“Sister Ning, look at them…..” The early-stage Eternal male cultivator trapped in the icy crevice stared blankly at Ning Cheng and Nalan Ruxue. He couldn’t believe what he saw right now.
But even without the reminder, the grey-robed female cultivator and the other two also noticed Ning Cheng and Nalan Ruxue.
“How is that possible?” The grey-robed female cultivator stared at the dense ice-law blades blasting on Ning Cheng’s blue thunder fort. Apart from a sky full of lightning arcs that erupted from the impact, it didn’t even move slightly.
“What a powerful weapon.” The early-stage Eternal male cultivator stared enviously at Ning Cheng’s Everlasting Blue Thunder Fort.
The grey-robed female cultivator finally calmed down from the shock. She took in a deep breath and spoke with a solemn tone. “It doesn’t matter how good is the weapon. It would require a strong celestial essence and spiritual consciousness to support it. Moreover, if one had never come in contact with laws, one would never be able to stop those Defying Ice Blades containing a powerful mutated law.”
“Sister Ning, let’s ask him for help.” The early-stage Eternal female cultivator spoke up eagerly. She had already forgotten what she had said about them before.
The grey-robed female cultivator shook her head but didn’t ask Ning Cheng for help. As a full-circle Eternal cultivator hailing from a prominent sect, she naturally had a lot of pride in herself. She tried to discourage Ning Cheng from not entering the Defying Ice Mound earlier. Now if she asked Ning Cheng for help, she wouldn’t be able to recover her face.
Ning Cheng and Nalan Ruxue also saw the four people trapped in that icy crevice. But Nalan Ruxue didn’t speak. She didn’t know whether Ning Cheng felt willing to help them or if Ning Cheng could even help them.
Fortunately, Ning Cheng took the initiative to step forward and said, “If you don’t mind, you can come with us.”
He still had a good impression of this grey-robed female cultivator. Switched with any other cultivator, entering the Defying Ice Mount or not would have nothing to do with their life or death. They probably wouldn’t even bother to remind you.
She already felt embarrassed by the thought of asking for help. But since Ning Cheng took the initiative to speak, the grey-robed female cultivator also didn’t refuse. She even spoke up with a grateful tone, “Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Brother. My name is Kong Ning, from River Luo Sacred Sect.”
After speaking, she pointed to the other three people around her to introduce them, “This is my Junior Apprentice Brother Tang Jinshe. These two are Heaven Extreme Island’s Senior Apprentice Brother Jing Xingwen and Junior Apprentice Sister Xie Zhilan.”
Tang Jinshe was the male cultivator with early-stage Eternal cultivation. While Xie Zhilan was the female cultivator at the early-stage Eternal Realm. Jing Xingwen was the late-stage Eternal cultivator with a star point on his forehead.
After Kong Ning finished the introductions, Jing Xingwen, Xie Zhilan and Tang Jinshe quickly greeted Ning Cheng with cupped fists. They all then quickly entered his Everlasting Blue Thunder Fort.
“I’m Ning Cheng, and this is my friend Nalan Ruxue, rogue cultivators.” Ning Cheng gave a brief introduction. Since he and Nalan Ruxue have just arrived at the Grand Essence Ruins, it would be good for them to know more people.
“Are you really rogue cultivators?” Tang Jinshe exclaimed with surprise.
They all had indeed thought that Ning Cheng was a rogue cultivator before. They then saw Ning Cheng’s Everlasting Blue Thunder Fort blocking the Defying Ice Law Blades and even moving around without much effort. Based on these ‘pieces of evidence’, they immediately stopped regarding Ning Cheng as a rogue cultivator.
There indeed have been some powerful rogue cultivators throughout the ages. But the truly powerful cultivators had always come from big sects. No matter how powerful, rogue cultivators couldn’t enjoy the many opportunities only available to big sects.
Ning Cheng only smiled but didn’t explain. He originally was a rogue cultivator, so it wasn’t anything worth mentioning for him.
Kong Ning spoke up with a slight embarrassment, “Please don’t mind my arrogant words from before, Senior Apprentice Brother Ning.”
“I naturally wouldn’t have minded it. I know that Junior Apprentice Sister Kong Ning said it for our good.” Since Kong Ning addressed him as ‘Senior Apprentice Brother’, Ning Cheng decided to go along with it and call her ‘Junior Apprentice Sister Kong Ning’. Regardless of the place, people always respected the strong.
