193: Chapter 193 Entering the Ruins Together, Frozen Valley

Early the next morning, the sky was just brightening. Beichen City was shrouded in a pale cyan light. The figures of patrolling guards on the city walls were shadowy, appearing solemn and silent.

Lin Wan had long finished his meditation and regulated his breathing in his room, adjusting his state to the Peak. He changed into gray, tight-fitting clothes suitable for movement, restrained his aura, and returned his appearance to a plain and ordinary look. Pushing the door open, Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing were already waiting outside.

Fairy Shuiyun was still wearing her water-blue long dress, but covered it with a snow-white cloak, concealing part of her graceful figure. She wore a thin veil on her face, revealing only a pair of cold, beautiful eyes, her temperament ethereal. Liu Qingqing was wearing goose-yellow tight-fitting clothes, looking much more agile, with anticipation and a trace of nervousness on her face. Both women had disguised themselves, obviously to avoid the eyes and ears of the Sky Wolf Association.

"Junior Brother Lin." "Senior Lin." The two women greeted Lin Wan in low voices upon seeing him.

"Hmm, let's go." Lin Wan nodded without saying much, and walked downstairs first. The shopkeeper had been respectfully waiting on the first floor. Seeing the three come down, he hurriedly offered the spirit tea and snacks he had prepared, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. Yesterday, the matter of Lin Wan displaying his pressure and forcing back the leader of the Sky Wolf Association had already quietly spread in the inn. Now, everyone knew that this seemingly ordinary "Late Stage Earth Immortal" Cultivator was a hidden expert.

Lin Wan paid the room fee and, under the shopkeeper's awe-filled gaze, left the inn with the two women.

The street had sparse pedestrians, mostly early-rising Cultivators in a hurry. Lin Wan and the two mingled in the crowd and walked toward the North City Gate.

At the city gate, the guards remained strict. However, leaving the city was much more relaxed than entering; one only needed to check the identity jade plaque and pay the exit fee. The three successfully left the city without encountering any obstruction. It seemed the Sky Wolf Association had not set an ambush at the gate, or perhaps they hadn't expected them to leave so early.

Emerging from the city, before them lay the vast, boundless Void Realm with dim starlight. Countless star fragments, meteorites, and dust floated slowly in the Void Realm. In the distance, nebulae and star belts of various colors were like thin veils and mist, dotted on the pitch-black sky. Further away, a gray, misty, huge shadow that seemed to connect the ends of heaven and earth lay across the northern horizon, giving one a heavy, oppressive, and unfathomable feeling. That was the direction of the Chaos Ruins.

"Is that the Chaos Ruins? So... so huge..." Liu Qingqing looked at the endless gray shadow, her little mouth slightly open, her eyes full of shock. Although she had heard the legends of the Chaos Ruins, seeing it with her own eyes still left her awestruck by its vastness and mystery.

"Yes, that is the edge of the Chaos Ruins. Our destination for this trip is even deeper inside." Fairy Shuiyun's expression was solemn, her voice cold. "The Chaos Ruins are extremely dangerous. Not only is the space chaotic, with countless space rifts and Chaos turbulent flows, but there are also various strange Vicious Beasts and unknown dangers. Especially with the gray mist spreading recently, it adds many variables. Qingqing, follow me closely, don't run around."

"Understood, Senior Sister." Liu Qingqing nodded quickly, her small hand unconsciously gripping Fairy Shuiyun's sleeve.

Lin Wan looked at the gray shadow, his eyes calm, but ripples stirred in his heart. He could feel that the Chaos Dao Seed within his body was faintly sending a trace of longing and palpitation as he approached the Chaos Ruins. It was like a wanderer returning home, or a fledgling bird seeing its nest. There, something was attracting it.

"Let's go." Lin Wan said, transforming into an inconspicuous gray streak of light first, flying towards the north. He did not fly at full speed but controlled his speed to the level of an ordinary Early Stage Heavenly Immortal, making it convenient for Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing to keep up.

Fairy Shuiyun also cast her movement technique, an ice-blue streak of light enveloping herself and Liu Qingqing, following closely behind Lin Wan. Her movement light was swift and light, carrying a trace of coldness, drawing a blue trajectory in the Void Realm.

