The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 20: Affairs of Frozen Snow Plains | Chapter 383: Collecting The Divine Water

The icy spring was nearly a yard in diameter, with ice mist rising and a chilling aura enveloping it.

As they drew closer, Xu Ziqing felt a frigid current that threatened to freeze him, so he circulated his true essence several times until he felt a bit warmer. Yet, even so, his fingers and cheeks still felt slightly stiff.

Yun Lie looked down at him and asked, “Are you alright?”

Xu Ziqing smiled faintly. “It’s nothing serious.”

Yun Lie merely grasped his wrist and infused him with a vast amount of true essence, instantly dissipating the last remnants of cold.

Xu Ziqing sighed lightly, feeling much more comfortable. By now, he hoped more than ever to find the divine water soon and complete his Nascent Soul; otherwise, if he ventured into any dangerous places again, those strange illusions would be enough to give him a hard time—he didn’t want to hold back his shixiong.

The two then turned to look into the spring.

The icy spring appeared like a full moon, the icy water still and reflective like a mirror. Standing nearby, one could see their clear reflection in it.

In the center of this mirror, two crescent shapes embraced, their heads and tails touching, resembling two fish.

Within the “new moons,” it seemed something was boiling, with numerous bubbles rising to the surface.

Xu Ziqing was delighted. “Shixiong, that must be the heated flow born from the extreme cold!”

Yun Lie nodded slightly. “I’ll collect it.”

Between the two, Xu Ziqing likely wouldn’t be able to collect the icy spring due to his limited strength; even if he forced it, he would risk freezing himself. Instead, Yun Lie, with his icy aura, was unafraid.

Then, Yun Lie swiftly moved and stood in the icy spring.

The water wasn’t deep, only reaching his waist. He walked in step by step, and his aura became increasingly powerful.

Xu Ziqing focused intently on him.

Yun Lie moved quickly; by the time he reached the “new moons,” a foot-long clean bottle appeared in his palm. He pressed the bottle mouth against the “new moons,” and within a few breaths, he collected all the heated flow into the clean bottle. Afterward, he turned back, and as his true essence circulated, the cold aura dissipated completely, leaving his clothes dry.

Xu Ziqing asked, “Shixiong, how is it? Did you manage to obtain the divine water?”

Yun Lie nodded. “If my senses are correct, then yes.”

Xu Ziqing felt relieved; since the divine water had been obtained, their goal was accomplished, and he no longer had to worry.

The two didn’t linger and, after Yun Lie stored the clean bottle, Xu Ziqing also collected some extremely cold water for future use.

There were also many ice attribute spirit herbs around the icy spring. He gathered some seeds and a few mature plants, resulting in a considerable harvest.

After that, the two reunited with the Feng clan members and greeted the clan head, Feng Tai, before heading back to the Bingxue Immortal Palace together.

Although this journey had consumed some energy, it had gone relatively smoothly. Feng Tai felt reassured and, on their way back, was even more careful not to delay.

Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie faced no obstacles at the second icy palace and smoothly entered. Feng Tai turned to bid farewell, leading the Feng clan members to pay their respects to the second young palace master. Meanwhile, Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie encountered Zhuang Wei, who had come to welcome them.

Zhuang Wei smiled. “You’ve finally returned! Hezhi has been feeling quite impatient lately without anyone to spar with. Please bear with him, Yun Daoist.”

Yun Lie glanced at him and nodded slightly. “I also enjoy sparring with him.”

Zhuang Wei was even more delighted.

Since reuniting with Xu Ziqing, he had already made up for many of his previous regrets. Not to mention having this good friend to confide in, much of his pent-up feelings had also diminished.

Now, it seemed there wouldn’t be many more opportunities to spend time with his friend, so it was best to cherish their time together.

Xu Ziqing smiled gently, taking his hand as they entered the hall.

