Chapter 289

During my seclusion, anyone who approaches shall be killed without mercy!

Yunhe flicked his sleeve, releasing the Nascent Soul refining corpse, the Crimson Shadow Golden-Winged Bee swarm, and several Golden Core refining corpses.

At the same time, all formations inside and outside the cave dwelling were activated, and the Ice Immortal Pavilion's mountain-protecting formation "Nine Palaces Congealing Ice Formation" had already been opened.

"Ao——!!"

Outside the cave dwelling, in the cold pond, a dragon's roar rang out, rolling up vast sheets of frost and snow mist, enveloping the entire cave dwelling.

"It's almost enough; although my flesh cannot reach the level of late third stage, this time consumption is too great. Given my current flesh strength, I should already exceed over ninety percent of Golden Core cultivators. For the Nascent Soul stage, the flesh is not the most crucial link; being able to withstand the infusion of spiritual energy is sufficient."

"Besides this, everything is ready!"

This time, everything is truly ready.

His mana comes from cultivating the supreme technique "Great Longevity Five Elements True Scripture"; although he only condenses a "minor five elements spiritual body", his mana foundation is absolutely not inferior to any Golden Core cultivator.

Furthermore, his mana has been refined to the utmost, unable to make even the slightest progress; saying it is perfectly round and flawless is not an exaggeration.

His spiritual sense is his strongest aspect, capable of matching early Nascent Soul cultivators; among Golden Core peak cultivators, it is absolutely the elite of the elite, and even those born with extraordinary spiritual sense talent cannot compare with him.

Elixirs, treasures, and formations are all complete.

"The so-called Dao of Immortals, at this stage, truly means harming heaven and earth to benefit oneself, taking from the deficient to supplement the abundant."

Yunhe took a deep breath, slowly stepped from outside the cave, and walked toward the cultivation chamber.

"'Reeds are tough as silk, a boulder does not shift.' My heart of the Dao is tough as silk, firm as stone! My Dao path is vast as the sea, smooth as a mirror."

It seemed like self-muttering, like self-talk, like an expectation, and even more like stating a fact.

Upon reaching this point, Yunhe's body surged with terrifying mana, he laughed loudly, vanished into the mansion, and landed upon that azure lotus.

"Here I come!"

Yunhe closed his eyes, circulating the ninth layer of the "Great Longevity Five Elements True Scripture"; the surging, mighty mana rushed through his meridians like endless long dragons, roaring as they rose.

As the mana dragons spun rapidly, his whole body instantly radiated five-colored rosy light; the surrounding heaven and earth spiritual energy, like swallows returning to their nests, was inhaled by him into the mansion.

Seated, the congealed-fat ice-clear lotus emitted a faint glow; the spiritual energy of this place's spirit veins seemed to be forcibly pulled out, all flowing into Yunhe's body.

A terrifying spiritual energy vortex suddenly formed, as more and more heaven and earth spiritual energy was gathered and absorbed into the body.

Gradually, this suction's influence spread from the cultivation chamber to the entire cave dwelling, then to the Ice Immortal Pavilion, the whole snow mountain, a radius of a hundred li, then a thousand li!

Crack!

With a sound like tearing silk, a sharp crack burst from the entire towering snow mountain, and amidst the violent shaking, a huge fissure actually split open.

Then.

More spiritual energy gushed forth from that spirit vein, rushing in to Yunhe's body in a frantic scramble.

At this moment.

Yunhe only felt that his entire body's mana was so terrifying, so mighty; under normal circumstances, such an amount of mana could burst the dantians of several Golden Core cultivators.

His body took on a crimson hue under the infusion of spiritual energy, with faintly visible throbbing vessels beneath.

To withstand such an infusion of spiritual energy, the flesh naturally cannot be weak.

Yunhe's flesh is comparable to a mid-third-stage spirit beast; although he also feels his body might be about to burst, he also knows this has not reached his limit.

"Again... again."

Outside the cave dwelling, winds and clouds shifted!

"The mountain-protecting formation has been open for almost a whole day; could it be that there is an external attack?"

Dong Ning Xuan, flying atop an ice lotus, furrowed her brows, seeking an answer from Immortal Ice Cassia.

But before she could fly to the snow mountain's main hall, she felt the spiritual energy over the entire Ice Immortal Pavilion snow mountain suddenly become chaotic, and in an instant a tremendous terrifying spiritual energy vortex formed atop the peak.

