Dream Qing, he felt the chill intensify. When he reached out his fingers to touch Dream Qing, he discovered they were frozen.

"Let's go," Dream Qing's voice was husky. Every passing moment of her chill made her heart ache at the sight of Lin Feng's plight.

"Silly, always protecting me, it embarrasses me," Lin Feng's eyes held a hint of amusement, his ink-black brows turning entirely white.

Just then, a potent surge of vital energy erupted from Lin Feng's body, resisting the chill and partially dispelling it. Lin Feng approached Dream Qing, seeing her stiffened by the cold, yet still smiling, her demeanor complex, her perpetually aloof gaze softening slightly.

"Don't blame me for taking advantage," Lin Feng chuckled, enveloping Dream Qing in his arms. Instantly, a piercing cold froze his body stiff.

Dream Qing's body, cold as ancient ice, was suffocating.

In his mind, Lin Feng summoned some elemental stones, treasures from his storage ring, brought from the ancient halls of Yunhai Sect. As his vital energy surged, Lin Feng closed his eyes, unsealing his Tianzhao Martial Soul. But this time, the gray world transformed into one of ice and snow, chilling to the bone.

"Inhale," Lin Feng, with his martial soul unleashed, instantly entered a state of cultivation. His body absorbed and released the surrounding elemental energy from the stones with remarkable precision, a testament to the might of his Tianzhao Martial Soul.

Dream Qing's eyelashes fluttered as she watched Lin Feng's serene face. She ceased her movements, curling up quietly, witnessing him struggle against the encroaching cold.

Time passed slowly. Ice encased much of Lin Feng's body, slowing the release and absorption of elemental energy. The elemental stones beside him were already half-depleted.

In a daze, Lin Feng felt his condition deteriorating. Despite the constant replenishment of elemental energy, the relentless chill overwhelmed him, seeping into his very blood.

Dream Qing's shivers subsided, and she nestled into Lin Feng's embrace. No longer the frosty saint, she appeared as a vulnerable maiden in need of protection.

"So cold," the chill began to penetrate Lin Feng's body, his vitality seemingly waning. Despite his resolve, he could not stave off the freezing chill creeping into his veins.

"No, I must persevere," Lin Feng gritted his teeth. However, willpower alone often proved insufficient. The merciless cold invaded his bloodstream, leaving him trembling uncontrollably.

As the cold penetrated deeper, just then, Lin Feng felt a familiar stir in his soul—a sensation he recognized as his Martial Soul, the Tian devouring Martial Soul.

"Tian devouring Martial Soul, awakening," Lin Feng's heart trembled. The last time in Heifeng Ridge, it was this Martial Soul that saved him from the clutches of the demonic beast. This time, the sensation was similar, the awakening of the Tian devouring Martial Soul.

"The Tian devouring Martial Soul has awakened," a voice echoed in Lin Feng's mind. With a thought, the serpent-shaped phantom of the Tian devouring Martial Soul reappeared, denser and larger than before.

"Roar!" The serpent soul let out a roar, devouring the endless mist, and swallowing the icy chill.

"The Tian devouring Martial Soul can even consume this cold?" Lin Feng's pupils contracted. The sight of the serpent soul voraciously devouring the chill was terrifying.

As the mist dissipated, the room grew warmer. Behind Lin Feng, the icy phantom emanated a chilling aura but had no effect on Lin Feng and Dream Qing, under Lin Feng's control.

"Ice-cold Martial Soul, replacing the demonic Martial Soul?" Lin Feng's eyes widened in astonishment. Just like before, every time the serpent soul devoured something, a new Martial Soul emerged—the third Martial Soul.

The previous time, it was the Martial Soul of the demonic beast; now, due to the consumption of the icy chill, he had birthed the Martial Soul of ice, supplanting the demonic Martial Soul.

This revelation was astounding. The power of the Tian devouring Martial Soul was so immense that it frightened Lin Feng.

With the serpent soul's consumption, the chill in the space waned. However, the icy Martial Soul behind Lin Feng grew fiercer and more chilling. Simultaneously, the serpent soul's body and aura continued to expand.

Eventually, the cold dissipated entirely. Dream Qing, no longer encased in ice, began to feel warmth.

Unaware of her surroundings in slumber, Dream Qing rested in Lin Feng's embrace, resembling not the frosty maiden but a vulnerable girl in need of solace.

"Goodness, you're awake," Lin Feng greeted her with a gentle smile as Dream Qing's eyelashes fluttered.

Dream Qing observed Lin Feng with curiosity, then rose from her slumber. Seeing Lin Feng meditating with closed eyes, she couldn't help but stare in surprise.

As if sensing something, Lin Feng ceased his meditation, opening his eyes to meet Dream Qing's gaze. A brilliant smile graced his face.

"You're awake," he said.

"Mm," Dream Qing nodded, her gaze holding a hint of intrigue as she asked, "How did you manage it?"

"With a beauty in my arms, my mind is solely focused, forgetting the cold, resulting in our present situation," Lin Feng grinned. Dream Qing rolled her eyes, unimpressed. If it were that easy, she wouldn't have endured so much pain.

Though the chill in the room was mild compared to what Dream Qing endured, it was still beyond Lin Feng's capacity to endure. Yet now, he had managed it.

Though Dream Qing didn't press further, Lin Feng didn't have the courage to explain. Instead, she remarked, "Why are you still sitting here?"

"Erm..." Lin Feng rolled his eyes, feeling the sting of her words. These women were too perceptive, each one changing her demeanor at the drop of a hat.

"I was worried something might happen to you, so I stayed," Lin Feng replied, his voice lacking conviction.

"Now that I no longer feel cold, are you still eager to hold me?" Dream Qing's gaze bore into Lin Feng, her tone returning to its usual indifference.

"..." Lin Feng's forehead beaded with sweat, then he slipped off the bed and swiftly exited Dream Qing's room. This woman... how could she be so sharp?

As Lin Feng left, he failed to notice the faint blush that crept onto Dream Qing's face, her beauty at that moment captivating, bewitching all who beheld her.