Mystic Frost Baleful Wind

Walking up to the ice wall, Qin Sang gazed outside. As far as the eye could see, howling winds swept up shredded snow into a white tempest, tearing across the land. The endless blizzard raged without cease. Bits of snow battered the ice wall with crisp smacks, yet the wall stood completely unshaken. Amidst the storm, it was unusually "peaceful"—peaceful in the eyes of an immortal cultivator, that is. There were no signs of chaotic spiritual energy, no mysterious ancient restrictions, and no traces of ferocious beasts haunting the area... On the surface, it did not appear as perilous as Yunyouzi had guessed. After all, Yunyouzi had judged based on the Flying Yaksha guarding the entrance outside the restrictions, but the Flying Yaksha had not originally existed here; it was what Wu Shang had turned into. Even the flying-horned fish-dragons might have migrated here later and settled in the deep pool. In truth, as long as one found the correct path, entering would be effortless. Qin Sang was somewhat curious about what lay beyond the ice wall. In Wu Shang's letter, the Nightbloom Lily had been mentioned. Supposedly, the Nightbloom Lily originally grew here and had been discovered by a predecessor. The restrictions and the teleportation formation in the ice hall had all been left behind by that senior. Wu Shang's intention had been to guide future cultivators to gather the Nightbloom Lily, giving them a greater chance of completing the secret Core Formation technique he had left behind. With the mysterious jade Buddha, Qin Sang had no need for the Nightbloom Lily, nor would he snatch the spirit medicine Yunyouzi so urgently needed. Still, he wondered whether there were other spirit medicines inside besides the Nightbloom Lily. After a moment's hesitation, Qin Sang made up his mind. He suddenly summoned the Ten Directions Yanluo Array and gripped the magic treasure in his hand. Once fully prepared, he brought out the Five Elements Dharma-Breaking Sword to dismantle the restriction on the ice wall. Had he not been driven in by Yu Hua, Qin Sang certainly would not have taken such a risk. Now that he was already inside, and more importantly, had a magic treasure at his side and had seen his strength soar, taking a look inside should do no harm as long as he remained cautious enough. Qin Sang was not bent on obtaining any treasure. If he gained something, it would be his good fortune; if not, it did not matter. If danger truly lay ahead, he could simply retreat. His movements were extremely cautious. Slowly opening the restriction, he silently left the ice hall. A howling blizzard immediately rushed at his face. Though Qin Sang had prepared and shielded himself with spiritual power, he still could not help but shiver, his expression shifting slightly. This was by no means ordinary snow and wind—it carried a chill even more terrifying than the blood miasma at the entrance to Wuya Valley! Qin Sang took out a jade pendant and activated the Qingyang Demonic Fire sealed within, driving away the chill. Having received such a harsh warning the moment he stepped out, Qin Sang grew immensely vigilant and observed his surroundings. Only once he was inside did Qin Sang realize that this was not the vast ice plain he had envisioned. It seemed to be within an ice cavern as well, only this cavern was extraordinarily vast; Qin Sang had to walk forward some distance before he could barely make out the opposite ice wall. The ice hall he had occupied earlier sat in an inconspicuous corner at the base of the wall. From the outside, nothing unusual could be seen at all. The restriction on the ice wall not only resisted the battering of the blizzard, but also concealed the entrance. The chilly wind blew in ceaselessly from the right. The entrance of the ice cavern seemed to lie in that direction. Yet ahead was sheer chaos, with nothing but vast white snow in sight, and in the distance, even the worldly spiritual energy seemed somewhat turbulent. Qin Sang backed toward the ice wall behind him and crept forward along it with extreme caution. It felt like wading upstream against a mighty river, bearing immensely powerful resistance. He walked slowly, reining in his aura and probing forward step by step, prepared to retreat the instant he noticed anything amiss. The gale howled, growing fiercer the further forward he went, causing the Qingyang Demonic Fire swirling around him to flicker and churn violently. Qin Sang discovered another terrifying aspect of the cold wind: not only did it carry a frost that could freeze a cultivator's physical body stiff, but this chill could actually invade a cultivator's origin