Chapter 6361 - 6370
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
His voice trembled. “It’s just me! I’m a scout, there are more… more…”
Kai’s hand stopped. “What else?”
A hint of despair flashed in Ying’s eyes. “There are… three great generals… they’ll come to the Fifteenth Heaven in half a month…”
Kai’s brows furrowed slightly. “Three great generals? What are their cultivation levels?”
“Ninth Rank True Immortal… all ninth rank True Immortal…”
Ying’s voice grew weaker and weaker. “The Alliance Leader said… said he’d kill you all…”
Kai was silent for a moment. “Anything else?”
“Nothing else… nothing else… I’ve told you everything I know… please let me go… please…”
Kai looked at him, silent for a long time.
Then, he raised his right hand and gently clenched his fist.
The enclosed space instantly contracted, crushing Ying’s body into dust.
There was no blood, no screams, only a faint cracking sound.
Ying’s concealment technique, his magical artifacts, his soul—all were crushed by the power of space, turning into nothingness.
Kai withdrew his right hand, turned around, and walked towards Cloud City.
In the council hall, everyone was present.
Kai relayed Ying’s words in detail.
The three great generals, all at the ninth rank of True Immortal Realm, would reach the fifteenth heaven in half a month.
Everyone’s face turned deathly pale.
“Ninth rank of True Immortal Realm…” Lang Hao’s voice trembled, “Three…”
“We can’t defeat them.” Ying Wuji’s voice was calm, but there was a trace of despair in his eyes.
Feng Qingzi clenched his fists, “Half a month… only half a month…”
Yun Xi looked at Kai, “How long will it take you to break through to the third rank of True Immortal Realm?”
Kai shook his head: “I don’t know. If there are enough resources, perhaps it will be quick. But…”
With the Demon Suppression Tower, Kai’s cultivation speed could be incredibly fast, but where were the resources?
Every time he advanced to a minor realm, he used a massive amount of resources. He had almost used up all the resources of the major forces in the fifteenth heaven to reach the peak of the second rank of True Immortal Realm.
Although the resources in the fifteenth heaven could still be mined, pills could still be refined, and immortal herbs could still grow, all of these required a very long time.
What they lacked most now was time; they simply couldn’t wait.
Chu Tianxing stood up and walked to the map. “The three great generals are Wei Pengkun’s strongest fighting force. Each of them has experienced thousands of years of life-and-death battles. Their cultivation techniques, magical treasures, and combat experience are far superior to the previous five.
Even if you break through to the third rank of True Immortal Realm, plus the power of chaos, you might not be able to defeat three ninth-rank True Immortal Realm cultivators.”
Kai looked at him. “Then what should we do?”
Chu Tianxing turned around and looked at Kai. “You need help.”
“Help? Where can we find it?”
Chu Tianxing took out a jade slip from his robes and placed it on the table. “This is the contact information for the Sixteenth Heaven Resistance Army. Although we only have a few dozen people in the Fifteenth Heaven, we have thousands of brothers in the Sixteenth Heaven. They are all hiding in various places, and the Divine Alliance cannot possibly eliminate them all.
If we can contact them and have them create chaos in the Sixteenth Heaven to tie down the Divine Alliance’s forces, Wei Pengkun will not dare to send down the three great generals.”
Kai’s eyes lit up. “Can we contact them?”
Chu Tianxing nodded: “Yes. But it will take time, and someone needs to go to the Sixteenth Heaven.”
The council hall fell silent.
Everyone knew what going to the Sixteenth Heaven meant.
That was the territory of the Divine Alliance, teeming with Divine spies and informants.
A single misstep could lead to discovery, pursuit, and death.
“I’ll go,” Kai said calmly.
Everyone’s expression changed.
“No!” Yun Xi was the first to stand up. “You can’t go! You’re our hope! If something happens to you in the Sixteenth Heaven…”
“Precisely because I’m hope, I must go,”
Kai interrupted her. “If I stay in the Fifteenth Heaven, break through to the fourth rank of True Immortal, and then wait for the three great generals to descend and fight them head-on,
even if we win, Wei Pengkun will send even stronger warriors. If a ninth-rank True Immortal isn’t enough, they’ll send a Golden Immortal; if a Golden Immortal isn’t enough, they’ll send someone even stronger. We can’t afford to waste time.”
He looked at Yun Xi, his voice softening. “Only by contacting the resistance forces in the Sixteenth Heaven and having them restrain the Divine Alliance will you have a chance to breathe. Or, I can destroy the Divine Alliance in the Sixteenth Heaven.”
Yun Xi bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall.
“I’ll go with you.” Lang Hao stood up.
“Me too.” Ying Wuji stood up.
“Me too.” Feng Qingzi stood up.
Kai shook his head. “No need. I can go alone. Too many people will only make us more vulnerable.”
He turned to Chu Tianxing. “Elder Chu, give me the Resistance Army’s contact information.”
Chu Tianxing was silent for a long time.
Then, he took out a silver-white jade slip from his robes and handed it to Kai. “This is the Resistance Army’s token. Once you reach the Sixteenth Heaven, find any Resistance Army stronghold, show this jade slip, and they will believe you.”
Kai took the jade slip and put it into his storage ring.
The next morning, before dawn.
Kai stood at the city gate of Cloud City, his blue robe fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.
The Dragon-Slaying Sword hung at his waist, and he held a silver-white jade slip in his hand.
Behind him were Lang Hao, Yun Xi, Jiang Xuelan, Ying Wuji, Feng Qingzi, Chu Tianxing, and the surviving warriors.
“Are you really going?” Yun Xi’s voice was soft.
Kai nodded. ”
You really want to go.” “Then promise me,” Yun Xi looked into his eyes, “you must come back.”
Kai smiled. “I promise you.”
“I’ll go with you…” Jiang Xuelan said at this moment.
“You’re going? The Ice God Palace has just been established, they…”
“They’ve all awakened and are capable of doing a good job. I’m going to the Sixteenth Heaven to find the descendants of the Ice God lineage.”
“Besides, I’m also a member of the God Clan. It will be easier to act once I’m in the Sixteenth Heaven,”
Jiang Xuelan said.
Kai looked at Jiang Xuelan, knowing that once she made up her mind, she wouldn’t change it, so he nodded.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
Yun Xi was envious, but she knew that compared to Jiang Xuelan, her strength was weaker, and she wouldn’t be of much help to Kai.
Kai and Jiang Xuelan leaped into the air, transforming into two streaks of light and disappearing into the horizon.
Behind them, Yun Xi stood at the city gate, watching the fading purple light, and tears finally fell.
“You must come back.”
Kai and Jiang Xuelan entered the void rift.
The feeling within was like being thrown into a giant millstone.
Endless darkness surrounded them, accompanied by the deafening roar of spatial storms.
Terrifying spatial power pressed in from all directions, threatening to grind them to dust.
Kai’s chaotic power flowed across his body, its purple light isolating him from the spatial forces.
Jiang Xuelan’s icy blue divine light also surged, freezing nearby spatial fragments into ice crystals before gently shattering them.
“Almost there,” Kai’s voice echoed in the darkness.
A white dot of light appeared ahead.
The dot grew larger and brighter, eventually transforming into a massive exit.
The two burst out of the rift, landing on unfamiliar land.
Kai steadied himself and looked around.
This place was completely different from the Fifteenth Heaven.
The sky was greyish-white, with two moons hanging high, one silvery-white and the other dark red.
The simultaneous illumination of the two moons dyed the earth a strange silvery-red hue.
The spiritual energy in the air was at least ten times denser than in the fifteenth heaven, and its quality was purer and heavier.
However, at the same time, an invisible pressure surged from all directions, as if an invisible hand was pressing on his shoulder. The laws of
nature were suppressing him.
The laws of nature in the sixteenth heaven were far more stringent than those in the fifteenth heaven; cultivators below the fourth rank of True Immortal would be suppressed to the point of being unable to move an inch.
Kai was currently at the peak of the second rank of True Immortal. Although the power of chaos helped him offset most of the suppression, he could still feel the heavy pressure.
Jiang Xuelan’s face was also somewhat pale.
She was currently at the seventh rank of True Immortal, and the suppression she experienced was much less than Kai’s, but the spatial storm in the void rift still consumed a considerable amount of her spiritual energy.
