Kirin Screen Wall

The terrain within Bingyi Palace was not particularly complicated. Aside from two paths branching off toward the side halls, the central path had almost no twists and turns, leading straight to the palace at the very depths. There was no lack of small side forks along the way, where the silhouettes of dormitories and low-roofed halls could be seen. They likely were not of great importance, probably cave dwellings and utilitarian halls prepared for the Ice Palace disciples. Having gained a rough understanding of Bingyi Palace's layout, the incarnation rarely paused. Until he walked out of the woods. Ahead on the stone path, he saw a courtyard fronted by a screen wall. The carved design on the screen wall depicted only a single kind of spirit beast: eight kirins in total. Each kirin bore a distinct posture and expression, as if frolicking amid riverbank waves—heads raised, heads bowed, standing quietly, leaping playfully, each unique. It was a depiction of Kirins Playing in the Water. Left untended over countless years, the screen wall had grown dim in color and mottled in pattern, appearing exceptionally ancient. Flanking both sides of the screen wall, glimpses of the courtyard could be seen: pavilions, waterside gazebos, stone carvings, and rockeries, all quite elegant. It was likely once a pleasure garden where Bingyi Palace's cultivators had relaxed and enjoyed the scenery. Just like the small lake earlier. Here, too, there were no strong fluctuations of restrictive enchantments. The courtyard had long since overgrown, and a section of the kirin screen wall had even collapsed; there were likely more kirins originally depicted on it. However, when the incarnation's gaze peered past the screen wall, he could see deep within the courtyard a sky-filling, soul-stirring gloom of deep-blue light—clearly the presence of a powerful formation or restrictive spell. Without question, this was good news. Had Bingyi Palace's formations been completely destroyed, the treasures within would certainly have been looted long ago. The incarnation routinely scanned his surroundings and sensed nothing amiss. Keeping up his pace, he moved to dart into the courtyard when suddenly his expression shifted violently, his eyes instantly turning deathly pale. *Swish!* A beam of vast, white-shrouded cold light pierced through the air, sweeping straight toward the screen wall. Without the slightest hesitation, he had directly unleashed the Ice Soul Divine Light! At the very same instant, cold radiance flared brilliantly atop the screen wall, instantly transforming it into a wall of transparent ice. Next, streaks of frigid light burst from the screen wall, lunging straight at him. Within that frigid glare were ice kirins. By now, not a single kirin silhouette remained on the screen wall. At some unknown moment, these kirins had come alive and charged out from the wall, each exceedingly ferocious, exuding a chilling baleful aura. Before the kirins attacked, the incarnation had not detected anything unusual about the screen wall. Who would have thought that this surviving half of a screen wall concealed such mystery? Fortunately, the incarnation had maintained vigilance at all times, secretly gathering his strength. With the situation unclear, he struck with the Ice Soul Divine Light right away. In a flash, the two frigid lights clashed head-on, and the lead ice kirin crashed squarely into the Ice Soul Divine Light. The momentum of the Ice Soul Divine Light appeared less imposing than that of the ice kirin, but upon contact, it actually suppressed the chilling energy on the beast's body. Amid a sharp cracking sound, a block of ice solidified out of thin air. The ice kirin was frozen solid on the spot. However, the incarnation knew full well that freezing a single ice kirin was nothing to celebrate. The qi of all the ice kirins was linked to the screen wall, seamlessly united. A combined strike from eight ice kirins would undoubtedly be vastly more terrifying than a solitary one. Furthermore, unless the screen wall were destroyed or the power of its restrictive spell completely exhausted, these kirins possessed immortal bodies. Even if the incarnation had the ability to protect himself, he could not afford to get bogged down fighting the ice kirins here. Just as he was about to devise a way to break through by force, he witnessed a bizarre scene. Upon seeing the Ice Soul Divine Light, the ferocity in the eyes of the remaining seven ice kirins diminished drastically, giving way to hesitation. They seemed torn over whether to rescue their companion. For a moment, they abandoned their offensive posture and began pacing back and forth ahead. Seeing this, the incarnation's expression shifted slightly. The Ice Soul Divine Light had been cultivated with the aid of the mysterious ice disc, so when unleashed, it carried a unique cold fiend aura! Yet the respite did not last. After that brief hesitation, the ferocity in the ice kirins' eyes regained the upper hand. With shrill roars, they pounced forward. Instead of advancing, the incarnation retreated. His sleeves billowed, and the mysterious ice disc flew out, spinning into place before him. Dropping the concealment technique, the aura of the mysterious ice disc was revealed completely! The ice kirins' charge ground to an abrupt halt. Immediately afterward, expressions of joy surfaced on their faces. Under the incarnation's astonished gaze, they circled the ice disc as though on a pilgrimage, letting out crisp cries. Ignoring the incarnation entirely, they retreated back into the screen wall one after another, turning once more into an ordinary depiction of kirins playing in the water. "This treasure truly is deeply connected to Bingyi Palace!" Having easily weathered a crisis and discovered a new power of the mysterious ice disc, the incarnation was in high spirits. He surmised that the cold fiend aura carried by the Ice Soul Divine Light was too faint to be fully recognized; only upon seeing the actual treasure had the ice kirins abandoned their attack. Thinking this, the incarnation simply kept the mysterious ice disc out. He