Chapter 25: Attacked By A Demonic Cultivator

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Attacked By A Demonic Cultivator

At the same time, in the Northern Region, a group of disciples had gathered to discuss their next course of action.

"This is where the Soul Bell is sealed. From our current location, it shouldn’t be too far." The speaker paused, his eyes fixed on the raging snowstorm that stretched across the center of the Northern Region’s Snow Desert. "However, our biggest obstacle is getting through that."

The speaker was Fu Qiongran, the third disciple of Sword Venerable Yuxin and the leader of this expedition. Among everyone present, his cultivation was the highest, having already reached the peak of Golden Core Realm, just a few steps away from Nascent Soul.

Beside him stood his fellow disciples under the same master: the fifth disciple, Xu Feng; the sixth disciple, Han Mo; and the youngest, the ninth disciple, Yizhou. All three had already stepped into the Golden Core Realm.

Aside from them, several disciples from the other peaks had also joined the mission. Though they came from different factions within the sect, they all shared the same objective—to retrieve the sealed Soul Bell before it fell into the wrong hands.

"It won’t be an easy journey," Fu Qiongran continued, his expression turning solemn. "If anyone feels they won’t be able to withstand the storm, you may remain here and guard the perimeter. Once we enter the sealing grounds, we’ll have enough trouble protecting ourselves, let alone others."

Silence followed his words and no one stepped forward.

For cultivators, admitting they lacked the strength to continue was a heavy blow to one’s pride. Since no one intended to withdraw, Fu Qiongran gave a slight nod before explaining the plan in greater detail.

"Once we reach the sealing formation, the four of us will work together to break it." His gaze swept over Xu Feng, Han Mo, and Yizhou before continuing. "I’ll take the north, Fifth Brother the west, Sixth Brother the south, and Ninth Brother the east. The four formation nodes must be broken simultaneously. The moment the seal is lifted, the rest of you are to enter immediately and retrieve the Soul Bell. Do not linger. Is that understood?"

"Understood!" the disciples answered in unison.

Satisfied, Fu Qiongran gave the order to move.

One after another, the disciples circulated their spiritual energy, erecting protective barriers around their bodies. Brilliant layers of spiritual light flickered into existence, shielding them from the biting cold as they stepped into the howling snowstorm.

The fierce winds roared like countless blades, swallowing the figures of the disciples as they advanced deeper into the white expanse.

When they reached the designated location, the four disciples of Sword Venerable Yuxin immediately took their assigned positions around the sealing formation.

Each of them held a Voice Transmission Talisman in hand, allowing them to coordinate the exact moment the seal would be broken.

The plan was simple. Once the talisman glowed three times, they would release their spiritual qi simultaneously.

Yizhou formed a series of hand seals while quietly chanting an incantation. Spiritual qi surged from his fingertips and flowed into the formation beneath his feet. Almost immediately, the earth began to tremble, followed by a deep rumble that echoed beneath the frozen ground.

The seal had begun to break.

The Voice Transmission Talisman in Yizhou’s hand suddenly lit up, and Fu Qiongran’s calm voice rang out.

"Go. Time is limited."

Without hesitation, the waiting disciples rushed into the center of the formation, preparing to retrieve the Soul Bell.

However—

Boom!

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the middle of the sealing grounds.

The disciples’ expressions changed drastically.

Before anyone could react, the Voice Transmission Talisman flickered violently. A ragged, panicked voice came through the connection.

"Not good! There’s a high-level demonic cultivator here! We’ve been ambushed—the Soul Bell has already been taken! Retreat! Everyone run—!"

The transmission was then abruptly cut off.

Before Yizhou could process the news, another explosion echoed from a different direction.

Then another.

And another.

The entire ground descended into chaos.

The violent blasts caused the already unstable glacier beneath their feet to collapse. Cracks rapidly spread across the frozen earth as the surrounding snow began to slide, quickly turning into a terrifying avalanche.

