Another Dimensional Immortal Cultivation Tale: The Divine Doctor Against the Heavens

"Holy crap! Where did this thing come from? It's several times bigger than my house!" Lin Yihai shouted at the top of his lungs, his eyes wide like saucers, staring intently at the enormous creature before him, his legs trembling slightly. The chill emanating from the ice demon seemed to penetrate his very bones, making him shiver. He hurriedly rubbed his arms vigorously, wishing he could rub himself up like fire.

Xiaoqian sat in her wheelchair, gripping the armrests so tightly that her knuckles turned white, as if they had been painted. "This Ice Demon looks tough to deal with, what should we do?" Her voice trembled, her eyes fixed on the Ice Demon, beads of sweat forming on her forehead and streaming down her cheeks.

Hai Tian stood beside Yun Hai, his hands gripping the War God's Sword tightly like pincers. The sword trembled slightly, as if it too was terrified by the Ice Demon's aura. "No matter what kind of demon it is, if it wants to stop us from getting the jade pendant fragments, it'll have to step over me first!" He gritted his teeth, speaking each word slowly and deliberately, his voice low yet ruthless. The power of the War God surged around him like a miniature universe exploding, its golden light shining brightly in the icy, snowy environment, like a searchlight in the night.

Yunhai held Ningning in her arms, the little one whispering in her mind, "Mommy, this big ice block is so scary, can we defeat it?" Yunhai gently touched Ningning, her movements as tender as if afraid of breaking a precious treasure, and softly comforted her, "Don't be afraid, baby, Mommy and the uncles and aunts are here, we can definitely do it." But her heart was also pounding; the ice demon's strength looked terrifying, like an insurmountable mountain pressing down on her heart.

The Ice Demon roared like a lit firecracker, its deafening roar echoing through the sealed ruins, making everyone's ears ache and feeling as if their eardrums were about to burst. It slowly raised its enormous ice claws, like a moving iceberg, and slammed them down on the group. Wherever it struck, the air instantly froze, crackling and popping like popping beans.

"Watch out!" Hai Tian roared, wielding the War God Sword with all his might. A golden sword aura, carrying the force of a whirlwind, shot towards the ice claw. The sword aura struck the ice claw with a "bang," but it was like an egg hitting a rock, only scattering ice shards. The ice claw paused slightly, then continued its downward press as if it had encountered no resistance.

"How can this Ice Demon's defense be so abnormal!" Hai Tian was shocked, his eyes wide open, almost popping out of their sockets.

Yunhai frowned, her mind racing with worry: "This ice demon's power is ridiculously strong. A direct confrontation would be certain death. We need to think of a way quickly." Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into her mind. She remembered the phrase "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated" from Sun Tzu's Art of War. She quickly turned to Xiaoqian and said, "Xiaoqian, quickly use the technology to analyze this ice demon's weaknesses. We need to find its flaws, or we'll be done for today."

Without a word, Xiaoqian deftly operated the equipment, her eyes seemingly glued to the screen, her fingers tapping away on the keyboard like she was playing the piano, making a constant "clattering" sound. "Yunhai, the Ice Demon's energy core is in its chest, but it's protected by a thick layer of ice armor, like an impenetrable wall, making it extremely difficult to break through."

As Yunhai rummaged through the medical space for herbs, she said, "I'll try to concoct a potion that can melt the ice armor." Her mind raced through the records in the Compendium of Materia Medica and the Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces, her eyes scanning the herbs like a scanner. In no time, a potion radiating heat was ready, steaming like freshly cooked soup.

“Lin Yihai, use lightning magic to distract the Ice Demon. I’ll seize the opportunity to spray the potion on its chest,” Yunhai said. Lin Yihai nodded heavily, his hands rapidly gathering lightning as if by magic. The lightning crackled and leaped in his hands like a group of mischievous little elves. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Ice block, watch this!” A thick bolt of lightning shot towards the Ice Demon like the Flash.

Like a hornet's nest disturbed, the Ice Demon roared furiously after being struck by lightning, its roar causing the surrounding ice to crumble and fall. It suddenly turned and attacked Lin Yihai, its mouth opening wide and unleashing a torrent of icy energy like a high-pressure water jet. Wherever it passed, the ground instantly froze, as if under a spell. Lin Yihai, terrified, turned pale and jumped away like a rabbit.

Seizing the opportunity, Yunhai threw the potion at the Ice Demon's chest like a basketball shot. The moment the potion touched the ice armor, it hissed and steamed, just like hot water poured on ice. The ice armor began to crack, as if it were being corroded, like parched earth.

