274: Chapter 274 Listening to Snow's Encounter with Change and the Black Sea Underworld Sect

On the icy plains of the Nether Cold Continent, the cold wind cut like knives.

The vast and chaotic temporary gathering place, Aurora Ghost Camp, intertwined with the swirling snow and dazzling aurora, resembled a giant beast dormant in a glacial canyon. Inside the camp, lights blazed, and the clamor of voices, hawking, and faint sounds of Spell clashes mingled, forming the unique Cultivator ecosystem at the edge of this desolate land.

Zhou Wannian slowly walked along the main road, compacted by ice and snow, deep within the camp. His azure long robe fluttered slightly in the cold wind, yet not a single snowflake clung to it. He didn't deliberately exude pressure, nor did he employ any concealing Divine Ability; he simply walked ordinarily, yet naturally integrated into the cold Law of this world, as if he were originally a part of this wind and snow.

The Loose Cultivator stalls lining the road, hawking various broken Magic Treasure and unknown Spiritual Plant, failed to attract even a glance from him. He came here simply to find a quiet place, drink a pot of hot tea, and wait for the precise opening time of the Minghan Immortal Mansion.

Soon, a three-story ice-sculpted teahouse named Tingxue Small Abode appeared in his line of sight.

This teahouse appeared quite elegant, set against the backdrop of the crude tents and gaudy temporary palaces around it. Its entire structure was carved from a subtly glowing ice jade, with faint traces of Formation fluctuations surrounding it, perfectly isolating the external noise and severe cold. A string of ice crystal wind chimes hung under the eaves, emitting crisp and pleasant tinkling sounds as they swayed in the gentle breeze of the Formation.

Zhou Wannian nodded slightly and stepped into the teahouse.

The first-floor hall of the teahouse was meticulously arranged. Several tables and chairs made of ten-thousand-year Ice Heart Wood were placed in a staggered manner, with each table separated by translucent ice jade screens, ensuring guests' privacy while adding a touch of tranquility. There were only a few tables of guests in the hall, all Golden Immortal Realm Cultivators, either conversing in low voices or silently savoring their tea.

A clear-faced attendant, who appeared to be only at the Qi Refinement Stage, immediately hurried forward when he saw a guest enter.

The attendant respectfully bowed, his voice clear as he said, "Senior, welcome to Tingxue Small Abode. Our establishment boasts an elegant environment, and our specialty is the uniquely concocted Aurora Ice Soul Tea, priced at ten Medium Grade immortal yuan stones per pot. May I ask if Senior prefers a seat in the first-floor common area or a private room on the second floor for quiet cultivation?"

Ten Medium Grade immortal yuan stones for a pot of tea was an exorbitant price in the North Cold Immortal Domain, enough to deter most True Immortals. This was consistent with the teahouse's original intention to screen its guests.

Zhou Wannian's gaze swept across the hall, landing on an empty seat by the window.

Zhou Wannian said in a calm tone, "No need for the second floor. That spot by the window will do. Bring a pot of Aurora Ice Soul Tea, and casually pair it with two light refreshments."

The attendant nodded smartly.

The attendant respectfully said, "Senior, please follow me. The Aurora Ice Soul Tea requires slow simmering over a gentle flame, so please wait a moment."

Zhou Wannian followed the attendant to the table by the window and sat down. Leaning back in his chair, he looked out through the transparent ice jade window at the bustling camp street, his expression relaxed, as if his mind had already immersed itself in the unique rhythm of this icy world.

However, this rare tranquility did not last long.

Outside the teahouse, a sudden burst of arrogant and piercing clamor erupted.

Accompanied by several shrill screams, the string of ice crystal wind chimes hanging under the eaves was violently shattered by a brutal force, sending ice shards flying everywhere.

Immediately after, the heavy ice-sculpted main door of Tingxue Small Abode was violently kicked open by a thick foot covered in black scales.

The door crashed down, slamming heavily onto the Ice Heart Wood floor with a deafening roar.

A violent pressure, at the Early Taiyi Stage, mixed with a strong scent of blood, swept through the entire first-floor hall like a hurricane.

The faces of the few Golden Immortal Cultivators quietly sipping tea in the hall instantly turned pale under the impact of this pressure. They fearfully put down their teacups, stood up in disarray, not daring to even entertain a thought of resistance.