soul! Moreover, the Qingyang Demonic Fire was completely useless against this intrusion. This wind was definitely not natural! Qin Sang racked his brains and recalled that he had once seen a similar record in an ancient book. There was a divine wind called the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind. Wherever the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind existed was inevitably a place of extreme cold and extreme yin, every one of them a death trap for cultivators. The most terrifying aspect of the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind was that it could directly invade a cultivator's origin soul—an attack exceptionally bizarre and difficult to resist. If one lacked sufficient cultivation and possessed no defensive magic tools capable of warding off the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind, their body and origin soul alike would be frozen solid from the inside out, turned into a block of ice, and blown to smithereens! That Qin Sang's origin soul remained unscathed at this moment was entirely due to the protection of the jade Buddha. However, what Qin Sang faced now was not the true Mystic Frost Baleful Wind, but merely cold wind influenced by it. Otherwise, even if the jade Buddha could protect his origin soul, the Qingyang Demonic Fire would have been blown away long ago, and his physical body would not have been able to withstand the invasion of the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind, freezing into a solid lump of ice. *Crack!* Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out. The jade pendant shattered on the spot, the Qingyang Demonic Fire was finally extinguished, and the pendant was utterly destroyed. Qin Sang felt as though plunged into an ice vault. He hurriedly retrieved another jade pendant, but this one lasted an even shorter time. Right at that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Qin Sang. Remembering an item, he hastily rummaged through his mustard seed bag to pull it out. It was the crimson pellet he had obtained after killing Kong Xin. Back then, Yunyouzi had chosen the most valuable item, the Blue Light Sword, leaving the crimson pellet and other spoils to Qin Sang. The crimson pellet was highly unstable and could not be used as spiritual material for artifact crafting; it was essentially an oversized Warm Yang Bead, possessing no function other than warming the body, so Qin Sang had casually stowed it away without paying it much heed. Never had he imagined it would come in handy now. The crimson pellet was the inner core of a Heavenly Flame Jiao. After its metamorphosis, it contained the demon fire of a Demon Core stage beast, possessing power far exceeding the Qingyang Demonic Fire sealed inside the jade pendants. After all, the best pendants they could buy had only been crafted by Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Qingyang Demonic Sect, containing merely a wisp of demonic fire, which could not compare to the crimson pellet in the slightest. Clasping the crimson pellet, a surge of warmth immediately coursed into his body, successfully holding off the corrosive chill of the wind. However, even the crimson pellet could not block the chill invading the origin soul. Did Yunyouzi have a method to protect his origin soul? Qin Sang's expression grew solemn. He still saw no sign of Yunyouzi; the old Daoist was likely further ahead. The further one advanced and approached the true Mystic Frost Baleful Wind, the more terrifying the chill's might would become. Yunyouzi's origin soul already harbored hidden injuries; without a means of protecting it, he would have to endure it through sheer resilience. Even if there were no other dangers here, how far could he go? Yunyouzi had entered earlier than he had. Qin Sang had fought a fierce battle and then meditated in the ice hall to heal for some time. After so long without Yunyouzi returning, could he have...? At this thought, Qin Sang was just about to quicken his pace when suddenly the ground beneath him shuddered. The entire ice cavern violently shook as though struck by an earthquake. The surging blizzard brought a deafening boom that echoed throughout the cavern. Qin Sang steadied himself, his face changing drastically. The tremor had come from up ahead. Though there was only a single jolt, it was by no means a good omen. If an ancient beast blocked the path, Yunyouzi would have to face two terrifying foes at once: the Mystic Frost Baleful Wind and the ancient beast! Qin Sang summoned the ebony sword and secretly mobilized the Ten Directions Yanluo Array. Planting his foot down hard, he picked up speed and pressed forward against the wind.