Chapter 27: Encountering an Ice-Type Opportunity

Chapter 27: Encountering an Ice-Type Opportunity

The forest instantly erupted with waves of congratulations, filled with genuine joy, the atmosphere warm and lively.

Once the excitement settled slightly, all the disciples lined up in formation, standing tall and solemn, bowing together in unison.

This time, everyone had broken through their bottlenecks, and their hearts were clear and enlightened.

Without the two elders and the Junior Master's support, providing them a way out, they would have either died or been severely injured.

Several times when the Ghost Tree formation was on the verge of collapse, it was the Junior Master's spiritual vines that wrapped around to protect the field.

"Thank you, Elder Duan, Elder Lin, and Junior Master for your protection!"

The disciples voiced their gratitude in unison, their voices neat and sincere.

Ling Xuance sat upright under the ancient tree, his expression still distant, giving only a slight nod.

Of the original eighteen disciples who had accompanied the group, only six were Foundation Establishment cultivators. After this battle and the tempering of breakthroughs, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators jumped to twelve, leaving just one or two at the peak of Qi Refining.

Even better was that the team had gained Luo Fei, a new early-Golden Core combatant, boosting the squad's overall strength.

Among the disciples who had broken through, the most outstanding was the young disciple the Sect Master had taken as a disciple nearly two years ago—Ming Qiuge.

She was the Sect Master's only fire-element spiritual root disciple and the youngest.

Through this desperate trial, she had shot up from Qi Refining level five to solidly reach mid-Foundation Establishment.

The young girl couldn't hide her joy at all. She eagerly grabbed the sleeves of Yun Yan and Luo Fei, her voice bright and sweet.

"Senior Brother! Second Senior Brother! I broke through! I've reached Foundation Establishment!"

Yun Yan looked at his junior sister and said with a smile, praising her: "Impressive, that's our junior sister—exceptional talent, breaking through in a single battle."

Luo Fei stood nearby, trying to sound casual and teasing.

"Not bad, just a little short of my level."

"Second Senior Brother is such a tease! Always picking on me!" Ming Qiuge puffed out her cheeks and pouted, scolding him playfully.

Amid the laughter and noise, Yun Yan's smile slowly faded.

This time everyone had broken through, except Ming Qi, who was still missing.

Luo Fei had always been perceptive and saw the deep worry in his eyes right away.

"Senior Brother doesn't need to worry too much. Junior Brother Ming Qi has always been stubborn, and he's got luck on his side. He won't easily get into danger. As we search along the way, we'll eventually meet up with them."

Hearing this, Ming Qiuge, who had been laughing beside them, her smile froze.

She was still young and only now realized that Senior Brother Ming Qi and Senior Sister Jinling were still out there, lost. Being so happy was really not okay.

Seeing her like this, Yun Yan's heart softened a little.

"It's fine. Breaking through in cultivation is something to celebrate. We just need to keep them in our thoughts. Ming Qi has good luck and will be fine. Our junior sister has done so well, jumping from Qi Refining level five to mid-Foundation Establishment—that's worth celebrating."

With her senior brother's gentle comfort, Ming Qiuge smiled again, the guilt and unease in her heart fading away.

The joy in the forest spread again, and the other disciples gathered around to offer congratulations, sharing the excitement of breaking through.

Once everyone's cultivation was stable, the team set out again, moving deeper into the secret realm.

Over the next six months, the group stayed focused, forming small teams of four to train in real combat within the secret realm, sharpening their skills.

Third and fourth-tier demon beasts in the secret realm matched the strength of Foundation Establishment cultivators, so the small teams handled them on their own, using real combat to build a solid foundation.

Occasionally encountering fifth-tier high-level demon beasts, whose power matched Golden Core cultivators, Yun Yan would take the lead with Luo Fei assisting—two Golden Core cultivators leading the team, with all disciples joining forces to surround and kill.

With the two elders and the Junior Master backing them up, the group had no worries and could fight freely, improving at an incredible pace.

After six months of real combat training, even the disciples who had remained in Qi Refining finally broke into Foundation Establishment.

The path ahead was thick with trees, peaceful and calm. As the group advanced steadily, Ling Xuance suddenly said in a low, firm tone.

"Stop."

His voice was crisp and powerful, and the disciples instinctively stopped, focusing and awaiting orders.

Elder Duan had sensed nothing unusual along the way and looked puzzled, stepped forward and asked quietly.

"Elder Lin, the path ahead is calm and uneventful—no demon beasts, no demonic energy. Why the sudden halt?"

Ling Xuance's gaze scanned the dense forest ahead.

"There's a formation disturbance here."

At these words, everyone instantly huddled together.

In the secret realm, the most terrifying things were never the obvious demon beasts and fierce creatures, but rather these hidden formations.

If one carelessly stepped into one, they could be trapped in an illusion formation and die, trigger a lethal killing formation that destroyed the body, or even be teleported to some dangerous spot in the secret realm.

Ling Xuance's gaze swept over the disciples, and gave clear instructions.

"You five—left three, right two, front three-four, back one—step forward."

The five disciples who were called felt bewildered but stepped forward without hesitation.

The next moment, Ling Xuance raised his hand and formed seals.

Spiritual light flickered faintly at his fingertips as he executed the complex, intricate formation hand seals in one fluid motion—clean, elegant, without a hint of hesitation.

These five disciples were the formation cultivators in the group. Watching Ling Xuance's formation techniques closely, not daring to blink, staring intently at the trajectory of his fingertips, trying to memorize every move.

