Sun Li took the gray-blue Filthy Snow Pellet, weighing it in his palm before bringing it close to his nose. His brows furrowed. After examining it for quite a while without finding anything amiss, he hesitated briefly, then raised his hand and tossed it toward an open area in the distance.

  The pellet traced an arc through the air. Just as it was about to hit the ground, Li Shan’s finger twitched imperceptibly within his sleeve.

  “Puff—”

  Gray-blue icy mist burst forth, followed instantly by a wave of stench.

  Standing at the edge of the crowd, Yun Che had already spread his divine sense over the entire area. At the exact moment the pellet detonated, he clearly sensed a flicker of spiritual energy ripple from within Li Shan’s body—the same frequency resonating with the yin-cold intent sealed inside the pellet.

  That fluctuation was the key to detonation.

  It had been the same during the first demonstration.

  A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Yun Che’s lips as he continued to observe in silence.

  “Well? Pretty potent, right?” Li Shan grinned broadly. “But I, Li Shan, do business honestly—let me be clear first. This treasure doesn’t explode every time. You need the right throwing technique. Once you buy it, take your time figuring it out yourselves. If it doesn’t go off once or twice, don’t accuse me of fraud.”

  Without another word, Sun Li stepped forward, whispered a few words into Li Shan’s ear, and pulled him aside. He produced several bottles of pills and a handful of spirit stones.

  Li Shan put on a conflicted expression, hesitated for a long moment, then finally took out ten Filthy Snow Pellets to complete the deal, muttering, “Buy six, get three free—that’s already rock bottom… Fine. Since Senior Brother Sun is my first customer, I’ll throw in one extra!”

  Once someone had taken the lead—and seen the “effect” firsthand—several Frost Condensation Sect disciples quickly followed, speaking quietly with Li Shan and exchanging items for a few pellets each.

  Every time a transaction was completed, Li Shan solemnly reminded them, “I can’t guarantee success every time. If it doesn’t explode once, just try again a few more times. If you have questions, come find me—I’ll gladly teach you the throwing诀窍.”

  As he spoke, he laughed inwardly.

  You could throw it ten times and not get a single explosion. After I give you a little ‘guidance,’ when it works once or twice, you’ll think you’ve mastered it. I’ll be gone from the Frost Condensation Sect in a few days anyway. By the time you realize what’s wrong, I’ll be long gone.

  Still, some disciples remained cautious and chose not to buy.

  Before long, most of the dozens of Filthy Snow Pellets had been sold. Li Shan swept his gaze smugly across the Frost Condensation Sect disciples and snorted inwardly.

  A bunch of idiots. If you don’t use them during the competition, you’ll only lose a few pills and spirit stones. But if you do… heh. That’ll be a real show. These pellets only explode at my will. Outsiders could smash them with a hammer, and they still wouldn’t go off! Damn, I can’t wait for the competition in three days…

  His gaze shifted, suddenly landing on Yun Che outside the crowd.

  The young man wore a faint smile that wasn’t quite a smile, his eyes clear and calm. For reasons unknown, Li Shan’s heart tightened.

  He rolled his eyes, squeezed through the crowd, and approached him.

  “Junior Brother, why not trade for a few to play around with? With your cultivation level, these filthy snow pellets are perfect. Anyone who provokes you—just toss one, and I guarantee they’ll never forget it.”

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  Yun Che glanced at him, a trace of mockery flashing briefly in his eyes.

  Li Shan’s heart jumped violently. That single look made him feel as though he had been seen through completely. He examined Yun Che carefully—third-layer Qi Condensation, ordinary aura, and that reputation of being a ‘waste’ was no fabrication.

  "Must be my imagination," he told himself, suppressing his unease and forcing a wider smile.

  Yun Che chuckled lightly. “Alright. I’ll trade for two. But I don’t have much—only some standard sect-issued talismans.”

  For the first time, Li Shan hesitated. He stared at Yun Che for a few breaths, confirming again that he truly was only at the third layer, before finally relaxing. He took out three filthy snow pellets.

  “Straightforward, Junior Brother! I’ll give you a favor today—talismans it is. Buy two, get one free. These three pellets will give you a… truly unforgettable experience.”

  Inside, he sneered.

