Chapter 2414: Iceberg Visitor

The moment Qin Sang grasped the clam pearl, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes.

As the clam pearl settled in his hand, Qin Sang felt as if he were holding a cool, soft mass of water. Innumerable threads seemed to radiate from within the pearl, extending outwards to connect with unknown entities in the distance.

Qin Sang understood why the clam pearl was the key to opening the secret realm.

Those unknown entities, hidden in all directions, were invisibly connected to the clam pearl. This treasure was clearly linked to many secrets within the realm, an indispensable part of unraveling them!

However, Qin Sang also noticed that most of these threads were indistinct, as if shrouded by a mist that concealed the truth.

“It’s the Sea of Clouds!” Qin Sang identified the source of the ‘mist’.

With the clam pearl, the Three Immortals of Flying Ascent would have been able to enter the Return to the Void realm much earlier if not for the Sea of Clouds. This also confirmed that the Sea of Clouds was not originally part of the secret realm; it was an obstacle created by later arrivals.

To unravel the secrets of the Sea of Clouds, relying solely on the clam pearl was insufficient. Unfortunately, Qin Sang hadn't managed to obtain the crystal tortoise shell. Otherwise, with both tortoise shells combined and the clam pearl, he might have been able to move freely and claim any treasures within the realm at will.

Additionally, Qin Sang noticed threads extending deep into the Return to the Void realm, indicating that there were secrets or perhaps treasures related to the clam pearl hidden there as well.

Mo Yan hadn't taken the clam pearl with him. Did he simply not need it, or was he uninterested in those secrets or treasures?

Qin Sang had always harbored some reservations about Mo Yan, especially after witnessing his various actions this time.

“Since he gave me the clam pearl, he shouldn't mind if I use it to retrieve treasures from the depths of the Return to the Void realm, right?” Qin Sang mused to himself, holding the pearl and gazing at the water’s surface.

A heaven-and-earth secret realm like Return to the Void was a rare encounter. Since the Jade Buddha could resist its erosion and ensure no mortal danger, Qin Sang had already intended to delve into it and explore.

Now there was another reason!

He now had two choices: either dive into Return to the Void or return to the Sea of Clouds and wait for an opportunity.

Qin Sang looked up at the Sea of Clouds, wondering what the demon cultivators were doing. The Plague Lord's faction had merged with the Five Immortals Sect, and the Fox Immortal had even saved the Plague Lord's life. They shouldn't turn against each other anytime soon, leaving him with little opportunity.

Without the tortoise shell in his possession, it wouldn't be easy for the Plague Lord to break through the Sea of Clouds. The demon cultivators, already harboring their own motives, had made slow progress, and their conflicts were bound to erupt eventually.

Furthermore, they were undoubtedly searching for him and Mo Yan, so approaching them now would only increase the risk of exposure.

It would be better to retreat to advance, and enter Return to the Void first!

***

The Spirit Realm, Northern Pole.

It was common knowledge that the Northern Pole was a land of extreme cold, perpetually frozen.

Parts of Qian Province and Xun Province in the Northern Great Zhou were also bitter cold lands, but they paled in comparison to the Northern Pole of the Spirit Realm.

This was a desolate, ice-bound land!

Yet, unbeknownst to many, there were unfrozen areas within the Northern Pole. The sea surface undulated with waves, dotted by floating icebergs of various sizes, drifting with the currents.

The sun hung high in the sky, yet it seemed to radiate no warmth, unable to dispel the biting cold of the place.

Life was almost non-existent in this sea region; no birds dared to fly across it.

In this desolate sea, amidst the frigid icebergs, a lone figure sat atop one of them.

At the peak of the mountain, made of profound ice, the person sat cross-legged alone. Dressed in a green robe, not even a corner of his garment stirred in the fierce cold wind.

The wind grew stronger.

The biting wind cut like knives, howling as the sky gradually darkened. Dark clouds obscured the sun, and snowflakes began to fall.

This was the most common weather here, yet even with heavy snowfall, this sea region remained unfrozen. Snowflakes fell into the sea, swept away by the waves, dissolving into the water. The world was vast and desolate, with snow falling like willow catkins, and the figure sitting alone in the snow appeared even more solitary.

Suddenly, the person's expression shifted. With a gentle flick of his finger, it became apparent that a fishing line was wrapped around his fingertip.

Snap! The fishing line twanged upwards, and a white shadow was pulled from the sea, soaring thousands of feet high before landing in front of the person. It was a large fish, about a foot long.

The fish had a peculiar appearance: its scales and flesh were transparent, allowing its internal organs and blood to be seen with the naked eye. Its entire body resembled a crystal, indicating its flesh would undoubtedly be incredibly tender.

