Chapter 2352: Vortex

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly achieved its breakthrough over three hundred years later than Qin Sang, but this was still an exceptional accomplishment among those at the same cultivation level. During these three centuries, Qin Sang also cultivated tirelessly, but his progress was not smooth; opportunities like the one in the Outsider Clan's holy land are rare and hard to come by.

For this breakthrough, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly only paused for a few years before the bottleneck, which clearly shows the subtle influence of the Emperor's Dew. If the Ghost Mother's words weren't an exaggeration, this effect should last until the Heavenly Eye Butterfly breaks through to its Seventh Transformation.

After the breakthrough, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly quickly stabilized its aura and flew around Qin Sang, filled with joy and excitement. She was finally catching up to her master and no longer feared being abandoned. Sensing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's thoughts, Qin Sang sighed inwardly. Just then, he heard a whooshing sound from outside, followed by a streak of crimson light that shot into the cave dwelling, revealing a Qilin and a Vermilion Bird.

"A breakthrough?" The Vermilion Bird's eyes darted around, assessing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, and it pouted. This butterfly's cultivation had surpassed its own again. Qin Sang hummed in acknowledgement and called back the eager Heavenly Eye Butterfly. Based on its previous performance, the Vermilion Bird should also have broken through within these three hundred years. However, the creature claimed to be cultivating a powerful divine ability, which had caused its cultivation to stagnate for a long time.

The Vermilion Bird was currently perched on the Qilin's head. The small Qilin had grown into a large one. However, having been confined here for three hundred years without contact with outsiders, its temperament remained naive and carefree. Its cultivation was now far superior to what it once was; it had reached the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. When breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, the Qilin encountered a bottleneck but quickly overcame it. Now, it seemed that breaking through to the Void Refinement stage would not be easy and might take some time to refine. Unable to defeat the Vermilion Bird, the Qilin could only submit to its domineering will. Qin Sang had yet to enjoy riding the Qilin before it was monopolized by the Vermilion Bird.

It's worth mentioning the Five Elements Crown. After all this time, "Little Five" remained unchanged, completely shattering Qin Sang's illusions. It was no wonder that acquired spiritual treasures were so rare; for a spiritual treasure to advance, mere accumulation of time was insufficient. Like cultivators, they required an opportune moment.

The Qilin trotted over to Qin Sang, nudged his outer thigh, and lay down beside him, showing immense trust and affection. In the Qilin's heart, Qin Sang was not just its master but a beloved parent-like figure. Unfortunately, even this beloved figure could do nothing about the "dead bird" on its head.

"What have you two found this time?" Qin Sang asked casually. He had explored this place countless times without finding an exit. The Vermilion Bird, disbelieving, would take the Qilin out to wander whenever it had time, but each time, the results were as expected.

The Vermilion Bird rolled its eyes and grumbled, "You won't let us go down, so what could we possibly find? And this kid just listens to you, refusing no matter what." Still irritated, it slapped the Qilin's head. The Qilin whimpered, full of grievance.

Qin Sang smiled, "Alright, stop bullying it. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly has awakened and should be able to lead us out of here now."

The Vermilion Bird said unwillingly, "Aren't you curious about what's down there? I have a feeling there's a great treasure!"

"Even if there's treasure, it might not be what we need, and risking our lives for it is truly not worth it..." Qin Sang shook his head slightly. Throughout his cultivation, he had often taken risks, but each time with a clear goal: striving for the Grand Dao, striving for opportunities. What was the point of striving for opportunities that were of no benefit to himself? The ice current above had trapped him for three hundred years. Deeper within the ice, there were likely dangers even greater than the current. One wrong step and he would regret it endlessly. Therefore, even if there were some peerless secret realm below, he remained unmoved, unless he could confirm that there was a great opportunity that could help him break through to the Integration Stage.

Seeing this, the Vermilion Bird knew it couldn't persuade Qin Sang, felt bored, and went back into its small grotto-heaven. Although the Qilin wanted to fight alongside Qin Sang, its cultivation was insufficient. It nuzzled Qin Sang with its warm, large head before retreating as well.

Three months later. Qin Sang helped the Heavenly Eye Butterfly stabilize its cultivation. With both man and butterfly in peak condition, they left the cave dwelling and ascended towards the ice layer. Before long, they saw the ice current.

Three hundred years had passed, and the ice current seemed unchanged. Qin Sang had also discovered some patterns, so he took the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and circled the surface of the ice layer, arriving above a certain ice cave. Looking up, to the naked eye, the ice current above seemed no different from anywhere else. Qin Sang's eyes slightly closed as he focused on sensing for a moment, then nodded. After a brief communication with the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he leaped up, transforming into a streak of azure lightning, and plunged into the ice current.