cast a glance at the silent screen wall, pondered briefly, and turned to wave his hand toward the woods. In the next moment, several streaks of white light flew out in succession, all identical ice bees. Formed entirely of transparent mystic ice, these ice bees landed in the incarnation's hand, melting silently and vanishing without a trace. This was an early warning technique obtained from Xuantian Palace, left outside by the incarnation to prevent someone from entering the Ice Palace behind him unnoticed. The Ice Palace was not far from the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, but one could never be too cautious. Now that the screen wall was here, such measures were unnecessary and might even be spotted by newcomers, putting them on guard. Before a true battle could begin, the ice kirins had been pacified by the ice disc. So long as he erased the fluctuations left behind by the Ice Soul Divine Light, not a single trace would remain here. This also indirectly proved that he was likely the first to enter; without the mysterious ice disc, anyone else facing the ice kirins' attack would be hard-pressed not to leave traces behind. Having tied up these loose ends, the incarnation bypassed the screen wall and entered the courtyard. After walking for a time, he finally reached the source of the deep-blue heavenly light. This was the true core of Bingyi Palace, the main body of the Ice Palace's silhouette. What came into view was a dilapidated palace, crafted entirely from mystic ice, looking like a dream under the backdrop of the deep-blue light. Standing at the foot of the mystic ice steps, the incarnation looked up. Nine ice pillars stood before the hall, each supported by a carved statue of a different Water Element divine beast. Today, only three remained intact, while the rest were broken. The palace's main doors no longer existed, allowing him to see straight inside at a glance. Above hung a damaged plaque that retained only the two characters "Water Element"; presumably, the missing character was either "Palace" or "Hall." "It really is the Water Element lineage!" Having confirmed his suspicions, the incarnation nodded inwardly. With the screen wall serving as a prior warning, the incarnation kept the mysterious ice disc suspended above his head as he climbed the steps one by one. He glanced above the palace, where the deep-blue light hung suspended, seemingly frozen in place, showing no reaction even as he approached the entrance. He was unsure whether the deep-blue light was merely a reflection cast by the Ice Palace, or if he had not yet entered its range of perception. Hesitating slightly, the incarnation stepped into the palace. He hovered above the floor, touching nothing. The interior could only be described as riddled with scars, covered with traces of a great war. One could only imagine how brutal that ancient conflict had been. The restrictions here were severely damaged. Skeletal remains lay exposed, decaying into ash, though many fragments of magic treasures remained preserved to this day—deprived of their power, of course. "This was probably the main battlefield of Bingyi Palace..." Imagining scenes of the past, the incarnation pressed forward in silence. The expanse of the palace was even vaster than it appeared from outside. Grand hall connected to grand hall, virtually none spared from the war. The incarnation picked up speed, passing through layers of halls. Just as he estimated he was nearing the palace's innermost depths, an inexplicable sense of oppression suddenly weighed upon him, causing him to halt. At that moment, he was standing in a corridor between two halls. The deep-blue light poured down, dyeing everything in shades of azure. The pressure originated from this deep-blue light. At the same time, the incarnation noticed that the traces of war continued forward rather than stopping here, though the signs of battle had become distinctly sparser. As he walked, he gauged the changes in the deep-blue light. He discovered that although he could not use the mysterious ice disc to control the restrictions here, as long as he did not step out of line, the restrictions would not actively attack him. This emboldened the incarnation, and he swiftly crossed the corridor. Arriving before the next hall, the incarnation felt a jolt of surprise. There was actually an eye gazing at him through the gap in the hall doors! Instinctively slowing his pace, he observed carefully and realized it was merely a statue. Forming a hand out of true essence, he pushed the doors open to behold the full statue. The statue was nearly as tall as the hall itself, sitting upright above with both hands resting on its knees. The left fingers formed a complex mudra, while the right hand held a horsetail whisk, radiating an aloof, ethereal grace. "Not an idol of a deity!" Judging from experience, barring any surprises, it was likely the ancestral master statue of the Water Element lineage. The offering altar before the ancestral master statue had been overturned, and even the statue itself was heavily damaged. A startling blade scar marred its head, cleanly slicing away the right eye and half the face. Leaving only a solitary left eye that had watched over these dead ruins for untold millennia. Perhaps this Ice Palace had been personally crafted by this ancestral master. Looking upon this scene, Qin Sang felt a sudden stirring in his heart. The incarnation sighed, bowed respectfully toward the ancestral master statue, and surveyed his surroundings. He discovered yet another hall behind the statue, though its doors were shut. The incarnation hurried over and reached out to push, only to be repelled by a force, after which a blue wall of light flashed across the door. "The restriction here is still active..." Taking two steps back, the incarnation tried using the ice disc to open the door for him, but to no avail. However, there was good news: when the restriction's counterattack touched the ice disc, it dissipated on its own. The incarnation did not need to fear any backlash while breaking the restriction. This further confirmed his assessment—the ice disc held supreme importance to the Water Element lineage! *Swish!