Chapter 147 The Appointment at the Star-Gazing Pavilion, The Secret of Forgetfulness

The content of the sound transmission talisman was brief, yet it directly addressed one of Nightmare's most pressing concerns: Su Wanqing's whereabouts and the mysterious Supreme Art of Forgetting Emotion.

Was it a trap? Or genuine information?

Nightmare's eyes flickered, and the power of the rule fragment subtly circulated, analyzing the faint aura remaining on the sound transmission talisman. The aura was unfamiliar, carrying a hint of elusive chill, seemingly deliberately processed to make its source untraceable.

But whether it was a trap or not, he had to go. Su Wanqing was an important cauldron for him, and her situation concerned his future plans; he could not afford to lose her.

He did not set off immediately but continued his secluded cultivation to heal. Only when the hour of Zi was approaching did he quietly leave his Immortal Cave.

Although Heavenly Derivation City had a curfew, it was virtually non-existent for high-level Cultivators. Nightmare concealed his aura, his figure seemingly merging into the night as he silently headed towards the west side of the city.

The Star Gazing Pavilion in the west of the city was located on a secluded hill, overlooking part of the city. Few people visited it at night.

When Nightmare arrived, a figure stood in the pavilion with hands clasped behind their back, clad in a loose black robe, their face shrouded in shadow. Their aura was obscure and hard to discern; their cultivation seemed to be at the Soul Transformation Stage, but their exact depth was difficult to judge for a moment.

"You've come." The Black-Robed Person did not turn around, their voice hoarse and low, clearly disguised.

Nightmare stopped outside the pavilion, his gaze cold as he scrutinized the other party: "You know what This Sovereign wants to know."

The Black-Robed Person slowly turned around, their shadowed gaze seemingly appraising Nightmare, and they gave a hoarse laugh: "Fellow Daoist Nightmare is indeed straightforward. That's right, I know the whereabouts of that Profound Yin girl, who took her, and the true details of the Supreme Art of Forgetting Emotion."

"Conditions." Nightmare said indifferently; he did not believe the other party would provide information for no reason.

"It's easier to talk to smart people." The Black-Robed Person said: "My conditions are simple. First, one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones. Second, I need your help to kill someone."

"Kill someone? Who?"

"I can't tell you yet. After you hear the news, if you are still willing to cooperate, I will inform you. This person's cultivation is not high, but their identity is a bit special, so it's inconvenient for me to act personally." The Black-Robed Person's tone was calm, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Nightmare pondered for a moment. One hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones was not a small sum, but he could bear it. As for killing someone... that depended on the situation.

"Alright. But if the information isn't worth the price, or if you dare to deceive This Sovereign..." A cold light flashed in Nightmare's eyes, and a trace of the rule fragment's pressure subtly leaked out.

The Black-Robed Person's body seemed to stiffen slightly, then they laughed: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, the information is absolutely worth more than its price."

They paused, then lowered their voice: "The one who took that Profound Yin girl is the Palace Master of Ice Soul Immortal Palace, Fairy Leng Yue."

Ice Soul Immortal Palace? Nightmare searched his memories but had not heard of this Sect.

The Black-Robed Person seemed to know his confusion and explained: "Ice Soul Immortal Palace is not a visible Sect in the Central Province, but an extremely secretive hidden School. Its main gate is located deep within the Eternal Ice Field in the far north of the Central Province. Its Disciples rarely move outside, but their strength is unfathomable. Fairy Leng Yue is even a powerful being at the Late-Stage Transformation Spirit, and she Cultivates the complete version of the Supreme Art of Forgetting Emotion—the Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion!"

Hidden School? Late-Stage Transformation Spirit? Nightmare frowned slightly; the situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.

"What is her purpose in taking the Profound Yin girl?"

"Cultivating the Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion to its depths requires finding a special cauldron or successor, using extreme emotions as a guide to sever the last threads of emotion, only then can one reach Perfection. The Profound Yin Body is extremely Yin and cold, and seems to have a special connection with its Host, making it the perfect 'dao seed of forgetting emotion' that she dreams of." The Black-Robed Person said hoarsely, "She will first take that girl as her Disciple, impart the Cultivation Technique, and when her affections begin to grow and her Dao foundation and Cultivation Technique are most deeply intertwined, she will personally kill her or push her to extreme despair, thereby tempering her own Dao Heart and achieving Dao through severing emotions."

A terrifying killing intent instantly erupted from Nightmare's eyes! The air around him almost froze!

She actually wants to use Su Wanqing as a tool for severing emotions to achieve Dao! Damn it!

The Black-Robed Person felt the chilling killing intent, instinctively took half a step back, and quickly said: "Fellow Daoist, calm your anger! Fairy Leng Yue is at the Late-Stage Transformation Spirit, and the Ice Soul Immortal Palace's Formation is powerful; forcing your way in is absolutely not a good strategy!"

Nightmare slowly reined in his killing intent, his voice icy cold: "Continue."

The Black-Robed Person breathed a sigh of relief and continued: "The Ice Soul Immortal Palace's location is secretive, and few outsiders know its exact whereabouts. But I have a route map here for going to the Eternal Ice Field and finding the entrance to the Ice Soul Immortal Palace. Although I cannot guarantee absolute accuracy, it is the highest precision available to the outside world."

He took out a Jade Slip but did not immediately hand it to Nightmare.