Zhuang Wei settled both him and Yun Lie before hurriedly attending to other matters. However, as soon as Zhuang Wei disappeared, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

Yun Lie noticed Xu Ziqing’s unease and asked, “Why are you so anxious?”

Xu Ziqing scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense and, finding no one else, whispered, “Shixiong, there’s something off about Zhuang Wei.”

Yun Lie looked at him. “He treats you sincerely. If there’s something wrong, it’s not his character, but something else.”

Xu Ziqing nodded. “When I first reunited with him, I was so happy that I didn’t notice anything while shaking his hands. Afterwards, although I felt a bit uneasy, I brushed it off because both Le Zheng Hezhi treated him very well. When he came to pick me up today, I felt a stirring in my heart and took the opportunity to probe while shaking his hand… Even though it was just a fleeting touch, I still detected something unusual.”

Yun Lie remained silent.

Xu Ziqing sighed. “A Golden Core master has a lifespan of around eight hundred years, and that lifespan is closely tied to their vitality. Ordinary people may not be able to perceive this clearly, but… Shixiong, you know I have the foundation of the ‘Ten Thousand Woods Great Heart Planting Technique.’ Ever since I formed my core, my sensitivity to vitality has only grown sharper.”

“Zhuang Wei is only a little over ten years older than me. I’m just over a hundred years old, so he should naturally have over six hundred years left. Yet, his vitality has already dried up. If I’m not mistaken, he might have less than twenty years of lifespan left…” At this point, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of sadness.

Xu Ziqing had thought that Zhuang Wei’s rapid advancement to the Golden Core stage was due to the heavenly materials and earthly treasures and the abundant spiritual energy of the Qianyuan world, along with Le Zheng Hezhi providing him with suitable techniques and guidance. But this revelation clearly indicated that he must have used methods that would shorten his lifespan and sacrifice his own path to achieve this!

Logically, given Le Zheng Hezhi’s temperament and their regard for Zhuang Wei, they shouldn’t treat him this way… So, what could be the reason?

Yun Lie straightforwardly said, “Just ask him directly.”

Xu Ziqing was taken aback. Ask Zhuang Wei? Since Zhuang Wei hadn’t informed him, it was likely that there were hidden difficulties…

Yun Lie shook his head slightly. “Ask Le Zheng Hezhi.”

Xu Ziqing paused, understanding his shixiong’s intention.

Matters of lifespan were ultimately private; even among friends, it wasn’t appropriate to expose someone’s vulnerabilities. If his shixiong were to inquire about it with Le Zheng Hezhi, and if he cared about Zhuang Wei, he would surely not miss any details. If it were before his shixiong fought with Zhuang Wei, he might not have cared too much, but now that Le Zheng Hezhi knew that he and his shixiong were from the Zhoutian Immortal Sect—a prestigious sect with countless messages and treasures—they would likely inform him about it, so that they could think of a way to help Zhuang Wei.

With this decision made, Yun Lie turned to leave in search of Le Zheng Hezhi.

Xu Ziqing pondered carefully and chose not to follow.

His shixiong was recognized as a friend by Le Zheng Hezhi, but he was not; it was better to let his shixiong handle this matter.

Not long after, Yun Lie returned.

At the same time, Le Zheng Hezhi arrived.

Xu Ziqing stood up and looked past Le Zheng Hezhi, but he did not see Zhuang Wei.

Le Zheng Hezhi said, “He has been assigned an important task by me and won’t be coming over for the next hour.”

Xu Ziqing nodded and got straight to the point, asking, “Palace Master Le Zheng, could you please tell me why Brother Zhuang’s vitality has depleted to such an extent? And his lifespan…”

He still held a glimmer of hope that perhaps there were other circumstances or that it was merely a temporary situation, and with time, he could recover.

Le Zheng Hezhi glanced at Xu Ziqing, a flicker of pain quickly flashing in his eyes. “Zhuang Wei’s condition is all my fault.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqing’s heart immediately sank.

