Chapter 1624: Langhuan Jade Pavilion

Qin Sang recalled the treasures he had obtained from the Water Phase Master's suspected tomb: a mysterious ice disk and two spiritual pills. His external incarnation had successfully refined the "Ice Soul Divine Light" with the aid of the mysterious ice disk and even sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough, yet it could only make simple use of the disk's power. Qin Sang believed he had not yet unearthed the true potential of this treasure. As for the two spiritual pills, he had no clue about their use and had set them aside. The mysterious ice disk had always been carried by his external incarnation.

The incarnation took out the treasure. Within the ice disk, illusions swirled ceaselessly, and every few breaths, the shadow of an ice palace would flash. A corner of the ice palace visible in his forward view was part of this very shadow. Qin Sang flew horizontally to another mountaintop, gaining a clearer view. Since the mysterious ice disk was a relic of the Water Phase Master, it certainly bore a strong connection to the Boundless Immortal Sect. However, Qin Sang had not expected the ice palace's shadow to be a real entity, and he did not know whether the ice palace or the ice disk came first.

"Is that the Water Phase Palace?" Qin Sang suspected the ice palace was the location of the Water Phase lineage's inheritance within the Boundless Immortal Sect. Having discovered an inheritance of the Water Phase lineage, he could not miss it. His incarnation cultivated ice-elemental Dao techniques, and with good fortune, might gain more opportunities in the ice palace. At the very least, he needed to ascertain the functions of the ice disk and the spiritual pills. Originally, Qin Sang had analyzed the ice disk to be a kind of formation eye. "Could it be the treasure that suppresses the formation eye of the ice palace's grand formation?" Qin Sang thought to himself. If that were the case, Qin Sang would inevitably be somewhat disappointed. He couldn't tolerate others claiming a cave abode so close to him. With the ancient dwelling's emergence, he knew it would be impossible to secure a cave abode here, regardless of which force ultimately controlled it.

Whoosh! Whoosh! His true body and incarnation did not linger for long and flew away. Qin Sang's gaze swept over the Langhuan Jade Pavilion and the ice palace. He had already devised a plan for his next moves, deciding to continue having his clone and true body explore separately. The Northern Wilderness contained the Water Phase Master's suspected tomb, and the entrance to the Boundless Immortal Sect had the Earth Phase Palace's stele. The inheritance of the Boundless Immortal Sect was related to the Five Elements. Five types of inheritances, plus places most likely to contain treasures such as scripture repositories, artifact forging halls, and alchemy chambers, would still not be enough for all the grand cultivators within the sect to divide amongst themselves. Not to mention, Old Demon Fan could break free at any moment, and the remnants of the Boundless Immortal Sect, along with Daoist masters, would arrive one after another. If he spent too much time in the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, by the time he emerged, someone else might have already entered the ice palace.

Among the countless peaks of the Boundless Immortal Sect, the mountain where the Langhuan Jade Pavilion was situated could be described as formidable. Yet, the mountain's topography was not overly rugged. Clear springs flowed on the mountain, ancient trees provided shade, and mist hung like dark green silk, presenting a fresh and timeless scene. The reason the incarnation could see the Langhuan Jade Pavilion from a distance was that this jade tower was exceptionally conspicuous. A platform had been carved out halfway up the mountain, and the jade tower was built upon it. The mountain above the platform was directly cut away, forming a straight stone wall. The jade tower leaned against a stone tablet, towering a thousand zhang high, reaching straight into the clouds. The very top of the jade tower even extended beyond the mountaintop. On the stone wall, beside the jade tower, four ancient characters were vertically inscribed: "Langhuan Jade Pavilion"!

Two figures flashed out at the foot of the mountain. Qin Sang and his external incarnation appeared here. Seeing a stone tablet standing before the mountain path, inscribed with the three characters "Way of Inquiry," they knew they had found the right place. His true body walked towards the stone tablet, while the incarnation paused briefly before continuing north, heading directly to the ice palace.

