The massive water vortex, spanning several dozen zhang, finally began to dissipate after exhausting all its water spiritual energy.

At the center of the vortex, a fiercely burning, humanoid flame of red light still hovered several zhang above the swamp, its glow dimmed but utterly unyielding.

Ye Qin looked down at himself, a wry smile involuntarily touching his lips.

His original cloth robes had been entirely corroded by the frigid water force of the water dragon vortex, revealing a full suit of fire-attribute thorn armor—the Thorn Soft Armor, Thorn Leggings, and Thorn Gauntlets. This set of fire-attribute implements shielded his entire body, allowing him to escape an almost certain death within the vortex.

The defensive effect of the fire armor far surpassed that of ordinary protective shields, and it possessed a natural countermeasure against water-attribute spells. By simply infusing a small amount of magic power into the artifacts, the fire armor would emit intense fire spiritual energy, causing any approaching yin-cold energy to instantly vanish upon contact.

However, while he possessed the Nascent Soul artifact, the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword, and a full set of fire-attribute soft armor, he also had a weakness: his cultivation was merely at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, meaning his internal magic power reserves were limited.

Artifacts, given enough resources, could be purchased; it was simple for cultivators from prestigious, grand cultivation families to acquire several top-grade implements. But magic power could never be feigned; one’s capacity was strictly bound to one’s level of cultivation.

The preceding chaotic battles had already depleted nearly half of his magic power. Furthermore, inside the water dragon vortex, to resist the relentless onslaught of the icy water force, he had channeled his magic power fully into the armor artifacts, almost exhausting it completely.

Now, he possessed a formidable set of powerful artifacts, yet the magic power required to activate them was barely a trickle. Without magic power, having numerous artifacts was utterly useless.

Ugh—if he drew upon every last reserve of internal magic power, he might still manage to activate an artifact for one or two attacks.

Ye Qin couldn't help but glance at Li Xi, who was barely ten zhang away, a slight smile playing on his lips. Li Xi had been overly confident in his high-level water-attribute spell; he had stood just over ten zhang from the water dragon vortex, waiting for Ye Qin to perish so he could claim his artifacts.

Li Xi stared at the humanoid flame hovering in mid-air, his eyes wide and his mouth agape in stunned silence.

He hadn't died, he actually hadn't died! He could scarcely imagine a Foundation Establishment cultivator swallowed by a high-level water spell like the Water Dragon Vortex surviving. It appeared the man hadn't even been severely injured, as if he’d only been submerged for a moment. He had killed numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators, but he had never encountered one so stubbornly difficult to kill. This truly astonished him.

"Three complete sets of mid-grade fire-attribute artifacts?!"

Upon clearly seeing the armor, Li Xi was utterly deflated. He, the esteemed Young Master of the Spirit Spring Sect, hadn't even managed to gather a complete set of mid-grade water-attribute artifacts. This unknown Azure Core cultivator before him not only possessed a Nascent Soul artifact but also such a complete set of defensive implements—it left him speechless. Of course, if Li Xi knew Ye Qin also possessed a complete set of ice-attribute armor artifacts, he would likely fly into a frenzy.

"Young Master, retreat quickly!"

The two middle-aged Guardian Cultivators realized the danger and shouted in alarm. They each flung out a streak of azure light—Ice Sword artifacts—hurling them aggressively toward Ye Qin while simultaneously trying to cover the Young Master’s retreat.

They had already witnessed Ye Qin's terrifying combat strength; the closer one got, the greater the danger. Only by creating distance could the Young Master’s safety be guaranteed.

At this moment, however, Ye Qin was seen using one hand to control the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword, effortlessly blocking the two incoming azure artifacts, while with his other hand, he calmly patted his waist storage pouch and sent forth a small bronze bell artifact, which instantly transformed into a massive, zhang-sized bell.

Li Xi was suddenly startled and swiftly retreated. Ye Qin’s powerful artifacts seemed endless, inspiring awe in him. Seeing this bronze great bell, he dared not risk a casual confrontation.

Ye Qin flicked his finger, inwardly chuckling—trying to escape now? No chance!

"Dong~!"

A soul-shaking wave swept out.

Before Li Xi could retreat several zhang, his mind buzzed deafeningly, and he fell into a stupor, staggering and collapsing.

The two Guardian Cultivators beside him suffered the same fate, descending into dizziness. This Soul Wave was a small-area stunning effect; it affected groups and individuals alike—anyone caught in its radius would be dazed.

Whoosh! A streak of red light shot out. The Southern Bright Li Fire Sword, wreathed in fierce, scorching flames, flew directly to Li Xi’s face, expanding as it went, poised to cleave down upon him.

The stunning effect of the bronze bell was indeed very brief for a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Li Xi snapped out of his daze in an instant, catching a blast of heat rushing toward him. In sheer terror, he desperately dodged sideways to avoid the fire sword.

"Ah!" Li Xi cried out in pain. He managed to save his body, but he could not save his arm. His left hand, which had been clutching the Water Shell Spirit Pearl, was completely severed by the fire sword, spraying scarlet blood onto the ground beside him. As the Young Master of the Spirit Spring Sect, he had never suffered such a grievous physical wound. The piercing pain made him nearly buckle on the spot.

Ye Qin felt a slight surge of pleasure. Controlling his flying sword, the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword turned mid-air and swung toward Li Xi again, intending to slay this highly threatening Young Master immediately.