The three, one in front and two behind, maintained a certain distance and flew towards the Chaos Ruins. The further north they went, the worse the environment in the Void Realm became. Star fragments were denser, and huge meteorites whistled past from time to time, bringing up ear-piercing sounds of breaking through the air. The Void Realm was also filled with chaotic energy flows; sometimes it was blazing fire, sometimes it was bone-chilling ice, and sometimes it was violent thunder. A moment of carelessness would lead to being swept into it and smashed to pieces.

Lin Wan fully expanded his Divine Sense, covering several hundred miles, avoiding those obvious dangerous areas in advance. He cultivated the "Chaos Derivation Scripture," and was extremely sensitive to the aura of Chaos and disorder. He could often discover those hidden space rifts and energy turbulence in advance, taking Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing through them without any danger.

Fairy Shuiyun followed behind, watching Lin Wan navigate through various dangers with ease, and was secretly shocked. Although she also knew something about the Chaos Ruins, this was her first time going deep, and many dangers were encountered for the first time, requiring constant vigilance. Yet Lin Wan seemed extremely familiar with this place, always being able to predict the location of danger in advance. This made her even more curious about Lin Wan's strength and background.

Liu Qingqing was even more full of admiration, feeling that Senior Lin was omnipotent.

After flying for about three days, the surrounding Void Realm environment became even worse. The star fragments turned into huge broken stars, some even still burning, emitting terrifying high temperatures. The Void Realm was filled with faint gray mist. These mists were not the real "Gray Mist," but the Chaos Miasma unique to the outskirts of the Chaos Ruins. It could erode immortal essence and paralyze the Divine Soul. Inhaling it for a long time would make a Cultivator delirious and their immortal essence stagnant.

"Be careful, this is Chaos Miasma. Although it is not as dense as in the Gray Mist area, it cannot be underestimated. Take the Miasma-Avoiding Medicinal Pill and circulate your immortal essence to protect your body." Fairy Shuiyun reminded, taking an ice-blue Medicinal Pill first. A layer of faint frost appeared on her body surface, isolating the gray mist.

Liu Qingqing also hurriedly took the Miasma-Avoiding Medicinal Pill and circulated her immortal essence.

Lin Wan did not need to do so. With a thought, the Chaos Dao Seed in his body rotated slightly, and an invisible Chaos force field enveloped his body. Those gray mists were silently swallowed and assimilated as soon as they approached him, actually becoming a slight supplement to his Chaos Immortal Energy. However, he did not show it and also pretended to take an ordinary Miasma-Avoiding Medicinal Pill.

After flying for another half day, a strange scene appeared in the Void Realm ahead. It was a huge area composed of countless huge ice blocks, ice storms, and ice-crystal meteorites. Looking from afar, it was like an ice and snow kingdom floating in the Void Realm, emitting bone-chilling coldness and violent ice-type energy. This was the Ice Valley, a famous dangerous place and foothold on the outskirts of the Gray Mist area.

"We've arrived. That is the Ice Valley ahead. Junior Martial Uncle and the others should have arrived already." Fairy Shuiyun breathed a sigh of relief. The high-intensity flight and vigilance for several consecutive days made her somewhat tired.

The three slowed down and landed on a relatively calm ice field on the outskirts of the Ice Valley. There, more than a dozen figures were already waiting. The leader was a middle-aged beautiful woman wearing snow-white palace attire, with a cold and glamorous face, and a temperament like ten-thousand-year cold ice. Her cultivation had impressively reached the Late Stage Heavenly Immortal Realm. She was Elder Xue—Xue Wuhen, the leader of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace this time.

Behind Xue Wuhen stood seven or eight male and female Cultivators, with cultivation ranging from Middle Stage Earth Immortal to Early Stage Heavenly Immortal, all wearing the attire of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace, with cold temperaments. They seemed to have been waiting here for a long time. Seeing the movement lights of Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing landing, they all looked over.

"Disciple Shuiyun (Liu Qingqing), pays respects to Junior Martial Uncle Xue." Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully saluted Xue Wuhen.

"Hmm, you're here." Xue Wuhen nodded faintly, her voice like ice beads falling on a jade plate, crisp and cold. Her gaze swept over Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing, confirming they were unharmed, and then landed on Lin Wan behind them.

