Bai Lian paced around the iceberg, carefully observing every detail of the barrier, trying to find a weak point.

His gaze darted back and forth between the barrier and its surroundings, not missing a single anomaly.

"Judging by the energy fluctuations, the barrier’s power source is likely inside the iceberg," Bai Lian said, stopping with a grave expression. "But we can’t even get close, let alone venture deep inside to investigate."

Reg took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as his mind raced.

He remembered some special tools Pani had given him before they left and hurriedly rummaged through his backpack. "These tools might come in handy."

"Pani said they could handle all sorts of complex situations," Reg said as he searched. "Maybe they can crack this barrier."

Bai Lian came closer, a flicker of hope igniting in his eyes as he looked at the tools in Reg’s hands.

"This is a frequency jammer," Bai Lian said, taking a small device. "Theoretically, it can interfere with the energy frequency and destabilize the barrier."

With that, he switched on the jammer, adjusted it to the right frequency, and slowly approached the barrier.

The jammer emitted a faint humming sound, and the barrier’s light began to flicker, seemingly affected.

Seeing this, Reg was overjoyed and stepped forward to increase the jammer’s power.

At that very moment, however, the barrier suddenly unleashed a powerful counterattack, sending Reg flying backward.

With swift reflexes, Bai Lian caught Reg and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

Reg wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said through gritted teeth, "I’m fine. Looks like this barrier is even more complex than we thought."

They fell silent for a moment before Bai Lian mused, "Since this barrier is a product of technology, it must have nodes for receiving and converting energy. Let’s look for them. We might find its weak spot."

Reg nodded, and the two of them once again began to search carefully around the iceberg. In this world of ice and snow, their figures seemed so small, yet so resolute.

Amidst the howling gales, Bai Lian and Reg searched inch by inch around the iceberg.

The blizzard blurred their vision, making every step incredibly difficult. The snow beneath their feet often came up past their knees, chilling them to the bone.

Suddenly, Bai Lian noticed an area at the base of the iceberg where the blue light flickered at a slightly different frequency than the rest.

He excitedly called out to Reg, "Come look! Something seems off over here."

Reg hurried over, crouched down, and after a careful look, said, "This is most likely the energy node. It’s just been cleverly hidden."

The two leaned in for a closer look and saw that the node was covered by a thin layer of ice, with some complex wiring faintly visible underneath.

Reg quickly drew his weapon and fired one Energy Beam after another at the node.

The layer of ice shattered. Once the energy node was hit, the barrier began to tremble violently, its light flickering erratically before failing completely.

Bai Lian and Reg let out a long sigh of relief, but the danger was not over yet.

They exchanged a wary glance, tightened their grip on their weapons, and cautiously made their way into the iceberg.

The temperature inside the iceberg was even lower than outside, and a bone-chilling cold filled the air.

The surrounding ice walls shimmered with an eerie blue light, casting their silhouettes in a somewhat ethereal glow.

Reg narrowed his eyes, observing his surroundings vigilantly. "Looks like the lair of a large mutant beast," he said in a low voice.

Bai Lian nodded slightly, his gaze sharp as he watched for any movement. "Yeah, we need to stay alert," he replied.

The icy ground underfoot was as smooth as a mirror, and a single misstep could cause a fall, yet their gazes remained firmly fixed ahead.

However, the anticipated danger never appeared. The surroundings were eerily quiet.

They continued deeper, and upon rounding an ice wall, the scene before them left them both stunned.

In a hollow bathed in blue light, Snow Spirit Flowers bloomed quietly. Their dreamlike petals trembled gently in the faint glow, emitting a soft, sacred light. There wasn’t just one—there were over a dozen.

Bai Lian’s brow furrowed instantly. Pani had told him that Snow Spirit Flowers grew in harsh environments and that even a single one was a rare find. To see more than a dozen gathered here was far too unusual.

He slowly crouched down to examine the Snow Spirit Flowers, discovering that their arrangement seemed to follow a faint pattern. The soil also appeared to have been meticulously tended to, as if someone had carefully cultivated them.

Just then, Reg also noticed something strange. He pointed into the distance, a hint of alarm in his voice. "Bai Lian, look over there."

Bai Lian followed his gaze and saw the massive skeletal remains of mutant beasts scattered about haphazardly. The wounds on the bones were horrifying.

There were also marks on the surrounding ice walls left by energy weapon attacks. A fierce battle had clearly taken place here, which meant someone had been here before them.

Bai Lian stood up, his eyes scanning the area, trying to piece together what had happened from the clues. His heart filled with doubt and unease.

But before he could sort out his thoughts, Reg had already strode forward, his voice filled with an irrepressible urgency. "Who cares? Yaoyao’s life is on the line." With that, he quickly took out the collection tools he had prepared.

Bai Lian agreed. Time was short, leaving them no room for further investigation.

Deciding to go all in, they collected every last Snow Spirit Flower and carefully placed them into a special container.

She was so delicate; having more Snow Spirit Flowers was for the best.

They didn’t dare to linger for another moment and turned to run back out of the iceberg.

They remained on high alert the entire way, terrified that some new danger might suddenly appear.

When they finally stepped out of the iceberg, the blizzard was still raging outside.

They braved the fierce winds, struggled back to where their aircraft was parked, and quickly boarded it.

Bai Lian started the engine. The aircraft slowly lifted off and sped toward the base. He was burning with anxiety, his only thought to go faster, and faster still.

Along the way, Reg clutched the container tightly, praying silently in his heart, ’Yaoyao, you have to hold on. We’ll be back soon.’

Meanwhile, in the medical bay, Pani was keeping watch by Su Yaoyao’s bedside. Looking at the faint life signs on the monitor, he said in a choked voice, "Yaoyao, once you’ve had enough sleep, it’s time to wake up..."

Pani gently held Su Yaoyao’s hand. It was cold, without a trace of warmth. His eyes were red, and tears welled up, but he fought to keep them from falling.

His gaze never left Su Yaoyao’s face for a second, hoping for a miracle.

’Bai Lian and Reg should be on their way back by now. I hope everything went smoothly and they can get back quickly with the Snow Spirit Flower to save you.’

Pani prayed silently. Time seemed to freeze in that moment, every second stretching into an eternity. All he could do was wait, anxiously waiting for the rescue to arrive.