On the icy plain, several hundred disciples stood solemnly in formation. Upon the ice platform ahead, besides the Sect Master and several elders, more than a dozen elderly figures with profound auras were seated on either side, all wearing grave expressions. Following behind Zhang Mingyuan, Yun Che could keenly feel the countless gazes converging upon him from all directions, sharp as needles against his skin.

  Zhang Mingyuan stepped forward briskly and bowed to the man seated at the center—a middle-aged figure clad in moon-white robes, his features lean and composed.

  “Senior Brother Sect Master, the Frost Condensation Peak’s registered disciple Yun Che has been brought. This child… lost track of time while cultivating and missed the assembly bell. I ask for Senior Brother’s leniency.”

  That moon-white-robed man was none other than Han Jing Zhenren, the Sect Master of the Profound Frost Sect. His gaze swept calmly over Yun Che, betraying no reaction. Instead, a red-faced elder seated to the right snorted coldly.

  “Nephew Zhang, this registered disciple of yours is truly ‘diligent’—so diligent he couldn’t even hear the assembly bell. It seems Frost Condensation Peak has its own… distinctive way of disciplining disciples.”

  Another gray-haired elder stroked his beard and chuckled lightly.

  “Junior Brother Sun, that’s not quite fair. Back when Nephew Zhang first entered the sect, didn’t he also miss morning lessons due to obsession with sword manuals? One could say this ‘focus’ runs in the lineage. Such persistence is not easily achieved.”

  Zhang Mingyuan’s expression tightened, a flicker of irritation flashing through his eyes, though he dared not retort. He shot Yun Che a vicious glare before turning and taking a seat on the left.

  Han Jing Zhenren frowned slightly, no longer sparing Yun Che a glance. His eyes swept across the assembled disciples as his voice rang out, cold and clear like ice striking stone.

  “What has just been said, you will all remember. This Cold Pool Training Assembly concerns the agreement of the Five Sects Borderxunxun four years hence, and even more so, the dignity of our Profound Frost Sect. From today onward, you will all enter the Cold Abyss Secret Realm for secluded cultivation. Without authorization, none may leave. The sect will open portions of the Cold Fiend Pools and provide Condensed Ice Pills to aid your cultivation. Seize this opportunity. Do not disappoint the sect’s expectations.”

  All disciples responded in unison, their voices shaking the frozen valley.

  Han Jing Zhenren nodded slightly and continued,

  “On the path of cultivation, aptitude and fortune matter—but willpower and resolve are the true foundation. This training is also an assessment. I hope that four years from now, among you there will be those who touch upon the realm of Ice Heart, or even… condense Frost Patterns.”

  He paused briefly, meaning layered within his words.

  “The bottlenecks therein—you will comprehend them yourselves. Now, you shall enter the secret realm.”

  With a sweep of his sleeve, a streak of icy-blue light shot forth. It began as a thin thread, then in an instant expanded into a vast azure curtain, rippling like water as it enveloped all disciples participating in the training.

  A chill washed over Yun Che as though he had plunged into an icy pool. His surroundings twisted and blurred, colors turning surreal. When his vision cleared once more, he found himself in a completely different world.

  Before him stretched an enormous underground ice-rift canyon. On either side rose crystalline ice walls over a hundred meters tall, naturally etched with mysterious patterns that glowed faintly blue. The air was saturated with pure, biting frost spiritual energy—several times denser than outside. With a single breath, his lungs felt cleansed. In the distance, the roar of an underground river echoed faintly.

  Along with several hundred other disciples, Yun Che now stood on a broad ice platform at the canyon’s base, all staring around in awe. Numerous cave entrances dotted the ice walls—some large, some small. Most were sealed by thick ice or stone gates, while a few remained open, leading into shadowy depths.

  Suddenly, Yun Che felt a gaze upon him. Turning slightly, he saw Yun Han not far away, clad in inner-sect dark-cyan robes, a faint sneer at the corner of his lips. His eyes brimmed with disdain and superiority.

  At that moment, a figure descended from a large cave high on the ice wall, landing before the crowd. The newcomer appeared around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a black robe trimmed with silver—the attire of a core disciple. His features were sharp and cold, his eyes lightning-bright. As he scanned the crowd, an invisible pressure radiated outward.

  “Silence.”

  His voice was not loud, yet it effortlessly suppressed all whispers.

  “This place is one of the Profound Frost Sect’s forbidden grounds—the Everfrozen Ice Abyss. Five hundred years ago, several ancestral masters joined forces to establish a grand formation here, drawing in the cold marrow of the earth veins and gathering the world’s ice spirits, thus creating this cultivation holy land. Its spiritual energy far surpasses that of the outside world.”

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  “Since you have entered this place, cherish the opportunity and cultivate diligently. Anyone who slackens, causes disturbances, or interferes with others—do not blame Qin for enforcing sect law and expelling you from the secret realm!”

  This man was Qin Shuang, one of the Sect Master’s personal disciples, known as the “Cold Jade Sword.” Rumor had it his cultivation had reached the late stage of Qi Condensation, unfathomable in depth. Yun Che’s heart tightened slightly—Qin Shuang’s bearing and authority far surpassed Zhang Mingyuan’s.

  Qin Shuang continued,

  “The foundational manuals for Qi Condensation Stages One through Six are engraved on the stone walls of your initial caves. For further manuals, once you reach the appropriate level, come to the Cold Jade Grotto for inspection and distribution. Any unsealed cave in the ice wall may be claimed as your cultivation dwelling.”

