Shi Feiyang flew from the Qinling Mountains into Shu, then headed south through the Sichuan Basin, plunging straight into the endless ranges of Mangcang Mountain.
Mangcang Mountain was a fine place indeed. After ascending, Elder Longbrow of the Emei Sect had hidden both Purple Ying and Green So here, along with treasures such as the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Silkworm and Ten-Thousand-Year Kongqing.
From the sky, Shi Feiyang followed the mountain contours and dragon veins to distinguish yin from yang. Far to the northwest, where yin energy gathered in dense knots, he could already see a pall of murky gloom and hear the uncanny howling of fierce winds. Pillars of swirling black wind stood upright in the air, slowly shifting. Once anything drew near, they erupted with earth-shattering tremors, bursting into Cold Frontier Black Wind and surging cold tides that froze heaven and earth.
The Earth Cavern lay beneath those frigid astral winds, connected below to the Earth Lung. The earth-pole yin fiend mingled with condensed yin energy from Mangcang Mountain's dragon veins, combining into an Astral Fiend Cold Tide of terrifying power.
Shi Feiyang did not dare descend recklessly. He took out the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler and gave it a gentle wave. Jin flowers flew from its tip; two supported his feet, while three hovered above his head. He then enveloped himself in primordial purple qi before slowly descending into the gloom.
The Astral Wind and baleful energies here were extraordinarily fierce. If he tried to force his way in with a flying sword, even its Sword Light would be ground away and scattered, forcibly swept back out. If he descended under the protection of the Cosmic Canopy, the canopy itself would be carried off. Should he happen to arrive when the earth's energy was drawing inward, he might