The mist surrounding the central peak began to thin as the morning sun climbed higher into the clear sky, revealing the massive, sprawling complex of the Inner Sect Mission Hall. Built into the sheer face of a red granite cliff, the hall was an architectural marvel—a five-story palace of dark ironwood and white marble, bustling with hundreds of inner disciples moving between glowing mission boards and exchange counters.
Railin stepped off the high bridge, his navy-blue robes sweeping over the polished stone steps leading to the main entrance. The ambient chatter of the crowd quieted slightly as surrounding disciples recognized his pale, calm features. While he had not yet reached the legendary status of the Four Great Peak core disciples, his ruthless defeat of Feng Wushuang had firmly placed his name on everyone's radar.
He ignored the lingering, watchful eyes and walked toward the high-tier mission board located on the third floor. His objective was clear: he needed to locate high-grade spirit stone tasks or rare medicinal missions that would yield resources to further nourish his newly consolidated Foundation Core.
However, before Railin could ascend the grand marble staircase, a subtle ripple in the air caught his attention.
A tall, elderly man wearing the dark grey robes of an inner sect steward stepped out from the shadow of a massive stone pillar. He walked with silent, floating strides, his face weathered like ancient bark, but his eyes glowing with the deep, restrained brilliance of a Stage Four Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Disciple Railin," the steward said in a low, muffled voice that resonated directly within Railin's ears through a private sound transmission. "Pray halt your steps for a moment."
Railin stopped, his hands remaining loosely tucked into his sleeves as he turned his dark, bottomless eyes toward the old man. "And who might you be, Senior?"
The steward bowed slightly, maintaining an air of polite distance while subtly blocking the path toward the stairs. "I am Steward Yan, attached to the outer affairs of the Ice Mystic Peak. My master, Grand Elder Frost-Moon, has observed that your journey to the Mission Hall might prove... unnecessarily complicated today. She has sent me to guide you to her private tea pavilion on the upper terrace."
Railin eyed the old steward with a cold, analytical gaze. He had promised Rusunam Rusu on the bridge that he would consider the Grand Elder's invitation, but he had not expected the Ice Mystic Peak to move so aggressively, sending a Stage Four Foundation steward to intercept him directly inside the Mission Hall.
"Steward Yan," Railin said smoothly, his voice flat and unbothered. "I believe I informed Senior Sister Rusu that I would visit the Ice Mystic Pavilion at my own leisure, after concluding my business here."
Steward Yan offered a faint, dry smile, his gaze flickering subtly toward the shadow of a nearby ironwood pillar where two disciples clad in the crimson robes of the Sword Peak were discreetly watching them.
"My master understands your independence, Disciple Railin," Steward Yan replied softly, his voice remaining strictly within the private transmission line. "However, she also knows that the task assigned to you by the Mission Hall administrators today—specifically regarding the high-grade spirit stone quotas—has already been quietly tampered with by certain factions connected to the Shadow Moon Peak. If you step up to that board, you will only find carefully laid traps disguised as lucrative missions."
Railin's dark eyes narrowed by a fraction of a millimeter. His spiritual sense swept past the steward, faintly probing the third-floor mission counter. Indeed, two senior clerks were whispering to a disciple wearing the crescent moon emblem of Shu-Lin's faction.
"Furthermore," Steward Yan continued, his tone carrying a persuasive weight, "my master does not wish to negotiate empty promises. She has brought the Glacial Soul Lotus with her to the terrace. If you wish to inspect the item before making any commitments, now is the time."
Railin stood silently in the bustling hall for a brief moment. The prospect of inspecting a three-hundred-year-old soul-nourishing herb far outweighed the minor task of picking up routine missions. If the Ice Mystic Peak was willing to display their bargained item so openly, it showed both immense confidence and a pressuring desire to seal an alliance before the other peaks could react.
"Lead the way," Railin said calmly.
"Right this way, Disciple Railin," Steward Yan bowed slightly and turned, leading Railin away from the crowded main hall toward a private stone elevator etched with weight-reducing formations.
