Chapter 131: A Tender Heart, Intoxicating Words

In the blink of an eye, the situation took a sudden turn!

Chu Feng’s whispered question was like a meteorite falling from the heavens, instantly triggering a massive reaction from the Ice-Nether Mother Shell.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Shards of ice, both large and small, shot toward Chu Feng. He danced his long spear, creating a defensive circle that shattered the ice, resulting in a continuous series of clanging sounds.

The young girl in the white dress also possessed remarkable agility. Suddenly caught in the attack of the Ice-Nether Mother Shell, she narrowly dodged the barrage of icy rain.

"Miss, what were you doing just now? Why did the shell of this Ice-Nether Mother Shell suddenly snap shut?"

Chu Feng asked this aloud, though in his heart, he realized it was highly likely that his own question had startled the creature, causing it to fly into such a violent rage.

"Could it be that you are the rising star whose name echoes through the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Veins, Young Master Chu Feng?" the girl in the white dress suddenly asked.

Chu Feng had not yet looked at her properly, but upon hearing her voice, he felt as if a warm breeze were brushing against his face. It was like drinking exquisite nectar; every pore in his body felt invigorated and pleased, while a gentle warmth suffused his entire frame, as if a warm current were washing over him.

"You flatter me! I am indeed Chu Feng!"

While keeping a wary eye on the Ice-Nether Mother Shell, Chu Feng turned his head to acknowledge the girl.

He saw that she wore a uniquely styled, round-brimmed snow hat. Its brim was as pure white as snow, while the cap itself was a vibrant, deep red, embroidered with delicate flowering trees and fruits. A thin, foot-long tube extended from the top of the hat, trailing behind like a cute little tail.

This distinctive headwear accentuated her snow-white face, giving her an exceptionally spirited appearance. Beneath the brim, a row of neat bangs framed her face, and her two dark, bright eyes shimmered like gemstones. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, making her look even more enchanting.

"I heard that the women of the Wuhan Snow Tribe are all beauties, and it is true! This young lady is not only stunning, but there is something about her that makes one feel an immediate sense of kinship. How strange!"

Chu Feng did not have the habit of scrutinizing a woman’s appearance, especially in such a perilous moment, and he certainly wouldn't let his mind wander. Yet, this girl in the white dress truly made him pause for a thought.

"Brother Chu Feng, I am so sorry for having you travel thousands of miles here without being able to host you properly! By the way, have you met Sister Hengmei?"

"I have! She... she is doing well! She has gone off to hunt Ice-Nether Mother Shells, and I helped kill four of them just over there!" Chu Feng replied.

Hearing the girl call him "Brother Chu Feng" the moment she opened her mouth felt incredibly satisfying to him. "Miss, please move away from here first; I need to take care of this Ice-Nether Mother Shell!"

"Brother Chu Feng, this Ice-Nether Mother Shell is the matriarch of the shell family; it is extremely powerful. I fear you cannot harm it."

"Oh? It is the matriarch? Then I must deal with it all the more! By the way, sister, what were you doing standing in front of it just now?" Chu Feng asked curiously.

At this moment, the Ice-Nether Mother Shell seemed to fear the girl in the white dress, merely standing in a standoff without making any rash moves, which allowed Chu Feng to exchange words with her quickly.

"I was casting the Dream-Speech Art, trying to lull the shell into a deep sleep so that it would release the Ice-Shell Golden Pearls without any pain."

"Oh? So you were using the Dream-Speech Art! Then why did it suddenly go berserk and close its shells? Was it because I interrupted?" Chu Feng asked.

"You didn't mean to, so don't take it to heart. This creature is very fierce; it's impossible to use the Dream-Speech Art on it again, so let it go!" the girl said.

*This sister not only has a beautiful voice, but she is also pure-hearted. I startled the creature while she was hunting, nearly causing her death, yet she doesn't have a single complaint. If it were Hengmei, she would probably have skinned me alive!*

Thinking of this, a sudden realization struck Chu Feng. He immediately asked, "Sister, if I am not mistaken, you must be the Second-Talent Woman of the Wuhan Tribe, Doufu Xinyu Zui?"

"Hehe, you flatter me, Brother Chu Feng!" Xinyu Zui smiled slightly, her charming dimples deepening.

"Sister, you really are wonderful!" Chu Feng nodded in appreciation. "Regardless of anything else, since it was my words that startled this creature, I will take care of it, and we shall not lose a single Ice-Shell Golden Pearl that should be ours!"

"No, Brother Chu Feng, this creature is too difficult to handle. You will surely be injured if you are not careful!" Xinyu Zui softly cautioned.

"It's fine! If I truly cannot best it, I have my own ways of ensuring my survival! Sister, please step back!"

Like Hengmei, Xinyu Zui was a warrior at the seventh stage of the Body Refining Period, the Respiration Realm, but her outward display of martial prowess was clearly not as formidable as Chu Feng’s.

With a flick of his wrist, Chu Feng tossed out his Divine Power Puppet in its original spherical form.

With a loud crash, the watermelon-sized orb transformed into the Divine Power Puppet, standing tall before the Ice-Nether Mother Shell!

