16: Chapter 16 Frosty Edge

Dark black martial attire, embroidered with ice flowers.

Over ten riders from the Xuanshuang Sect reined in their horses at the village entrance; before the hooves had even settled, a chill had already arrived.

The leader, an old man in his fifties with a face like cold iron, scanned the field full of ice sculptures and messy corpses, finally pausing slightly when his gaze fell on Lu Zhao's face.

Immediately, a cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

That smile held no warmth, only scrutiny and mockery, like a butcher weighing livestock for slaughter.

"I was wondering who it was," Wang Tong spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the cold wind and into everyone's ears. "So it's you, this cripple."

He paused, his gaze sizing up Lu Zhao—clothes tattered, blood-stained, face deathly pale, standing steady only by leaning on his sword.

This pathetic appearance seemed to overlap with the boy in his memory who stood stubbornly tall on the Spirit Testing Platform, yet also seemed to have long since been crushed into dust.

"What," Wang Tong's voice turned cold, each word like an icicle, "fortunate enough not to die, and now you're stirring up trouble in this remote backwater, drawing out the Earthly Fiend Qi and harming the villagers?"

These words were extremely heavy.

Drawing out the Earthly Fiend Qi and harming the villagers—in the cultivation world, this was a capital crime sufficient for execution on the spot.

Especially coming from the mouth of a Xuanshuang Sect Deacon, it was almost equivalent to a death sentence.

The faces of the crowd in front of the ancestral hall changed drastically.

Yan Meng gripped his broken spear, He Shan slightly raised his arrow tip, and Zhong Tiegu's chest heaved, yet none dared to move recklessly.

The Xuanshuang Sect was a colossus that even the Black Mountain Liu Family had to look up to; with a Deacon personally present, a single word could decide life or death.

Lu Zhao slowly raised his head.

His eyes met Wang Tong's.

Three years ago, on the Spirit Testing Platform, there was also such a gaze—condescending, cold, and indifferent, as if looking at an ant. Back then, he knelt on the platform, the agonizing pain of his Spiritual Root being destroyed tearing at his Divine Soul, while this person's judgment rang in his ears: "Low Aptitude, wicked mind, destined to be an ant."

Three years later, he stood on this blood-stained frozen earth, with people behind him who needed protection and his old enemy before him.

Lu Zhao suppressed the surging chill in his heart, swallowed the metallic sweetness in his throat, and cupped his fists.

"Deacon Wang," his voice was raspy but steady, "the tremors in the earth veins are not something a Junior like me could have triggered.

The Funiu Gang attacked, the Liu Family forced donations, and I had no choice but to navigate between them to protect my neighbors. As for the vicious thing underground..."

He glanced toward the deep pit.

The cold mist in the pit was thin, and the ghostly blue light was dim, but that aura of Evil Qi remained, like an injured Vicious Beast lying in wait, seeking an opportunity to strike back.

"Just now, Qinglan Sect's Deacon Zhao and Steward Liu both investigated; this thing is an Ancient Vicious Spirit born from the earth veins. If not dealt with, there will likely be no peace for a hundred miles around.

My cultivation is low, and I could only contribute a meager effort. How can you say I am 'stirring up trouble'?"

These words were neither humble nor arrogant, pointing out the danger of the underground creature while also dragging the Qinglan Sect and the Liu Family into the situation—if there was a crime to be discussed, your two families couldn't escape involvement either.

Wang Tong's eyes turned slightly cold.

A young Disciple beside him shouted sharply, "Impudence! When Deacon Wang asks a question, how dare an ant like you argue?!"

As he spoke, his longsword left its scabbard by half an inch, cold Qi bursting forth, and a thin layer of frost condensed on the ground.

Lu Zhao did not retreat but instead took half a step forward.

This step was taken very slowly, the ice under his feet making a crisp "crack." His face was still pale, but his back was ramrod straight, his gaze meeting the Disciple's as he spoke word by word:

"The ten households and forty-seven people of Yangjiao Ravine are all citizens of Great Yan, protected by the Dynasty's laws.

Although the Xuanshuang Sect is an immortal Sect, it must also act according to the law. May I ask this Senior Brother, what law have I broken, or what article have I violated, that warrants you drawing your sword against me?"

The Disciple froze.

Although the cultivation world was transcendent, it still outwardly respected the laws of the Dynasty. No matter how strong the Xuanshuang Sect was, it had no right to slaughter civilians without cause, especially in front of the Qinglan Sect and the Liu Family.

Wang Tong raised his hand, stopping the Disciple.

He stared at Lu Zhao and suddenly smiled.

"You certainly have a sharp tongue," he said indifferently. "Fine, our Xuanshuang Sect came here today for the earth vein tremors, not for personal grudges. Since you say there is an Ancient Vicious Spirit here, then tell us, what is its origin and how should it be handled?"