"It works! Everyone, give it your all, use every ounce of strength you have!" Yunhai shouted excitedly, his eyes gleaming with hope. Upon hearing this, Haitian immediately intensified his attack, wielding the War God's Sword with ferocious power, sword energy raining down on the crack. Lin Yihai was not to be outdone, continuously releasing lightning that flickered on the ice armor, widening the crack even further.

Just as everyone was about to successfully break through the ice armor, the Ice Demon, like a maddened beast, suddenly swung its massive ice arm, and an ice wall rose up with a "whoosh," like a solid city wall, blocking everyone's attacks. Immediately afterward, the Ice Demon stomped its foot, and the ground shook violently as if an earthquake had occurred. Countless ice spikes sprouted from the ground like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, piercing towards the group.

"Oh my god, is this any way to live?!" Lin Yihai shouted at the top of his lungs as he leaped and bounded like a monkey to dodge the ice spikes. Xiaoqian skillfully maneuvered her wheelchair, weaving left and right among the ice spikes like a circus act. Haitian wielded the Sword of the War God, slicing through the ice spikes that approached them one by one; with each rise and fall of his sword, the ice spikes shattered into ice shards.

Yunhai, holding Ningning, dodged and weaved through the air like a butterfly, but the ice spikes multiplied, like a dense rain of arrows. She gradually lost her strength, her arms aching so much she could barely lift them. Just then, a mysterious light and shadow appeared like a savior. A flash of light emanated from it, and a gentle force, like an invisible net, enveloped everyone. The ice spikes, upon touching this force, shattered as easily as paper.

"Why is this mysterious light and shadow helping us again? But why does it keep helping us?" Xiaoqian asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Yunhai's heart stirred. She sensed that the mysterious light and shadow seemed to be conveying a message, yet it was vague and unclear, as if seen through a veil. Suddenly, she slapped her forehead, realizing that the mysterious light and shadow might be reminding her to utilize her surroundings. Like a scout, she looked around and discovered that the runes on the ruins' walls seemed to have some mysterious connection to the Ice Demon's power.

"Don't panic, everyone! I think I've found a solution!" Yunhai shouted, her voice brimming with confidence. She examined the runes meticulously, like an archaeologist, discovering that their arrangement resembled the principles of the Five Elements (Wu Xing) in the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic). Following this pattern, she located several key points on the ground and then sprinkled another prepared potion upon them.

The moment the potion touched the ground, the runes shone brightly, like fireworks being lit, and a surge of heat rose from the ground like a fountain, rushing towards the Ice Demon. The Ice Demon seemed to have been struck by a pressure point, greatly affected; its body began to tremble violently, and more cracks appeared on its ice armor, like glass struck by a heavy hammer.

"Well done, Yunhai!" Lin Yihai shouted excitedly, jumping up and down as if he had won the lottery. Seeing this, the crowd intensified their attacks. Hai Tian wielded the War God's Sword with incredible power, golden sword energy constantly striking the Ice Demon, each strike carrying immense force. Lin Yihai's lightning bolts, like sharp swords, pierced towards the Ice Demon with a "whoosh." Xiaoqian, on the other hand, used technological devices to launch interference waves, disrupting the Ice Demon's movements. These interference waves, like invisible ropes, attempted to bind the Ice Demon.

With everyone's combined efforts, the Ice Demon's power was gradually weakened, and its movements became sluggish, like a drunken giant. Finally, under a fierce attack, the Ice Demon's chest armor shattered completely, scattering like snowflakes on the ground, revealing its energy core, which flickered with an eerie light.

"Now!" Hai Tian roared, swinging the War God Sword with all his might. A golden sword aura, unstoppable, pierced straight into the energy core. The sword aura struck the energy core with a "poof," and the Ice Demon let out a miserable scream, a sound so pitiful it sent chills down one's spine. Its body began to collapse, turning into countless ice blocks scattered all over the ground, just like an iceberg melting in an instant.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the Ice Demon disappear. "Finally, we've taken care of this big guy. I'm exhausted, I feel completely drained." Lin Yihai plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, his chest heaving like a broken bellows.

Xiaoqian wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "We owe this all to Yunhai. If it weren't for her coming up with a solution, we would have been in real trouble and might have turned into ice sculptures."

Yunhai smiled and was about to speak when she suddenly felt a strong tremor, and the ground beneath her feet undulated like waves. "Oh no, it seems like something is coming!" she said warily, her eyes wide open like a frightened deer.

Before anyone could react, a flash of light appeared deep within the ruins, and a figure slowly emerged like a ghost. This figure exuded a powerful aura, making one feel as if they were facing a towering, insurmountable mountain, its weight pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.

"What is this thing? We just finished defeating the Ice Demon, and now an even more powerful one has appeared. Is this trying to drive us to the brink of destruction?" Lin Yihai said in horror, his voice trembling.

