Celestial Refining Divine Scripture

As the Immortal Talisman drew near, the black radiance gradually became distinct.

A massive black cauldron floated amidst the Cold Vein Fragments, its entire body thickly encrusted with ice crystals, yet not even such a covering could damage the cauldron in the slightest.

"What a formidable alchemical cauldron!"

"To come out unscathed within the Cold Vein Fragments, this cauldron must surely be a third-grade Immortal Treasure!"

"It was surely bestowed upon that youth by Old Dan Qi."

"With this cauldron in hand, that youth will come to no harm!"

...

That it could resist the ravages of the Cold Vein Storms left the Golden Immortals astonished, but upon thinking of Dan Qi, they were all immediately at ease.

To them, apart from Dan Qi, no one else could have given such a treasure.

The Fourth Elder also let out a long sigh of relief, hastening to look at Cangxue Golden Immortal: "Palace Master, may I ask you to act and bring Xu Yang out from the Cold Vein?"

Palace Master Cangxue showed a wry smile.

"I fear that will be difficult."

"The residual power of the Immortal Talisman is insufficient, and this place is already at the convergence of dozens of Cold Vein Fragments."

At these words, the Fourth Elder’s expression darkened slightly.

Seeing this, Cangxue Golden Immortal said, "However, I can use the talisman’s last remaining power to shield the cauldron for a time. When this realm is on the verge of collapse, then there will be nothing to restrain me; I can simply extract him then. Fourth Elder, rest assured for his safety."

In other words, for the time being, Xu Yang could only hide within the cauldron and remain here.

The Fourth Elder managed a bitter smile, yet he knew well this was the only option left.

More than half the allotted time remained. If a Golden Immortal appeared, it would certainly throw the Heaven and Earth Immortal Array into chaos, thereby causing the Cold Vein to erupt and collapse entirely.

For the sake of one person, the Ice and Snow Immortal Palace would never make such a choice.

Regardless, as long as Xu Yang remained safe, that was enough.

As for whether he could gain further fortune, that was no longer a concern.

Boom!

Cangxue Golden Immortal moved. The Immortal Talisman erupted in a flash of radiant, silvery-white divine light that blasted forth, shattering the surrounding Cold Vein energies and enfolding the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod.

And with that, the scene abruptly ended.

...

Inside the Divine Tripod, Xu Yang’s heart and soul trembled as he sensed the changes outside, left momentarily stunned.

"What’s going on?"

Suddenly, a thread of faint immortal light appeared at the cauldron’s mouth.

Xu Yang hesitated for an instant, then sent forth a wisp of Primordial Spirit power to touch it.

Buzz!

A flood of information surged forth—it was Cangxue Golden Immortal, using the talisman’s last lingering power to leave him several messages.

Having finished reading, Xu Yang let out a bitter laugh.

Liou Xueyan had really stirred up quite a commotion.

The talisman’s power was insufficient to move him out, and could only act as a barrier to protect the tripod from the assault of the cold tides here.

"This might not be such a bad thing after all."

Licking his lips, Xu Yang’s spirits lifted.

For this was a junction where the energies of dozens of Cold Vein Fragments converged.

Throughout the previous period, he had not been idle for even a moment.

Realizing his circumstances, he immediately began drawing in cold vein power through the divine tripod.

This cold vein energy was pure, vast, and inexhaustible!

Bear in mind, the majority of the heaven-and-earth treasures here had all been nurtured by the energies emanating from the Cold Vein.

What could possibly surpass the pure essence of the Cold Vein itself?

As long as he could withstand it.

The Celestial Refining Divine Tripod knew no fear.

Now, with the residual power of the Immortal Talisman as protection, the threat of the surrounding chill was significantly diminished, and the cauldron could devour at an even swifter pace.

With this thought, Xu Yang appeared outside the Lesser Immortal Realm, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating.

After merely two days,

he commenced his fourth cycle of ten thousand refinements.

As long as the energy proved sufficient, and with the cold endlessly tempering his body, it was no exaggeration to say the ten thousand refinements could continue unbroken.

Of course, the process entailed pain mortals could never endure.

While he cultivated within the Cold Vein, outside, the struggle for heaven-and-earth treasures showed no sign of waning.

In particular, the disciples of Ice and Snow Immortal Palace had mostly seen noteworthy breakthroughs in cultivation, forging ever deeper ahead.

Both Guiyuan Sect and Black Fire Immortal Mountain watched all precious treasures with covetous eyes; once outside, they could exchange them for astonishing resources needed for their own advancement.

