Chapter 163: The Fourteen-Day Cycle

Chi Qingyao and Chen Zuo sensed movement behind them and both turned to look.

"From Arhat Temple."

"Yang Ling is here too?"

Lin Caiyi and Jiang Tian'ai also saw Yang Ling, and a flash of surprise crossed their faces.

By now Yang Ling and the others had already arrived at the entrance to Calamity Valley and joined up with disciples from Nine Immortals Dao Palace and Extreme Flame Sword Manor.

A frozen sculpture crouched at the entrance.

It looked like a giant crab.

From a distance Yang Ling had thought it was some colossal living creature; only when he drew closer did he realize it was an ice sculpture.

"Chief Constable Yang, weren't you following the Fourth Prince? Why are you here with Monk Huikong?"

Chi Qingyao cast a glance at Huikong, Mian Zhengdong, and the others, finding it odd.

Yang Ling clasped his fists in salute and said solemnly,

"Two of you, there are Rong tribe spies infiltrating. The Fourth Prince specifically sent me to deliver this message."

With that, he briefly described the incident.

He recounted the Fourth Prince's ambush, the Divine Sect disciples' ambush, and the Arhat Temple disciples' ambush.

The disciples from Nine Immortals Dao Palace and Extreme Flame Sword Manor listened with eyes wide in disbelief.

They never expected so many incidents to occur on the Snowy Ice Plain in such a short time.

"Has Heavenly Wolf Guard gone mad? Don't they realize this could bring a catastrophe?"

Chi Qingyao's expression darkened.

"Looks like your team didn't run into Rong tribe spies?" Yang Ling asked.

Chen Zuo shook his head lightly, "Before we came we agreed to advance and retreat together, so we traveled together. Maybe because our numbers were larger, the Rong tribe spies found it harder to strike."

Yang Ling's understanding deepened. Combined, Nine Immortals Dao Palace and Extreme Flame Sword Manor had exactly fifty-eight Seventh-Rank disciples.

Only Lin Caiyi and Jiang Tian'ai were Eighth-Rank.

Based on his earlier assessment, even if the Rong tribe sent a few hundred spies, they would have split into squads of twenty or thirty, at most forty or fifty in a single group.

Facing a Seventh-Rank force of Nine Immortals Dao Palace and Extreme Flame Sword Manor, the spies would find it difficult to act.

"The Heavenly Wolf Guard's target might also be this Calamity Valley," Chen Zuo said, his gaze scanning around.

Everything was white here, making it hard to spot anything unusual.

"Forget the Heavenly Wolf Guard for now. We'll meet force with force, and respond to whatever comes. We can't enter Calamity Valley at the moment. We'll likely have to return the way we came."

Chi Qingyao frowned and looked toward the entrance.

Huikong asked curiously, "Why don't you just go in?"

"See that ice sculpture? I suspect it used to be alive, then got frozen here." Chi Qingyao pointed at the giant crab.

"Past reports indicate Calamity Valley lies very close to where the Water Qilin sleeps, so the temperature here is far lower than the Snowy Ice Plain."

"Back then, the experts who entered could use their vital qi to resist the cold, but over the years the valley's chill has deepened. Our vital qi may not be enough to withstand it."

Only then did the Arhat Temple people notice the valley's interior looked significantly colder than the outside.

Not only was there the giant crab ice sculpture,

there were sculptures of other huge creatures, as if they had been frozen in an instant.

"Is that not…"

Mian Zhengdong and the others' expressions changed when they saw ice sculptures of a massive sea lion and a gigantic lizard.

These two were certainly not the same ones they had seen earlier.

But their sizes were even larger than the previous ones!

Yang Ling involuntarily inhaled sharply and pointed at the two sculptures,

"The strange beasts we faced earlier were similar but a size smaller, and likely already at Sixth-Rank strength. These two frozen beasts are at least Sixth-Rank; if they couldn't withstand Calamity Valley's chill, then we certainly can't either."

