An endless sea of blood churned beneath drifting mountains of bones. At the center of the crimson ocean stood a colossal dark-gold sword, towering between heaven and earth. Countless wailing souls coiled around its blade, each scream sending waves rippling across the blood sea.
And the sword sheath…
It hovered beside the giant sword, its mouth slightly ajar—like a living maw, patiently waiting to drink its fill of fresh blood.
Yun Che sucked in a sharp breath of icy air and jolted awake.
Cold sweat soaked through his back. He stared at the seemingly plain black sword sheath in his hand, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. The killing intent and resentment from the vision moments ago had nearly swallowed his mind whole.
“Elder Li… this sheath—”
“When this old man once roamed the Nine Netherworlds, I saw similar records on a stone stele within the ruins of an ancient battlefield,” Li Han said, his voice carrying rare traces of wariness. “A Sea of Blood Bearing the Pagoda, ten thousand souls forging a sheath… This thing may not be a magic artifact at all, but a Demonic Embryo.”
“A Demonic Embryo?”
“In ancient demonic cultivation, there existed a method called nurturing an artifact into sentience,” Li Han explained slowly. “By feeding a vessel with the blood and souls of countless living beings, once intelligence awakens, it may transform into a Demonic Embryo. Given a suitable body to seize, it can become an artifact spirit—beyond reincarnation, beyond heavenly tribulation.”
He paused.
“That technique should have been long lost… Kid, seal this sword sheath for now. Do not probe it with your divine sense. Wait until this old man recovers more soul power—then we’ll examine it carefully.”
Yun Che’s expression darkened. He sealed the sheath back into his storage pouch and affixed three Spirit-Sealing Talismans on it without hesitation.
Three days later, the monthly trading fair arrived in Cold Crow City.
The streets teemed with people, far livelier than usual. Stalls lined both sides of the road, filled with shouting vendors and heated bargaining. Zhang Mingyuan split up with Yun Che early, heading to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to consign the Ice Crystal Ginseng.
Yun Che wandered alone through the crowd, scanning the stalls.
Many items tempted him—a bottle of Cold Marrow Pills that accelerated ice-attribute circulation, a slab of Profound Ice Iron suitable for refining high-grade artifacts, even a jade slip containing a fragmented ice divine ability, Frost Dragon Vortex…
But every one of them cost no less than twenty mid-grade spirit stones. He could only shake his head silently.
Turning a corner, an inconspicuous stall caught his attention.
The vendor was a withered old man with a decaying aura, at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. Before him lay only three items: a cracked tortoise shell, a charred half-wooden token, and a yellowed beast-skin scroll.
The edges of the scroll were badly worn, but several ancient characters on the cover were still faintly legible:
Preliminary Explanations of Ice-Pattern Restrictions.
“Restrictions?” Yun Che’s heart stirred.
Formations and restrictions were invaluable in the cultivation world—for boosting combat power and safeguarding secluded dwellings alike. With the Heaven-Defying Pearl and the Blood Fiend Sword in his possession, mastering such techniques would greatly enhance his security.
He crouched and carefully unrolled the beast-skin scroll.
Inside were dozens of foundational ice-type restriction diagrams drawn in cinnabar, complete with detailed annotations of spiritual energy flow paths. Though only introductory, they were clearly penned by someone deeply versed in the art.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“Fifteen mid-grade spirit stones. No bargaining,” the old man said hoarsely, barely lifting his eyelids.
Yun Che hesitated. That price nearly matched his entire fortune.
Just as he was about to speak, the old man coughed violently, his aura weakening further. “Forget it… Twelve stones. Take it or leave it.”
Yun Che did not hesitate again. He handed over twelve mid-grade spirit stones, collected the scroll, and turned to leave.
After browsing the market for another half hour, he spotted several wood-attribute materials. One piece—Ironwood Heart—was priced at eighty mid-grade stones. He could only sigh in regret.
As the sun slanted westward, Yun Che returned to the small courtyard in the southern part of the city.
The gate was ajar.
The courtyard inside was deathly silent.
His steps halted. Yun Che quietly spread out his divine sense.
At this hour, neighboring courtyards usually bustled with cultivators coming and going. Today, however, the stillness felt unnatural. Worse still—
The warning restriction he had placed at the entrance… had been erased without a trace.
Without hesitation, Yun Che retreated!
The Micro-Attraction Art surged to its limit. His body shot backward like an arrow loosed from a bow, covering thirty zhang in the blink of an eye.
“Oh? Not bad awareness.”
A faintly surprised voice sounded from within the courtyard.
The gate swung open. A white-robed youth in his late twenties stepped out, features refined, eyes cold as stars. A jade sword hung at his waist, and three overlapping ice crystals were embroidered on his sleeve—the emblem of Cold Crow City’s enforcement force, the Ice Crystal Guard.
