145: Snowstorm

Just then, the space inside the boat rippled slightly, and the figure of the Ferryman in a coir raincoat and bamboo hat appeared silently in the void before everyone; his face remained obscured, yet he naturally became the center of heaven and earth.

His indifferent and ethereal voice rang out, clearly reaching the ears of every Prodigy: "I am the Ruoshui Ferryman, in charge of this ferry crossing, guiding those destined."

"This is the final opening of the Ruoshui Secret Realm."

"I hope you all cherish this Opportunity."

"The Ruoshui Secret Realm will remain open for one month. If you do not leave after a month, you will be forced to stay in the Secret Realm forever."

"That is all. Good Luck to you all!"

After saying this, the Ferryman's figure slowly faded and then vanished.

"What?!"

"The final opening?"

"The Ruoshui Secret Realm has existed for tens of millions of years! Why would it suddenly stop opening?"

"I don't know either!"

"..."

The flatboat was instantly in an uproar!

Even the Wending Sect didn't know what was happening. Su Muhuang asked blankly, "Do you all know what's going on?"

"It shouldn't be! Although the Ruoshui Secret Realm is extremely dangerous, it has existed since ancient times and has always been one of the Secret Realms used by major forces for their Prodigies to train. Why would it suddenly stop opening?"

Yang Hao thought for a moment but had no clue.

"There's no use thinking so much. When we reach the core of the Secret Realm later, everyone be careful and just do your best," Shi Tian said.

Hearing this, everyone nodded.

Previously on the outskirts of the Secret Realm, although there were many dangers and other major forces had lost some Prodigies, they weren't severely damaged. The Wending Sect had only a few Disciples with minor injuries, while the others were unharmed.

Since the Ruoshui Secret Realm was notoriously dangerous, the most perilous parts were likely in the core of the Secret Realm.

Immediately, everyone became highly alert.

"Heh."

Zhao Qian, who was quietly watching this scene, didn't seem surprised. He sneered in his heart, "A bunch of fools, you have no idea what you're about to face! Just wait, you will all die here and become stepping stones for This Young Master!"

Just then, the flatboat jolted slightly; it seemed to have reached the shore.

"The path ahead has appeared. Everyone, rely on your own abilities and accept your own fate..." The Ferryman's voice echoed in the flatboat.

The boat's door slowly opened, and a bone-chilling coldness, like a tangible tide, surged in, making all the Prodigies shudder.

After everyone stepped outside, the dread-crossing skiff slowly sailed into the mist.

It would only reappear when the Secret Realm was about to close to take everyone away.

"Hiss—so cold!"

A Disciple cried out in surprise as soon as he stepped onto the land. He saw a thick layer of frost condensing on the scabbard of the immortal sword in his hand at a visible speed, and the circulation of his Spiritual Qi became somewhat sluggish.

"Breath turning to ice, inhalation like a blade... Is this the core area of the Ruoshui Secret Realm?"

Another person circulated their magic power to resist, a faint halo rising around their body.

Looking out, it was a vast and boundless frozen world.

The sky was an eternal leaden gray, with goose-feather-like snow falling endlessly. The ground was covered in ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, and in the distance, ice mountains stood like giant fangs stabbing toward the sky.

The air was permeated with an extreme cold Law capable of freezing the Divine Soul. Ordinary Undergoing Tribulation and Mahayana Cultivators would probably turn into ice sculptures instantly, their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

Only those with a cultivation of Supreme Realm or above could barely move in this place.

"Ten thousand miles of ice, a frozen Dao field... The Law Domain of the Ruoshui True Immortal truly lives up to its reputation."

Zhao Qian's sharp gaze swept across the surroundings. His body was enveloped in a layer of warm clear Qi, isolating the wind and snow, demonstrating his profound Peak Earth Immortal cultivation.

Shi Tian took a deep breath of the cold air, feeling the extreme ice-attribute Dao principles contained within. A flash of excitement crossed his eyes: "Although this place is dangerous, it's an excellent place for training! Let's go, opportunities won't come to us; we must explore further in."

He took the first step.

The Wending Sect members immediately followed, forming a battle Formation and cautiously advancing toward the depths of the Secret Realm, where the wind and snow were heavier and the cold more intense.

Zhao Qian watched the backs of the Wending Sect members as they disappeared into the wind and snow, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He could sense that the fluctuations of the Law coming from the direction the Wending Sect was heading were even more ancient and dangerous.

"Senior Brother, which way do we go?"

An academy Disciple asked.

Zhao Qian pondered for a moment and pointed toward another ice valley that seemed relatively smooth but had a faint shimmering glow: "Go this way. The Secret Realm is about to collapse, and there is danger at every step. We must not wander blindly, or we could easily be trapped and find it hard to escape."

"What we need to do now is reach that place with the minimum cost possible."

"Only there will we find what we want most."

"Yes!"

Dozens of Taiqing Academy members answered in unison.

Clearly, they also knew what place Zhao Qian was referring to.

Thus, under Zhao Qian's leadership, the Taiqing Academy group cautiously moved toward the ice valley.

On the other side.

Shi Tian took the lead, Xiao Bufan protected them with Sword Intent, Su Muhuang sensed the environment, and Yang Hao, relying on the knowledge recorded by his Family, occasionally pointed out potential dangers and opportunities.

They were like a sharp sword, piercing directly into the coldest and most chaotic core area of the Secret Realm's Laws.

Soon, they encountered their first crisis—

A group of Ice Fiend Spirits condensed from extreme cold Laws!

These spirits were formless and substanceless, yet they could directly attack a Cultivator's Divine Soul, making them impossible to guard against!

"Form the Small Zhou Heaven Sword Formation!"

Shi Tian ordered calmly.

Instantly, sword light crisscrossed and Daoist techniques roared. The Wending Sect Disciples were well-trained and coordinated perfectly, quickly annihilating the group of Ice Fiends.

During the battle, everyone's comprehension of the ice Laws actually improved slightly.

"Look! There's a glow behind that ice wall!"

Su Muhuang pointed to a massive ice mountain nearby.

Everyone broke through the ice wall and discovered an Immortal Cave sealed by ice. A stone tablet stood at the entrance, with the words "Cold Jade Pill Chamber" inscribed on it!

"It's the legacy cave of an ancient Alchemist! There might be rare Medicinal Pills or Pill Formulas inside!"

Yang Hao said excitedly.

However, the cave was protected by a powerful Restriction that needed to be broken.

Everyone immediately began trying to break the Restriction... Meanwhile, on the Taiqing Academy side, Zhao Qian led his team along the ice valley.

Along the way, they discovered several ruined remains and found some scattered ancient Magical Artifact fragments containing ice Dao principles, as well as several rare ten-thousand-year ice-attribute Spiritual Plants, yielding a significant harvest.

Although they were extremely careful, they still triggered a residual Formation in the ruins, causing an ice explosion that nearly caused casualties. Fortunately, Zhao Qian's strength was formidable, and he resolved it in time.

"Although there are many opportunities here, it's too dangerous to stay for long!"

Zhao Qian's gaze sharpened as he made a decisive call: "We can't waste any more time. We must be the first to reach that place. Don't touch these opportunities anymore, lest we delay our main business!"

"Understood!"

Although the other Disciples were reluctant, they understood that compared to that thing, these scraps were not worth mentioning.

Everyone braved the wind and snow, hurrying along.

The wind and snow grew even more intense.

Amidst the swirling wind and snow, hundreds of Prodigies from various continents searched for their own Heaven-Defying opportunities.

And the distance between them was unknowingly closing...