In any case, it was pure profit.

As nearly twenty days passed, Liou Xueyan—the very culprit who shattered swathes of the Cold Vein—had already climbed to the most imposing Frost Giant Peak in this realm.

From a distance, it resembled a primordial pillar of ice, piercing the heavens, rising above the boundless glacier, awe-inspiring and grandiose with an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Beneath this giant peak, scores of Cold Veins converged.

The treasures nurtured on this peak alone were utterly astonishing, enough for people to fight desperately over.

The strongest disciples among the three sects had already come to the summit.

Ji Hong, Zhou Tai, Luo Jiang, Yang Yuan, Qin Qian, and the others.

Liou Xueyan faced the howling snow and cold, slowly ascending to the very top of the peak.

From on high, her robes fluttered, ethereal as an immortal descending to the mortal realm!

Gulp!

Even though Liou Xueyan had steeled herself, at the sight atop the peak, she couldn’t help swallowing hard—her throat bobbing with intensity.

Coiled atop the summit lay a colossal Ice and Snow Dragon.

It seemed sculpted from flawless jade, crystalline and limpid inside and out, silver-white immortal light shrouding it in a mist-like aura, dazzling and piercing to behold.

Utterly extraordinary, as though carved from ice, and yet so vivid as to seem alive.

It radiated an aura of supreme, terrifying frost, making it hard to breathe.

Even Liou Xueyan, confronted by the Ice and Snow Dragon, found her delicate form uncontrollably trembling.

"It is the Ice and Snow Immortal Dragon Marrow! Such immense Dragon Marrow, solidified into form... This is the most precious treasure in all Cold Vein Heaven and Earth, condensed from the essence of more than three thousand Cold Veins!"

"If I devour this, my Immortal Foundation will almost certainly break through to the eighth rank!"

Any heaven-and-earth treasure capable of postnatal transformation and fortification of the Immortal Foundation was rare to the extreme—wondrous beyond compare.

The Ice and Snow Immortal Dragon Marrow before her was one such legendary thing.

Immortal Marrow, condensed and dragon-shaped, was beyond imagination.

It took countless years and the essence of more than three thousand Cold Veins to form such a treasure—its might was unfathomable!

It could elevate Liou Xueyan’s seventh-rank Immortal Foundation to the eighth, an unparalleled miracle!

After a long inner struggle, Liou Xueyan finally managed to suppress her exhilaration and regain her composure.

Such Immortal Dragon Marrow was earth-shattering, but not so easily subdued and devoured.

She glanced back—far-off figures flickering upon the mountainside.

The rest posed no threat!

Luo Jiang, Ji Hong, Yang Yuan—though any might covet this treasure, none were truly qualified to fight for it!

Liou Xueyan smiled with pride, focusing intently on the Dragon Marrow. Then, she summoned the Ice Extreme Immortal Puppet Map, unfurling it slowly to enshroud the summit.

Her body flickered lightly—like a swallow—floating onto the Puppet Map where she sat cross-legged in meditation.

Liou Xueyan’s gaze lowered; her expression turned solemn as she began to weave seal incantations.

As Seal Skills flew forth, the cold essence of the surrounding void was drawn toward her—forming rolling banks of icy clouds, streaming ceaselessly into the Ice Extreme Immortal Puppet Map.

At the same time, one after another immortal imprint emerged from the Puppet Map, drifting out like ice crystal and snowflake as thin as cicada’s wings, swirling around and closing from all sides upon the Dragon Marrow.

Even with her strength, she could not subdue it alone.

She had to rely on the Ice Extreme Immortal Puppet Map!

As time passed, aided by the Puppet Map’s might, the chill coiling about the great peak thickened into massive clouds—standing at the foot of the mountain, one could feel a suffocating pressure.

Ji Hong, Luo Jiang, and the rest noticed the change, swiftly racing over.

Reaching the edge of the summit, they shuddered uncontrollably—the oppressive force above made it nearly impossible even to move.

When they saw Liou Xueyan seated atop the Puppet Map, and beheld the massive Dragon Marrow below, they gasped audibly, their minds utterly blank with shock.

Even so, compared to the Ice and Snow Dragon, both Liou Xueyan and the Puppet Map seemed to pale.

So sublime and magnificent—the dragon coiled still, yet exuded the sacred might of the realm’s ruler and lord.

"What in the world is that?"

Zhou Tai shuddered, murmuring with a trembling voice.