The Five Phase Palaces surrounded Emperor Conferment Mountain, but their distances from it were not entirely equal; some were far, some near. Their distribution also lacked obvious rules; the only discernible pattern was that they were built according to the flow of spirit veins. North of Emperor Conferment Mountain, the peaks here were lower than elsewhere. As far as the eye could see, vast expanses of jungle, a green tide, covered the rolling mountains. The trees were especially lush. Ancient trees reached the sky, their canopies like grand parasols. Mist flowed among the treetops, lingering and adding a chilling aura to the jungle.

A figure was leaping among the treetops. Only upon getting closer could one realize that the canopies this person was walking on were taller than the surrounding ones. All these canopies, arranged, formed a path in the clouds, winding into the depths of the dense forest. Pushing aside the canopy's concealment, one would find that beneath this person's feet were originally a series of wooden bridges, hidden among the canopies, forming a secret path. However, at this time, the wooden bridges were in ruins, many parts severely damaged. These were clearly traces left by cultivators' battles, offering a glimpse into the fierce battle that once took place. The wooden bridges were heavily enchanted with restrictions, and every step this person took met with immense resistance. Above his head, a strange light flickered, and a small token slowly spun—it was indeed the Wood Phase Token! This person was the Strange-faced Man. After separating from the Crying Spirit Cave Master, he had come alone to search for the Wood Phase Palace. He had been walking here for an unknown period. His scarred face showed a hint of impatience, and he frequently looked towards the direction of the precipice. While the treasures of the Wood Phase Palace were important, the opportunities in the Immortal Palace could not be missed either! As long as the Wood Phase Palace treasures were in his hand, he wouldn't fear the Crying Spirit Cave Master going back on his word. What he worried about was Zhu Wudao's domineering actions, which the Crying Spirit Cave Master might not be able to stop.

"The Wood Phase Token surprisingly cannot control the outer restrictions!" The Strange-faced Man was somewhat irritated but could only slowly advance bridge by bridge. "When I reach the Wood Phase Palace and open its main hall, it should have some effect, right..." As thoughts flashed through his mind, the Strange-faced Man passed through a patch of jungle and finally saw the silhouette of a palace ahead. The palace was built above the treetops, rich in green light and brimming with vitality. Everything was made of wood, and some cave dwellings were even directly carved into tree trunks. The Wooden Palace in the Clouds was natural and harmonious; every corner fit the essence of nature, seamlessly blending into the jungle without any abruptness. It was indeed the location of the Wood Phase Palace! The Strange-faced Man's expression brightened with joy. He charged forward abruptly, but was blocked by the restrictions, letting out a cold snort. A faint green glow suddenly appeared on his body, and with a thunderous "boom," his body acted like a heavy hammer, forcibly smashing through layers of restrictions and rushing in one go to the entrance of the Wooden Palace. The green glow receded. The Strange-faced Man let out a light breath, shifted his gaze, and stared at the main hall in the center of the Wooden Palace. Before entering, he turned his head to glance at the direction of the precipice. Coincidentally, on the precipice, sometimes green light shot into the sky, and sometimes it fell silent. The sight was strange, not like a normal teleportation array activation, surprising the Strange-faced Man. The distance was great, and there were also restrictions and mists blocking the view. Being able to see this much was already the limit. The Strange-faced Man's brows furrowed, unable to figure out what was happening there. For some reason, he suddenly had an ominous premonition. Immediately, the Strange-faced Man no longer hesitated and flashed into the Wooden Palace.

At the bottom of the valley between two mountains, the area was a mess, crisscrossed with ravines and severely damaged. Vegetation had suffered; half was withered from blood qi invasion, while the other half was completely covered in frost, frozen solid by the cold, its vitality extinguished. It was clear that a fierce battle had just taken place. On a mountaintop on one side of the valley, Su Zinan stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing intently at the precipice, also drawn by the sight on it. He was not a successor of the Boundless Immortal Sect. Those people had deliberately concealed crucial information from him, so he could only speculate based on the secrets his adoptive father told him and the information he gathered during his travels.

