47: Chapter 47 Frost and Snow Enter the City, Undercurrents Surge

After several months of cultivation, his cultivation had improved, and his Sword Intent had begun to take shape.

However, resources were running low, and the path ahead needed clarification.

Frost Snow City, the capital for Loose Cultivators in the Northern Underworld, was a place where dragons and snakes mingled. With its well-informed nature, it was currently the best place to go.

Lin Ye did not hesitate any longer. He packed his belongings (though there was not much to pack), carefully hid the fragment of starfall cold iron that had become much dimmer but remained incredibly hard (the ancient ring had absorbed most of its essence, and the remaining part was extremely hard, useful as Materials or a token), and buried all items that could expose his identity (such as sundries from the Qingyun Sect and the token of the Yinkui Sect) deep under the ice.

He changed into an ordinary gray fur coat, carried a crude bone sword he had fashioned after hunting a Yao Beast on the outskirts of the Cold Abyss (for disguise), suppressed his cultivation to around Qi Refining Stage 4, and disguised himself as a weather-beaten, ordinary Loose Cultivator hunter.

Identifying the direction, he faced the biting wind and snow and set off on the road to Frost Snow City.

The Northern Underworld was vast and boundless, with an extreme climate.

Lin Ye traveled by day and rested by night, avoiding powerful Yao Beast packs and suspicious groups of Cultivators, occasionally hunting lone, low-level ice-type Yao Beasts to replenish his consumption.

Seven days later, a towering ice and snow city, like a white giant beast crouching on the glacier, appeared on the horizon.

Frost Snow City!

The city walls were ten zhang high, built entirely from thick Xuanbing mixed with a certain black stone, covered in the traces of time and defensive Formation runes. The city gates were wide open, and the flow of people entering and leaving was endless—there were Mortal caravans driving sleds, Sect Disciples riding flying Magical Artifacts, and even more Loose Cultivators who were travel-worn just like Lin Ye.

At the city gate, guards wearing silver armor were stationed to check the identities of those entering (mainly to prevent large-scale Yao Beasts or hostile forces from infiltrating) and collect an entry fee (one Low-Grade Spirit Stone or equivalent).

Lin Ye paid one Low-Grade Spirit Stone and entered the city smoothly.

The scene inside the city was completely different from the ice and snow outside. The streets were paved with smooth bluestone slabs (heated by Formations underneath to melt the snow), and shops stood on both sides with flags fluttering. The sounds of hawking and bargaining were endless.

The density of Cultivators was extremely high. Those at the Qi Refinement Stage were everywhere, and occasionally, one could feel the subtle yet powerful aura of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The air was filled with a complex mixture of scents: Spiritual Qi, medicinal aromas, metal smelting, and Yao Beast fur.

Lin Ye blended into the crowd like a drop of water into the ocean, walking low-key and observing everything.

He first found a relatively remote and cheap inn to stay in, which only cost one Low-Grade Spirit Stone per day. The innkeeper was a bald, elderly man at Qi Refining Stage 3, who was knowledgeable and quite talkative.

After settling down, Lin Ye began to wander around the city.

Marketplace: The liveliest place. Stalls and shops lined the streets, selling various specialties of the Northern Underworld—ice-type Spiritual Plants, Ore, Yao Beast Materials, ice-attribute Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pill, Talisman, and even some ancient fragments that had flowed out from the depths of the "Qingming Ruins". Lin Ye sold the unused Yao Beast Materials and Red Fire Copper Essence he had in batches, exchanging them for more than fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones. He also bought a few bottles of commonly used healing and Qi-replenishing Medicinal Pill, as well as a more detailed map of the Northern Underworld and a Jade Slip introducing the forces of Frost Snow City.

Restaurants and Teahouses: The places where information was most accessible. Lin Ye chose a teahouse with many customers, ordered a pot of the cheapest "warm-up tea," and listened quietly.

