Zhi Xuan leaped from one puddle to another quickly, his Divine Wheel now operating fully and not used with doubt. The ancient trees became frightening shadows in the night, the screams and howls of low-level wild beasts were a song in his ears.

  "Red stone," Zhi Xuan began, his voice calm and deep. "We cannot pass through the broken bamboo gate. The risk of being suspected by the gate guards will be troublesome."

  Zhi Xuan paused for a moment on a flat rock, looking back toward Star Village, which was now replaced by dense trees.

  "We will pass through the Jade Valley." Zhi Xuan sighed, the Jade Valley that had been his first nightmare, seeing injured cultivators and strange events that once made him afraid of cultivators.

  Zhi Xuan's hand unconsciously touched the jade hair tie he had just put on. The Heart-Nourishing Jade radiated a subtle warmth that soothed his Heavenly Samsara Wheel, suppressing the energy surges caused by the sudden acceleration. The worn red cloth tied to his left arm felt like a shackling chain, a heavy promise to return.

  'Jade Valley is a dangerous route, but faster and not guarded by the eyes of the Gold Foundations,' Zhi Xuan thought, analyzing. 'He Xin's plan showed that the route is potentially used by daring hunters. I must disguise myself as one.'

  Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the Ancient Devil Monument pulsed slowly, as if observing lazily. "Jade Valley?" Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice filled with indifference. "What a slow choice. Why don't you just fly directly? Your Divine Wheel speed is enough to make you look like a falling star in the night."

  Then it was replaced by a stinging taunt. "Oh! I forgot. This withered branch is not strong enough to fly like an eagle."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes for a moment, calming himself from the provocation. The Silent Mantle he had just received was now active, making his Heavenly Samsara Wheel spin with a stifling silence, the pure silver essence suppressed by the ancient devil rune strings. This suppressed feeling was uncomfortable, but vital.

  "I will fly one day," Zhi Xuan replied, his voice cold and pragmatic. "Then I will drop you into a mud puddle."

  Ruo Xianxue snorted, a suppressed laugh. "Interesting. You are using that mortal Heart-Nourishing Jade to stabilize the pressure of the Silent Mantle. Clever. But remember, every second you spend suppressing your Divine Wheel is drained essence. You must be efficient, not just fast."

  Zhi Xuan ignored the advice wrapped in mockery. He knew Ruo Xianxue was right; he had to conserve energy. He sped back into the forest, this time his movements were more cautious, mimicking the quick steps of a veteran hunter, not the explosive speed of a Gold Foundation.

  After an hour of running non-stop, the forest began to thin, and Zhi Xuan felt the air become colder, filled with a strong mineral scent. He had reached the edge of the Jade Valley, a narrow canyon that split the mountains on the east side, with rock walls filled with low-grade Green Jade veins.

  Zhi Xuan leaped from cliff to cliff, gracefully entering the valley. Inside, the light was dimmer. The moon could only penetrate occasionally, reflecting off the jade veins in the walls, creating deceptive green shadows.

  He immediately sensed an anomaly. The valley was silent. Too silent. Usually, this was a hunting ground for low-level Jade-Wolves or Rock-Snakes.

  'Where are the animals?' Zhi Xuan thought. 'Even mortal hunters avoid Jade Valley, but not those animals.'

  Zhi Xuan stopped, hiding behind a large boulder. He activated his Heavenly Samsara Wheel slightly, allowing a very thin spiritual consciousness wave to crawl out.

  The wave immediately met a natural barrier—not a formation, but a kind of cold energy that held back all sound and essence within the valley.

  "I feel it," Zhi Xuan whispered. "Something is oppressing all spiritual life here. This is not just Jade-Wolves avoiding it. They are fleeing."

  Zhi Xuan withdrew his consciousness, he could not linger here. "This Jade Valley has always been strange, I do not know who has entered this valley."

  "I know," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her tone suddenly serious. The sudden silence made the coldness of the Silent Mantle feel like piercing ice.

  "This energy... It is not just the natural oppression from the jade veins. This is Cold Essence from the Pole. Someone is using an extremely rare spiritual energy to seal this Valley."

