32: Breaking through two realms in succession

The fourth day, dawn.

The extreme cold Qi accumulated for two days within Clear Snow's Immortal Cave on Luoxia Peak suddenly erupted!

An Ice Soul power, more terrifying and pure than when she broke through to the Middle Golden Core Stage, soared into the sky,

churning the clouds atop the peak and condensing them into a sky full of crystalline frost and snowflakes that drifted down!

The stone door of the Immortal Cave swung open with a boom!

An ice-blue graceful figure stepped out slowly.

Lin Qingxue was surrounded by cold mist, her aura solid and far more powerful and refined than two days ago!

Although she deliberately restrained the majestic pressure brought by her Breakthrough to the Late Golden Core Stage,

the occasional leak of a trace of Ice Soul Sword Intent was enough to freeze the air and coat the plants in frost!

Even more shocking was the thickness and solidity of her Foundation; there wasn't the slightest hint of the instability that comes from forcing a Breakthrough with Medicinal Pills,

as if this Realm was a natural progression achieved through years of bitter cultivation!

In just four short days, she had broken through two Golden Core Realms in a row!

Such an appalling speed, if spread abroad, would be enough to shake the entire Yin Yang Sect and even attract the attention of the continent's top Five Great Immortal Sects!

This was no longer a simple Genius; it was a total Prodigy!

Lin Qingxue's exquisite face carried a lustrous glow following her Breakthrough, making her look even more elegant and ethereal, with bones of ice Soul and skin like snowy jade.

She walked with light steps straight toward Yao Delong's simple thatched hut, her eyes filled with irrepressible joy and a desire to share it.

"Senior Brother!" Her crisp voice carried joy; her voice arrived before she did.

Yao Delong had just finished a night of Alchemy and breath regulation; as he pushed the door open, he saw his Junior Sister gliding toward him like an ice and snow spirit.

Lin Qingxue naturally took Yao Delong's thin arm, her movements showing intimacy and attachment.

"Look, Senior Brother!" She slightly released a trace of her powerful Late Golden Core Stage aura, her face filled with a hint of pride,

"Clear Snow did it! Late Golden Core Stage! My Foundation is stable, and my aura is harmonious!"

Feeling that majestic and pure Ice Soul power, an unspeakable light of joy erupted in Yao Delong's eyes:

"Good! Good! Good! Junior Sister, your talent is heaven-sent; Senior Brother is happy for you!" He praised her sincerely, his heart finally at ease.

The stronger his Junior Sister was, the greater the certainty of success for this trip!

The principle that 'an ordinary man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty' was something he understood all too well after living two lives!

"Senior Brother, you've worked hard these past two days."

Lin Qingxue noticed the exhaustion Yao Delong couldn't hide between his brows, as well as the lingering scent of pills in the room,

her heart ached slightly, and her tone became even softer.

"It's nothing; I just refined some origin breaking pills for backup." Yao Delong waved his hand and then said seriously,

"There's no time to lose, Junior Sister. We must set off for White Cloud City immediately! The auction is tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Lin Qingxue nodded heavily. The ice soul sword instantly appeared beneath her feet, transforming into an ice-blue stream of light about ten feet long,

"Senior Brother, come up! Clear Snow will take you!"

Yao Delong didn't refuse and stepped onto the Flying Sword.

Lin Qingxue released a bit of spiritual power, and the ice soul sword turned into a flash of light, carrying them both through the clouds as they sped toward the southwest!

White Cloud City, a well-known second-tier city in the southern region of the Ba Xia Dynasty.

Although it wasn't a vital stronghold in the heart of the Dynasty, because it guarded several trade routes leading to the edge of the Myriad Yao Mountain Range,

and sat against the resource-rich White Cloud Mountain Range, its commerce was extremely developed.

It was nearly noon, and the silhouette of the massive city was already visible in the distance.

The city walls were towering, built from solid blue granite; having weathered many storms, they exuded an air of heavy antiquity.

Inside and outside the massive city gates, traffic flowed like water and crowds were as dense as woven fabric.