* The Ice Soul Divine Light flared once more. In the next moment, a layer of white frost seemed to coat the door. Cracking sounds rang out incessantly as the ice grew thicker and thicker, freezing the wall of light. Immediately after, a gleam of saber light erupted from the incarnation's palm, illuminating the entire hall before striking the dead center of the ice layer with thunderous velocity. The wall of light shuddered, and a visible wave of energy suddenly rippled forth. The backlash of the restriction was exceptionally sharp, agitating the entire palace, and the deep-blue heavenly light began to stir in response. Seeing the anomaly about to erupt, the incarnation immediately steered the ice disc forward. Upon coming into contact with the ice disc, the force of the backlash instantly vanished like smoke, and the deep-blue light quickly settled down. His expression relaxed slightly, yet seeing the wall of light still resisting stubbornly, he shifted his mudra without hesitation. A small seal slowly rose into the air—to save time, he had directly summoned his spirit treasure. Cold flames surged like a tide. A Tengshe detached from the Fourfold Tengshe Seal, its form rapidly shrinking down to the size of an arm. Twisting its petite body, it pressed close alongside the Snow-Treading Divine Saber and rammed straight into the barrier! *Boom!* The cold light was blinding. A loud shattering noise erupted. Employing virtually all his divine abilities and treasures, the incarnation finally blasted open the wall of light! The restriction's backlash was likewise blocked by the ice disc, leaving the incarnation completely unscathed. Once the ripples subsided slightly, he darted through the wall of light and pried open the door with the Snow-Treading Divine Saber. *Clatter!* The moment the door opened, the incarnation saw a skeleton behind the crack. Its hollow eye sockets faced outward as it toppled down. His gaze narrowing slightly, the incarnation immediately held the Snow-Treading Divine Saber before him. The skeleton crashed to the floor, instantly weathering away into white ash. Brief as that moment was, the incarnation's sharp eyes had caught the wound on its spine, which had nearly severed the person in two at the chest. The skeleton carried nothing of value; a patch of white ash was the last trace he had left in this world. It was unknown whether he had been a cultivator of the Water Element lineage or an enemy. The incarnation stepped over the bone ash. Behind the door lay another hall of no lesser scale than the front hall, partitioned into different rooms by ice walls, with a minority of the doors standing open. Walking inside, the incarnation examined the ice walls on either side. The ice walls served to block spiritual sense and sight, obscuring what lay beyond. Taking brisk strides, he arrived at the first door and pushed it open, unable to contain his surprise. Shelves made of mystic ice filled the chamber, partitioned into ice compartments of varying sizes, instantly reminding Qin Sang of the treasury in Xuantian Palace. As expected, this was the treasury of the Water Element lineage! Most of the compartments were empty, yet quite a few treasures remained in place. The vast majority were mineral and metal spiritual materials of considerable value—all rare treasures difficult to find in the outside world. "Huangshen Stone, Human-Faced Ghost Jade, Purple Soft Gold..." While there were no one-of-a-kind rarities, their sheer quantity made for a substantial fortune. Little did he know that the majority of treasures in the treasury had been taken during the great catastrophe to craft magic treasures, magic tools, and formation implements to fend off enemies. Otherwise, Qin Sang's harvest today could have rivaled that of an entire major sect. The incarnation showed no restraint, sweeping the treasury clean before moving on to search the other chambers, only to grow increasingly disappointed. There were chambers meant for spiritual herbs, elixir pills, and magic treasures, but very little was left. The best-preserved was the Heritage Transmission Hall, where cultivation methods and secret arts were stored. Here, the incarnation reaped a bountiful harvest. A cursory scan revealed that most belonged to the path of Water, spanning Daoist, Buddhist, and demonic arts—truly all-encompassing. The incarnation found several secret arts of great use to himself. Yet by Qin Sang's standards, these were insufficient to uphold an entire branch of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, which meant the true core inheritance had already been taken away! With the origins of the ice disc and the two spirit pills still completely elusive, how could he be reconciled to this? Moreover, he had yet to find the formation core of the Ice Palace's grand array, indicating that more secrets were bound to lie here! After searching around, the incarnation indeed discovered a secret passage at the end of the treasury leading straight downward. Before walking far, he came upon several skeletons lying scattered along the passage. The incarnation paused and took a look, noticing that one skeleton differed from the others. This skeleton bore more wounds than the rest, yet the incarnation deduced that he had been the last to survive. The skeleton sat cross-legged in a corner, leaning back against the stone wall, face tilted toward the ceiling. Though nothing of his final thoughts could be gleaned from those hollow eye sockets, a profound sense of desolation welled up in the incarnation's heart. Around him lay scattered sundries and empty jade vials, which originally must have held spirit pills. Beneath him was a spirit array used for healing wounds. Yet none of these had been able to prolong his life. Who knew what cultivation level this person had attained in life, only to die here in utter solitude. Before him were several items solemnly arranged: jade slips, magic treasures, and several peculiar tokens, alongside an eight-character dying message: "Your disciple is incompetent, unworthy of the ancestors!"