"This broken teahouse, from now on, is reserved by my Black Sea Nether Sect. All the eyesores inside, you have three breaths to get out immediately. Otherwise, stay and become food for my Nether Sea Demonic Beasts."

An arrogant voice, as grating as two pieces of raw iron violently rubbing together, echoed from outside the shattered doorway.

Several Cultivators dressed in striking black robes, embroidered with ferocious skull patterns, surrounded a burly old man with a messy head of gray-white hair, swaggering into the hall.

The old man exuded a dense Death Qi and violent Law fluctuations of the Early Taiyi Stage. In his hand, he held a thick black chain, leading a massive three-headed demonic wolf that oozed foul black viscous liquid.

The three-headed demonic wolf cruelly opened its bloody maw, and the viscous liquid dripped onto the ground, instantly corroding bottomless pits into the hard Ice Heart Wood floor, emitting a nauseating, pungent odor.

After recognizing the old man's identity, the Golden Immortal Cultivators in the hall were so frightened they dared not utter a single word of nonsense. They frantically tossed a few immortal yuan stones onto the table as payment for the tea, then, like startled quail, scrambled out through the broken windows or side doors in a desperate escape.

The poor young attendant was even more terrified by this pressure, collapsing to the ground, trembling violently, unable to even let out a small cry.

In just a brief moment.

The originally quiet first-floor hall of Tingxue Small Abode became empty.

Aside from the arrogant members of the Black Sea Nether Sect, only Zhou Wannian remained, sitting quietly by the window.

Zhou Wannian leaned casually against the back of his chair.

He didn't even turn his head, his gaze still calmly fixed on the wind and snow outside the window, as if the farce unfolding behind him wasn't even worthy of his notice.

The gray-haired old man of the Black Sea Nether Sect scanned the empty hall, his gaze finally settling on Zhou Wannian.

A hint of surprise flickered in the old man's turbid and malevolent eyes, which resembled withered wells.

As an inner Elder of the Black Sea Nether Sect, he knew how terrifying the Early Taiyi Stage pressure he had just released was. Ordinary True Immortal Realm Cultivators would struggle to even stand under such pressure, let alone sit as relaxed as this young man in green robes, as if nothing had happened.

What made him most apprehensive was that he had carefully swept his Divine Sense over the young man twice, yet he strangely found not even a trace of immortal spiritual power fluctuation on him.

How could this be?

In a perilous extreme cold place like the North Cold Immortal Domain, let alone a Mortal with no cultivation, even a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator would be frozen into an ice sculpture within a short half an incense stick's time if they left the protection of a Formation. Since this young man could sit here stably, he definitely couldn't be a Mortal.

The only explanation was that this young man's cultivation or concealing Cultivation Technique had far exceeded his sensory limits.

But this absurd thought only lingered in the gray-haired old man's mind for half a breath before being dismissed.

This Aurora Ghost Camp was merely a low-end temporary supply station on the outskirts of the Minghan Immortal Mansion. Those true Daluo Realm Dao Ancestors or Grand Unity Late Stage Grand Cultivators had long been ceremoniously welcomed into the core areas by the various top Sects. How could they be so bored as to come to such a dilapidated Loose Cultivator camp for tea?

This young man most likely carried some high-grade aura-concealing Magic Treasure, merely putting on an act here.

At this thought, the slight apprehension in the gray-haired old man's heart instantly vanished, replaced by a brutal killing intent and greedy covetousness. A Magic Treasure capable of completely shielding Divine Sense probes at the Early Taiyi Stage was undoubtedly an extremely rare and precious treasure.

The gray-haired old man let out a cold, sinister laugh, then arrogantly strode forward, leading the few black-robed Disciples behind him and the ferocious three-headed demonic wolf, swaggering towards Zhou Wannian's table.

The old man stopped three zhang away from Zhou Wannian, looking down at the young man who was still quietly gazing out the window.

The old man's tone was chilling as he said, "Kid, didn't you clearly hear what this Venerable One just said? This teahouse has been completely reserved by my Black Sea Nether Sect. Are you deaf, or do you wish to die a miserable death here?"

Zhou Wannian slowly withdrew his gaze from the wind and snow outside the window.

He didn't furiously slam the table and stand up, nor did he fearfully lower his head and beg for mercy. He didn't even make the slightest adjustment to his sitting posture.

He merely lifted his eyelids slightly, his eyes, like the deep, endless starry sky, calmly falling upon the gray-haired old man's face.

