Chapter 18: Can't See Me!

The Clear Breeze Pavilion is located in the high‑cold snow‑mountain region to the northwest of Changsheng Gate!

A few snow‑capped peaks surround a vast plain, upon which rise towering buildings—that is the Clear Breeze Pavilion.

The medicinal garden that the Clear Breeze Pavilion tends for Changsheng Gate lies on a developed snow mountain, chiefly cultivating an extremely rare and costly spiritual medicine called "Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus."

Generally speaking, ordinary spiritual herbs and medicines cannot tolerate snow at all!

In some places, no matter how vigorous the growth of spiritual herbs, when winter snow settles they easily lose their potency, and in severe cases they wither.

However, the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus is exactly the opposite of other spiritual medicines!

Its growth cannot survive without snow; once snow is absent it wilts, and the more snow there is, the better it thrives!!

The snow mountain where the Clear Breeze Pavilion cultivates the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus is perpetually blanketed in ice and snow!

Beneath the mountain lies a mass of primordial earth that nourishes the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus!

One year's growth equals ten years' progress—truly a perfect confluence of heaven and earth!

Because of this, the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus produced by the Clear Breeze Pavilion ranks among the very best in the entire Qingzhou, with an outstanding reputation!

Now, in mid‑June, the Clear Breeze Pavilion region—where snow usually falls only in August—has astonishingly begun snowing already in June this year!

At this moment, the entire Clear Breeze Pavilion area is already blanketed by heavy, downy snow; the sky pours down relentlessly, laying thick layers upon the ground!!

"What a massive snowfall—what a good omen, hahaha!!"

"This footstep of snow is a piece of spiritual crystal."

Under a pavilion of the Clear Breeze Pavilion, a middle‑aged man clad in a white fur coat gazes at the swirling snow, his spirits soaring—after all, the thicker the snow, the better the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus grows!

His name is Qi Xin, the current head of the Clear Breeze Pavilion, whose strength has reached the peak of the Supreme Saint Realm!

Behind him stands a man with a somewhat similar appearance, appearing about forty‑to‑fifty years old; this man is Qi Li, the second head of the Clear Breeze Pavilion, Qi Xin's younger brother, also possessing peak strength of the Supreme Saint Realm!

Since they first became capable, the two brothers have worked hand‑in‑hand to run the Clear Breeze Pavilion, which under their governance has flourished and produced many talents.

"Let's go, we won't fly—let's tread the snow to report good news to the Elder Ancestor!" Qi Xin chuckles, swishing his fur coat, merrily stepping onto the snow; Qi Li follows silently, without a smile!!

Each year, as soon as the first snowfall arrives, they report the good news to the Elder Ancestor!

And the "Elder Ancestor" that Qi Xin mentions is a Quasi‑Emperor‑realm strongman!

However, the Clear Breeze Pavilion has never disclosed this to the outside world!

Since the Clear Breeze Pavilion began prospering by managing the medicinal garden for Changsheng Gate, it has relied on the simple truth of "just getting by"!

They neither contend nor seize, and never clash with any faction!

Over these twenty‑thousand years, through countless rises and falls of powers, the Clear Breeze Pavilion has quietly and steadily developed!!

According to their logic, as long as they continue low‑key, step‑by‑step management, they will eventually cultivate more Quasi‑Emperors!

In time, when the moment is ripe, a true Emperor will naturally emerge, instantly becoming the imperial Dao lineage of the Nine‑States Continent and shocking the entire land!!

Survival is the royal road!

Hmm, the idea is indeed good!

But a few days ago they made a "mistake": they left Changsheng Gate and pledged allegiance to the mountain stronghold of the Nether King Sect!!

You say the snow mountain that cultivates Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus was originally discovered and developed by Changsheng Gate's vein‑master!

And your Clear Breeze Pavilion was merely responsible for its upkeep!

Now you intend to divert the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus that was to be supplied to Changsheng Gate and give it to the Nether King Sect—what kind of business is that?

It's like taking someone else's goods to curry favor with another party—do you really think the snow mountain that grows the Ice‑Soul Snow Lotus belongs to your Clear Breeze Pavilion?

Well then, today a few uninvited guests arrived at the Clear Breeze Pavilion!

Boom!

Li Zhangsheng's teleport this time seemed a bit too forceful, crashing straight through the Clear Breeze Pavilion's sect‑protecting formation, entering its grounds, while the explosion of the shattered formation rang across the heavens!

