Disappointed Duo

Having broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Shen Yun planned to learn some Foundation Establishment spells, so he came to the Scripture Pavilion.

Elder Ming was organizing the bookshelves when he saw Shen Yun approach.

"I could tell that Mister Fang had been trapped on Tianwei Mountain. Now, he has finally laid down his burden."

Elder Ming looked wistful. Even at his age, when he had long since taken the affairs of the mortal world lightly, Mister Fang's departure still stirred his emotions.

Shen Yun said nothing, acting as an excellent listener.

Elder Ming soon returned to his Ancient Well Without Ripples demeanor and said calmly, "Mister Fang left you a message. If you encounter trouble, take the Jade Token to see the Lone Swan Sword Venerable."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yun took out the Jade Token. Two wandering dragons on its white jade surface formed the character Fang.

This was what Fang Tianyi had given him after he comprehended Five Elements Fusion.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder Ming."

Shen Yun cupped his hands in salute, then took his leave and began searching for Cultivation Methods.

There were far fewer Jade Slips on the second floor. Shen Yun spent half a day memorizing all the Five Elements Dao Methods.

"Perhaps I can create a Cultivation Method that cultivates all five elements together."

Observing a Thousand Swords to Recognize the Blade. As his understanding of the five elements deepened, Shen Yun gradually developed the idea of creating his own Cultivation Method.

Year's end was approaching, and the Sword Sect Envoy would soon arrive at Canglang Mountain.

The Profound Ice Platform lay at the northernmost edge of Canglang Mountain, blanketed in ice and snow year-round. Its environment was extraordinarily harsh, and it was often used as a trial ground.

Every five years, the major families sent their elite younger generation to the Profound Ice Platform for selection.

No one could say exactly how many families there were on Canglang Mountain, but only the Ten Great Families qualified for the selection.

Led by the Three Great Golden Core Families, the remaining seven families each had at least a Void Core expert, all competing for five Internal Recruitment slots.

The Lone Swan Sword Sect valued quality over quantity. Its entry assessment recruited only five hundred disciples, and more than half of them were Miscellaneous Servant Disciples.

They were called disciples, but in truth they merely handled miscellaneous tasks, receiving extremely limited resources and cultivation.

Even so, countless people fought until their heads bled for the chance.

As long as one joined the Sword Sect, opportunities could be found everywhere. There had never been a shortage of Miscellaneous Servant Disciples who soared into the heavens in a single leap.

The importance of a good platform needed no explanation. Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix barely held true in the Cultivation World.

In fact, even the so-called head of a chicken would send its descendants to higher platforms. With the support of their background, they would be like tigers given wings.

For this journey to the Profound Ice Platform, the First Elder and Second Elder jointly led the team, showing just how much importance the Shen Family placed on it.

Each family had only five competition slots, and contestants could not be over thirty years old.

The Shen Family sent the top four from the Family Grand Competition, then held another selection for the final slot.

The result left many people dumbfounded: Shen Wude emerged victorious in the end.

"Between Fatty's laughter and chatter, all opponents were reduced to ashes!"

Shen Wude came running over with a grin. His huge face glowed red, and he seemed to have put on another round of weight, looking ever more festive.

Shen Qiu stood beside him with a dead man's face, apparently recalling the scene of being knocked unconscious beneath Shen Wude's butt.

Even now, he still woke from nightmares from time to time. It had nearly become a heart demon.

Shen Yun, Shen Wude, sooner or later, I'll make you pay this debt.

After losing to Shen Yun, his conviction had nearly collapsed. That visible gap had once robbed him of the confidence to keep chasing after them.

Azure Venerable stepped forward and gave him a patient lecture.

"Many Immortal Dao Great Powers have suffered setbacks. Take Wangchuan Immortal Venerable, for example. He was defeated several times in his youth, yet he still reached the Peak through an unyielding spirit."

Shen Qiu felt as if enlightenment had been poured into his head, and life returned to him. "I only suffered a temporary defeat. The one who laughs last is the King."

Seeing that her deception had succeeded, Azure Venerable struck while the iron was hot and produced an ancient book. Black smoke went kuku from its aged cover.

"There is an Immortal Bird in this world. It is plain in appearance and never sings, overlooked by the world. But once its wings are full-grown, it rises with the wind and soars across the nine heavens."

"This copy of the Netherworld Demonic Art is precisely what you need."

Hearing this, Shen Qiu was as fired up as if he had been injected with chicken blood. He felt that he was that Immortal Bird destined to amaze the world with a single cry, and he accepted the Cultivation Method without hesitation, never noticing Azure Venerable's pitying gaze.

From then on, Shen Qiu began converting to demonic cultivation. His progress advanced a thousand miles in a day, and he had now reached the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining.

Believing himself to stand alone at the head of the younger generation, he began to stir restlessly once more.

Utterly incapable of bearing great responsibility. Being so eager for quick success is nothing but squandering his potential.

Azure Venerable took everything in. She looked down on Shen Qiu more and more. If not for his Nine Nether Spirit Body, with such a temperament, she would have long since used him as expendable material.

Shen Feng trailed at the very back of the group, silent all the way as if he had become a different person, having tucked away all his sharpness.

He silently stared at Shen Heng's back. The Second Elder guaranteed that I would enter the Sword Sect. Where does his confidence come from?