As he spoke, a gust of wind seemed to blow out from the valley.

Everyone at the entrance shivered and immediately circulated energy, using vital qi to resist the cold.

Seeing this, Mian Zhengdong and the others took out portable charcoal and prepared to light fires to warm themselves, saving cultivation power.

"It appears Calamity Valley truly is unsuitable for Seventh-Rank folk like us to enter."

Huikong murmured.

"Let's check elsewhere first. Maybe we can find some rare herbs."

Chen Zuo suggested.

At that moment, figures suddenly appeared in the blowing snow from another direction.

The group watched warily, and after a short while their faces showed something strange.

"The Fourth Prince?"

The Fourth Prince was now leading Seventh-Rank Ironclad Department members and slowly approached the entrance. Seeing everyone present, a smile appeared on his face.

Yun Ruo and Li Huaiyi also saw Yang Ling, their expressions somewhat odd.

"Fourth Prince."

The martial artists all clasped their fists and bowed.

Yang Ling stepped forward first and recounted the encounters they had endured.

"The Heavenly Wolf Guard's Tong Jiu died at your hands? And there was a woman who might be Tong Wu or Tong Si?"

The Fourth Prince looked momentarily stunned, then couldn't help laughing aloud,

"Excellent, the Heavenly Wolf Guard suffered heavy losses this time. Their plans are ruined, hahaha!"

"Whoah—"

Li Huaiyi and the others gasped.

Gold, silver, and bronze agents are the Heavenly Wolf Guard's most elite scouts, the Ironclad Department always knew that.

For years the Ironclad Department had tried to uncover these gold-silver-bronze agents within Zhao State.

But these agents were extremely low-profile, their identities hidden with great skill.

After many years they had little success.

They never expected that on this Water Qilin Cave mission, a bronze-nine would fall to Yang Ling.

They could hardly imagine what kind of achievement that represented.

"That would mean Nangong Yue is likely Tong Si or Tong Wu."

"Two or three of those agents died at your hands, and another was routed by you…"

The Fourth Prince showed a look of admiration,

"Chief Constable Yang, for this merit alone, I believe you could sit in the provincial director post in the future."

A glint of something flickered in Yun Ruo's eyes.

The provincial director position is no small matter.

Across Zhao State's seven provincial capitals, each provincial director is a core cultivation target for the Ironclad Department.

Only by occupying such positions can one have the opportunity later to enter the Ironclad Department's central nexus!

The Fourth Prince's words hinted that Zhao State and the Ironclad Department would strongly support Yang Ling's advancement.

Li Shou, Lin Caiyi, and Jiang Tian'ai, the three players, appeared somewhat excited.

The higher Yang Ling's status in Zhao State, the more benefits for these players!

Mian Zhengdong also felt a secret pleasure: he and his companions had shared life and death with Chief Constable Yang, endured hardships together.

Once this was over, with a little favor-trading they could solidify ties with a friend likely to become powerful and influential!

"Everyone, how many days has it been since we entered?"

The Fourth Prince suddenly changed the subject.

Chi Qingyao thought for a moment, "It should be the fourth day."

"Very good. Three more days, and we will be able to enter Calamity Valley."

The Fourth Prince smiled.

At these words, Yang Ling and the others were surprised.

If Calamity Valley was so bitterly cold, how could they go in? What would happen in three days?

"The Water Qilin breathes in a fourteen-day cycle."

"The day the Water Qilin Cave opens is precisely when it exhales."

"At that time, Calamity Valley becomes unbearably frigid, enough to freeze a person's bones to dust."

"But once you wait until the eighth day, when it inhales, the valley's temperature will gradually rise until our cultivation can withstand it. Only then can we enter safely."

The Fourth Prince revealed a tremendously important piece of news.

Everyone was shocked and delighted—shocked that the Water Qilin's nature was so wondrous,

and delighted because they had a chance to enter Calamity Valley, possibly gaining an opportunity that comes once in a hundred years!