These words caused everyone present to pause for a moment.
Indeed, three days prior, He Mu had almost completely frozen his arm.
This questioning tone subtly introduced a sense of discord among the others.
For days, everyone had a general understanding that Commander Shangguan harbored some reservations about Doctor He. The reason, it seemed, was likely connected to the War God present before them.
He Mu’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly stated, “I was too hasty before, which is why I nearly suffered frostbite. However, I know that the cave at the very center of this Ice Ridge Mountain Range is colder than other areas, which is why I prepared this before today.”
Having said that, he poured two pills from the bottle and ingested them himself.
Shangguan Wen watched the scene with a slight frown.
The burly man and the refined man exchanged glances, sighing inwardly.
They once thought Commander Shangguan was brilliant and heroic, but upon encountering the woman he admired, he had become so petty and sarcastic.
Alas, was this the legendary hero who couldn't overcome the allure of a beauty?
However, thanks to Doctor He’s care over these past few days, and because they could no longer bear the cold, the burly man directly threw his head back and consumed the pills. "Thank you, Doctor He."
The refined man glanced at his commander, hesitated for a while, and then finally spoke, "Doctor He, could I have one too?"
He Mu generously poured another pill for him from the bottle.
The burly man scoffed sarcastically, "Well, well, well, you say I'm all looks and no substance, and you're effective. Then why do you need to take medicine yourself? Aren't you the same? How dare you criticize me."
The refined man appeared to ignore him, replying, "I am indeed cold, but at least I didn't make a fool of myself like you, shouting and hollering."
He Mu simply stood there and smiled. Two more people, unable to bear the cold, took two pills each. He looked up and saw Shangguan Wen watching him, offering a slight smile, "Commander Shangguan, do you need this medicine?"
Shangguan Wen indifferently shifted his gaze away. "I don't feel cold."
He Mu's smile remained unchanged as he put the medicine bottle away. "Commander Shangguan’s physique is indeed excellent, but the deeper we go, the colder it will become. If anyone needs this medicine, they can come to me."
Everyone present nodded slightly.
Shangguan Wen merely frowned.
He could sense that his subordinates looked down on him, even mocking him in their hearts, but... he could also feel the power emanating from He Mu growing stronger.
The wild, aggressive black energy seemed like a light shining upon her, casting a long shadow behind him that didn't move with his actions, swaying about. He could clearly see this terrifying and unsettling phenomenon but couldn't understand what it was.
Why did this person, whom he could crush with a mere flick of his finger, fill him with such dread?
Bai Xi interrupted Shangguan Wen's increasingly sharp gaze, asking, "How much longer until we reach the center?"
Shangguan Wen held the map and took out a tracking system protected by a special device. "Due to the extreme cold in this mountain cave, no one has ventured deep inside. Therefore, we can only calculate based on the external geological survey. If there aren't too many twists and turns within the cave, we should reach the center in about an hour and a half."
Bai Xi nodded and then looked at He Mu. "Doctor He, please keep a close watch for the Frost Rock you mentioned."
He Mu nodded. "I will. However, at this temperature, there shouldn't be any yet."
The thermometer displayed minus twenty-seven point five degrees Celsius.
Bai Xi nodded and said nothing more.
As expected, the further they went into the cave, the colder it became.
The burly man, speaking in a near-quavering voice, asked, "Can the temperature get any lower than this?"
The thermometer in his hand already showed minus forty-seven degrees Celsius.
He Mu stated calmly, "Frost Rock only forms in extreme cold environments, so it requires at least minus fifty-five degrees Celsius. Currently... it should be close."
Bai Xi listened to him and said calmly, "If you can't withstand the cold, you can retreat and wait at the cave entrance. An Qi, escort him out."
An Qi replied, "Yes."
He then stepped forward, ready to escort the burly man away.
The burly man finally came to his senses and immediately shook his head. "No, no, no, I'll try to hold on. No need to trouble the Eldest Miss."
As a member of the border defense forces of Haidao City, it was bad enough that he couldn't serve the commander, but now he had to be escorted out by the Eldest Miss's subordinate. How embarrassing! "Doctor He, could you give me two more of your pills?"
He Mu took out the medicine bottle and poured two pills for him.
After taking them all at once, he truly felt much better, and his trembling legs finally stopped shaking. "Doctor He, this medicine is truly remarkable."
He Mu smiled slightly. "I'm glad you find it effective."
Two more people came to collect medicine.
After walking for another half an hour, the group finally reached the very center of the mountain cave.
The entire mountain cave suddenly opened up and became vast as they entered this area. The temperature had dropped to its lowest point, minus sixty-three point two degrees Celsius.
At this temperature, without their thermal suits, a person would instantly be frozen into an ice sculpture.
The deep mountain cave had been illuminated by the flashlights the group carried, but now they were unnecessary. Because in the very center, blue moss-like plants grew on the cave walls, casting a faint blue light throughout the cave, making the entire place seem somewhat dreamlike.
And complementing the moss-like plants on the cave walls was what lay beneath.
In the brightest central area, directly facing Bai Xi and the others, was a body of water like a lake. Although there was no wind, it shimmered with rippling waves.
The burly man looked at the scene with surprise. "Wow, this place is so magical. In such a freezing environment, the water in this lake hasn't solidified!"
He Mu looked at the blue-glowing lake surface with a calm expression. "Because this lake isn't water, but alcohol."
The burly man blinked in surprise and looked at the lake surface again, his face full of astonishment. He took a deep breath, only to feel the icy air entering his nostrils through his protective gear, causing him to cough violently.
Extreme cold could dull one's sense of smell, but he could faintly detect a hint of alcohol.
He coughed for a while, and as if to save face, he let out a loud laugh. "So it's alcohol! In that case, wouldn't immersing oneself in it be akin to living in blissful revelry?"
The refined man couldn't help but glance at him. "Alcohol only freezes at minus one hundred and fourteen degrees Celsius, and it's only minus sixty-something degrees now, so naturally, it won't freeze. However, if you jump in now, your thermal protection might not be as effective, and you might freeze into an ice sculpture in less than two minutes."
Upon hearing this, the burly man instantly stopped laughing and sheepishly said, "I was just saying, I wasn't actually going to jump in."
Shangguan Wen was entirely uninterested in what the lake water was made of. "Doctor He, you said that Frost Rock would appear at over minus fifty degrees. This place has reached over minus sixty degrees, yet there is none?"