Cold Pond Trial of the Blade

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Yuan was already ready.

He had not brought many things, carrying only an ordinary travel pack as a disguise. Inside were rope, a specially made heatproof oilcloth pouch, several pieces of dried meat, and a little fresh water.

The pills he might need, along with the "Snake Gallbladder Medicinal Wine" that could temporarily ward off the cold, were all stored in the Scarab Fish Secret Pouch he wore close to his body. With the Cold Ripple Blade in hand, he could travel light.

After leaving Lin Hai County through the northern gate, he hurried north.

A hundred li was, for him—already at the Skin Grinding Realm - Minor Accomplishment—nothing more than an hour's journey.

The closer he drew to Black Wind Valley, where Cold Dragon Pond lay, the more noticeably the temperature dropped, as though early spring had suddenly plunged into late autumn.

When he reached the mouth of the valley, he saw a deep ravine surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a pool of ink-green water lying silently within it.

The pond was vast, and its waters were so deep that the bottom could not be seen. Wisps of white chill, visible to the naked eye, drifted across its surface.

No vegetation could be seen in the cracks between the surrounding rocks. A thin layer of white frost covered everything, and the silence was terrifying. Even the calls of birds, beasts, and insects had vanished, leaving only the mournful howl of the wind blowing through the valley mouth.

"What a heavy chill. It truly lives up to its name." Chen Yuan was secretly startled.

Before he had even entered the water, the piercing cold had already seeped through his body, forcing him to immediately circulate his qi and blood to resist it.

He did not plunge into the water recklessly. Instead, he carefully surveyed the shoreline, searching for the best place to enter and any dangers that might be present.

In the end, he chose an area facing the sun, where a gentle slope extended beneath the water.

First, he took the bottle of Snake Gallbladder Medicinal Wine from the secret pouch and cautiously sipped a little.

A searing, pungent medicinal force instantly spread through his abdomen and flowed toward his limbs and bones, as though a small furnace had been lit inside him, dispersing much of the chill from outside.

"Plop!"

Once he was ready, he slid silently into the pond.

Cold! Bone-chilling cold instantly wrapped around his entire body, as though countless ice needles were stabbing into every pore.

Even with the medicinal wine and his qi and blood protecting him, he could not help shivering. The coldness of the pond far exceeded his expectations.

Daring not to delay, he immediately circulated the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method. Spiral Force faintly seeped through his skin, forming an exceedingly thin layer of resistance across his body. This further blocked the chill while also increasing his agility in the water.

He adjusted his breathing and dived deeper.

Visibility underwater was extremely poor. The light was dim, and he could barely make out objects within several feet.

The pond water was abnormally cold. The deeper he went, the heavier the chill became, while the water pressure also mounted.

An ordinary martial artist of the Qi and Blood Realm would likely freeze stiff after holding out here for only a short while.

Chen Yuan held his breath and focused his mind, raising his spiritual perception to its utmost limit. He resisted the cold while searching for his target.

Strange rocks covered the bottom of the pond, with some dull, ordinary aquatic plants growing among them.

After diving roughly four or five zhang, he finally discovered several clusters of unusual waterweed in the cracks of a shadowed rocky slope.

The waterweed had thick, narrow leaves of deep ink-green, with faint silvery-white patterns along their edges. A weak chill radiated from them. They were precisely the Cold Pond Waterweed, at least ten years old, required for the mission.

His heart leaped with joy, and he was just about to pick them when a sudden sense of danger surged in his heart.

A blurry black shadow shot silently from behind him like a dark arrow underwater, moving with astonishing speed!

It was a water snake roughly five feet long, its entire body gray-black and covered in mottled patterns. It was the Cold Water Viper Senior Disciple Brother had mentioned. It opened its jaws, revealing its Poison Fang, and lunged straight at Chen Yuan's calf.

If this had been the old Chen Yuan, he might truly have suffered under such a surprise attack in the cold, murky water. But now his spiritual perception was sharp—and he had been prepared in advance, to say nothing of that.

At the instant the Cold Water Viper was about to reach him, Chen Yuan suddenly drove power through his waist. With an extraordinarily agile twist and turn underwater, he avoided the fatal strike.

The Cold Water Viper skimmed past him, trailing a string of fine bubbles.

Chen Yuan's gaze turned cold. As he evaded, he held the fingers of his right hand together like a blade. The icy force within him, initially refined through the Cold River Spirit Blade, instantly gathered at his fingertips. Taking aim at its seventh vertebra, he stabbed out like lightning.

The icy force passed through the water and struck its target with pinpoint accuracy.