  Zhi Xuan felt a sharp bad premonition. Cold Essence from the Pole? That was a legend only talked about by Granny Mu in fairy tales. Energy capable of instantly freezing a Blood Transformation Gold Foundation.

  "You mean... a strong cultivator is here?" Zhi Xuan asked, his voice trembling. He looked back, but the exit path was already covered by deceptive shadows.

  "Not strong, but sophisticated," Ruo Xianxue replied. "The cultivator you saw in the pond, a Blood Transformation Gold Foundation, might have used this route. And the cultivator who injured him knew it. They have sealed it."

  Ruo Xianxue snorted sharply, her voice filled with disgust. "They have turned the Jade Valley into a big fishing net. Anyone foolish enough to use this route will be caught."

  Zhi Xuan immediately narrowed his eyes. He felt the increasing pressure around him. The air felt heavier, and he could see a thin layer of ice crystals beginning to form on the jade veins on the walls.

  'Fishing Net,' Zhi Xuan thought, his hand tightly clutching his jade hair tie. 'I must not move further. I must retreat—'

  Just as the thought crossed his mind, there was a loud rustling sound from the cliff ahead. A large rock, which should have been stationary, shifted and fell, revealing a narrow gap that led deeper into the canyon.

  Thud... Thud... Thud...

  The sound of regular and heavy footsteps echoed, not just one person but more than one person. Zhi Xuan ducked and hid himself again. Channeling his essence and activating the Silent Mantle.

  Zhi Xuan channeled essence into the Heart-Nourishing Jade, allowing the subtle warmth to dampen the vibrations of his Heavenly Samsara Wheel. Under the Silent Mantle, he felt like nothing more than a mortal youth hiding.

  From the open gap, three figures emerged. All three wore identical dark gray robes, their faces covered by hoods that only left cold, sharp eyes that glowed faintly in the shadows.

  'North Village?' Zhi Xuan thought, he observed from afar and did not dare to release his spiritual consciousness.

  The three gray-robed figures stood tall, radiating a dense and measured essence aura. It was not a raw and open aura like that of the Star Village Gold Foundations. Their energy felt compressed, like a tightly sealed spring. They were cultivators far more sophisticated than the veteran Gold Foundations of Star Village.

  Zhi Xuan immediately realized his mistake. Grandpa Wu was right—North Village was just an alibi. The Evil Sect that used the Poison Talisman was now right in front of him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  'The Silent Mantle is active, my Samsara Wheel is suppressed. They will not sense my essence. I must stay still,' Zhi Xuan warned himself, his fast heartbeat suppressed by his cold resolve.

  The leader of the group, the tallest figure with an upright posture, raised his right hand. At his fingertip, a thin ice crystal glittered.

  "We have completed Young Master Gu's task," the group leader said, he turned to one of the figures carrying a sack on his back. "You, can discard the body fragments into the canyon."

  The figure carrying the sack, with a cold movement, threw it into the canyon. The sack fell with a muffled thud at the bottom of the deep cliff.

  "Is Young Master Gu pleased with the contents?" the second figure asked, his voice hoarse.

  The group leader shook his head. "Not yet, the body did not carry anything. I think by us discarding the body fragments in the canyon, we can avoid suspicion from the little rat-rats of the broken bamboo gate."

  Zhi Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, far beyond the Cold Essence from the Pole. They were discarding body fragments into the canyon. The sack must be the remains of the cultivator he saw in the pond—or perhaps another cultivator who had been hunted.

  'Young Master Gu,' Zhi Xuan thought, quickly noting the name in his mind. 'They sealed this valley, discarded evidence, and even have a name of the person they are accountable to. This is organized.'

  Zhi Xuan forced himself to keep suppressing the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, he tightly clenched the jade hair tie. He had to hear more. They were the people he was supposed to spy on in Shoutuo City, but they came earlier.

  "Just discarding it is not enough," the third figure replied, his voice sharp and impatient. "Jade Valley is already full of those body fragments! We are not just contaminating it, but also sealing it!"

