44: Chapter 44 The Journey to the Northern Sea, The Cold Abyss Secret Realm

Staying hidden and waiting was safe, but it meant missing the Opportunity of the Beiming Cold Abyss, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't be dragged into the Qingyun Sect's upcoming purge and the demon abyss sword incident.

Returning to the Sect? That would be walking right into a trap; with his current secrets and cultivation level, if exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Perhaps venturing far away to the Beiming Cold Abyss, the legendary source of the "mystic yin true water," was the only way out!

That place was the source of the mystic yin true water, an excellent location to Cultivate the "Ice Soul Sword Art" and nourish the ancient ring yuan sha! Although it had a notorious reputation of "entering without returning," Opportunity often went hand-in-hand with danger.

More importantly, it would allow him to completely break free from the whirlpool of trouble that was the Qingyun Sect, letting him fly free like a bird in the vast sky.

His mind was made up, and Lin Ye no longer hesitated.

He first spent the night healing in a tree hollow, stabilizing his injuries and consolidating his cultivation at Qi Refining Stage 5. In the early morning, he changed into a set of clean clothes (Liu Xiong's, slightly altered) and used some herbal juices to slightly change his skin tone and facial features, making himself look like an ordinary, weather-beaten young Loose Cultivator.

Then, he determined the direction (based on the sun and the vague directional markers on the qingming residual map) and stepped onto the unknown journey toward the north.

The Qingyun Sect was located on the edge of the Southern Wilderness, while the Beiming was tens of thousands of miles away in the bitter, cold lands of the northern Central Plains.

The journey was long and fraught with danger.

Lin Ye had no flying Magical Artifact, nor did he have a Spirit Beast for transport; he could only rely on his legs and occasionally hitch a ride with Mortal merchant caravans or low-level Cultivators (by paying Spirit Stone).

He tried his best to avoid large cultivation towns and the spheres of influence of Sects, sticking to wild mountains and desolate paths rarely visited by Mortals. On one hand, this was to hide his tracks and avoid being targeted by the potential manhunt of the Qingyun Sect or remnants of the Yinkui Sect; on the other hand, it was to hone himself, hunt low-level Yao Beast to obtain Materials, and collect some Spiritual Plant along the way.

The "Mystic Jade Body" became increasingly solid through the long trek and battles with Yao Beast.

The icy Spiritual Qi of the "Ice Soul Sword Art" gradually became active during the northward journey; it seemed the further north he went, the denser the ice-attribute Spiritual Qi became.

The ancient ring yuan sha continuously absorbed the weak Evil Qi encountered along the way (ancient battlefields, graveyards, Yao Beast lairs) and fed back star-silver energy to nourish his Physical Body, making his recovery and endurance far superior to those of the same rank.

Along the way, he witnessed the vastness and cruelty of the cultivation world. There were Loose Cultivator who killed to seize treasures, hypocrites with a righteous appearance, and low-level peers who helped each other when they met by chance.

He became more silent, and his eyes sharper.

Three months later, he finally crossed the boundary mountains between the Southern Wilderness and the Central Plains, officially entering the territory of the Central Plains.

After another two months, he arrived at the northern edge of the Central Plains, where the climate began to turn cold, and snow and wind were often visible.

According to the guidance of the residual map and inquiries along the way, he confirmed the general location of the "Qingming Ruins" and continued northward.

This day, he arrived at a small frontier city called "Cold Crow City." This city was the final supply point before entering the outer perimeter of the "Qingming Ruins," and the city was a mixed bag of people, with Loose Cultivator, adventurers, mercenaries, and even some Sect Disciple to be seen everywhere.

Lin Ye stayed at a shabby inn, preparing to purchase some cold-resistant clothing, Medicinal Pill, and a detailed map.

The inn's lobby was gathered with many Cultivator who were preparing to enter the Qingming Ruins or had just come out, loudly discussing what they had seen and heard.

"Have you heard? Deep in the Qingming Ruins, near the 'Cold Abyss,' there have been strange movements recently. It's said that some ancient Restriction have loosened, and treasure light is shooting into the sky!"

"Heh, that place is wicked. If ten go in, it's good if two or three come out. Last time, Old Wang's team went in and never came back."

"Wealth is sought in danger! I heard that the 'Xuanbing Pavilion' and 'Cold Moon Sect' have both sent Disciple to investigate..."

Lin Ye listened silently, and his heart stirred. The Cold Abyss? Could it be the "Beiming Cold Abyss"?

