The snowy scenery vanished.
Overhead, heavy clouds still hung thick and dark, but no snowflakes fell. The snowfall had stopped.
Qin Sang found himself adrift amidst howling gales and towering waves, swaying precariously in the storm.
From the surrounding scenery to the crashing sounds of churning surf, nothing differed from an actual ocean. Whether Old Man Yanshan himself excelled in illusions or not, this mountain-protecting grand array was undoubtedly an exceptional creation.
At the very least, relying solely on his incarnation's spiritual sense, Qin Sang would be hard-pressed to find any flaws within it in a short period.
Only by possessing the ability to break through such illusions would there be any hope of capturing the snow fox.
Qin Sang could now understand why Old Man Yanshan had shown so little interest earlier.
With a flick of thought, Qin Sang formed an arbitrary hand seal and pressed it to his brow. His eyes shut and snapped open, a faint green light drifting in his pupils, gleaming with sharp intensity as he scanned his surroundings.
The green light in his eyes was, of course, a disguise.
The true capability lay with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.
Seeing Qin Sang's gesture, Old Man Yanshan assumed he had prepared himself. From the shadows, the elder shifted the array's formation, and the towering waves surging toward Qin Sang grew several times more violent.
*Rumble...*
The crests of the waves crashed down.
Qin Sang's figure flickered in and out of sight amidst the surging waters.
Within a three-zhang radius around him, the snowflakes manifested by his saber qi were not dispersed by the massive waves; instead, they danced faster and thicker.
The moment spray touched a snowflake, it froze solid on the spot, then shattered into countless icicles under the blast of saber qi.
Broken ice fell into the water.
Countless chunks of ice floated on the surface, bobbing up and down, only to be swept up anew by the next incoming wave. Every shift appeared so genuine that not a single flaw could be found.
Qin Sang could not help but admire it.
Wave after wave crashed forward in an unbroken tide.
Old Man Yanshan seemed to have exhausted his repertoire, relying solely on this single form of attack.
In just a few breaths, Qin Sang slashed out over a hundred strikes in succession. Not a single drop of moisture managed to penetrate the barrier of saber qi, leaving him entirely unscathed.
*Crash!*
Another massive wave slammed down.
Habitually raising the Snow-Treading Divine Saber to block, Qin Sang suddenly noticed clusters of white water orbs spontaneously condensing deep within the waves, drifting with the current.
Though these water orbs appeared light and harmless, Qin Sang faintly sensed an underlying danger from them.
His eyes narrowed. His saber technique shifted abruptly as he slashed swiftly around his body.
The moment his blade moved, the water orbs abruptly burst from the water's surface, shooting toward him in unison without the slightest hesitation, fast as lightning.
These were no water orbs at all—they were Water Divine Thunders!
In an instant, Qin Sang was engulfed by divine thunder.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
...
All the divine thunders detonated simultaneously with deafening roars.
Qin Sang vanished, replaced by a plume of white mist where lightning flickered and an aura of destruction seeped outward from the center of the blast.
Though formidable in power, an attack of this caliber was not enough to injure Qin Sang.
At that moment, the Snow-Treading Divine Saber hung suspended above his head, its blade quivering rapidly as saber qi swirled around him to stave off the divine thunder. He knew perfectly well that this was merely Old Man Yanshan's diversion to confuse his vision.
Sure enough, it unfolded as expected.
The moment the divine thunder exploded, a faint blue shadow silently manifested behind Qin Sang, raising a palm to strike toward the back of his heart.
The shadow moved with utmost stealth, its form blending seamlessly into the lightning, making it exceedingly difficult to detect. Unfortunately for the assailant, its movements could not escape the eyes of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly.
Qin Sang spun around abruptly. The Snow-Treading Divine Saber let out a sharp cry, its blade light flaring brilliantly and descending upon the shadow's head like a falling meteor.
Having been detected, the shadow instantly abandoned its attack. Before its palm could even finish rising, it allowed the Snow-Treading Divine Saber to cleave it in two.