“This is the sixteenth heaven,” Jiang Xuelan said softly, her gaze sweeping over the surroundings. “It’s more desolate than I imagined.”
Beneath her feet lay an ice plain.
The grayish-white ice stretched to the horizon, barren of any vegetation.
The ice surface was riddled with cracked ravines and weathered icicles, and distant icebergs cast long shadows under the silvery-red moonlight.
A bone-chilling cold permeated the air, along with an indescribable, decaying stench.
Kai crouched down and tapped the ice surface with his fingers.
The ice was thick, so thick that the bottom was invisible.
He could sense an extremely faint power surging beneath the ice, as if something was slumbering.
“Did you sense it?” Jiang Xuelan walked to his side.
“I sensed it.” Kai stood up. “There’s something beneath the ice. Very ancient, very powerful.”
Jiang Xuelan was silent for a moment. “Perhaps it’s the ruins of the Ice God lineage. Our ancestral home records that the ancestral land of the Ice God lineage lies deep within the Sixteenth Heaven.”
Kai nodded. “Let’s scout ahead. We know nothing about this place; we can’t act rashly.”
The two concealed their presence and walked towards the edge of the ice field.
The ice field was vast, seemingly endless.
They walked for a whole day, still without seeing any signs of life.
Only ice, snow, wind, and the two moons that never set.
Kai’s chaotic power flowed across his body, keeping the cold at bay.
Jiang Xuelan herself possessed the bloodline of the Ice God, so the cold of the icy plains had no effect on her; on the contrary, it made her feel exceptionally comfortable.
“Your Ice God bloodline is much more active here than in the Fifteenth Heaven,” Kai noticed, the icy blue light surrounding Jiang Xuelan was brighter than usual.
Jiang Xuelan nodded, “The spiritual energy of heaven and earth here contains a trace of the Ice God’s power, though very weak, it definitely exists. This shows that the Ice God lineage does indeed exist in the Sixteenth Heaven.”
The two continued on their way.
After traveling for about half a day, they finally saw signs of habitation ahead.
It was a caravan.
A dozen or so carriages, dozens of people—beastmen, humans, demons, and a few ghosts.
They were dressed in thick animal skins, wrapped tightly, struggling to move across the icy plains.
The carriages were loaded with goods, covered with tarpaulins, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The cultivation levels of this caravan were not high; the highest was only at the sixth rank of True Immortal.
In a place like the Sixteenth Heaven, such cultivation could only barely protect themselves.
“Let’s go, follow them,” Kai whispered.
The two quietly followed the caravan, maintaining a safe distance.
The caravan members seemed very vigilant, with someone glancing back every now and then, but Kai’s chaotic power completely concealed their presence, and they noticed nothing.
The caravan traveled across the icy plains for about two hours before a small town appeared ahead.
The town was small, with only a few dozen households.
The houses were built of ice blocks, crystal clear, shimmering with a faint blue light under the moonlight.
Tall wooden fences surrounded the town, covered with defensive runes.
Two guards stood at the town gate, one a beastman and the other a human, both with cultivation levels around the fourth rank of True Immortal Realm.
The caravan members exchanged a few words with the guards and then entered the town.
Kai and Jiang Xuelan waited a while before emerging from their hiding place and heading towards the town.
“Halt.” The beastman guard raised his spear, blocking the two. “Who are you?”
Kai clasped his hands in a salute. “A wandering cultivator passing by. Looking for a place to rest.”
The beastman guard sized them up, his gaze lingering on Jiang Xuelan for a moment.
This woman was too beautiful, her temperament too outstanding; she didn’t seem like an ordinary wandering cultivator.
“Where are you from? Where are you going?” the human guard asked, his tone full of vigilance.
“From the south.” Kai casually made up a direction. “Thinking of trying my luck in the north.”
The human guard was silent for a moment, then stepped aside. “Go in. The town isn’t big, there’s only one inn. Don’t cause trouble.”
Kai thanked him and led Jiang Xuelan into the town.
The town’s streets were narrow, lined with shops selling all sorts of goods:
pills, magical artifacts, materials, intelligence. There weren’t many people on the streets, mostly wandering cultivators, but also some beastman and demon merchants.
They saw Kai and Jiang Xuelan, but only glanced at them before looking away.
Strangers were not uncommon in this desolate place.
Kai found the inn.
It was small, with only a few rooms, but very clean.
The innkeeper was an old beastman, a sixth-grade True Immortal, with a scar running from his forehead to his chin, making him look fierce, but his tone was gentle.
“Would you two like to stay?”
“Yes.” Kai took out a handful of crystals and placed them on the counter. “Two rooms, one night.”
The old beastman took the crystals, counted them, and nodded. “Upstairs, on the left, two rooms next to each other.”
He paused, lowering his voice, “Is this your first time in the Ice Plains?”
Kai looked at him: “How did you know?”
The old beastman smiled: “I know everyone in the Ice Plains. You two look unfamiliar; you’re obviously from out of town. I advise you, the Ice Plains haven’t been peaceful lately. The Divine Race patrols are three times more than usual, seemingly searching for someone. If you don’t have anything else to do, leave as soon as possible.”
Kai frowned slightly.
The Divine Race patrols were three times larger than usual?
Who were they looking for?
Were they looking for them?
No, probably not.
They had only just arrived at the Sixteenth Heaven; the Divine Race couldn’t possibly know their whereabouts so quickly.
Then who were they looking for?
“Thank you for the reminder.” Kai took out another handful of crystals and placed them on the counter. “Shopkeeper, I need to ask you something.”
The old beastman’s eyes lit up as he looked at the handful of crystals. “Ask away.”
“What’s deep in the Ice Plains?”
The old beastman’s expression changed. “Why are you asking this?”
“Just curious.”
The old beastman was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice: “Deep in the Ice Plains lies an ancient ruin. Legend has it that it’s the ancestral land of the Ice God lineage, containing countless treasures and cultivation techniques.
For thousands of years, countless people have entered, but no one has ever come out. Some say they were killed by the restrictions within the ruins, others say they were captured by the gods. In any case, that place is forbidden.”
Kai nodded. “Who are the god-race patrols looking for lately?”
The old beastman’s expression grew even more grave. “I don’t know. I only know that half a month ago, the god-race alliance sent a team to the depths of the Ice Plains, and they never returned. After that, patrols increased, as if they were looking for something, or perhaps waiting for someone.”
Kai’s heart skipped a beat.
Half a month ago, the god-race alliance sent a team to the depths of the Ice Plains, and they never returned.
Weren’t those the five people he killed?
Weren’t they here to hunt down Chu Tianxing?
Why did they go to the depths of the Ice Plains?
“Thank you.” Kai took out another handful of crystals and placed them on the counter.
The old beastman accepted the crystals without saying anything more.
“Kai, do you think those ruins are real? How can an innkeeper even mention the Ice God lineage?”
Jiang Xuelan asked curiously.
“It’s possible they’re real, but I think there must be a void passage deep within that ice plain connecting to the Fifteenth Heaven. The God Alliance used this passage to send people to the Fifteenth Heaven to hunt down Chu Tianxing and his group,”
Kai analyzed.
Chu Tianxing and his group used a great deal of resources and strength to barely tear open the void and open the passage to the Fifteenth Heaven, and they only managed to close it after a few breaths.
The God Alliance, however, could easily send people to the Fifteenth Heaven to hunt them down, so they must have found a void passage.
They didn’t forcibly tear open the void like Chu Tianxing and his group did.
“It seems that the people you killed are quite important to the God Alliance,” Jiang Xuelan said.
“Hmm, the scout hasn’t returned either, so the Divine Alliance will definitely take this seriously, and sending out patrols is normal.”
“Let’s rest first and see how things go tomorrow.”
Jiang Xuelan nodded, then stared intently at Kai.
Kai felt the intensity in Jiang Xuelan’s eyes and seemed to understand something.
“The night is long, how about we cultivate together and improve each other’s cultivation?”
Kai took the initiative.
He knew that women were shy about suggesting things first.
“Okay!” Jiang Xuelan nodded, then went inside and started undressing.
Kai followed her in and closed the door.
Then, Jiang Xuelan’s blissful voice came from inside the room, a voice that seemed to bring a touch of spring to the cold icy plains.
The next morning, before dawn, Kai was awakened by a commotion.
He went to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked outside.
