Bing Long nodded and reached out, drawing the portrait toward her with a wave of her hand. Glancing at it, the person depicted appeared to be roughly twenty-five or twenty-six years old, his expression cold and resolute. His features were neither handsome nor ugly, and she couldn't discern anything particularly remarkable about him—yet the Huoyao Sect had apparently spared no effort in searching for him.
"Take a look, all of you." Bing Long tossed the portrait casually to another Elder. "Memorize this man's appearance. If we can find him, bring him back to Icebound Island. The Huoyao Sect was preparing to move against our Ice Heart Valley not long ago but suddenly delayed on account of this individual. It seems whatever he's involved in is no small matter—otherwise the Huoyao Sect wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Perhaps we can find a way out of our current crisis through this person."
"If that's the case, should we also be searching for him?" Ran Yunting asked.
Bing Long nodded. "Naturally we should, though there's no need to be overly deliberate about it. Once you return, please distribute copies of this portrait to the Disciples and have them keep an eye out whenever they're out and about."
"As you command! The Valley Master is wise!" the Elders responded in unison.
The portrait passed from Elder to Elder. All of them were powerhouses of the third-stage Void Return Realm, and their memories were naturally sharp. A single glance was enough to commit the face to memory.
Bing Long continued, "A few years ago, our Supreme Elder suffered a mishap during her Cultivation and has yet to recover. Have there been any leads on the medicinal ingredients we've been searching for?"
Upon hearing this, the dozen or so women present all shook their heads with somber expressions. One Elder said, "We've already purchased all the other ingredients at great expense, but that stalk of Precious Red Mystic Ginseng is truly rare. Perhaps... only Qianlei Mountain in the Huoyao Sect has one."
"Qianlei Mountain!" Bing Long's expression darkened. "That's a forbidden zone of the Huoyao Sect. Even within the Huoyao Sect itself, those with clearance to enter can be counted on one hand—let alone us. Send people to search more thoroughly. Regardless of the cost, it must be found."
"Understood!"
"Damn it!" Ran Yunting gritted her teeth. "If it weren't for the Supreme Elder's mishap a few years ago, how could the Huoyao Sect ever suppress our Ice Heart Valley? For ten thousand years, the two sects have been evenly matched, but this time..."
The other Elders wore equally indignant expressions.
"Grand Elder, watch your words. Are you suggesting the Supreme Elder shouldn't have been Cultivating?" Bing Long glared, her voice carrying a sharp note of authority.
Ran Yunting's delicate frame trembled slightly, and she hastened to reply, "I wouldn't dare. I absolutely did not mean that."
Bing Long's expression softened slightly as she nodded. "I know that's not what you meant, but this is a tribulation that has befallen our Ice Heart Valley. Even though the Supreme Elder is currently unable to act, it won't be easy for the Huoyao Sect to force us into submission. Hm—let's set that aside for now. There is another matter I'm quite curious about. Grand Elder, how is your Disciple doing these days?"
Ran Yunting smiled faintly. "She's doing well. She's already reached the first-stage Void Return Realm."
The moment these words left her lips, everyone in the room reacted with visible astonishment.
"She's already reached the first-stage Void Return Realm? That fast?"
"Her aptitude is that remarkable? When the Grand Elder brought her back, she was only at the third-stage Holy King Realm, wasn't she? How many years has it even been?"
"Even with abundant Cultivation resources, she shouldn't have progressed that quickly, should she?"
Bing Long appeared equally delighted, her pleasure plain to see. "Grand Elder, I've heard that your Disciple possesses the special physique known as the Ice Crystal Jade Body. Is that true?"
"Indeed!" Ran Yunting nodded. "Her physique is the Ice Crystal Jade Body, though it doesn't appear to be innate—it developed afterward. I don't know what fortuitous encounters she had before, but after Cultivating our Ice Heart Valley's secret techniques, her progress has been meteoric. To tell you the truth, Valley Master, she's not only at the first-stage Void Return Realm—she's already preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the second stage!"
Inside the Ice Palace, the Elders' expressions grew even more colorful, each one stunned beyond words.
Bing Long was elated as well. "Innate or acquired—it makes no difference. Her Ice Crystal Jade Body will be the key to our Ice Heart Valley's future. Heaven has not abandoned us! It seems highly likely that she'll one day achieve the same heights as our Supreme Elder. The future of our Ice Heart Valley may well rest in her hands."
Ran Yunting said modestly, "The Valley Master flatters her. The girl's cultivation is still low, and she'll need the Valley Master's continued guidance and support."
"Spare no expense in meeting her Cultivation needs!" Bing Long declared firmly.
"Understood!" Ran Yunting bowed respectfully.
"Grand Elder, I've heard that the reason the Huoyao Sect has been targeting our Ice Heart Valley this time is because of your Disciple?" someone asked with a light laugh.
"That's right, I've heard that too. Rumor has it that Wei Feng, the Sect Master's son of the Huoyao Sect, encountered the girl while out training, and became utterly infatuated with her. Afterward, he persuaded Wei Qing to come to our Ice Heart Valley and demand her!"
"I haven't seen the girl myself. It seems she's rarely gone out since arriving on Icebound Island—she's been in seclusion Cultivating the whole time."
"I've seen her once. She truly is breathtakingly beautiful. No wonder that little brat Wei Feng can't get her out of his head. If I were a man, I imagine I'd be equally enchanted."
The Elders burst into laughter, the atmosphere lightening considerably.
"It's all just rumors and speculation," Ran Yunting said with a bitter smile.
Bing Long said, "You're all Elders of our Ice Heart Valley—can't you see this is merely a pretext? The Huoyao Sect is simply using it as an excuse to pressure us, seizing the opportunity to probe the Supreme Elder's condition. The moment they confirm that she's truly injured, they'll likely make a major move. We can't keep this hidden for much longer."
"I'd like to see whether the Huoyao Sect's teeth are sharper, or our Ice Heart Valley's defenses are stronger!"
"They wouldn't dare launch a full-scale assault—unless they don't care about the lives of their own Disciples."