  The second figure replied calmly. "You are right, at least we have erased the traces. We will not be suspected by anyone."

  The group leader snorted. "Forget those rats. What is important now is the Pure Black Jade veins at Death Cliff. Young Master Gu wants that jade to purify the poison of his talisman."

  Zhi Xuan almost flinched. Pure Black Jade veins. Ruo Xianxue had mentioned it. That was the weakness of the Poison Talisman—and the target of that injured cultivator.

  "Isn't Death Cliff too risky?" the second figure asked, worry visible in his voice. "There is a Formless Immortal Realm Formation pulsating there, and we cannot penetrate that Formation without a Rare Artifact."

  The group leader smiled coldly from behind his hood. "The Rare Artifact is already in Young Master Gu's hands. We just need to clear the path and activate the hidden route. That place does not only have Black Jade, but also the legacy of the Ancient Immortal Jade School. That legacy surely holds information about the Five Elements Scroll."

  'Five Elements Realm and Evil Sect,' Zhi Xuan muttered internally, now he felt the Silent Mantle was suffocating. Ruo Xianxue was not joking; this was a fishing net, and he had to be a leaf carried by the wind.

  Now, not only the life of Star Village was at stake, but also a secret of the universe far greater. Five Elements Realm, Pure Black Jade, and Formless Immortal Realm Formation—it all converged at Death Cliff.

  'Ancient Legacy.' The words resonated in Zhi Xuan's mind. Ruo Xianxue had mentioned it as the only place to find the Flame of Sunrose Flower.

  The second figure spoke again, this time with a cheerier tone. "Is Elder Chu already there?"

  The third figure slapped the second figure's shoulder, his voice sharpening into a whisper. "Do not speak too loudly! This mission is a secret!"

  The second figure flinched slightly before looking around, Zhi Xuan immediately covered his body again behind the large rock, holding his breath for a moment.

  "There is no one here, besides who would be foolish enough to jump to their death?" The second figure gave a rough snort, straightening his hood.

  The group leader nodded slowly, his voice filled with conspiracy. "Yes, Elder Chu and Elder Su are already there. Tonight will be the first hunt."

  The three robed figures began to move, ignoring the Jade Valley which now felt like a giant grave. They walked deeper into the gap, heading north, towards Death Cliff.

  Zhi Xuan waited, holding his breath until the resonance of their footsteps completely disappeared, even from his sharp Gold Foundation hearing. He felt the Silent Mantle beginning to suppress his Divine Wheel, reminding him of the cost he paid for the disguise.

  Zhi Xuan allowed five full breaths to pass, ensuring the cold air returned to normal. He activated his spiritual consciousness a little more, this time to find out the direction the three robed figures had gone. They were indeed moving fast, heading north, cutting a direct path to Death Cliff.

  'The plan has changed,' Zhi Xuan thought, his eyes cold and sharp. 'Shoutuo City is just a decoy, Death Cliff is the real hunt. I must get there immediately.'

  He immediately turned his body, ready to speed off. However, Ruo Xianxue cut him off.

  "Hold it," the Ancient Devil Monument hissed, its tone cold and urgent. "This valley is sealed. If you leave now, your energy will clash with the Cold Essence from the Pole scattered in the air. Even if the Silent Mantle conceals you, a sudden energy surge will attract the attention of those hooded monkeys."

  "Then what should I do? Wait until they finish their hunt?" Zhi Xuan retorted, his voice filled with hidden frustration.

  "Of course not. We will use what they foolishly left behind," Ruo Xianxue said, her voice filled with cunning.

  Zhi Xuan swallowed hard, his eyes looking toward the steep canyon. "You mean?"

  Ruo Xianxue snorted, a satisfied laugh now clearly audible. "That sack. The sack they threw into the canyon."

  "That is the remains of a corroded corpse!" Zhi Xuan replied, disgusted. "I will not touch that Poison Talisman!"

  "You will not," Ruo Xianxue cut in sharply. "I will. That Poison Talisman, as you saw in the pond, devours spiritual essence. But the talisman left behind, though weak, is still absorbing the remnants of the Cold Essence from the Pole. That cold essence is the fuel for this Valley Seal Formation."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent. His disgust clashed with Ruo Xianxue's cold pragmatism.

