Chapter 307: Refining the Earth Vein Spirit Fire, Bitter Battle Outcome (Two-in-One) (Part 1)

Chapter 307: Refining the Earth Vein Spirit Fire, Bitter Battle Outcome (Two-in-One) (Part 1)





"There are higher-ranked beasts in this valley. Let's get out of here quickly."

Without paying any heed to the others' expressions, Chu Ning said and immediately flew out of the mountains.

Chang Ling Shan was the first to follow Chu Ning, and Wu Rongfeng turned back to glance at the direction of Snow Mist Valley, her eyes revealing a hint of reluctance.

In the end, she gritted her teeth and quickly followed suit.

Seeing the decisiveness of the two, several others promptly joined them.

However, some of the Golden Core cultivators hesitated.

"All the sixth-rank beasts have been killed, and the seventh-rank beasts are most likely held back by the later Golden Core cultivators.

There are so many beast and cultivator corpses at the valley entrance. Are there any fellow cultivators who would like to help clean up?"

At this moment, a tall and thin middle-aged cultivator took the lead and spoke up.

As soon as he opened his mouth, several cultivators were tempted.

But one of them still hesitated and asked, "What if we go back, and the seventh-rank beasts rush out?"

"What a coincidence. We've been fighting here for so long, and we haven't seen a single seventh-rank beast appear," the tall and thin cultivator waved his hand.

"Those Golden Core later-stage cultivators must be deep in the valley, fighting those seventh-rank beasts.

With so many Golden Core later-stage cultivators, and even more at the peak of the Golden Core later stage, they should be able to handle it even if several seventh-rank beasts entered the valley."

Hearing the tall and thin middle-aged cultivator's words, one of them immediately shouted, "What are we waiting for? Let's go! We risk our lives for wealth, and it's worth taking this risk."

Immediately, seven people turned back and flew into the passage of Snow Mist Valley.

As for the rest, after a moment of hesitation, they eventually followed Chu Ning and the others from a distance.

How could they not know that there were many treasures on the corpses of the cultivators and beasts at the valley entrance?

However, the strange events that had occurred today had already made most cultivators extremely vigilant.

Having barely escaped the valley, not many dared to turn back.

Flying at the forefront, Chu Ning naturally heard the conversations behind him but had no intention of stopping them.

He didn't even show the slightest emotional fluctuation.

His face remained calm as he continued flying forward.

The only interaction he had with these people was the brief moment of fighting side by side at the valley entrance.

If they wanted to turn back and seek death, who could stop them?

The original group of more than twenty cultivators was now left with only eighteen after seven had left.

Even so, they still stood out prominently outside the Snow Mist Valley.

Therefore, on their journey, no low-ranked beast with common sense would dare to provoke them.

As they flew past, the third- and fourth-rank beasts tucked their tails and avoided them, fearing they would become targets.

As for the occasional one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators, upon seeing this group of over ten Golden Core cultivators, their faces would drastically change, and they would quickly leave the Snow Peak Mountain Range.

Arriving outside the Ice Island Immortal City, most of the group finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Especially Chu Ning, who knew about the eighth-rank grand beast in the rear, felt his tense heart relax.

The Ice Island Immortal City was established by three palace masters of Chang Kong Hall, but the city did not only house these three Nascent Soul cultivators.

Even within the Chang Kong Hall, there were quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators who had shown themselves, not to mention other loose cultivators.

With so many Nascent Soul cultivators, those few grand beasts wouldn't dare to be rampant, even if they were fearless.

The group landed outside the city and proceeded toward the entrance.

At this moment, a Golden Core cultivator was welcoming them with a smile.

It was Tang Jinchuan, the other manager of Frost Moon Pavilion, besides Wu Lingwei.

He saw that everyone was following Chu Ning, apparently regarding Chu Ning as their leader, and his eyes showed surprise, but he still smiled and approached them.

"Fellow cultivators, are you coming from Snow Mist Valley? You are the first group to come out of the valley this time.

You must have made quite a harvest. May I ask if you fellow cultivators are willing to visit Frost Moon Pavilion for a chat?"

