194: On the return journey, they discussed the Dao; news from the Yan Clan.

Leaving the eternally frozen Permafrost Domain and once again stepping into the vast snowfields of the Northern Region of Central State, Li Ao and Medusa both felt a sense of unreality, experiencing the cold wind that, while still biting, was far "gentler" than within the Ice Spirit Clan.

This trip to the Ice Spirit Clan lasted nearly a month, but the gains were immense. Not only did they successfully complete Madam Jin's commission, obtaining the complete nine nether cold iron and forming a good relationship with the Ice Spirit Clan, but more importantly, Li Ao, by comprehending the Nirvana essence of ice, gained a deeper understanding of his own "Way of Blade Silence," and the [Return to Nothingness] form, which had been stagnant, now saw a clear glimmer of hope.

"Where to next?" Medusa asked, flying side-by-side with Li Ao, her purple eyes sweeping over the endless white below. Her clear, cold voice remained distinct amidst the wind and snow.

Li Ao's mind stirred, and the list of Materials he had obtained from Yao Chen appeared in his thoughts.

"The dragon emperors reverse scale, nine nether cold iron, and void crystal stone are all in hand. Now, only the last 'solar essence gold' remains," he mused. "Teacher once said that this item is extremely Yang and rigid, produced in the 'Magma Fire Domain' of the Western Region, and that area is reportedly under the control of the Yan Clan, one of the Ancient Eight Clans."

"The Yan Clan..." Medusa frowned slightly. Unlike the reclusive and pure Ice Spirit Clan, the Yan Clan, as an Ancient race that controls fire power, mostly possesses fiery and domineering temperaments. Their strength is among the top of the Ancient races. Obtaining the Supreme treasure "solar essence gold" from them would likely be even more difficult than the trip to the Ice Spirit Clan.

"Indeed, the Yan Clan is a challenge," Li Ao nodded. "Moreover, we know very little about them, so going there rashly might not be a good idea."

He pondered for a moment and said, "Let's return to Starfall Pavilion first. Firstly, to report the details of this journey to Teacher. Secondly, to use Starfall Pavilion's and Ya Fei's intelligence networks to gather as much information as possible about the Yan Clan and the Magma Fire Domain, to know ourselves and our enemy. Thirdly... the 'dragon phoenix origin fruit' and 'Yellow Springs Blood Essence' needed for Xiao Yi Xian's resurrection are still without leads, and we need to leverage various forces to inquire about them."

Medusa nodded in agreement. Starfall Pavilion was now their most reliable base. Yao Chen's knowledge and connections, as well as Ya Fei's increasingly vast commercial intelligence network, were all the assistance they urgently needed.

The two no longer delayed, set their direction, transformed into streaks of light, tore through the wind and snow, and sped towards the core area of Central State.

The journey was long, but for experts of their Realm, it was perfect for exchanging Cultivation insights.

"You seemed to have an Epiphany outside the Ice Spirit Clan Secret Realm?" Medusa looked at Li Ao. She could feel that Li Ao's aura was more restrained than before, but the sharpness and dead silence hidden within him became even more unsettling.

Li Ao did not conceal anything, telling her how he had verified the Way of Nirvana at the entrance of the Secret Realm through the Law fluctuations emitted by the ice origin heart, and how he had initially conceived the [Return to Nothingness] form.

"The stillness of ice is the freezing of order; while my Nirvana is the end of all things. The two seem similar but ultimately diverge," Li Ao explained his understanding to Medusa, simulating energy changes with his Soul power as he flew. "The meaning of [Return to Nothingness] is not freezing, but 'annihilation.' It is to strip away the basis of existence, allowing something to go from existence to nothingness, returning to Chaos."

He pointed his fingers like a blade and gently tapped the Void Realm in front of him. There were no powerful energy fluctuations, but at the spot he pointed, the wind, snow, light, and even spatial dust in a small area showed a strange "stillness." They were not frozen, but rather their "meaning" of existence seemed to be temporarily stripped away, presenting an absolute "emptiness," before returning to normal.

Medusa's purple eyes shone with brilliance. As a Dou Zun, she could feel the terrifying Law essence contained within that single finger, a formidable power that touched the Origin rules of the world. Although Li Ao could currently only affect a very small range for a very short duration, the potential contained within it made her heart tremble.

"Your Dao is becoming increasingly dangerous, and also increasingly strong," Medusa said softly, with a hint of subtle concern in her tone. This Dao was too domineering and extreme; a slight mishap could lead to a backlash from the Nirvana intent, resulting in eternal damnation.

Li Ao understood her worries, withdrew his finger, and smiled calmly: "Where the Dao lies, I will go, even if there are thousands of people. Moreover, I still have you by my side."

His words were calm, yet carried immense conviction and trust.

Medusa's heart warmed slightly. She said no more, only moving a little closer to him. Amidst the wind and snow, the two figures leaned on each other, like the most steadfast support on this ice plain.

A few days later, the two crossed the Northern Region and returned to the heartland of Central State. After another period of flying, the familiar Starfall Pavilion mountain gate, enveloped by a spatial barrier, finally came into view.

