The small boat was destroyed. Xiang Yang and the man who had shattered the ice stepped upon the waves, and when he fixed his eyes on him, he found it was still the same Chu Canglan as before—the same face, the same body, yet an utterly different gaze.
Beneath its calmness lurked a chilling cold. The coldness was merely an outward appearance; mercilessness was the true essence. Even the injuries within his body had vanished without a trace, as though he had never been wounded.
He must have turned the cold qi into an ice sculpture earlier, then used a secret art to reverse his injuries and briefly regain his peak condition.
"Old Man, what fine methods you possess. The demon was versed in the secrets of the Sword Demon, Heart Demon, and Great Snow Ridge lineages. His cultivation was profound, yet he still lost to you. Your schemes ran deep—even greater than those of your elders. It truly proved that every generation brings forth its own talents."
Xiang Yang studied the man opposite him, resting Que Xie over his shoulder as he suddenly spoke in praise. The demon had used an unnamed corpse from the valley as a vessel to cling to life for who knew how many years. When Chu Canglan appeared, he had taken the opportunity to pass on his cultivation while sending his primordial spirit into him, gaining both the means and possibility for Body Seizure.
Yet after calculating a thousand times and ten thousand times, the man likely never expected that he was merely a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the sparrow waiting behind. Sure enough, he had now made a wedding dress for Old Man of Snow Ridge Mountain.
"Xiang Yang, not only is your martial arts exceptional, but your mind is equally