The private elevator ascended silently through the inner core of the granite mountain, opening onto the highest terrace of the central peak. Here, far above the noisy bustle of the lower floors, the air was crisp, thin, and filled with the rich, natural spiritual energy of the high clouds.
A secluded bamboo pavilion sat on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the vast, sea-like expanse of mist that separated the Four Great Peaks. The pavilion was surrounded by a transparent, shimmering barrier of ice-blue light that completely isolated it from wind, sound, and spiritual probes.
Sitting at a simple carved stone table inside the pavilion was an elderly woman dressed in majestic, silver-and-white robes. Her long hair was as white as freshly fallen snow, bound by an exquisite jade hairpin, but her skin remained as smooth and unwrinkled as polished ivory. She exuded no terrifying pressure, yet the very space around her seemed to bow slightly, bowing to the supreme authority of a Late-Stage Core Formation Sovereign.
Beside her stood Rusunam Rusu, her hands tucked neatly inside her white sleeves, her blue eyes tracking Railin as he stepped onto the terrace with Steward Yan.
"Master, Disciple Railin has arrived," Steward Yan announced respectfully, bowing at the edge of the ice barrier before stepping back into the shadows.
Grand Elder Frost-Moon slowly raised her head. Her eyes were not blue like Rusu's, but a deep, milky silver that seemed to reflect the reflection of an ancient, frozen moon. She gestured gently toward the stone seat opposite her.
"Sit, Disciple Railin," her voice was surprisingly warm, like a soft winter breeze, yet it carried an underlying weight that resonated deep within the bones.
Railin walked into the pavilion, his dark navy robes rustling softly. He did not show the slightest tremor of nervousness in the presence of a Core Formation sovereign. He pulled back the heavy stone chair and sat down cross-legged, meeting the Grand Elder's silver gaze with his usual, unblinking black pupils.
Rusu, standing behind her master, let out a tiny, soft breath through her nose at Railin's utter lack of traditional etiquette. Almost any other inner disciple would have dropped to one knee and offered a grand formal greeting to a Grand Elder of the Four Great Peaks. Railin simply sat there as if meeting an equal business partner across a tea table.
Grand Elder Frost-Moon, however, did not take offense. A subtle, approving glint flickered deep within her milky silver eyes.
"To possess such a calm heart after shattering the Imperial Dragon Peak's favorite pup is rare," Grand Elder Frost-Moon said softly, picking up a delicate white porcelain teapot and pouring two cups of steaming, aromatic spirit tea. "Elder Feng has spent the last forty-eight hours storming through the Grand Council chambers, demanding your execution. It took the combined weight of myself and Overseer Lu to keep his fiery temper contained."
"Then I owe Grand Elder a debt of gratitude for maintaining the academy's laws," Railin replied smoothly, though his voice remained dry and analytical. "However, I doubt a Grand Elder of your stature summoned me up here merely to claim credit for enforcing basic rules."
Grand Elder Frost-Moon chuckled softly, setting the teapot down with a delicate clink.
"Direct and sharp. I like that," she said, her silver eyes narrowing slightly. "Rusu has likely informed you of my offer. The Ice Mystic Peak operates on a philosophy of absolute balance. We do not seek total dominance over the Sun-Moon Academy, but we will not allow the Imperial Dragon Peak or the rising alliance of the Shadow Moon and Sword Peaks to crush the equilibrium."
She raised her slender, unwrinkled hand and lightly flicked her finger over the surface of the stone table.
SWISH!
A box forged from blue, translucent cold-iron materialized in the center of the table. The box was covered in intricate, ancient sealing runes that glowed with a faint, pulse-like rhythm. The moment the latch unlocked with a soft metallic click, a wave of pure, crystalline cold energy erupted into the pavilion.
The ambient temperature inside the barrier dropped by twenty degrees in an instant. The steaming spirit tea in Railin's porcelain cup instantly froze into solid ice.
Lying inside the blue iron box was a exquisite lotus flower made entirely of translucent, ice-like petals. At the center of the flower burned a soft, blue flame-like core that emitted a rich, soothing fragrance. The moment Railin inhaled the scent, his upper dantian—his soul sea—vibrated pleasantly. The dark, pitch-black spiritual energy hovering in his mind expanded slightly, drinking in the icy aura like a dry sponge absorbing fresh water.
