The virus was brutal — over the past few days, little Mo's entire family, humans and dog alike, had all fallen ill. Readers, please remember to keep warm.
……
Half of the entire Northern Region was blanketed in ice and snow, though not all of it. Still, Ice Heart Valley's legacy was built upon ice-type Cultivation techniques, so when Bing Yun first established the sect, she had naturally chosen a place of bitter cold.
Little Ling'er had only recently begun Cultivating. She was still young, her strength meager, so it was only natural that she felt the chill.
"Young Master Yang…" Elder Ban said from the side, his voice uneasy. "Can that little girl really be accepted into Ice Heart Valley?"
Although he had gathered that Yang Kai's relationship with Ice Heart Valley was far from ordinary — otherwise he wouldn't have been able to teleport straight into the valley through a spatial formation — this matter concerned little Ling'er's future, and as they say, anxiety born of caring only makes one more reckless.
"Rest assured, being accepted into Ice Heart Valley is no problem at all. As for how much she'll accomplish in the future, that depends on her own effort and fortune," Yang Kai said with a gentle smile.
"I don't ask for great things — only that the girl lives a safe and peaceful life," Elder Ban sighed with genuine feeling. Having received Yang Kai's assurance, he felt a wave of relief wash over him.
Back in Wasteland City, that lawless place teeming with every sort of scoundrel and rogue, Elder Ban had lived with constant worry every time he led someone through the ancient passage into the wasteland. But without that work, the two of them — grandfather and granddaughter — had no way to get by.
Now, everything was different. As long as little Ling'er could be accepted into Ice Heart Valley, he would never have to live that nerve-wracking life again.
"Not far outside Ice Heart Valley sits Ice Wheel City — it's one of the valley's properties…"
Since they were simply waiting for the battle to end anyway, Yang Kai chatted casually with Elder Ban, filling him in on the situation around Ice Heart Valley. When Elder Ban learned that Ice Wheel City really was close at hand, his old heart swelled with joy.
In that case, if little Ling'er ever missed him, or if he wished to see her, it wouldn't be much trouble at all. All he needed to do was find a livelihood in Ice Wheel City to support himself, and he wouldn't need to worry about little Ling'er's side of things in the slightest.
As the two of them talked, the commotion outside grew quieter and quieter, until at last no sounds of fighting could be heard — only the joyful cries of women echoing across the surrounding wilderness.
Clearly, Ice Heart Valley had won a crushing victory. That was why its disciples were so elated.
Seven thousand against a hundred thousand. And they had won in the end. It was nothing short of a miracle.
Bzzzzzzz…
A series of strange buzzing sounds came from all directions. Moments later, clouds of pitch-black insects surged from various points throughout Ice Heart Valley and streamed onto the small island in the middle of the frozen lake.
Yang Kai produced the Insect Slave Bracelet without hesitation and collected the Soul-Devouring Demonic Insects within it.
The insects had played no small part in today's battle. Long before Yang Kai had returned to Ice Heart Valley, he had released every last one of them, ordering them to slaughter the enemy.
Though the Soul-Devouring Demonic Insects were no longer strong enough to help Yang Kai deal with the most intense, high-level combat, they were perfectly suited for large-scale slaughter of this nature.
Without a single Emperor Realm cultivator to anchor the hundred-thousand-strong army, no one could have stopped the Soul-Devouring Demonic Insects' advance. Wherever the insect clouds passed, the forces gathered by the Questioning Heart Sect fell like stalks of wheat.
For slaughter, there were the Soul-Devouring Demonic Insects. For defense, the Black Tortoise Seven Stages Formation. And with Ice Heart Valley's Emperor Realm cultivators and the three Demon Kings joining the fray, victory for Ice Heart Valley was nothing more than a foregone conclusion.
"Young Master Yang! Young Master Yang!"
Just then, a voice called out from nearby.
"Young Master Yang, someone is looking for you," Elder Ban said, glancing toward the source of the voice.
"Pay him no mind." Yang Kai curled his lips and continued chatting with Elder Ban.
Elder Ban, ever observant, could tell that Yang Kai wanted nothing to do with whoever was approaching, but he had the good sense not to press the matter.
A short while later, Nanmen Dajun finally spotted Yang Kai's figure. His face lit up with delight, and he hurried over, cupping his fists. "Young Master Yang, so this is where you are."
It was only thanks to Yang Kai having casually cut down a few enemies along his way that several Ice Heart Valley female disciples had caught sight of his trail. Otherwise, Nanmen Dajun might never have found this place. He had questioned quite a few people before finally following the clues to this spot, and upon confirming that Yang Kai was indeed here, his heart surged with joy.
This was the former Frozen Lake forbidden ground — a secluded spot that most people would never discover.
Nanmen Dajun's previous demeanor of barely concealed irritation had completely vanished, replaced by a posture of humble respect and an obsequious smile. If anyone who didn't know the full story had seen him, they would have mistaken him for some shameless flatterer — hardly the bearing of a great master. Whatever remained of his dignity had been shattered beyond recognition.
"Young Master Yang, you really kept me in the dark! If I had known the formation was your work, I would never have troubled Senior Bing Yun," Nanmen Dajun said, plastering a wide smile across his face, though inside he was suffering terribly — a bitter stew of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, spice, and salt, every flavor mixed into one.
After parting from Yang Kai earlier, he had gone straight to Bing Yun to inquire about the Black Tortoise Seven Stages Formation. But Bing Yun had been commanding the battle at that time, and he hadn't dared interrupt. It was only after everything had settled that he finally worked up the courage to approach her.
What he learned left him stunned.
It turned out that Ice Heart Valley's Black Tortoise Seven Stages Formation had been passed down by Yang Kai over a month ago — it had never belonged to Ice Heart Valley at all. Bing Yun had told him plainly that the matter of the formation was not something Ice Heart Valley could discuss with him, and if he wanted the details, he would have to ask Yang Kai himself.
Nanmen Dajun was dumbfounded.