He calmly moved closer to a table of rough-looking men who were drinking, offered them a pot of spirit wine, and asked: "Brothers, I'm new here and want to try my luck in the Qingming Ruins. I don't know what kind of place that 'Cold Abyss' is? Is it really that dangerous?"

A scarred man sized Lin Ye up. Seeing that he was young (after his disguise) and his cultivation was not high (Qi Refining Stage 5 was not the lowest among Loose Cultivator, but still average), he sneered: "Kid, seeing as you're young, I advise you not to go and throw your life away. That Cold Abyss is one of the three forbidden lands of the Qingming Ruins! All year round, the gale winds are piercing, and the cold poison bites into the bones. It's said that at the deepest part, even the protective Spiritual Qi of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can be frozen and shattered! Moreover, the terrain inside is complex, filled with ancient Restriction and spatial cracks; one wrong step and you'll leave no bones behind."

Another man said: "However, there are indeed good things inside. The 'ice soul snow lotus' that grows in extreme cold environments, 'mystic ice jade marrow,' and the legendary 'essence of mystic water' (meaning mystic yin true water) are all priceless treasures. But you have to have the life to take them."

Lin Ye understood and thanked them.

It seemed the Beiming Cold Abyss indeed had a fierce reputation, but it truly contained mystic yin true water.

He returned to his room and took out the "qingming residual map" to study it again. The route marked on the residual map started from Cold Crow City, went deep into the Qingming Ruins, and finally reached a specific location in the Cold Abyss. There were also some vague markings on the map, which seemed to be relatively safe routes or dangerous areas marked by predecessors.

With this map, he had a bit more certainty than other blind intruders.

But he did not set off immediately.

The environment of the Cold Abyss was extreme, and he needed more thorough preparation.

Over the next few days, he purchased in Cold Crow City: a low-level cold-resistant Magical Artifact robe (which could resist ordinary cold), a few bottles of "Warm Sun Pill" (to ward off cold and detoxify), a few "Restriction Breaking Talismans" (low-level, better than nothing), and the latest map of the Qingming Ruins outer perimeter (to compare with the residual map).

At the same time, he also kept an eye out for the latest news about the Cold Abyss in the inn.

A few days later, news spread throughout the city: "The gale winds in the 'Ice Wind Valley' on the outskirts of the Cold Abyss have weakened recently; it seems like a good time to enter! The Disciple from 'Xuanbing Pavilion' and 'Cold Moon Sect' have already set off!"

Many Loose Cultivator and mercenary groups acted upon hearing this and formed teams to head there.

Lin Ye knew the time had come.

He did not join any team. Too many people meant too many eyes, and it was easy for complications to arise. He preferred to travel alone.

On this morning, the sky was barely bright, and the cold wind was biting.

Lin Ye changed into his newly bought cold-resistant Magical Artifact robe, adjusted his state to the best, carried a simple pack (to avoid drawing attention; important items were all in his Storage Pouch and the two rings), and followed the flow of people out of the city, stepping into the vast, snow-covered Qingming Ruins.

The Qingming Ruins lived up to its name.

All that met the eye was vast white snow and exposed black rock. The strong wind carried snow foam, scraping against his face like knives. The temperature was terrifyingly low; Mortals who reached this point would freeze to death instantly. Even for a Cultivator, without cold-resistant means, they wouldn't last long.

Lin Ye circulated the "Ice Soul Sword Art," and the icy Spiritual Qi circulated within his body. Not only was he not afraid of the cold, he felt right at home, able to absorb the pure ice-attribute Spiritual Qi of this place more easily. The cold-resistant Magical Artifact robe also emitted a faint light, blocking the cold wind.

Following the guidance of the residual map, he avoided several areas marked as "unstable space" and "gale wind zone," moving toward the direction of the Ice Wind Valley.

Along the way, he saw many corpses of Cultivator; some were frozen into ice sculptures, some were devoured by Yao Beast, and some seemed to have died in conflicts. A faint scent of blood and death permeated the air.

He also encountered several waves of low-level ice-type Yao Beast, such as "Ice Wolves" and "Snow Bats," all of which were easily resolved by him, and the Materials were collected into his possession.

The deeper he went, the harsher the environment became. The gale winds were sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and occasionally there were strange "ice explosion" phenomena (underground cold air suddenly erupted, forming ice thorns).

Three days later, he arrived at the entrance of the "Ice Wind Valley."

The valley entrance was narrow, with ice cliffs thousands of feet high on both sides. Inside the valley, the strong wind roared, whipping up ice crystals that filled the sky, and visibility was extremely low. But just as the rumors said, the gale winds here had weakened considerably compared to usual. Although still piercing, a Middle Stage Qi Refining Cultivator could pass through if they were careful.

