Chapter 941: Burial Ice Cliff (1)

Li Xiaofei had already felt something was off before,

Why were the entry and survival rates of the human race in secret realms higher than those of the Reapers?

He had assumed it was due to insufficient data, which had led to an incorrect conclusion. But now, it seemed there had to be a reason behind it.

"Senior, the first confirmed Immortal Trapping Ground is located within these Frost Plains, roughly fifty thousand kilometers from this fortress. It is called the Burial Ice Cliff," Zhu Zhixun said.

"Wait, aren't the Frost Plains only classified as a stage six danger zone? How could that possibly trap a Sword Immortal?" Li Xiaofei asked in surprise.

Zhu Zhixun quickly explained, "Senior, you may not know this, but while the Frost Plains are generally considered stage six in danger level, that classification is merely an average. There are dozens of areas within the Frost Plains with danger levels that even reach stage seven or eight. This Burial Ice Cliff, for example, has a danger level approaching weak stage eight. It is accompanied by a naturally formed deadly ice vein. Even an eighth level powerhouse would risk death if they entered."

So that was how it was. Li Xiaofei understood.

"What is your plan?" he asked.

Zhu Zhixun replied, "According to the schedule, the Grand Princess and her entourage will remain at this fortress for several days. Experts from the royal families of various kings will also be permitted to hunt in the nearby territories for resources. We plan to seize this opportunity to travel to the Burial Ice Cliff and search for Senior Lin Beichen’s whereabouts."

"Alright, I’ll go with you," Li Xiaofei agreed without hesitation. "Just inform me when the time comes."

"That’s wonderful," Zhu Zhixun exclaimed. He hadn’t expected Li Xiaofei to agree so readily and couldn’t help but marvel, "Senior, your heroic spirit and righteousness are truly admirable. We hold you in the highest respect."

Li Xiaofei said, "You all have made far greater sacrifices than I have."

Indeed, Zhu Zhixun had taken on the identity of Xue Xiangyang and stayed by Lao Xinhua’s side, even going so far as to offer up his own body and appearance. The pressure and suffering he endured were far beyond what any ordinary risk could compare to.

That was the true spirit of sacrifice. At that moment, Zhu Zhixun understood exactly what Li Xiaofei meant. But when he looked at Li Xiaofei, his gaze was filled with a deep sense of mutual recognition, a kind of kindred admiration. He bowed solemnly and respectfully.

Huh?

Li Xiaofei was briefly stunned.

What kind of look was that? Could it be... Damn it. Could this kid actually believe that, by staying at the Grand Princess’s side, I too had sold my body and appearance? Did he really think I’m that kind of person who would betray my dignity?

Li Xiaofei wanted to explain, but found himself at a loss for words. So, he changed the subject and asked, “The thing you acquired in the realm, was it really the Reaper’s so-called Evolution Blood?”

“I wouldn’t dare hide anything from you, Senior,” Zhu Zhixun quickly replied. “It is indeed Evolution Blood. But it can be used by both humans and Reapers alike, and it enhances one’s strength.”

“A treasure like that... it’s truly a shame you can’t use it for yourself,” Li Xiaofei said.

In order to maintain his cover and stay within the group, the disguised Xue Xiangyang had handed over both portions of the Evolution Blood he had obtained from two separate realms to Lao Xinhua.

Zhu Zhixun gave a faint smile. He opened his palm slightly and revealed an item. It was a droplet of blood. Roughly the size of an ordinary drop of water, the blood bead floated in mid-air, trembling slightly. It was a vivid crimson, dazzling in color, and radiated a strange energy fluctuation.

“Elder Lao later returned this to me in private,” Zhu Zhixun explained.

Li Xiaofei immediately regarded the young man with newfound respect. So it seemed soft tactics really did have their own realm of mastery. A treasure like that was given away and somehow returned again.

“Please, Senior, accept this,” Zhu Zhixun said, offering the droplet of Evolution Blood with both hands.

Li Xiaofei shook his head and replied, “This is your fortuitous encounter. You should refine it yourself. Besides, at such a critical moment, you need to strengthen yourself as soon as possible to improve our chances of success.”

Zhu Zhixun responded sincerely, “I have already refined one drop of Evolution Blood. This one is specifically reserved for you, Senior. You are the most vital combat strength in this mission. It’s your strength that will truly determine whether we succeed or fail.”

It was clear that Zhu Zhixun was offering this treasure with absolute sincerity.

But Li Xiaofei still shook his head and said, “This item is of no use to me. You should keep it.”

“Senior...” Zhu Zhixun began.

“There’s no need to say more,” Li Xiaofei cut him off cleanly.

If he were to take a treasure that Zhu Zhixun and the others had obtained at such great cost, then he would be unworthy of being their comrade-in-arms. Zhu Zhixun felt both moved and disappointed, but in the end, he could only put the treasure away.

After that, they had another round of discussions. Eventually, they finalized the operation plan. Zhu Zhixun didn’t dare linger too long in Li Xiaofei’s room, fearing it would attract attention. He reverted to his appearance as Xue Xiangyang and quietly left.

Two hours later, the banquet within the inner fortress came to an end. The Grand Princess personally sought out Li Xiaofei and invited him to go hunting on the ice plains with her in six hours.