  Unforgettable indeed. That part’s no lie. As long as you carry these pellets, even if you don’t make it onto the competition stage, I’ll have plenty of ways to make you suffer when we meet again. I’ll make sure it’s carved into your bones.

  Yun Che took the three gray-blue pellets. As his fingertips brushed their surface, the Snowcloud Crane feather hidden in his robes trembled softly. He showed no reaction, calmly handing over several basic talismans.

  The transaction was complete.

  Li Shan turned back to hawk his wares, though his peripheral vision kept drifting toward Yun Che. For some reason, the calm gaze of that gray-robed youth unsettled him.

  Yun Che retreated beyond the crowd, sinking his divine sense into the crane feather. Faint light flowed at its base, imprinting the trace of spiritual fluctuation he had just sensed—the unique control imprint Li Shan used to trigger the pellets.

  —A distinctive spiritual signature, linked directly to the yin-cold intent within the pellets.

  If one could grasp the frequency of that imprint, then perhaps…

  Yun Che’s gaze sharpened.

  In the distance, the Snowcloud Crane suddenly threw back its head and let out a long, anxious cry.

  Yun Che’s heart tightened as he looked toward the Cold Abyss秘境.

  The crane feather in his palm grew warm, transmitting a vague sense of warning.

  “The Snowcloud Crane…” he murmured, glancing down at the three filthy snow pellets in his hand.

  Under the snowy light, the gray-blue spheres glimmered with a dark sheen. Within them, the strand of yin-cold intent slithered slowly, like a coiled venomous serpent.

  Yun Che put them away and turned to leave the guest quarters.

  Wind and snow rushed toward him.

  His steps did not slow, yet his mind raced.

  Li Shan’s trick.

  The secret of the filthy snow pellets. The Snowcloud Crane’s danger.

  And the competition is three days from now.

  They seemed unrelated—yet faintly intertwined.

  When he reached the ice-pine forest halfway up the mountain, Yun Che suddenly stopped.

  He took out one filthy snow pellet and held it in his palm, the other hand gripping the crane feather.

  His divine sense extended slowly, following the spiritual imprint etched into the feather, cautiously touching the yin-cold intent within the pellet.

  At first, there was no response.

  But as he channeled a thread of unique power—infused with the void light points—into the crane feather, its glow flared sharply. The yin-cold intent shuddered, as if suppressed by a higher-order force, becoming docile.

  Yun Che’s thoughts shifted. He attempted to simulate Li Shan’s control imprint with his divine sense.

  Once—failure.

  Twice—the intent stirred slightly.

  The third time—

  The gray-blue sheen on the pellet’s surface suddenly flowed. The yin-cold intent inside responded as if receiving a command, beginning to move in an orderly pattern.

  Yun Che’s eyes flashed. He raised his hand and threw the pellet toward an ice pine three zhang away.

  At the instant it was about to strike the trunk, his divine sense surged.

  “Puff!”

  Gray-blue icy mist exploded outward. A wave of stench spread as the pine branches instantly froze over with a layer of filthy ice.

  Yun Che stood there, thoughtful.

  —So that’s how it works.

  The Filthy Snow Pellet indeed required a special imprint to detonate. But if one used stronger, purer ice-type power to suppress the internal intent—and then mimicked the imprint’s frequency…

  One could seize control instead.

  He put away the remaining two pellets and looked back toward the guest quarters.

  Li Shan likely never imagined that his carefully designed “trick” had already been seen through.

  The wind and snow intensified.

  Yun Che continued toward the Cold Abyss秘境.

  The warning from the crane feather had not faded. He needed to uncover what danger the Snowcloud Crane was facing—quickly.

  As for Li Shan…

  A faint smile curled at Yun Che’s lips.

  The competition three days from now might prove unexpectedly interesting.

  counterplay.

  No direct confrontation. No rash moves.

  He observes the rules, dismantles the mechanism—and takes control instead.

  ?? Is Li Shan merely a common product of the cultivation world, or a pawn of something greater?

  ?? Now that Yun Che has mastered the Filthy Snow Pellet, what chaos might it bring to the upcoming competition?

  ?? Is Yun Che’s growth here about power—or about mindset?

  In cultivation, the real battle often begins the moment you understand your opponent.