Chapter 2514: Snowfield

Yuan Xi had mentioned that someone had touched Qin Feng's sensitive spot, which was why he acted that way. However, Qin Feng didn't actually suffer any losses that time; Bobo was only severely injured. What truly happened, only those directly involved would know.

A moment later, in Yuan Xi City's central hall, Lu Ye appeared with Kun Li. Yuan Xi was waiting nearby. Upon meeting, Kun Li grinned at Yuan Xi, saying, "Fellow Daoist Yuan Xi, I've heard much about you."

"How should I address you?" Yuan Xi assessed Kun Li.

"Kun Li!"

Yuan Xi nodded. "I've heard of you. But aren't you usually stationed there... Oh, that's right, you don't need to be anymore."

Kun Li chuckled, "Indeed! Thanks to my little brother Lu Ye's help, I'm finally free!" As he spoke, he patted Lu Ye's shoulder.

Yuan Xi raised an eyebrow, a bit confused about how Kun Li's freedom related to Lu Ye. Without asking further, she simply said, "Then, Fellow Daoist Kun Li, we'll rely on you this time."

"No problem," Kun Li replied with a smile. "Since Fellow Daoist Yuan Xi is siding with old Qin, I should thank you on his behalf."

Yuan Xi pouted. "If you want to thank someone, thank our Grand Commander. He's the one who persuaded me."

"Time is of the essence, so shall I begin?" Kun Li asked.

"Yes!"

Kun Li prepared to act, but upon seeing the color of the Concordance Orb before him, he looked surprised. After a brief perception, he exclaimed, "Desolate-tier?" He recalled Lu Ye telling him recently that Yuan Xi City was only Heaven-tier. How had it become Desolate-tier so quickly? And judging by the orb's color, it was likely not far from reaching Primeval-tier. Given Yuan Xi's inherent strength, it was unexpected but not impossible for her to establish a Heaven-tier Concordance City in a short time. However, promoting to Desolate-tier in such a short period was truly astonishing.

"Just good luck!" Yuan Xi explained with a smile, unwilling to reveal her Grand Commander's secret to anyone else.

"Your luck truly is remarkable, Fellow Daoist," Kun Li said, genuinely envious. He remembered how many years it had taken him to raise his own Concordance City to that level. It was incomparable.

Without further small talk, he immediately began his work, with Lu Ye observing quietly from the side. After only a moment, Kun Li stopped and looked at Yuan Xi. "Fellow Daoist, the resonance imprint has been applied. I wish you swift success and great achievements in the Snow Plain."

Yuan Xi offered a reserved smile. "Thank you for your kind words. You've worked hard, Fellow Daoist."

Kun Li waved his hand. "Regardless, I must still thank you for your assistance!"

He turned to Lu Ye. "Brother, I'll be heading off now. When you get to the Snow Plain, you can send me a message if you need anything."

"I'll see you off!" Lu Ye nodded.

To enter the Concordance Realm via Yuan Xi City, a cultivator like Kun Li needed to be escorted by a Yuan Xi City cultivator, as he couldn't activate the Concordance Orb's power on his own. After seeing Kun Li into the Concordance Realm, Lu Ye quickly returned.

Yuan Xi was still there. Lu Ye asked, "Madam, how far are we from the Snow Plain?"

Yuan Xi replied, "According to the star map, it's a month's journey!"

Lu Ye felt a surge of excitement.

"So, Grand Commander, are you ready? Our goal for this trip is to enter as Desolate-tier and emerge as Universe-tier. Do you have confidence?"

Lu Ye cupped his fist. "Madam is wise and mighty! Under your leadership, your humble subordinate and others will surely achieve this!"

While there were only three tiers separating Desolate and Universe, accumulating the necessary power at this level was not as easy as before. However, since Yuan Xi had set the goal, Lu Ye naturally had to show his support.

"One month. Grand Commander, get ready," Yuan Xi instructed.

"Yes!"

A short while later, Lu Ye returned to the Grand Commander's residence, and You Die immediately came to greet him. "Brother Ye."

"Perfect timing. I need to tell you something." Lu Ye gestured for her to sit down. After she was seated, Lu Ye sat on a nearby chair and briefly explained the current situation: "So, once we enter the Snow Plain, if we encounter battle, our City Lord will undoubtedly be the main offensive force. The city's defense will be your responsibility."

"Don't worry, Brother Ye, I'll do my best!" You Die nodded earnestly. Although she was usually a bit carefree and enjoyed teasing Lu Ye, her attitude was very proper when it came to serious matters.

And she had always done so. She was very fortunate to have recognized Lu Ye in the Concordance Realm back then and to have traveled countless miles to join him. Had she remained in her previous Concordance City, she would only be enjoying the benefits of an Earth-tier Concordance City now. However, she had personally witnessed Yuan Xi City's rapid growth. Desolate-tier quality was a goal her previous Concordance City could never have achieved. The two-tier increase in quality meant a 20% boost in cultivation efficiency. Moreover, the city now had a Dao Pool, with more surely to come in the future. As an elder of Yuan Xi City, growing alongside it, the benefits she would receive were bound to be immense.