Kong Ning was the one with the highest cultivation here. Since she addressed Ning Cheng as ‘Senior Apprentice Brother’, the other also picked up on it and addressed Ning Cheng as ‘Senior Apprentice Brother’.
With Ning Cheng’s help, in just half a day, the group of six walked out of the area raging with Defying Ice Blades.
Endless ice pits and ice peaks appeared in front of everyone. However, as Ning Cheng’s spiritual consciousness swept out, it could only reach a thousand miles before it stopped extending.
They all saw three twisted icy paths extending inwards in the middle of these ice pits and ice peaks. However, none of them could see the end of any of these three paths.
Occasionally, a few fragmented Defying Ice Blades swept over. But these fragmented Defying Ice Blades did not affect this group of people. At the same time, they could also hear the faint whimpering sounds of ice-law blades from each path, along with the growls of some unknown demonic beasts.
“Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Brother Ning, for your help. Senior Apprentice Brother Ning, are you and Junior Apprentice Sister Ruxue going to pick the left or the middle path?” Kong Ning thanked Ning Cheng and checked to see if Ning Cheng wanted to continue deeper into the Defying Mound.
Ning Cheng asked in confusion, “Junior Apprentice Sister Kong Ning, why didn’t you mention the path on the right?”
Hearing what Ning Cheng just said, Kong Ning’s four felt taken aback. Only after some time did Kong Ning ask. “Senior Apprentice Brother Ning, did you not purchase the Defying Ice Mound’s introduction jade before coming here?”
Ning Cheng frowned slightly. He truly didn’t know that the Defying Ice Mound also had an introductory jade.
Ning Cheng’s expressions made Kong Ning understand that Ning Cheng hadn’t purchased the introductory jade. She felt a little speechless about it. Was this confidence born out of strength, or did ignorance bring on such fearlessness?
Ning Cheng’s skills had indeed surpassed the strongest Eternal cultivator she had seen. Moreover, she also felt sure that Ning Cheng hadn’t reached Dao Confirming. Yet, as an Eternal cultivator, he could calmly face the Defying Ice Storm and the endless Defying Ice Law Blades without suffering any losses. Only those with true abilities can do such a thing.
“Junior Apprentice Sister Kong Ning, I hope you can guide me on this matter.” Ning Cheng quickly cupped his fists and spoke. If he knew that the Defying Ice Mound also had an introductory jade, he would have bought one already.
Kong Ning nodded and said, “According to the legends, Defying Ice Mound is the place where the Defying Ice Holy Emperor fell. Moreover, according to recorded history, Defying Ice Holy Emperor’s insight into the ice-attributed laws had reached an unprecedented peak. But after he fell here, his body and cultivation turned into endless ice-attributed laws. It’s those laws that formed those Defying Ice Law Blades. As for the Defying Ice Storm we encountered, it is an explosion that regularly happens after the accumulation of sufficient Defying Ice Law Blades.”
“The Raging Ice Sea Spirit Technique is one of Defying Ice Holy Emperor’s defining spirit techniques and is also the high-grade spirit technique quest in the Grand Essence Ruins’ Quest Hall. But the Defying Ice Mound also contains another thing, which is the Defying Ice Beads. Defying Ice Beads can fetch you a high price on the market. But more importantly, it can help cultivators with ice-attributed spiritual roots understand ice-attributed laws. We came here this time for the Defying Ice Beads. However, this task is not a task released by the Grand Essence Ruins’ Quest Hall, but by our sect.”
“But what does this have anything to do with the ice path to the right?” Ning Cheng asked in doubt.
“Because the path on the right contains mutated laws resulting from the decomposition of the original ice-attributed laws. Moreover, it also resulted in the birth of endless Defying Ice Beasts who made that path as their home. These Defying Ice Beasts have no value but are tough and extremely ferocious. All because of the mutated laws that make them. A Dao Sculpting expert had once tried to capture them before. But those Defying Ice Beasts besieged this Dao Sculpting expert and killed him within a few moments. Besides, you’ll find nothing of value except the Defying Ice Beasts on that path, which means that the right path has nothing except for danger.”