At the town gate, a team of Divine Clan cultivators in golden armor were checking people coming in and out.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man at the seventh level of the True Immortal Realm, his face cold and stern, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings like a hawk’s.
Behind him followed more than a dozen Divine Clan cultivators, each with a cultivation level of at least the fifth level of the True Immortal Realm.
Kai frowned.
Kai pushed open the door and went inside.
Jiang Xuelan was already dressed and standing by the window, watching the Divine Clan patrol outside.
Her expression was calm, but there was a hint of seriousness in her eyes.
“You see them?” Kai asked.
“I see them.”
Jiang Xuelan nodded, “Seventh-level True Immortal Realm cultivators, more than a dozen at the fifth level or above. If they fight, we’re not afraid, but it will expose our whereabouts.”
“No need to fight.”
Kai walked to her side, “My Chaos Power can conceal our aura. As long as we don’t expose ourselves, they won’t be able to find us.”
Jiang Xuelan looked at him. “Are you sure?”
Kai smiled. “Sure.”
The two walked out of the inn and headed towards the town gate.
The Divine Clan patrol was checking everyone entering and leaving, one after another, very slowly.
Kai noticed that the magical artifacts in their hands swept over everyone, their light changing according to the examinee’s cultivation level and race.
What were the divine cultivators using these artifacts to detect?
Were they detecting chaotic power?
Kai’s heart sank. He turned to Jiang Xuelan and whispered, “Stay close to me.”
The two walked to the back of the line, waiting to be checked.
People passed by one after another, the artifacts flashing. Some were let through, others were taken aside for questioning.
When it was Kai’s turn, he took a deep breath and activated his chaotic power to completely conceal their auras.
Purple light flowed within their bodies, but not a trace leaked out.
The divine cultivator raised his artifact and swept it over Kai.
The artifact flickered, its light so faint it was almost invisible.
The divine cultivator frowned and swept it again.
This time, the artifact didn’t react.
“Go on,” the divine cultivator waved his hand.
Kai thanked him and led Jiang Xuelan out of the town.
Behind him, the middle-aged man leading the group frowned slightly as he watched Kai’s retreating figure.
He had a feeling that something was off about the young man, but the magic artifact’s test results showed that he was just an ordinary second-grade True Immortal cultivator.
Perhaps it was just his imagination.
“Continue the investigation.” He withdrew his gaze and said to the divine cultivator behind him.
Kai and Jiang Xuelan left Icewind Town and headed deeper into the ice plains.
The town behind them grew farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, until it finally disappeared on the horizon.
Kai stopped and looked back to make sure no one was following before letting out a sigh of relief.
“That was close.” His voice was soft.
Jiang Xuelan looked at him, “Your concealment technique couldn’t even detect you at the seventh rank of True Immortal?”
Kai shook his head, “It’s not that it couldn’t detect me. It’s that my Chaos Power counters all power, including the detection power of that magic artifact. When the light of the magic artifact swept over me, the Chaos Power devoured the detection power, so the magic artifact didn’t react at all.”
A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Xuelan’s eyes, “Chaos Power, indeed, lives up to its reputation.”
Kai smiled, “Let’s go. There’s something waiting for us deep in the ice plains.”
The two continued on their way.
The ice plains grew deeper and colder.
The wind blew from all directions, whipping up ice shards that stung their faces.
Kai’s chaotic energy circulated on his body, keeping the cold at bay.
Jiang Xuelan’s ice god energy circulated within her body; far from feeling cold, she felt exceptionally comfortable. After walking for about half a day, Jiang Xuelan suddenly stopped.
Kai turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Xuelan’s eyes were closed, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were sensing something. “The Ice God’s bloodline… I sensed the Ice God’s bloodline.”
Kai’s eyes lit up. “Where?”
Jiang Xuelan opened her eyes and pointed north. “That direction. It’s far away, but very clear. Not just one, at least three.”
Kai looked in the direction she was pointing.
To the north was a continuous stretch of icebergs, shimmering with a faint blue light under the moonlight.
Deep within the icebergs, something was calling to Jiang Xuelan.
“Let’s go.” Kai took the lead.
The two quickened their pace, heading north.
The wind on the ice plains grew stronger and colder, and the ice on the ground grew thicker and more slippery.
Kai’s chaotic energy circulated on his body, keeping the cold at bay.
Jiang Xuelan’s Ice God’s energy circulated within her body; she not only didn’t feel cold, but instead felt exceptionally comfortable.
After walking for about another half day, the icebergs ahead drew closer.
At the foot of the iceberg, there was a massive fissure, from which blinding white light surged.
The light contained a dense power of the Ice God, causing Jiang Xuelan’s body to tremble involuntarily.
“This is it,” Jiang Xuelan’s voice trembled.
Kai walked to the fissure and looked down.
The fissure was deep, its bottom unseen.
The white light emanating from its depths illuminated the entire fissure.
He could sense an extremely ancient and powerful force slumbering within.
“Let’s go down and take a look,” Kai said, leaping into the fissure.
Jiang Xuelan followed behind him.
The two descended for a long time.
The fissure was much deeper than they had imagined; after descending for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they finally saw the bottom.
At the bottom was an ice-blue platform, vast, hundreds of feet in diameter.
The platform was surrounded by ice walls, inscribed with ancient runes that shimmered with a faint blue light in the darkness. In
the center of the platform lay three people:
two men and one woman, clad in ancient armor, their eyes closed, motionless.
A thin layer of frost covered their bodies, their faces were as pale as paper, and their breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.
Their cultivation levels were True Immortal Realm Seventh Grade, True Immortal Realm Sixth Grade, and True Immortal Realm Fifth Grade.
Jiang Xuelan’s tears welled up instantly.
“The Ice God lineage… they’re still alive…”
She rushed to the three people, knelt down, and placed her hands on their foreheads.
Icy blue divine light surged from her palms and flowed into their bodies.
The three people’s bodies trembled violently, the frost on their bodies began to melt, and color gradually returned to their pale faces.
Kai stood aside, watching this scene, a warm feeling welling up in his heart.
The Ice God lineage was not dead.
People from the Ice God lineage had actually been found here, not just descendants, but true cultivators whose Ice God bloodline had awakened.
No wonder Jiang Xuelan was so excited; it was like suddenly seeing relatives from one’s hometown in a foreign country—not compatriots, but blood relatives, that was the feeling.
Jiang Xuelan’s hands were on the three people’s foreheads, and icy blue divine light surged into their bodies like a tide.
The light was warm and soft, a stark contrast to the chilling aura of the ruins.
The three began to tremble slightly, the frost covering them melting away, turning into droplets that slid down their cheeks.
Kai stood to the side, purple chaotic energy flowing around him, ready to intervene at any moment.
He could sense that the Ice God bloodline within these three was awakening—not the weak, diluted bloodline of countless generations, but a pure, ancient bloodline, sharing the same origin as Jiang Xuelan.
These were true Ice God lineage cultivators.
The first to awaken was the man at the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm.
His eyelashes fluttered slightly, then he slowly opened his eyes.
They were deep blue eyes, with what seemed like swirling ice crystals in the pupils.
His gaze was unfocused, as if he had just woken from a very long dream.
His lips moved, uttering a barely audible sound.
“Where…is this…”
Jiang Xuelan supported his shoulder, her voice soft, “The Ruins of the Ice God. You’re safe.”
The man’s pupils slowly focused, landing on Jiang Xuelan’s face.
He saw the icy blue divine light surrounding her, and the power of the Ice God flowing in her palm.
His body trembled violently, the unfocused look in his eyes instantly replaced by shock.
“You…you are…” His voice trembled, “The Ice God lineage…you are a descendant of the Ice God lineage?”
Jiang Xuelan nodded, “I am the Palace Master of the Ice God Palace, Jiang Xuelan.”
Tears welled up in the man’s eyes.
He struggled to sit up, but his body was too weak, and he collapsed again after only half-rising.
Jiang Xuelan supported him, leaning him against her shoulder.
“Don’t move. You’ve been frozen for too long, your body needs time to recover.”
The man ignored her.
He gripped Jiang Xuelan’s wrist tightly, his voice hoarse and urgent, “Palace Master…I’ve finally waited for you…we’ve waited for you for thousands of years…”
The other two also woke up one after another.
The woman, a sixth-grade True Immortal, had delicate features, silver-white hair, and ice-blue eyes.