Chu Ning was slightly surprised to see Tang Jinchuan trying to solicit their business.

His gaze involuntarily shifted to Chang Ling Shan.

"Chu fellow cultivator, Frost Moon Pavilion has always been like this. The cultivators who enter Snow Mist Valley are not only those who reside in Ice Island Immortal City.

Therefore, every time the Snow Mist Valley is about to close, someone from Frost Moon Pavilion will come here to invite cultivators to the pavilion for transactions."

Chu Ning nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

The others saw that Chu Ning didn't speak, so they remained silent as well.

In the cultivation world, strength determined one's status.

And Chu Ning's capabilities and strength had already been witnessed by everyone present at the entrance of Snow Mist Valley.

Tang Jinchuan saw that everyone's gaze was on Chu Ning, and he was surprised once again. He turned to Chu Ning and asked with a smile, "Fellow cultivator Chu..."

"Fellow cultivator Tang, something has happened!" Chu Ning interrupted him before he could finish and quickly continued, "The sea beast clan has joined forces with the beasts in Snow Peak Mountain Range and ambushed the cultivators in Snow Mist Valley.

This time, we cultivators have suffered heavy losses. It is possible that only we, a dozen or so, are the remaining Golden Core cultivators below the mid-stage."

Hearing Chu Ning's words, Tang Jinchuan's face was filled with astonishment and doubt.

"What do you mean? There were one or two hundred Golden Core cultivators at the mid-stage and below this time, including Foundation Establishment cultivators. There should be several thousand, right?"

Before returning, Chu Ning had learned from Chang Ling Shan that they had also heard Wu Lingwei's shout. Thus, he saw no reason to hide the truth and candidly shared what he had heard with Tang Jinchuan.

Tang Jinchuan's face paled once more as he listened to Chu Ning's words. He didn't bother to continue the conversation and instead flew off directly toward the upper city, heading straight for the Chang Kong Hall.

The prohibition on flying within Ice Island Immortal City seemed to no longer apply in the face of recent events.

Soon after Tang Jinchuan entered the upper city, two formidable auras soared into the sky from the Chang Kong Hall, rushing toward the Snow Mist Valley deep within the Snow Peak Mountain Range.

"Nascent Soul cultivators are on the move. Those beasts are in for a tough fight now," remarked the group, who had just entered the city, as they looked up at the two departing figures.

Unknowingly, their faces reflected their awe and anxiety.

Only Chu Ning knew that even Nascent Soul cultivators didn't hold a distinct advantage against those beasts.

"There were four eighth-rank grand beasts in the valley earlier. I wonder how the situation has evolved by now. There's still more than a day before the blizzard returns to the valley. I'm not sure how many people these two Nascent Soul cultivators will be able to save if they enter the valley."

"Fellow cultivator Chu!"

As Chu Ning was deep in thought, a female cultivator in her thirties, wearing the robe of Shen Yin Valley, addressed him. With a petite build and an air of delicate beauty, she gave off a sense of fragility that evoked a protective instinct.

"I'm Meng Ling from Shen Yin Valley. I owe you a debt of gratitude for your help in escaping the valley safely. Our sect suffered significant losses in the unexpected events within Snow Mist Valley, and I must report this to our seniors immediately. Words cannot express my gratitude, but I hope to repay you in the future. Farewell, and if you ever visit Han Yun Continent, please let me know so I can return your kindness." Meng Ling bowed slightly, her face filled with sincerity.

Chu Ning returned the bow with a smile. "You're too kind, fellow cultivator. I merely did what I could to help. We were all in this together, facing the enemy."

Meng Ling added a few more polite words before bidding farewell and heading toward the city's teleportation formation.

Several other cultivators thanked Chu Ning and took their leave as well.

Among them was someone from the Huan Ling Sect, and their words of gratitude left Chu Ning with a peculiar feeling. If this member of the Huan Ling Sect knew about his connection to their sect, they would likely despise him.

In the blink of an eye, their group of eighteen had dwindled to just five.