The next instant, the illusion receded, and the towering waves, divine thunders, and shadow all vanished simultaneously.
Old Man Yanshan materialized across from Qin Sang, his eyes alight with admiration as he praised, "Even without the enhancement of this array, my Shadow-Brushing Escape Technique is a decent art of concealment. Yet before I could even strike, you saw right through it, Fellow Daoist. I believe in your capabilities now."
One had to play the part to the end.
Qin Sang sheathed the precious saber as the green light in his eyes gradually faded, remarking, "Your Shadow-Brushing Escape Technique is indeed extraordinary. I was only able to detect it because I prepared beforehand; otherwise, avoiding that blow would have been difficult."
Old Man Yanshan chuckled. "No need to be modest, Fellow Daoist. I know what I saw. Since I gave my word, I shall accompany you on this venture."
Qin Sang was overjoyed. "When do you plan to depart, Fellow Daoist?"
Shaking his head slightly, Old Man Yanshan said there was no rush. "The area where the snow fox roams is still some distance away, and the blizzard is currently too heavy, making it difficult to pinpoint its range. In addition, I need to make some preparations. To be frank, I have long been fascinated by that snow fox. There must be a reason why such a peculiar creature could be born into this world. Once we capture it, I intend to take a share of any treasures obtained."
Old Man Yanshan laid out his condition openly.
This actually put Qin Sang at ease.
With this, the two had established a partnership. Qin Sang would not have to wrack his brain over what treasures to offer in exchange, and Old Man Yanshan would surely do his utmost.
All Qin Sang sought was more cold crystals; he had no objection to yielding any other treasures to Old Man Yanshan.
Looking up at the dense, dark clouds overhead, Qin Sang asked, "When will this snow disaster subside?"
Old Man Yanshan gave a dry chuckle. "A snow disaster here can easily drag on for thirty to fifty years. Surely you cannot afford to wait that long, Fellow Daoist. I estimate that the blizzard will be at its weakest in half a year. Let us set out then..."
Talking as they walked, the two drifted down from the mountain peak.
Qin Sang noticed that Old Man Yanshan was the sole inhabitant of Mount Yanshan.
He had taken no disciples, kept no subordinates to heed his orders, and possessed not even a single spirit beast. No wonder there had not even been an attendant to serve tea earlier.
Old Man Yanshan personally led Qin Sang to a cave dwelling. "My humble abode is rather crude. I must ask you to bear with it for a few days, Fellow Daoist."
"Not at all. Thank you for your hospitality."
Qin Sang voiced his thanks, coalescing his true essence into a blade to carve out a cave chamber along with a simple stone table and stools.
Neither man stood on ceremony, sitting down to discuss the Dao.
Qin Sang discovered that Old Man Yanshan possessed profound attainment in the Dao of Water. Extending this to the Dao of Ice, the elder spoke with remarkable coherence and depth, offering Qin Sang considerable benefit.
Everything Qin Sang's incarnation had learned stemmed from Xuantian Palace.
Zhongzhou lacked an inheritance identical to Xuantian Palace's. Even though Qin Sang concealed the most profound aspects, what he shared still left Old Man Yanshan beaming with delight, slapping the table in admiration time and again.
After their exchange, the initial distance between them melted away. By the time Old Man Yanshan rose to take his leave, he was already addressing Qin Sang as Brother Dao.
After seeing Old Man Yanshan off, Qin Sang sealed his cave dwelling, sat cross-legged on the ground, and lapsed into thought.
Outside Mount Yanshan.
Qin Sang's true body was concealed in an even cruder cave dwelling, having entered deep meditation long before.
Old Man Yanshan's cave dwelling lay on the eastern side of Mount Yanshan.
Walking back along the stone steps, he resealed the restrictions.
The dwelling was relatively tidy, yet appeared quite weathered and old. It lacked even tables and chairs, containing only a single silk prayer mat and an incense burner—fitting the image of an ascetic cultivator to perfection.