Upon waking and seeing Jiang Xuelan for the first time, tears streamed down her face.
The man, a fifth-grade True Immortal, appeared to be the youngest, with a cold and stern face. He remained silent upon waking, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Xuelan, his eyes red-rimmed.
“My name is Bing Wuhen,” the seventh-grade True Immortal spoke first, his voice hoarse. “She is Bing Xue’er, and he is Bing Fenghan. We are both cultivators of the Ice God lineage.
Thousands of years ago, the Divine Alliance began to annihilate the Ice God lineage, forcing us into slavery. Our people refused, and some died, others fled.
The three of us led a group of our people to the depths of the Ice Plains, hoping to find our ancestral land for protection, but we triggered a restriction in the ruins and were frozen here…”
His voice grew weaker and weaker, as if each word required all his strength.
Bing Xue’er leaned against him and continued, “When we were frozen, we were still conscious. We heard sounds outside; the pursuers from the Divine Alliance came and went, came and went. For thousands of years, we thought no one would come again. Until just now… we sensed the aura of the Ice God’s power…”
Bing Fenghan didn’t speak, but his lips trembled slightly.
Jiang Xuelan looked at them, her eyes also reddening. “You’ve suffered. From now on, you don’t need to hide anymore.”
She turned to Kai, “Kai, help them awaken their bloodlines. Their bloodlines have been suppressed by the ice for too long and need the power of chaos to activate them.”
Kai nodded, walked to the three of them, and sat down cross-legged.
Kai placed his hands on Bing Wuhen’s back, and purple chaotic power surged from his palms, flowing into his body through his meridians.
Bing Wuhen’s body jolted violently, letting out a muffled groan.
The power of chaos coursed through his body, gradually dispelling, absorbing, and transforming the frost and impurities that had accumulated in his meridians for thousands of years.
Jiang Xuelan sat before Bing Wuhen, her hands pressed against his chest. Ice-blue divine light surged from her palms, merging with Kai’s power of chaos.
The purple-blue intertwined light enveloped Bing Wuhen’s entire body, which began to glow, growing brighter and brighter, more and more dazzling.
Bing Wuhen felt as if his body was on fire.
Not in pain, but in an indescribable heat.
That heat spread from his dantian to his limbs, from his limbs to every inch of flesh, every bone, every meridian.
The Ice God bloodline within him began to boil, like a dragon that had slumbered for thousands of years finally opening its eyes.
His cultivation began to break through.
True Immortal Realm, early stage, middle stage, late stage, peak.
True Immortal Realm, eighth stage.
He opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath.
That breath was icy blue, condensing into tiny ice crystals in the air, which fluttered to the ground.
His eyes were brighter than before, the ice crystals in his pupils spinning faster.
He could feel that the Ice God power within him was several times stronger than before, his meridians several times wider, and his physical body several times more resilient.
He lowered his head, looking at his hands, and remained silent for a long time.
Then, he raised his head, looked at Jiang Xuelan and Kai, and bowed deeply.
“Palace Master, Mr. Chen, your kindness is immeasurable, Bing Wuhen will never forget it.”
Jiang Xuelan shook her head. “No need to repay, the Ice God lineage is all one family.”
Next was Bing Xue’er.
Kai and Jiang Xuelan used the same method to help her awaken her bloodline.
Her cultivation level broke through from the sixth rank of True Immortal Realm to the seventh rank.
Her hair changed from silver-white to snow-white, her eyes changed from ice-blue to light blue, a faint chill lingered around her, and a thin layer of ice formed on the ground beneath her feet.
Bing Xue’er opened her eyes, looked at her hands, and tears streamed down her face. “So… this is the true Ice God bloodline…”
She looked at Jiang Xuelan, her voice choked with emotion, “Palace Master, I finally know why I always felt something was missing.”
Finally, there was Bing Fenghan.
His cultivation level broke through from the fifth rank of True Immortal Realm to the peak of the sixth rank.
His face was still cold and stern, but his eyes had changed. They were no longer empty, cold, and lifeless, but bright, warm, and hopeful.
He opened his eyes, looked at Kai, and remained silent for a long time.
Then, he said a sentence.
“Thank you.”
Only two words, but Kai understood the weight contained in those two words.
At the very moment Bing Xue’er awakened, a surge suddenly occurred in Kai’s sea of consciousness.
Bei Mingyuan’s remnant soul awakened.
Not the previous violent, angry awakening, but a calm awakening, tinged with a certain expectation.
An icy blue light slowly illuminated Kai’s sea of consciousness, and Bei Mingyuan’s voice echoed in Kai’s mind.
“Kai.”
Kai’s consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness, looking at the icy blue sphere of light. “What’s wrong?”
“I sensed it.” Bei Mingyuan’s voice was soft. “In this ruin, there is a second remnant of my will.”
Kai’s pupils contracted slightly. “A second remnant of my will?”
“Yes.”
Bei Mingyuan’s voice carried a hint of emotion. “Back when I was traveling through the Sixteen Heavens, I left a remnant of my will in the ancestral land of the Ice God lineage to protect its heritage.
Later, the God Clan occupied the ancestral land, and my remnant of my will was trapped there. But in this ruin, there is another one, which I left even earlier to guide future generations to find the ancestral land.”
Kai’s brows furrowed. “You want us to rescue that lingering spirit?”
“Not rescue.”
Bei Mingyuan’s voice turned serious. “It’s fusion. That lingering spirit contains all my understanding and insights into the power of the Ice God. If Jiang Xuelan can fuse with it, her strength will rise to a whole new level. Moreover…”
He paused, “That lingering spirit also contains important information about the God Race.”
Kai was silent for a moment. “Where is that lingering spirit?”
“In the deepest part of the ruins.”
Bei Mingyuan’s voice grew weaker. “It’s sealed by an ancient restriction, and only those with the bloodline of the Ice God can open it. You need to pass through three trials: the Ice Heart Trial, the Ice Soul Trial, and the Ice Spirit Trial. Each trial is a test, and the slightest carelessness will result in annihilation.”
Kai clenched his fists. “I understand.”
He withdrew his divine sense, opened his eyes, and looked at Jiang Xuelan.
“Bei Mingyuan said that there is a second remnant of his will in this ruin. It is sealed in the deepest part by an ancient restriction. We need to pass through three trials to find it.”
Jiang Xuelan’s pupils contracted slightly. “A second remnant of his will?”
“Yes.”
Kai stood up. “After merging with it, your strength will greatly increase. Moreover, the remnant contains important information about the God Race.”
Jiang Xuelan was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Let’s go.”
Kai, Jiang Xuelan, Bing Wuhen, Bing Xue’er, and Bing Fenghan crossed the platform and arrived in front of a huge ice gate.
The ice gate was about ten zhang high and five zhang wide, and its entire body was ice blue, covered with ancient runes.
The patterns of the runes were like winding rivers, shimmering with a faint light in the darkness.
In the very center of the ice gate were three large characters—“Bingxin Pass”.
Bing Wuhen stepped forward and reached out to touch the runes on the ice gate.
As soon as his fingers touched the runes, the light on the ice gate suddenly shone brightly, and the dazzling blue light illuminated the entire platform.
His body jolted violently, bounced back by an invisible force, and he staggered back several steps.
“There’s a restriction on this door,” his voice was strained. “Only those with the bloodline of the Ice God can enter.”
Jiang Xuelan walked to the ice door and placed her hands on it.
Icy blue divine light surged from her palms, flowing into the runes on the ice door.
The runes began to flicker, the blue light growing brighter and more dazzling.
The ice door slowly opened.
Behind the door was an icy blue space.
The space wasn’t large, only a few dozen feet in diameter, but the surrounding ice walls were covered with densely packed runes, which shimmered with a faint blue light in the darkness.
In the center of the space, a crystalline ice blue crystal floated, containing a wisp of white mist.
“The Ice Heart Pass tests one’s state of mind,” Bei Mingyuan’s voice echoed in Kai’s mind. “Only those with a pure heart can pass. A slight misstep will result in being eroded by the power of the Ice Heart, turning into an ice sculpture, forever trapped here.”
Kai took a deep breath and stepped into the ice gate first.
The moment he stepped through, he felt the air around him change.
Not that it became colder, but heavier, as if something was pressing down on his mind.