A cold smile curled his lips as he watched Yun Che flee.
“Fifth and Seventh Vine—stay here. Wait for Zhang Mingyuan. Cripple his cultivation and throw him into the Ice Prison. I’ll go meet this clever little brat myself.”
Before his words even fell, two gray shadows emerged behind him, solidifying into two sinister-looking old men.
“One concern, Third Young Master,” one of them said gravely. “The City Lord has decreed that private combat within the city is forbidden. If you act openly—”
The white-robed youth frowned. “Zhang Mingyuan colluded with outsiders to murder his master. The evidence is conclusive. I, Vine Third, deputy commander of the Ice Crystal Guard, am apprehending criminals. How is that private combat?”
With a flick of his sleeve, he transformed into a white arc of light and shot skyward in pursuit.
The two elders exchanged glances and vanished back into the shadows.
Yun Che pushed his speed to the absolute limit.
Icy wind lashed against his face like blades as the scenery blurred past. His thoughts raced.
To erase his restriction silently required at least Foundation Establishment cultivation. And with Ice Crystal Guard authority, the man clearly wielded power within Cold Crow City.
There was only one path left—
Escape the city. Immediately.
In moments, he reached the city gates. Dusk was falling, and the gates were about to close. Only a few people remained in line.
“Halt! Flying is forbidden within the city!” the guards shouted in unison as a gray blur approached.
A cold glint flashed in Yun Che’s eyes. With a flip of his hand, a jade bottle appeared. He tilted his head back and swallowed a mouthful of Cold Marrow Spirit Liquid.
Pure spiritual energy surged through his limbs.
“Out of the way!”
The attraction force erupted violently. The four guards—each at the eighth level of Qi Condensation—were blasted aside, helplessly flung away!
Yun Che did not slow down. Like a streak of gray lightning, he slipped through the narrowing gate and vanished into the night beyond the city walls.
“Enemy breach—!”
A shrill alarm pierced the air. Dozens of escaping lights rose from the city walls, chasing after him.
Outside Cold Crow City, Yun Che fled northward without looking back—toward the ice plains, where complex terrain offered better concealment.
Yet after barely ten miles, a terrifying sound tore through the air behind him.
A white arc closed in at several times his speed, reducing the distance to a hundred zhang in moments. Vine Third’s voice rang out mockingly:
“Fast runner. Unfortunately… within Cold Crow City’s territory, there’s no fugitive I can’t catch.”
He raised two fingers and slashed through the air.
“Clang—!”
The jade sword leapt from its sheath, swelling into a colossal ice crystal blade over ten zhang long! Before it even fell, frigid energy swept outward like a tide, freezing the snowfield below into a thick layer of profound ice!
Even worse—
Along the blade’s descent path, dozens of ghostly blue lightning orbs condensed out of thin air, sealing off every possible escape route.
“KID! That’s Ice-Soul Thunder Calamity Sword!” Li Han roared, unprecedented urgency in his voice. “A talisman weapon refined by a Nascent Soul cultivator! One strike rivals peak Foundation Establishment! Steady your mind—I’ll lend you three breaths of Void Shift power—GO ALL IN!”
The stone bead in Yun Che’s chest burned scalding hot.
A layer of spectral azure crystalline matter burst forth from beneath his skin, covering his entire body in an instant.
At the very moment the ice sword descended and the lightning detonated—
Yun Che vanished.
“BOOM—!!!”
The snowfield collapsed. Ice shattered. Lightning webbed across hundreds of zhang, scorching everything into ruin.
Three hundred zhang away, a gray figure staggered into view.
Yun Che’s face was deathly pale. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Even with Li Han’s aid, the aftermath of that strike had injured his internal organs.
Without pause, he swallowed another mouthful of Cold Marrow Spirit Liquid and transformed into escaping light, racing northward.
“Void shifting?” Vine Third landed beside the scorched earth, staring in the direction Yun Che fled. Surprise flashed through his eyes—quickly replaced by greed.
“Interesting… Your secrets are far greater than I imagined.”
He stroked the jade sword at his waist, smiling coldly.
“No matter. This ice plain stretches for a thousand miles. Let’s see how many times you can run.”
From the ominous revelation of the Demonic Embryo sword sheath to Vine Third’s relentless pursuit, danger has stepped fully into the open.
Against Foundation Establishment cultivators and Nascent Soul–level talisman weapons, his escape has only just begun.
-
Will the sword sheath become his salvation… or his downfall?
-
How long can Yun Che survive under Vine Third’s pursuit?
Your follows and bookmarks are the greatest motivation for future updates. Thank you for reading!