This caught her off guard, causing her to stagger violently, almost falling from the air.

Fortunately, Dong Ning Xuan's reaction was not bad; after a sudden startle, she hastily controlled her mana, barely stabilizing her posture amidst the violent spiritual energy fluctuations, and headed toward the buildings below.

"Young Pavilion Master!"

"Senior Sister!"

"Senior Sister, what's going on?"

As soon as she landed, a group of Ice Immortal Pavilion disciples, their faces drained of color, hurriedly came forward to meet her.

Disciples with Foundation Establishment cultivation could still barely move, but those Qi Refining disciples were drenched in sweat, eyes filled with terror, unable even to stand.

Dong Ning Xuan simply could not give an answer; her heart was like a stormy surge as she watched the over-hundred-zhang terrifying spiritual energy vortex sweep away the surrounding spiritual energy, not just the Ice Immortal Pavilion snow mountain, but the spiritual energy within a radius of a hundred li and a thousand li was completely drawn in.

Within that vortex countless multicolored spiritual lights flickered, each seemingly representing extremely pure heaven and earth spiritual energy, each amount being what a Qi Refining cultivator could not bear.

As the spiritual energy continued to be drawn in, the vortex grew larger and larger, as if it intended to swallow the entire heaven and earth.

Such a scene, resembling a heavenly catastrophe, left her heart filled with terror.

Actually, not only them, but all cultivators in the entire Ice Immortal Pavilion and within a radius of several thousand li were now staring in shock at that terrifying scene.

However, among these cultivators, there were always some who understood what was happening at this moment; looking at that scene, their hearts felt shock, horror, admiration, or envy, each different.

Meanwhile, Immortal Ice Cassia, seated in the Ice Immortal Pavilion's main hall and controlling the formation plate, also could not calm her heart.

She clearly knew what was happening inside the Ice Immortal Pavilion now, and she also clearly knew the impact and panic this scene would bring to all the Pavilion's disciples, but she dared not be distracted for even a moment, nor dare to inform the disciples beforehand.

That existence did not allow her to speak, so she could not speak.

Otherwise, no one could guarantee that there were no spies from external forces among the Ice Immortal Pavilion disciples; if this leaked even a bit, causing those with ill intent to come knocking now, the consequences would be unbearable for her.

"All she hoped for was that existence, that everything would go smoothly!"

Far away, beyond ten thousand li, inside the Snow Sword Sect's Snowy Mountain Range.

A tranquil cultivation chamber, two illusory-form cultivators sat cross-legged facing each other.

One of them was the Cold Sword True Lord Jiang Han Ning, who had personally visited the Ice Immortal Pavilion; sitting opposite him was the white-haired, brown-cloth-clad elder with a solemn expression, his senior brother the Bitter Sword True Lord Tang Yi Er!

However, at this moment the Cold Sword True Lord Jiang Han Ning's condition seemed not good: his eyes tightly shut, complexion pallid, lips bloodless, and his body faintly entwined with a wisp of azure energy, like a bone-deep affliction that could not be dispelled.

And the Bitter Sword True Lord Tang Yi Er, at this moment, seemed to be trying to find a way to dispel that wisp of azure energy.

Suddenly.

The two almost simultaneously opened their eyes, each seeing a trace of disbelief in the other's gaze.

Afterward, they both gazed in the same direction, repeatedly stunned.

The next moment.

The door burst open, and the two simultaneously turned into a silver and a white streak of light, shooting toward the direction of the disturbance.

Using the escape speed of a Yuan Ying Cultivator, and with their combined effort, they quickly arrived soundlessly at a mountain peak several dozen li outside the Ice Snow Pavilion's Snow Mountain.

Hanjian Zhenjun's complexion remained somewhat pallid, yet it could not conceal his astonishment.

"It really is him."

Upon hearing this, Kukujian Zhenjun raised his white brows: "Is the person Junior Brother spoke of the Ice Snow Pavilion's Supreme Elder, 'Bee Old Devil'?"

Bee Old Devil?

Hanjian Zhenjun's mouth twitched, somewhat unable to suppress a smile.

"Senior Brother, although this person indeed possesses corpse-refining methods, I have met him in person; his spiritual power bears no trace of yin evil, but is instead quite pure and virtuous—the title 'Old Devil' is merely an unfounded rumor spread by outsiders."

