Chapter 141 Boiling a Frog in Warm Water

Ever since he integrated the insights from the Profound Ice Stele into his own cultivation technique, Liu Pan had harbored a very peculiar sensation, akin to soaking in a hot spring, enveloped in a gentle warmth throughout his entire body.

However, upon inspecting his physique, Liu Pan found not the slightest trace of anything unusual. It was not until the comprehension of the third tier of the Profound Ice Art merged into his technique that he noticed a dark cyan mark had appeared between his brows, just like the other cultivators who had comprehended the Profound Ice Art.

Though he felt the emergence of this dark cyan mark was somewhat abnormal, facing the temptation dangled by the Profound Ice Stele, Liu Pan found himself utterly unable to stop.

Donning a human-skin mask to conceal the discoloration between his brows, Liu Pan once again immersed himself in the comprehension of the Profound Ice Stele.

The temptation of power, the ceaselessly growing strength—to a cultivator thirsting for might, this was akin to a drug addiction flaring up. Even while certain that the Profound Ice Stele harbored problems, they would still plunge toward it like moths to a flame, utterly devoid of self-control.

When all was said and done, this was simply the greed of human nature. For the vast majority of people, they would unconsciously and presumptuously assume they knew better most of the time.

The seventh tier of the *Profound Ice Art*. Liu Pan’s heartbeat quickened slightly. Having absorbed the insights of the preceding six tiers, he grew even more convinced of the extraordinary nature of the *Profound Ice Art*; this was unquestionably a top-tier cultivation technique.

Judging by the aura emanating from the Profound Ice Stele, Liu Pan even suspected that the *Profound Ice Art*, much like the *Flame Dragon Tyrant Body Art* practiced by Liu Kuang, was very likely a heritage technique passed down from the primordial ancient era.

Carefully sensing the aura exuded by the Profound Ice Stele, Liu Pan furrowed his brows slightly. Because he lacked the actual cultivation method for the seventh tier of the *Profound Ice Art*, wishing to proceed further required him to deduce it in reverse, using his insights as a foundation. This inevitably magnified the difficulty of advancing further.

Without needing to test it, Liu Pan could easily guess that among all the cultivators who had comprehended the sixth tier of the Profound Ice Stele, well over ninety percent had been blocked at this exact threshold.

After a day and a night, Liu Pan successfully deduced the cultivation method for the seventh tier of the *Profound Ice Art*. Yet, alongside the excitement, a profound sense of perplexity grew within his heart.

After simulating the circulation pathway of the seventh tier within his mind, Liu Pan always felt something was slightly discordant. Although the seventh-tier technique could seamlessly connect with the sixth tier, it somehow felt like an entirely different technique. The sensation was profoundly bizarre—much like twin brothers who, despite looking remarkably alike, were still distinct individuals.

An illusion? Liu Pan could not be certain. Yet, without lingering in hesitation for long, he directed his true essence to flow through the meridians dictated by the seventh-tier technique.

"Hiss—"

A chillingly refreshing sensation surged into his mind the very instant the seventh-tier technique was successfully cultivated. Liu Pan drew a sharp breath, nearly letting out a soft moan.

At this moment, the true essence within Liu Pan’s body was condensed once more. An unprecedented sense of power permeated every corner of his physique; merely by clenching his fists, he could feel surging, torrential strength rolling within.

Liu Pan was astonished, for merely due to the gap of a single tier of the technique, he felt his strength had multiplied by well over twofold.

This was a veritable leap. Liu Pan even felt that in his current state, he could bridge a major realm and cross swords with a powerhouse of the Martial Emperor realm.

Such an enhancement was simply incredible!

Though he had continuously concealed his own aura, the sudden explosive growth of his strength caused Liu Pan to inadvertently raise his eyes and sweep his gaze around. Discovering that no one seemed to be paying him any attention, he finally let out a breath of relief.