"How are you managing the secret art left by the Mirage Dragon?" Lu Ye asked again, emphasizing its importance. It was fortunate, too, because without the Mirage Dragon's secret art, Yuan Xi City's current foundation would face severe risks if it entered into conflict. While Yuan Xi was powerful, her strength was her own alone. But now it was different. With the secret art enhanced by the Mirage Dragon, Yuan Xi City surpassed 99% of other Concordance Cities in terms of concealment and stealth. This meant that as long as they were careful enough, others would find it very difficult to detect Yuan Xi City. With the city secure, Yuan Xi could act with much greater freedom, and even Lu Ye would face fewer constraints.

"I've been studying it with the City Lord recently, and with her guidance, I've gained a lot," You Die replied. "And Brother Ye, did you know that the secret art left by the Mirage Dragon can slowly grow stronger?"

"The Mirage Dragon told me about that," Lu Ye nodded. But the Mirage Dragon also mentioned that this strengthening had a limit and would never become as insurmountable as its divine domain.

"As for Huan Qing, she needs to recuperate for now, so she can't actively participate in battles. However, assisting you in protecting the city shouldn't be a problem."

You Die stuck out her tongue. "Then you go say hello. I can't deal with that woman; she never bothers with anyone."

Initially, You Die thought Huan Qing had something against her, until she once saw Huan Qing ignore even the City Lord. Only then did she realize that was just Huan Qing's nature.

"No problem," Lu Ye nodded. "The City Lord said we'll enter the Snow Plain in about a month. Use this time to further familiarize yourself with and study the Mirage Dragon's secret art."

"Alright," You Die dutifully replied, then stood up and headed towards the central hall.

Lu Ye's divine sense surged, sending out a message. Before long, Huan Qing, whose face was as pale as paper, walked in. She approached Lu Ye, her dull eyes staring straight at him. "What is it?"

Lu Ye said, "Are you aware of the city's recent movements?"

Huan Qing was silent for a moment, then replied, "Fu Wei told me."

"Alright then. If there's a battle later, assist You Die in protecting the city."

"Understood," Huan Qing replied.

"You may go," Lu Ye waved his hand. There was no need for more words; since Huan Qing had agreed, she wouldn't shirk her duty. After all, she still depended on Lu Ye to help resolve her blood curse.

Lu Ye suddenly felt that his title as Grand Commander of City Protection was undeserved. Whenever the city needed protecting, he had little opportunity to use his skills. Although he could channel his power to assist You Die, he was ultimately only at the Integration stage, so his impact was limited. It would be more effective for him to wield his blade and slay enemies, thereby easing the pressure on the defenses.

Currently, Lu Ye was conflicted about his cultivation level. As a cultivator, it was natural to pursue higher realms of cultivation. He was now at the eighth stage of Integration, and with enough Dao power, he could easily advance to the ninth stage and then attempt Concordance. However, he also held the identity of the Son of the Star Abyss. If he truly achieved Concordance one day, his avenues for acquiring Star Abyss Coins would significantly decrease, as it was almost impossible to obtain Star Abyss Coins by killing Integration cultivators as a Concordance cultivator. Unlike now, where most cultivators in the inner realm were at the eighth, ninth, or even peak Integration stages, he had a chance to earn Star Abyss Coins by defeating any enemy. If he killed a Concordance cultivator, he was guaranteed to gain something, possibly more than one coin.

Crucially, he now needed a large quantity of affiliated treasures; both Liao and the Talent Tree were voracious consumers. Had he known such a situation would arise, he would have brought more affiliated treasures when he left the starry sky. For example, there were several such treasures in the Asura Field. Moreover, he could still ask Old Tree for help, as Old Tree surely knew the precise locations of many affiliated treasures.

A month wasn't a long time. Lu Ye suddenly felt a chill envelop him, which surprised him. He swept his divine sense around and immediately stood up. Walking to the city's main square, he found that everyone except the recuperating Fu Wei and Huan Qing had gathered there. Lu Ye stood beside Yuan Xi and looked up. His vision was filled with floating landmasses of all sizes, scattered throughout the void.

The largest were like entire realms, while the smallest were merely like meteorites. Crucially, these floating landmasses were different from any Lu Ye had seen before; they were essentially indistinguishable from ice blocks, emanating a palpable aura of coldness. Furthermore, the entire space was filled with swirling snowflakes, each a perfect hexagonal crystal, clear and transparent, drifting everywhere. It was a spectacular sight, rarely seen in any starry sky, and it stretched as far as the eye could see. Lu Ye knew then that they had arrived at the Snow Plain!

"Madam, why did this stellar wonder shatter?" Lu Ye turned to Yuan Xi.

The entire Snow Plain was originally a single, immensely large floating landmass, unique in the inner realm. However, for unknown reasons, it suddenly shattered, gradually evolving into its current state.

Yuan Xi shook her head. "Who knows? I wasn't even born when the Snow Plain shattered. That was tens of thousands of years ago, if not more. But I have heard it was related to a great battle."

Lu Ye was secretly horrified. What kind of battle could shatter such a stellar wonder? Although the battle between Baju and Mingyuelun had an immense ripple effect, sweeping across the entire wonder, it hadn't completely destroyed the wonder itself. If Yuan Xi's words were true, didn't that mean the combatants who shattered the Snow Plain were even more terrifying than Baju?