Those who remained in Ice Island Immortal City, aside from Chang Ling Shan and Wu Rongfeng, were two other loose cultivators from the city whom Chu Ning had met a couple of times but wasn't very familiar with.

The five of them entered the upper city, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then the two loose cultivators took their leave.

At this point, Chu Ning hesitated before asking, "What about fellow cultivators Han Shihong and He Yongzhi? I haven't seen them..."

Hearing Chu Ning's question, Wu Rongfeng's face turned somber. "In the valley, we were held back by two sixth-rank beasts. Brother He stayed behind to cover my escape. I fought at the valley entrance for so long, yet I never saw him come out. I fear the worst has happened to him."

Hearing Wu Rongfeng's words, Chu Ning sighed softly. He knew that the chances of He Yongzhi's survival were slim. Still, he offered what comfort he could. "Fellow cultivator Wu, don't lose hope yet. There are other Golden Core cultivators at the later stages and even at the peak of the later stage who are still in the valley. He Yongzhi might have a chance if he encountered them."

Wu Rongfeng nodded slightly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I can only hope for the best."

Chang Ling Shan added, "Brother Han and I got separated while searching for treasures, and I haven't seen him since. I don't know if he's still in the valley or if something unfortunate happened to him."

Chang Ling Shan sighed. "This trip to the valley has been full of surprises. We didn't find many treasures, and we even lost quite a few things. Our lives were almost forfeit. However, the beasts' attack on the cultivators in the valley is unprecedented in the North Cold Land. I'm sure the major sects will take action."

The three of them lamented the situation before Wu Rongfeng thanked Chu Ning again and they all returned to their respective caves.

Chu Ning declined Chang Ling Shan's invitation to his cave, citing the need to heal his injuries as an excuse.

Back in his cave, Chu Ning heaved a long sigh of relief. "That trip to Snow Mist Valley was truly perilous. I'm fortunate not to have been caught up in the battle between the beasts and the cultivators, or my fate might have been uncertain."

After his musings, Chu Ning planted the Snow Crystal Herb as usual. He then released the Golden Ray Eagle and Ling Xiao Bai, placing them back in the Spirit Beast Room.

"It seems like Xiao Bai is about to complete his advancement." Chu Ning's eyes curved with a smile, and his smile deepened as he returned to his cultivation room.

Indeed, this trip had been fraught with danger, but Chu Ning's gains were substantial.

He casually set up a barrier and took out a pile of items from his storage bag—various spirit herbs and high-quality materials he had collected along the way, totaling several dozen types, some in considerable quantities.

Chu Ning sorted through them before storing them away.

"The material for refining the Golden Spirit Sword, I've finally gathered it all!"

A smile played on Chu Ning's face as his gaze shifted to a ball of light with four distinct colors.

It was the Earth Vein Spirit Fire that he had sealed away.

"Before refining the Golden Spirit Sword, I can try refining this Spirit Fire first.

If successful, I can not only obtain the Black Mysterious Gold, but the entire process of refining the Golden Spirit Sword will be much easier."

Murmuring to himself, his eyes finally rested on the jade box with the talisman pasted on it.

"Spirit Illuminating Fruit!"

If the Nine Ceremonial Gold was a necessity and the Earth Vein Spirit Fire an unexpected delight, then the Spirit Illuminating Fruit was truly a windfall.

Chu Ning never expected to obtain such a treasure right before leaving the valley.

"However, according to what that Black Sha Old Demon said, the Spirit Infant form of this fruit is immature.

It seems that I'll have to wait for it to mature before consuming it.

I wonder what this Spirit Fruit will be like when it's ripe?"

Chu Ning muttered, intending to take the jade box and plant the fruit outside immediately.

With his previous experience of planting the Snow Crystal Herb, he believed that the Spirit Illuminating Fruit wouldn't try to escape.

But after some thought, he decided against it.

"I should go out and investigate the situation over the next couple of days to see what the final outcome in the valley was.

As for the Earth Vein Spirit Fire, I can try refining it now."

With that in mind, Chu Ning put the Spirit Illuminating Fruit and the Nine Ceremonial Gold back into his storage bag.

