Evan Yang quickly came to his senses and saw that both Lana Situ and himself were deep in thought, while Minnie Dale stood between them, watching their expressions.
"This place is definitely strange," Lana Situ said, growing more convinced that this area was anything but ordinary.
Evan felt the same way—especially with an Ice Coffin at the bottom of the lake, and the woman inside, whose strength was at least at the Spirit-Wandering Realm.
To encounter two Spirit-Wandering experts at once made Evan uneasy. He began to consider how to search for Mad Wolf.
"So what now?" Lana Situ, treating Evan as the leader, was eager to know just who he was here to find—and why they would be here.
"Let's search nearby and see if we can find any trace of Mad Wolf," Evan said, glancing at Minnie Dale.
Seeing that both Evan and Minnie were determined to find someone, Lana had no choice but to keep following them.
At this point, Evan made sure Lana and Minnie stayed close by his side, not letting them split up again.
They had only walked a few steps when the sound of battle reached them. Curious, Evan extended his divine sense and discovered two figures fighting not far ahead.
It was obvious at a glance that both were Spirit-Wandering experts. Evan was about to lead the others away when he realized one of them was Mad Wolf.
Mad Wolf saw the child's excited expression, took the box, and curiously opened it. When he saw what was inside, he was stunned—a jade pendant, with a folded sheet of paper beneath it.
He grabbed the jade pendant in one hand, and with the other began to read the contents of the letter.
As he read, Mad Wolf was so moved that his hand trembled. Who was he? A Spirit-Wandering expert. For someone at that level to tremble, what could possibly be written on that paper?
Minnie Dale said softly, 'Grandpa told me this was entrusted to him by you years ago, and no matter what, he had to return it to you. But Grandpa is gone now, so he asked me to give it back instead.'
Mad Wolf put away the letter, looked at the jade pendant, and asked, 'Your name is Minnie? Are you Elder Terrence Dale's granddaughter?'
'Yes.' Minnie nodded, remembering her grandfather's words, tears streaming from her eyes.
Seeing Minnie's tears, Mad Wolf opened his arms and hugged her. 'Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will bully you.'
'Wolf Uncle!' Minnie cried out, her sobs loud and heartfelt. Watching this, Lana Situ and Evan Yang wondered what could be written in that letter to make both an adult and a child cry so intensely.
Evan Yang and Lana Situ quietly stepped aside, not disturbing the two. Minnie's cries gradually faded, and eventually she fell asleep, as if she hadn't rested in ages.
'Silly child.' Mad Wolf sighed, watching Minnie sleep.
'Senior,' Evan Yang said, now fully aware of Mad Wolf's true power.
Mad Wolf, holding the sleeping Minnie, said, 'Thank you.'
'You're welcome.' Evan Yang felt as if he had done something truly moving.
'Come, I'll take you somewhere.' Mad Wolf glanced at Evan Yang and spoke.
Evan Yang looked at Mad Wolf curiously, and Lana Situ also wondered about his true identity.
Mad Wolf led Evan Yang and Lana Situ away, bringing them to another cave. The structure was similar to the first place Evan had visited—ice everywhere. 'Senior, why is the ice here warm?' Evan had always wanted to ask, and seeing a familiar face now, he couldn't help but voice his curiosity.
Lana Situ, hearing Evan's question, touched the ice and was shocked to find it warm.
Mad Wolf, already used to it, explained, 'It's a marvel of this place. There are four spots under Snow Lake. I took this one years ago, but the other three are occupied by others—Tusktiger is one of them.'
'Four? Are they all like this?' Evan Yang asked, surprised.
'Yes, four. And each one has its own unique qualities. For example, mine—you'll see in a moment.' Mad Wolf smiled.
Evan Yang and Lana Situ exchanged glances, eager to see what features this ice palace beneath the lake might have.
Evan, familiar with the structure from his first visit, noticed only one major difference: there was no ice coffin at the deepest point.
This place was steamy and warm, clearly different from the first cave.
'What is this place?' Evan Yang asked, puzzled.
'It's where I usually cultivate. These gases—though I don't know exactly what they are—make training here feel exceptionally comfortable.' Mad Wolf explained to Evan.
Lana Situ, hearing Mad Wolf's explanation, immediately closed her eyes and sensed that the spiritual energy here was gentle and soothing.
Evan Yang closed his eyes as well, finding the environment indeed very mild. While it didn't rapidly boost cultivation, it calmed irritability—perfect for someone with Mad Wolf's temperament.
'This is my private territory. Without my permission, no one enters. Take your time and experience it.' Mad Wolf said to Evan and Lana. Then he gently laid Minnie down and channeled a surge of power into her body.
'What are you doing?' Evan Yang, about to sit and meditate, was startled by Mad Wolf's action.
'Her grandfather was my good friend—my first real human friend. Now, only his granddaughter remains, and I like this little girl a lot. I want to give her the ability to protect herself.' Mad Wolf said, beginning to channel his cultivation.
Forcefully boosting her cultivation? Evan Yang was shocked. 'That might not work!'
'It's fine. This place is perfect for it. With these gases, I can safely transfer part of my cultivation to her, and I'll recover quickly.' Mad Wolf smiled.
These gases? Evan Yang watched Mad Wolf closely as his cultivation gradually flowed into Minnie Dale.
Minnie was still asleep, but spiritual energy began to surge through her body. It went from nothing to something, and then—astonishingly—she leaped straight to the Nascent Soul Realm. Evan Yang could hardly believe it, while Mad Wolf's own cultivation temporarily dropped.
Mad Wolf withdrew his hand and said, 'Alright, that's enough for now.'
'When will she wake up?' Evan Yang asked, worried as he looked at Minnie sleeping deeply.
'No worries. She'll wake up in a few years.' Mad Wolf smiled.
'A few years?' Evan Yang hadn't expected that absorbing someone else's cultivation would take so long.
'That's already quick. Besides, I only raised her to the Nascent Soul Realm.' Mad Wolf found it easy to make a little girl reach Nascent Soul.