The person licked his lips. “They say this Jade Marrow Ice Sturgeon is a rare delicacy, found only in the Northern Pole. Cooked with Heavenly Capital Silver Fire, it’s truly a peerless dish! I finally caught one today; it wasn't for nothing that I specifically went to Heavenly Snow Silver City to secretly learn the Heavenly Capital Silver Fire and waited here for so long…”

He rubbed his hands together, eager. With a swipe of his finger, he cut off some ice strips from beside him, piled them like firewood, and then flicked his finger, igniting a blue flame on the ice pile.

The blue flame emanated bursts of coldness, accompanied by a peculiar aura.

“Don’t worry, I learned this grilling technique from 'Food is Heaven,' so I won't dishonor you. I also learned the 'Rebirth Mantra' from the Great Compassion Temple; I’ll recite a sutra for you, and perhaps you can be reborn as a human in your next life…”

After lighting the fire, the person was about to roast the Jade Marrow Ice Sturgeon, muttering to himself, seemingly to appease the ingredient.

Suddenly, he paused, frowning as he looked beyond the mountain.

As far as his gaze reached, at the edge of the icy sea, black mist surged like a tide—the old Qi of Six Heavens. That was undoubtedly the Sinful River, known to all, one of the most mysterious heaven-and-earth secret realms in the Spirit Realm, extending all the way to its Northern Pole!

“Is it finally emerging…” The person concentrated for a moment, muttering to himself. He glanced at the Jade Marrow Ice Sturgeon and reluctantly said, “Neither too early nor too late, it seems your destiny is not to perish. It’s my bad luck not to have a taste. Go back!”

With a wave of his sleeve, the Jade Marrow Ice Sturgeon flew down the mountain, regaining its life, and quickly flapped its tail, escaping back into the seabed.

The person stood at the mountaintop, gazing into the distance. Before long, he took a step, entering the Sinful River!

***

Lotus Crossing Marsh.

A water mansion was built at the base of a mountain, connected by a lake and picturesque scenery. Occasionally, demon soldiers patrolled, indicating it was within a demon king's territory.

The demon soldiers came and went, yet none discovered this newly opened water mansion.

Inside the water mansion, greenery abounded, and the entire cave dwelling was filled with a dense green glow, casting a verdant hue even on Zhu Que.

Within the cave, there was a pond protruding from the ground, with spiritual mist hovering above its water, indicating an unusually rich spiritual energy.

Zhu Que squatted by the pond, its small head nodding as it dozed off.

The source of the green glow was a spiritual plant in the pond, grown from the seed that Zhu Que had brought here to take root. It looked vastly different from before.

The plant's roots were extremely thick, resembling pythons, intricately intertwined in the pond. The trunk above the water was also gnarled and interwoven, formed by twisted and braided vines.

These vines formed a spiritual tree, with slender branches dangling downwards like willow tendrils, becoming thinner towards the top.

Whoosh! Suddenly, the branches swayed gently.

Zhu Que woke with a start, rubbed its eyes, and yawned. “You’ve finally grown up! Huh?”

Its eyes widened. It noticed that, contrary to its expectations, the branches were all swaying in one direction, as if something in the Lotus Crossing Marsh was attracting them.

This reminded Zhu Que of a similar reaction when the seed had just sprouted. Zhu Que had even taken the plant around the vicinity once, giving up only after finding nothing.

Now, the plant was exhibiting this reaction again, and even more distinctly!

“Impossible! Could it be that this place really is…” Zhu Que looked utterly bewildered, yet the branches continued to sway.

“Hmph! This Great Divine Bird will see what’s causing trouble. If it dares to make a fool of this Great Divine Bird…”

Zhu Que had no concept of fear. Unable to comprehend, it simply decided not to think about it. Its flames transformed into a large hand, digging up the pond and the spiritual plant, and flew out of the cave dwelling, heading in the direction the branches were swaying.

***

Northern Pole Icefield.

It was the coldest season on the icefield. Clouds as thick as mountains covered the sky, and white snow flew everywhere.

During this season, the creatures of the icefield would choose to go into hibernation; any spot in the thick snow layer could be easily dug into a den.

Amidst the raging blizzard, a hawk flew in from the horizon. The hawk was not large, appearing somewhat thin in the snowstorm, but its speed was incredibly fast, with the wind and snow unable to even approach it.

The hawk's gaze was sharp as lightning, scanning the ground. It suddenly landed on a spot in the snowfield, where a vibrant flower was blooming in the white snow.

The vibrant flower was unusually striking against the snow. Its petals opened, and a woman emerged, looking up at the hawk. “Old Cang, have you found any clues on your side?”

Swoosh! The hawk retracted its wings, landing before the woman. It snorted, “If I found a clue, why wouldn’t I tell you all?”

The woman smiled charmingly. “Who told you, Old Cang, to always hog the good stuff! But this time, I’m afraid we’re just pawns. You probably wouldn’t dare anyway.”

“If you’re just going to spout nonsense, then I bid you farewell!” The hawk said impatiently, already preparing to flap its wings and fly away.