Zhou Wannian's tone was gentle, devoid of any emotional fluctuations, as if he were stating a simple, objective fact.

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Zhou Wannian said indifferently, "I ordered a pot of tea, and it hasn't arrived yet. Before I finish drinking this pot of tea, I don't want to leave. If you find me an eyesore, you can take this dog of yours and quietly roll back to wherever you came from."

Extreme relaxation.

Absolute disregard.

This nonchalant tone, falling upon the ears of the gray-haired Elder and those black-robed Disciples, felt even more unbelievable and infuriating than a vicious curse.

In this Aurora Ghost Camp, who didn't know the illustrious and fierce reputation of their Black Sea Nether Sect? Even fellow Cultivators at the Early Stage of the Taiyi Realm would have to cautiously retreat ten miles when facing a siege from their Sect. This suicidal Loose Cultivator before them actually dared to use such a lofty tone to tell them to get lost.

The gray-haired Elder was so angry he laughed instead; he let out a few arrogant laughs toward the sky, his voice filled with cruel murderous intent.

The Elder said sinisterly, "Good, good, good. I have run rampant in the North Cold Immortal Domain for tens of thousands of years, and this is the first time I've met such an arrogant fool who doesn't know the heights of the heavens. Since you're in a hurry to die, I will kindly fulfill your wish today. I'll thoroughly extract your Divine Soul and light it in the Sect's Nether Soul Lamp, letting you wail miserably for ten thousand years."

Before his voice had even faded, an arrogant black-robed Disciple at the Late Stage of the True Immortal Realm beside the Elder, eager to prove himself, took a violent step forward.

This Disciple violently surged the immortal spiritual power within his body, and a ghost head great saber, pitch-black as ink and emitting a thick, foul-smelling poisonous gas, abruptly appeared in his hand.

Without any hesitation, he violently swung the ghost head great saber, whipping up a sky full of black poisonous blades, and fiercely cleaved down toward Zhou Wannian's head.

This strike contained ten-tenths of the immortal spiritual power of this Late Stage True Immortal Disciple; as the blade edge sliced through the air, it even produced a tooth-aching sonic boom. Those black poisonous blades were not only incredibly sharp but also carried the Nether Sea Strange Poison capable of corroding the Divine Soul. If an ordinary Cultivator of the same rank were hit, it would definitely end in their death and the dissipation of their Dao.

Facing this menacing fatal blow, Zhou Wannian remained steadily seated in his chair.

He didn't even raise his eyelids much, as if the lethal poisonous blade cleaving toward his head was not a weapon but a falling feather.

At the very instant the sky full of black poisonous blades was less than a foot away from the top of Zhou Wannian's head.

Zhou Wannian's right hand, which had been resting on the table, was raised with extreme casualness.

He didn't use any Magic Treasure, nor did he activate the world-shaking Great Five Elements Illusory World Art. He simply extended his index and middle fingers and nonchalantly pinched toward the seemingly indestructible edge of that ghost head great saber.

Ding.

A crisp and pleasant metallic vibration, like an icy spring dripping onto a jade plate, rang out clearly within the empty hall of the teahouse.

That ghost head great saber, which carried the full power of a Late Stage True Immortal and emitted terrifying poisonous gas, came to a sudden halt between Zhou Wannian's two fingers.

The sky full of black poisonous blades was like hitting an invisible and indestructible iron wall; it collapsed violently three inches away from Zhou Wannian's fingertips, dissipating into the air as wisps of black smoke.

The ferocity and arrogance on the black-robed Disciple's face froze instantly, replaced by an extreme horror as if he had seen a ghost.

He frantically surged the immortal spiritual power in his body, his face turning beet red and the veins on his arms bulging, as he tried to pull the great saber out from between Zhou Wannian's fingers, or even press it down by just a fraction of an inch.

But that great saber was like being deathly clamped by two immovable primordial divine mountains, remaining completely motionless.

"This... how is this possible?" The black-robed Disciple stared with wide, terrified eyes, his voice trembling beyond recognition.

Zhou Wannian's expression remained normal as his two fingers snapped slightly downward.

Crack.

A crisp snapping sound rang out. That high-grade Immortal Artifact ghost head great saber, forged with Deep Sea Sinking Silver and incredibly tough, was snapped into two pieces at Zhou Wannian's fingertips as if it were a piece of fragile dead wood.

