Chapter 280: The Bee Devil

Formation?

Yunhe realized.

It seems the news of his repairing the Ice Immortal Pavilion's damaged fourth-level formation, the Nine Palaces Congealing Ice Formation, has spread.

Besides, he never intended to hide it.

At his cultivation level, which cultivator doesn't have a special skill?

Among the hundred arts of cultivation, formation, elixir, artifact, and talisman come first; these merely make the path of seeking the Dao relatively smoother.

He originally thought Cold Sword True Lord sought him out because his presence had, to some extent, affected the Snow Sword Sect via the Ice Immortal Pavilion, and that he was coming for "trouble".

Who would have thought Cold Sword True Lord's attitude would be so good, leaving him somewhat surprised?

Although, relying on the quasi-fourth-level Nine Palaces Congealing Ice Formation and his somewhat higher mastery of Yuan Ying Corpse Refinement, Yunhe believed staying within the Ice Immortal Pavilion would keep him safe, but it would undoubtedly be better if he could avoid conflict or disputes with other Yuan Ying cultivators.

So after a thought flashed through Yunhe's mind, he again cupped his hands and said:

"Please, senior, elaborate."

Cold Sword True Lord laughed and said: "Here?"

Hearing this, Yunhe blinked slightly, then realized this place was indeed not suitable for talking.

Coincidentally, Ice Osmanthus Fairy also came forward; he immediately told her, "Pavilion Master, an honored guest has arrived."

Their exchange wasn't heavily concealed, so the Ice Osmanthus Fairy who flew up actually heard some of it and hurriedly said:

"I understand; please, elder and true lord, take a seat in the main hall; I'll have someone bring tea right away."

Upon hearing this, Yunhe nodded slightly, raised his hand, and said, "Senior, please!"

"Feng Dao Friend, please!"

The two flew together toward the main hall of the Ice Immortal Pavilion.

Ice Immortal Pavilion Main Hall.

Yunhe originally intended to sit with Cold Sword True Lord in the guest seats, but seeing Ice Osmanthus Fairy showing no intention of taking the main seat, and noticing her hint, he realized she dared not sit in the main seat before the Yuan Ying True Lord.

Thus, without pretense, Yunhe lightly smiled and took the main seat, while Cold Sword True Lord felt no discomfort and took the foremost guest seat.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Cold Sword True Lord, seeing Yunhe would not change his address of 'senior,' did not insist, but continued to address Yunhe as 'Dao friend' himself.

One called the other 'senior,' the other 'Dao friend,' which sounded rather odd.

Soon, Ice Osmanthus Fairy brought the Ice Immortal Pavilion's disciples with spiritual tea and pastries.

They lingered no longer; after delivering the items, they all withdrew, Ice Osmanthus Fairy included.

After Yunhe and Cold Sword True Lord each drank a cup of spiritual tea, they returned to the main topic.

"This is how it is: a few days ago, I, Jiang Mou, together with several disciples of the Snow Sword Sect, discovered a formation restriction on an island east of Yuan State; judging by my assessment, it must be the dwelling of an ancient cultivator." After setting down his tea cup, Cold Sword True Lord spoke solemnly.

To the east of Wu State lies Yuan State; further east is an expanse of ocean called the Boundless Sea by the cultivation world, for no cultivator has ever reached its end—not even Yuan Ying cultivators.

Moreover, the Boundless Sea contains many islands, many cultivators, and no shortage of cultivation families and cultivator sects.

As for the ancient cultivator's dwelling mentioned by Cold Sword True Lord, it is actually a secret realm.

"Oh?"

Yunhe raised his eyebrows and responded.

Cold Sword True Lord continued: "But Jiang Mou is not skilled in formations; he only knows that although the formation appears weak and can be broken by force, it contains special restrictions—forcibly breaking it would likely cause irreversible damage to the dwelling within."

This is also common among many secret realms.

Formations and restrictions possess a self-destruct function; forcibly breaking them may not only destroy treasures within the secret realm but could also unleash considerable power, harming the breaker.

"Just now I heard that Feng Dao Friend had restored the Ice Immortal Pavilion's fourth-level sect-protecting formation; Jiang Mou thus felt inclined to invite him as a Dao friend. With his help, breaking this formation should not be difficult."

Having said this, Yunhe understood Cold Sword True Lord's purpose for this visit.

He wanted to ask him to help break the formation of that secret realm.

Yunhe sighed, cupped his hands, and said:

"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, senior; though I restored the Ice Immortal Pavilion's sect-protecting formation, it was only because I had the formation atlas left by my ancestors, plus a little understanding, allowing me to barely repair it. I believe you can see that I've only restored about sixty or seventy percent of it."

"Indeed." Cold Sword True Lord nodded, then added: "But surely you are at least a third-level upper-grade formation master; with your cultivation base and formation expertise, breaking that secret realm's formation should not be difficult. After all, the formation is already ruined, and its residual power at most matches a third-level upper-grade formation."

Speaking, he continued to add:

"Dao friend, rest assured; if the formation is broken, Jiang Mou needs only one item from within; the rest you may take as you wish."

Yunhe pursed his lips, lifted the tea cup, and took a careful sip, pondering.

Cold Sword True Lord likewise did not urge him, similarly lifting his tea cup for a small drink.

After a long period of contemplation.

Yunhe still rose, performed a salute, and said: "To be frank, I still have an injury; indeed, it is somewhat inconvenient to travel far."

Hearing this, Cold Sword True Lord couldn't help but furrow his brows.

But he soon understood the reason.

The injury is a pretense; he's actually worried they've set an ambush, right?

To speak frankly.

Yunhe really is a bit worried.

Because such a possibility is not nonexistent.