The woman yawned, saying languidly, “This icy, snowy world is quite boring. What’s the harm in a mere avatar keeping me company for a while! What do you think, is Daoist Mu’s judgment accurate? Is it really that item?”

“Jian Qing and Mo Luo have been missing without a trace since their disappearance; they couldn’t even send out a distress signal. Since it’s confirmed that those other guys weren’t responsible, what else could it be besides that item?” the hawk retorted.

“But how could it emerge in the Northern Pole Icefield? Previous theories suggested it should be hidden in Lotus Crossing Marsh, didn’t they?”

The woman looked puzzled. “There are quite a few entities that could threaten us. Lotus Crossing Marsh alone has several secret realms where even we might not be able to retreat unscathed.”

The hawk and the woman walked together, conversing as they went.

“How can the secret realms of Lotus Crossing Marsh compare to that treasure! Daoist Mu has a profound background and undoubtedly knows many ancient secrets. He must have found more evidence to dare make such a judgment,” the hawk said, its eyes continuously scanning.

This hawk was one of his avatars; his other avatars were also dispersed throughout the icefield, searching for the bone hand that had captured Grand Saint Jian Qing and Grand Saint Mo Luo.

After Grand Saint Jian Qing and Grand Saint Mo Luo disappeared, they received the news and rushed there immediately, but they were too late; the bone hand had vanished with both Grand Saints. Based on some clues they found, the ‘Upper Immortal’ deduced that the bone hand had been roaming the icefield.

At this time, almost all the Demon Saints recruited by the ‘Upper Immortal’ were in the Northern Pole Icefield. Fearing detection by other Demon Saints, they dared not use their great divine abilities for an unbridled search for the bone hand, resorting only to this clumsy method.

If the bone hand were hiding motionless somewhere, it shouldn’t be hard to find. However, the bone hand seemed to possess sentience and moved constantly.

“Once this treasure emerges, this realm can return to the Spirit Realm. Have you considered where you’ll go then?” The woman looked up at the sky, her tone leisurely.

“Do we have any other choice?” the hawk countered.

“Moreover…” The hawk’s tone grew heavy. “This realm’s return means the seal suppressing the geomembrane fissure will loosen. The demon realm on the other side has always harbored ill intentions, and their armies must be eager to move! A war between the two realms will surely devastate all life. Who can remain unscathed?”

The woman fell silent, about to say something else, when suddenly, both demons’ expressions changed simultaneously. They exchanged glances, and their auras underwent a dramatic transformation.

Moments later, the hawk transformed into a black-robed man, while the woman’s appearance remained unchanged, but a red lotus bloomed beneath her feet, supporting her lithe form.

Their true forms had descended! Lotuses bloomed one after another in the void, but the two demons were nowhere to be seen.

The next moment, the two demons appeared above a snowfield, gazing forward with solemn expressions.

At the center of the snowfield, the wind was exceptionally fierce. Swirling blizzards formed a massive vortex, causing tremors in heaven and earth.

This scene matched the description given by the three demons of Yuan Luo.

Furthermore, they sensed an unusual aura from within the vortex.

“What is this…” Both demons were perplexed and uncertain. The bone hand had played hide-and-seek with them for so long; why was it revealing itself now?

Just now, their two avatars weren't far from the bone hand, yet they were completely unaware of its approach, indicating that if the bone hand wished to conceal itself, it wouldn't be difficult to evade their avatars.

What was the bone hand’s intention in reappearing?

With Grand Saints Jian Qing and Mo Luo as a cautionary tale, they dared not approach rashly. Just as they were about to send a message, they sensed familiar auras drawing near.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Two figures descended from the sky in quick succession.

“Old Cang, what’s going on?” one of them asked with suspicion.

The black-robed man quickly recounted their previous encounter. The demons looked at the vortex, hesitating.

However, the vortex rapidly expanded, drawing in more and more wind and snow. The earth rumbled, and icebergs were swallowed by the vortex, which showed no signs of stopping, even accelerating its expansion.

“Oh no!” the woman exclaimed. “If this continues, it will alert those guys! Quickly inform Daoist Mu!”

All signs indicated that the bone hand might truly be emerging!

***

The Xuanwu Seven Mansions.

The Dipper Mansion.

After the demons followed Yuan Luo into the Dipper Mansion, they found the scenery here vastly different from what they had imagined. Countless stars floated in an endless, empty void.

These stars seemed close enough to touch, yet also impossibly far away; no matter how they tried, they couldn't reach them. They could only wander aimlessly like headless flies, unsure how to break the stalemate.

They were not in a hurry, only needing to closely monitor the movements of Scarlet Meteorite Mountain and Moonmire Tundra. Unbeknownst to them, Yuan Luo and the pair of cousins had already quietly departed.

Under the protection of the treasure banner, the three demons moved silently through the starry sky.

Suddenly, the golden talisman in Yuan Luo's hand vibrated, conveying the Upper Immortal's command.

She noticed the Upper Immortal's voice was surprisingly agitated. “Act!”