The figure gradually became clearer, revealing itself to be a man dressed in an ancient robe. His eyes were as deep as an abyss, seemingly able to see through everything in the world, making people afraid to look him in the eye. He looked at the crowd and spoke slowly, "You think taking the jade pendant fragment is so simple? This jade pendant fragment is related to the fate of the entire universe; how could you so easily lay a finger on it?"

Upon hearing this, everyone became wary, like a group of small animals facing a natural enemy. Hai Tian gripped the Sword of the God of War tightly, its tip trembling slightly, and asked, "Who are you? Why are you stopping us?"

The man smiled slightly, a smile tinged with mystery, and said, "I am an ancient guardian, and I have been protecting this jade pendant fragment for countless years. If you wish to take it, you must pass my test."

Yunhai frowned, his heart pounding like a rabbit's. He said, "What kind of test? We've gone through countless hardships to collect all the jade pendant fragments and save the universe. The difficulties we've faced are endless, but we will never give up."

The man nodded and said, “Very good, I see your courage and determination. My test is simple: within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, you must find three keys in this ruin and open the door to the true seal of the jade pendant fragment. If you fail to find them, this ruin will collapse, and you will be trapped here forever, buried deep in this darkness.”

After saying that, the man waved his hand, and the phantoms of the three keys appeared before everyone like shooting stars, then quickly disappeared into different corners of the ruins, like playing hide-and-seek.

"This test is too difficult! It's only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. This ruin is so big, like a maze. Where are we supposed to find it?" Lin Yihai said anxiously, stamping his feet in frustration, like an ant on a hot pan.

Yunhai took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said, "Everyone, don't rush. Let's split up. Xiaoqian, use the technology to scan the surroundings and see if you can find any clues about the key. This high-tech gadget might come in very handy. Haitian, you and I will use the principles of 'opening and closing' from the *Guiguzi* to find places where the key might be hidden. Let's think about it carefully. Lin Yihai, your lightning magic is fast. Search the ruins quickly, like a gust of wind. Ningning, help Mom sense the energy fluctuations around her and see if there are any anomalies. You're Mom's little helper."

Everyone nodded and got to work. Yunhai and Haitian walked along the passage of the ruins, their eyes scanning the surrounding walls and ground like searchlights, not missing a single corner. Suddenly, Yunhai noticed a rune on the wall flickering as if breathing. She stepped forward as if she had discovered a treasure, gently touched the rune, and a hidden door slowly opened as if in slow motion.

"There might be a key in here!" Yunhai said excitedly, his eyes gleaming. The two stepped through the hidden door, where an old, musty smell filled the air, like that of an old house. In the center of the room sat a stone box, its surface covered with strange patterns. Haitian stepped forward and carefully opened the box. Sure enough, inside was a key, its surface gleaming faintly.

"Great! I found one!" Hai Tian exclaimed excitedly, jumping up like a child.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the ruins, Lin Yihai discovered a huge ice cave. He cautiously entered the cave, and as soon as he stepped inside, he felt a powerful energy fluctuation crashing against him like ocean waves. He followed the direction of the energy fluctuation and, deep within the ice cave, saw a key frozen inside a block of ice, the ice crystal clear, like a giant crystal ball.

"Hey, watch me get you out!" Lin Yihai gathered lightning in his hands, which coiled like two electric snakes and shot towards the ice block. The lightning struck the ice block, which began to melt like ice cream melting in the sun. He successfully obtained the key, and his face lit up with a smile.

Xiaoqian, using technological equipment, discovered a place with abnormal energy. She drove her wheelchair there and found a mechanism on the ground, covered with strange symbols. She carefully studied the mechanism and, according to the Yin-Yang theory in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, adjusted its settings. The mechanism slowly opened as if by magic, revealing a key inside.

Almost simultaneously, everyone found the key. When they returned to the center of the stone platform, the ancient guardian reappeared, suddenly appearing like a ghost.

“Very good, you have passed the test. Now, take the key and open the gate,” said the ancient guardian, his voice deep and mysterious.

The group inserted three keys into the lock of the main door, and the keys fit perfectly, as if custom-made. The door slowly opened, and a powerful force surged out, whipping everyone's hair into a whirlwind. But when they stepped through the door, the sight before them stunned them…

The jade pendant fragments floated in mid-air, surrounded by a mysterious light that shimmered like countless dancing stars. Beside the fragments lay the figure of an infant, whose appearance bore a striking resemblance to Ningning. The baby's small face was incredibly adorable. But why was this infant here, and what was its connection to Ningning? Everything remained shrouded in mystery, enveloping everyone's minds…