The valley entrance was already crowded with many Cultivator, mostly in groups of three or five, wary of each other. Lin Ye saw the "Xuanbing Pavilion" Disciple wearing uniform white clothing, as well as the "Cold Moon Sect" female Cultivator wearing light blue dresses. They were few in number, but their aura was condensed, clearly elites.

Lin Ye did not stop; he lowered his hood and stepped into the Ice Wind Valley alone.

The wind and snow inside the valley were even heavier. The strong wind was like countless ice needles, piercing through his protective Spiritual Qi and Magical Artifact robe, bringing a bone-chilling cold. Lin Ye had to continuously consume Spiritual Qi to resist it.

Following a special Qi Circulation route on the residual map (which seemed to be some kind of footwork or breathing technique to resist the gale), he adjusted his breathing and pace, and surprisingly felt the pressure decrease significantly, and his speed also increased somewhat.

This residual map was truly not simple!

He was secretly pleased and quickened his pace.

After traveling in the valley for more than half a day, the sounds of fighting and the roars of Yao Beast suddenly came from ahead.

Lin Ye approached cautiously, hiding behind an ice rock to look.

He saw a Loose Cultivator team of five, fighting fiercely against a group of more than a dozen "Ice Crystal Scorpions." Ice Crystal Scorpions were Middle Stage Tier 1 Yao Beast, with hard shells and highly toxic tail stingers, which were quite troublesome. The highest cultivation among that Loose Cultivator team was only Qi Refining Stage 6, and at this moment, they had fallen into a bitter struggle, with one person seriously injured and on the ground.

Lin Ye originally did not want to meddle in other people's business.

But when his gaze swept across the edge of the battlefield, his pupils shrank slightly.

There, under the ice layer, a corner of a light blue, crystal-clear Ore was vaguely exposed — [mystic ice jade marrow]! Although it was only the size of a fist, it was valuable and was an excellent Material for refining ice-attribute Magical Artifact and Medicinal Pill.

And both sides in the fierce battle seemed not to have noticed.

Lin Ye's thoughts raced.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?

He silently circled to the side of the battlefield. Taking advantage of the moment when the Loose Cultivator team and the Ice Crystal Scorpions were locked in a fierce battle and their attention was scattered, he swept out like a ghost. With a wave of his right hand, the icy Spiritual Qi turned into a thin blade, cutting through the ice layer, rolling that small piece of mystic ice jade marrow into his hand, and then his figure retreated violently, submerging back into the wind and snow.

The entire process took no more than two breaths; it was clean and neat.

By the time he disappeared, both sides in the fierce battle only vaguely felt that someone had approached and left, but the wind and snow were too heavy, and they couldn't see clearly at all.

Lin Ye had gained the benefit and did not linger, continuing to go deeper according to the guidance of the residual map.

After another half day, he finally passed through the long Ice Wind Valley, and the scene before his eyes suddenly opened up.

Outside the valley was a vast and even more dead-silent ice plain. In the center of the ice plain was a huge, bottomless, deep blue abyss, like a giant mouth opened by the earth, swallowing all light and vitality.

The Beiming Cold Abyss had arrived!

Just standing at the edge of the abyss, that extreme, cold aura that seemed capable of freezing the Soul came rushing toward him. It was ten, no, a hundred times stronger than the Mysterious Yin Ice Eye behind the Qingyun Sect!

Below the abyss, the gale winds roared, and faint deep blue light could be seen flowing—that was the brilliance emitted by the extremely dense mystic yin true water.

And on the ice wall at the edge of the abyss, Lin Ye saw several newly excavated ice cave entrances leading to the bottom of the abyss, with residual Spiritual Qi fluctuations and footprints at the entrances.

The people from Xuanbing Pavilion and Cold Moon Sect had already gone down.

Lin Ye did not enter immediately. He first found a hidden ice crevice, took a Warm Sun Pill, and adjusted his breath for a moment, restoring his state to the best.

Then, he took out the qingming residual map and carefully compared it.

The final location marked on the residual map was not at the very bottom of the abyss, but on an ice wall in the middle section of the abyss, an extremely hidden entrance to an "ice cave" covered by ancient Restriction.

That seemed to be the true location of the "source of mystic water," or rather, a relatively safe place where one could come into contact with pure mystic yin true water.

As for the bottom of the abyss, it was marked with a huge skull symbol, with the words written next to it: "Underworld Eye, all things return to silence, death without life."

Lin Ye put away the residual map, his eyes determined.

His target was that ice cave.

