Nine Nether Wind Ice!
For the first time, the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader wore a grave expression. His profound gaze fixed on Hun Han as if it could see through everything. "You know it?"
"Mm."
Hun Han nodded, failing to notice the complicated look on the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader's face. He explained, "Actually, besides the Heavenly Flame Ranking, Dou Qi Continent also has the Heavenly Water Ranking, Heavenly Lightning Ranking, Heavenly Earth Ranking, and other such lists. As for this Nine Nether Wind Ice, it is an exotic water ranked eighth on the Heavenly Water Ranking. It was born in the endless abyss of an extremely cold land, where chilling winds never ceased throughout the year. This exotic water took shape where the wind currents were at their fiercest. A strange sound of wind comes from within it, and when that sound enters one's ears, it makes people feel an unusual irritability. This strange sound can stir fluctuations in one's emotions. If it had been born in a land of extreme yang, then it would not be Nine Nether Wind Ice, but Nine Nether Wind Flame, ranked tenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!"
In other words, the thing before them was comparable to Heavenly Flames.
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader stared at Hun Han in astonishment. Hun Han actually knew so much about this strange treasure. This greatly exceeded his expectations.
Indeed, the treasure before them was Nine Nether Wind Ice. After discovering this place, the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader had spent a full ten years poring over ancient records before learning what it was.
Things were just as Hun Han had described. But faced with Hun Han's vast knowledge, the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader was stunned. "Just who are you?"
Hun Han's heart skipped a beat as he looked at the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader beside him. Only then did he notice the excitement in the other man's eyes. He silently cursed his own stupidity. Why had he exposed himself so blatantly the moment he got excited?
In the present-day Black Corner Region, few people even knew of the existence of Heavenly Flames, much less so-called exotic waters.
Hun Han paused, then said with a smile, "Master, you accepted me as your disciple, yet you barely know anything about me. That's rather negligent of you!"
At this, the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader took out his wine gourd and drank a mouthful. He said indifferently, "What does your identity have to do with me? The rules of our Exploding Heaven Gang are simple: we teach without discrimination. We aren't like certain gangs and certain people, who choose whom to serve. So what if you're a poison master? Aren't poison masters people too?"
Hun Han was slightly taken aback. The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader before him was clearly a man with a story.
Teaching without discrimination—how many gangs could achieve that nowadays? Hun Han looked at the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader with admiration. Such broad-mindedness deserved his respect. He teased, "Master, you brought me here. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you and seize the Nine Nether Wind Ice?"
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader glanced at Hun Han, his gaze utterly dismissive. He took another drink and walked toward the center. "You can try!"
Hun Han's heart trembled slightly. He touched his storage ring, flicked his finger, and a small pouch of Gold Coins appeared in his palm. He hurried forward and handed it to the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader. "Master, this is the entrance fee!"
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader did not even glance at it. A trace of sorrow seeped into his voice. "There's no need for that anymore. You've already joined the gang. The responsibility of carrying it forward now falls upon you."
After saying that, the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader took another drink. Since entering this place, he had been drinking far more frequently.
The surrounding cold was bone-piercing, though still within bearable limits. Even Hun Han, a mere two-star Dou Zhe, could endure the cold, yet the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader, a mighty Dou Emperor, seemed to need frequent drinks to keep warm.
The ground throughout the entire area was covered in dark ice. As they stepped over it and continued onward, the icy wind slashed across their faces like knives. Left with no choice, Hun Han circulated his dou qi around his body to resist the surrounding gale.
"Master!"
Hun Han called out softly.
Hearing him, the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader finally stopped and looked back at Hun Han.
At that moment, Hun Han was still more than a hundred meters from the platform ahead. Even with dou qi protecting his body, a frigid force continued to invade his flesh, raising goosebumps across his skin.
From over a hundred meters away, Hun Han looked ahead. Faintly, he could see a mass of black mist resembling water vapor atop the platform. Puzzled, he asked, "Master, the surrounding environment shouldn't be enough for Nine Nether Wind Ice to form. How could it be here?"
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader answered, "Because it was raised here by someone!"
Hun Han was astonished. "Raised?"
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader replied, "Long ago, this place was the site of a super sect. Look beneath the dark ice—there are countless meditation cushions. Back then, the disciples of that super sect absorbed Nine Nether cold energy here!"
Following the Exploding Heaven Gang Leader's indication, Hun Han lowered his head. Only then did he discover countless meditation cushions beneath the dark ice underfoot. They were arranged in perfect order. Due to the passage of time and the extreme cold here, more than thirty meters of dark ice had formed over the ground.
With Nine Nether Wind Ice present, the cold energy around them was overwhelming. Its density was several times greater than in the outside world. For Dou Zhe with Water Attribute or ice-attribute dou qi, this was indeed an ideal place for cultivation.
One could imagine how glorious that former sect must have been to raise an exotic water comparable to Heavenly Flames.
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader continued, "After consulting the ancient records left behind in the Black Corner Region, I learned that this super sect was called the Talisman Sect!"
"The Talisman Sect?"
Hun Han was slightly stunned. The item he had obtained by checking in at the ancient hall was the Talisman Secret Codex! This place was called the Talisman Sect. In the unseen workings of fate, there seemed to be some sort of predestination.
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader looked at Hun Han curiously and asked, "What? Have you heard of it?"
Hun Han shook his head. "No!"
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader continued, "There used to be a stone stele at the foot of our mountain as well. Some villager stole it, though I don't know who. There had originally been two illegible characters on the stele. Now it seems they should have been 'Talisman Sect.'"
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader had always been alone. Now that Hun Han had arrived, he had become rather talkative. Looking at Hun Han, he added, "You have acknowledged me as your master, yet I have no decent gift to give you. I'll bestow this Nine Nether Wind Ice upon you."
Hearing this, Hun Han was delighted. He clasped his hands and thanked him, "Thank you, Master!"
Water was the mother of life. The survival of all things depended on water. This made exotic waters exceedingly rare. They were even rarer than Heavenly Flames, the rarest of all the nine elemental rankings.
If he could obtain the Nine Nether Wind Ice before him, Hun Han's combat strength would soar. Even ordinary Dou Emperor experts would not dare make an enemy of him lightly.
The Exploding Heaven Gang Leader took a drink from his wine gourd, then continued, "Don't celebrate too soon. Exotic waters are like Heavenly Flames. If you wish to refine them, you must pass their trial. Otherwise, you'll only end up with your soul scattered. Don't rush either. There is a sixth-tier alchemist in Maple City. Your master had some dealings with him years ago. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Maple City and have him refine a Fire Attribute Blood Lotus Pill for you!"
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