Cold Ice Secret Realm

Over the next two days, the Abyssal Demon Tide grew fiercer with each assault.

On the second night, large numbers of Nascent Soul Middle Stage elite variants began appearing among the surging abyssal demons.

They were larger, their carapaces tougher, and their attacks carried corrosive black mist.

Yellow Earth City's defensive formation was utterly torn apart by midnight. The cultivators had no choice but to retreat to the inner city and wage street battles through the alleys.

That night, more than a hundred people fell in battle.

Bodies piled up like mountains beneath the city walls, and blood dyed the yellow earth a dark red.

At dawn, the Crimson Flame Sect had no choice but to use fire spells to burn the corpses. Otherwise, the abyssal demons would devour their companions' bodies and evolve.

On the third night, three Nascent Soul Late Stage "General-grade" demonic beasts even appeared among the abyssal demons.

Yan Lie personally took action, tangling with the strongest General-grade abyssal demon for half an hour before finally slaying it at the cost of grievous injuries. The white-robed young man lost an arm, while the burly twin-blade wielder had his chest and abdomen pierced through and nearly perished.

The cultivators of the various sects suffered even more grievous losses. Of the original force of over three hundred defending the city, fewer than two hundred remained after two nights. Many began to regret entering the Hundred Sects Battlefield—no matter how fine the opportunity, one had to live to seize it.

Yet Qin Yuan's side remained as calm as ever.

On the second night, he casually rescued three cultivators trapped in an encirclement during the street fighting. One of them was the missing Han Bing. Han Bing had already been critically wounded and on the verge of death. Had Qin Yuan not arrived in time, he would likely have become abyssal demon fodder.

On the third night, Qin Yuan even took the initiative to leave the city. At the edge of the demon tide, he hunted more than a dozen elite abyssal demons, including a newly advanced General-grade demonic beast—though it was only at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, it was still worth five thousand points.

After two nights, his points had already broken through the twenty-thousand mark, reaching 21,800 points and firmly holding first place on Yellow Earth City's rankings.

This result left everyone dumbfounded.

"Just where did that guy come from?!"

"Xuan Yuan Sect... I've never heard of it?"

"Could he be some hidden genius from a major sect, deliberately using a small sect's identity to temper himself?"

Amid the discussions, Qin Yuan's name spread completely throughout Yellow Earth City.

Even Yan Lie specifically sought him out once, his attitude far more courteous than before. "Fellow Daoist Qin, your strength is astonishing. Would you be interested in joining my Crimson Flame Sect? Once the Hundred Sects Battle ends, I can recommend you to become a True Disciple directly."

Qin Yuan politely declined.

On the morning of the third day, the Abyssal Demon Tide receded.

As promised, Qin Yuan arrived at the agreed location thirty li east of the city.

It was a dried-up riverbed, where several enormous stone pillars stood like the remnants of an ancient ruin. By the time Qin Yuan arrived, four people were already waiting there.

Besides Li Qingfeng, who had issued the invitation, there were three others.

One was a burly man in beast hide, his muscles knotted like coiling dragons. He carried a gigantic axe taller than a man on his back, and his aura was violent and fierce. He was Tuoba Shan of the Savage King Sect.

Another was a woman in a purple dress. Her features were seductive, but a chill lurked beneath the ripples in her eyes. She toyed with a long purple whip in her hand. She was Su Mei'er of Hundred Flowers Valley.

The last was a pale young man in black robes, faint deathly energy curling around him. Several skulls hung from his waist. He was Yin Jiuyou of the Corpse Yin Sect.

All four were Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivators, their auras solid and condensed. Clearly, they were all geniuses of their respective sects.

Seeing Qin Yuan, Li Qingfeng smiled and stepped forward to greet him. "Fellow Daoist Qin, you truly keep your word. Come, let me introduce everyone..."

He introduced them one by one, while the three scrutinized Qin Yuan with their eyes.

