Chapter 1631: Sword · Drum · Painting

**Human World**

Among the ancient texts stored in the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, only the latter part of the "Soul Nurturing Sword Chapter" was truly useful to Qin Sang. The other texts appeared to have no immediate use. This was normal, as whatever was easily understood had already been claimed by the Five Branches. The "Yin-Yang Heavenly Combat Secret Art" was not found here, yet Qin Sang still invested effort to commit all the texts in the pavilion to memory, regardless of their apparent usefulness.

Qin Sang was somewhat puzzled by the relationship between Xiaoxiangzi and the Formless Immortal Sect. Based on the various clues he had gathered, Qin Sang believed that Xiaoxiangzi likely originated from the Formless Immortal Sect, was forced to flee to the northern realm, and became disillusioned, unwilling to speak of his former sect. However, the latter part of the "Soul Nurturing Sword Chapter" was openly placed in the Langhuan Jade Pavilion for study. If the Killing Sword fragments had been discovered alongside the cultivation method, they should have also been placed in the Cloud Pool back then. Xiaoxiangzi valued the Killing Sword fragments so much, yet his message made no mention of the cultivation method, as if he was unaware of its connection to the fragments. This would only be possible if he hadn't yet been qualified to reach the top of the Jade Pavilion back then, and had obtained the fragments by chance outside after the Formless Immortal Sect's destruction and the fragments' dispersion.

Qin Sang shook his head. The truth of the past was lost to time; only Xiaoxiangzi himself knew his experiences. Qin Sang stopped pondering these irrelevant matters. He withdrew his consciousness from the orb and remained seated for a while longer, organizing the knowledge he had just acquired.

The cultivation method was now in his possession, and there was no rush to master it immediately; time was on his side. Next, Qin Sang rose from the meditation cushion and headed to the lower level, preparing to search the Cloud Pool for any other treasures that might interest him. After that, he would decide whether to meet his avatar at the Ice Palace or continue separately, with his main body proceeding directly to the Fire Aspect Hall.

He returned to the corridor. Qin Sang looked around. The ancient dwelling was filled with shimmering, ever-changing light. His primary concern was naturally the direction of the precipice, wondering if any new developments would occur. The anomaly at the precipice had ceased, and there were no signs of a fight.

"The Formless Immortal Sect and the Eight Sceneries Sect have clashed, but who emerged victorious? With the Immortal Hall ascending, will they continue their life-and-death struggle? My understanding of the Formless Immortal Sect is still too limited; I might consider approaching one side appropriately..." Qin Sang mused to himself, unable to predict the future course of events. Fortunately, with the cultivation method in hand, he could act with greater ease. The emergence of the Formless Immortal Sect was a monumental event, occurring once in ten millennia. The ancient dwelling contained countless undiscovered treasures, and he was certainly unwilling to leave just yet.

Pondering these thoughts, Qin Sang's gaze fell upon the Cloud Pool, searching for his next target. He couldn't see the treasures inside the jade cages, but the broken swords and sabers scattered outside were clearly visible. Although they were now dormant and powerless, in their complete state, they must have been at least pseudo-spiritual treasures. Ordinary magic artifacts would not have been deemed worthy of being placed in the Cloud Pool by the Formless Immortal Sect. He also practiced the art of artifact refining. If he could gain some insight from these damaged treasures, it would greatly benefit him and aid Yun Youzi in developing spirituality.

Thinking of this, Qin Sang fixed his gaze on a broken sword. Exactly opposite to the Killing Sword, this sword had a hilt but no tip. The sword's body was transparent, appearing and disappearing under the reflection of the Cloud Pool, like a phantom sword shadow. Without hesitation, Qin Sang named it the "Cheng Ying Sword"! The Cheng Ying Sword was broken in the middle, with a smooth fracture, indicating it had been cut by an even sharper weapon.