Le Zheng Hezhi, however, did not notice Xu Ziqing’s expression. Instead, he slightly closed his eyes and said quietly, “When Zhuang Wei followed me back years ago, I had a penchant for exploring the ice plains, seeking out fierce beasts to challenge myself and advance. He often accompanied me. At that time, I was extremely arrogant, thinking I could protect him well. Who would have thought that one day we accidentally stumbled into a den of fierce beasts and were besieged by six eighth-order beasts? Though I was also a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator, those eighth-tier beasts were formidable, their realms no lower than mine, and they were very cunning. While I fought them, I suffered multiple injuries, and one of the beasts launched a surprise attack from behind, aiming to pierce through me with its divine ability!” He paused before continuing, “Zhuang Wei had hidden inside a protective talisman, not wanting to hinder me. However, that fierce beast’s sneak attack was seen by him, and I don’t know how he managed to rush over and took the blow for me with his own body!” At that moment, the murderous aura between his brows seemed to intensify.

This story sounded familiar… Xu Ziqing thought for a moment and recalled that Feng Qi from the Feng family had mentioned, with boundless admiration, how the second young master had slain several eighth-tier fierce beasts. It turned out there was such a backstory.

Could it be…?

Indeed, Le Zheng Hezhi had more to say.

Not long after Zhuang Wei started following Le Zheng Hezhi, despite his efforts in cultivation, he had only just laid his foundation.

The fierce beast’s attack had directly shattered his organs, destroying his dantian, leaving him unable to survive.

But how could Le Zheng Hezhi just watch him die?

Fortunately, the Bingxue Immortal Palace had a secret technique that could burn away one’s lifespan to save a dying person.

Le Zheng Hezhi used this secret technique while Zhuang Wei still had a breath left.

However, this technique required a price; others’ lifespans were merely the cost of the spell, but the one receiving the spell would also pay a price.

Le Zheng Hezhi had to burn five hundred years of his own lifespan to use this technique, and Zhuang Wei, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, had nearly consumed three hundred years of lifespan.

Once Zhuang Wei was saved, he had only three days left to live.

What was the difference between saving him like this and not saving him at all?

In desperation, Le Zheng Hezhi had no choice but to infuse his own true essence into Zhuang Wei and supplement it with countless precious elixirs, burning seven hundred years of lifespan, allowing Zhuang Wei to break through directly and become a Core Formation Stage cultivator. However, even then, after Zhuang Wei consumed his own resources, he was left with only a few years to live. Le Zheng Hezhi burned another thousand years of lifespan and infused more true essence, allowing Zhuang Wei to form his Golden Core.

By this point, Zhuang Wei managed to have over a hundred years of lifespan left.

Le Zheng Hezhi had consumed a total of two thousand five hundred years of lifespan, but as a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator, he still had two thousand years to live, and with his extraordinary talent, he didn’t mind. However, no matter how miraculous the elixirs, pushing someone to Golden Core was already the limit; it was utterly impossible to force someone to form a baby core in the same way.

But Zhuang Wei had been forced to reach Golden Core, and his foundation was weak. It was impossible for him to reach the Nascent Soul stage by himself. If he wanted to survive, there was only one way left: to seek out extraordinary heavenly materials and earthly treasures to refine a precious elixir that could extend his lifespan.

It was from that time onwards that Le Zheng Hezhi, who had never liked to chatter, began hosting birthday banquets each year, gathering followers without being picky.

The goal was to find those heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

For many years, Le Zheng Hezhi had obtained more than half of the required herbs according to the elixir formula, but a few essential ingredients were still missing to complete the synthesis.

However, as time passed, those herbs became increasingly hard to gather, and some had already gone extinct, leaving him with no way to find them…

Since his birth, Le Zheng Hezhi had never felt such anxiety.

Yet, there was nothing he could do about it.

Translator: Lynn

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

Support me on ko-fi if you like what I do^^