"Who is this?" Xue Wuhen frowned slightly. She sensed that Lin Wan only had the cultivation of a "Late Stage Earth Immortal," but the faint, elusive aura on him made her alert. Moreover, why did Shuiyun and Qingqing bring a strange man back?

"Reporting to Junior Martial Uncle, this is Junior Brother Lin Wan. He is an old acquaintance of Junior Sister Qingqing and me. We encountered difficulties from the Sky Wolf Association on the way, and fortunately, Junior Brother Lin helped us. Junior Brother Lin also wants to go to the Gray Mist area, so he is traveling with us." Fairy Shuiyun hurriedly explained. She did not reveal Lin Wan's true strength, only saying it was an old acquaintance helping out.

"Oh? The Sky Wolf Association?" A cold light flashed in Xue Wuhen's eyes. She clearly had no good feelings for the Sky Wolf Association. "Fellow Daoist Lin, thank you for helping my Disciples. May I ask where you studied, Fellow Daoist Lin? And why are you coming to the Chaos Ruins?"

Although Xue Wuhen's tone was polite, it carried a scrutinizing meaning. As the leading Elder, she had to be vigilant against everyone approaching the team, especially in this dangerous Chaos Ruins.

"I am Lin Feng, a Loose Cultivator, with no sect or faction. I come to the Chaos Ruins only to train and search for treasures." Lin Wan said neither humbly nor arrogantly, cupping his hands. He used the alias "Lin Feng," and his appearance remained the ordinary look.

"A Loose Cultivator?" The suspicion in Xue Wuhen's eyes grew stronger. A Loose Cultivator, able to be so calm on the outskirts of the Chaos Ruins? And with the cultivation of a Late Stage Earth Immortal, daring to come to the Chaos Ruins alone to "train and search for treasures"? She did not believe the other party was an idiot who didn't know life from death. Then, there was only one possibility—the other party had hidden his cultivation.

However, Xue Wuhen did not point it out immediately. Since the other party was willing to hide, he naturally had his reasons. As long as the other party did not endanger the team's safety, she did not want to cause extra trouble. After all, being able to easily force back the Sky Wolf Association people, his strength was definitely not weak. Having one more friend was always better than having one more enemy.

"Since you are an old acquaintance of Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing, and you have shown them kindness, Fellow Daoist Lin, if you don't mind, you may temporarily travel with us. The Gray Mist Zone is fraught with danger, and having one more person provides extra support." Xue Wuhen's tone softened slightly as she extended the invitation. She valued Lin Wan's strength; having such a hidden expert in their company would increase their chances of success in exploring the Gray Mist Zone.

"Many thanks for your kindness, Elder Xue. I shall respectfully accept your offer." Lin Wan did not refuse. Traveling with the Ice and Snow Divine Palace team would indeed save him a lot of trouble and allow him to better understand the situation in the Gray Mist Zone.

"Hmm." Xue Wuhen nodded and said no more, turning to the others: "Everyone is here. We will rest for half an hour, then set off for the outer stronghold of the Gray Mist Zone."

"Yes, Elder Xue." The group acknowledged.

Fairy Shuiyun and Liu Qingqing took Lin Wan to the side to rest. The other Disciples of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace curiously sized up Lin Wan, this "Late Stage Earth Immortal" Loose Cultivator. They did not understand why Elder Xue would allow an "outsider" to join the team, but since Elder Xue had spoken, they dared not ask further.

"Junior Brother Lin, Junior Martial Uncle Xue... she is just like that. She is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Please don't mind it." Fairy Shuiyun whispered to Lin Wan, fearing that Lin Wan might be displeased by Xue Wuhen's coldness.

"It is fine." Lin Wan smiled and swept his gaze over the Ice and Snow Divine Palace team. Besides Xue Wuhen, who was a Late Stage Heavenly Immortal, there were two middle-aged male Cultivators at the Early Stage Heavenly Immortal Realm, likely deacons or Elders. The remaining seven or eight were young Disciples at the Earth Immortal Realm, who appeared to be here for training. Their overall strength was considered above average among the teams sent by the various factions in Beichen City.

Half an hour passed quickly.

"Set off!" At Elder Xue's command, everyone raised their escape lights and, led by her, flew toward the depths of the Cold Ice Valley.

