Chapter 102: Ice Snow Palace

I'm waiting for you below.

The Yaochi Holy Maiden's voice was soft and melodious, crystal‑clear flower petals fluttered, carrying waves of fragrance; she resembled a banished immortal, slowly descending.

Yang Zhu nodded, and behind him a world spontaneously evolved; his whole being nearly merged with the Great Dao, seeming illusory and quite ethereal.

He stood between heaven and earth, contemplating the traces of the Great Dao, his mind and spirit tranquil and ethereal.

Swish!

A figure flashed and arrived in midair, revealing the Divine City.

I know some fellow cultivators harbor ill intentions, but I, Yaochi, declare here tonight: whoever dares to act will not be spared by Yaochi.

The Yaochi Holy Mother bore a dignified demeanor, noble and graceful; her face bore a smile, yet she carried an inherent authority, imposing without anger.

Since his birth, Yang Zhu has been alive for just over half a year, yet he already possesses an invincible momentum, suppressing all heavenly prodigies and divine bodies so they cannot lift their heads.

The vast majority were amazed by him, yet they could not avoid being wary of certain forces; even at great risk, they would seek an opportunity to strike.

Yaochi dislikes getting involved in disputes, yet its inheritance is the oldest, its foundation the deepest; among the several great holy lands, its strength is unquestionably foremost.

Moreover, Yaochi enjoys a good reputation; other factions, to varying degrees, seek them out, and few would dare to oppose them.

Now the Yaochi Holy Mother has stepped forward; anyone who still wishes to act at this moment is courting death, destined to become Yaochi's enemy, and the outcome is self‑evident.

The Queen Mother laughed, "Yang Zhu is your honored guest; how could we harbor any other thoughts?"

The Swaying Light Holy Master laughed, saying he had several times received aid from Yaochi, escaped danger, and was eager to maintain friendly relations.

Exactly, opposing Yaochi is nothing but asking for suffering.

The other holy masters likewise echoed.

The Yaochi Holy Mother was very dignified; she smiled and gave a slight nod, then turned into a beam of light and vanished on the spot.

His talent is almost monstrous enough, but his backing is also incredibly strong.

Li Heishui clicked his tongue, lamenting that people truly cannot compare.

"Not bad, not bad, you black fellow still have some self‑awareness." The Big Black Dog, big‑headed and broad‑faced, was quite arrogant.

"Black Emperor, why don't you tell us about Yang Zhu's background…"

Ye Fan's smile was bright; he also threw caution to the wind, taking out a fist‑sized divine source and looking at the Big Black Dog as if trying to curry favor.

Ye Fan was also curious about Yang Zhu's identity, but he had always been embarrassed to ask directly.

Setting aside other matters, the fact that the greedy Big Black Dog could be so obedient is something an ordinary person could not achieve.

Ye Fan knew the Black Emperor must know something, so he wanted to get some information from him.

"How about this: you get me a grindstone‑sized variant source, and I'll reluctantly reveal a bit." The Big Black Dog wore a look of triumph.

"Don't be so greedy!" Ye Fan felt overwhelmed; even though he had minor achievement in the Source Heaven Scripture, he couldn't procure that much variant source.

Then there's nothing to discuss!

The Big Black Dog, unusually unmoved by treasure, didn't even glance at Ye Fan, turned and left, walking away with head swaying and shoulders shaking, extremely arrogant.

My goodness, am I dreaming? This dead dog actually had no reaction.

Li Heishui couldn't believe it; normally the Black Emperor would have lunged forward to seize it, but this time he remained unmoved.

This further confirmed Ye Fan's speculation: Yang Zhu's background is astonishingly huge, and not just somewhat large! When he was at the Holy Cliff, he casually threw out several pieces of variant source taller than a person—this alone shows the scale.

Even those self‑proclaimed primordial royal clans wouldn't necessarily be this extravagant!

Above the Divine City, a giant dragon coiled, spiritual power surged, the momentum was tremendous, and it lasted all night.

Many stood below, watching all night; though they could not absorb that spiritual power, they were deeply shaken by Yang Zhu's Dao, and after a night of observation they benefited greatly.

When the morning light poured over this red plain the next day, Yang Zhu finally opened his eyes; after a night of cleansing and absorption, he became even more ethereal. With a flourish of his embroidered robe, all the formation patterns faded, becoming hidden once more, safeguarding this ancient city.

The Yaochi Holy Maiden and Duande arrived immediately; they had waited below all night.

"With so much spiritual power, you still haven't broken through—just how terrifying must the energy be…"

The scoundrel Daoist muttered, "If anyone else absorbed that spiritual energy, even breaking through several minor realms would be possible."

Xiaohei.

Upon hearing that, Yang Zhu said nothing; he softly called out, a dark light flashed, and the Big Black Dog appeared at his side in an instant.

His comprehension of the Walking Word Secret grew deeper; his speed became so fast it left people stunned, few at the same realm could catch him, not even his tail visible! "Woof! You dead fatty, last time you actually tried to steal my treasure!"

"You dead dog, don't spout nonsense, acting as if you've never stolen a Daoist Master's treasure!"

The Big Black Dog and Duande had some grudge before; upon meeting again, they almost came to blows.

Since leaving the Holy Cliff, the Big Black Dog has been with Ye Fan and the others; now Ye Fan is urgently seeking stone, so he didn't summon him along.

"This is the Black Emperor who's been following you?"

The Yaochi Holy Maiden spoke; she had long heard of the Big Black Dog's exploits and was curious how Yang Zhu could let him follow him.

Yes.

Yang Zhu smiled, feeling somewhat helpless; this guy has certainly caused him no end of embarrassment.

Hehe, pretty good, pretty good…

The Black Emperor noticed that the Yaochi Holy Maiden's gaze toward Yang Zhu seemed a little different; observing their interaction, he instantly understood and began to grin foolishly nonstop.

All right, let's go.

Since everyone was gathered, Yang Zhu hesitated not and set off immediately.

Where are we headed?

The Big Black Dog was curious; he knew Yang Zhu truly looked down on ordinary places, so the destination must be anything but simple.

Ice Snow Palace.

"Ice Snow Palace, I recall there are many legends there—could they all be true?" the Big Black Dog muttered.

With the Big Black Dog's etched formation patterns, the group's journey became much easier; after only a few days they were near the Ice Snow Palace.

On an ice plain, several figures sped swiftly.

Here, year-round it is blanketed in silver and white, wind and snow intermingle, and there are scarcely any footprints.

The cold wind howled, snowflakes danced, bringing a piercing chill that swept in, but with the cultivation of Yang Zhu and a few others, they had no fear of the cold.

The Ice Snow Palace is a major sect of the Northern Region, with a long inheritance, counting as a first-rate power, its strength only below the holy lands.

Legend has it that their founding ancestor was not human, but a snow ape, whose power matched creation, and could contend with the holy lands even tens of thousands of years ago.

"It is said that there once was a very powerful force here, whose heyday could rival several great holy lands, but later it was destroyed for unknown reasons."

The big black dog muttered; the longer the ages, the clearer he understood.

This region has extremely high altitude, reaching several thousand meters, and once a earth-shattering great battle erupted, completely wiping out a major sect.

Powerful ones pierced the heavens, flattened the endless snow mountains, turning this place into a boundless plain.

"What kind of powerful being possesses such means, actually capable of destroying an ancient sect?"

After hearing this, Duan De was greatly shocked, unable to believe.

(End of chapter)