Chapter 567 : A Frozen Sanctuary Awaits

The two of them waited for three days within the Long River Sacred Land [a hallowed ground of immense spiritual power], finally reaching the appointed time for the Teleportation Formation [a mystical array capable of instantaneously transporting people across vast distances] to activate.

Eldrin Chen boarded the Teleportation Formation and observed that nearly two thousand cultivators were utilizing it this time. Most were Purple Mansion [the third major stage of cultivation, where one builds their spiritual foundation] and Golden Core Cultivator [the fourth major stage, where one condenses their spiritual energy into a solid Golden Core] realm experts, with a dozen or so Nascent Soul True Lord [the fifth major stage, where one nurtures a nascent spiritual infant] seated among them.

After exchanging brief acknowledgments with the dozen or so Nascent Soul True Lord, Eldrin Chen witnessed the Teleportation Formation erupt with a light of blinding, peerless brilliance.

Immediately, mountains and rivers seemed to spin, the stars themselves shifted, and in the space of a single breath, it was as if the entire world had been exchanged for another.

As Eldrin Chen stepped out from the Teleportation Formation, a wave of intensely frigid, ice-attribute spiritual energy washed over him, chilling him to his core.

Lifting his gaze, he beheld a world blanketed in pristine white snow. Between the towering, mist-wreathed mountains, numerous grand pavilions and towers stood, each exuding an aura of majestic and imposing grandeur.

"The Northernmost Holy Land, the Drifting Snow Palace,"

Lyra Jiang murmured softly, revealing the origin of this Sacred Land [a place of supreme spiritual significance and power].

The Extreme Northern Ice Plains [a vast, frozen continent at the northern edge of the known world] were home to two Human Race Sacred Lands. One was the Northern Plains Wang Immortal Clan [a powerful clan of immortal-blooded cultivators], and the other was this very Drifting Snow Palace.

The Drifting Snow Palace possessed an ancient and venerable legacy. It was the undisputed hegemon of the Extreme Northern Ice Plains, a single sect boasting a full five Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a title for the most powerful and accomplished cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm]. The Master of the Drifting Snow Palace was herself a Peerless Dao Lord [a supreme expert among Dao Lords] at the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the sixth and penultimate major stage of cultivation, focusing on refining one's spiritual essence], ranking her among the ten mightiest powerhouses of the entire Violet Realm Human Race [the collective human civilization of this vast world]. Support the author by reading on *audio-novel.com*.

This single lineage alone could rival more than half of the Human Race [the collective of human cultivators and mortals] within the Eastern Wastelands [a vast, desolate region in the eastern part of the continent], revealing the truly resplendent might of the Drifting Snow Palace [a powerful and ancient sect known for its ice and snow-based cultivation arts].

After finishing her account of the Drifting Snow Palace, Lyra Jiang's gaze turned slightly frosty as she continued, "As for the Wang Clan [a prominent cultivator family] of the Northern Wastes [a frigid and barren northern territory], they are far inferior to the Drifting Snow Palace."

Noticing the shift in Lyra Jiang's demeanor, Eldrin Chen could not help but ask, "You seem to harbor some resentment towards this Wang Clan."

"The previous Clan Lord [the ruling patriarch or matriarch of a cultivator clan] of the Wang Clan fell to the Demonic Path [the corrupt and power-hungry way of demonic cultivation]."

Lyra Jiang stated with icy clarity. During the last Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity where demonic forces surged from a chasm], she had been very young, so her understanding of many events was fragmented. Yet, certain pivotal memories remained etched with perfect clarity.

It turned out that this Wang Immortal Clan [an immortal-grade cultivator family, signifying great power and longevity] had, a Millennium [a period of one thousand years] ago, boasted two Primordial Spirit [Nascent Soul] realm experts. However, the clan lord of that era was seduced by an Extraterrestrial Demon God [a malevolent entity from beyond this world] and, in a single moment of corruption, embraced the Demonic Path.

After his fall, the Wang Clan Patriarch treacherously ambushed the Jiang Clan [the powerful immortal clan to which Lyra Jiang belongs] from behind. This betrayal was a key factor in the great defeat suffered by the Human Race during that Demonic Abyss Cataclysm.

In the fury of that final battle, Jiang the Demon-Slayer [a title for a mighty ancestor of the Jiang Clan] slew Morgrim Wang in righteous wrath. Yet, even this act could not reverse the crumbling tide of fate, and he ultimately perished, passing away seated in meditation amidst the cataclysm.

It could be said that the downfall of the Jiang Clan Immortal Clan was due, at least in part, to that treacherous strike from Morgrim Wang.

Following the demise of Morgrim Wang, the Wang Immortal Clan still had one Primordial Spirit, Early Stage Dao Lord [a title for a master of the Dao, typically at the Nascent Soul realm or above] holding their ground. Though their former, peerless majesty was diminished, they remained a glorious Dao Lord Sacred Land [a territory ruled and protected by a Dao Lord].

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy, and he could not suppress the chill in his voice as he said, "Since the Wang Clan Patriarch fell to demonic cultivation, leading to the collapse of the great calamity back then, does that mean he faces no consequences now?"

"What consequences could there be?"

Lyra Jiang shook her head, her eyes glinting with cold light. "The other members of the Wang Immortal Clan did not succumb to demonic ways. Furthermore, they are guarded by one of this world's most powerful Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a supreme cultivator who has formed their Nascent Soul and comprehended a Great Dao]. It is not so simple to demand accountability."