"Could it be the entrance to the Immortal Palace? Mo Xingdao should have rushed there by now..." Su Zinan pursed his lips and looked down at the valley. At this moment, the scene at the valley bottom was exceptionally chaotic. Cold winds howled, and heavy snow poured down. Underground, there seemed to be a hidden river; waves surged skyward, deafening, and colliding with the cold produced powerful fluctuations that swept in all directions, constantly spreading out of the valley. However, no matter how strong the fluctuations, they were confined to the valley, unable to affect the outside world, because a large blood-colored net sealed the valley above. The blood net was constantly shaken by impacts, but it was exceptionally tough. Below the blood net, a figure stood in mid-air—it was Elder Wu, who had already been controlled by Su Zinan. Elder Wu activated the Blood-Drinking Demonic Halberd, surprisingly unleashing the great divine ability he possessed in life, the Sky-Stabilizing Divine Halberd! Halberd shadows proliferated, and the astonishing pressure actually suppressed the cold energy.

Just then, a blue glow shot out from within the cold energy, and wrapped within the blue glow was a pale white water bead. The ice bead didn't display any power, yet Su Zinan's expression suddenly became solemn. He abruptly pointed his conjoined fingers towards the valley, and demonic light shot out, transforming into a black ruler. Instantly, the black ruler passed through the blood net and appeared above the water bead. Ruler shadows obscured the sky, omnipresent. Thousands of ruler shadows suddenly converged, striking the water bead fiercely with overwhelming force. Boom! The water bead burst at the sound. However, whether it was provoked by the ruler shadows or exploded on its own was still unknown. Whoosh! Waves roared like thunder. Streams of white water, like bolts of silk, shot wildly from the water bead. Unfortunately, half of the water beads were forcibly suppressed in place by the black ruler, their light dimming, and were directly knocked down to the valley floor. Elder Wu guided the Blood-Drinking Demonic Halberd into the sky. Its tip trembled slightly, and the demonic halberd split, stabbing down wildly. The next moment, a demonic halberd appeared above each stream of water, locking onto it. Su Zinan's pupils turned blood-red, but he didn't look at the water bead or any of the streams. His gaze pierced through all the unusual phenomena, fixating on the mountain wall on one side of the valley. His left hand, clasped behind his back, subtly formed a hand seal.

Boom! A blood formation suddenly appeared within the earth, shaped like a talisman disk. It was precisely the talisman disk that Su Zinan had arranged here in advance. The power of the talisman disk manifested, its range extremely vast, with blood-colored runes crisscrossing like veins within the mountains and earth, omnipresent. Boom! Rocks cracked. A large hole exploded in the mountain wall, revealing a treasure mirror on its inner surface. At this moment, there was a white figure inside the treasure mirror, but its surface was entangled by countless blood threads, forcing it to reveal itself here. The white figure was disheveled and quite haggard—it was precisely Old Man Yanshan. With a great buzz, the treasure mirror vibrated, breaking the blood threads, and the white figure rapidly faded, about to disappear. Suddenly, the treasure mirror was enveloped by demonic light, and a ruler shadow abruptly appeared above it!

"Hehe, fellow Daoist has many escape methods. If I hadn't set up this inescapable net, you would have escaped long ago..." Su Zinan's figure appeared at the cave entrance, blocking the light. Before he finished speaking, his expression darkened. In the valley, the remaining half of the water bead suddenly transformed, becoming an illusion that rapidly flashed towards the outside of the valley. Elder Wu moved extremely fast; the Blood-Drinking Demonic Halberd flashed and disappeared, piercing into the illusion. Only the sound of roaring waves was heard as the illusion melted into a mass of water, and as it wriggled, new changes seemed to occur. Just then, two streams of ghostly qi, accompanied by strange howls, rushed in. They were the other two evil shadows of the Three Corpses God-Slaying Banner, tearing madly. Su Zinan was still somewhat uneasy. While scanning the valley, he sinisterly smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, why not quickly offer your Nascent Soul and attain eternal life within my divine banner? Wouldn't that be splendid?"

