The two sat still for a moment to rest before rising to continue their journey towards the cold pond. The riverbank offered no path forward, only slippery stones and increasingly steep cliffs. The river itself flowed out from a crevice between these cliffs.
It was this cliff face that severed the cold pond's connection to the outside world. To reach it, one had to enter the water and battle the swift current upstream.
Ling Tian arrived at the riverbank and observed numerous ice fragments floating in the turbulent water. This phenomenon, a mixture of ice and water, indicated that the water temperature was close to freezing.
The Great Monk Cheng'e, seeing this, intended to test the water temperature but was stopped by Ling Tian.
Ling Tian took an infrared thermometer from his backpack and aimed it at the rushing river. Soon, the LCD screen displayed the water temperature data, confirming Ling Tian's assessment: it was exactly zero degrees Celsius. The water's flow prevented it from freezing.
However, the cliff and rock faces along the bank, where the river spray had landed, were covered in thick, slippery ice.
The Great Monk carefully surveyed the surrounding terrain, preparing to wade forward. At that moment, Ling Tian stopped him.
"Master, wait!"
"Amitabha, Brother Ling Tian, what is your advice?"
"There are fish in the water," Ling Tian said, pointing to the surface. His words left the Great Monk utterly bewildered.
"Amitabha, Brother Ling Tian, isn't it normal for there to be fish in the water?"
"Master, consider this: the water temperature is near freezing, yet fish are present.
Furthermore, I've noticed only one type of fish in this river..."
Ling Tian had already used his Heavenly Eye divine ability to peer through the water and observe the situation. Indeed, there were fish in the water, and they appeared to be black fish.
Black fish, also known as Wuli, are fierce, carnivorous fish. They are essentially an invasive species.
It was precisely these fish that made Ling Tian wary. Black fish prefer warmth and fear cold; they typically inhabit southern waters.
Yet here, the river's temperature was a mixture of ice and water, near zero degrees. Under such conditions, very few fish could survive.
However, the black fish, which normally lived in warmer waters, were swimming about vigorously. It would be strange if there wasn't something amiss.
With this thought, Ling Tian put on his gloves again and dragged a wild boar carcass to the riverbank. This action further confused the Great Monk.
Ling Tian pulled the wild boar to the river's edge, exerted force with his arms, and lifted the carcass. He then dropped it into the water, and blood instantly spread out.
The moment the carcass entered the water, the entire river seemed to activate a switch. The black fish, which had appeared relatively inactive, immediately surged towards the wild boar.
Following this, the river churned as if boiling. Dozens of black fish, large and small, rushed towards the boar's carcass with all their might, twisting and turning in the water, their mouths agape, tearing at the flesh.
Ten minutes later, a wild boar weighing over 300 pounds was reduced to a mere skeleton!
Ling Tian couldn't help but recall documentaries he had seen about piranhas.
In the rivers of the Amazon rainforest in South America, piranhas exist, but they are very small, with the largest being only palm-sized.
However, these black fish in the river, the largest nearly a meter long, possessed far greater power and destructive capability than their South American counterparts.
Ling Tian approached the riverbank, formed hand seals, and aimed them at the water, chanting words. Instantly, a sharp stone spike erupted from the riverbed.
A black fish swimming nearby was caught off guard, struck by the stone spike, and flung out of the water. It landed heavily on the riverbank.
The black fish thrashed desperately on the ground, trying to return to the river. Ling Tian wouldn't allow it. He stepped forward and kicked the fish, which struggled for a moment before becoming still.
The Great Monk Cheng'e also walked over. The two squatted by the riverbank, beginning to examine the fish.
As they approached, they were hit by a foul, fishy odor, unlike any ordinary fish smell. It was akin to a dead fish left to bake in the sun for days, covered in maggots.
Ling Tian carefully observed the fish. He noticed it had scales like a snake. Prying open its mouth with a wooden stick revealed rows of sharp teeth capable of easily tearing human skin.
It was clear that this creature, while superficially resembling a black fish, had mutated to the point of being unrecognizable.
Now, even the Great Monk Cheng'e was stumped. The water was teeming with these monstrous fish. Venturing into the water rashly might mean losing a limb.
"Ling Tian, what should we do? Should we find a boat in the village?"
Ling Tian smiled wryly and shook his head. "I've investigated. The hydrological conditions here are complex, with submerged reefs. Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain was on a small boat attempting to enter the cold pond some days ago when the boat struck a reef and capsized.
At that time, he was ambushed by a zombie and severely injured..." Ling Tian accidentally let slip information about Longhu Mountain.
The Great Monk was astonished, his mouth agape.
"Brother Ling Tian, how do you know these secrets of Longhu Mountain?" the Great Monk asked, full of curiosity.
"Uh... Master Zhang Daoyun of Longhu Mountain is my future father-in-law..."
Although Ling Tian and the Great Monk had only known each other for a few days, they shared similar interests and respected each other's character. Therefore, Ling Tian decided not to conceal anything.
The Great Monk felt his head spin. He had never imagined this young man had such a formidable background.
Longhu Mountain was renowned within the Taoist community. He couldn't fathom how powerful Longhu Mountain must be if its future son-in-law was already this capable.
The Great Monk's mind went completely astray.
As the Great Monk pondered with suspicion how Ling Tian would proceed, he watched in amazement as Ling Tian pulled another talisman from his clothing.
Unsurprisingly, it was another dazzling talisman. Ling Tian threw the talisman onto the ground. After a flash of light, a white bear appeared before them.
This bear was the Ice Soul Giant Bear that Ling Tian had refined using the altar. However, the Ice Soul Giant Bear could now freely control its body volume. Its current size was comparable to an ordinary bear, while its true form stood over five meters tall when seated.