"That's the one!" Qin Sang decided on the Cheng Ying Sword and, employing his previous method, summoned four fire figures. Since the Cheng Ying Sword couldn't respond to him, this treasure retrieval was significantly more difficult than the last. Qin Sang failed three times in a row before finally managing to extract the Cheng Ying Sword just before it disappeared. "Doing this alone is still too strenuous..." This thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind as he grasped the Cheng Ying Sword. To his surprise, both his True Essence and spiritual sense passed directly through the sword, as if it didn't exist. Wielding it as a spiritual sword was clearly a pipe dream.

"As expected, the treasures in the Cloud Pool are stranger than the last. If their secrets were so easily discerned, they wouldn't have fallen to me..." He maintained a good attitude, toyed with it for a moment, then stored the Cheng Ying Sword in his Qianjun Ring and continued fishing for treasures. Afterwards, he rested for a while, then resumed his attempts intermittently, successfully pulling out a small drum with a hole in it and a tattered scroll from the Cloud Pool. The small drum was otherwise intact, only having a hole in the middle of its drumhead. Qin Sang initially thought it might be repairable, but once he had it in hand, he realized it wasn't that simple. The scroll depicted an boundless expanse of water, continuously flowing without ceasing, its origin and destination unknown. When held close, one could hear the gentle sound of flowing water. These three were the most conspicuous of the damaged treasures in the Cloud Pool. Without exception, none of the damaged treasures reacted to any method he employed.

Having obtained three damaged treasures, Qin Sang turned his attention to the jade cages, hoping to retrieve a few more to see what treasures they contained and try his luck. Just then, an anomaly suddenly appearing in the distance caught his attention!

While fishing for treasures, Qin Sang remained vigilant. The remnants of the Formless Immortal Sect and the Daoist cultivators were unaccounted for, and both factions were stronger than him, so he couldn't afford to be careless. Firstly, he needed to prevent anyone from approaching the Langhuan Jade Pavilion unnoticed, and secondly, to keep an eye on the Ice Palace direction, in case his avatar encountered a powerful enemy. The anomaly was indeed originating from the Ice Palace!

Qin Sang strained his eyes to look. Between the mountains, he could see a faint blue light floating, beneath which shimmered indistinct phantom images of several ice palaces, intertwined with the glow of restrictions. He couldn't see the full appearance of the Ice Ritual Palace. After his avatar entered, holding the ice plate, the restrictions and faint blue light within the Ice Palace had remained stable. Now, several white beams of light suddenly shot out from within the Ice Palace, quickly causing the surrounding restriction light to flicker incessantly. The white light beams flew, but they didn't shoot straight up into the sky. Moreover, the area of disturbance was in the central part of the Ice Palace, which was insignificant compared to the entire palace. People too far away would likely not notice, but Qin Sang, standing atop the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, at a high vantage point and possessing his Heavenly Eye, naturally saw everything clearly.

"My avatar has been inside for quite some time now. If everything went smoothly, he should have already entered the Ice Palace's core hall, or even emerged from it... Why is the disturbance in the central part of the Ice Palace?" Qin Sang's gaze sharpened slightly. He and his avatar had an agreement: if trouble arose, the avatar would send a warning signal. No signal was visible now, but the timing of the anomaly was clearly unusual. And there was nothing in the Cloud Pool that he absolutely had to acquire. Qin Sang glanced at the anomaly, made a decisive choice, put away his demonic flame, left the Langhuan Jade Pavilion, and swiftly flew towards the Ice Palace.

**Ice Ritual Palace**

The Strange-faced Man and the Crying Spirit Cave Master arrived together before the Ice Palace.

"To think, back then, any single branch of the Formless Immortal Sect was no less formidable than today's top sects, yet now it's in such a state..." Observing the dilapidated Ice Ritual Palace, the Crying Spirit Cave Master sighed with emotion, especially when he heard the Strange-faced Man say that Fire Rhino Island was even more severely damaged than the Ice Ritual Palace, which left him even more disheartened. "Can you still sense the wood spirit aura?" he turned to ask the Strange-faced Man.

