"What is this?" Jing Rou walked over, asking full of surprise.
Zhao Ya handed the heart to him, "It fell from the body of the Snow Demon I just killed."
Jing Rou took it and examined it carefully for a while, but couldn’t make anything of it.
Moreover, this wasn’t the time to ponder such things, so he returned it to Zhao Ya.
"Can’t tell what material this is for now. We’ll need to study it carefully when we have the time. I’ll go clean up the battlefield first."
Zhao Ya temporarily placed the heart in his bosom, then turned back to the camp.
By this time, the Snow Demon and that Ghost Monkey had been completely eliminated, and there wasn’t even any need for Zhao Ya to make a move. The martial artists present had already finished what needed to be done.
Then, people began to clear the battlefield.
Zhao Ya paid special attention but didn’t find any new heart fallen.
Soon, the battlefield was cleaned up, and the bodies of the fallen were properly arranged.
The battle happened quickly and ended very swiftly.
Especially when they were besieged by both the Snow Demon and the Ghost Monkey. Many had lost hope, believing death was certain.
Unexpectedly, they found a way out when Zhao Ya arrived with people from various sects at the crucial moment.
Their excitement was understandable.
After meeting each other, the people temporarily settled down, while Zhao Ya and Kong Xiangdong gathered together.
When Kong Xiangdong recounted the recent events, especially Shopkeeper Li from the caravan impersonating a human, infiltrating and launching an attack, Yin Jiaxiong, Shangguan Jianmei, and others could not help but change their expressions.
Because if what Kong Xiangdong said was true, then these Snow Demons would be terrifying.
Not only could they parasitize, but they also retained human intelligence and even knew how to disguise themselves.
If one wasn’t prepared, one could easily fall into their trap. It was truly hard to guard against.
At this time, Zhao Ya took out the seized heart again and placed it on the table.
"This fell from the Snow Demon disguised as Shopkeeper Li. Everyone, see if you can find anything."
Everyone turned to look, especially those from the Mechanical Sect, who gathered around the table with great interest in the heart.
Huang Liang picked it up, fiddling with it in front of his eyes for a long time, even holding it up to the light before putting it down.
"Senior Brother Huang, have you discovered anything?" Zhao Ya asked.
Huang Liang shook his head, "It looks like an artifact carved out of crystal. Nothing unusual for now, except for one thing!"
Saying this, Huang Liang paused, his expression turning solemn.
"If this heart was artificially made, the technology used would be extremely terrifying because the heart’s processing precision is extraordinarily high. I held it up to the light just now and found the surface incredibly smooth, without the slightest blemish, and the lines are exceptionally smooth."
"You may not understand what this means, but for us who’ve spent most of our lives researching mechanics, this is simply a miracle."
The crowd was abuzz with commotion.
Because what Huang Liang said was indeed shocking.
The Mechanical Sect enjoys a great reputation throughout Beyond the World, and their Mechanical Crossbows represent the highest level of craftsmanship.
Yet even he was in awe, showing how extraordinary this thing was.
Zhao Ya seemed pensive, then suddenly asked, "Just like that Miracle Creation?"
"Yes, just like that Miracle Creation, perhaps even better than a typical Miracle Creation—it’s a masterpiece among masterpieces," Huang Liang said.
He then added, "Could you leave this with us so we can study it carefully?"
Zhao Ya readily agreed, "Of course, no problem."
Thus, Huang Liang carefully put away the Heart of Ice and Snow.
Afterward, everyone shared their accounts of events.
Upon hearing that Zhao Ya mobilized all the sects in Beyond the World, even Huang Liang couldn’t help but take a deep breath and give a thumbs up.
"What a grand move!"
Kong Xiangdong was visibly pleased.
It was his first time seeing so many high-level masters, some of whom were legendary figures.
For example, He Nandou, the Pavilion Master of the Celestial One Pavilion, was known among the people as a living deity.
And Yin Jiaxiong, reputed as the Sword Immortal of the current age.
That Zhao Ya managed to bring these illustrious figures together indeed showed the grandeur of this expedition.
The more so, the more confident Kong Xiangdong felt.
No matter how strange and powerful the Black Ship was, with so many experts present, it should not pose a problem.
Therefore, after the crowd had mostly concluded their discussions, he stepped forward and said, "Everyone has come a long way. You must be very weary. I’ve ordered my men to prepare food and drink. Please join the feast now."
Everyone indeed felt a bit hungry.
After all, they had traveled a great distance, and after reaching the Northern Snowfield, they immediately engaged in a fierce battle. Even these renowned experts were somewhat tired.
However, just as they were about to leave the discussion tent, someone suddenly dashed in hurriedly.
"Chief, my lords, quickly, outside..."
"What about outside?" Kong Xiangdong’s heart tightened as he quickly asked.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ya and Yin Jiaxiong and others had already rushed out, only to be stunned.
Outside, the originally pitch-black sky was now studded with stars, and a bright line of dawn appeared in the eastern sky.
The camp, shrouded in darkness for so long, had finally welcomed the first light of dawn.