The topics discussed were varied: A certain mercenary group discovered an ancient Cultivator's Immortal Cave somewhere in the Qingming Ruins, suffering heavy casualties but gaining a rich harvest; the Cold Moon Sect and Xuanbing Pavilion clashed again over the competition for a newly discovered ice Spirit Stone vein; the gale in "Ice Wind Valley" had been abnormal recently, suspected to be the emergence of a great treasure (Lin Ye's heart stirred); and sporadic news from the south—internal strife in the Qingyun Sect, the emergence of a demonic sword, and the disappearance of the Yinkui Sect...

Lin Ye silently noted down useful information.

Task Hall: One of the largest buildings in the city, jointly established by the City Lord's Mansion and several large merchant guilds. Various tasks were posted, ranging from collecting specific Spiritual Plants and hunting Yao Beasts to escorting caravans and exploring ruins, with rewards ranging from Spirit Stone to Cultivation Technique and Magical Artifact. On the huge light screen in the center of the hall, the highest bounty tasks were scrolling. Lin Ye saw one: "Long-term acquisition of 'starfall cold iron' or related clues, price negotiable, no upper limit." The publisher was signed "Tiangong Workshop."

Tiangong Workshop? It seemed to be a branch of a famous Artifact Refining Sect from the Central Plains located in the Northern Underworld.

Lin Ye's heart moved slightly, but he did not act immediately. The starfall cold iron was too sensitive and required caution.

After lingering in the city for several days, Lin Ye had a basic understanding of Frost Snow City and the situation in the Northern Underworld.

Frost Snow City was maintained by four major forces: the City Lord's Mansion (suspected to be supported by a Nascent Soul Loose Cultivator behind the scenes), Tiangong Workshop, the Cold Moon Sect, and the Xuanbing Pavilion, who were constantly fighting openly and covertly. Loose Cultivators and small-to-medium forces struggled to survive in the cracks.

The biggest hot topic in the Northern Underworld recently, besides the occasional anomalies from the depths of the Qingming Ruins, was the abnormal gale in "Ice Wind Valley." Many Cultivators and forces had sent people to investigate, and it was said that someone had discovered traces of ancient Restriction there, suspected to lead to an undiscovered Secret Realm.

Lin Ye recalled his experience passing through Ice Wind Valley. The gale there was indeed strange, and the qingming residual map also marked a special spot deep in Ice Wind Valley, but at that time, he was in a hurry to get to the Cold Abyss and did not investigate further.

Perhaps, he could go to Ice Wind Valley again to explore?

Just as he was thinking, one day while strolling through the marketplace, passing by a stall selling ancient artifact fragments, the ancient ring yuan sha on his left hand suddenly transmitted an extremely faint but clear tremor!

It pointed to a corner of the stall, at an inconspicuous, egg-sized, dark red metal lump covered in rust and frost.

Lin Ye's heart stirred. He squatted down and pretended to browse casually.

The stall owner was a sloppy One-eyed Elder at Qi Refining Stage 5. Seeing a customer, he said lazily: "These are all things dug out of the ruins. Ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones each, pick whatever you want."

Lin Ye picked up the dark red metal lump. It was heavy and cold in his hand, and there seemed to be very faint patterns under the rust on the surface. The tremor of the ancient ring yuan sha became more obvious.

"What is this iron lump? It looks like just a piece of scrap iron." Lin Ye frowned and said.

"Heh, young man has a good eye. This is just a piece of scrap iron, useless. If you like it, take it for five Spirit Stones." The One-eyed Elder grinned and said.

Lin Ye picked two more seemingly complete fragments of broken Magical Artifact (to cover his tracks) and paid fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones along with the metal lump.

Leaving the stall and walking to an empty place, he carefully sensed the metal lump.

The emotion transmitted by the ancient ring yuan sha was a mixture of "desire" and "familiarity." This metal lump seemed to contain some kind of metal essence that was of the same origin as the starfall cold iron but with completely opposite attributes (scorching hot?)!

Could it be... "Red Flame Star Iron"? Corresponding to starfall cold iron, a top-tier Yang-attribute refining material legendarily forged by falling into geothermal lava?

If this was true, he had found a treasure this time!

