On the journey to the Northern Border, apart from the three people from the Xiang Clan, Xiang Shaoyun had also brought Hidden Rat with him. This capable assassin could be very helpful when required.
Since the Di Clan had hired the Rat Assassins to deal with him, he had to be careful. Additionally, the Yu Clan did not like him that well either. With so many enemies, he couldn’t afford to be careless.
Riding on Money, Xiang Shaoyun traveled rapidly. Xiang Chenxi and the others had their respective mounts as well. After using several teleportation formations and traveling through several areas not connected through formations, they finally reached the Northern Border.
Of the five regions, the Northern Border had the coldest climate and was suited for ice cultivators. The Glacier Palace Han Chenfei came from was also located within the Northern Border.
The Heavenly Snow Mountain was the Northern Border’s number one mountain and was located at the extreme north of the region. It was an incomparably large snowy mountain that looked incomparably imposing and spectacular. From afar, the mountain looked like a snow lotus that stood loftily all by itself.
A mountain so grand was logically a place numerous organizations wished to occupy, but not one organization had ever been able to occupy the entire mountain. The mountain and its surroundings were so fatally cold no human could stay there for a long period of time. One had to be no weaker than the Emperor Realm if one wished to survive there. However, without being at the Soul Foundation Realm, it was still better for one to not approach the Heavenly Snow Mountain, as even Emperors stood a chance to be frozen to death.
Because of that, the numerous organizations did not place their headquarters on the mountain despite knowing how valuable it was. Instead, the Heavenly Snow Mountain became a common training ground for all Northern Border cultivators. After all, the Heavenly Snow Mountain was merely the heart of an expansive snowy region. Countless ice-elemental beasts resided within the area.
Surrounding the Heavenly Snow Mountain were about a dozen organizations of different sizes, each occupying a different position. The Glacier Palace was one such organization. Xiang Shaoyun did not know if his decision was for the sake of Han Chenfei, but he chose to head toward the Saintforce Realm from the Glacier Palace’s direction.
When they arrived before Glacier City, a city covered in snow unfolded before them. The city was incredibly beautiful and elegant, as though it was a frozen maiden that could pull at one’s heartstrings. Xiang Shaoyun and company were strong enough to survive in the cold weather, so the climate wasn’t an issue.
“So this is Glacier City? It does seem like a decent place,” praised Xiang Feidian.
“It looks nice, but living here is probably quite troublesome. One needs to brave through thick snow just to find food. It’s simply a life of suffering,” said Xiang Keren.
“Every place has its own rules of survival. We don’t need to be bothered about that,” said Xiang Shaoyun. “The Heavenly Snow Mountain is not far away. We have enough time to rest here for a day. We can take the chance to experience life in this city.”
“Yeah, one day won’t matter much,” Xiang Chenxi agreed.
“Let’s go find some Jadefrost Liquor. I heard it’s a very strong liquor that’s very satisfying to drink,” said Xiang Feidian, sounding like a liquor addict.
The group entered the city and headed for the biggest restaurant in the city. The Glacier Restaurant was a restaurant directly run by the Glacier Palace, and it was the city’s biggest restaurant. Generally, only the most influential and richest of the city could afford to visit the restaurant. After all, each meal in Glacier Restaurant would be priced in spirit crystals.
Xiang Shaoyun and company did not take long to reach the restaurant. They found that it was much warmer inside. Clearly, a formation was keeping heat within the restaurant.
The restaurant was decorated elegantly. Upon entering, one would feel like one had arrived at a completely different place. The place was snug and cozy, allowing one to completely forget about the snowy weather outside. Numerous customers could be seen happily eating and drinking.
Xiang Shaoyun noticed that there were quite a lot of female diners in the restaurant. Every one of them was a beauty, attracting all the male diners in the restaurant. It was worth noting that the denizens of the Northern Border were generally capable drinkers regardless of age and gender. Those from other regions were incomparable with the Northern Border people in terms of alcohol tolerance.
After Xiang Shaoyun and company found themselves a table, Xiang Feidian impatiently ordered several pots of Jadefrost Liquor and a few dishes, intending to reward himself after the long journey. The moment they started drinking, a comfortable and spicy warmth started spreading through their bodies.
“Original Jadefrost Liquor indeed. It’s really satisfying,” praised Xiang Feidian.
The others nodded in agreement. It was really good liquor. While they were drinking and chatting, the people at the other tables were also talking about numerous different matters. One certain matter managed to attract the attention of Xiang Shaoyun and company.
“Have you heard that an incredible sword cultivator has appeared from the Ximen Clan? He challenged 99 experts of the same cultivation level, defeating each of them with only one slash. I heard that he recently came to Glacier City to challenge the Glacier Palace’s number one Sovereign, Han Jiang.”
“You mean the Ximen Clan’s Ximen Xue? The Ximen Clan had hidden him for 30 years before allowing him to show himself to the world. Reaching the Sovereign Realm at 30 years old, he is scarier than even those freaks from the four academies. Also, it was said that he had once triggered the phenomenon of 10,000 swords, proving his incredible talent in swordsmanship.”
“It has been eight years since Ximen Xue showed himself to the world. Over the years, he had defeated 99 opponents. His 100th target is in Glacier City. I’m afraid Sovereign Han Jiang has no choice but to accept the challenge.”
“That’s right. I heard that Ximen Xue has yet to reach peak Soul Foundation Realm, but Sovereign Han Jiang is already a peak Soul Foundation Realm cultivator. If Monarch Han Jiang refuses the challenge, his reputation would be ruined.”
…
“Is that Ximen Xue really that amazing? What if the rumors are mere exaggeration?” said Xiang Feidian.
“You guys are obviously outsiders. The Ximen Clan is the strongest ancient clan in this region. Ximen Xue is an incredibly talented sword cultivator that would probably appear only once every 10,000 years. He has a very high chance of becoming a Sword God in the future. Just wait until you see him. His heroic exploits will definitely conquer you,” remarked a woman resentfully.
“Hehe, it doesn’t matter what you say. We’ll know how good he is after we see him,” said Xiang Feidian with a sneer.
Xiang Feidian himself was a genius cultivator in the Xiang Clan. As someone who had reached peak Soul Foundation Realm before 100 years old and was a top-100 participant in the Devil Hunting Expedition, he had the right to be arrogant. Thus, he felt challenged when he heard of Ximen Xue’s exploits.
“If you really meet Ximen Xue, you will lose your head with one swing of his sword,” said someone else.
Xiang Feidian wanted to retort, but Xiang Shaoyun stopped him. At the same time, they felt a gust of cold wind blow in from outside as a person dressed in a white outfit walked into the restaurant with a sword hanging on his back. Instantly, the newcomer became the center of attention.