In truth, it was not that no one had noticed Liu Pan. Right when he first began comprehending the Profound Ice Stele, Liu Pan had sensed an elusive, indistinct divine sense locking onto him. And the one who had locked onto him was none other than the aged elder seated closest to the Profound Ice Stele.

Though he could perceive the elder’s divine sense locking onto him, Liu Pan evidently had to feign ignorance.

At this moment, due to his sudden surge in strength, the elder’s divine sense had locked onto him once more, making Liu Pan feel intensely ominous. Yet, after pondering briefly, Liu Pan forced his suspended heart back down.

His current situation was akin to walking a tightrope; if he failed to steady himself, the consequences would be utterly unimaginable.

Casually, Liu Pan reached up and touched his forehead. Despite the barrier of the human-skin mask, Liu Pan was astonished to discover a warm, jade-like texture, a sensation that was particularly intense right between his brows.

Warm and smooth like jade—this was genuinely a deeply comfortable sensation. Yet, at this moment, Liu Pan’s mood was far from pleasant.

Recalling the ice crystals that had condensed upon the hair of that man who had suddenly clutched his head in madness, and combining this with the various bodily reactions that manifested after comprehending the Profound Ice Stele, Liu Pan suddenly thought of a well-known metaphor—a frog being boiled in warm water.

When a frog is tossed directly into boiling water, the sudden and unbearable shock of the high temperature causes it to immediately struggle and leap out of the water to escape with its life.

However, if the frog is first placed into a container filled with cold water, and the water is gradually heated, the outcome is entirely different.

The frog, lulled by the initial comfort of the water temperature, remains leisurely and content within it. By the time it realizes it can no longer endure the heat, it lacks the strength to act, and unknowingly boils to death in the hot water.

To describe the current situation of comprehending the Profound Ice Stele as a frog being boiled in warm water might not be entirely apt, but the general concept was strikingly similar. Or rather, this method was far more sophisticated than simply boiling a frog in warm water, for it dangled absolute temptation while fully exploiting human nature and the human heart.

Perhaps, the deeper one’s comprehension of the Profound Ice Stele, the closer one drew to the secret concealed within. Yet, by the time one truly uncovered that secret, it would be far too late...

The reason Liu Pan harbored such suspicions stemmed from three factors: first, the problem of the Profound Ice Stele’s temptation; second, the scanning and locking of the elder’s divine sense; and third, the fact that the previously frantic man had grown somewhat "aloof and haughty."

In truth, that crazed man had never come to comprehend the Profound Ice Stele again; Liu Pan’s judgment regarding him came from the words of other cultivators. Among them, the most crucial piece of evidence came from a sworn brother who shared a life-and-death bond with that man.

A person’s temperament could change, but such shifts should be gradual. An instantaneous transformation meant either madness, amnesia, or that some other special event had transpired... Weighing the three possibilities, Liu Pan was inclined to believe the last one.

Liu Pan even felt that the man who had clutched his head in madness was likely no longer his original self.

After all, no matter how much one’s temper grew aloof and haughty, the fact that he never came near the Profound Ice Stele again was simply too bizarre. This reminded Liu Pan of the man who had directly ignored the temptation of the Profound Ice Stele upon first entering the Heavenly Frost Sect.

Perhaps that crazed man had not merely grown aloof and haughty; it was highly probable that he had embarked upon a path entirely divergent from ordinary cultivators.

At this, Liu Pan unconsciously thought of Xiao Hanyi. If the path he was currently treading was the same one Xiao Hanyi had taken, then Xiao Hanyi had very likely also comprehended the Profound Ice Stele here.

As for where Xiao Hanyi was now, he had likely grown "aloof and haughty" as well, stepping onto an entirely different, solitary path.

A cultivator’s glabella is the location of the sea of consciousness. For the sea of consciousness to become warm and smooth like jade was akin to eating an ice pop in the blazing heat of summer. In moderation, it left one feeling refreshed and clear-headed; but once consumed in excess, the mind would inevitably begin to grow numb and heavy.

A frog boiled in warm water—the very moment the frog became aware of the danger, all hope of escape had already vanished...