Various images began to surface in his mind: Su Yuqi’s back as Ning Zhi took her away, Yun Xi’s injured state in the Heavenly Fire Pit, Lang Hao’s fallen figure on the battlefield, and the faces of those who died in battle.
He knew this was a test of the power of the Ice Heart.
It was digging into the deepest fears, guilt, and obsessions within him.
If he couldn’t hold onto his true self, he would be devoured by these emotions and trapped here forever.
He closed his eyes and circulated the power of chaos within his body.
The purple light dispelled the images layer by layer, and his mind gradually calmed down.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing at the other end of the space.
Behind him, the white mist in the ice-blue crystal had dissipated, and the runes on the ice wall had dimmed.
He had passed.
Jiang Xuelan, Bing Wuhen, Bing Xue’er, and Bing Fenghan followed closely behind.
Their faces were tired, but their eyes held a hint of relief at surviving a disaster.
The second ice gate was taller and thicker than the first.
The runes carved on it were denser and more complex.
The patterns of the runes resembled ferocious dragons, shimmering with a ghostly blue light in the darkness.
In the very center of the ice gate were three large characters—”Ice Soul Pass.”
“The Ice Soul Pass tests combat strength,”
Bei Mingyuan’s voice echoed in Kai’s mind. “You need to defeat the guardians manifested by the Ice Soul. The guardians’ strength will vary according to the cultivation level of those who enter. If all five of you enter together, the guardians’ strength will be the sum of your five strengths.”
Kai frowned. “The sum of five people?”
“Yes.” Bei Mingyuan’s voice carried a hint of solemnity. “Therefore, you need to cooperate. No one can win in a one-on-one fight.”
Kai turned around, looking at Jiang Xuelan, Bing Wuhen, Bing Xue’er, and Bing Fenghan.
“Once inside, follow my instructions.”
The four nodded.
The ice gate slowly opened.
Behind the gate was an even more expansive space.
The space spanned several hundred feet in diameter, surrounded by ice walls engraved with battle runes.
In the center stood an ice-blue figure.
It was three feet tall, clad in ice armor, wielding an ice sword, its face blurred except for its blood-red eyes.
The Guardian.
Kai drew his Dragon-Slaying Sword, purple chaotic power flowing across its blade. “Attack!”
The five attacked simultaneously.
Jiang Xuelan’s ice-blue divine light transformed into countless ice needles, shooting towards the Guardian’s eyes.
Bing Wuhen’s ice sword unleashed a hundred-foot-long ice-blue sword beam, slashing down from the front.
Bing Xue’er’s ice whip transformed into an ice serpent, coiling around from the left.
Bing Fenghan’s ice spear transformed into an ice-blue stream of light, thrusting from the right.
Kai’s Dragon-Slaying Sword, imbued with purple chaotic fire, slashed down from directly above.
Five attacks, from five directions, struck simultaneously.
The Guardian did not dodge.
It raised its ice sword and slashed down.
The icy blue sword light collided with the five attacks, unleashing a deafening roar.
The space trembled violently, and the runes on the ice wall flickered wildly.
The five people were forced back several steps, and the guardian also took a step back.
A glint flashed in Kai’s eyes.
The guardian’s strength was indeed equivalent to the combined strength of the five of them.
However, it had a weakness: its speed was slow, and its attack method was limited.
“Jiang Xuelan, Ice Seal!” Kai shouted.
Jiang Xuelan formed hand seals, and icy blue divine light transformed into an ice wall, blocking the guardian.
The guardian shattered the ice wall with a single sword strike, but that brief pause was enough.
“Bing Wuhen, frontal restraint!”
Bing Wuhen rushed forward, his ice sword clashing with the guardian’s ice sword.
His cultivation was inferior to the guardian’s, but he didn’t need to win; he only needed to restrain him.
“Bing Xue’er, left side! Bing Fenghan, right side!”
Bing Xue’er’s ice whip wrapped around the guardian’s left arm, and Bing Fenghan’s ice spear pierced the guardian’s right shoulder.
The guardian’s movements were a beat too slow.
Kai moved.
His purple figure left a trail of afterimages in the void, instantly appearing behind the Guardian.
The Dragon-Slaying Sword, crackling with purple chaotic fire, pierced the Guardian’s back.
The Guardian’s body stiffened abruptly.
The blood-red in its eyes gradually dimmed, and its body began to crumble, transforming into countless ice-blue specks of light.
The specks of light drifted through the space like countless fireflies.
Kai pulled out the Dragon-Slaying Sword and turned around. “Let’s go.”
The five of them traversed the space and arrived before the third ice gate.
The third ice gate was even more ancient and mysterious than the previous two.
The runes on the gate were somewhat blurred, but the aura it emitted was even more terrifying.
The patterns of the runes resembled ancient rivers flowing in the darkness.
In the very center of the ice gate were three large characters—”Ice Soul Pass.”
“The Ice Soul Pass tests one’s bloodline,”
Bei Mingyuan’s voice echoed in Kai’s mind. “Only those with pure Ice God blood can enter. Kai, you cannot go in.”
Kai frowned. “Then Jiang Xuelan will go in alone?”
“Yes,” Bei Mingyuan’s voice was soft. “This is her destiny; she must face it alone.”
Kai turned to look at Jiang Xuelan. “I cannot go in. Be careful.”
Jiang Xuelan nodded without speaking.
She walked to the ice gate and placed her hands on it.
Icy blue divine light surged from her palms, flowing into the runes on the ice gate.
The runes began to flicker, the blue light growing brighter and more dazzling.
The ice gate slowly opened.
Behind the gate was an endless void.
Countless icy blue crystals floated in the void, each containing a wisp of white mist.
At the end of the void, there was an icy blue pillar of light, within which floated a huge ice crystal.
Sealed within the ice crystal was a blurry figure.
Bei Mingyuan’s lingering will.
Jiang Xuelan took a deep breath and stepped into the void.
She walked step by step towards the icy blue pillar of light.
With each step, the surrounding ice crystals lit up, and white mist surged from within them, coalescing into blurry figures before her.
These figures were men and women, old and young, all clad in ancient ice armor, their faces indistinct, but their eyes bright.
The ancestors of the Ice God lineage.
They looked at Jiang Xuelan, silent, but their eyes held a hint of expectation, a hint of relief, and a hint of entrustment.
Tears streamed down Jiang Xuelan’s face.
She passed the illusory figures of her ancestors and stood before the icy blue pillar of light. She reached out and placed her hand on the ice crystals.
The ice crystals shattered.
Bei Mingyuan’s lingering will emerged from the ice crystals, transforming into a beam of icy blue light that entered Jiang Xuelan’s brow.
Jiang Xuelan’s body trembled violently, and an unprecedented power surged from within her.
The icy blue divine light transformed into a pillar of light that shot into the sky, illuminating the entire void. Her cultivation began to break through—the mid-stage, late-stage, and peak of the eighth rank of True Immortal Realm.
She opened her eyes, her eyes filled with tears.
She saw it.
She saw the history of the Ice God lineage, the struggles and sacrifices of her ancestors, the glory and decline of the ancestral land, the terror of the Destroyer and the truth of the seal.
She knew what she had to do.
She turned around and stepped out of the void.
Kai stood before the ice gate, watching Jiang Xuelan emerge.
Her face was somewhat pale, but her eyes were bright, shining like stars in the night.
Icy blue divine light surrounded her, the light more condensed and purer than before.
“Did you succeed?” Kai asked.
Jiang Xuelan nodded. “It’s a success.”
She didn’t say much, but Kai read a lot in her eyes.
“Let’s go.”
Jiang Xuelan turned around, looking at Bing Wuhen, Bing Xue’er, and Bing Fenghan. “Back to the ancestral land. The Ice God lineage should see the light of day again.”
Bing Wuhen’s eyes reddened. “Palace Master, we’ve waited for this day for thousands of years.”
Bing Xue’er cried.
Bing Fenghan didn’t speak, but his fists were clenched tightly.
The five of them walked out of the ruins and onto the icy plain.
Five people emerged from the ruins and stepped onto the icy plain.
The silvery-red moonlight cast long, elongated shadows on the ice.
Behind them, the white light emanating from the massive crack gradually dimmed, like a door closing.
The ancient aura of the ruins dissipated as the crack closed, leaving only a biting wind and swirling ice shards on the icy plain.
Kai stopped and glanced back.
The crack had completely closed, the ice surface smooth as a mirror, showing no trace.