Immediately after, Zhou Wannian flicked his finger.

The broken tip of the blade turned into a black stream of light that couldn't be caught by the naked eye, flying back at a terrifying speed a hundred times faster than it had come.

Puchi.

A dull sound of a Sharp Weapon entering flesh.

The black-robed Disciple didn't even have time to let out a scream before a bloody hole that went straight through appeared at the center of his brow. The life in his eyes dissipated instantly, and his body, still holding the broken saber aloft, fell straight back, hitting the Ice Heart Wood floor with a heavy thud.

An instant kill.

There was no flashy clashing of Spells, only the most pure and extreme crushing force of the Physical Body.

Everything happened too fast, so fast that even the gray-haired Elder at the Early Stage of the Taiyi Realm hadn't reacted before his prized Disciple had already become a cold corpse.

A deathly silence fell over the hall, with only the three-headed demonic wolf letting out uneasy low growls.

The gray-haired Elder stared fixedly at Zhou Wannian's two fair and slender fingers, and an irrepressible look of shock and fear finally emerged in his cloudy eyes.

To be able to catch a high-grade Immortal Artifact with just two fingers and casually snap it to kill a Late Stage True Immortal Cultivator... such terrifying physical strength was definitely not something an aura-concealing Magic Treasure could fake.

This green-robed youth was a terrifying Body Cultivator whose strength was far above his own, perhaps even...

The Elder didn't dare think further. The arrogant murderous intent in his heart was instantly extinguished by cold fear, replaced by a strong desire to survive.

He suddenly yanked the black chain in his hand, forcibly pulling the still-growling three-headed demonic wolf in front of him to serve as his meat shield.

The Elder's voice trembled, no longer possessing even a hint of his previous arrogance; he roared with false bravado, "You... who exactly are you? I am an inner Sect Elder of the Black Sea Nether Sect. If you dare kill our Sect's Disciples, the Nether Sect will never let you off!"

Zhou Wannian lowered his right hand and casually brushed off non-existent dust from his green robe.

He looked at the gray-haired Elder hiding behind the demonic wolf, a faint trace of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth.

Zhou Wannian said in a flat tone, "I gave you a chance just now to take your dog and quietly get out. Since you didn't cherish it, then stay here."

Before his voice finished, Zhou Wannian remained seated in his chair, only casually lifting his right foot and lightly tapping it on the Ice Heart Wood floor.

Boom.

A terrifying physical vibration force, coupled with the Space Law of Great Perfection, followed the cracks in the floor like an invisible wild dragon, instantly crossing the distance of thirty feet to appear directly beneath the feet of the gray-haired Elder and the three-headed demonic wolf.

The gray-haired Elder only felt the space beneath his feet suddenly sink as an irresistible destructive force directly penetrated his proud Early Stage Taiyi protective immortal light, violently striking his internal organs.

The massive three-headed demonic wolf didn't even let out a single wail; its huge body twisted violently in mid-air and then exploded like a ruptured sandbag, turning into a sky of black blood rain and shredded meat scattered across the ruined hall.

As for the gray-haired Elder of the Early Taiyi Stage, although he barely managed to keep his body intact thanks to his deep cultivation, his Nascent Soul and meridians were completely shattered by this single strike. He slumped into the pool of blood like a pile of mud, bleeding from his seven orifices, his life force severed.

As for the remaining black-robed Disciples, they were directly reduced to nothingness within the terrifying shockwave of the vibration.

The entire battle process, from the black-robed Disciple's move to the gray-haired Elder's fall, took less than three breaths of time.

Zhou Wannian remained steadily seated in the chair by the window; he hadn't even moved his position by half an inch.

He slightly raised his wrist, and an invisible suction force pulled all the storage artifacts from those people into his hand. Then, a weak golden flame flickered from his fingertip. The Spirit-Devouring True Fire landed on the corpses and bloodstains without making a sound; in just half a breath, it completely erased the traces of those suicidal Nether Sect Cultivators and the demonic wolf from this world.

The hall returned to that extremely quiet atmosphere, with only a faint smell of burning lingering in the air.

Zhou Wannian withdrew the golden flame, his gaze falling upon the small attendant who was still slumped in the corner, shivering.

Zhou Wannian said in a gentle tone, devoid of any murderous intent, "Please go to the kitchen and hurry them along; my Aurora Ice Soul Tea should be finished brewing by now."