To help them understand, Ling Xuance deliberately slowed his hand speed, breaking down each hand seal step by step.

After completing the seals, he looked down at the five formation cultivators, who were sweating. "Got it?"

The five panted and answered sincerely: "Elder, I understood about seventy to eighty percent!"

"Not too dull. Close your eyes, focus your mind, and think it through."

The five disciples closed their eyes as instructed, going over the hand seals in their minds.

The other disciples nearby weren't formation cultivators and couldn't grasp the details, but they could clearly see how smooth and skilled the hand seals were.

Since the battle against the Blazing Bone Sect, everyone in the sect had known that Ling Xuance wasn't just a powerful cultivator—his formation skills were unmatched.

All the disciples watched in envy, waiting quietly without daring to disturb.

The time it takes to burn one stick of incense passed in the blink of an eye.

Ling Xuance spoke at the right moment, his voice cutting through the silence: "Form as many seals as you remember."

The five disciples who had been meditating with closed eyes opened them abruptly and raised their hands in unison to form seals.

As their fingers moved, though not as flawless as Ling Xuance's, they already bore a partial resemblance, with clear, distinct hand paths.

"Close your eyes," Ling Xuance instructed. "Let go of stray thoughts, empty your mind, and resonate with the formation's aura around you."

The five followed his words, letting their spiritual sense extend outward along the seal paths, probing into the dense forest and the earth around them.

A few moments later, the five disciples reported their findings one after another:

"Disciple senses it! About ten meters to the left, there's an illusionary trapping formation!"

"About five meters to the right, a lethal killing formation, extremely heavy with malice!"

"Ten meters ahead and to the left of Senior Brother Yun Yan, a random teleportation formation is hidden there!"

"There's also a concealed trap-kill composite formation behind us! And trap runes buried in the ground ahead!"

Speaking over one another, they mapped out almost all the hidden formations in the entire area within moments, identifying most of the formation positions and types.

Ling Xuance watched them catch on quickly, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Steady your minds, and investigate each formation eye one by one to break them."

Knowing the disciples were young and impetuous, he added a calm reminder: "Don't rush. Only act when you're absolutely sure."

Hearing this, the five disciples became even more careful and composed, probing layer by layer and precisely pinpointing each formation eye.

Hum—hum—hum—

Several deep, heavy hums rang out in succession as the previously hidden formation runes surfaced.

With the five disciples' final seal, the formations collapsed and the hums faded away.

Ling Xuance watched as seven-tenths of the formations were successfully broken, a trace of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

"Watch once more, and absorb what you can based on your own ability."

With that, he raised his hand and formed the seals again.

This time, his fingers moved with flawless, lightning speed.

Without comparison, there'd be no contrast—the five disciples, who'd just thought their own seal techniques were proficient, suddenly seemed clumsy and awkward next to his formation mastery.

The others couldn't even see the remaining formations' layouts.

In an instant, all the hidden formations vanished completely.

Elder Duan, seeing the disciples all stunned and lost in awe, couldn't help clearing his throat.

"The formations are broken, the path ahead is clear. Let's keep moving."

The group quickly composed themselves, got back in formation, and pressed deeper into the secret realm.

Time flew, and another three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The team had long adapted to the rhythm of training in the secret realm, and everyone's mindset and combat prowess improved daily, growing steadier and more refined.

One day, the group arrived at a barren open expanse, and the temperature suddenly shifted drastically.

A bone-piercing chill swept in from nowhere, seeping into the skin—biting and frigid, far beyond the ordinary cold of a mountain forest.

"It's so cold!"

"This chill is too piercing. It was warm just a moment ago—why is it suddenly so biting?"

The disciples murmured among themselves, instinctively circulating spiritual power to shield themselves against the sudden extreme cold.

Yun Yan swept his gaze over his fellow disciples shivering and regulating their breath, his expression calm as he gave instructions.

"The chill here is fierce and pure. Everyone, sit cross-legged and regulate your breathing, using the cold to temper your bodies and spiritual power."

With that, he turned and stepped forward with Luo Fei, bowing respectfully to both Elder Duan and Ling Xuance. His gaze settled on Ling Xuance as he spoke with reverence.

"Uncle-Master, this chill is no ordinary ground aura. It contains refined spiritual essence—there must be extraordinary fortune beneath."

Ice-type spiritual roots were already rare in the world, and corresponding cultivation opportunities were even rarer. It would be a pity to let Elder Lin miss such fortune on their account.

Elder Duan quickly stepped forward to echo the sentiment: "Elder Lin, go on ahead without worry. All the disciples have reached Foundation Establishment now, and with me here to watch over them, keeping them safe in their cultivation is more than manageable."

Ling Xuance still hesitated slightly.

"The secret realm is only open for three years—precious time. If I linger to seek opportunities..."

Yun Yan pondered briefly and immediately devised a compromise, replying calmly.

"Uncle-Master, consider this arrangement. This chill is ideal for tempering the body, so we'll rest and cultivate here for one month, using the extreme cold to hone our physical foundations—not a waste of cultivation time."

"After one month, if Uncle-Master returns by then, we'll continue deeper together. If Uncle-Master hasn't emerged from the depths yet, we'll proceed ahead and leave distinctive markers along the way for you to follow and catch up."

Ling Xuance gave a slight nod of agreement.

He raised his hand and formed a thick, sturdy protective barrier, firmly enveloping the entire resting area. The barrier's spiritual power would last a month before dispersing on its own.

With everything arranged, he transformed into a streak of pristine white light and shot straight toward the depths where the chill was thickest.