But a vague unease lingered in his heart; the ruins had been opened, and their aura had leaked out.
On this icy plain, heavily monitored by the gods, such fluctuations couldn’t possibly go unnoticed.
“Hurry up,” he said softly, but with a hint of urgency.
Jiang Xuelan glanced at him but remained silent.
She too could sense the overwhelming power of the Ice God released when the ruins opened; cultivators within a thousand miles could perceive it.
If a patrol of the gods was nearby, they would find them soon.
Bing Wuhen walked at the head of the group, his steps steady.
His cultivation had broken through to the eighth rank of the True Immortal Realm, making him a whole realm stronger than before he was frozen.
But his face showed no joy, only solemnity.
He knew the Divine Alliance would not let any Ice God bloodline user go.
This was true thousands of years ago, and it would remain true thousands of years later.
Bing Xue’er followed behind Bing Wuhen, her long, snow-white hair fluttering in the wind.
She held a long, ice-blue whip in her hand, its tip gleaming with a faint, cold light.
Her eyes constantly scanned her surroundings, wary of any potential danger. Bing
Fenghan walked at the very back, silent.
He held an ice spear in his hand, the tip gleaming with a ghostly blue light under the moonlight.
His footsteps were light, almost inaudible.
But his eyes were bright, as bright as stars in the night.
The five of them traveled swiftly across the ice plains for about two hours when golden rays appeared on the horizon ahead.
The light was faint, almost invisible, but Kai’s chaotic power sensed all forces, and he detected it immediately.
“Stop.” Kai raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt.
All five stopped simultaneously, lying prone on the ice.
Kai lay prone, pressing his ear to the ice and closing his eyes.
Chaotic power surged from his body, spreading forward along the ice. He could sense dozens of auras rapidly approaching, golden, blazing, and radiating the holy light unique to the divine race.
“Divine race pursuers.”
Kai opened his eyes, his voice calm. “A True Immortal Realm Rank 8 leader, at least thirty True Immortal Realm Rank 5 or higher cultivators.”
Bing Wuhen’s pupils contracted slightly. “Thirty? We only have five people.”
“Not thirty.”
Kai stood up, looking at the faintly visible golden light in the distance. “It’s thirty-seven. The leader is a True Immortal Realm Rank 8 mid-stage, there are three True Immortal Realm Rank 7, and the rest are True Immortal Realm Rank 5 and Rank 6.”
Jiang Xuelan frowned. “Can we defeat them?”
Kai was silent for a moment, then smiled.
The smile was faint, almost imperceptible, but at that moment, everyone felt a chill.
“We can win,”
his voice was calm, “but we can’t let them escape. If anyone escapes back to report, the Divine Alliance will know our whereabouts, and we’ll be in big trouble.”
Bing Wuhen gripped his ice sword tightly. “You mean annihilate them all?”
“Annihilate them all.” Kai turned to the four of them. “I need you to help me set a trap.”
There was a naturally formed ice canyon on the ice plains, with towering ice walls on both sides, and only a narrow passage for entry and exit.
At the bottom of the canyon was an open space, scattered with countless huge ice spikes, like countless ice spears pointing to the sky.
Kai stood at the entrance of the canyon, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction. “This is it.”
Jiang Xuelan walked to his side, looking at the terrain of the canyon. “You want to lure the Divine Race pursuers in and then seal the exit?”
“Yes.”
Kai pointed to the ice walls on both sides of the canyon. “You and Bing Wuhen hide on the left ice wall, and Bing Xue’er and Bing Fenghan hide on the right. Once all the Divine Race pursuers have entered the canyon, you two will attack simultaneously to seal the entrance and exit. Leave the rest to me.”
Bing Wuhen frowned. “You alone? There are thirty-seven people on the other side, and the leader is a True Immortal Realm Eighth Grade…”
“I know.”
Kai interrupted her. “But I have the power of chaos. Their holy light is like paper in front of me. As long as you seal the entrance and exit and don’t let them escape, I alone am enough.”
Bing Wuhen looked at Kai, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He had seen many people, but he had never seen anyone like this. A True Immortal Realm Second Grade Peak, facing thirty-seven enemies whose realms were far superior to his, his face showed no fear, only calmness.
That calmness was not feigned, but a confidence that emanated from his very bones.
“Okay.” Bing Wuhen nodded. “I believe you.”
Bing Xue’er and Bing Fenghan also nodded.
The five of them quickly took their positions.
Kai stood on the ice plain outside the canyon entrance. Jiang Xuelan and Bing Wuhen hid on the ice wall to the left, while Bing Xue’er and Bing Fenghan hid on the ice wall to the right.
The five of them concealed their auras, becoming like five lifeless ice stones, blending into the surrounding ice and snow.
The golden light in the distance grew brighter and closer.
Kai stood on the ice plain, his cyan robe fluttering in the wind, the Dragon-Slaying Sword hanging at his waist, the purple light on the blade already reduced to its extreme.
His eyes were purple, and stars seemed to be spinning in his pupils.
He looked at the approaching golden light, a slight smile playing on his lips.
“It’s here.”
The golden light swept across the ice plain, like a golden river, flowing towards the ruins.
Leading the way was a tall, powerful cultivator of the Divine Race, a mid-stage eighth-rank True Immortal, with a cold face and hawk-like eyes.
Behind him followed thirty-six divine cultivators, each of whom possessed a cultivation level of at least the fifth rank of the True Immortal Realm.
They wore golden armor and held golden longswords, holy light swirling around them, dispelling the chill of the icy plains.
The leading cultivator, the deputy commander under the Shadow Warrior, was named Jin Lie.
Suddenly, he raised his hand, signaling the group to halt.
“My lord, what’s wrong?” a cultivator behind him asked.
Jin Lie’s gaze swept around, his brow furrowing slightly. “The aura of the ruins has disappeared.”
“Disappeared? Could it be…”
“Shut up.”
Jin Lie interrupted him, his gaze settling on the icy canyon ahead.
His intuition told him something was wrong.
But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
The icy canyon was a common natural feature of the icy plains, showing no unusual fluctuations in aura.
“My lord, shall we continue?” a cultivator behind him asked.
Jin Lie was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Continue. The Alliance Leader said, we must find them alive or dead.”
The group continued forward, surging towards the Ice Canyon.
Jin Lie walked at the front, and the moment he stepped into the Ice Canyon, his steps faltered.
His intuition warned him again that something was wrong.
But he looked around and found nothing.
There was only ice on the ice walls, only snow on the ground, and only wind in the air.
“Keep going,” he waved his hand.
Thirty-seven divine race cultivators filed in, stepping into the Ice Canyon.
The group wound its way through the canyon, the golden holy light illuminating the ice walls.
Jin Lie walked at the front, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
He held a golden longsword in his hand, its blade shimmering with dazzling holy light.
When the last divine race cultivator stepped into the canyon, Kai moved.
He stood up from the ice field outside the canyon entrance, purple chaotic power flowing around him, completely dispelling his concealment.
His eyes were purple, with stars seemingly swirling within their pupils.
He gripped the Dragon-Slaying Sword, its blade crackling with purple chaotic fire.
“Attack!”
His voice echoed through the canyon like thunder.
Jiang Xuelan burst forth from the left ice wall, her icy blue divine light forming a wall that sealed the canyon entrance.
The ice wall was tens of feet high and several feet thick, covered with densely packed ice-sealing runes, completely blocking the entrance.
Bing Wuhen also burst forth from the left ice wall, his icy blue sword light slashing at the canyon’s exit, sealing it off.
The sword light transformed into an icy blue light curtain, its surface flowing with ancient runes of the Ice God lineage, sealing the exit completely.
Bing Xue’er and Bing Fenghan emerged from the right ice wall, their ice whips and spears striking simultaneously, activating the defensive runes on the ice walls on both sides of the canyon.
Icy blue light shone from the ice walls, enveloping the entire canyon.
Thirty-seven divine cultivators were trapped in the canyon, unable to advance or retreat.
Jin Lie’s expression changed. “An ambush! Form ranks!”
The thirty-seven divine cultivators quickly formed ranks, golden holy light flowing around them, condensing into a massive golden light shield.
The shield had five layers, each containing the supreme laws of the divine race.
Kai walked in from the canyon entrance, step by step, unhurried and deliberate.