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and put away the metal lump.

Just as he was preparing to return to the inn, suddenly, a commotion came from the street ahead.

He saw a team of Disciples wearing Xuanbing Pavilion attire, escorting several tattered and lethargic Loose Cultivators, parading through the streets. Leading them was none other than Lin Ye's "old acquaintance"—Murong Bai!

Murong Bai's face was still a bit pale (had the injury from the Cold Abyss not healed?), but his expression was cold and arrogant, and his eyes scanned the crowd on both sides of the street sharply.

"It's Senior Brother Murong from the Xuanbing Pavilion! I heard he was injured in the Cold Abyss, has he recovered so quickly?"

"Who are they escorting? It seems to be people from the Black Ice Mercenary Group?"

"I heard that the Black Ice Mercenary Group found an ancient Restriction near Ice Wind Valley and wanted to keep it for themselves, but they were caught by the Xuanbing Pavilion and wiped out..."

The crowd discussed heatedly.

Lin Ye lowered his head, pressed down his hood, and mixed into the crowd to avoid eye contact with Murong Bai.

Murong Bai escorted the people away in the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.

Just as the team passed near Lin Ye, a member of the Black Ice Mercenary Group who was being escorted suddenly struggled to lift his head and shouted hoarsely: "Murong Bai! Your Xuanbing Pavilion is colluding with the remnants of the Yinkui Sect and wants to keep the Secret Realm for yourselves! You will meet a bad end!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole street was in an uproar!

Murong Bai's face sank, and he shouted sharply: "Nonsense! Slap his mouth!"

A Xuanbing Pavilion Disciple stepped forward and slapped the man hard several times, knocking him unconscious.

But the three words "Yinkui Sect" were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples among the crowd.

Yinkui Sect? That evil Sect that stirred up trouble in the south and was said to have collapsed? Actually colluding with the Xuanbing Pavilion of the Northern Underworld?

Lin Ye's heart also tightened. The Yinkui Sect was indeed persistent, actually extending its tentacles to the Northern Underworld?

He watched Murong Bai, who had a gloomy face, hurriedly escorting the people away, his eyes flickering.

Ice Wind Valley... ancient Restriction... Yinkui Sect...

It seemed that a larger storm was brewing in the dark in Frost Snow City.

Returning to the inn, Lin Ye closed his eyes and pondered.

The ancient Restriction in Ice Wind Valley seemed to involve quite a lot, with even the Xuanbing Pavilion (and possibly the Yinkui Sect) intervening.

The qingming residual map in his hand also had vague markings for the depths of Ice Wind Valley. Perhaps there was really an undiscovered Secret Realm there.

Should he go or not?

If he goes, he might get involved in the fight between major forces, which is highly risky.

If he doesn't, he might miss a potential great Opportunity.

Moreover, the appearance of the Yinkui Sect made him vigilant. This evil Sect was like a maggot on a tarsal bone, always seeming to be linked to words like "demonic sword," "Secret Realm," and "blood sacrifice."

He took out the dark red metal lump and the starfall cold iron fragment.

One cold and one hot, one Yin and one Yang, their auras faintly repelled each other, but under the coordination of the ancient ring yuan sha, they produced a subtle balance.

"Perhaps... these two things are the key to opening or passing certain special Restrictions?" Lin Ye guessed in his heart.

He decided not to act rashly for now.

On one hand, he would continue to inquire about news regarding Ice Wind Valley, the ancient Restriction, and the Yinkui Sect in Frost Snow City.

On the other hand, he would try to refine the dark red metal lump (Red Flame Star Iron?) to see if he could make the ancient ring yuan sha improve again or gain other benefits from it.

However, the tree wants to be quiet, but the wind does not stop.

The next morning, Lin Ye was meditating in his room when a commotion suddenly came from downstairs in the inn.

Immediately after, rapid footsteps sounded and stopped outside his door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A knocking sound rang out, and a cold voice came:

"The person inside, open the door! The City Lord's Mansion is searching for wanted criminals! Cooperate with the inspection!"