He kept only the Earth Vein Spirit Fire and a not-so-large storage bag.

It was the one that had fallen from Dan Tai Song's body.

Opening the bag, he found only two items inside: a small, yellow jade slip and a cyan-white jade bead that exuded a chilling aura.

Chu Ning couldn't identify the cyan-white jade bead, but the yellow jade slip caught his attention, a glint of recognition flashing in his eyes.

The slip was simple and rustic, and its aura felt somewhat familiar to him.

It resembled the ancient little seal in a few ways.

Immediately, Chu Ning probed it with his spiritual sense.

"Yellow Courtyard Seal!"

Upon seeing the contents recorded on the jade slip, a smile appeared on Chu Ning's face.

Indeed, the slip contained the method for using something called the Yellow Courtyard Seal.

"Dan Tai Song actually left a special mark on this seal, allowing it to be sensed through a secret technique."

After reading the entire slip, Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He couldn't help but feel relieved that he had prepared some special storage bags in advance.

Otherwise, in the depths of Snow Mist Valley, with both of them so close to each other, there was a chance that Dan Tai Song could have sensed the location of the Yellow Courtyard Seal.

Chu Ning took out the seal and, following the method recorded on the jade slip, he soon sensed a mark of spiritual power.

Because this mark was created using the special secret technique associated with the Yellow Courtyard Seal, even with Chu Ning's cultivation, it wouldn't be easy to erase Dan Tai Song's mark.

"It's uncertain if Dan Tai Song survived in Snow Mist Valley, but if he did and came to Iceland Immortal City, and if he happened to use that special secret technique...

Now that I've taken it out to study, as long as that mark hasn't been erased, there's a chance he might sense the location of this item."

A thought flashed through his mind, and Chu Ning immediately stored the Yellow Courtyard Seal and the jade slip into his specially crafted storage bag.

Since Dan Tai Song hadn't been able to sense it in Snow Mist Valley, he shouldn't be able to do so now, in theory.

He would leave the task of erasing the mark for later, after he had completely mastered the method recorded on the jade slip and when it was safer to do so.

The harvest of this trip was far from over.

In one of Chu Ning's storage bags, there were nearly twenty demon beast corpses.

Some of them were killed along the way, but most were slain at the valley entrance.

These demon beasts were different from the ones Chu Ning had hunted on the sea island.

Back then, he didn't want to attract trouble, so he had turned them into various materials.

Now, he could openly sell these demon beasts at Frost Moon Pavilion.

After all, many people had seen him killing the beasts, so there was no point in trying to hide it.

Selling the whole corpses would fetch a better price, so Chu Ning wasn't in a hurry to process them.

His eyes fixed on the sealed Earth Vein Spirit Fire.

At this moment, it was the only thing he could deal with.

Chu Ning floated the sealed Earth Vein Spirit Fire in front of him, his hands constantly forming intricate hand seals.

His mouth uttered various abstruse and obscure incantations.

Soon, a radiant talisman with flickering light took shape in front of Chu Ning.

He then spat out a mouthful of essence blood, infusing it into the talisman.

Instantly, the talisman shone with a mixture of light and sanguine hues.

"Condense!"

Chu Ning pointed, and the talisman landed on the Spirit Fire.

He quickly followed up with a series of intricate hand seals, one after another.

Before long, the originally bowl-sized four-colored sealing light cluster began to shrink.

It transformed into a four-colored light bead, only half the size of an egg.

At this moment, a hint of gravity flashed in Chu Ning's eyes, and after a slight hesitation, he finally opened his mouth and swallowed the sealing light cluster.

Sensing the four-colored light bead, which was the sealed Earth Vein Spirit Fire, inside his body without any abnormalities, Chu Ning didn't relax at all.

He knew that the truly dangerous moment was yet to come.

Controlling the four-colored light bead to open a tiny slit, a violent fire-attributed aura immediately surged throughout Chu Ning's body.

He quickly wrapped the overflowing essence fire and resealed the tiny opening that had once again closed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end