The Strange-faced Man remained silent, closing his eyes to sense for a moment, then said, "The precious wood is still here, but I can't pinpoint its exact location. It's probably being interfered with by the remaining formations. I can only narrow it down to a general direction; it should be in the deepest part of the Ice Ritual Palace."

"Such precious wood would certainly be heavily guarded," the Crying Spirit Cave Master said, summoning a magic artifact to protect himself, urging, "Even though only remnant formations remain, breaking through them won't be easy. Let's move quickly." The Strange-faced Man naturally had no objection and stepped forward to follow.

Upon entering the Ice Ritual Palace, they first saw the dried-up small lake. Then, they discovered three paths in the forest. Their objective was clear, and they headed straight for the middle path.

As the Crying Spirit Cave Master was about to enter the jungle, he was suddenly called out by the Strange-faced Man. "Wait!"

The Strange-faced Man stood before the jungle, arms outstretched. The vegetation beneath his feet suddenly grew wildly, and as his fingers danced lightly, specks of green light separated from his fingertips and drifted into the jungle. A gentle breeze swept through the woods. Tree canopies swayed gently, and a wave of green spread forward. But in the Crying Spirit Cave Master's eyes, this vegetation felt entirely different from before; it seemed to have been brought under the Strange-faced Man's control, becoming a part of him.

Then, the Strange-faced Man motioned for the Crying Spirit Cave Master to follow, and they entered the jungle. With each step he took, the wave of green flowed forward a certain distance. The branches of ancient trees automatically bent downwards, weaving a path of branches for them through the jungle. Once they passed, the branches returned to their original positions.

The Crying Spirit Cave Master followed behind the Strange-faced Man. When they were halfway through, he asked, "Any findings?" The surrounding vegetation served as the Strange-faced Man's eyes; if anyone had left a mark in the forest, it wouldn't escape his perception.

The Strange-faced Man shook his head. "Let's wait and see; we might be the first ones here," the Crying Spirit Cave Master said casually, continuously surveying his surroundings with evident interest. The Water Aspect Hall lineage did not align with his cultivation path. However, back when the Formless Immortal Sect's Five Branches were equally renowned, if the Wood Aspect Hall possessed such a top-tier secret art, then the Water Aspect Hall surely held unknown secrets as well! This was a good opportunity to search thoroughly.

They successfully passed through the jungle. The two saw the garden, and the Qilin Shadow Screen!

Before the Qilin Shadow Screen was activated, there was no sign of abnormality, so the two inevitably repeated Qin Sang's avatar's mistake. As they approached, just about to go around it... *Swoosh!* The shadow screen burst forth with cold light, and ice qilin instantly detached from it, pouncing towards the two. The Strange-faced Man's expression subtly changed, and he softly shouted, "Be careful!"

The Crying Spirit Cave Master's reaction was swift. As the Strange-faced Man warned him, he shook his sleeve, and a silver light flashed. A silver rope flew out from his sleeve. The silver rope, soft as if weightless, suddenly spread out in mid-air, tightening into a line. It shot directly towards the first ice qilin, striking from a very tricky angle, appearing beneath the ice qilin's neck in a flash, instantly coiling around it. At the same time, the Strange-faced Man spread his five fingers wide, and a speck of green light appeared in the void. Dozens of vines materialized out of thin air, writhing wildly like snakes. One ice qilin happened to pounce from above the vines. The vines, sensing the enemy's aura, rushed forward, vying with each other to entangle this ice qilin, binding it securely.

There were eight ice qilin in total, but seeing how easily two of them were controlled, the Strange-faced Man and the Crying Spirit Cave Master relaxed their expressions. Without needing to communicate, they worked in perfect tacit understanding, each selecting three of the remaining qilin. The Crying Spirit Cave Master opened his mouth and uttered the word "immobilize." Without needing to use his red flower, he flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending three streaks of spiritual light flying towards the three ice qilin. The spiritual lights transformed into rings in mid-air, falling precisely onto the ice qilin's heads, fitting them with neck collars. The Strange-faced Man appeared even more relaxed. After the mass of vines bound the first ice qilin, a continuous stream of new vines still grew out, quickly forming a large net in the air that surrounded the remaining three ice qilin. In the blink of an eye, all the ice qilin were imprisoned!