Kukujian Zhenjun stroked his white beard, likewise not doubting his junior brother's eyesight, merely revealing a hint of doubt.

"Didn't you say that day, although this person has some Yuan Ying methods, his own cultivation base is merely at the early stage of Late Jie Dan?"

"Senior Brother." Hanjian Zhenjun wore a strange expression: "From then until now, thirty years have already passed."

This caused Kukujian Zhenjun to stare blankly for a moment, then he realized and laughed: "Hahaha—cultivation knows no years; it is I who have forgotten the passage of time."

"Thirty years, for cultivators like us, is merely a fleeting moment."

A Yuan Ying Cultivator's lifespan can reach up to a thousand years, and there are longevous ones who may reach fifteen hundred years; a short thirty years might merely be a single secluded meditation for a Yuan Ying Cultivator.

"However, the breadth of spiritual energy this person has absorbed is indeed quite extraordinary; such a spiritual energy vortex probably already covers three thousand li around, wouldn't it?" Kukujian Zhenjun's expression grew somewhat stern; his deep gaze swept over and formed a rough estimate.

The amount of spiritual energy absorbed during Nascent Soul formation cannot explain much; it only indicates that the one breaking through practices a profound method, at least not an ordinary or speedy technique.

But speaking of it, who among those attempting to break into the Yuan Ying realm would cultivate an ordinary technique?

Hanjian Zhenjun nodded: "Absorbing spiritual energy is merely the beginning; thereafter it will only grow more difficult—I do not know whether this person can persevere to the end."

"Let us wait and see. If he succeeds, we gain another dao friend; if he fails, then dust returns to dust, earth to earth." Kukujian Zhenjun stood with hands behind his back.

The origins of the Snow Sword Sect and the Ice Immortal Pavilion, although the latter left behind little, the former's inheritance has never been severed nor ever shown any omission.

Having finished speaking, Kukujian Zhenjun gazed far into the distance, his face expressionless, and said: "It seems we are not the only ones coming to watch the excitement."

Following his line of sight, Hanjian Zhenjun also saw the approaching figures.

"Hahaha—"

A long whistle.

Then appeared a middle-aged cultivator wearing azure robes, treading upon an aged great turtle, flying through the air.

"Greetings, two fellow daoists!"

"Sect Master Wan's bearing remains as splendid as ever." Hanjian Zhenjun exchanged greetings.

The newcomer was actually the Sect Master of the Wan Beast Sect of Yuan State, Wan Hailin!

"Fellow Daoist Gui, long time no see."

But Kukujian Zhenjun's gaze fell upon that great turtle, and he clasped his hands.

This Wan Hailin is a Late Jie Dan cultivator.

Yet the Azure Sea Spirit Turtle beneath his feet is a genuine fourth‑level demon beast!

Moreover, this turtle's lifespan is extremely long, far exceeding the ages of the two Yuan Ying Cultivators of the Snow Sword Sect present.

"I happened to be gathering herbs in the Frost Fir Forest when the spirit turtle informed me that someone was forming a Nascent Soul, so I rushed over immediately—I never expected the two fellow daoists to arrive even earlier."

Wan Hailin cupped his hands toward the two, showing no deference despite being a Late Jie Dan cultivator; he stood with hands behind his back on the turtle's back, gazing at the terrifying spiritual energy vortex, a flash of deep envy crossing his eyes.

The arrival of Wan Hailin and his Azure Sea Spirit Turtle caused the two Yuan Ying Cultivators of the Snow Sword Sect to glance at each other involuntarily.

I had not expected this person to come as well.

Before they could say anything further, the spiritual energy vortex in the air suddenly exploded!

Strands of seven‑colored silk threads swirled and drifted down, finally scattering in all directions.

Hanjian Zhenjun, Kukujian Zhenjun, and the Azure Sea Spirit Turtle all sharpened their gazes; Wan Hailin stared blankly at this scene, then, belatedly, narrowed his eyes.

Then Hanjian Zhenjun softly said: "It has begun."

Inside the Ice Heart Cave.

Yunhe slapped his storage bag; the jade bottle that flew out automatically turned into specks of powder, leaving only a perfectly round marvelous pill—the Nascent Soul Pill!

(End of chapter)