He manifested wings on his back, wore treasure armor, had his spiritual sword hovering above his head, and held the Immortal Mountain in his hand, displaying most of his abilities. Upon entering the ice current, the ringing of his sword intensified. Qin Sang activated the Gray Oriole Sword to resist the suction, and swung the Immortal Mountain, forcibly carving a path through the ice current. After progressing for a short while, Qin Sang slowed his movements, simultaneously sensing an unusual aura appearing above him.

At that moment, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly on Qin Sang's shoulder flapped its wings, and a divine light flashed. Through the dense ice current, it saw an ice beast. This ice beast was not the ice dragon Qin Sang had encountered back then. Its form resembled a tiger, with a long tail composed of segments of ice pillars, incredibly flexible, capable of sweeping a large area within the ice current with just a slight flick. When the Heavenly Eye Butterfly saw it, this ice tiger only had two front limbs. Under the butterfly's very eyes, two hind legs grew, and its aura rapidly surged during this process, becoming no weaker than that of the ice dragon from years ago. This was Qin Sang's first time witnessing the birth process of an ice beast firsthand, confirming some of his previous conjectures.

The ice tiger swayed its tail and moved freely through the ice current. Wherever it passed, the ice current parted, and it looked majestic, like a beast king surveying its territory. Qin Sang did not intrude into the ice tiger's territory. He retreated slightly, resisting the ice current, and waited patiently for a while. Suddenly, the ice tiger's body stiffened, ice shards peeled off it, and its form instantly turned into a mass of fragmented ice, swept away by the ice current. Immediately after, another aura emerged not far from where the ice tiger had been. This time, an unknown spiritual bird was born, almost repeating the entire process of the ice tiger's birth to destruction. Qin Sang felt as if he were in an illusion, where various birds and beasts continuously materialized. Unlike an illusion, however, their bodies were composed of ice, making them real, and each one was very powerful. He had continuously tried to discern the patterns of these ice beasts' births but had found nothing to date; perhaps there was no pattern at all. With the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's assistance, he could discover ice beasts in advance and evade them early, making it much easier than before, even without a pattern.

As Qin Sang was contemplating, a third ice beast was born. This beast was small, resembled a monkey, and had particularly long, slender arms, longer than its body—it was a gibbon. Every spiritual beast manifested by the ice current was lifelike. Over the years, Qin Sang had seen all sorts of spiritual beasts: dragons, phoenixes, Qilins, turtles, fish, snakes, tigers—everything imaginable. This could absolutely not be formed naturally by heaven and earth. Even before leaving, Qin Sang became wary of the environment outside the ice current. This was one of the reasons he had not forced his way out sooner. While exiting, he also needed to preserve a certain amount of fighting strength to cope with external variables; otherwise, it would be better to remain inside and accumulate power. With the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's breakthrough, Qin Sang had more confidence; it was time to leave!

As soon as this ice monkey shattered, Qin Sang shot forward like lightning, passing through the spot where the ice monkey had "died" in the blink of an eye. At this moment, the fourth ice beast had just been born, perfectly timed by Qin Sang, completely unaware that someone had just intruded into its territory.

"It works!" Qin Sang was overjoyed and instructed the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to continue searching for ice beasts. He repeated this strategy, succeeding several times in a row, until finally, he made a mistake.

'Boom!' Ice shards flew everywhere as a colossal creature charged forward. It was a gigantic elephant, larger than a mountain. A flick of its trunk stirred up a storm of frigid ice within the current, enveloping Qin Sang.

'Whoosh!' A streak of crimson flame shot out from the storm, piercing the ice elephant's brow like a sharp arrow. The Vermilion Bird had long grown tired of this wretched place and voluntarily came out to help. Unfortunately, the ice elephant had no vital points, and this attack only slightly hindered its forward momentum. Immediately after, a mountain flew out from the storm, and the elephant and the mountain collided solidly. With a thunderous roar, the surrounding ice current paused for a moment, and the ice elephant shattered into pieces. Although he quickly destroyed the ice elephant, Qin Sang showed no joy, as the Heavenly Eye Butterfly transmitted a warning. In an instant, three auras, no weaker than the ice elephant's, began to surround them. Destroying these three ice beasts would not be difficult, but it would create a greater disturbance, attracting more ice beasts and leading to an endless battle. Combined with the effects of the ice current, they would have no chance of victory.

Qin Sang decisively ordered: "Retreat!" His figure rapidly descended, with the three ice beasts overhead hot on his heels. Once an enemy was discovered, these ice beasts would no longer return to the ice current on their own but would fight to the death with the foe. Qin Sang fled all the way back to the ice cave, with several ice beasts pursuing him. He teamed up with the Vermilion Bird, fought a battle, and only then cleared them out.