These words seemed to change the subject, but they actually contained a hidden trap—if Lu Zhao couldn't answer or spoke incorrectly, it would be "misleading the public with wild words," and he could still be punished.

Lu Zhao's mind raced.

Earlier at the bottom of the pit, his spiritual sense had already provided some information: the core of a Remnant Formation of an Ancient Battlefield, a Yin Fiend Spring Eye, and a Vicious Spirit at the Peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining.

But this information was too shocking; if he revealed it all, it might invite even greater suspicion.

While he was deliberating, a weak cough came from behind him.

"Cough... Deacon Wang."

Deacon Zhao struggled to stand up, his face pale and blue, the frost on his body not yet faded, his aura withered, but his eyes still held the pride of a Qinglan Sect Deacon.

"What this boy says is true," he said slowly. "The thing underground is indeed an Ancient Vicious Spirit born from the earth veins. Its strength... is likely above the sixth level of Qi Refining. If not for this boy using a secret technique to resist that burst of extreme cold just now, we would all have turned into ice sculptures."

Wang Tong frowned slightly.

The Qinglan Sect and the Xuanshuang Sect had never been on good terms, but for Deacon Zhao to actually speak up for Lu Zhao in front of everyone was unexpected.

He scanned Deacon Zhao and saw that his injuries were not light, understanding in his heart—in that explosion just now, the Qinglan Sect suffered heavy losses, and Deacon Zhao was trying to use Lu Zhao's hand to deal with the vicious thing together to save face.

"Oh?" Wang Tong's tone softened slightly. "Since Deacon Zhao says so, I assume you already have a plan to deal with it?"

Deacon Zhao shook his head: "This Vicious Spirit is connected to the earth veins, its energy is nearly infinite; a direct confrontation is definitely not a good strategy. Just now, this boy..." He glanced at Lu Zhao, "seemed to have a way to restrain it?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Lu Zhao once again.

Lu Zhao sighed inwardly.

That burst of golden light earlier was done by the fragment exhausting its power, and now that the fragment was destroyed, it would be hard to replicate. But if he said he had no way now, it would be an immediate dead end.

He was silent for a moment, then said slowly: "I do have some ideas, but I need to borrow the power of the terrain and a Formation."

"A Formation?" Wang Tong raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Lu Zhao pointed to the deep pit. "At the bottom of the pit, there are remnant inscriptions of an Ancient Seal, sharing the same source as the Vicious Spirit. If we can use a Formation to trigger those remnant inscriptions, we might be able to reseal it."

"You know how to set up Formations?" The suspicion in Wang Tong's eyes deepened.

"I know a little," Lu Zhao lowered his head. "But I need time to prepare, and I need... Spirit Stones as a catalyst."

This was the key.

Setting up a Formation required Spirit Stones, and Yangjiao Ravine was destitute.

Wang Tong and Deacon Zhao exchanged a look, both seeing the calculation in each other's eyes.

They naturally had Spirit Stones. But who would provide them, how many, how the "merit" would be distributed afterward, and how to ensure Lu Zhao wouldn't take the opportunity to flee or turn against them were all issues.

Just then, a strange "gurgling" sound came from the direction of the deep pit.

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw the cold mist in the pit churning again. Although not as violent as before, the ghostly blue light flickered, as if something was struggling and surging underneath.

From that burst of extreme cold earlier, the Vicious Spirit had clearly also suffered a backlash and was currently recovering. Once it regained its strength...

Wang Tong's face darkened.

The Xuanshuang Sect had already noticed the earth vein tremors; they had sent him here first to investigate, and second, if possible, to claim the "merit" and record it in the Sect.

If he allowed the Vicious Spirit to recover or even break out of the ground, causing a great disaster, his position as Deacon might be hard to keep.

"How many Spirit Stones do you need?" Wang Tong asked coldly.

Lu Zhao calculated rapidly in his mind.

He wasn't actually proficient in sealing Formations. But when the fragment's runes entered his body earlier, they had transmitted a piece of fragmented information—about how to use Yang-attribute spiritual power to stimulate the Yin Fiend remnant inscriptions to form a temporary Seal.

This method treated the symptoms but not the root cause and required a large number of Spirit Stones to drive it, but right now there was no other choice.

"At least... thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones," Lu Zhao stated a number.

"Thirty?!" the Disciple behind Wang Tong blurted out. "Do you know how much thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones are worth? It's enough to buy ten Yangjiao Ravines!"

Lu Zhao's expression remained unchanged: "The Vicious Spirit's strength is comparable to the sixth level of Qi Refining. If it is allowed to break out and affect a hundred miles around, what will the losses be then—three hundred, three thousand Spirit Stones? I only need the Materials for the Formation; if the Deacon does not believe me, you can supervise personally."