It was indeed a genuine, three-hundred-year-old Glacial Soul Lotus—a natural treasure of the heaven and earth, capable of increasing a cultivator's soul strength by at least thirty percent!
Railin looked at the frozen lotus, his expression remaining perfectly calm, though his mind was swiftly evaluating its immense value. With this herb, he could easily complete the second layer of The Eclipse Soul Scripture, refining at least three primary Soul-Piercing Needles that could penetrate the spiritual shields of Stage Four Foundation masters.
"It is a fine herb," Railin said, looking up from the box to meet the Grand Elder's eyes. "Now, let us speak of the exact terms of your trade."
Grand Elder Frost-Moon closed the box, sealing the intense cold aura back inside with a flick of her wrist.
"As Rusu mentioned, I require two things," the Grand Elder stated calmly. "First, a single vial of your condensed void-attribute spirit essence. My peak's chief alchemists are currently attempting to forge a soul-cleansing pill, and the unique, devouring nature of your dark qi may hold the key to neutralizing volatile medicinal impurities."
Railin paused slightly. Giving away a sample of his spirit essence carried minor risks, as a skilled curse-master or tracker could theoretically use it to trace his location. However, his Ashen Devouring Technique was inherently abyssal—once detached from his body, the spirit essence would rapidly decay and devour its own structure within a few days, leaving no viable trace for curse arts.
"That is acceptable," Railin said flatly. "And the second requirement?"
"The second requirement involves the upcoming Grand Inner Sect Assembly," Grand Elder Frost-Moon's voice turned serious, her silver eyes flashing with a cold, stern light. "In three months, the academy will open the ancient Spirit Realm Trial—a subterranean dimension containing the grand heritage of the academy's founders. The Four Great Peaks will send their elite teams to compete for the core secret realm slots."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze locking onto Railin.
"Shu-Lin, the Yellow-Rank genius of the Shadow Moon Peak, has already formed a powerful coalition with her brother Hao-Lin of the Sword Peak. They intend to use this trial to sweep away all opposition and claim the grand heritage for themselves. I want you to enter the Spirit Realm Trial under the banner of the Ice Mystic Peak. You do not need to take orders from Rusu or my other disciples, but you must pledge to act as our blade against Shu-Lin's coalition."
Railin sat quietly, listening to every word. The deal was remarkably clean. The Ice Mystic Peak was not asking him to become a loyal, obedient servant; they were paying him a supreme natural treasure to do exactly what he already intended to do—massacre the factions of Hao-Lin and Shu-Lin!
"A blade needs no leash," Railin said softly, his dark eyes glowing with a sinister, cold light. "If Shu-Lin's coalition stands in my way inside the Spirit Realm Trial, I will erase them from the realm entirely. But I have one additional condition."
Rusu's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "You dare demand additional conditions from my master?!"
Grand Elder Frost-Moon raised her hand, silencing Rusu with a gentle gesture. "Speak, Disciple Railin."
"I require uninterrupted access to the Ice Mystic Peak's high-tier subterranean cold chambers for the next three days," Railin demanded smoothly. "I will refine the Glacial Soul Lotus on your grounds before I take on any task."
Grand Elder Frost-Moon looked at Railin for a long, silent moment. Then, a grand, genuine laugh escaped her lips.
"Prudent, cautious, and ruthless," she said, nodding her head in approval. "You fear I might place a hidden tracker or spiritual mark inside the lotus that would allow my peak to control you later, so you wish to absorb it under my very nose where I cannot hide my actions. Very well! I grant your request."
She pushed the blue cold-iron box across the stone table, stopping it directly in front of Railin.
"The Glacial Soul Lotus is yours," Grand Elder Frost-Moon declared. "Rusu will lead you directly to the Third Subterranean Ice Chamber. Let us see if your dark soul scripture can truly shake the foundations of the upcoming Grand Assembly!
See you in next chapter....