Chapter 789. Ice Soul Transforms into Rainbow Boat

All were individuals of esteemed status, yet upon arriving at the extreme northern ice plains, they discovered a woman clad in snow-white robes had been waiting for a considerable time.

Her figure was slender and graceful, her aura as cold as frost and snow. Merely standing there, she possessed a charm that could overshadow all under heaven.

With just a single glance, Eldrin recognized the identity of the newcomer.

This person was none other than Eldrin’s old friend, the Frost Fairy. Back when Eldrin came to the Northern Plains in search of Lila, this Frost Fairy had been of immense help.

Who would have thought that after a millennium had passed, the Frost Fairy Ling had actually broken through the threshold of the Nascent Soul, advancing to the realm of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord.

Beside them, Huantian Ji’s expression grew even more complicated. He and Ling Shuang Xianzi (Fairy of Frosted Jade) had shared a friendship spanning thousands of years—they could truly be called kindred spirits.

Yet now, having failed twice in succession to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he couldn't help but feel somewhat unworthy in the presence of Ling Shuang (Person Name).

Chapter 1 The Eldrin Maiden approached with ethereal grace, her luminous gaze sweeping over the assembly. A faint smile graced her lips as she spoke, "My gratitude extends to you all for journeying vast distances to offer assistance."

"Resisting demons is our duty, Fairy. You are too courteous."

Eldrin (Person Name) cupped his hands with a light smile and said.

Fairy Lingshuang gave a slight nod and said, "Fellow Daoist Dinghai, Fellow Daoist Guixu, everyone has been waiting for you. Please follow me."

The Frost Fairy Ling took Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name), Eldrin (Person Name), and a few others deep into the Drifting Snow Palace.

Before long, they arrived at a great hall deep within the snow-capped mountains, where 3 figures had already been waiting for quite some time.

1 was the Daoist Priest of the Long River, the other a woman adorned in palace attire, and the last a refined middle-aged man.

As Eldrin and Maris the Sea Steader arrived, Riverlord Chang smiled and said, "Allow me to make the introductions."

"This is Palace Mistress Piaoxue, and this is my chief disciple, Haoyuan."

As Riverlord Chang spoke, Eldrin quickly grasped the identities of the several individuals.

Among the 2, the middle-aged man was naturally Daoist Haoyuan. Having broken through to the Nascent Soul stage over 3,000 years ago, his cultivation had already reached the Third Level of Nascent Soul, making him 1 of the Pillars of Heaven within Eastern Wastelands (Location).

In his early years, Dao Lord Haoyuan was stationed for a long time within the Archipelago of Stars at the end of the Demonic Abyss. It was only recently, after Dao Lord Haoran achieved a breakthrough in his Yuanshen (Cultivation Base), that he was replaced and returned.

The Palace Lord of Drifting Snow naturally needed no introduction. She was a mighty cultivator at the 9th-layer of the Nascent Soul, ranking among the 10 Supreme Powerhouses of the human race.

As for Soul Primordials of this level, there were fewer than 20 across the entire Violet Realm when counting humans, demons, and monsters combined. He was truly 1 of the Pillars of Stability for the human race.

The Palace Master of Drifting Snow cast a glance at the group, her gaze lingering on Eldrin (Person Name) for a moment before she smiled. "Among all the Nascent Soul Dao Lords these years, you are hailed as a true seed of immortality."

"Some claimed that if you merely avoid an untimely demise, you stand a fair chance of ascending to the realm of Immortals and Deities. I had thought it mere hyperbole, but witnessing you today, I see the truth in those words."

"You flatter me, Senior."

In the presence of such a supreme Pure Yang Dao Lord, Eldrin dared not act presumptuously. He promptly smiled and cupped his hands in salute.

The Palace Master of Drifting Snow gave a slight nod upon seeing this, then continued, "Since you are willing to lend your assistance this time, rest assured that once the war concludes, we shall not treat you unfairly."

"Let's save the pleasantries for later. The frontlines are critical—we can talk on the way."

As Palace Mistress Piaoxue’s voice faded, she summoned a crystalline, ice-colored skiff and ushered the over 3 100 arriving True Lords inside. Then, she led the group soaring toward the battlefield.

After boarding the treasure ship, Eldrin discovered it could transform into a streak of white light, instantly traversing hundreds of thousands of miles through the void as it journeyed toward the depths of the Extreme Northern Ice Plains at near-luminous speed.

This astonished Eldrin greatly, for the current speed was far too swift—likely dozens, if not hundreds, of times faster than the flight velocity of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Seeing this, Fairy Lingshu explained, "This is the Icesoul Rainbow Boat, 1 of the ultimate treasures of our Drifting Snow Palace."

It is a superior-grade pure yang spirit treasure, with a flight speed even swifter than that of a Demigod Ancestor. Among the pure yang treasure vessels of the Violet Realm, it ranks second.

Eldrin (Person Name) listened in silence, a faint trace of astonishment stirring within his heart.

The Palace of Drifting Snow truly lived up to its legacy as an ancient power that had once produced an immortal. Merely this single Ethereal Light Treasure was enough to reveal its astonishing, profound heritage.

With the cultivation base of the Palace Master of Drifting Snow, even if she could not match the Demigod Ancestor (Cultivation Realm), she should have been more than capable of protecting herself while wielding this spiritual treasure.

The Ice Soul Rainbow Boat moved with the speed of chasing stars and overtaking the moon, arriving at the ancient snowy domain deep within the arctic ice plains in no time.

At last, before a market town at the Heavenly Mountains of the extreme northern ice plains, the crowd descended from their treasure ark.

"So it was this place."