Wang Tong stared at him, silent for a long while.

Thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones were not a small amount for a Deacon like him, but they weren't enough to be devastating.

The key was whether it was worth it.

"What does Deacon Zhao think?" He suddenly turned to Deacon Zhao.

Deacon Zhao pondered: "This boy did indeed use a secret technique to block the extreme cold just now; perhaps he really has some means. However..." He changed the subject, "Setting up a Formation is a major matter. How about the Qinglan Sect and the Xuanshuang Sect each provide fifteen Spirit Stones and supervise together? If it succeeds, the merit is split; if it fails, we can share the responsibility."

This was said beautifully, but in reality, it shared both the risk and the benefits.

Wang Tong gave Deacon Zhao a deep look and slowly nodded.

"Agreed."

He raised his hand, and a Storage Pouch flew out from his sleeve, hovering in mid-air.

The mouth of the bag opened, and fifteen jade-white Spirit Stones flew out one by one, landing on the ground and emitting pure Spiritual Qi fluctuations.

Deacon Zhao also took out fifteen, piling them with the Xuanshuang Sect's.

Thirty Low-Grade Spirit Stones were piled into a small heap, their spiritual light flowing, making the surrounding ice seem a bit brighter.

The crowd in front of the ancestral hall stared wide-eyed.

They had never seen so many Spirit Stones in their lives; any single one was enough for a whole family to eat and drink for several years.

Lu Zhao only glanced at them before looking away.

"I also need a few auxiliary Materials," he listed several common Materials: Red Copper Powder, Cinnabar, Century-old Peach Wood Core, and Rooster Blood.

These Materials weren't precious, and Liu Three-Knives immediately ordered the Black Armor Guards to take them from their travel bags, gathering them all.

With everything ready, Lu Zhao did not start immediately.

He turned, looked toward the ancestral hall, and cupped his fists: "Brother Yan, Brother He, please take some men and bring all the copper items in the village—copper basins, copper mirrors, copper coins—and melt them into molten copper. Brother Zhong, take some men to cut down that old peach grove behind the village, take the wood cores, and carve them into three-foot stakes; we need nine in total."

Although Yan Meng and the others didn't understand why, seeing Lu Zhao's solemn expression, they immediately took the orders and left.

Wang Tong and Deacon Zhao watched coldly from the side, not stopping them. They also wanted to see what kind of tricks this boy could pull off.

Before long, the copper items were melted into glowing red molten copper, brought in a large vat, steaming hot. Nine three-foot peach wood stakes were also carved, the wood a dark red color, emitting a faint Yang Qi.

Lu Zhao walked to the pile of Spirit Stones, squatted down, and using his finger as a brush, dipped it into the liquid mixture of Cinnabar and Rooster Blood, and began to draw on the ice.

He drew very slowly, concentrating his mind and spirit with every stroke. A faint light flowed from his fingertips as he actually channeled a sliver of Nine Yang True Qi into the Cinnabar bloodlines.

As the bloodlines touched the ice, they made a "hissing" sound, yet they weren't frozen; instead, they burned deep marks into the ice like a branding iron.

Gradually, a complex pattern emerged on the ground.

At the center of the pattern was the ancient Seal character for "Seal," surrounded by nine arcs, with a small circle at the end of each arc, corresponding to the positions of the nine peach wood stakes.

The lines of the pattern crisscrossed, appearing chaotic, yet they contained a certain mysterious rhythm.

Wang Tong and Deacon Zhao were both knowledgeable people, and they frowned as they watched.

This Formation... they had never seen it before. It wasn't from a righteous Daoist Sect, nor was it a Demonic Path evil technique; it seemed more like a long-lost ancient Restriction mixed with crude methods of using Yang Qi.

Yet, that pattern bore some resemblance to the black remnant inscriptions that occasionally peeked out from the bottom of the pit.

When Lu Zhao finished the last stroke, his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He stood up, took a deep breath, and pointed to the nine small circles: "Please drive the peach wood stakes into these spots, three feet deep."

Zhong Tiegu and the others followed the instructions, driving the peach wood stakes into the ice one by one. As the stakes entered the ground, the earth vibrated slightly, and a faint golden-red glow actually emanated from the stakes, connecting with the Cinnabar bloodlines on the ground.

"The molten copper," Lu Zhao said again.

Several men carried the large vat forward and slowly poured the scalding molten copper onto the Formation pattern.

As the molten copper flowed over the Cinnabar bloodlines, it didn't solidify but instead spread along the lines like a living thing, covering the entire pattern and condensing into a layer of dark red copper film.

At this point, the Formation was initially complete.

Lu Zhao walked to the center of the Formation, sat cross-legged, and pressed his hands against the copper film. Nine Yang True Qi poured from his palms into the Formation.