Chu Feng did not dare to be careless. To deal with this creature without risking injury or his life, he deployed the puppet to aid him.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Chu Feng struck first, firing two sharp pillars of wind that whistled toward the Ice-Nether Mother Shell. Simultaneously, under his control, the puppet swung its massive heavy ruler, launching a relentless assault against the creature.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Divine Power Puppet was not only immensely strong but also struck with lightning speed. Though these were external attacks, their impact was significant; the ruler slammed into the shell with thunderous echoes.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the puppet assaulted the shell, the creature’s two halves gaped open, spraying countless shards of ice. These shards possessed incredible force, striking the puppet and producing a similar series of metallic clangs.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

While the puppet engaged in a direct clash, Chu Feng unleashed two more wind pillars that rose from the ground, whistling toward the creature’s soft flesh.

The Ice-Nether Mother Shell consisted of two parts: the shells, which served as armor, and the body within, containing its organs and tissues. The wind pillars could not flip the matriarch over as they did the smaller ones, but if they struck the internal organs, the creature would suffer greatly.

Awoo!

As the two wind pillars pierced inside, the Ice-Nether Mother Shell, in extreme pain, let out a bestial roar!

Xinyu Zui, standing to the side, was shocked. Since when did these creatures roar? One could only imagine the agony the wind pillars had caused it.

In pain, the creature moved to snap its shells shut.

Chu Feng’s figure flickered like lightning, darting to the front of the creature. Just before the massive shells could close, he jammed his Thunder-Breaking Wind Spear between them!

Crack! Crack!

The immense closing force exerted by the upper and lower shells bore down on the spear, which began to creak and groan, appearing as if it were about to snap.

Chu Feng had intended to use this gap to attack the creature's organs with his palms, but fearing that the palm force might shatter the precious Ice-Shell Golden Pearls, he hesitated. In the crisis, with no time to think, he gritted his teeth and thrust his own body between the two shells.

The shaft of the Thunder-Breaking Wind Spear was already bent into a semi-circle, on the verge of breaking.

"Brother Chu Feng, it's dangerous!"

Xinyu Zui was horrified and rushed forward, intending to assist him.

"Sister, step aside!" Chu Feng pressed his palms against the upper shell, the power of thirty Vajra Rhinoceroses erupting instantly!

"Young Master Chu, be careful! We are coming to help!"

"Young Master Chu, no! Quickly, step back!"

Just as Chu Feng exerted his full strength, dozens of female warriors who had just collected their own pearls rushed over from dozens of yards away to aid him.

Snap!

Before their voices had even faded, a sound like a massive beam snapping echoed above Chu Feng’s head!

Awoo!

The Ice-Nether Mother Shell let out another unimaginable shriek of agony.

Bang!

A powerful blast of air erupted as Chu Feng channeled his internal energy, directly blasting the upper shell away.

The massive shell, like a heavy door panel, was sent flying high into the sky before crashing down onto the ice. It embedded itself deep into the surface with a thunderous thud, causing cracks to spread across the ice—a testament to its incredible hardness.

With one shell blown away, the creature was effectively split in half, its mass of internal organs exposed and writhing in the throes of death.

Chu Feng saw that within the mass of sticky flesh, countless golden spheres of varying sizes were piled together like insect eggs—some as large as an ox's head, others the size of a fist. These were clearly the Ice-Shell Golden Pearls.

The larger the creature, the more pearls it produced and the higher their quality. By killing this matriarch, Chu Feng had effectively provided the tribe with a small treasure trove of pearls.

"Brother Chu Feng, you are truly amazing!" Watching this, Xinyu Zui stood stunned, sighing in disbelief.

"Young Master Chu actually used his bare physical strength to blast away one of the shells? What kind of terrifying power is that?"

"This is the matriarch of the Ice-Nether Mother Shells! Its strength is far greater than ten or twenty of the smaller ones combined!"

"Young Master Chu killing this creature has been an eye-opener. And to obtain so many golden pearls is an immense blessing for us!"

"Young Master Chu, you are our savior! Everything becomes easy the moment you arrive! Teehee!"

The female warriors who witnessed the scene were all exhilarated, showering Chu Feng with praise.

"Ladies, you are too kind!"

Chu Feng put away his Divine Power Puppet, cupped his hands to Xinyu Zui and the others, and said, "While we have the numbers, let’s quickly collect the pearls. Then, let us search around; if there are any more of these creatures, we might as well hunt a few more!"

Chu Feng knew that regardless of whether he could successfully create more pearls himself, the more of these the tribe had, the better.

"Yes, we shall follow your lead, Brother Chu Feng!"

Xinyu Zui nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude and trust. All the other warriors nodded and smiled as well; Chu Feng’s consideration for the Wuhan Tribe was truly rare.

"Hehe! Chu Feng, is it? You have quite the nerve! Do you intend to wipe out all the Ice-Nether Mother Shells in my East Sea Domain?"

Just then, an extremely piercing voice echoed from the clouds above, accompanied by the whistling sound of something tearing through the air.

Hearing those cold, blade-like words, Chu Feng’s heart tightened, and he cast his gaze toward the clouds.