  "I will use the remaining Cold Essence on the corpse to camouflage your tracks. I will make your body feel like a freshly thrown corpse, already corroded by the cold essence in this valley. In other words, you will pass through this seal as meaningless 'trash'."

  Ruo Xianxue continued, her voice filled with calculation. "The sack fell over there," she said, projecting a mental image of the steep canyon. "The walls are slick due to the jade veins and ice crystals. You must descend without generating an essence resonance. Use the Silent Mantle and the Heart-Nourishing Jade, they will be your anchor."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes for a moment. If he failed, he would fall to his death, or worse, he would attract the attention of Young Master Gu and his cronies. However, this was the only fast and hidden way out.

  "Alright, Red Stone," Zhi Xuan hissed, his tone returning to the cold resolve Ruo Xianxue liked. "Tell me how to descend without resonating. And make sure this 'trash' camouflage technique works!"

  The Ancient Devil Monument pulsed with rare approval. "Pay attention. The jade wall has subtle indentations. I will guide you. You must use at least a quarter of your Heavenly Samsara Wheel essence, focusing it to your fingertips, adhering to the slick jade surface. Use gravitational pressure, not essence thrust. You will be a drop of water, not a falling stone."

  Zhi Xuan rose from behind the rock. He made his decision.

  He walked to the edge of the canyon. Below him was a bottomless darkness, with occasional reflections of jade light. He took out the small leather scroll Grandpa Wu had given him—the feint map—and stored it inside his robe, next to Zhuwei's Pure Jade.

  He now stared down the abyss. He channeled a quarter of his essence to his palms and fingertips. The essence, already suppressed by the Silent Mantle, spread thinly, feeling cold and sticky—like spiritual slime.

  "Now," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice sharp and focused.

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, cold air exiting his mouth. He crawled forward, letting his body slide down the cliff. His fingers made contact with the slick, cold jade surface.

  His Heavenly Samsara Wheel spun, not for power, but for sensitivity. He felt every indentation, every ice crystal. He slid, descending slowly and silently, relying only on the thin grip of essence and controlled gravity.

  Falling... falling... falling...

  The shadow of the canyon swallowed him. After several meters that felt like an eternity, he saw the dark sack caught on a jade protrusion about five meters below him. The sack radiated a disturbing cold aura.

  "That sack is my goal," Zhi Xuan muttered.

  "I will draw the cold essence from it. You must move faster, or the Cold Essence from the Pole will freeze your tendons," Ruo Xianxue commanded, there was no more mockery in her voice. Zhi Xuan nodded, accelerating his slide. When he arrived near the sack, he squatted beside it and held his breath.

  Zhi Xuan, with trembling and disgusted hands, reached out to untie the sack. The first thing he saw made him stumble backward and hold back vomit.

  "You are cursed, Red Stone!" Zhi Xuan hissed, his mouth almost emptying his stomach. Zhi Xuan immediately stabilized himself on the narrow jade protrusion. Disgust flooded his consciousness, threatening to collapse his mental defenses.

  The contents of the sack were a horrifying sight far beyond the decaying corpse in the pond: it was the head of a Blood Transformation cultivator, still preserved by the cold temperature of the valley, but underneath, half of his face had been eroded away, leaving a yellowed jawbone and remnants of flesh that looked like corrosive pulp. The cultivator's eyes were open, radiating eternal horror.

  Ruo Xianxue reacted faster.

  "Focus! I do not care if you vomit or not, boy!" Ruo Xianxue roared, her voice piercing directly into the Sea of Consciousness. "The Poison Talisman has attacked his head! This is the most concentrated remnant of the Cold Essence from the Pole! Touch it immediately!"

  Zhi Xuan gritted his teeth, ignoring his instinct to flee. He forced the cold calm he had just learned. He extended his index finger, channeling the already suppressed Silent Mantle essence, and touched the remaining eroded skin on the corpse's forehead.