At that moment, when the White Toad lunged towards Zhou Chun, both Zhou Chun himself and Zhou Mingde at his side were filled with terror, their faces stricken with fear.
For an instant, their minds were flooded with countless dreadful thoughts.
Zhou Chun exerted all his strength to activate the "Golden Cauldron Profound Light" to protect himself.
However, the Body Protecting Golden Light shattered with ease under the White Toad's crushing force, as if it were made of paper.
Immediately after, the toad collided into Zhou Chun's body.
Witnessing this scene, Zhou Mingde immediately closed his eyes in despair.
At that time, a bright white light was shining on Zhou Chun's body, dazzling and blinding, completely enveloping him.
But this extraordinary phenomenon lasted for merely a few breaths before it rapidly dissipated.
When Zhou Mingde opened his eyes again, Zhou Chun had already fallen unconscious, his life in jeopardy.
Zhou Mingde's eyes were filled with suspicion and dread as he looked at the unconscious Zhou Chun on the ground.
He quickly struggled to stand up from the ground and, gritting his teeth, swiftly summoned back his Flying Sword that had fallen to the ground and directed it towards Zhou Chun.
In the end, the crimson Flying Sword halted an inch above Zhou Chun's neck and stopped there.
Then, Zhou Mingde sat down on the spot, his gaze fixed on Zhou Chun, maintaining this state.
Based on what he had witnessed, he suspected that the White Toad could have possessed Zhou Chun or snatched his body.
If that were the case, Zhou Chun's Divine Soul was likely erased, and he could be declared dead.
But that was just his speculation.
After all, Zhou Chun was the Clan Leader of the Zhou Family, the cultivator with the most promise of reaching Core Formation.
Unless absolutely necessary, Zhou Mingde certainly would not personally kill Zhou Chun.
Having waited for an indeterminable amount of time, Zhou Chun's eyelids finally began to twitch, and he opened his eyes.
Seeing this, Zhou Mingde immediately said in a stern voice, "Don't move, stay still for now!"
Hearing his tense and severe command, the freshly awakened Zhou Chun was startled and blinked his eyes, then noticed the crimson Flying Sword hovering above his neck.
His expression changed, and he quickly realized why Zhou Mingde was so anxious.
He promptly lay still in obedience and replied earnestly, "Supreme Elder, rest assured, I won't move an inch without your command."
This familiar tone slightly eased Zhou Mingde's tension.
But it was only a little relief, as he still didn't dare to be careless.
He slowly said, "You are aware of what just happened, Zhengchun. Now check yourself and give me a reliable answer!"
"I understand, Elder," Zhou Chun responded and immediately examined his own body with his Divine Sense.
This inspection gave him quite a shock.
While checking, he distinctly felt a chill in his lower abdomen.
When his mind focused on this cold area, he discovered that a mysterious white pearl had appeared in his Dantian without his knowledge.
The pearl lay still in a corner of his Dantian, motionless like a lifeless object.
Zhou Chun's Divine Sense touched it but was repelled, as if being refused communication.
It felt to Zhou Chun as if the pearl was disdainful of his low Cultivation Level, deeming him unworthy to converse with it.
Seeing this, Zhou Chun didn't dare to do anything rash, he just checked the rest of his Dantian and found nothing unusual. He then returned his mind to normal and reported the changes within his body to Zhou Mingde.
"You say there's a white Jade Bead within your Dantian?"
Zhou Mingde was slightly startled, disbelief flickering in his eyes, not expecting such an answer.
Zhou Chun too found the situation extremely strange, but at that moment he could only earnestly nod in affirmation and say, "Yes, every word I've said is true, without a shred of deception!"
Seeing his sincere demeanor, Zhou Mingde was momentarily unsure about what to do.
The two of them stared at each other for a while before Zhou Mingde finally spoke slowly, "Alright then, release your Spirit Pet and Demon Insects to see. If you can still command them, I'll believe that you haven't been possessed or had your body snatched away!"
Zhou Family Cultivators contracted their Spirit Pets using a secret technique called the "Soul Controlling Blood Array," creating a link between their Divine Souls and the Demon Beasts.
It was similar for the Demon Insects contracted by Zhou Chun.
If Zhou Chun had been body-snatched, creatures such as the Silver Lightning Python, Baibai, and the Golden Winged Tiger would sense the difference and show abnormal behavior upon their release.
The Demon Insects would definitely reveal more noticeable signs.
However, this was not absolute; if the entity that had taken over Zhou Chun had a high enough realm, it was difficult to say whether they could compensate for this discrepancy.
If that were indeed the case, Zhou Mingde felt that even if he were deceived, it wouldn't be unjust.
So, at this point, his heart nearly believed Zhou Chun's words.
Being smart, Zhou Chun of course realized this as well.
Thereupon, he promptly slapped his Spirit Beast Pouch at his waist and released three Spirit Pets and two kinds of Demon Insects.
It was clear to see that upon abruptly appearing in the deep, cold ice cavern, the three Demon Beasts and two types of Demon Insects let out uncomfortable hisses and growls.
Yet, they showed no unfamiliarity towards Zhou Chun, their master, and obeyed the commands he issued.
Observing this, Zhou Mingde's expression relaxed, and he recalled his Flying Sword with a wave of his hand.