Chapter 169: The Canyon’s Frozen Pool, Ice Soul Frostfiend (II)

Deep within Changyin Mountain. The silent forest was filled with the occasional call of night owls, as a lone figure darted through the trees like a nimble spirit monkey.

There was no chaos like in Dahe Market, nor the bloodshed of the Ancient Plains. The tranquil atmosphere made it seem like an untouched paradise, forgotten by the world.

But Luo Chen knew this kind of peace wouldn't last forever. The spirit wolf pack had left for now, but one day, they would return. He had to make the most of his time, exploring the entire Changyin Mountain while also familiarizing himself with the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner.

Suddenly, Luo Chen came to a halt. A wave of extreme cold and yin energy surged up from the gorge below.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Even with his top-grade enchanted robes clinging to his body, he still felt his face turn pale from the chill.

"Why is it so cold here?"

This was the last unexplored area of Changyin Mountain. With a thought, Luo Chen suppressed his spirit energy and slowly descended.

As far as the eye could see, small trees about a meter tall were scattered everywhere.

"Is this Cold Osmanthus? They're all over a hundred years old!"Luo Chen was a little surprised—Cold Osmanthus trees were rare.

This tree was considered a prized first-tier spirit wood, bearing fruit once every ten years.

The fruit, known as Osmanthus seeds, was highly beneficial to cultivators with Ice or Water spirit roots, allowing them to refine and absorb it for several years' worth of condensed spirit energy.

"So many Cold Osmanthus trees, yet not a single one bears fruit?" Luo Chen's steps paused as he faintly heard howling from deep within the gorge.

Information about Changyin Mountain surfaced in Luo Chen’s mind.

The mountain was home to Frostfang Wolves year-round. These spirit wolves had a natural affinity for and mastery over ice and frost energy.

During last winter’s battle in Changyin Mountain, the Grayleaf Wolves suffered a crushing defeat, entirely suppressed by the Frostfang Wolves due to unfavorable terrain and weather conditions.

“So this must be the Frostfang Wolves’ territory, and all the Osmanthus seeds have been eaten by them.” Luo Chen sensed the surrounding demonic energy and the howls echoing from the depths of the gorge, making his assessment.

His steps faltered slightly as he hesitated whether he should continue forward?

After a brief moment, he made up his mind and pressed on.

Most of the spirit wolves had already left Changyin Mountain. Even if some beasts remained in their lair, they couldn’t be that powerful. Besides, with his near Perfected Mastery Spirit Suppression, as long as he was cautious, he wouldn't be detected.

Even if he was discovered—He could always just run!

As he stealthily moved forward, the surrounding plants and minerals filled Luo Chen with excitement.

Beyond the vast spread of Cold Osmanthus trees, there were entire fields of Frostdew Herb, Mature Phantom Shade Herbs, and even exposed veins of Cold Iron.

These were all incredible resources!

Luo Chen leaned against a mountainside, his sharp eyes peering into the distance.

A dozen of snow-white wolf pups frolicked among the Frostdew Herb, occasionally biting off mouthfuls and chewing on them.

Wolves eating herbs—truly a rare sight.

But Luo Chen’s attention was focused deeper into the gorge—on a pool of water emitting thick, white mist. Even from this distance, tendrils of bone-chilling energy seeped into Luo Chen’s body.

He shuddered involuntarily and swallowed hard. "Malevolent energy!

"It's second-tier malevolent energy—Ice Soul Cold Fiend!"

Luo Chen took a deep breath, forced down his greed, and turned away without a moment's hesitation.

Lying just beyond the icy pool was an aged white wolf, its presence alone enough to deter any reckless impulse.

The white wolf, though aged, still stood at a full meter tall even while lying down. If it were to rise, it would easily tower several meters high. Its massive frame stretched four to five zhang in length, resembling a small mountain.

A second-tier spirit wolf!

Even though its energy was faint due to old age, the sense of danger it exuded was no less than that of any Foundation Establishment cultivator Luo Chen had encountered.

It was only after leaving the gorge that Luo Chen finally let out a breath of relief and thought to himself.

The Howling Moon Mountains truly are an unexploited vast mountain range. The resources here are unbelievably abundant.

Just this single Changyin Mountain alone had already revealed countless valuable resources to him.

In particular, the gorge was rich with ice and water-element treasures, and even contained a cold pool infused with malevolent energy. A single location like this was enough to sustain and allow a small wolf pack to thrive.

If Luo Chen could take control of this resource, he wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation materials until he reached Foundation Establishment.

Even after Foundation Establishment, it would still greatly benefit his cultivation.

What a shame... it doesn’t belong to me yet!

With a sigh, he etched this resource location firmly into his memory. Luo Chen quietly returned to the spirit vein cave.

After a night of cultivation, his progress finally rose from thirty to thirty one. This wasn’t achieved in just one night but was the culmination of two to three days of effort.

The resources expended in the process, if converted into spirit stones, amounted to an astonishing two to three hundred spirit stones! Such a figure would be enough to shock anyone.

A typical rogue cultivator would struggle to earn that much even in a month. Even an expert like Gu Caiyi at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining would barely make that much. Yet Luo Chen had burned through the same amount in just three days.

Calling him a gold-devouring beast would not be an exaggeration.

But it was precisely this willingness to invest heavily that allowed Luo Chen to maintain a cultivation speed far beyond that of ordinary cultivators.

The next afternoon, Luo Chen devoured his lunch of spirit rice and demonic beast meat while his gaze fell toward the base of Crescent Moon Valley.

Zeng Wen had returned. He had led a combat division and did his best to bring back the Medicine Hall cultivators who had gone out.

But it was only a portion of them!

Murong Qinglian sorrowfully took in the returning Medicine Hall cultivators—fifty had gone out, but only a little over twenty had made it back.

That Luo Wudi had claimed he would protect them, but in reality, he barely did anything. It was only because Zeng Wen remembered these defenselessMedicine Hall cultivators before leaving that they were brought back at all.

"Bastard!" Murong Qinglian, rarely one to curse, let loose her fury. After arranging for the wounded to be taken care of, she fumed, "Where is Luo Wudi?!

"Before leaving, what did he promise? And now, he's lost half of my people!

"If he doesn't give me an explanation, then don't blame Medicine Hall for cutting off his division’s healing pills!"

Under her interrogation, the exhausted Zeng Wen let out a bitter smile. "You probably won’t get an explanation."

Murong Qinglian froze.

At the Alchemy Hall halfway up the mountain, Luo Chen halted his voracious eating.

Luo Wudi was dead?

One of the four elders of Poshan Gang, a Hall Leader of the three major combat divisions, the infamous Descending Mountain Tiger who had once effortlessly killed a Dajiang Gang enemy on the Debate Platform—Luo Wudi.

Just like that, he was dead?