The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 20: Affairs of Frozen Snow Plains | Chapter 382: Finding The Ice Mountain

After looking around, Xu Ziqing felt a little more settled.

Yun Lie glanced at him and asked, “What do you think?”

Xu Ziqing smiled back, “If all is as it seems, this should be the place.”

The members of the Feng family, hearing their conversation, started to understand. They must have heard some news, but couldn’t be sure, perhaps thinking that other ice springs might contain divine water, which is why they didn’t speak up earlier.

However, these were minor details. After searching for several days, if this truly is the spot, then that would be excellent.

The group made their way into the snow forest.

This snow forest was vast, with trees that were all robust and straight, often towering over ten zhang high. Their branches were thick and sprawling, covering the sky above. If it weren’t for the white snow on the ground, the forest would have been dark.

As they walked deeper, the trees became denser and more numerous, creating an endless feeling, and the absence of any living creatures in the forest made it feel somewhat eerie.

Everyone remained cautious, continuing forward while being vigilant.

Many had released their divine senses, scanning the area for hundreds of miles, but the trees seemed unusual; even with their divine senses out, they could only penetrate a few dozen miles. This inability to fully perceive the surroundings made everyone feel a bit uneasy.

Unbeknownst to them, they had already left behind a large stretch of forest, surrounded by countless trees.

Just then, a cold air rushed towards them.

After searching for so many ice springs, this wasn’t particularly surprising; whenever they found one, there would usually be such phenomena.

However, this time was different. The cold air hit them, causing several Foundation Establishment disciples to be encased in ice, nearly turning them into ice sculptures.

Fortunately, the Feng family patriarch quickly clapped his hands to melt the ice and gave them a red pill to consume, helping them recover. Even so, they were still quite startled.

Xu Ziqing spoke, “I kindly ask that all friends below the Golden Core stage exit the forest first. We’ll proceed on our own.” He too noticed that this cold air was unusually intense, almost bone-chilling.

The Feng patriarch readily agreed, urging the talented disciples to retreat. He brought these disciples along hoping to leave a good impression on the second young palace master. If they truly suffered a loss here, it was not what he wanted in his heart.

Feng Jun, lacking strength, was also sent out by his brother, while Feng Qi and the two Golden Core disciples continued to accompany the patriarch.

Seeing they were prepared, Xu Ziqing adjusted his cloak and hurried forward with his senior brother.

After walking several dozen zhang, the forest gradually opened up, and the cold air seemed to solidify into a tangible form.

This level of cold was something they had never encountered while searching for the numerous ice springs.

The Feng patriarch silently thought that this place likely had great potential.

Sure enough, they soon found themselves in a clearing, shrouded in milky white mist, resembling a fairyland.

Within that mist was a pool of ice spring!

Those with higher cultivation levels noticed a faint warm current rising from within the extreme cold, suggesting a hint of warmth. However, it hadn’t yet broken through the barriers of the snow forest, so it remained concealed.

Xu Ziqing took a few quick steps, aiming to penetrate the mist. Suddenly, his heel stumbled, and he quickly drifted backward, releasing a handful of Qingyun Needles from his palm, transforming them into a sky full of green light, which he shot into the white mist!

The Feng patriarch was startled and called out, “You all retreat!” As he spoke, he shielded several of his fellow clan members behind him.

The others heard a rustling sound, as if many unknown objects had fallen to the ground, but they couldn’t see clearly what it was.

What exactly was lurking in that mist?

In the next moment, they immediately found out.

Within the mist, the sudden sound of countless wings flapping filled the air, colliding with each other, and bursting forth.

These were clearly numerous small demonic beasts flying in formation, clustering together like a thick cloud. Looking behind them, the mist seemed to lighten. They had been hidden in the fog all along, which is why it was so hard to spot them. If someone had entered the mist unprepared, they would likely have been overwhelmed by them, and the consequences would have been unpredictable.

The Feng patriarch, well-versed and knowledgeable, recognized them immediately and warned, “These are Cold Water Demon Butterflies, which thrive in icy environments, but are even more fond of consuming flesh and blood. They are extremely ferocious, so do not be deceived by their appearance; do not show any mercy!”

Xu Ziqing frowned slightly as he looked at the demon butterflies.

These butterflies were petite, each about the size of an infant’s hand, shimmering like jade, and as white as snow. Their wings resembled silk, and their red eyes, like coral, adorned their faces, making them particularly beautiful. At a glance, they seemed tender and harmless, yet it was often these seemingly harmless creatures that turned out to be the most ferocious. Living off flesh and blood… it was unimaginable how many living beings they must have consumed to breed this many demon butterflies!

This wasn’t the first time Xu Ziqing had encountered butterfly-type demonic beasts. Early in his cultivation, he had once been trapped in an illusion created by a swarm of butterflies in a small secret realm, nearly unable to wake up. Those demon butterflies were dull gray and quite fearsome, while these were breathtakingly beautiful, evoking a sense of pity.

However, Xu Ziqing now was not the same as he had been back then.

At that time, Xu Ziqing raised his hand, and countless Qingyun Needles began to fly out from his palm, seemingly endless.

The minor divine ability, Qingyun Needle, had long been transformed by him into many variations, and this splitting technique was merely a simple one.

