With a wave of his palm, Yun Zhongque sent a streak of light shooting into the sky. It transformed into a great ship of flawless white jade.
A vast and restrained aura spread out from it.
"This is the Jade Dragon Boat, the treasure we will be riding on this journey."
"Everyone, board at once."
With that said, he and Yan Qingxuan were the first to fly into the vessel.
"So this is what a treasure looks like…"
The disciples gazed at the Jade Dragon Boat, their faces filled with awe.
Wang Jianqiang too raised his head to stare at the jade-white ship in the sky, his expression shaken.
Magical tools were mere implements used by cultivators in the Qi Refining stage.
Above them were spiritual artifacts, which only Foundation Establishment cultivators could command.
And treasures—those could only be used by cultivators at the Core Formation stage or higher.
This was his first time seeing a treasure with his own eyes.
Though its aura was already suppressed, he still felt an oppressive force, as if he were standing before the endless sea.
He had no doubt: if the treasure were to fully unleash its aura, the pressure alone would be enough to crush every disciple present.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh…
As one figure after another flew into the Jade Dragon Boat, Wang Jianqiang turned to Wang Yuyao. "Let's go as well."
With that, the two of them lifted into the air and entered the vessel.
The distance between the Hehuan Sect and Snowfall Mountain was a hundred thousand li.
Even if a peak Qi Refining cultivator ignored consumption and flew without rest, it would still take at least a month.
But at the speed of the Jade Dragon Boat, it took only a single day to arrive.
"The entrance to the secret realm is here."
Inside the vessel, Yun Zhongque waved his arm.
The Jade Dragon Boat vanished.
Wang Jianqiang's vision blurred, and when it cleared he found himself standing atop a great mountain.
Snowflakes drifted ceaselessly from the sky.
Everywhere he looked, the mountain was covered with snow that had endured through countless years, never melting.
"Eh? Yan Qingxuan?"
A surprised voice suddenly rang out.
Wang Jianqiang followed the sound.
Not far away stood another group of people waiting.
Men and women alike, each had a powerfully built body, muscles bulging beneath their robes.
The one who had spoken was their leader, a white-haired elder.
Though his age appeared great—his face older even than Wang Jianqiang's, as if he were already near death—his skin bore no wrinkles. His exaggerated muscles stretched his robes taut, clothes that should have hung loose instead clinging tight with explosive strength.
It was as if an old man's head had been placed upon the body of a young bodybuilder. The sight was profoundly strange.
The four great cultivation powers of the Northern Territory: Hehuan Sect, Xuanqing Palace, Myriad Sword Sect, and Zhengyang Sect.
It was said Zhengyang specialized in tempering the body.
Seeing such exaggerated physiques, there could be no doubt these people were from Zhengyang Sect.
As Wang Jianqiang studied them thoughtfully, Yan Qingxuan's cool voice came from beneath her veil, directed at the muscular elder.
"Jia Wenchang, are you so surprised to see me?"
"Indeed, I am."
Jia Wenchang smiled indifferently, as if long prepared for her tone. "Fairy Qingxuan, in years past you were the number one prodigy of the Hehuan Sect, your name resounding throughout the north."
"Yet for some reason, you have not left your sect for over seventy years. Rumor claimed you had suffered a grievous wound beyond recovery. Others even said you had fallen."
"Now it seems those tales were false."
Yan Qingxuan's gaze flickered, but she made no reply.
Jia Wenchang chuckled, turning his eyes to Yun Zhongque. "Elder Yun, the last time the secret realm opened it was you and I who led our sects. Thirty years have passed in a blink—here we meet again."
Yun Zhongque replied with a smile, and the two began conversing.
In contrast to the polite harmony of the elders, the atmosphere between the disciples of the two sects was completely opposite.
Everyone knew that once inside the Cold Pool Secret Realm, they would become mortal rivals.
Their stares clashed, filled with provocation, sparks nearly flying.
Standing in the crowd, Wang Jianqiang carefully observed the Zhengyang disciples.
"Be wary of the two behind Jia Wenchang."
A sudden voice entered his mind.