This trial run made Qin Sang feel the outlook was grim, but it was also within his expectations. After a brief period of adjustment, Qin Sang attacked again. In this way, he repeatedly charged into the ice current, only to be chased back by ice beasts, almost always with a string of pursuers behind him. No matter which direction Qin Sang tried to break through, the result was the same, as if there was no exit at all. However, amidst repeated failures, Qin Sang was not without gains. With the help of the Heavenly Eye Butterfly, he confirmed one thing: these ice beasts only appeared in specific areas. If the ice current was layered, and the ice beasts were born in the lowest, first layer, then crossing this layer might mean there would be no ice beasts in the second layer. Although there might be other obstacles there, Qin Sang couldn't consider them at the moment. How could he pass through the group of ice beasts? Qin Sang persevered, trying again and again, turning the impossible into possible. Using the Lightning Sacrifice Oath, he could certainly pass this first layer, but Qin Sang preferred to save it.

A year later, Qin Sang couldn't recall how many times he had tried. This time, he finally appeared confident. With the Vermilion Bird and the Thunder Beast Battle Guard protecting him, he charged into the ice current once more. This time, their route was extremely complex, as if they were moving through an invisible maze, their speed fluctuating. They narrowly passed by ice beasts, which seemed incredibly dangerous, yet these ice beasts appeared to ignore them. After moving for a long time, they finally drew the first ice beast's attack, then the second, and the third... More and more ice beasts appeared, pursuing and blocking him. Qin Sang remained calm, advancing and retreating with precision. Eventually, he was completely surrounded by a group of ice beasts, unable to move an inch.

Qin Sang scanned his surroundings, his eyes flashing. The number of ice beasts was within his calculations. He immediately sent a silent message to the Vermilion Bird, instructing it to attack with full force.

'Crack!''Boom!'

Inside the beast swarm, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and fire light scattered. Finally, a streak of lightning broke through the beasts and shot straight out. After so many attempts, no ice beasts had ever appeared in the second layer. Qin Sang stared intently upwards; success or failure depended on this moment!

Just as Qin Sang was about to charge into the second layer with a large group of ice beasts, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly noticed some unusual signs. Among the frigid winds and ice shards of the second layer, some white silken threads suddenly appeared. The origin of these threads was unknown, but they continuously reflected among countless ice shards, forming an inescapable net that spread over Qin Sang's head. At this moment, he was walking straight into a trap.

'Whoosh! Whoosh!' The ice current roared in his ears, and the white silken threads faintly shimmered with an unusual spiritual light. These threads were very fine, like strands of lightning. However, white lightning was extremely rare, and Qin Sang, as the master of the Five Thunder Institute, could not determine what kind of lightning these threads were. Only one thing was certain: Qin Sang felt a strong threat emanating from these threads.

Qin Sang charged towards the net without hesitation, ready to personally test the power of these threads. He hadn't expected to get out immediately and was prepared to proceed steadily, even if it took ten years or more. Closer and closer to the net. Qin Sang's eyes narrowed slightly, vaguely feeling the net tremble. The gaps between the threads seemed to shrink, as if the entire net was closing in on him.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly heard a muffled sound. His face filled with surprise, his figure abruptly paused, and he looked down. The muffled sound was coming from deep within the ice layer.

"Did you hear that?" The Vermilion Bird urgently transmitted its voice, clearly having heard the sound as well.

"Did we disturb something?" Both Qin Sang and the Vermilion Bird were filled with doubt and alarm. They had been trapped here for over three hundred years and had never heard any sounds. Yet, just as they were about to leave, this anomaly occurred. The chances of it being a coincidence were slim; they must have inadvertently triggered something.

"Back!" Qin Sang was extremely decisive, abandoning this opportunity. Now, with the path ahead unclear and an anomaly appearing behind them, being caught in the middle could lead to an unpredictable outcome. At the very least, he needed to observe first before deciding. The Vermilion Bird had no objection, and they immediately turned back, charging into the beast swarm.

The ice plain was boundless. Goose-down snow drifted from the sky. Here, there was only pristine white snow and bottomless frigid ice. At the center of the ice plain, a terrible cold wind raged relentlessly. The cold wind swept up the surrounding ice and snow, creating a vast expanse of white. The ice and snow danced in the sky with the wind, forming an enormous white vortex, clearly visible from a thousand miles away. The white vortex possessed terrifying suction, devouring everything. No living creature dared approach it, lest they be torn apart and swallowed in an instant.

At this moment, on the ice plain surrounding the white vortex, several snow mounds of various sizes had risen. From beneath these mounds, only pairs of eyes were visible, staring intently at the vortex, seemingly anticipating something.