We Have Numbers, Think It Through!

The three of them followed the steep path downward, then headed straight into that cluster of ruined buildings.

Along the way, they saw vivid bloodstains on the snow, not yet dry before they had frozen into clots of blood.

From time to time, cultivators from other sects passed by at a distance.

The two sides merely glanced at each other from afar, then each withdrew warily.

After all, most cultivators who came here were after the Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi. No one wanted to stir up unnecessary conflict.

Feng An knew the way well. He first led Kong Jiao and Zhou Tingyu into a collapsed building.

Its entire roof had caved in.

Standing inside, they could see the moon overhead.

This place was not hidden at all, and there were obvious signs that it had already been searched.

Feng An was not in a hurry. He led Kong Jiao and Zhou Tingyu through the pitch-black building, twisting and turning through its corridors. As they watched for traces of Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi, he said, "This spiritual herb is very strange. It lies dormant underground for an entire year, then at a certain time, it grows out in the span of a single day."

"So even places others have already searched are worth searching again."

As Kong Jiao listened to Feng An's explanation, his eyes swept through every tricky corner of the building.

From entire walls down to the faded, weather-beaten patterns carved into them, he refused to overlook anything.

Zhou Tingyu also walked and stopped as she went, repeatedly circulating the Spring Renewal Formula she cultivated to sense whether there were any spiritual herbs nearby.

She had not been boasting before. Her Spring Renewal Formula could cultivate by drawing upon the spiritual aura emitted by spiritual herbs.

Thus, wherever there was a spiritual herb, her Spring Renewal Formula would definitely react.

The three of them searched the entire building bit by bit, taking nearly two hours.

Finding nothing, they had no choice but to leave.

"I thought Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi would be everywhere! I didn't expect it to be so hard to find." Zhou Tingyu was somewhat disappointed by their fruitless search as she murmured.

Kong Jiao, on the other hand, did not seem to care.

Instead, he eagerly asked Feng An, "How was Frostmoon Altar discovered?"

"Apparently, several hundred years ago, a Rogue Cultivator accidentally touched some restriction. The entire earth collapsed, revealing this canyon."

"So this place had been sealed off before?"

"Probably. Who can say for sure? It happened far too long ago." Feng An replied uncertainly.

Suddenly, Zhou Tingyu, who had been complaining all along, stopped. She seemed to have sensed something, and her pretty face filled with delight.

"I can sense the aura of a spiritual herb. The spiritual power of my Spring Renewal Formula is circulating faster than before."

Kong Jiao and Feng An immediately grew serious, their eyes swiftly sweeping through the darkness.

All they could see were rotten chairs and broken stones from collapsed walls.

"There's nothing here!" Feng An's old face scrunched up.

Kong Jiao, however, pondered briefly before fixing his gaze on the collapsed wall before them.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kong Jiao clenched his hand in the air. The Winekeeper Gourd at his waist responded to the pull of his spiritual power, pouring out streams of water that gathered at his fingertips into an arrow of ice.

Whoosh! The arrow flew.

It streaked through the darkness in a snow-white trail before smashing into the pile of collapsed wall.

Having broken through to the fourth realm of Wheel Nourishment, the power of Kong Jiao's arrow was clearly far greater than it had been when he fought Jiang Kui.

Boom! The arrow collided with the wall.

The wall exploded into a shower of rubble.

Beneath layers upon layers of bricks and tiles, the ground was revealed.

A palm-sized lingzhi, crystal-clear throughout, emerged into view.

"So it was here! Junior Sister Zhou's technique truly is extraordinary." Feng An's face lit up. This was his third time at Frostmoon Altar, and never before had he found Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi on the first day.

He was already looking forward to what they might gain over the next month.

Zhou Tingyu's sensitivity to spiritual herbs, coupled with Kong Jiao's sharp judgment—

They were practically a combination made specifically for finding Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi.

But before Feng An could step forward and collect the Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi, a figure seemed to have heard the commotion inside the building and leaped down through the shattered roof.

"Hmph!" Kong Jiao reacted the fastest. With a cold snort, the instant that figure landed, he had already drawn his Bee Whisper again, aiming it impassively at the uninvited guest.

Feng An's expression immediately darkened as he said in a low voice, "We found this Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi. Fellow cultivator, please leave."