Old Man Yanshan sat upon the prayer mat, sinking into deep contemplation.
Resting one hand on his knee, his other arm hung down naturally, his fingers tapping softly against the ground. After a moment, he flicked a wisp of true essence, brushing against a stick of incense to light it.
Staring at the curling wisps of smoke in a daze for a long while, Old Man Yanshan brushed a hand across his waist as though having reached a decision. A round mirror appeared in his palm. Measuring less than the size of his hand, it rested comfortably in his grip.
The mirror's rim was transparent, its texture akin to crystal, etched with merely a few simple patterns, while the mirror surface at its center rippled faintly like water.
Reflected inside the mirror, Old Man Yanshan's face was twisting and contorting out of shape.
He passed his hand over the surface, and only then did the face within return to normal.
Gazing at the human face in the mirror, Old Man Yanshan murmured as if conversing with himself, "The timing is a bit early. Still, he makes for a fine helper..."
...
Half a year slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Throughout these six months, Qin Sang's incarnation remained on Mount Yanshan without taking a single step outside, emerging only occasionally to observe the changes in the snow.
Several more mountain peaks had been submerged beneath the snow.
It was hard to imagine just how thick the layer of snow would become by the time this disaster ended. A flood would likely follow on the heels of the thaw, as this region was one of the headwaters of the Feiyun River.
It was the polar opposite of the deep Western Desert.
Through his discussions with Old Man Yanshan, Qin Sang also learned that heading directly west from here overland led straight into the western Storm Belt.
Zhongzhou bordered only the North Sea, the Eastern Sea, and the Southern Sea; there was no Western Sea.
The edge of the Storm Belt stretched from the Western Desert to the Northern Barrens, connecting the Southern Sea to the North Sea.
The extreme environments along this axis were, in all likelihood, shaped by the influence of the Storm Belt.
Moreover, the Storm Belt did not mark the end of the landmass. It continued westward into an endless expanse. At the very least, Old Man Yanshan had never reached its end back in his day; he had given up before exhausting his strength, uncertain where the land's boundary lay. Before the storms took hold, it must have been an immensely vast continent.
Old Man Yanshan claimed that deeper within, the earth had been torn apart by tempests, apocalyptic scenes were commonplace, and there was simply no place to take shelter—a terrifying sight indeed.
The agreed time had arrived.
Qin Sang stepped out of his cave dwelling to observe the weather. The snowfall had indeed diminished, though to ordinary mortals it would still appear a heavy blizzard.
He glanced over toward Old Man Yanshan's cave dwelling.
After sealing his dwelling, the man had not shown himself once in half a year, as though he had completely forgotten his guest.
Just as Qin Sang took a step toward it, the restrictions flickered, and Old Man Yanshan pushed open the door and emerged.
"Are you growing impatient, Brother Dao?"
Old Man Yanshan smiled, inspected the sky, and nodded. "The snowfall is manageable and should remain so for a while. Prepare yourself, Brother Dao; we depart immediately."
"I have been waiting for those very words, Brother Dao."
Qin Sang chuckled. Having nothing to prepare, he flashed forward to keep pace with Old Man Yanshan.
The two flew out from Mount Yanshan.
Before departing, Old Man Yanshan cast a backward glance at the cultivation hermitage where he had practiced for so many years, then turned away.
Shortly after they left, a figure emerged near Mount Yanshan—none other than Qin Sang's true body.
The true body paused slightly, then trailed behind at a normal, unhurried pace, a wisp of demonic fire coiling about his fingertips. Even at a time like this, he did not forget to cultivate.
The two raced side by side.
Before long, they flew beyond the boundaries of this mountain range.
Yet Old Man Yanshan showed no sign of stopping. Adjusting his heading slightly, he sped toward the southwest.
According to Old Man Yanshan, despite the barren poverty of the Northern Barrens, it was somewhat better than the depths of the Western Desert. Many masters who favored peace and sought seclusion from the mortal world chose to meditate here.