He came to the edge of the abyss, chose a relatively quiet place far from other entrances, jumped down, and leaped into the abyss where the gale winds were piercing!

His body fell rapidly, and the bone-chilling gale winds and the dense mystic yin true water aura were crazily squeezing his protective Spiritual Qi.

Lin Ye circulated the "Ice Soul Sword Art," adjusting his own aura to be as consistent with the surrounding environment as possible. At the same time, following a special falling trajectory recorded in the residual map, he adjusted his posture, like a falling leaf, weaving and gliding through the violent gale winds, approaching the target ice wall.

After descending about a hundred feet, the surrounding cold air had become so dense that it formed a light blue ice mist, obstructing his vision.

He spotted a protruding ice ridge on the ice wall, reached out to grab it, and stabilized his figure.

This should be near the ice cave entrance marked on the residual map.

But looking around, the ice wall was smooth as a mirror; where was the entrance?

He focused his senses while communicating with the bone ring " Xuan Yuan" on his right hand.

The bone ring was extremely sensitive to water veins and was now vibrating slightly, pointing to a certain spot on the ice wall.

Lin Ye approached and observed carefully, finally discovering that the texture of the ice layer there was extremely subtly different from the surroundings, as if it were a layer of natural "ice membrane" covering the real rock wall.

He tried to inject icy Spiritual Qi.

The ice membrane did not react.

He tried to touch it with the star-silver Evil Qi of the ancient ring yuan sha.

The ice membrane fluctuated slightly.

His heart stirred, and he fused the icy Spiritual Qi of the "Ice Soul Sword Art" with a trace of the star-silver Evil Qi of the ancient ring yuan sha, turning it into a strange Spiritual Qi with cold starlight, and slowly pressed it toward the ice membrane.

This time, the ice membrane rippled like water, revealing a deep, dark cave entrance behind it that was only large enough for one person to pass through!

It worked!

Lin Ye was delighted and slipped inside.

Upon entering the cave, the ice membrane behind him automatically closed, sealing off the violent gale winds and cold air.

Inside the cave was an ice path sloping downwards, with thick mystic ice emitting deep blue light congealing on the four walls. The air was filled with an incomparably pure mystic yin true water aura, several times denser than outside!

This place was indeed a treasure land for Cultivating the "Ice Soul Sword Art"!

He carefully walked down along the ice path.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the sound of rushing water came from ahead, as well as... a faint scent of blood?

Lin Ye immediately became vigilant, activated the Qi Concealment Technique, and slowed his pace.

Turning around a bend, a huge ice cave appeared before his eyes.

In the center of the ice cave was a deep blue water pool several feet in diameter, composed entirely of mystic yin true water! The pool water was viscous, emitting a heart-palpitating, gloomy coldness and a vast aura.

And by the side of the pool, there were two groups of people confronting each other!

One side was three white-clad Xuanbing Pavilion Disciple (two men and one woman), all at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and the leading youth's aura had actually reached Qi Refining Stage 9! At their feet lay the corpse of a Yao Beast that had been killed, shaped like an ice dragon but only a little over a zhang long (Cold Drake?).

The other side was two Cold Moon Sect female Cultivator wearing light blue dresses, their cultivation also around Qi Refining Stage 8. They seemed to have arrived one step too late, and looking at the Yao Beast corpse at the feet of the Xuanbing Pavilion Disciple and the few "ice soul snow lotus" emitting treasure light in the pool, their expressions were very ugly.

"Murong Bai, those ice soul snow lotus guarded by the Cold Drake are for whoever sees them! Does your Xuanbing Pavilion want to swallow them all?" A Cold Moon Sect female Cultivator said coldly.

The leading Xuanbing Pavilion youth, Murong Bai, holding an ice crystal sword, said indifferently, "Junior Sister Liu, treasures belong to those who are fated. We killed this Cold Drake, so the snow lotus naturally belong to our Xuanbing Pavilion. If you want to seize them by force, why not try."

The atmosphere was tense, with swords drawn.

And Lin Ye was silently lurking in the shadows of the ice path, but his gaze was locked tightly on the depths of the water pool.

At the roots of those few ice soul snow lotus, beneath the deep blue pool water, there seemed to be something else floating—a piece of... irregular fragment about the size of a palm, pitch black all over, yet flowing with deep starlight?

The aura emitted by that fragment actually made the ancient ring yuan sha on Lin Ye's left hand produce an unprecedented, almost crazy desire and vibration!

What is that?!

It seemed even more attractive to the ancient ring than the ice soul snow lotus, or even this pool of mystic yin true water!