Yizhou steadied himself with his spiritual qi, but before he could retreat, the ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way.

His foot stepped into empty air and a hidden cavern had opened beneath the collapsing ice.

His body plunged downward uncontrollably, disappearing into the darkness below as the roaring avalanche sealed the entrance behind him.

—

When Yizhou regained consciousness, he found himself inside an unfamiliar cave. The surroundings were covered in crystal-like ice stones, their translucent surfaces reflecting the figure of his battered appearance.

Unlike ordinary caves, this place was not dark. The ice itself emitted a faint glow, causing the entire cavern to be illuminated by a cold, bluish light.

He slowly pushed himself to his feet and looked upward. Far above him was the opening through which he had fallen. Although it was several dozen meters high, it was not beyond his ability to reach. Under normal circumstances, he could have flown out with a single burst of spiritual qi.

However, the moment he circulated his spiritual qi, his expression changed.

The qi he had just gathered rapidly dispersed, as though an invisible force was draining it away.

Yizhou frowned and tried again, this time activating a flying artifact from his storage ring. Yet before the artifact could fully activate, the spiritual qi fueling it vanished just as quickly, causing it to dim and fall back into his hand.

After testing it a few more times, Yizhou confirmed his suspicion. It wasn’t his cultivation that had been sealed—rather, something inside the cave was constantly absorbing spiritual qi. Any attempt to use techniques or artifacts would only accelerate the loss of his energy.

It seemed this place had some kind of restriction that absorbed spiritual energy. Continuing to waste his qi would only put him at a greater disadvantage.

He looked around the cave once more before turning his gaze toward the path extending deeper inside. The passage was covered with the same glowing ice stones, leading further into the unknown.

After a moment of consideration, Yizhou decided to move forward.

If he stayed in this place, he would only remain trapped. Since he could not leave through the entrance above, his only choice was to explore deeper into the cave and search for another way out.

After walking deeper into the cave for some time, Yizhou gradually realized that even when he wasn’t intentionally circulating his spiritual qi, the strange force inside the cave was still slowly draining his energy.

The closer he got to the depths of the cave, the stronger this feeling became.

Soon, the passage opened into a much larger area.

In front of him was an icy lake.

It was a strange sight. The entire cave was covered in layers of frost and crystal-like ice, yet the water in the lake remained completely liquid, unaffected by the freezing temperature surrounding it.

Looking at the lake, Yizhou’s thoughts unconsciously drifted back to Sui Sui’s words.

"In the Northern Region, there is a hidden cave. Inside that cave is a lake that never freezes. At the deepest part of the lake, there is an Ice Elemental Spirit."

Could it really be true?

It was hard to believe.

The location of this cave was not recorded on the map his master had provided them, nor had anyone mentioned its existence during their preparation for this mission.

How could something hidden even from their investigation appear in a book that Sui Sui had casually read?

However, as he looked at the scene before him, Yizhou couldn’t help but believe half of Sui Sui’s words.

The description matched his current situation too closely.

Not only that, but the Heart Gu within Sui Sui had shown no reaction when he mentioned the cave and the Ice Elemental Spirit. If Sui Sui had been intentionally trying to deceive him or harm him, the Gu would have detected his malicious intent.

Which meant that his words were most likely genuine.

The only problem now was the strange force within the lake.

Yizhou could clearly sense that the source of the spiritual qi absorption was coming from inside the water. However, he still had no way of knowing what was waiting beneath the surface.

If he entered rashly, he wasn’t completely confident that he could handle whatever was inside.

But staying here would not solve anything either.

In fact, waiting would only put him at a greater disadvantage. The longer he remained in this cave, the more spiritual qi he would lose. If he entered the lake after his strength had already been weakened, his chances of success would only decrease.

Since he was still at his strongest state, confronting the unknown now was the better choice.

After making his decision, Yizhou took a deep breath and prepared himself.

The next moment—

Splash!