Within the Ice Immortal Pavilion, he possesses a quasi-fourth-level formation and Yuan Ying Corpse Refinement, making him virtually invincible there.

If he goes out, however, it's another matter.

Cold Sword True Lord laughed helplessly.

But he also couldn't dispel Yunhe's concerns with just a few words.

"I suppose Feng Dao Friend may not be clear about the past relations between my Snow Sword Sect and your Ice Immortal Pavilion; never mind—if Jiang Mou orders his disciples to record the secret realm's formation atlas, could you, unknown friend, lend a hand?"

What was the past relationship between the Snow Sword Sect and the Ice Immortal Pavilion?

Yunhe narrowed his eyes.

However, the Cold Sword True Monarch has already shown such sincerity; as long as he does not leave the Ice Immortal Pavilion, Yunhe will naturally not refuse.

"The senior's command—I dare not disobey."

Upon hearing these words, the Cold Sword True Monarch couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.

Calling "senior" repeatedly sounds pleasant, but when it truly concerns one's own safety, he becomes extremely cautious.

"If that's the case, then I, Jiang, will not bother you further; farewell."

After saying that, the hall's door burst open with a 'bang', and the Cold Sword True Monarch turned into a stream of light, disappearing from Yunhe's sight in the blink of an eye.

"Seeing off the senior."

Yunhe rose and clasped his hands.

As for the secret realm, he is actually a bit curious.

But for him now, unless it is an elixir that can advance his Late Jie Dan Stage Cultivation Base, heavenly treasures, Nascent Soul supreme treasures, or information concerning the technique 'Great Longevity Five Elements True Scripture', it is not really important to him.

Afterward.

Yunhe learned from Immortal Maiden Bing Gui that the Ice Immortal Pavilion and the Snow Sword Sect actually have some connection.

The Ice Immortal Pavilion actually shared the same origin with the Snow Sword Sect thousands of years ago!

However, later, due to some reasons, they split into two sects.

As for the specific reasons, the Ice Immortal Pavilion's sect master, Immortal Maiden Bing Gui, does not know them well; she only knows that although the Ice Immortal Pavilion and the Snow Sword Sect share the same origin, their current relationship is not close either, just like that of two ordinary sects.

This time, the arrival of the Cold Sword True Monarch.

Yunhe felt that the matter of the secret realm was probably just a pretense, and probing him was the real purpose.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

He also had no intention of saying he would support the Ice Immortal Pavilion to become the top cultivation sect of Wu Kingdom, nor did he suggest how much profit the Ice Immortal Pavilion should gain.

The Ice Immortal Pavilion merely gained him as a Supreme Elder; the sect's status became more stable, and other changes might only be some families and small sects altering their attitudes toward the Ice Immortal Pavilion, nothing else significant.

He is non-contentious, so naturally he will not generate major conflict with the Snow Sword Sect.

A few days later.

The Cold Sword True Monarch indeed sent a disciple to deliver a set of formation diagrams, which indeed resembled an ancient formation, and solving it was not easy.

Yunhe could not say he was very devoted to it; he merely took it out occasionally during his cultivation to ponder it.

Solving the formation.

For a formation master, this is actually also a process of studying the formation way.

Yunhe did not particularly reject it, just treating it as learning.

Originally, the turmoil in Wu Kingdom caused by Yunhe gradually calmed down again with the passage of time.

Wu Kingdom cultivators only know that the Ice Immortal Pavilion has produced one whose combat power can, to a certain extent, rival a Yuan Ying Cultivator senior, raising the Ice Immortal Pavilion's status in Wu Kingdom, but the Snow Sword Sect possesses two genuine Yuan Ying Cultivators, whose status remains unshakable.

However, since the Cold Sword True Monarch of the Snow Sword Sect's request for Yunhe's help was not concealed, the relationship between the two sects appears not hostile to outsiders, and can even be said to be somewhat friendly.

The Cold Sword True Monarch can be said to have, to a certain extent, helped Yunhe gain legitimacy.

After all, a true Yuan Ying Cultivator must be treated seriously; nothing proves Yunhe's strength better than this.

Especially after he helped the Cold Sword True Monarch successfully solve that formation.

Moreover.

The matter of Yunhe ordering the extermination of the Ran family of Wu Kingdom also gradually came to light.

This gave Yunhe, besides the fame from his own strength, an additional fearsome reputation.

Especially.

It is unknown who spread it, but the means Yunhe possesses that can barely compare to a Yuan Ying Cultivator are achieved by relying on a Yuan Ying refined corpse, and this has caused him, in the mouths of some cultivators, to be regarded as comparable to a demonic cultivator.

Unknowingly, he gained a new title.

Ice Immortal Pavilion's Bee Old Devil!

During his Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment periods, Yunhe feared any connection with demonic cultivators, lest he become a demonic cultivator that everyone would shout to beat.

But now that he has reached this level of cultivation, he does not really care about these.

Whether demonic or orthodox path, it is merely a channel for advancing cultivation base and increasing means.

The so-called righteous-demonic struggle, in his view, is more likely due to interests' conflict.

But he still does not now know the true cause of the outbreak of the ancient righteous-demonic war.

As for the title 'Bee Old Devil', since Yunhe rarely goes out, he truly does not know.

On the contrary, whenever the disciples of the Ice Immortal Pavilion go out and hear others address their Supreme Elder in this way, they feel indignant and argue with reason.

And because of Yunhe's existence, the status of the Ice Immortal Pavilion's disciples among Wu Kingdom cultivators has also risen accordingly, and there are not many who argue with them.

But sometimes, the more they refute, the more it seems true to others, and this 'bad reputation' slowly spread.

Of course, this is just whispered in private, and few dare to speak it openly.

Time, in this seemingly peaceful environment, swiftly passed.

(End of chapter)