Inside the Cold Ice Valley, the temperature was extremely low, with eternal mysterious ice and violent ice storms everywhere. Xue Wuhen was clearly quite familiar with this place, leading the team to deftly weave between ice Peaks and ice crevices, avoiding those dangerous storm eyes and hidden ice caverns. The Disciples of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace mostly practiced ice-element Cultivation Techniques, so they were in their element in this environment, able to unleash 120% of their strength.

Lin Wan followed behind the team at an unhurried pace, his internal Chaos Dao Seed slowly rotating, swallowing and converting a portion of the surrounding freezing cold Qi into Chaos Immortal Energy. Although the environment of the Cold Ice Valley was harsh, it was a good place for his Chaos Immortal Dao to Cultivate; all kinds of chaotic and extreme energies could be absorbed and utilized by the Chaos Dao Seed.

After flying for about a day and passing through a dense forest of ice spikes, the view suddenly opened up. In front of them appeared a relatively open ice plain. On the ice plain, there were already dozens of tents of various colors, emanating fluctuations from Formations, distributed in an orderly fashion. Around the tents, there were Cultivators patrolling and keeping watch, while other Cultivators gathered in groups of three or five, whispering to each other. This was a temporary stronghold on the outskirts of the Gray Mist Zone, jointly established by the various factions that had arrived earlier, serving as the final resting point before entering the Gray Mist Zone.

At this moment, the sky above the stronghold was covered by a large, pale blue light barrier, isolating the outside world's Chaos Miasma and freezing storms. Inside the light barrier, the temperature was pleasant, and the Spiritual Qi was richer than outside, clearly maintained by a large-scale Formation.

"We have arrived. This is the outer stronghold." Xue Wuhen led the team and landed at the entrance of the stronghold.

At the entrance, several Cultivators wearing different attires were standing guard; their cultivation levels were all at the Late Stage Earth Immortal Realm, and their auras were fierce. Seeing Xue Wuhen and the others, one of the Cultivators, wearing silver armor with a snowflake emblem on his chest, stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Elder Xue! Senior Sister Shuiyun, Senior Sister Liu, you have arrived."

"Hmm, thank you for your hard work." Xue Wuhen nodded slightly. "How is the situation inside?"

"Reporting to Elder Xue, the people from the major factions have basically all arrived. The people from the Sky Wolf Association, the Four Seas Alliance, and the War God Temple have already set up camp inside the stronghold. The people from the Xuan Yin Sect also arrived yesterday; their movements are mysterious, and they rarely show themselves. In addition, there are some lone experts and small groups, a mixed bag of people." The silver-armored Cultivator reported in a low voice.

"Xuan Yin Sect..." Xue Wuhen frowned slightly, clearly wary of this major Demonic Path sect. "Where is the camp of our Ice and Snow Divine Palace?"

"It is in the East District, already arranged according to your instructions. Please follow me." The silver-armored Cultivator led the way.

Xue Wuhen nodded and led everyone into the stronghold.

As soon as they entered the light barrier, noisy sounds rushed toward them. Inside the stronghold, it had become a small gathering place for Cultivators. Besides the camps divided by various factions, there were also temporarily built trading areas, taverns, tea houses, and even Loose Cultivators setting up stalls to sell various Materials, Medicinal Pills, and Talismans, making it extremely lively, standing in stark contrast to the dead and cold Chaos Ruins outside.

The Ice and Snow Divine Palace's camp was located in the East District of the stronghold, consisting of a dozen snow-white tents embroidered with the Ice and Snow Divine Palace's emblem, surrounded by simple defensive and sound-isolation Formations.

After settling down, Xue Wuhen called Fairy Shuiyun and several Heavenly Immortal deacons to her tent, evidently to discuss the next action plan. As an "outsider," Lin Wan was naturally not in a position to participate and was arranged to rest in a separate tent.

Liu Qingqing had wanted to follow Fairy Shuiyun, but was kept behind by Fairy Shuiyun on the grounds of "rest well and don't run around." The little girl pouted, feeling somewhat dissatisfied, but she dared not disobey her Senior Sister, so she had to run to Lin Wan's tent and chatter about what she had seen and heard along the way.