  “These are Condensed Ice Pills—thirty pills per bottle, to aid your early cultivation. Every three months, you may receive further allotments based on your progress.”

  With a wave of his sleeve, hundreds of jade-white pill bottles appeared atop the ice platform.

  The disciples surged forward to claim their pills, then each employed their own methods—climbing, using simple artifacts, or like Yun Han, briefly executing light-body techniques—to ascend toward the cave entrances.

  Yun Che took a steady breath, blending into the crowd as he picked up a pill bottle. It was icy to the touch, smooth and refined. Just as he prepared to search for a low cave entrance, Qin Shuang’s voice rang out again:

  “You. Wait.”

  Yun Che halted and turned. Qin Shuang was frowning slightly at him.

  “You are Yun Che? The registered disciple who ‘entered the sect by leaping off a cliff’?”

  “Yes, Senior Brother,” Yun Che replied with his head lowered, vigilant inwardly but outwardly respectful and slightly restrained.

  Qin Shuang examined him for a moment, his divine sense subtly stirring, then shook his head.

  “As expected, even your Qi Induction is unstable. Limited talent—there is no helping that. Yet the Great Dao has fifty paths; Heaven grants forty-nine, leaving one for escape. Perseverance and resolve are also steps toward ascension. Since you have entered this sect and obtained this opportunity, you must cultivate tirelessly and not abandon yourself.”

  Yun Che bowed deeply.

  “This disciple will remember your teachings.”

  “Enough.” Qin Shuang waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to say more. A gentle yet irresistible icy force lifted Yun Che and carried him directly to an open cave halfway up the ice wall.

  “This is Cold Breath Cave. Located mid-abyss, its frost energy is pure yet moderate, and the natural ice barrier at the entrance reduces wind and snow. It suits your current realm. Enter.”

  Yun Che steadied himself and bowed once more toward Qin Shuang.

  “Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother.”

  Turning, he stepped into the darkened cave.

  The moment he crossed the threshold, all traces of deference and unease vanished from Yun Che’s face, replaced by calm clarity. Qin Shuang’s words had sounded fair, even considerate, but Yun Che felt little gratitude. After Murong Han’s “transaction” and Zhang Mingyuan’s volatile temper, he had long understood that within the immortal sect, without sufficient value and strength, so-called “care” often concealed calculation or indifference. Qin Shuang’s action might merely have been duty—or something else entirely—but it was unlikely to be pure goodwill.

  The cave was just as Qin Shuang described—no more than several meters wide. At its center lay a naturally formed ice bed, smooth as a mirror. On one ice wall were densely carved characters: the first through third layers of the Mystic Frost Condensation Qi Art, complete with simple diagrams and annotations—far more systematic than the fragmented information Yun Che previously possessed.

  His gaze shifted to a discreet ice lever near the cave entrance. After careful observation, he reached out and pulled it down.

  Click… rumble—

  A deep sound echoed as a thick, translucent ice barrier descended, sealing the entrance perfectly. Though the ice was heavy, it transmitted light strangely well, leaving the cave softly illuminated while completely isolating it from outside sounds and auras—a perfectly private space.

  After thoroughly inspecting the cave and confirming the absence of hidden openings or abnormal fluctuations, Yun Che activated the Concealment Breathing Art, fully suppressing his aura and maintaining the fa?ade of someone who had yet to complete Qi Induction.

  Only then did he truly relax.

  “This place… suits me unexpectedly well.”

  He sat cross-legged on the ice bed, fingertips brushing the cold surface. His original intent in leaving the sect had been to find a safe, secluded place to cultivate. Though that plan had been denied and he was forcibly drawn into this training, this Cold Breath Cave—private, quiet, rich in spiritual energy—aligned perfectly with his needs.

  The only drawback was the lack of a water source. His cultivation relied on the stone bead and Spirit Snow Water. Fortunately, he still had some reserves in his storage pouch, enough to last for a while. And with the underground river he had heard earlier, water could be managed with caution.

  His gaze lingered on the carved formulas, then on the Condensed Ice Pill bottle in his hand. Thought flickered in his eyes.

  “Condensed Ice Pills… perfect for testing.”

  He poured out a single pill. About the size of a longan, it was milky white, radiating pure frost medicinal power and a faint fragrance. He did not consume it immediately. Instead, he retrieved the gray-white stone bead and brought the pill close.

  Under the bead’s faint glow, the pill showed no unusual reaction. After a moment’s thought, Yun Che placed the pill in his mouth without swallowing and attempted to enter the milky void.

  Moonlight tugged at his consciousness… but failed. The presence of a physical object seemed to interfere.

  He swallowed the pill.

  The moment it entered his abdomen, it dissolved swiftly, releasing a surge of frost energy far stronger than Spirit Snow Water—yet purer and more controllable. A refreshing chill spread through his body, bringing a sense of strength. The pill truly benefited ice cultivation.

  No longer hesitating, Yun Che calmed his mind, gripping the stone bead with one hand and forming a simple meditative seal with the other.

  “The Cold Abyss Secret Realm… four years…”

  His voice was low, his eyes resolute.

  “Let this place be my foundation. I want to see how far these stolen years and chances can carry me.”

  Frost mist curled within the cave. The runes on the ice walls glowed faintly, illuminating the youth’s tranquil face. Outside, the Ice Abyss lay deep and foreboding, undercurrents already stirring. And within this isolated ice cavern, Yun Che’s path of cultivation quietly entered a new stage.

  In the Cold Abyss, will he try to crush Yun Che head-on—or strike from the shadows?