Upon hearing this, the Red Cloud Demon Lord’s face paled slightly, but his eyes remained resolute. “Many thanks to Sect Leader Ling for the information. No matter what, even if there is only the slimmest chance, through mountains of blades and seas of fire, I am determined to press forward!”
Chen Ping pondered for a moment and asked, “Sect Leader Ling, do you know the approximate location of the Blood Soul Cold Pool? And when the next blooming period of the Blood Lotus might occur?”
Ling Yunzi thought briefly before replying, “The exact location is vaguely recorded in the ancient texts. It only mentions ‘in the heart of the ice plain, a place surrounded by three ten-thousand-zhang ice peaks arranged in a triangular formation’.”
“As for the blooming period, based on scattered records, the last time the Blood Lotus bloomed and its fluctuations were noticed by others was roughly two hundred and eighty years ago.”
“If we assume a cycle of one hundred years, the next blooming period could fall within the next twenty years. However, whether it will be this year, next year, or a decade or more later cannot be pinpointed.”
“Within twenty years…” Hope burned brighter in the eyes of the Red Cloud Demon Lord. For cultivators, this was not considered a long time.
“I possess the supreme fire essence, as well as an ice-origin source. Obtaining the Blood Lotus should not prove difficult.”
Chen Ping was extremely confident.
He carried the supreme fire essence, and especially after recently absorbing the Chaos Origin Fire, his supreme fire essence had advanced significantly.
A mere cold pool on an ice plain held no fear for him.
Ling Yunzi stroked his long beard upon hearing this, paused in thought for a moment, then spoke again, his voice carrying a note of gravity.
“Senior Chen, even if you do not fear the perils of the ice plain and are resolved to go, there is one matter that may prove more troublesome than the biting cold winds or the ferocious beasts in the pool.”
“What is it?” Chen Ping looked at Ling Yunzi.
“The Eternal Ice Plain is not ownerless land. Or rather, its core region has long been regarded as forbidden territory by an extremely peculiar and haughty clan.”
Ling Yunzi paused, then uttered four words. “The Beiming Divine Clan.”
“The Beiming Divine Clan?” It was the first time Chen Ping had heard this name. “Are these people all of divine descent?”
“Indeed.”
Ling Yunzi nodded. “This clan has an ancient history. Legend claims they carry the bloodline of an primordial ice god, are innately attuned to ice laws, possess immensely powerful physical bodies, and enjoy exceptionally long lifespans.”
“They have dwelt for generations in the deepest reaches of the Eternal Ice Plain, where they established a power called the Beiming Palace, controlling most of the precious resources on the ice plain. In particular, several secret locations in the core region, including very likely the Blood Soul Cold Pool, fall under their control or surveillance.”
“Members of the Beiming Divine Clan are cold and aloof by nature. They view themselves as divine descendants and have always disdained interaction with ‘mundane’ cultivators from beyond the ice plain. They are intensely xenophobic.”
“Not to mention human cultivators, even powerful experts of other races, unless invited or possessing special justification, if they trespass into the restricted zones demarcated by the clan, will at best be expelled and at worst directly slain. There is no room for negotiation.”
“Within the Tenth Heaven, there have been numerous cases of those who relied on their high cultivation venturing into the ice plain in search of treasure, only to perish at the hands of the divine clan.”
After listening, Chen Ping understood that the so-called Beiming Divine Clan was merely a branch of the divine clans.
Yet their temperament was all the same, utterly arrogant and looking down on everyone.
The reason they behaved this way was simply that they had not been beaten enough.
A few good thrashings would make them behave.
Chen Ping himself possessed the Golden Dragon bloodline, yet he had never acted so pretentiously.
The Red Cloud Demon Lord’s expression grew extremely grim, his tightly clenched fists turning white at the knuckles.
This was adding insult to injury. Not only was the environment treacherous and the treasure hard to obtain, but they now had to contend with such a troublesome local power.
“So what if they are a divine clan?”
Chen Ping’s voice was calm, yet carried unshakeable conviction. “What I want to beat is precisely divine clans. Even if it were a true divine clan stronghold rather than a mere branch, I would still force my way in.”
“Rest assured, senior. Since I have promised you, I will certainly find a way to obtain the Blood Lotus. Only our strategy must change. We cannot simply charge in blindly.”
Chen Ping did not fear divine clans. Moreover, he still needed to locate the divine clan leader and make him release Wan Jianxing.
Seeing that Chen Ping’s resolve was firm, Ling Yunzi knew further dissuasion would be pointless and might even cause him to be looked down upon.
After a brief moment of reflection, he said, “Senior Chen’s righteousness and loyalty are truly admirable. Since you are determined to go, although my Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect has little contact with the Beiming Divine Clan, we do possess records of the terrain, climate changes, and certain potential danger zones in the outer and even some middle regions of the Eternal Ice Plain.”
“As you have only recently arrived in the Tenth Heaven and are completely unfamiliar with the area, having someone knowledgeable guide you could help avoid many unnecessary troubles and conflicts.”
He looked towards the outside of the hall and called out, “Shuang’er, come in.”
The hall doors opened gently, and Ling Shuang, clad in plain white sword robes and exuding a cold, snow-like aura, stepped inside. She first paid respects to Ling Yunzi and Chen Ping. “Father, Senior Chen.”
Her gaze paused briefly on the Red Cloud Demon Lord, but she showed no great surprise, evidently having overheard some of the conversation from outside.
“Shuang’er, Senior Chen and Fellow Daoist Red Cloud wish to travel to the Eternal Ice Plain to seek a life-saving spiritual herb.”
“You once travelled with the Heavenly Fire Sword Venerable across the rivers and mountains of the Tenth Heaven, so you are relatively familiar with that place. You shall serve as guide for Senior Chen and assist him to the utmost.”
Ling Yunzi gave his instructions, his eyes holding both trust in his daughter and a trace of barely perceptible concern.
Ling Shuang showed no hesitation, clasping her fist in salute. “Yes, Father. Your daughter will do her very best.”
She turned to Chen Ping. “Senior Chen has shown great kindness to the Sword Sect and to Ling Shuang personally, a debt of rebirth. Whatever you command, Ling Shuang will obey even at the cost of her life.”
Ling Shuang was deeply grateful to Chen Ping. Were it not for him, the Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect would no longer exist, and she herself might have fallen into danger.
If Chen Ping were now to ask her to undress and serve him, Ling Shuang would not hesitate for a moment.
To serve a great hero and magnanimous figure like Chen Ping would be her honour.
To be taken by such a man would be a source of pride.
Chen Ping looked at Ling Shuang. From her eyes, he could see admiration and a willingness to devote herself completely.
Having encountered so many women, he could read their expressions and thoughts at a glance. In the end, every one of them had fallen for him.
It seemed this Ling Shuang was no exception. The journey to the ice plain would not be lonely or dull. Having a woman to talk with and perhaps cultivate together would be rather pleasant.
“In that case, many thanks to Sect Leader Ling. I trouble Miss Ling Shuang.” Chen Ping cupped his hands in thanks.
The Red Cloud Demon Lord also rose quickly, bowing deeply to Ling Yunzi and Ling Shuang. “Great kindness needs no words of thanks. Red Cloud shall remember it in his heart!”