The camel bells of merchant caravans, the shouts of Mortals, and the low conversations of Cultivators mixed together,

forming a noisy and vibrant atmosphere of the marketplace.

Upon entering the city, a thick scent mixed with spices, Spiritual Plants, Yao Beast pelts, and the aroma of various delicacies wafted toward them.

The wide main road was paved with smooth bluestone, and shops lined both sides in an orderly fashion, their banners fluttering.

Satin shops selling mundane fabrics, pill shops filled with Spiritual Qi, Magical Artifact pavilions gleaming with cold light, and restaurants wafting enticing aromas... everything was there, a feast for the eyes.

The streets were teeming with people. There were caravan leaders on tall horses with heavy guards;

Sect Cultivators with swords on their backs and steady auras; Loose Cultivators in bamboo hats hurrying along;

and countless Mortals rushing about for their livelihoods.

From time to time, powerful Cultivators riding flying Magical Artifacts or Spirit Beasts

would sweep low over the city, drawing gazes of awe and envy from below.

The entire city was like a massive furnace, radiating vigorous life and desire.

"It is indeed prosperous," Yao Delong remarked slightly as he looked at the scene before him.

This mundane bustle was a world apart from the market towns under the Sects.

Although Lin Qingxue came from a great clan, she had spent years in quiet cultivation and felt a bit of novelty toward this clamor,

though most of her attention was focused on sensing her surroundings.

She restrained her aura and walked slowly through the crowd with Yao Delong; her peerless beauty and cold temperament still drew many stares.

The two arrived in front of a high-end restaurant in the city named "Drunken Immortal Residence," intending to stay there and rest.

As soon as they stepped into the lobby, the noise from the street subsided slightly.

The restaurant was elegantly decorated, mostly using spiritual wood, which had a faint Spirit-gathering effect.

It was currently the noon rush, and the hall was filled with diners, mostly Cultivators with decent auras, clearly all here for tomorrow's auction.

"Two Immortal Masters, this way please!" A clever waiter hurried over to greet them warmly.

Just then, a slightly frivolous voice rang out from the side:

"Eh? This Fairy's face is quite unfamiliar, yet her temperament is so cold and refined. Could she also be here for tomorrow's auction?"

A young man dressed in luxurious clothes, with fine jade at his waist and a gold-painted folding fan in his hand, strolled over,

his gaze burning as it landed on Lin Qingxue, his eyes filled with amazement and greed.

Behind him followed two guards with steady auras and sharp eyes, their cultivation levels surprisingly at Foundation Establishment Perfection.

The young man's own cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, exuding an air of instability from years of taking Medicinal Pills.

Seeing an old man with a weak aura and an aged face standing beside Lin Qingxue,

he naturally assumed he was an elder; snapping his fan shut, he cupped his hands in a showy manner and said:

"I am Mu Baitie, the Third Young Master of the White Cloud City Lord's Mansion. Since Fairy is new here, if you have any needs, feel free to ask.

I wonder where Fairy comes from? Are you accompanying your esteemed father to the auction hosted by the White Cloud Merchant Guild?"

The moment the words "esteemed father" were uttered, cold light instantly exploded from Lin Qingxue's chilly eyes!

A terrifying, bone-chilling pressure erupted from her delicate body with a bang!

In an instant, the temperature in the entire restaurant hall plummeted,

and the floor, tables, chairs, and even the wine in the diners' cups instantly formed fine ice crystals!

The might of a Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator was unleashed without reservation!

"Hiss—!" The originally noisy hall instantly fell into a dead silence!

All the diners, whether Mortals or Cultivators, felt a coldness and suffocation originating from the depths of their Souls!

One by one, they turned pale with shock, looking at the ice-blue figure with extreme fear!

"G-Golden Core... Late Stage?! Such a young great Cultivator?!"

"Heavens! Which immortal Sect's Prodigy is she?!"

"Who is that fool? How dare he be so offensive!"

Whispers and the sound of sharp intakes of breath rose in the silence, filled with disbelief and fear.