In front of the Boundless Immortal Sect entrance, the Cloud Carved Dragon collapsed. The cloud wall had expanded dozens of times larger than at the beginning, and its tyrannical power lay across the entrance of the Boundless Immortal Sect. Only after these forces had dissipated would the area gradually return to normal. Just then, a gap suddenly tore open on the inner side of the cloud wall. Inside, clouds surged, occasionally flashing with demonic light, poisonous mist, and fist shadows. A figure was the first to escape—it was Old Demon Fan. Immediately after, two more figures flew out one after another—surprisingly, they were the Poison King and Master Huaiyin, who had rushed from behind. Master Huaiyin, barefoot and in a single robe, stepped out from the cloud wall. His demeanor was natural, his steps steady, and the violent forces within had left no trace on him. The gap was about to close. A mass of poisonous cloud floated out, and as the cloud receded, the Poison King's figure appeared. Old Demon Fan was clearly much more disheveled than the other two, his magic robe heavily damaged. A soft, sinister laugh came from behind. Old Demon Fan, the Great Elder of Tianhao Tower, whose demonic reputation was formidable enough to strike fear into outsiders, had no qualms about laughing whenever he pleased.

"Even the esteemed Great Elder of Tianhao Tower has come to this!" When they had jointly breached the cloud wall, the Poison King and Master Huaiyin had already learned the full story. Old Demon Fan felt his face losing honor. A flash of light appeared on his body, and his magic robe was restored. He angrily said, "That person is insidious and cunning. The collapse of the cloud dragon was such a coincidence; it must be related to him. How dare he ruin my plans! I won't let him off!"

"Old Demon, if you haven't been hiding anything, that person's cultivation is no less than ours, and he even managed to outwit you. You probably aren't his match." The Poison King provoked him, and Old Demon Fan was frustrated. The Poison King was too happy to see him vexed, and he delighted in the thought of the two fighting to the death. After flying for a while, they saw continuous mountain ranges. The Poison King murmured, "Is this the Boundless Immortal Sect?"

"Old Daoist Zilei and Old Ghost Yue have already gone in. How could it be fake?" The anger on Old Demon Fan's face disappeared; he seemed to have forgotten the recent unpleasantness.

"Interesting! Old Daoist Zilei had already appeared in Jinyu Province; so that was a fake. The Eight Sceneries strictly guarded the Boundless Immortal Sect, yet they acted secretly from the Buddhist sect, condoning the remnants of the Boundless Immortal Sect reactivating the ancient dwelling. This was truly strange." The Poison King secretly transmitted a message, introducing various secrets of Central Province to Master Huaiyin. Suddenly, he glanced sideways at Old Demon Fan. "Old Demon, you didn't attend the Dharma Assembly, but you came to the Southern Border at this time. Have you been targeting them all along?"

"Likewise." Old Demon Fan chuckled, then glanced warily at Master Huaiyin, whose origin he now knew. He mused, "Blocked by the cloud dragon, we came in several hours later than those others. One side is the Daoist sect, the other is the remnants of the Boundless Immortal Sect; their strengths cannot be underestimated..."

Before he finished speaking, the Poison King interrupted, "Old Demon, when did you become so indecisive? We've already lost the initiative. If we don't unite, are we just going to stand by and watch them plunder the treasures?" Old Demon Fan laughed heartily. An instinctive retort reached his lips, but he swallowed it. "You're more straightforward than I imagined."

Master Huaiyin said, "It is rumored that the Boundless Immortal Sect once controlled an Immortal Palace?"

"That's right," the Poison King looked around, then gazed at the precipice. "The remnants of the Boundless Immortal Sect must have the Immortal Palace as their primary target. The Daoist sect's intentions are hard to gauge, but they surely won't easily let the Boundless Immortal Sect remnants have their way! The most striking anomaly is very likely the entrance to the Immortal Palace!"

Old Demon Fan asked curiously, "Are there Immortal Palaces in the Western Lands?" Master Huaiyin shook his head, "I have not heard of any."