As soon as they arrived outside the mountain gate, Yao Chen and Wind Venerable, who had already received the message, came out to greet them. When they felt Li Ao's increasingly profound and unfathomable aura, and Medusa's faintly emanating, even stronger pressure than before they left, the two elders' faces showed smiles of gratification and amazement.

"Good boy! It seems this trip to the Northern Region was quite fruitful!" Wind Venerable laughed heartily, patting Li Ao's shoulder.

Yao Chen's gaze was like a torch, carefully examining Li Ao, his eyes sparkling: "Peak Five-Star Dou Zun, with a condensed aura and a stable Foundation. What's even rarer is... your comprehension of your own 'Dao' seems to have advanced significantly. Very good! Extremely good!"

Entering the main hall, Li Ao briefly recounted his journey to the Northern Region to Yao Chen and Wind Venerable, including his experiences at Wanjin Pavilion in Tianbei City, encountering the Hall of Souls, entering the Ice Spirit Clan, and opening the Secret Realm. Of course, he still kept some core secrets about the nirvana star core and the Nirvana Heavenly Scripture to himself.

Even so, Yao Chen and Wind Venerable listened with surging emotions. Especially when they heard how Li Ao defeated a Hall of Souls Dou Zun with a single blade strike, and how Medusa suppressed two Nine-Star Dou Zongs with a wave of her hand, they clapped their hands in admiration.

"These guys from the Hall of Souls are truly pervasive!" Wind Venerable snorted coldly. "However, you two did a splendid job this time, severely dampening their arrogance!"

Yao Chen was more concerned about the follow-up: "The solar essence gold is in the hands of the Yan Clan... This is indeed troublesome. The Yan Clan people are fiery and extremely xenophobic, especially valuing their territory and resources. That Magma Fire Domain is one of their clan's Holy Lands. Wanting to enter it to search for or even acquire solar essence gold will be as difficult as ascending to the heavens."

He pondered for a moment and said, "However, it's not entirely without a solution. As this old man knows, the Yan Clan holds a 'Fire Refinement Assembly' every so often, aimed at selecting young Geniuses from both inside and outside the clan who are proficient in fire-attribute energy. If one can stand out in this assembly, they might gain the qualification to Cultivate in the Magma Fire Domain. At that time, there will be an opportunity to acquire the solar essence gold."

"Fire Refinement Assembly?" Li Ao raised an eyebrow. "Can outsiders participate?"

"Theoretically, yes," Yao Chen nodded. "But the conditions are extremely stringent, requiring profound mastery of fire-attribute energy. Moreover, the winners of past assemblies have almost all been taken by the Yan Clan's own Geniuses. It will be extremely difficult for an outsider to win."

Li Ao's eyes, however, ignited with fighting spirit. Difficult did not mean impossible. He had enough confidence in his own strength, especially the characteristic of Nirvana Power that could restrain all Laws.

"When will this 'Fire Refinement Assembly' be held?" Li Ao asked.

"I heard it's in three years," Yao Chen replied. "There's still plenty of time. You can use this opportunity to further improve your strength and gather more information about the Yan Clan and the assembly."

Three years... Li Ao silently noted it down. He could afford to wait that long.

"In addition," Yao Chen continued, "regarding the other two Materials needed to revive Xiao Yi Xian, 'dragon phoenix origin fruit' and 'Yellow Springs Blood Essence,' this old man has also activated his connections to inquire extensively, and currently, there are some vague clues."

Li Ao's spirits lifted: "Please enlighten me, Teacher!"

"That 'dragon phoenix origin fruit,' according to ancient records, is related to the two Supreme Demonic Beast races, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan and the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, and is suspected to require the purest royal Bloodline Power of both races to be conceived under extremely special conditions. Perhaps... Zi Yan, the Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, would know more," Yao Chen looked at Li Ao, hinting at something.

Li Ao's eyes flashed. It seemed it was necessary to make another trip to Ancient Dragon Island.

"As for 'Yellow Springs Blood Essence'..." Yao Chen's tone became a bit more solemn. "This item is extremely Yin and evil, produced at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, and is related to one of the most mysterious forces on the continent, the Nine Serene Earth Nether Python Clan. This race acts mysteriously, residing in the underground netherworld year-round, and rarely interacts with the outside world. Obtaining Yellow Springs Blood Essence from them will likely be no less difficult than dealing with the Yan Clan."

Nine Serene Earth Nether Python Clan... Li Ao committed this name to memory. The road ahead was still full of thorns, but the direction was becoming increasingly clear.

Back at Starfall Pavilion, Li Ao had already planned out his next steps: First, leverage Ya Fei's intelligence network to fully gather detailed information on the Yan Clan, the Nine Serene Earth Nether Python Clan, and the "Fire Refinement Assembly"; second, quickly go to Ancient Dragon Island again to ask Zi Yan about the "dragon phoenix origin fruit"; finally, within these three years, improve his strength as much as possible and perfect the Three Forms of Nirvana, especially the ultimate [Return to Nothingness]!

The Dao of forging the blade and resurrection was long and arduous. But Li Ao's Dao Heart was firmer than ever before.