With these clues, Ning Xuan believed that as long as she was willing to spend the time, she would definitely be able to find what she was looking for!

However, she didn’t share the clues with the mercenaries. She only brought them to a place that matched the description from the clues and promised to pay them an additional reward if they could find the items she wanted.

Black Water Ice Prison truly lived up to its name as an S-Class danger zone. In just a few short hours, Ning Xuan and her group had faced several crises. Chen Nan stood by Ning Xuan’s side without leaving, blocking three sneak attacks from Black Water Monster Snakes for her.

"It’s dangerous at night, Miss Ning. We should come back tomorrow!" said Luo Sen, the captain of the seven-person mercenary squad, as he approached Ning Xuan.

Just a moment ago, an A-level member of their squad was ambushed by a monster snake. He barely managed to dodge the attack, only to be slammed into the Ice Lake by a wave and nearly dragged away by a creature from within!

If Ning Xuan hadn’t equipped each of them with a retractable light rope, with connection points on the various large reefs, allowing for timely rescues, that squad member would have lost his life just now!

Chen Nan also felt the danger and was about to speak up and persuade her, but Ning Xuan made a hushing gesture!

"HUMMM..." Ning Xuan heard a clear, resonant call, like a bird’s cry or the clashing of metal and stone. A hint of joy appeared on her face as she released her Perception Power, searching in the direction of the sound. The area she had chosen was right in the intertidal zone, where the tide ebbed and flowed.

"The water level is rising, Miss Ning! This area will be submerged soon, we have to get out of here!" the squad captain, who had wanted to leave earlier, said urgently.

Just then, a wave over ten meters high suddenly rose from the Ice Lake and crashed violently toward Ning Xuan. The wave was filled with sharp ice shards, and it was so swift and fierce that no one had time to react. Chen Nan summoned his Superpower Body, the Green-eyed Golden Eagle, and spread its wings to shield Ning Xuan beneath them. Ning Xuan had already located the source of the sound. She stared at the spot submerged by the lake water, and with a flick of her hand, two black-and-red vines shot into the water with a SWOOSH. Two or three minutes later, they fished out two fist-sized stones as translucent as ice crystals!

Ning Xuan put the stones into her Space Button and patted Little Jin. The Superpower Body, mentally linked with Chen Nan, immediately released Ning Xuan. Seeing Ning Xuan jump onto the Golden Eagle’s back, Chen Nan also got on, and they flew back to a place the lake water couldn’t reach.

The squad captain, ignored by the two, watched the constantly rising lake water and scrambled frantically toward the shore.

In the days that followed, as Ning Xuan’s group ventured deeper into their exploration, they encountered even more dangers. Several team members were injured one after another. One A-level member was even bitten by a Black Water Monster Snake and quickly fell into a coma from the poison. Ning Xuan first fed him an Antidote Potion, then used the Heart Protection Needle Technique to safeguard his heart meridians. It took her the better part of half a day, but she managed to save him. Since most of the injured were A-level members, Ning Xuan simply had them stay behind in a relatively safe area. The two S-Class members with lower Comprehensive Combat Power stayed to protect them, while the other five with higher Comprehensive Combat Power continued deeper with Ning Xuan and Chen Nan.

Ten days later, Ning Xuan poured a bottle of medicine that emitted a strange fragrance into a pre-arranged area. The mercenaries hiding in the shadows, responsible for pulling the net, stared nervously at the lake. After about ten-odd minutes, the calm lake water began to churn as if it were boiling. A fierce wind kicked up, and massive waves surged. A black giant python over ten meters tall spiraled up from the lake’s surface and instantly swam to the area exuding the strange fragrance.

"Pull the net!" Ning Xuan shouted. An immense white light-net suddenly rose from the lake, enveloping the massive Ice Python within it!

This was no ordinary light-net; it was a special one reinforced with poison and sharp blades. Ning Xuan had been planning this for a long time. The Ice Python loved to eat Giant Tiger-Striped Toads. For the past few days, besides searching for Foggy Flower, Blue Light Lotus, and Ice Crystal Jade, she had also been looking for Giant Tiger-Striped Toads. She had finally found a few two days ago, extracted their skin sacs and Poison Sacs, and refined them into a concentrated toad venom liquid. The Ice Python had no resistance to the scent of the toad venom liquid. Besides, the Ice Python wouldn’t have given these few humans a second thought anyway.

The Ice Python, trapped by the light-net, struggled violently, instantly flinging the mercenaries pulling the ropes into the air. The mercenaries quickly summoned their Superpower Bodies. Three of them had Superpower Bodies that were large, mutated creatures: one was an entirely white giant bear, another resembled a giant lizard, and while the third was massive, it was impossible to tell what kind of creature it was.

The mercenaries pulling the ropes quickly found their anchor points according to the plan, securing the ends of the light ropes to large, sturdy rocks. The Ice Python’s violent struggles caused the blades attached to the net to dig into its flesh. The pain enraged the Ice Python. It opened its mouth and roared, and an intense chill spread out. The water in the Ice Lake instantly froze solid. Ning Xuan watched the frost rushing toward her, rapidly retreating while mobilizing her Special Energy. Just as she felt her body about to freeze solid, Chen Nan, who was in charge of the main rope controlling the Ice Python, snatched her up and carried her to a safe distance, placing her with the A-level mercenary members.

Ning Xuan’s Level was too low to participate in the rest of the battle. All she knew was that her side had a full seven S-Class experts, had set up a trap in advance, and had lured the Ice Python into a shallow, reef-filled area, which greatly weakened its ability to manipulate the surrounding environment.

Even so, after four grueling hours, the battle was over. The battleground was unrecognizable, littered with shattered reefs and craters, and the entire area was now covered in solid ice. Chen Nan and the others were all injured, and two were so severely wounded they were unconscious. Though the cost was immense, the seven of them, working together, finally managed to kill the Ice Python.

Ning Xuan dug out the Ice Python Inner Core. She had already prepared a special box that could preserve it for a short time. However, to maximize the inner core’s effects, it was best to refine it into an Alchemy Potion as soon as possible. This was because she couldn’t afford an expensive Spirit-locking Jade Box, and the inner core’s energy would gradually dissipate over time.

Ning Xuan first used acupuncture on the two severely injured individuals to clear their meridians and rouse them. After they woke up, she fed them healing medicine. Their injuries were too severe; even with timely treatment, they wouldn’t be able to recover fully in a short period.

Although the giant Ice Python had its most valuable inner core removed, the entire body of an S-Class Exotic Beast is a treasure trove. A top-tier Fierce Beast like the Ice Python from the Black Water Ice Prison was even more priceless. As the employer and planner, Ning Xuan took the inner core. The rest was divided equally among the seven S-Class warriors who participated in the battle. Chen Nan received a portion of the snake meat and the python’s gallbladder. The snakeskin, fangs, scales, and the majority of the meat were divided among the other six combatants. The two severely injured members also received an additional share as compensation.