“Moreover, the true heritage of the Defying Ice Holy Emperor lies on the middle path. Many cultivators who came here to explore the Defying Ice Mound also found many ice-attributed spirit techniques in that place. Someone even found the skeleton of the Defying Ice Holy Emperor on that path. Therefore, if you want to go forward from here, then I would highly suggest not selecting the path on the right.” Kong Ning spoke with a frank tone.
It was the first time Ning Cheng heard that the laws of heaven and earth could mutate. Law-related spirit technique originated from understanding the great laws. But if the laws itself started to mutate, could one still try to comprehend the original law?
“Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Sister Kong Ning. But I plan to take the path on the right and have a look.” Ning Cheng thought for a while and decided to pick the path on the right.
As a starry sky cultivator in the Eternal Realm, Ning Cheng had long since understood that spirit techniques involving laws were much more potent than those that didn’t. He already had contact with the Laws of Space and the Laws of Time. Although not very deep, he could already kill opponents at higher cultivation levels, which already proved its significance. The Defying Ice Mound’s mutated heaven and earth laws created those Defying Ice Beasts. They could even kill Dao Sculpting experts without much effort. This point alone had immediately caught his interest. He even wanted to know if he could comprehend this mutated law while exploring this place.
Besides, he also had the means to protect himself, no matter how many Defying Ice Beasts came rushing up, he also had the Time Wheel. With Time Wheels, he wasn’t afraid of any siege; they’d only be throwing themselves to death.
Seeing Ning Cheng insist on taking the path on the right, Kong Ning couldn’t say anything else to persuade him otherwise. Instead, she just said, “Then, I wish Senior Apprentice Brother Ning good luck. Here, you can keep my communication pearl.”
After the six exchanged communications pearls with each other, they then picked their paths before dispersing.
……
As Ning Cheng and Nalan Ruxue walked deeper, the surrounding Defying Ice Blades had also increased. But as Ning Cheng had the Everlasting Blue Thunder Fort, no Defying Ice Law Blades affected his speed.
However, the deeper they went, the colder the path grew. Ning Cheng also felt that this icy cold was somewhat different from the ordinary cold of ice. This icy-cold seemed to seep into one’s spiritual soul, and then begin to mutate. It also created a strange feeling. One’s body would feel cold, but the essence spirit would feel uniquely hot.
Ning Cheng looked back at Nalan Ruxue and found that she didn’t look uncomfortable. It stood to reason that Nalan Ruxue would have a tough time adapting to this situation. Although the blue thunder fort blocked those Defying Ice Blades, it did nothing to the surrounding law aura caused by the mutated laws.
“Junior Apprentice Sister Ruxue, do you feel anything strange about this cold. Cold on the outside but hot inside? Moreover, it’s a kind of strange heat?” Ning Cheng asked in doubt.
“No, I just feel a little bit of chill, but not the kind you mentioned……”
Before Nalan Ruxue finished speaking, a burst of roars washed over them.
“Defying Ice Beasts….” Ning Cheng looked at the endless translucent demonic beasts in front of him. Even if he had the Time Wheel, he still felt his scalp tingle. These Defying Ice Beasts looked like galloping wild horses. Moreover, the aura coming from their bodies felt similar to the strange icy chill that Ning Cheng felt before, only stronger. Even before they rushed up to Ning Cheng, or launched an attack, this peculiar aura made Ning Cheng very uncomfortable.
Therefore, before these rushing Defying Ice Beasts attacked, Ning Cheng blasted out with dozens of Time Wheels, and they swept out like faint grey streaks of light.
Ning Cheng had high confidence about Time Wheel’s group killing abilities. Moreover, the level of these Defying Ice Beasts didn’t seem too high. As Time Wheels swept through them, turning to nothingness was the only option. No matter how many Defying Ice Beasts came rushing up, the Time Wheels would sweep them into nothingness.
But when Time Wheels swept past the Defying Ice Beast horde, the outcome immediately dumbfounded Ning Cheng. Apart from swaying some of the Defying Ice Beasts, his Time Wheels didn’t even kill one of them. The Time Wheels at the back immediately rushed towards the Defying Ice Beasts. But the effect wasn’t any different from the previous one. Only a few smaller Defying Ice Beasts shattered before reforming once again, and only because of the impact force of the wheel…