Zhou Tingyu had long since hidden behind Kong Jiao, poking out her little head as she threatened in a voice that tried to sound steady, "We have more people. Think it through."

The newcomer was a middle-aged man in hemp clothing, at the fourth realm of Wheel Nourishment. He cast a wary glance at the three of them, then left in the direction he had come from.

He did not waste a single word throughout the entire exchange.

"He knows what's good for him. The only problem is running into someone who refuses to let things go." Feng An breathed a sigh of relief before walking up to the Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi and carefully collecting it.

As he gathered it, he said, "Other sects also have methods like Junior Sister Zhou's for sensing spiritual herbs. So once we find Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi, we need to harvest it as soon as possible. We can't delay for too long."

Then the old hand, without any hesitation, passed it to Zhou Tingyu.

"From now on, Junior Sister Zhou can keep all the spiritual herbs we collect. Junior Brother Kong and I will handle unexpected situations. Carrying these things around would be inconvenient."

Kong Jiao knew Feng An was doing this to put him at ease.

He immediately nodded subtly at Zhou Tingyu. Only then did she place it into the herb pouch the sect had issued to every herb gatherer for storing spiritual herbs.

Feng An is a farsighted man. It's a pity his talent is a little lacking. Otherwise, he would have a place in the outer sect.

That was Kong Jiao's assessment.

With their first Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi secured, all three of them were in high spirits.

They continued searching until well into the night. Only when the moon gradually vanished from the sky, close to dawn, did they finally stop.

Unfortunately, they did not find a second one.

That made sense. Although Zhou Tingyu could sense the presence of spiritual herbs, her range was limited.

It was not as though they could come across them at every moment.

The three of them were not discouraged. They had searched all night and traveled during the day, so fatigue was beginning to show on all of them.

They found a small room that could barely shelter them from the wind and rain.

Kong Jiao took the first watch, while the three of them sat cross-legged inside the room to meditate and rest.

"Senior Brother Feng, get some proper rest. We need to conserve our strength for the time ahead, so we can deal with unexpected situations at our peak."

"After all, we'll be here for more than a month."

Kong Jiao deliberately reminded Feng An in a tactful manner.

Otherwise, the old man would be unable to sleep peacefully again.

"I understand." Feng An nodded cheerfully, without putting on airs.

He also knew that this trip to Frostmoon Altar would not be easy. Trust was the bare minimum. If they could not even manage that, there would be no way for them to continue working together.

Only after hearing their breathing gradually steady did Kong Jiao sit at the doorway and begin cultivating on his own.

There's no need to rush matters concerning opportunities. I'll slowly familiarize myself with Frostmoon Altar's environment while following Feng An, then act when the time is right.

Kong Jiao thought silently.

For several days in a row, Kong Jiao's group traveled through the ruins of various buildings. With the special nature of Zhou Tingyu's technique, they found a steady one Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi almost every day.

On their luckiest day, they found two Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi in the same place.

Feng An was so delighted he could barely close his mouth.

Over the past few days, Kong Jiao and the others had also encountered quite a few disciples from other sects.

They generally traveled in groups of two or three, with very few lone wanderers.

As long as no spiritual herb had been discovered, everyone did their best to avoid fighting.

Thus, things remained relatively peaceful.

Of course, peace was the norm, but there were also unexpected incidents.

It was not uncommon for people to fight fiercely after discovering Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi at the same time.

Yet in most cases, one side would retreat, while the other would not pursue them relentlessly to the bitter end.

Who knew whether someone driven into desperation might use some extreme measure and perish together with their enemy?

It was not worth risking one's life over a single Moonfrost Ice Lingzhi. Its value was not enough for anyone to stake their life on it.

Still, there were unlucky fellows whose strength did not match the gains they had obtained. They became corpses beneath Frostmoon Altar's white snow, left here forever.

Following Feng An's earlier warning, Kong Jiao's group did not deliberately seek out fellow disciples of the Cangwu Sect.

Wealth stirred people's hearts. Who knew whether they might forget the bonds of their sect and suddenly strike against them?

After all, among the herb gatherers sent by the Cangwu Sect this time, aside from Zheng Gang at the sixth realm of Wheel Nourishment, there was also a team made up of two fellow disciples at the fifth realm of Wheel Nourishment.

That was practically the Cangwu Sect's strongest group.