Each green needle struck true, piercing through a demon butterfly and instantly draining its life force, turning them into lifeless husks that fell to the ground like raindrops.

Such a ruthless and efficient display left many of the Feng clan members stunned.

The Feng patriarch, who had initially felt reassured seeing this young man’s gentle aura and calm demeanor, immediately became cautious upon witnessing his capabilities. No wonder the second young palace master had taken notice of him; he possessed such power.

However, he was unaware that the friend valued by Le Zheng Hezhi was not Xu Ziqing but rather Yun Lie, who had forced him several times in their encounters. His regard for Xu Ziqing stemmed from his admiration for Zhuang Wei and Yun Lie, not from having witnessed Xu Ziqing’s prowess firsthand.

Yet, no matter how many thoughts swirled in his mind, as the patriarch, Feng Tai couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Those many demon butterflies did not solely target Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie; they did not show mercy to any of the others either.

However, being a Nascent Soul ancestor and having led the family for many years, how could he be stymied by mere demon butterflies? He immediately threw out an object like a flying disc, which transformed in midair into hundreds, even thousands, spinning rapidly as they charged into the swarm of demon butterflies!

The spinning flying disc continued to whirl, its edges sharp as blades. Wherever its fierce energy reached, countless demon butterflies were reduced to powder.

Feng Qi and the others, protected by the Nascent Soul ancestor, were not idle, however.

They quickly summoned their magical treasures and unleashed their spells, with some even spewing forth flames and other intense elements, all working to eliminate the demon butterflies.

Even though the Cold Water Demon Butterflies were numerous, they couldn’t withstand the relentless onslaught.

Yet, as the number of Cold Water Demon Butterflies dwindled, everyone remained vigilant.

Anyone with a bit of experience knew that when demonic beasts gathered in groups, there would inevitably be a king among them.

Just as wolf packs have a wolf king, and bee swarms have a bee queen, the demon butterfly swarm must also have a demon butterfly king.

Just like in the small secret realm of Lin Yuan from years ago, where a colorful butterfly queen commanded the entire group, there must also be a fierce creature hidden within that mist.

Sure enough, just as only a few hundred demon butterflies struggled to survive, a piercing shriek echoed through the air.

From within the mist, a massive demon butterfly with a wingspan of nearly ten feet suddenly burst forth!

This gigantic figure made its appearance clear; although it had a butterfly’s body, it sported the head of a beast, with over a hundred sharp teeth, looking both strange and terrifying.

Its speed was lightning-fast, almost arriving before anyone could blink!

Xu Ziqing’s mind moved, and the Bloodthirsty Demon Vine shot forth, instantly piercing the demon butterfly’s abdomen.

At this moment, it was less than a foot away from Xu Ziqing, yet in that brief moment, it was drained clean, leaving only two wings and a layer of skin.

Several Feng clan members were still dizzy from the shriek when Xu Ziqing had already eliminated the demon butterfly king, making them regard him with even more trepidation.

Feng Tai, seeing how his disciples performed and glancing at Xu Ziqing, couldn’t help but sigh. However, he still let out a light hum, shattering the residual waves of sound and helping his disciples recover.

At this point, they should be able to enter the mist.

Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing moved ahead, with the Feng clan members closely following.

The mist had thinned considerably, revealing the icy spring within, faintly visible.

The disciples felt somewhat relieved; the previous waves of attacks were quite peculiar. Many demon butterflies had caused trouble, and while they seemed easy to eliminate, their own true energy was limited. During the assault by countless demon butterflies, even taking pills to replenish their energy was impossible, and once exhausted, they would become food for the butterflies. If they had come here alone, they would have likely perished.

As they ventured deeper, the mist dissipated even more, and the icy spring became clearer.

Suddenly, Yun Lie raised his hand, cutting through the air.

The Feng group saw a beam of black and gold light shoot into the sky, followed by a “poof” as it penetrated something, which let out a horrifying shriek.

Then, a shadow fell from the sky, hitting the ground and turning into a mass of flesh.

Everyone recognized this creature; it was identical to the previous demon butterfly king, just slightly smaller and even more ferocious in appearance.

Feng Tai slowly said, “So it was a pair of male and female demon butterflies.”

Female beasts are often more vicious than their male counterparts… He raised his gaze and saw a hole pierced through a giant tree, exactly where the previous beam of light had struck.

Had Yun Lie not detected it first, the female butterfly hidden in the air would have had no difficulty pouncing on the Feng clan disciples. Although he valued his disciples, he also understood that this female butterfly probably couldn’t harm either Xu Ziqing or Yun Lie; in reality, only Feng Qi and the others would be in danger.

Now that the danger had passed, the group circled around the demon butterfly’s corpse and proceeded toward the icy spring.

Before long, the full view of the icy spring emerged before them, but Feng Tai halted the steps of his disciples, preventing them from advancing. He said, “We will wait here; you two friends can proceed as you wish.” Having a ninety percent chance of obtaining the divine water here, if they followed, it would inevitably lead to suspicions of trying to snatch the treasure. It was better to take a step back and provide protection for the two of them.

Xu Ziqing understood Feng Tai’s intentions and smiled slightly. “Thank you very much.” Then he stood with Yun Lie by the edge of the icy spring.

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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