All kinds of creatures could be found in stage six and higher zones. Unlike the lifeless stage five and lower areas, these zones were home to beings collectively known as Void Beasts.

Void Beasts had evolved over generations to adapt to these harsh environments. They came in many forms, but all possessed terrifying lethality. Battles among themselves and against the Reapers were normal.

These Void Beasts were powerful as individuals, as their bodies were tempered by the brutal environment. As a result, nearly every part of them was a valuable resource. Their fur, bones, blood, and internal organs were all highly prized materials for evolution.

Reapers could accelerate their own advancement by devouring such materials. Some rare Void Beasts even contained strange Void Sigils within their bodies, which could help Reapers unlock new innate divine abilities.

It was common for powerful Reapers from the King clans to hunt in these high-danger regions. If they were lucky, a single successful hunt could yield enough resources to elevate a pauper to wealth.

Of course, such high profit always came with equally high risk. In places like these, the line between hunter and prey was razor thin. A moment’s carelessness could result in one becoming nothing more than shredded meat in a beast’s mouth.

After giving it some thought, Li Xiaofei accepted the Grand Princess’s invitation.

For the following six hours, Li Xiaofei devoted all his energy to cultivation. He directly entered the Secret Time Pavilion from within his room. This external cheat-like tool had accompanied him from the very beginning. Ever since the husky left, it had seen little change, yet it had always stood loyally by his side, providing him with unwavering support.

Li Xiaofei floated in midair inside the white, sacred hall. He no longer suppressed the Immortal Force within his body. Bands of gold and silver light formed concentric circles around him. Behind him, the wings formed by golden and silver blades doubled from one pair to two. A golden saber and silver sword on one side. A golden sword and silver saber on the other.

Now standing at the peak of the Six Gods Realm, Li Xiaofei was attempting to grasp the mysteries of the Seven Transformation Realm. According to the teachings of the Five Immortal Emperors, the Seven Transformation Realm referred to the seven refinements of one’s Immortal Force, elevating it to a level capable of breaking through to even higher realms.

The thing that made cultivators of the Seven Transformation Realm so formidable, why they could absolutely dominate those of the Six Gods Realm, was the superior quality of their Immortal Force.

Even if trapped inside the personal domain of a powerful Six Gods Realm opponent, one could still break the situation and claim victory by relying on this higher quality Immortal Force.

Realm was always the most accurate measure of strength on the path of cultivation. The Seven Transformation Realm meant undergoing seven refinements. Mortal, Essence, Celestial, Spirit, Void, Profound, and Yellow. These were the stages through which Immortal Force had to be tempered in sequence.

In his mind, Li Xiaofei continued to deduce the method to break into the Seven Transformation Realm, and soon began attempting the first transformation, Mortal.

This initial stage was relatively simple in terms of cultivation. According to Sword Immortal Lin Beichen’s Great Furnace Technique for Tempering Immortal Force of the Galaxy, a martial cultivator only needed to refine their Immortal Force until signs of crystallization appeared in the liquid Immortal Force flowing through their meridians. Achieving this meant completion of the first transformation.

The Great Furnace Technique outlined the refining steps in detail. Li Xiaofei focused his spiritual power, envisioning a divine hammer within the upper, middle, and lower dantian worlds that constantly tempered his circulating Immortal Force.

As time passed, Li Xiaofei clearly felt the change. The Immortal Force in his meridians gradually thickened under the repeated strikes of the imagined divine hammer. The process felt much like pulling sugar taffy.

Time flew by. After ten days had passed, crystalline fragments of Immortal Force began to form within Li Xiaofei’s meridians. These crystals were extremely small, like glistening snowflakes, mixed into the liquid Immortal Force. They flowed continuously through the twelve principal meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Crystallization of Immortal Force had finally occurred. The first transformation of the Seven Transformation Realm was complete.

Following the instructions from the Great Furnace Technique for Tempering Immortal Force of the Galaxy, Li Xiaofei evenly dispersed the Immortal Force crystals into fixed acupoints and nodes along his meridians, stabilizing them. The first transformation, Mortal, had reached full completion.

Li Xiaofei slowly opened his eyes. A satisfied smile spread across his face. He had succeeded. It had been somewhat easier than he expected, but the increase in strength it brought was tremendous.

Right now, I could beat up ten of my former selves,

he thought confidently.

The refinement of Immortal Force meant that his techniques and combat skills would be significantly more powerful. Combined with the many external tools and aids he possessed, Li Xiaofei now felt that he could now proudly be called a strong cultivator even in the Reapers’ world.

With a flash of light, he disappeared from the Secret Time Pavilion and returned to the real world. There were still thirty minutes before departure. Li Xiaofei pretended to rest for a while, then he stepped outside.

Stretching his limbs lazily, he found the outer fortress already bustling with activity. Several formation-powered illumination spheres floated above the fortress, casting a daylight-like brightness across the area.

A thick layer of snow blanketed the dark rocks. The entire fortress was now wrapped in a silvery-white coat. Warriors of the Wind Ruins clan were busy clearing the accumulated snow. It was part of their routine duties, done at regular intervals.