Startled, Wang Jianqiang glanced toward Yan Qingxuan at the front.
She had not looked back at him, as though the transmission had not come from her.
Wang Jianqiang smiled faintly and shifted his gaze toward the Zhengyang disciples.
Behind Jia Wenchang stood a man and a woman.
The man was nearly two meters tall, bare-chested, his body covered with exaggerated muscle lines, raw power radiating from him.
The woman was even taller by half a head. Though her features were delicate, her muscles rivaled his, her robe stretched tight over her frame.
In that instant, two attribute panels surfaced in Wang Jianqiang's mind.
Name: Yang YunGender: MaleCultivation: Peak Qi RefiningAge: 29Spiritual Roots: Earth and Water dual rootsVirtue/Malice Value: -50
Name: Su SuGender: FemaleCultivation: Peak Qi RefiningAge: 28Spiritual Roots: Earth and Wood dual rootsVirtue/Malice Value: -50
As expected, both were at the peak of Qi Refining.
Their true combat strength would be no weaker than the likes of Ye Lingyun.
And as top prodigies of Zhengyang's outer sect, their foundation would already be solid. Each of them would surely be carrying Foundation Establishment Pills.
Though only in the Qi Refining stage now, once inside the secret realm, they would almost certainly break through.
As for their malice value—he wasn't surprised.
After all, once inside they would be enemies, struggling to the death.
It would be stranger if they held goodwill.
As Wang Jianqiang observed the pair, they seemed to sense it. Their eyes, sharp as lightning, turned on him together.
"What sharp perception—these two are not simple!"
Wang Jianqiang raised a brow and calmly withdrew his gaze.
"That woman is Su Su, first place in Zhengyang Sect's outer sect competition. The man is Yang Yun, second place…"
Yan Qingxuan's voice sounded in his mind once more, naming each of Zhengyang's top ten outer disciples.
Wang Jianqiang glanced at them one by one, committing each face to memory.
Whoosh—
At that moment, a piercing sound split the air.
A giant sword came hurtling through the sky and stopped above them.
Dozens of figures leapt down from it.
Each carried an aura as sharp as an unsheathed sword, radiating an unmatched edge.
Wang Jianqiang didn't know their faces, but their traits were too obvious.
At a glance, he guessed their origin—Myriad Sword Sect!
"Haha, Daoist Qingfeng, this time you've arrived late!"
Jia Wenchang, ever the social butterfly, laughed heartily at their arrival.
The leader was a middle-aged man in green robes.
He nodded slightly. "Daoist Jia."
"Daoist Qingfeng," Yun Zhongque also greeted with a smile.
"Daoist Yun."
Qingfeng returned the nod.
But when his gaze fell on Yan Qingxuan, his expression mirrored Jia Wenchang's earlier surprise. "Daoist Yan? To think you too would come for the Cold Pool Secret Realm expedition."
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the first time in ten years you've left your sect, is it not?"
Yan Qingxuan only nodded coldly, saying nothing.
But the next moment, her voice again entered Wang Jianqiang's mind.
"That girl is Liu Qing'er, first place in Myriad Sword Sect's outer sect competition. The one carrying two swords is Jian Jiu, second place…"
Following her indication, Wang Jianqiang's gaze fell on Liu Qing'er.
She was shockingly young—only eighteen!
Unlike the other disciples, she bore no sword on her back, nor did her aura bristle with sharpness.
Yet if one sensed carefully, there was a hidden edge within her, a will as if to cut through all things.
Her malice value: -50.
Whoosh—
Just as Wang Jianqiang was observing the disciples of Myriad Sword Sect, another sound ripped through the air.
Everyone turned.
A splendid palace came flying toward them.
At the sight of it, Jia Wenchang laughed. "The people of Xuanqing Palace are here. Now all have arrived."
As he spoke, the palace hovered overhead.
In the next instant, it flashed and vanished.
Dozens of figures appeared in the sky, descending slowly.
At their head was a graceful matron in palace robes.
Her gaze swept over the crowd.
When her eyes fell upon Yan Qingxuan, her pupils contracted sharply.
"Yan Qingxuan—you are still alive?"