To avoid attracting attention and inviting needless complications, the two concealed their auras, skimming low over the snow as they rode the wind.
Having deliberately curbed their speed, it took them three days to reach their destination.
When Old Man Yanshan pointed it out, what Qin Sang saw was an exceptionally vast snow plain.
The entire snow plain was remarkably flat.
There seemed to be no high peaks here, and any lower hills had long since been buried beneath the snow.
In a place like this with no landmarks, one could only extend divine sense through the snow layer to search bit by bit, which would inevitably disturb nearby cultivators or demon beasts.
Noticing Qin Sang's slight frown, Old Man Yanshan shared another piece of bad news. "This entire snow plain is the roaming ground of that snow fox."
"If that is the case, what difference does the intensity of the snowfall make? Surely you have a way to narrow down the area, Brother Dao?" Qin Sang asked, calm and unruffled.
"Nothing escapes your keen eyes, Brother Dao."
Old Man Yanshan looked around, settled on a direction, and flickered repeatedly, covering tens of li. Hovering above the snow, he hooked his hand into a claw and made a grasping motion downward.
*Swish!*
A claw shadow tore through the snow layer.
Immediately after, the following Qin Sang heard shrill squeaks. Looking toward the sound, he saw that the claw shadow had dragged out a rat-like creature.
This 'rat' possessed a transparent body, clearly not composed of flesh and blood.
Old Man Yanshan held the 'rat' in hand, passed it to Qin Sang, and pointed downward. "The ground beneath the snow is not entirely flat. Across nearly half the area, countless bottomless ravines crisscross the earth. Chilly winds blow through these ravines year-round. Though covered by snow from above, the snow cannot suppress the cold wind, leaving hollow spaces below. Over the passing years, a unique kind of cold spirit was born from these winds, their bodies formed entirely of cold qi..."
Qin Sang took it into his hand, feeling a stir in his heart. He had seen similar things during the final trial when competing for the Soul-Washing Liquid in the Hall of Seven Kills.
Back then, he had encountered earth spirits, and had heard that water and fire spirits also existed within.
These cold spirits were likewise natural spiritual creatures born of heaven and earth, possessing meager intelligence and driven purely by instinct.
Yet unlike the stone ape earth spirits in the Hall of Seven Kills, cold spirits were mild by nature, neither ferocious nor bloodthirsty. Instinctively, this one felt only fear toward him, trembling continuously in his grip.
Qin Sang surmised that the earth spirits in the Hall of Seven Kills had been so vicious most likely due to the environment within the hall.
"The key to finding the snow fox lies in these cold spirits,"
Old Man Yanshan explained. "The snow fox carries a scent that cold spirits crave. The leaders of the cold spirits in particular possess acute perception and gather wherever the snow fox frequently roams. Finding a leader of the cold spirits can help us pinpoint the snow fox. However, cold spirits also relish blizzard conditions. When the storm is at its peak, most of their leaders surface above the snow to frolic, making it impossible to track them this way. Now that the snowfall has dwindled, the leaders lose interest and should gather near the snow fox once more..."
Qin Sang came to an understanding. "You have gone to great lengths, Brother Dao."
He gave the cold spirit in his hand a light squeeze. "This one must not be a leader, then?"
Old Man Yanshan hummed in assent. "Cold spirits come in all shapes and sizes, but they can be distinguished by their foreheads. A leader of the cold spirits bears a fine blue line upon its brow. The longer that line, the higher its standing."
Qin Sang nodded and released the cold spirit.
Secretly awakening the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he pushed its divine ability to the utmost, gazing deep into the snow plain.
Night was falling.
Across the immense snow plain, freezing winds howled as snowflakes whirled frantically.
Amidst the drifting snow, ethereal shadows leaped high into the air, bounded across the snow's surface, or burrowed through the drifts—a multitude of cold spirits of diverse forms.
Dancing with the snow, carefree and unburdened, they resembled spirits of the snowy night.
Chapter 1568