"Buzz—"

The copper film on the ground lit up with a dark red light, and the nine peach wood stakes vibrated simultaneously, faint white smoke rising from the tops of the stakes as if incense had been lit. The smoke rose three feet, gathering without dispersing, gradually forming a faint white mist shroud that covered the deep pit.

When the cold mist in the pit came into contact with the white mist, it made a "hissing" sound and was actually slowly pushed back.

Wang Tong and Deacon Zhao looked at each other, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.

This Formation... was actually effective!

Although it was only a temporary suppression, the Vicious Spirit's Evil Qi was indeed confined within the pit, unable to leak out.

Lu Zhao's face grew even paler, his body trembling slightly. Maintaining this Formation was a huge drain on his True Qi; if not for the thirty Spirit Stones piled at the Formation eye constantly providing Spiritual Qi, he would have been unable to sustain it.

"This Formation is called 'Nine Yang Fiend-Locking'," he spoke with his eyes closed, his voice weak. "Using peach wood as stakes, red copper as the network, and Cinnabar Yang Qi as a catalyst, it can temporarily Seal the Yin Fiend. But it can only be maintained for... three hours at most."

"Three hours?" Wang Tong frowned. "What then?"

"After that..." Lu Zhao opened his eyes and looked toward the bottom of the pit. "We must take advantage of the Vicious Spirit being suppressed to go deep into the spring eye and set a second layer of Seal at its core. Otherwise, once it adapts to this Formation and breaks through the constraints, the backlash will be even more intense."

"Go deep into the spring eye?!" Deacon Zhao blurted out. "How is that different from seeking death?"

"That is why I need the help of the two Deacons," Lu Zhao said slowly. "My cultivation is low, and I can only set the Formation and lead the way. To truly go deep into the spring eye and set the core Seal, one must be at least at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining."

Wang Tong's eyes flickered.

He understood—Lu Zhao was using himself as bait to lure the two of them down to risk their lives. If it succeeded, the merit would be split among the three; if it failed, Lu Zhao, the "guide," would be the first to fall, while the two of them, with their higher cultivation, might have a chance to escape.

A good calculation.

But he couldn't refuse.

The matter of the earth vein tremors concerned a Sect mission; if he retreated now and allowed it to grow, the consequences would be unimaginable.

And Lu Zhao's Formation was indeed the only feasible method at the moment.

"What does Deacon Zhao think?" Wang Tong looked at Deacon Zhao again.

Deacon Zhao's expression shifted, and he finally gritted his teeth: "Let's take this gamble!"

Wang Tong nodded, his gaze falling back on Lu Zhao, and he suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.

"Kid, if you dare to play any tricks..." his voice lowered, cold to the bone, "this Liu guarantees you will suffer a hundred times more than dying at the bottom of the pit."

Lu Zhao lowered his eyes.

"I wouldn't dare."

But his heart was cold.

Wang Tong's killing intent had never dissipated.

Cooperating now was merely a tactic of convenience.

Once the Seal was complete, or if any accident occurred, he would be the first pawn to be discarded.

He had to keep a trump card.

He quietly circulated the Heaven and Earth Great Shift Mind-Cultivation Technique, hiding a sliver of Nine Yang True Qi in the Yongquan Acupoint on the sole of his foot, creating a weak connection with the Formation on the ground.

If things went wrong, he would detonate the Formation and escape in the chaos.

While he was thinking, a dull thud suddenly came from the bottom of the pit!

"Boom—!"

Like a giant hammer hitting the ground, the entire Formation shook violently! The white mist churned and was actually partially dispersed!

Lu Zhao groaned, blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth. Wang Tong and Deacon Zhao's expressions also changed.

That Vicious Spirit... had started to attack the Seal!

"No more time!" Deacon Zhao shouted. "Into the pit!"

Wang Tong no longer hesitated, and an ice-blue jade pendant flew from his sleeve, hovering over his head and shedding layers of cold light for protection. Deacon Zhao also activated his sword light, enveloping his body.

The two looked at each other and simultaneously leaped into the deep pit!

Lu Zhao gritted his teeth, forcing his True Qi to maintain the Formation, his eyes fixed on the mouth of the pit.

Next, whether he lived or died would depend on fate.

Wang Tong and Deacon Zhao disappeared into the cold mist in the pit; in less than ten breaths, a deafening roar and the shrill scream of the Vicious Spirit came from the bottom!

The Formation's light barrier fluctuated violently, and Lu Zhao's expression changed drastically—those two hadn't directly set the Seal but were attacking the Vicious Spirit's core, wanting to kill it completely!

But in the next moment, the cold Qi in the pit surged, and two figures flew out backward, spitting blood. Wang Tong roared hoarsely: "This beast had a trick up its sleeve! It's already at the half-step seventh level!" Before he finished speaking, five ice-crystal arms burst through the mist, reaching straight for Lu Zhao!