"As for the Supreme Art of Forgetting Emotion... this Cultivation Technique is not exclusive to the Ice Soul Immortal Palace. Its origin can even be traced back to ancient times, said to be related to a powerful being who controlled the 'forgetting emotion' rule. Many incomplete versions have circulated outside, but the complete version, the Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion, is only passed down in the core Legacy of the Ice Soul Immortal Palace. If Fellow Daoist wishes to deal with Fairy Leng Yue or rescue that girl, you need to understand the characteristics of her Cultivation Technique. This Cultivation Technique is extremely cold and ruthless, skilled at freezing magical power, sealing the Divine Soul, and triggering Heart Demons, but it is not without weaknesses... extreme emotional outbursts, or forces of ultimate Yang and rigidity, could potentially restrain it..."

The Black-Robed Person spoke eloquently, revealing many secrets of the Ice Soul Immortal Palace and the Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion, much of which was clearly difficult for outsiders to know and did not sound like a fabrication.

Nightmare listened carefully, the rule fragment silently recording and analyzing, cross-referencing with his own knowledge.

"Who is the person you want to kill?" Nightmare asked after listening.

Seeing that Nightmare seemed willing to cooperate, the Black-Robed Person's tone relaxed a bit: "The Seventh Prince of the Central Province Imperial Dynasty, Zhao Wuji."

A Prince of the Central Province Imperial Dynasty? Nightmare's gaze sharpened. The Central Province Imperial Dynasty was a vast power; although it did not directly rule all Sects, its status was transcendent, and its strength unfathomable. Assassinating a Prince carried enormous risk.

"Reason."

"Personal grievances, inconvenient to disclose." The Black-Robed Person said indifferently, "The Seventh Prince Zhao Wuji's cultivation is only at the Middle Nascent Soul Stage, but he is often accompanied by Soul Transformation guards and carries powerful treasures. A single strike must be fatal, and your identity cannot be exposed. This shouldn't be difficult for Fellow Daoist Nightmare, right?"

Nightmare pondered. Assassinating a Prince was extremely troublesome, but the information the other party provided about Su Wanqing and the Ice Soul Immortal Palace was indeed of extremely high value.

"This Sovereign needs to confirm the authenticity of the information first." Nightmare said, "Give This Sovereign the route map and some information about the Cultivation Technique first. After This Sovereign confirms it, we can discuss the assassination. I can give you half of the Spirit Stones first."

The Black-Robed Person seemed to have anticipated this and readily threw the Jade Slip containing the route map to Nightmare, while also mentioning a few possible operational nodes and weaknesses of the Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion.

"This is a deposit. I hope Fellow Daoist will confirm it as soon as possible. As for the Seventh Prince's recent itinerary..." The Black-Robed Person then reported several times and locations, "Fellow Daoist can consider them at your discretion. After the matter is done, I will contact Fellow Daoist myself, pay the remaining reward, and provide more details about the Ice Soul Immortal Palace."

After speaking, the Black-Robed Person did not linger, their figure slowly merging into the shadows and disappearing as if they had never appeared.

Nightmare held the Jade Slip and swept it with his Divine Sense. It indeed recorded a complex route leading to the Eternal Ice Field in the far north, marking many dangerous areas and possible entrances, not like something casually fabricated.

He stood there, the power of the rule fragment carefully sensing the surroundings, confirming that the other party had indeed fled far away and left no tracking marks.

"Ice Soul Immortal Palace... Fairy Leng Yue... Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion..." Nightmare murmured to himself, a cold light flickering in his eyes.

Regardless of the other party's motives, they had at least given him a clear direction. Su Wanqing, he had to save her. And that Profound Ice Path of Forgetting Emotion, he was determined to obtain it, perhaps to glimpse a trace of the mystery of the "forgetting emotion" rule, thereby resolving the hidden danger in his left shoulder.

As for assassinating a Prince... hmph, that would depend on whether the subsequent information provided by the other party was worth the risk.

He put away the Jade Slip, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from the Star Gazing Pavilion, returning to his Immortal Cave like a ghost.

In the following days, Nightmare stayed secluded, continuing to heal his injuries while secretly verifying the information provided by the Black-Robed Person through the Myriad Treasures Tower and other channels.

After spending a considerable amount of Spirit Stones and effort, he roughly confirmed that there indeed existed a mysterious hidden School deep within the Eternal Ice Field, most likely the Ice Soul Immortal Palace. The description of the Supreme Art of Forgetting Emotion's characteristics also matched some ancient records. As for the Seventh Prince Zhao Wuji's itinerary, it also aligned with what the Black-Robed Person had said.

It seemed the other party's information indeed had a high degree of credibility.

On this day, Nightmare's injuries had finally recovered by about eighty percent, and the cold poison in his left shoulder was temporarily suppressed. His cultivation returned to the Mid-stage Dao Replenishing level. He decided not to wait any longer.

Whether it was a trap or not, he had to make a trip to the Eternal Ice Field.

Just as he was preparing to leave Heavenly Derivation City for the far north, the rule fragment suddenly transmitted that faint resonance from the Star Palace Ruins in the southwest direction again!

Moreover, this time, the resonance seemed a bit clearer, and... a peculiar fluctuation faintly emanated, as if something had been activated?

Almost simultaneously, Nightmare felt several powerful Divine Senses erupting from different directions within the city, seemingly also sensing something, scanning the southwest direction with surprise and uncertainty!

"Hmm? This fluctuation..."

"Is an ancient ruin appearing?"

"Southwest direction... could it be... that place?"

Nightmare's heart stirred, and he immediately changed his mind, his figure quietly blending into the crowd as he walked towards the Teleportation Hall of Heavenly Derivation City.

Perhaps, before heading to the far north, he could first make a detour to see what secrets were hidden in the Star Palace Ruins of this Central Province.

Behind him, two cold gazes withdrew from the shadows of a street corner.

"The bait has been cast, now we just wait to see when the fish bites..." A faint voice whispered, full of calculation.