Chapter 1091: A Critical Moment

"Look!" Yu Yanluo exclaimed, pointing at the massive icicle hanging above the cold pond. A faint mist encircled the icicle's surface, slowly descending and condensing into a milky white drop at its tip.

Initially, the drop was tiny, but it visibly grew fuller at a rapid pace.

The spiritual energy within the entire ice cavern intensified. Even a fool would have known by then that the liquid drop was an extremely rare treasure of heaven and earth.

The divine milk drop at the icicle's tip quickly grew larger, becoming precariously heavy as if it could fall at any moment.

Zu An hurriedly stepped forward to collect it, but Yu Yanluo quickly stopped him. "The Violet Frost Divine Milk is a divine substance from heaven and earth," she explained. "It only becomes effective after a full year and month. If collected prematurely, it's not much different from ordinary liquid; at best, it would just be highly concentrated spiritual energy."

"So, it can only be collected when it drops?" Zu An pressed, knowing that having arrived in this world only recently, his understanding of such secrets couldn't compare to that of a clan leader like Yu Yanluo.

Yu Yanluo nodded. "Exactly. It must fully mature and detach from its source. However, you must act quickly, because this substance dissolves instantly upon contact with water and disintegrates upon contact with soil. It must be collected in that brief moment before it falls into the cold pond."

Zu An nodded. Although the time it would take for the drop to fall from the icicle to the pond's surface was brief, it wasn't a major issue for a cultivator.

With his current cultivation, he could catch not just one drop, but even hundreds descending simultaneously in that short timeframe, without missing a single one.

"It's not that simple," Yu Yanluo said, studying him. "Do you really want this item?"

Zu An admitted candidly, "Yes, I do. The soul of a very important person to me has been severely wounded and is in grave danger. This item is essential to save their life, so I am determined to acquire the Violet Frost Divine Milk. Although you and I discovered it together, and theoretically you have a half share... I have no other choice. I can only compensate you for your loss with other rare treasures, and I hope you will understand."

Yu Yanluo let out a wry chuckle. "You've saved my life several times. Compared to what I've gained from you, what is a mere Violet Frost Divine Milk?"

"Besides, I don't need it. Just take it; there's no need for compensation."

Zu An didn't feign modesty. "Thank you for your generosity, Madam. I shall never forget your kindness in this life!"

He knew well that a divine substance like the Violet Frost Divine Milk couldn't truly be unnecessary for Yu Yanluo. He would naturally remember this favor.

Yu Yanluo's pretty face flushed slightly. "What are you talking about? Who said I want repayment? Here, take this and use it to catch the Violet Frost Divine Milk."

As she spoke, she handed him a porcelain bottle, smooth and warm to the touch, clearly crafted from top-grade jade.

"What's this?" Zu An asked, taking it instinctively.

Yu Yanluo explained, "The Violet Frost Divine Milk is no ordinary substance. It cannot be contained by other materials, or it will simply pass through them and vanish. Only a jade container can safely hold it. I deduced this based on some legends and records of the previous Duke of Yunzhong presenting Violet Frost Divine Milk to the Emperor."

Zu An was overjoyed. "Then I truly must thank you, Madam. Otherwise, I might have watched this once-in-ten-thousand-years divine substance slip through my fingers."

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. "Get ready; it seems to be about to fall."

Zu An nodded, his full attention already fixed on the drop of Violet Frost Divine Milk.

The liquid drop grew increasingly full, trembling precariously at the icicle's tip. After a few seconds, it finally began to fall.

Seeing this, Zu An moved like lightning, instantly appearing beneath the icicle and positioning the prepared jade bottle directly in the drop's path.

As the drop of Violet Frost Divine Milk entered the jade bottle, both Zu An and Yu Yanluo smiled.

However, their smiles quickly froze.

The drop of Violet Frost Divine Milk had simply passed straight through the jade bottle and continued its descent.

Zu An was shocked. He immediately descended again, attempting to catch it with the jade bottle, but unfortunately, he tried twice, and both times it passed through just as before.

"Madam, could you have been mistaken?" Zu An asked quickly.

Yu Yanluo's face also showed bewilderment. "No, it's correct; it should be caught with a jade bottle. How could this be happening?"

In that brief moment, Zu An had already pulled out and tried various other materials from his Glazed Pearl, but the Violet Frost Divine Milk passed effortlessly through them as if intangible. Not a single container could catch it.

"What is going on?!" Cold sweat dripped down Zu An's body. If he missed this drop of Violet Frost Divine Milk, he likely wouldn't find another one anytime soon.