"Moreover," she continued, "the hundreds of millions of the Human Race dwelling upon the Extreme Northern Ice Plains still require the Wang Immortal Clan to stand guard over them."

As her words unfolded, a tremor passed through Eldrin Chen's heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.

The environment of the Extreme Northern Ice Plains was harsh. Although the premier Sacred Land [a place of immense spiritual power and significance], the Drifting Snow Palace, stood as its bulwark, the pressure it faced was immense.

Deep within those frozen wastes dwelled a Primordial Ice Silkworm Demon Progenitor [an ancient, monstrous progenitor of demonic beasts] that had lived for tens of thousands of years. Its bloodline was no weaker than that of the Nine Heavens Immortal Demons [a race of powerful celestial demons], and its strength ranked among the top ten in this world.

The depths of the Northern Wastes also harbored two powerful Nascent Soul Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a Nascent Soul through demonic methods]: Snow Soul Elder Demon and Glacier Elder Demon.

If that were all, it might be manageable. Yet, at the very edge of the Extreme Northern Ice Plains, within the Northern Abyssal Sea, lay the sole great domain in this world occupied by the Demonic Tribe [a collective term for demonic races and cultivators].

The Roc Clan held dominion over the Northern Abyssal Sea. This single lineage boasted six Nascent Soul Demon Progenitor [demonic beast progenitors with Nascent Soul cultivation]: three Kun-fish, two Peng-birds, and one mighty Roc. Their supreme leader, known as Peng the Roc Demon Sage, ranked among the top three most powerful Demon Progenitor [ancient, progenitor-level demonic beings] in this world.

The Roc Lineage launches a war against the Extreme Northern Ice Plains every Millennium, seeking to seize that vast and frigid territory for themselves.

Even the mighty Drifting Snow Palace feels immense pressure facing the Northern Abyssal Sea, not to mention the watchful eyes of the Primordial Ice Silkworm and the Snow Soul Glacier Demons. Naturally, they do not wish to see the Wang Immortal Clan fall.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly. The environment of the Northern Wastes is too harsh; mortals struggle to thrive and multiply there. The number of cultivators has always been low, and consequently, the probability of a Dao Lord emerging is naturally diminished.

It is only because the Drifting Snow Palace possesses an ancient, unbroken lineage and has never suffered a truly catastrophic blow, maintaining an exceptionally profound Deep-Seated Foundation, that the Northern Wastes can boast six Dao Lord standing guard. Otherwise, it likely would not.

If the Northern Wastes were to become like the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, with only two or three Nascent Soul Dao Lord holding the line, they would most likely be unable to withstand the Roc Clan.

Suppressing these thoughts, Eldrin Chen spoke, "Dwelling on this now is pointless. Our duty is to cultivate diligently. If we can one day ascend to immortality, suppressing mere Roc will be trivial, and we can naturally settle the old karmic debt with the Wang Clan." Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio~novel.com.

"Mm." Lyra Jiang nodded, then said, "Speaking of which, the matter with the Wang Clan is not entirely unresolved. That lineage still owes my Jiang Clan two Nascent Soul Pill. We shall see how they conduct themselves in the future."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen did not rejoice but instead grew solemn. "In that case, when we travel to the lands of the Frozen Wastes, you must not reveal your surname."

"Mm." Lyra Jiang understood immediately. "Do not worry. I was very young then. Not only would the Wang Immortal Clan fail to recognize me, but even in the entire Eastern Sea, there are likely no more than three to five people still alive today who could."

Hearing her assurance, Eldrin Chen relaxed slightly and smiled. "Then let us first investigate and discover where Lila is."

Eldrin Chen produced a Fourth Rank Soul-Tracking Token and began channeling his spiritual energy into it, attempting to sense Lila's location.

After a moment, Eldrin Chen stored the Soul-Tracking Token away once more, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "The distance is far too great; I could not sense her position."

This type of Fourth Rank Soul-Tracking Token consisted of several linked pieces—a master token and subordinate tokens—that could vaguely sense each other's locations. However, once the distance exceeded ten million Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], it became useless.

Since Lila's location could not be sensed now, she was undoubtedly far beyond that ten-million-Li threshold, making it impossible to pinpoint her whereabouts with confidence.

Faced with this reality, Lyra Jiang let out a sigh upon hearing his words. "It seems we must seek out Frost Lily, the Immortal Maiden after all," she could only say.

"Indeed. Let us pay her a visit."

The two ascended to the Drifting Snow Palace, then presented their visiting card along with the letter of introduction from Jaxian Huan.

The Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a solidified Golden Core, a major milestone] responsible for receiving guests examined the card and glanced at the seal of Dao Patterns [mystical sigils containing profound principles of the Dao] upon the letter. A smile touched his lips. "So you are esteemed seniors from the Long River Sacred Land. Please wait a moment. I shall inform the Ancient Ancestor immediately."

The Golden Core Cultivator departed swiftly and returned not long after. "Esteemed seniors, please follow me," he said.

"We are obliged."

Following the Golden Core Female Cultivator [a female cultivator who has attained the Golden Core realm, the third major stage of cultivation], the two men soared across the sky. In a matter of moments, they had descended before the entrance to a vast and imposing hall. Published by audio–novel.com. All rights reserved.