After the transaction, Shen Heng had fallen silent. Only two days earlier had he suddenly sought Shen Feng out and informed him that the plan would proceed as usual.

Shen Yun was also keeping an eye on Shen Heng. He had not forgotten this spy, but trying to bring down the Second Elder with mere whispers and shadows was undoubtedly Arabian Nights.

The other party was extremely cautious and never left any openings, giving Shen Yun no leverage to seize.

Shen Heng is closely connected to the Shangguan Family. There is a good chance he will make a move during this Sword Sect assessment.

Shen Yun saw through every detail and prepared to respond to all changes by remaining unchanged. He was determined to seize this venomous snake that had lain in ambush for so long.

The Profound Ice Platform lay in the far north of Canglang Mountain, bordering the North Sea, where ice and snow never melted.

Snow mountains stretched endlessly, rivers lay frozen solid, and gray mist veiled the sky. The brutal environment had turned this place into a land without people.

Across the boundless snowfields, enormous footprints could occasionally be seen, their dense Demonic Qi lingering for a long time.

The demonic beasts of the ice plains were immensely powerful. Not only did they have to endure the bitter cold, but they also had to fight desperately for food. Every one of them was among the fiercest of creatures.

At the very center of the ice plains, a powerful storm swept through heaven and earth. Not a blade of grass grew upon the ground, and as far as the eye could see, there were only silver-white glaciers.

The Shen Family arrived aboard a Spirit Boat, but they had no choice but to land early.

The gale winds high in the sky were ferocious enough to blow away even Foundation Establishment cultivators. They could only travel the last stretch of road on foot.

The First Elder led the way, his steps steady and unaffected in the slightest by the storm.

"There are still twenty li to the Profound Ice Platform. This is a test for all of you. Do not let any opportunity for tempering slip by."

The savage North Sea typhoon carried damp Yin Cold, as though it wanted to seep into their bones.

Shen Feng gritted his teeth tightly as the wind tossed him from side to side. Looking at the others' figures, bitterness welled up in his heart.

So my talent truly is the weakest!

He had once held onto the hope that other factors had contributed to his defeat in the Family Grand Competition. Only now did he realize how laughable that was, and his desire to join the Sword Sect grew even stronger.

Shen Qiu strode as swiftly as if flying, his body rising and falling with an unusual rhythm that dissolved every blast of fierce wind.

The former number one genius? He is nothing but a hollow reputation.

Seeing Shen Feng struggle forward, Shen Qiu revealed a smug smile. But when his gaze swept toward Shen Yun, his face changed like a Sichuan Opera Face Change and crumpled once again.

Shen Yun seemed to be taking a Leisurely Stroll, following behind the First Elder at an unhurried pace. Just by appearances alone, he left Shen Qiu an entire street behind.

Shen Wude fully displayed the advantage of his sheer tonnage. His stance was exceptionally steady as he swayed along behind Shen Yun.

Shen Qingruo had the lowest cultivation. Even with the support of her Yimu Spirit Body, she still looked somewhat strained.

"Qingruo, I'll help you!"

Shen Qiu's eyes lit up as if he had discovered a chance for a hero to save a beauty, and he hurried forward to curry favor.

But Shen Qingruo ignored him completely. When Shen Yun's gaze turned toward him, he reacted as if triggered, and his movements suddenly twisted out of shape.

A blast of cold wind poured into his big mouth, knocking the breath out of him on the spot. He could no longer leap around, and together with Shen Feng, he fell to the very back, becoming one half of the Disappointed Duo.

"Damn Shen Yun!"

Shen Qiu only dared curse inwardly. Suddenly, his foot slipped and he lost his balance, crashing into Shen Feng.

Whirl, whirl!

The two rolled repeatedly across the ground like snowballs, utterly unable to break free.

The disturbance here also drew the others' attention.

"What happened?!"

Shen Heng saw the situation clearly and immediately pulled the two of them free. With a look of exasperation at their failure, he said, "Follow behind me."

He felt extremely speechless. These two were both people he thought highly of, yet each was more useless than the last. They were simply ruining his good name.

Shen Yun ignored this clown jumping on the stage. His gaze fell on Shen Qingruo, and he murmured softly, "Looks like she's about to break through."

The instant his words fell, Shen Qingruo broke through her bottleneck. Her entire body shone with radiance, becoming even more bright and beautiful, as if she had washed away the Lead Powder. Her aura underwent a heaven-overturning transformation.

She had only been one step away from the seventh layer. Now, tempered by the storm, her breakthrough came as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

The First Elder nodded repeatedly. This is the Shen Family's true Heavenly Pride. She will surely bloom with brilliance in the Sword Sect.

As for the false Heavenly Prides...

Shen Qiu and his companion were like eggplants struck by frost, following behind step by step.

Half an hour later, the view suddenly opened up. Within the sky-filling storm, a massive platform of ice and snow slowly emerged.

Once they stepped into the central region, the storm subsided. Sunlight poked through the dark clouds, as if they had entered an entirely different world.

The platform floated above an abyss, surrounded by densely packed glaciers like colossal beasts crouching on the ground, refracting deep blue light beneath the sun.

The cold air condensed into stairways of ice marrow, transparent from end to end and filled with ice patterns within, leading directly to the ice platform above.

"The Profound Ice Platform. We're here."