Chapter 2272: Situation in the Ice Sea Realm

Five years passed quickly.

On Qinglian Island, in the Earth Fire Hall, the door of an artifact refining room suddenly opened.

Wang Changsheng walked out, a slight smile playing on his lips. Wang Zongque followed behind him, looking respectful.

With the help of Gongsun Yang, Xiao MieXian, Zhou Yurou, and Chen Yiming in collecting cultivation resources, the materials were quickly gathered. Wang Changsheng successfully refined a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure capable of breaking through dimensional barriers: the Boundary-Breaking Pearl.

As he was merely a soul clone in the lower realm, refining a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure was very inconvenient. Fortunately, a fifth-tier formation master, Zhong Ruyi, emerged in the Northern Frontier. Zhong Ruyi's ancestors hailed from the Nine Nether Sect, belonging to the same faction as Ye Lin, and were forced to leave their homeland by Shangguan Wei.

After Shangguan Wei's death, the Nine Nether Sect quickly declined. Once Zhong Ruyi advanced to the Soul Transformation stage, he returned to the sect and, relying on his powerful divine abilities, successfully gained control of it.

Zhong Ruyi helped set up the Ten Thousand Flames Refining Spirit Formation, a fifth-tier fire-attribute formation that significantly accelerated the artifact refining process.

With the assistance of this formation, Wang Changsheng successfully refined the Boundary-Breaking Pearl. Wang Zongque was fortunate enough to witness the entire process, gaining considerable insights.

Stepping out of the Earth Fire Hall, a slender young woman in a red dress stood respectfully at the entrance.

“Senior Wang, how was it?”

Zhong Ruyi asked cautiously, a hint of anxiety in her expression.

“It was a success. How are the formations I asked you to set up coming along?”

Wang Changsheng asked in a deep voice. While the Boundary-Breaking Pearl was refined, the formations to enhance Soul Transformation cultivators' aura and the communication array to connect with the Xuanyang Realm could not be set up. The Dongli Realm had faced several major calamities, leaving very few rare materials, making it impossible to gather what was needed.

During the era of the Four Seasons Sword Master, the demon race invaded. In Wang Changsheng's time, the Tianlan Realm and the Ice Sea Realm invaded one after another. Many rare materials were plundered. Furthermore, the artifact spirit, in its desire to return to the Xuanyang Realm, also collected a considerable amount of rare artifact refining materials. It would be surprising if the Dongli Realm wasn't impoverished.

Consequently, Wang Changsheng had no choice but to visit other realms to gather cultivation resources and acquire the remaining materials.

His first chosen destination was the Ice Sea Realm. The Blood Fiend Twin Saints emerged there, nearly eradicating all high-tier cultivators, which allowed the Wang family to become the sole dominant power. Moreover, the Ice Sea Realm had not suffered any other invasions, so it should possess a good supply of rare materials. The Tianlan Realm had expended many rare materials in its invasions of other realms, while the Dongli Realm, having been ruled by demons for several centuries and then divided between the Dongli and Tianlan realms, had very few cultivation resources left.

Zhong Ruyi nodded: “They are ready and can be activated at any time.”

Wang Changsheng whistled, and a loud bird cry echoed. A golden, colossal owl flew from afar; it was Xiao MieXian.

“Let's go. We'll head to the Ice Sea Realm first.”

Wang Changsheng instructed. He leaped onto the golden colossal owl's back, followed closely by Zhong Ruyi.

The golden colossal owl flapped its wings powerfully, creating a strong gust of wind as it soared into the sky.

More than a month later, they arrived at their destination, appearing above a deserted island a thousand miles in circumference. Chen Yiming and over a thousand cultivators had been waiting for a long time.

“Senior Wang, you've finally arrived.”

Chen Yiming immediately came forward to greet him, looking respectful.

Years ago, Wang Qingshan had traveled to the Ice Sea Realm from this very spatial node. Now, Wang Changsheng was to embark on the same journey.

“Before I return, you must guard this place well, understand?”

Wang Changsheng instructed, planning to take Xiao MieXian and Zhong Ruyi with him to the Ice Sea Realm.

Even with a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure for realm-breaking, there was still some risk. When Wang Qingshan went to the Tianhai Realm, he encountered two exotic beasts fighting fiercely between realms; the aftershocks of their battle nearly killed him, and his Sky-Breaking Spirit Slaying Blade was destroyed as well.