Was he to simply watch Mi Li die?

Yet, he had used every method he could think of, but still couldn't catch the Violet Frost Divine Milk.

By now, the liquid was only a little over a foot above the cold pond's surface. In just a few blinks of an eye, it would likely vanish completely.

"What should I do?" Zu An felt a chill throughout his body.

Wait a minute, he thought. I'm moving freely and can't catch it, so how could Jian Yanluo, who was in a state of suspended animation, be so certain he would obtain the Violet Frost Divine Milk?

He couldn't possibly wake up precisely when the Violet Frost Divine Milk dropped. According to his and Uncle Ming's previous conversation, he was supposed to awaken naturally after the divine milk had appeared.

But if he wasn't awake and couldn't move, how could he get the Violet Frost Divine Milk?

Could the Violet Frost Divine Milk have fallen into the cold pond to nourish his body?

No, that's not right. Yu Yanluo had just mentioned that it dissolves instantly upon contact with water and would disappear immediately.

Perhaps due to his many brushes with death, the more urgent the situation became, the calmer he grew, his thoughts racing.

Wait, he lowered his gaze to the cold pond. Because of Blue Drake, his perception of water elements was incredibly strong, and he felt that something was strange about this pond.

"It's over..." Yu Yanluo watched as the drop of Violet Frost Divine Milk hovered just a paper's thickness above the pond's surface, and Zu An still hadn't found a solution. She was extremely anxious and filled with self-reproach.

Zu An had just revealed he needed it to save a very important friend, and now, because her information was inaccurate, they were missing out on this once-in-ten-thousand-years wonder.

Even if he didn't blame her, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

As she was wondering how to comfort Zu An, he suddenly moved.

He extended his hand, and a large fissure suddenly opened in the surface of the cold pond.

"Is he trying to extend the Violet Frost Divine Milk's descent time?" Yu Yanluo had to admit, it was a good idea.

Unfortunately, without a way to contain the Violet Frost Divine Milk, this would only slightly delay its inevitable disappearance and held little significance.

However, her beautiful eyes soon widened. She watched as Zu An inverted the jade bottle over the water's surface, and then a drop of liquid, enveloped in a shimmering aura of spiritual energy, flew directly into the bottle.

As he capped the bottle, the abundant spiritual energy in the entire ice cavern significantly diminished.

Even the dispersing chill from the cold pond vanished instantly, and the pond itself was visibly shrinking.

"He... succeeded?" Yu Yanluo asked, somewhat incredulously.

Zu An tapped his toe, flying back across the water's surface. "Thanks to your guidance, Madam, I finally managed to collect the Violet Frost Divine Milk."

Yu Yanluo exclaimed, "But why did it keep failing before, and why did it feel like the Violet Frost Divine Milk was flying up from below afterwards?"

Zu An glanced at the icicle above them. "Because that was just a decoy. Everyone who heard the legend of the Violet Frost Divine Milk instinctively assumed it would drip from such an icicle. Uncle Ming even deliberately looked in that direction earlier, which was also to mislead us."

"But we clearly saw the Violet Frost Divine Milk condensing from above just now," Yu Yanluo said, still somewhat puzzled.

"That was just a reflection," Zu An explained. "It formed underwater and was then reflected beneath the icicle. In other words, the true Violet Frost Divine Milk condensed from a stone stalactite at the bottom of the cold pond and then floated upwards. I found it strange earlier how Jian Yanluo, whose body was in a state of suspended animation, could possibly obtain the Violet Frost Divine Milk. Then I realized his body was directly beneath this icicle. I suddenly understood: he had positioned his body directly in the path of the divine milk, so he wouldn't need to move to naturally receive the fully formed Violet Frost Divine Milk."

"But isn't the Violet Frost Divine Milk rumored to dissolve instantly in water? Why was it able to exist in the water?" Yu Yanluo asked, thinking of another problem. This was why she had never suspected it would be found underwater.

"It was enveloped in a misty aura, which kept it separated from the cold pond's water," Zu An explained, feeling fortunate. "However, as it continuously ascended, its protective aura rapidly dissipated. If I hadn't timely parted the water and caught it, it would have completely dissolved in the water."

"They say divine objects choose their masters. It seems this item was indeed destined for you." Yu Yanluo let out a complete sigh of relief, patting her chest with a lingering sense of dread.

Zu An was about to say something when suddenly, a series of noisy footsteps echoed from afar:

"Why did the spiritual energy suddenly disappear?"

"Hey, there's a cave over there. Let's go look."