Eldrin halted in his tracks involuntarily. Exchanging glances with Lyra and Lila, he revealed a flicker of reminiscence in his expression.

Long ago, a millennium past, it was within the demonic realm at the northernmost edge of the Celestial Mountains that they found Lila (Person Name). It was also here that Lila (Person Name) achieved her breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm in a single, decisive ascent.

In the blink of an eye, 1 1000 years had passed. Their cultivation had already reached the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage. As they set foot once more upon this ancestral land of the Celestial Mountain, countless emotions welled up in their hearts.

"The Tian Shan Sea remains intact. It seems the Roc Demon Saint hasn't had time to launch an attack yet."

The Palace Master of Drifting Snow let out a sigh of relief, then addressed the crowd, "Let us ascend the Celestial Mountain."

"Very well."

The group soared up the Celestial Mountain and stepped into a spiritual mountain sanctuary, where they beheld 3 Primordial Spirit Dao Lords guarding the place.

These 3 Nascent Soul Dao Lords were all female cultivators. The leader, whose cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Nascent Soul stage, was none other than the Grand Elder of the Drifting Snow Palace—Xuanning (Person Name).

Xuanning Fairy cast a glance at Longhe Taoist before addressing the group, "Your arrival is most timely. Had you been but a moment later, the Kunpeng clan would likely have already descended."

The Palace Lord of Drifting Snow blinked slightly, then after a moment of contemplation, said, “Where have the demon tribes of the North Ming Sea reached?”

Xuan Ning Xianzi (Person Name) had clearly done her research, and spoke without hesitation: "They have already arrived tens of millions of li away. The Roc Demon Saint commands numerous high-grade battle vessels—they will likely reach the Ancient Snow Domain within 3 months."

"3 months." The Riverlong Daoist's gaze deepened slightly as he spoke directly, "With our strength, it is more than sufficient to deal with the Kunpeng demon tribe."

"Yet I worry about the demon tribes—those fiends from the Far North Ice Plains..."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned grave.

The common demon tribes of the Far North Ice Plains were of little concern, yet the power of the Primordial Ice Silkworm was far too formidable. Should it choose to intervene, it could very well overturn the entire situation.

Seeing this, the Palace Master of Drifting Snow shook her head and said, "That Primordial Ice Silkworm has lived through 7 or 8 lifetimes, yet it has never once clashed with us."

"At present, it remains in deep slumber and will most likely not intervene easily."

At this point, she paused briefly before continuing, "However, the Glacier Old Demon and the Snow Soul Old Demon would most likely not let such a golden opportunity slip by. We must remain vigilant and ensure someone holds the line against them."

Chapter 1 The biting northern wind swept across the mountain ridge, carrying with it flurries of snow that danced in the air. Lin Xuan stood at the edge of the cliff, his blue robe fluttering in the gusts. His gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, where the last rays of the setting sun painted the snow-capped peaks in hues of crimson and gold. "1 100 years," he murmured to himself, his breath forming mist in the frigid air. "1 100 years of cultivation, and I'm still trapped at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage." He reached into his robe and retrieved a small porcelain bottle. Carefully uncorking it, he poured out 3 shimmering pills—the last of his Foundation Building Pills. He had spent 32,000 spirit stones to acquire these from the auction house in Azure Cloud City, nearly depleting his entire savings. "Senior Brother Lin!" A clear voice called out from behind. Lin Xuan turned to see a young woman in white robes approaching, her steps light upon the snow-covered path. It was Ning Xue, the youngest disciple of their sect to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining. "The Grand Elder is requesting your presence at the Main Hall," she said, her eyes briefly glancing at the pills in his hand before meeting his gaze. "The Demon Suppression Expedition departs at dawn tomorrow. All core disciples above the fifth level of Qi Refining are required to participate." Lin Xuan nodded, storing the pills back in his spatial ring. "I'll be there shortly." As Ning Xue turned to leave, she paused. "The rumors are true, then? You've been stuck at the seventh level for over a decade?" "A dozen or so years," Lin Xuan corrected with a wry smile. "While you've advanced from the first to the ninth level in the same time. Quite the prodigy." Ning Xue's expression softened. "Cultivation isn't a race, Senior Brother. Your comprehension of the sword arts surpasses anyone in our generation." After she left, Lin Xuan drew the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss from its scabbard. The blade glowed with a faint crimson light, humming with spiritual energy. He recalled the day his master had bestowed this magic treasure upon him, back when he was still considered a rising star of the Frozen Cloud Sect. "Soon," he whispered to the sword, "we'll have our chance to shine again." Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light tore across the sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. The very mountain seemed to tremble as dark clouds gathered with unnatural speed, swirling into a massive vortex directly above him. "Heavenly Tribulation?" Lin Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief. "But I'm nowhere near the Foundation Establishment stage!" Before he could process what was happening, a searing pain erupted in his dantian. His spiritual roots, which had remained dormant for years, began to vibrate with unprecedented intensity. Countless memories that weren't his own flooded his consciousness—techniques and secrets from a bygone era when immortals still walked the earth. The first bolt of heavenly lightning descended, a pillar of pure energy that struck him directly. Instead of incinerating him, however, the energy was absorbed by his body, catalyzing the awakening of his latent powers. When the light finally faded, Lin Xuan found himself standing unharmed at the center of a charred circle. The snow around him had completely evaporated, but his robes remained untouched. More importantly, he could feel the barriers that had constrained his cultivation for over a decade shattering like glass. He had not only broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining but had directly advanced to the peak of the ninth level, just half a step away from Foundation Establishment. A slow smile spread across his face as he sheathed his sword. The Demon Suppression Expedition would prove far more interesting than he had anticipated.