His footsteps echoed through the canyon, each step feeling like a blow to the hearts of the divine cultivators.
Purple chaotic power surrounded him, the light not violent, but quiet, like a sleeping dragon.
Jin Lie’s pupils contracted. “You…who are you?”
Kai did not answer.
He raised the Dragon-Slaying Sword, purple chaotic fire burning on its blade.
The temperature of the flames was so high that the surrounding air began to distort, and the ice on the ice wall began to melt, turning into water droplets that flowed down the ice wall.
“Kill him!” Jin Lie roared.
The thirty-seven divine cultivators attacked simultaneously.
Golden holy light surged towards Kai like a tidal wave, transforming into countless blades, spears, and swords of light, overwhelming him
with their power. Each attack was enough to level a mountain.
Kai did not dodge.
He raised the Dragon-Slaying Sword and slashed down.
The purple sword light collided with the golden holy light.
There was no explosion, no loud noise; the golden holy light was like paper before the power of chaos, instantly torn apart, devoured, and dissipated.
The sword light continued forward, blasting away the dozen or so Divine Race cultivators at the front.
They crashed heavily against the ice wall, spitting out blood, unable to rise again.
Jin Lie’s face turned deathly pale. “You…you are the one who possesses the power of chaos…”
Kai remained silent.
He took a step forward, his purple figure leaving an afterimage in the void, instantly appearing before Jin Lie. The
Dragon-Slaying Sword, imbued with purple chaotic fire, pierced towards Jin Lie’s chest.
Jin Lie desperately raised his golden sword to block.
The longsword clashed with the Dragon-Slaying Sword. The golden longsword, before the power of chaos, was like rotten wood, shattering instantly.
The Dragon-Slaying Sword continued forward, piercing Jin Lie’s chest.
Purple chaotic fire surged from the sword, igniting Jin Lie’s body.
He let out a shrill scream, his body burning in the flames. His holy light, like paper before the chaotic fire, was instantly swallowed.
His eyes widened in disbelief, even in death.
“You…you’ll regret this…” His voice grew weaker and weaker, finally fading completely.
Jin Lie was dead.
The remaining divine cultivators, seeing their leader killed with a single sword strike, utterly collapsed.
They threw down their weapons and turned to flee.
But the entrance and exit of the canyon were sealed; they had nowhere to escape.
Jiang Xuelan plunged down from the ice wall, her icy blue divine light transforming into countless ice needles, freezing more than a dozen divine cultivators into ice sculptures.
Bing Wuhen’s ice sword unleashed a hundred-foot-long sword beam, cleaving seven or eight divine cultivators in two.
Bing Xue’er’s ice whip wrapped around the neck of a divine cultivator, and with a gentle pull, his head rolled to the ground.
Bing Feng Han’s ice spear pierced the chest of another divine cultivator, pinning him to the ice wall.
Kai stood in the center of the canyon, watching the fleeing divine cultivators, his eyes devoid of emotion.
He raised his Dragon-Slaying Sword and slashed down, one strike after another.
Each strike took a life, purple sword light flashing in the canyon, golden blood flowing on the ice.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all thirty-seven divine cultivators were lifeless.
The canyon fell silent.
Thirty-seven corpses lay on the ice, golden blood staining the white ice a dark gold.
The air was thick with the stench of burning and blood, thick smoke rising from the corpses and drifting through the canyon.
Kai stood amidst the corpses, his blue robe stained with golden blood, but his face remained expressionless.
He turned around and looked at the last Divine Race cultivator, a young True Immortal Realm fifth-grade cultivator, pinned to the ice wall by Bing Fenghan’s ice spear, yet still alive.
His face was deathly pale, his eyes filled with terror.
He had seven or eight wounds on his body, each bleeding profusely.
His left arm was severed, and his right leg was pierced by the ice spear; he hung on the ice wall like a rag doll.
Kai walked up to him, drew the Dragon-Slaying Sword, and pressed it against his throat.
“How many of you came? Are there any pursuers behind us?”
The cultivator’s lips trembled, his teeth chattering. “I…I don’t know…”
Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the Dragon-Slaying Sword drew closer.
The tip of the sword pierced the skin, and golden blood flowed down the blade.
“I’ll ask you one more time. How many of you came? Are there any pursuers behind us?”
Tears and snot streamed down the cultivator’s face. “I’ll talk… I’ll talk… We’re just the vanguard… There’s… there’s General Shadow Warrior behind us… He’s leading a thousand elite troops… Behind us…”
Kai frowned. “General Shadow Warrior? What’s his cultivation level?”
“Ninth Rank True Immortal… Ninth Rank True Immortal…”
The cultivator’s voice grew weaker and weaker. “The Alliance Leader said… said you came to the Sixteenth Heaven… and ordered General Shadow Warrior to be in charge of the pursuit… He wants to see you alive… or dead…”
Kai was silent for a moment. “Where is General Shadow Warrior?”
“At… at the camp on the edge of the Ice Plains… He told us to come and explore the ruins first… He’ll be there soon…”
Kai sheathed his Dragon Slayer Sword, turned around, and looked at Jiang Xuelan.
“Finished questioning.”
Jiang Xuelan nodded, raised her hand, and a beam of icy blue divine light shot into the cultivator’s brow.
The cultivator’s body stiffened abruptly, then slowly collapsed, his eyes still open, but he was already lifeless.
Bing Wuhen walked to Kai’s side, looked at the corpses, and remained silent for a long time. “Shadow Warrior, a ninth-grade True Immortal. We can’t beat him.”
“I know,” Kai’s voice was calm. “So we can’t fight head-on. We need to find help.”
“Help? Where to find them?” Bing Xue’er’s voice trembled slightly.
Kai took out a silver-white jade slip from his robes, the resistance token given to him by Chu Tianxing. “There’s a human resistance army in the Sixteenth Heaven. They’re in the Free Valley of the Eastern Region. We need to find them.”
Bing Wuhen frowned. “The Free Valley of the Eastern Region? That’s human territory, our Ice God lineage…”
“The Ice God lineage is also an enemy of the gods,”
Kai interrupted him. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Let’s go, we can’t stay here. Shadow Warrior will soon find out his men are dead, and then he won’t be able to leave even if he wants to.”
The five of them quickly left the Ice Valley and sped towards the Eastern Region.
Behind them, in the Ice Valley, thirty-seven corpses lay silently under the moonlight, golden blood congealing on the ice, turning into dark golden ice crystals.
…
The edge of the ice plains, the god camp.
The Shadow General sat in the main tent, eyes closed, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
His face was cold and stern, his long black hair tied back, and he wore a black battle armor covered in concealment runes.
His cultivation was at the ninth rank of the True Immortal Realm, making him the most skilled in concealment and assassination among Wei Pengkun’s three generals.
Before him floated a jade tablet.
The light on the tablet grew dimmer and weaker.
It was Jin Lie’s life tablet; the light on it represented the life of its owner.
When the light completely extinguished, it meant Jin Lie was dead.
The Shadow General opened his eyes, looked at the jade tablet, and remained silent for a long time.
“Dead.” His voice was soft, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. “Thirty-seven people, all dead.”
He stood up, walked out of the main tent, and looked towards the depths of the icy plains.
There, the fluctuations of the icy ruins had disappeared, but his intuition told him that those who killed Jin Lie were fleeing towards the Eastern Region.
“Pass down the order.” His voice was cold. “Gather all forces and pursue them.”
“My lord, which direction should we pursue them?” the cultivator behind him asked.
The Shadow General’s lips curled slightly. “The Eastern Region. They’re going to Free Valley to find the Resistance Army.”
The cultivator behind him changed his expression. “My lord, Free Valley is the territory of the Human Resistance Army, we…”
“I know.” The Shadow General interrupted him. “So we can’t let them in. We must intercept them before they reach Free Valley.”
He turned around and walked into the main tent.
“Messenger.”
“Yes!”
“Notify the Alliance Leader that the person possessing the power of chaos is in the Sixteenth Heaven Ice Plains area, and request the Alliance Leader to send reinforcements.”
“Yes!”
The Shadow General sat in the main tent, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
The sound echoed in the empty tent, like the tolling of a death knell.
“Kai… the power of chaos… interesting.” His voice was soft, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
…
Kai and his five companions traveled swiftly across the ice plains all night.
At dawn, they finally emerged from the ice plains.
