Thousand-Year Ice Lotus
A few days passed in the blink of an eye. When Sang Ying emerged from her room again, it was the day the Qishan Secret Realm opened.
As the leader of the group, Mu Xuan gathered all the disciples going to the secret realm and gave them another stern warning, reminding them not to harm their fellow disciples for the sake of a fortuitous opportunity.
That was strictly forbidden in the Flowing Light Sword Sect. Anyone who broke the rule would be expelled from the sect.
Whatever they thought, everyone obediently agreed.
After the instructions, Elder Yanhua led them to the entrance of the Qishan Secret Realm.
The Flowing Light Sword Sect arrived neither early nor late. When they got there, the other major sects arrived one after another as well.
In this world, anyone who could cultivate to Foundation Establishment could at least reach the threshold of Golden Core. Thus, most of those allowed into the Qishan Secret Realm were promising talents their sects could nurture. To keep those promising talents from accidentally falling, the sects sent elders of considerable strength to escort them.
Most of these elders knew one another, and some even bore grudges against each other. They started squabbling as soon as they met. Fortunately, mindful of appearances, they only crossed verbal swords and caused no great trouble.
As for the Flowing Light Sword Sect, no one dared provoke Elder Yanhua. After all, he was the famous "Sword Madman." If anyone provoked him, he would start a fight on the spot, regardless of who they were.
The commotion had not lasted long when a golden light suddenly shone from the towering mountain before them. Everyone held their breath as one.
This was their first time entering a secret realm, and their first time feeling the majestic power unleashed when one opened.
Dense Spiritual Qi gushed from the narrow passage and swept outward. Wherever it passed, spirit flowers and grasses grew much more luxuriant.
So this was a secret realm?
As the young cultivators thought this, a yearning for power suddenly welled up in their hearts.
The order of entry was determined by the results of a competition held among the sects when the secret realm was first opened. The Flowing Light Sword Sect was a sword cultivator sect, after all, and its strength was extraordinary. It had earned a place among the top three, allowing Sang Ying and the others to be among the first to enter the secret realm.
The last group, naturally, was the disciples of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
Sang Ying did not know how much resentment those who entered later felt. The only thing she knew was that her own luck seemed rather poor.
A giant python as tall as a dozen-story building chased Sang Ying, spitting fireballs as it went. With a mere sweep of its long tail, trees so thick they took several people to encircle crashed to the ground.
The giant python was a fifth-tier Crimson Flame Python, far beyond anything Sang Ying could contend with at her current cultivation level.
Sang Ying did not know what sort of bad luck had befallen her. The moment she entered the secret realm, she landed in the Crimson Flame Python's den. Fortunately, she was an Ice Spirit Root cultivator. With one sweep of her sword, she froze the giant python's mouth, giving herself a chance to escape.
The Crimson Flame Python had apparently been enraged by her. It pursued her relentlessly, as if it would not rest until it had bitten a chunk of flesh from her.
Fortunately, Sang Ying had once obtained a high-level Movement Method from her father. Fleeing for her life with all her might, she barely managed to evade the Crimson Flame Python's attacks time and again.
But this could not go on. The Movement Method consumed a tremendous amount of Spiritual Qi, and Sang Ying was only in the Foundation Establishment Realm. She probably could not keep it up for long.
As she considered her options, Sang Ying fled to the edge of a cold pool.
By then, she had no time to think further, for the Crimson Flame Python's fangs were already reaching for her. Sang Ying closed her eyes, steeled her heart, and leaped straight into the cold pool.
The Crimson Flame Python was a fire-attribute spirit beast and loathed both water and ice. So after Sang Ying jumped into the cold pool, it could only lash its tail furiously against the bank, however unwilling it was to give up. In the end, it silently departed.
The moment Sang Ying fell into the pool, she felt a bone-piercing chill. She had suffered from icy cold for years, so the temperature of the pool was not all that unbearable to her. Even in these circumstances, Sang Ying had the presence of mind to refine the cold for her own use.
When Sang Ying saw the Crimson Flame Python leave, she did not surface, but continued to hide below with the Water-Avoidance Pearl in her mouth. Sure enough, before long, the giant python appeared again.
It viciously slapped its tail against the cold pool's tranquil surface, then hissed and licked its frozen tail.
Its lantern-sized eyes carefully scanned the pool. It waited a while longer, and only after making sure Sang Ying would not come out did the Crimson Flame Python reluctantly leave.
Sang Ying waited patiently for a long time. Seeing no sign that the Crimson Flame Python intended to return, she slowly rose to the surface.
She wore magical robes that blades could not pierce and water could not wet. After making a few quick adjustments, Sang Ying followed the Complete Guide to Spirit Plants and Spirit Beasts toward the Thousand-Year Ice Lotus.
The book's description of the ice lotus was very detailed. The ice lotus grew in a pool within a valley. It was not especially difficult to find.
The problem was that a spirit beast guarded the area around the ice lotus. The book estimated that the spirit beast had probably reached the seventh tier.
The fifth-tier Crimson Flame Python had already left Sang Ying unable to resist. This seventh-tier spirit beast would probably take her life outright!
Fortunately, the book also described how to deal with it. Before going to pick the ice lotus, Sang Ying had to do one thing first.
Gazing intently toward the valley where the ice lotus grew, Sang Ying slowly tightened her grip on her sword hilt.
While Sang Ying prepared to subdue the guardian spirit beast, Su Fuyun and her companions also arrived in the valley.
This was indeed a place capable of nurturing a Thousand-Year Ice Lotus. It was covered in white frost, completely unlike the greenery elsewhere. From a distance, it looked as though a streak of silvery white had appeared amid the green woods, making it especially conspicuous.
It was this very peculiarity that drew Su Fuyun's attention to the place.
Unlike the unlucky Sang Ying, Su Fuyun had been as if aided by the gods ever since entering the secret realm. Not only had she run into several disciples of the Flowing Light Sword Sect, she had also unexpectedly made the acquaintance of Jun Heng of the Purple Firmament Sect.
Even the people of the Flowing Light Sword Sect had heard of Jun Heng.
His grandfather was an elder of the Purple Firmament Sect and held him in high regard. So, after Jun Heng was born and found to possess a Single Fire Spirit Root, his grandfather took him under his wing and raised him.
Blessed with exceptional aptitude and a distinguished background, Jun Heng did not squander either advantage. He became a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator at an early age.
He was only twenty now, yet he had already reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage. It was said that only a thin sheet of paper stood between him and the Golden Core Realm.
He could be counted among those in the cultivation world today who had a chance of breaking Zhao Yunhe's record of forming a Golden Core at thirty.
Someone so outstanding and capable became friends with Su Fuyun after exchanging only a few words with her, and even decided to travel with the people of the Flowing Light Sword Sect.
This gave everyone a new understanding of Su Fuyun, and they could not help wanting to curry favor with her.
Everyone meant to flatter her, so naturally no one objected when Su Fuyun suggested they go take a look at the valley. When they arrived, they discovered the hidden cold pool in the valley and the ice lotus in it that was about to bloom.