The Cold Water Viper suddenly stiffened. Its body writhed violently as though it wanted to flee, but an extremely cold and sharp force had already penetrated its body, making its movements abruptly slow and rigid.

Chen Yuan took advantage of the opening and seized its seventh vertebra. With a burst of hidden force, he shook it to death, then casually stored it in the secret pouch.

Having swiftly dealt with this minor trouble, Chen Yuan did not dare linger. He immediately swam to the clusters of waterweed and carefully pried them up by the roots with his dagger, ensuring that neither the roots nor the leaves were damaged.

He found four clusters of waterweed that met the required age and quickly wrapped them in the specially made oilcloth he had brought, preventing their chill from dissipating.

With the mission complete, he immediately surfaced.

With a loud splash, Chen Yuan burst from the water and leaped back onto the shore. Cold droplets rolled from his body, turning into wisps of white vapor the moment they touched the air.

He quickly dried himself, changed into clean, dry clothes, and drank another small sip of medicinal wine to drive away the cold before finally letting out a long breath.

He only felt that, after being stimulated by the pond's extreme cold, the qi and blood throughout his body had instead become livelier and more refined.

"This Cold Dragon Pond truly is an excellent place to temper one's qi, blood, and reactions."

He secretly pondered that he might return in the future, but he would also have to make thorough preparations.

Without lingering, Chen Yuan packed up his things and immediately set off back.

After noon that same day, Chen Yuan returned to Lin Hai County and went straight to Hundred Herbs Hall in the western part of the city.

The person who received him was an old apothecary wearing a monocle crystal lens. With practiced movements, he examined the four clusters of Cold Pond Waterweed Chen Yuan had brought.

When he saw that the silver edges were distinct, the chill was rich, and both the roots and leaves had been preserved exceptionally well, surprise and satisfaction appeared on his withered face.

"Tsk, tsk, not bad. The age is sufficient, the quality is excellent, the spiritual energy is full, and they were handled properly. Young man, you have quite a talent. The 'cold nail' of Cold Dragon Pond didn't give you any trouble?"

The old apothecary adjusted his glasses and asked curiously.

"I encountered one. I was lucky enough to kill it."

Chen Yuan humbly took out the Cold Water Viper's corpse.

"Someone from Blackwater Martial Arts School truly is no ordinary person!" the old apothecary praised.

"I'll take these four clusters of waterweed. By the rules, they're worth forty merit points. Or... do you need some pills suited for nourishing the qi and blood of someone in the Skin Grinding Realm?"

"I can make the decision to convert them into an equivalent amount of Warm Blood Pills. It would be more worthwhile than simply exchanging them for merit points. The Cold Water Viper can be exchanged as well."

Chen Yuan's heart stirred. Merit points were useful, but directly exchanging them for the pills he urgently needed, with their more targeted effects, was indeed more suitable. Warm Blood Pills were perfect for driving out any lingering chill and consolidating the effects of this body-tempering session.

"Then thank you, Old Sir. Please exchange them for Warm Blood Pills." Chen Yuan made his choice.

Warm Blood Pills were not cheap on the market and were worth far more than forty merit points. This old apothecary was clearly shrewd in business and also wanted to befriend a promising customer capable of gathering high-quality medicinal materials.

"Decisive!" The old apothecary laughed and agreed, soon bringing over two celadon medicine bottles.

"These are top-grade Warm Blood Pills. Their medicinal effects are gentle and long-lasting. If you obtain any more good medicinal materials in the future, or want to accept more herb-gathering missions, come to my Hundred Herbs Hall. We can negotiate the price."

"Certainly. Thank you, Old Sir." Chen Yuan accepted the pills and cupped his hands in farewell.

He was quite satisfied. This mission had not only let him test his skills, examine his underwater combat strength, and obtain a decent reward, but had also allowed him to establish a preliminary good relationship with an influential local force like Hundred Herbs Hall.

Back at Listening Tide Courtyard in the martial arts school, Chen Yuan first swallowed a Warm Blood Pill and felt a warm current dissolve, driving away the final trace of chill remaining in his body.

After that, he continued practicing the Mysterious Vortex Skin Grinding Method that evening.

The medicinal power and cultivation complemented each other. He could clearly feel his qi and blood becoming more refined as he steadily advanced deeper into the Skin Grinding Realm - Minor Accomplishment.

Realm: Skin Grinding Realm - Minor Accomplishment (36/100)

Feeling the tangible growth of power within him, Chen Yuan's gaze was calm and resolute.

The Cold Pond Algae Harvest had merely been his first attempt. The path of tempering himself through missions and obtaining resources had already opened up. Next time, perhaps he could challenge a mission of even greater difficulty.