The ice beneath their feet had turned into gray-black rock, and the biting cold in the air gradually dissipated, replaced by a dry wind carrying the scent of sand and dust.
The two moons in the sky had set, replaced by a golden sun.
The sunlight shone on the wasteland, dyeing everything a golden-red.
Kai stopped and looked back.
The ice field receded into the distance behind them, becoming a gray-white line.
He breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not let his guard down; Shadow Warrior was still chasing them, and they were not yet safe.
“Let’s rest for a bit.” Kai sat down on a rock and took out some pills and crystals from his storage ring, distributing them to everyone.
The long journey had left each of them exhausted, and they needed to replenish their strength.
Bing Wuhen sat beside him, took the pills, but did not eat them. “Mr. Chen, are you sure the resistance will help us?”
Kai looked at him. “Not sure. But we have to try.”
Bing Wuhen was silent for a moment. “What if the resistance doesn’t want to help us?”
Kai smiled. “Then we’ll persuade them.”
Bing Xue’er sat to the side, hugging her knees, looking at the distant sky.
There was a trace of confusion and a trace of expectation in her eyes.
Thousands of years of ice had changed the outside world.
She didn’t know what awaited her, but she knew that as long as the Palace Master and Kai were there, she wouldn’t be afraid.
Bing Fenghan stood on a high rock, gazing into the distance.
He held an ice spear in his hand, the cold light at the tip shimmering with a faint blue glow in the sunlight.
His eyes were bright, as bright as stars in the night.
Jiang Xuelan walked to Kai’s side and sat down. “Kai, what do you think is in Freedom Valley?”
Kai thought for a moment. “Hope.”
Jiang Xuelan looked at him without speaking.
She knew that the hope Kai spoke of wasn’t just the hope of the resistance army, but the hope of all races oppressed by the gods.
Kai stood up, dusted himself off, and said, “Let’s go. There’s still a long way to go.”
The five of them stood up and continued their journey towards the Eastern Region.
They walked for another three days across the wasteland.
The gray-black rocks beneath their feet were gradually replaced by sparse grass, which then turned into low shrubs.
The air was no longer dry, carrying a hint of damp earth.
The sun rose in the east and set in the west, and two moons appeared alternately in the night, like two silent watchmen.
Kai rarely spoke along the way.
His gaze remained fixed ahead, occasionally glancing back at the path they had come from.
The Shadow Warriors’ pursuers hadn’t appeared, but he knew it wasn’t because they had shaken them off, but because the pursuers were waiting, waiting for them to lower their guard, waiting for them to reveal their weaknesses.
On the evening of the third day, a mountain range appeared ahead.
The range stretched endlessly, its peaks soaring into the clouds, their slopes covered in dense vegetation, a deep green hue in the setting sun.
The entrance to the range was a narrow canyon, its sides flanked by steep cliffs covered in vines and moss, appearing no different from any other ravine.
Bing Wuhen stopped, looking at the canyon, his brow furrowing slightly. “Is this it? Freedom Valley?”
Kai didn’t answer.
He walked to the canyon entrance, closed his eyes, and drew chaotic energy from within.
Purple light spread forward along the ground, like an invisible serpent, disappearing into the crevices of the rocks deep within the canyon.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.
“There’s a restriction. Very well hidden; you wouldn’t find it unless you were deliberately searching.”
He took out the silver-white jade slip from his robes and held it in his palm.
A faint light flowed across the jade slip, resonating with some power deep within the canyon.
On the rock walls on both sides of the canyon, the previously ordinary vines and moss began to glow. The light converged into runes, which flickered in the air a few times before slowly dissipating.
The entrance to the canyon had changed.
The narrow passage widened, and a smooth stone path appeared beneath their feet. Two rows of stone pillars stood on either side of the path, their surfaces engraved with defensive runes.
At the end of the path, a stone gate could be vaguely seen.
“Let’s go,” Kai said, taking the first step.
The five of them walked forward along the stone path.
The path was long and winding, with openings appearing from time to time in the mountain walls. People peered out from these openings, but no one came out to stop them.
They wore various kinds of clothing—humans, beastmen, demons, and even a few ghosts.
Their cultivation levels were all quite high, the lowest being at the fourth rank of True Immortal.
They looked at Kai and his group with wariness and curiosity in their eyes.
At the end of the stone path was a stone gate.
The stone gate was enormous, several dozen feet high, carved from a single piece of mountain stone, with two large characters engraved on it—”Freedom. ”
Two guards stood before the gate, both human, at the sixth rank of the True Immortal realm.
Upon seeing the silver-white jade slip in Kai’s hand, their expressions changed, and they quickly stepped aside.
“Elder Chu Tianxing’s token?” one of the guards asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Kai nodded. “I need to see your leader.”
The guards exchanged a glance, and one of them turned and ran through the stone gate.
A moment later, the stone gate slowly opened.
Behind it lay a vast valley.
The valley was enormous, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Wooden houses and stone halls were scattered throughout the valley, arranged in a pleasing, irregular pattern.
A small river flowed through the valley, its water crystal clear, with a few fallen leaves floating on its surface.
People were washing clothes, drawing water, and chatting by the river.
Children chased and played in the open space, their laughter ringing out.
On the distant hillside, people were training; the sounds of clashing swords and shouts mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.
This didn’t seem like a secret base; it was more like an ordinary mountain village.
Kai stood at the entrance, watching all this, a strange feeling welling up inside him.
These people, these people oppressed, hunted, and driven away by the gods, had built a home here.
A home where there was no need to hide, no need to fear, no need to bow one’s head.
A middle-aged man walked out from the depths of the valley.
He looked to be in his forties, tall and strong, with a resolute face, short black hair, and wearing a gray robe.
His steps were quick but steady, each step firm and solid.
His cultivation was at the peak of the eighth rank of the True Immortal Realm, a level higher than Bing Wuhen.
His eyes were bright, like torches in the night.
He walked up to Kai, his gaze falling on the silver-white jade slip in Kai’s hand, then looking at Kai’s face.
“Chu Tianxing’s token. Are you Kai?”
Kai nodded. “Are you Lin Yuan?”
The middle-aged man didn’t answer, but instead extended his hand.
Kai handed him the jade slip. Lin Yuan took the jade slip, examined it carefully for a moment, then looked up at Kai.
His eyes held a complex mix of emotions: admiration, doubt, and an inexplicable expectation.
“Is Master alright in the Fifteenth Heaven?” his voice was low.
“He was injured, but his condition has stabilized,” Kai said. “He sent me to find you, saying you need help.”
Lin Yuan was silent for a moment, then returned the jade slip to Kai. “Come with me.”
He turned and walked towards the depths of the valley.
Kai followed behind him, followed by Jiang Xuelan, Bing Wuhen, Bing Xue’er, and Bing Fenghan.
Deep in the valley stood a stone hall, slightly larger than the surrounding buildings, but not by much.
The hall’s doors were open, revealing a spacious hall.
In the center of the hall was a long table with a map spread out on it.
The map marked the various regions of the Sixteenth Heaven, using different colored markers to indicate the strongholds, troop deployments, and patrol routes of the Divine Alliance.
The red markers were densely packed, almost covering the entire map.
Lin Yuan walked to the table, turned around, and looked at Kai.
“Master mentioned your deeds in the jade slip: possessing the power of chaos, a True Immortal of the second rank slaying five True Immortals of the eighth rank, and uniting various races in the Fifteenth Heaven to overthrow the Judgment Hall.”
His voice was calm, but every word carried weight. “To be honest, I don’t quite believe it.”
Kai remained silent.
Lin Yuan continued, “It’s not that I doubt Master’s judgment. But you should understand that the Fifteenth Heaven is different from the Sixteenth Heaven.
The divine alliance here isn’t some small-scale skirmish like the Judgment Hall. Any general here has a higher cultivation level than a Judgment Venerable.
You say you killed five True Immortals of the eighth rank, but none of us here witnessed it.”
Kai nodded. “How do you want to see it?”
Lin Yuan smiled.
He turned and called out to the outside of the hall, “Old Zhao, come in.”
A burly man walked in.
He wore a fur vest, revealing two thick, scarred arms.
His cultivation was at the fifth rank of True Immortal Realm. His expression was fierce, but his eyes held a kind of憨厚 (honest and simple) light.
He walked to Lin Yuan’s side, sized Kai up and down, then grinned.
“Chief, you called me?”