"Sss, so cold!"

Liu Yiming, dressed thinly, rubbed his arms and then channeled his mana to fend off the chill; gazing at the snow drifting from the sky, he blurted out, "What a massive snowfall—snow in June, that's not a good omen at all!"

Speaking so, he looked down at the Clear Breeze Pavilion complex, a hint of pity flashing across his face!

Ah, you say a proper tribute isn't enough, yet you insist on this!

Now it's ruined—after twenty‑thousand years of hard‑won development, the power is completely finished today!!

"The strongest and oldest inside, roll over here to die!" Li Zhangsheng boomed the moment he appeared!

Of course, given the commotion of breaching the Clear Breeze Pavilion's sect‑protecting formation, even without his words, people were already leaping out of the pavilions.

On the snowfield, Qi Xin and Qi Li, who had been planning to walk over to report good news to the Elder Ancestor, suddenly heard the thunderous shattering of the formation and wore solemn expressions!

Know that the Clear Breeze Pavilion's sect‑protecting formation could repel even Quasi‑Emperor‑level strongmen for a long time—how could it suddenly crumble?!

Immediately after, the two spotted several figures appearing above the Clear Breeze Pavilion; once they discerned who they were, a sense of dread washed over their faces!!

Although they could not identify the four youths, they all recognized the great elder Shen Qingcang of Changsheng Gate from previous encounters!

With such a fierce aura, they feared the newcomers were ill‑intent!

Qi Xin and Qi Li exchanged a glance…

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Then the two lunged upward directly!

Bang! Bang! Bang! …

Li Zhangsheng launched a human‑shaped fireworks display on the Clear Breeze Pavilion, each silhouette exploding in the air into a mist of blood!

Of course, Li Zhangsheng did not finish the killing—he only eliminated half!

After all, Li Zhangsheng is not a blood‑thirsty person.

Eradicating an entire sect on a whim would be far too bad!

He slayed that half mainly because the Clear Breeze Pavilion attacked that Changsheng Gate disciple yesterday.

Although that disciple survived, the fact that they struck first means the Clear Breeze Pavilion must naturally pay the corresponding price.

And this price, naturally, is half of the Dao lineage's accumulation, turned to ashes and dissipated like smoke!

Among those half of the people killed by Li Zhangsheng, there was the chief of Clear Wind Pavilion, Qixin, while the second chief, Qili, managed to escape the calamity.

"Big... big brother?!" Qili stood frozen on the spot, touching the bloodstains on his face.

Just moments ago, he and his elder brother flew up together, then his elder brother suddenly exploded into a blood mist beside him, scalding blood splattering onto his face; even now it still feels hot, and he couldn't react for a while.

Soon, Qili came to his senses; it wasn't just his elder brother who had exploded into blood mist.

The entire Clear Wind Pavilion, nearly half of its people, had both body and spirit annihilated in an instant.

Qili quickly realized this was a great calamity befalling them; he took out a token, infused it with mana, and said to the token: "Elder Ancestor, the sect is in peril, come quickly!"

Inside a secret chamber beneath a pavilion sat an old man resembling a withered corpse, his body wasted away to the bone, looking like a skeleton.

This person was the Elder Ancestor of Clear Wind Pavilion, named Qitian, with cultivation at the mid-stage of the Quasi-Emperor realm, a hermit who never left the chamber, painstakingly cultivating in seclusion.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils flashing with sharp light, his divine sense sweeping out; upon discovering that someone was wantonly slaughtering his disciples and descendants, he instantly flew into a rage!

Damn it, coming to my Clear Wind Pavilion to unleash a killing spree—do you really think my Clear Wind Pavilion has no one left?

A terrifying aura surged out, shaking the entire pavilion until it buzzed.

Immediately afterward, his divine sense swept toward the several outsiders in the air, seeking the instigator!

Then his divine sense settled upon the white-clad youth carrying a sword on his back.

In an instant, Qitian was stunned!

His face, still angry, instantly turned to shock, then to terror; his whole body suddenly trembled violently, and he muttered from the corner of his mouth: "How is it possible—he... he is still alive in this world?!"

Qitian restrained all the aura on his body, ignored Qili's summons, curled up in a corner, and silently prayed in his heart: "Don't see me, don't see me!"