Tuoba Shan rumbled, "Brother Li, are you sure you found the right person?"

Su Mei'er covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Little brother is quite handsome, but I wonder how capable he really is~"

Yin Jiuyou said nothing. He merely stared at Qin Yuan, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes—he could not see through the depths of this Nascent Soul Realm cultivator at all.

Li Qingfeng turned serious. "Everyone, do not underestimate Fellow Daoist Qin. During the Abyssal Demon Tides of the past two nights, he slew a General-grade abyssal demon alone. His points have already surpassed twenty thousand."

The moment these words came out, all three of their expressions changed.

A General-grade abyssal demon? Twenty thousand points?

Even if the four of them joined forces, killing a General-grade abyssal demon would cost them dearly. Yet this gray-robed youth before them had actually slain one alone?

"Since Brother Li says so, I have no objections." Tuoba Shan put away his contempt.

Su Mei'er's eyes shimmered. "Little brother, once we enter the secret realm, make sure to protect your big sister~"

Yin Jiuyou remained silent, but he gave a slight nod.

Seeing this, Li Qingfeng began explaining the situation. "According to my sect's ancient records, this secret realm is called the 'Cold Ice Secret Realm.' It is the cave abode of an ancient ice-element great cultivator. A formation protects the cave abode, and at least five Nascent Soul Middle Stage cultivators must join forces to open it."

He paused, then added, "Deep within the secret realm, there may be the remains and inheritance of that great cultivator. But it is fraught with danger. Aside from formations and restrictions, we may encounter ice-element demon beasts, or even... Ice Corpses."

"Ice Corpses?" Su Mei'er frowned.

"After that great cultivator fell, the ice-element spiritual power he released froze everything around him. Some living beings were frozen in the instant of death and became Ice Corpses. Though they have no intelligence, they retain part of their strength from when they were alive, making them extremely difficult to deal with," Li Qingfeng explained.

As Qin Yuan listened, a trace of doubt rose in his heart.

Li Qingfeng was a disciple of the Book Sword Sect. The Book Sword Sect ranked fifteenth and was not weak. By all rights, he could have recruited teammates in a city controlled by his own sect, so why had he specifically come to Yellow Earth City, controlled by the Crimson Flame Sect?

And why had he specifically sought out a disciple from a bottom-ranked sect like himself?

"Fellow Daoist Li," Qin Yuan said, "Bluestone City, controlled by the Book Sword Sect, is not far from here. Why did you not recruit teammates there?"

Li Qingfeng's expression remained unchanged as he smiled. "I already recruited two fellow Daoists over at Bluestone City. But I was still short one person. I heard that Yellow Earth City had a Fellow Daoist Qin of astonishing strength, so I made this trip especially."

His words were watertight, yet Qin Yuan still felt that something was off.

However, he did not care.

With strength in hand, all schemes and stratagems were empty illusions.

"Let's go," he said flatly.

The five traveled along the riverbed for a hundred li before arriving before a frozen valley.

The valley entrance was covered by a thick layer of ice, etched with intricate formation patterns that radiated bone-piercing cold. The temperature here was dozens of degrees lower than outside, and their breath instantly froze into ice crystals.

"This is the place." Li Qingfeng took out five Jade Talismans and distributed them among the group. "According to the ancient records, if five people inject spiritual power into the Jade Talismans at the same time and stand according to the Five Elements positions, we can open the entrance."

Everyone followed his instructions.

Five streams of spiritual power flowed into the Jade Talismans, which lit up in different colors. The five took their positions according to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, then pressed the talismans against the ice.

"Buzzz—!!"

The ice layer trembled violently, and the formation patterns lit up one after another. Moments later, a crack split open at the center of the ice. It widened, transforming into an ice gate three zhang high.

Beyond the gate lay a vast, white world of ice and snow.

"Enter!" Li Qingfeng stepped in first.

Qin Yuan followed close behind.