“Yes, Senior Wang. Before your return, this junior will guard this place without fail.”

Chen Yiming understood the gravity of the situation and readily agreed.

Of course, Wang Changsheng wasn't having him work for nothing. If the aura-enhancing formations could be set up, Chen Yiming, Xiao MieXian, and Zhong Ruyi would have priority in using them.

The golden colossal owl landed on a thousand-mu bluestone plaza. On the plaza was a massive formation, over a thousand zhang wide, covered with countless profound array patterns.

For caution, Wang Changsheng had Zhong Ruyi set up a fifth-tier formation.

Wang Changsheng flicked two fingers, and a silver spherical pearl the size of a longan flew out, soaring towards the sky.

Once high in the sky, the silver pearl suddenly emitted a dazzling silver light, causing ripples in the void and revealing a tiny crack.

Wang Changsheng formed a hand seal, and the Boundary-Breaking Pearl glowed brightly, causing the crack to suddenly expand.

Zhong Ruyi cast a spell, and the formation shook violently. A dazzling pillar of light shot skyward, striking the crack and making it expand dozens of times its size.

“Go.”

With Wang Changsheng's soft command, Xiao MieXian flapped its wings powerfully, carrying Wang Changsheng and Zhong Ruyi into the crack. The Boundary-Breaking Pearl disappeared into Wang Changsheng's sleeve.

Soon after, the crack healed, and the three of them vanished.

In a remote sea area of the Ice Sea Realm.

Ripples spread through the void, which then suddenly tore open. A golden colossal owl flew out, carrying Wang Changsheng and Zhong Ruyi on its back.

“Is this the Ice Sea Realm?”

Wang Changsheng murmured.

Two streaks of light flew rapidly from a distance.

A moment later, the two streaks of light stopped, revealing a man and a woman. Both were Core Formation cultivators, and their robes were embroidered with a blue lotus flower.

“Are you members of the Wang family?”

Wang Changsheng asked with a pleasant expression.

“Indeed. And you, Senior?”

The two Core Formation cultivators did not recognize Wang Changsheng. Sensing the powerful spiritual pressure from the three of them, their expressions grew tense.

“I am your ancestor, Wang Changsheng, True Monarch Taihao.”

The two froze, their brows furrowing.

“Senior, you're not joking, are you?”

The middle-aged man said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. If the other party's cultivation hadn't been so high, he might have even made a move. It was absurd for someone to claim to be their ancestor, Wang Changsheng, right away.

Wang Changsheng then recounted the situation of the Wang family in the Ice Sea Realm, information he had received from Wang Qingshan, whose first stop after leaving the Dongli Realm was the Ice Sea Realm.

The two remained skeptical, unable to fully accept it for the moment.

“Never mind,” Wang Changsheng said. “Just take me to Sky Puppet Island. If I weren't your ancestor, I wouldn't be so polite. By the way, how many family members do we currently have? And what's the highest cultivation level among them?”

Wang Changsheng asked in a deep voice.

The two exchanged glances and nodded to each other.

If the other party wasn't their ancestor, there truly would be no need to ask so many questions.

“Our family currently has forty Nascent Soul cultivators, with the highest being at the late Nascent Soul stage. Please follow us, Ancestor.”

The two cultivators gave a brief introduction.

Hearing this answer, Wang Changsheng's expression softened. While the clan members in the Dongli Realm only had three Nascent Soul cultivators, the Ice Sea Realm had as many as forty, which was good news.

The golden colossal owl carried the four of them towards Sky Puppet Island, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

Sky Puppet Island was the Wang family's main base. Wang Qingshan had relocated some clan members to the Ice Sea Realm, and since most high-tier cultivators there had been eradicated and there were very few high-tier cultivation techniques left, the Wang family quickly became the dominant power in the Ice Sea Realm.

Because the Wang family specialized in refining puppet beasts, their stronghold in the Ice Sea Realm was named Sky Puppet Island.

In a secret chamber, a blue-robed young man with resolute features sat cross-legged on a blue futon, his hands forming a seal, eyes closed, his body enveloped in a layer of blue aura.

After a moment, he seemed to sense something. He opened his eyes, took out a shimmering blue spell plate, and cast a spell. A hurried male voice suddenly echoed: “Ancestor, three Soul Transformation cultivators have come to visit. One of them claims to be our ancestor, True Monarch Taihao.”