"Senior Lin, what do you think the inside of the Gray Mist Zone is really like? Is it really that terrifying? What are the illusions that those who go inside see?" Liu Qingqing sat opposite Lin Wan, resting her chin on her hands, her big eyes filled with curiosity and a trace of fear.

"Illusions are born from the heart. The gray mist can amplify and distort the fears, desires, and regrets deep within a person's heart, forming realistic illusions. Those with weak willpower easily sink into them, unable to extricate themselves." Lin Wan said calmly. He had read the intelligence from the Bai Xiao Pavilion and had some understanding of the hallucinogenic properties of the gray mist.

"Then... then, Senior, are you afraid?" Liu Qingqing blinked and asked.

"Afraid?" Lin Wan glanced at her and smiled slightly. "The path of cultivation is inherently Heaven-Defying. One must contend with Heaven, with the Earth, with people, and with oneself. If one shrinks back because of fear, how can the Dao Heart be firm? How can one climb to a higher Realm?"

Hearing this, Liu Qingqing nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes.

"By the way, Miss Liu, you mentioned earlier that your Family's lost token might be in the Chaos Ruins. Do you have any clues? For example, what does the token look like? Roughly where is it?" Lin Wan asked, appearing casual.

"This..." Liu Qingqing hesitated for a moment, but thinking that Lin Wan was her savior and possessed unfathomable strength, he might be able to help, so she whispered: "To be honest, Senior, I am not entirely sure what the token looks like. The Family records only state that it is a crimson token with flame patterns on the front and a star map on the back, called the 'Red Phoenix Token.' It is said to be the key to opening the Family's ancestral land. After the Family declined, the Red Phoenix Token was lost. Some ancestors speculated that it might have ended up in the Chaos Ruins. I previously received news that someone had seen something similar to the Red Phoenix Token appear near the Chaos Ruins, so I begged my Revered Master to let me come along..."

"Red Phoenix Token?" Lin Wan felt a jolt in his heart, but remained outwardly calm. A crimson token, flame patterns, a star map... Isn't this the token that Huo Linger gave him?! Could it be that Huo Linger is related to Liu Qingqing's Family? Or, is Huo Linger a member of Liu Qingqing's Family? But Huo Linger's surname is "Huo," and Liu Qingqing's surname is "Liu"... Is it a pseudonym? Or a branch?

"Miss Liu, what is your Family's surname?" Lin Wan asked.

"Liu, of course. Like the willow tree." Liu Qingqing looked at Lin Wan strangely, not understanding why the Senior would ask this.

"Then... does your Family have any branch with the surname 'Huo,' or any heritage related to 'fire'?" Lin Wan asked again.

"Surname Huo?" Liu Qingqing frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. Our Family has always had the surname Liu, and we inherit ice-element Cultivation Techniques, which have nothing to do with fire. Why does Senior ask this?"

"Nothing, just asking casually." Lin Wan's doubts deepened. The Red Phoenix Token given by Huo Linger was clearly related to Liu Qingqing's Family. But Liu Qingqing's Family had the surname Liu and inherited ice-element Cultivation Techniques, while the Red Phoenix Token was clearly a fire-attribute treasure, and Huo Linger also had the surname "Huo"... There must be some hidden story in this.

"It seems I must find an opportunity to meet that Huo Linger, or enter the depths of the Gray Mist Zone and find the secret place related to the Red Phoenix Token to unravel the mystery." Lin Wan thought to himself.

Just then, a commotion came from outside the tent; it seemed someone was approaching.

Lin Wan's Divine Sense stirred slightly, sensing several powerful auras heading toward the Ice and Snow Divine Palace's camp. One of the auras was scorching, domineering, and full of aggression; it was clearly at the Middle Stage Heavenly Immortal Realm! Moreover, this aura seemed somewhat familiar...

"Friends of the Ice and Snow Divine Palace, I am Li Tianlang, Vice Commander of the Sky Wolf Association. I have come specifically to pay a visit to Elder Xue Wuhen. Please come out and meet me!"

A rough, arrogant voice rang out outside the camp like a thunderclap, undisguisedly carrying a provocative tone.

Inside the tent, Liu Qingqing's face turned pale, and panic appeared in her eyes: "It... it is the people from the Sky Wolf Association! They have come to our doorstep!"

Lin Wan narrowed his eyes, a cold arc curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Just in time."