"The restrictions ahead are still active; it seems we need to be careful..." The Crying Spirit Cave Master didn't seem to regard the ice qilin seriously. As he spoke, he looked towards the depths of the garden. Unexpectedly, mid-sentence, the Crying Spirit Cave Master suddenly fell silent, looking with surprise at the silver rope. The ice qilin that had been entangled by the silver rope had vanished at some point! Immediately afterwards, the two discovered that the ice qilin they had controlled were all turning illusory, disappearing out of thin air from their restraints.

"Go!" The Strange-faced Man had a premonition of trouble and flashed forward, rushing ahead. The next moment, the scenery around the two suddenly changed. Cold winds howled. The garden was right in front of them, yet it rapidly receded, with only the Qilin Shadow Screen remaining stubbornly in place. The damaged screen stood like a tall wall, blocking their path. This was not an illusion. The two felt themselves separated from reality by a strange force. Being experienced, they immediately huddled together and saw the vanished ice qilin reappear around them. Eight ice qilin, in identical half-crouching postures, surrounded them, opening their mouths and continuously spewing out cold air. White cold air swirled around them, its essence connected to the Qilin Shadow Screen, emitting a strange power. It was this power that trapped the two here!

The cold air intensified, threatening to completely encase them in ice. "Strange!" The Strange-faced Man frowned deeply, stomped his foot heavily, and a green halo erupted from his body. The Crying Spirit Cave Master, on the other hand, made a hand gesture. His red flower flew high, then inverted itself. Its petals fluttered, seemingly soft, yet possessing an incredibly powerful suction force, frantically drawing in streams of cold air. He resisted the cold air. The Strange-faced Man's target, however, was the eight qilin's actual bodies. Wherever the halo passed, vines grew wildly, and the eight ice qilin instantly found themselves in a vibrant jungle of vines. The next moment, all the vines withered! Death energy erupted. If the avatar were here, he would immediately recognize it as the Senluo Withered Prison, the technique the Strange-faced Man had used against them back then. Now, the Strange-faced Man used it with noticeably greater ease than last time, limiting the scope of this divine ability to only the eight ice qilin. In an instant, the ice qilin were assailed by the death energy, their translucent bodies becoming covered in a layer of gray, and layers of ice began to peel off, seemingly on the verge of complete collapse.

Unexpectedly, before the two could devise a way to escape the blockade, the Qilin Shadow Screen flickered with cold light, and new ice qilin burst forth. Moreover, the cold air left by the previous ice qilin had not dissipated. As soon as these new qilin appeared, they could manipulate vast amounts of cold air with ease, like fish in water, their strength far exceeding the previous batch.

At this moment, the Strange-faced Man and the Crying Spirit Cave Master finally realized they were in trouble. As long as the Qilin Shadow Screen remained standing, the ice qilin would be immortal, appearing in an endless stream, and their strength would continuously grow. The two were confident they could protect themselves amidst the ice qilin's assault and wait for the Qilin Shadow Screen's power to deplete. But this was clearly impractical; it would take too long. They had to find a way to resolve their current predicament!

Deep within the Ice Ritual Palace.

**The Grand Ultimate Immortal Altar.**

The avatar memorized the restrictions of the Grand Ultimate Immortal Altar, returned to the outer formation, and placed the ice plate on the ice platform to replenish its energy, while simultaneously analyzing the ice platform and the remnant formation. The Qilin Shadow Screen vibrated the Ice Ritual Palace. The avatar's expression subtly changed, and he flashed out of the dark hall.

Thank you to Hongchen Laojiu for bestowing the Alliance Leader title!