The two middle-aged Guardian Cultivators were in even worse shape than Li Xi. They only awoke from their stupor after the Young Master lost an arm. Seeing their Young Master’s life hanging by a thread, they desperately channeled their Ice Sword artifacts to intercept Ye Qin’s pursuit of Li Xi.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Ye Qin’s face. He recalled the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword. Killing Li Xi would take a while, and he currently lacked the magic power to sustain the fight. If he didn't leave soon, he might not even have enough power left to cast the Wind Evasion Art. With a wave of his hand, he retrieved the Water Shell Spirit Pearl that had fallen onto the swamp surface, pushed off the water-covered ground, and hastily fled the marsh.

Li Xi and his two guardians were still rattled. Fearing Ye Qin’s destructive power, they hesitated to give chase for the moment. They had no idea that Ye Qin’s magic power was nearly spent. With Ye Qin’s array of artifacts, killing any one of them would have been a trivial matter.

Soon, the more than ten Spirit Spring Sect cultivators who had been chasing the Azure Core cultivators heard the commotion and hurried back.

"Young Master, we have slain six Azure Core cultivators, but one low-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator escaped. Young Master, what happened to you?" Elder Du and the other elders rushed back with their men, reporting their battle results, only to stop in shock and confusion upon seeing the pool of blood and the severed arm in the swamp.

Li Xi clutched his broken arm, using his magic power to staunch the spurting blood, and roared furiously, "Forget the escaped Azure Core cultivator! Go immediately and retrieve the Water Shell Spirit Pearl—it was the cultivator just now!"

He was nearly spitting blood from frustration. Not only had he failed to kill Ye Qin, but he had also lost the Water Shell Spirit Pearl, a powerful magic treasure. Without this potent water-attribute artifact, his strength would be severely diminished, rendering many water spells completely unusable.

"Yes, your subordinates will pursue immediately!" Elder Du and the others were stunned. That Azure Core cultivator had been swallowed by the Water Dragon Vortex and yet was still alive!

They dared not question their enraged Young Master further and hastily accepted the order.

By this time, all twenty-odd Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Spirit Spring Sect had returned. Under the furious orders of the Young Master Li Xi, they scoured the swamp with all their might, searching for Ye Qin’s whereabouts.

Li Xi led the pursuit for a time but could find no trace of Ye Qin, leaving him both startled and furious.

"Quick, the Ice Lake! He must have headed toward the Ice Lake!"

After a while, he suddenly heard a distant scream faintly. Looking toward the direction of the Ice Lake, he immediately cried out in dismay. The Ice Lake was their temporary camp, where a large number of Qi Refining disciples were gathering Ice Spirit Stones.

Ye Qin had not flown directly into the sky to escape; instead, he plunged into the swamp mist.

While the sky was vast, it offered no cover and made it easy for the Spirit Spring Sect cultivators to catch up. It was far better than the swamp mist, which could conceal him. Currently alone, he was at an absolute disadvantage; once entangled, death was certain. The safest course was to use the mist within the swamp to conceal his tracks.

After shaking off the trio, he cautiously navigated through the swamp mist, evading both demonic beasts and the pursuit of the Spirit Spring Sect cultivators.

Suddenly, Ye Qin froze, his form flickering as he swiftly concealed himself within a patch of low-lying scrub.

He saw that the dense, dusky-blue miasma ahead had thinned considerably, revealing an ice-blue lake spanning several li, its surface covered by a thick layer of ice emitting wisps of cold air. Around the lake were patches of shrubs and ice-attribute demonic beasts.

Ye Qin muttered to himself; this must be the Ice Lake area, the deepest part of the Cold Lake Forest.

On an open clearing near the lakeside, dozens of small wooden and stone huts had been erected—the camp built by the Spirit Spring Sect cultivators.

Currently, several dozen cultivators at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Refining were active near the lake. Some were breaking the thick ice and diving into the lake to retrieve Ice Spirit Stones from the depths, while another dozen or so sat meditating by the shore, recovering their magic power. One or two were acting as supervisors, not gathering stones, but merely watching over the operation.

The chilling energy emanating from this Ice Lake was intense. Given their Qi Refining cultivation, they had to exert their magic power fully just to ward off the cold; it would likely take them nearly half an hour to retrieve even one low-grade Ice Spirit Stone from the lakebed.

Ye Qin meticulously observed the numerous huts by the lake. Most were quarters for the mining cultivators and were unguarded. Only one inconspicuous small stone hut had a low-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator standing guard at the entrance.

Ye Qin paused, a slight shift occurring in his heart, and an irrepressible joy surged upward.

He had spent time in the North Camp Mountain mining area of the Azure Core Sect, so he understood some of the mining protocols. Spirit Stones, once excavated, were generally stored at the mining site. Then, every few days, or perhaps every half a month, several Foundation Establishment cultivators would escort these stones away in a single batch.

This meant this camp likely held a cache of Ice Spirit Stones. And the small stone hut guarded by the Foundation Establishment cultivator was highly likely the storage location for those stones.

Ye Qin did not strike immediately. He drank a few mouthfuls of spirit wine in the thicket and sat down to quickly recover his magic power. Afterward, he concealed his aura and stealthily crept to within a few dozen zhang of the small stone hut. Then, he suddenly erupted, striking the startled low-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with a beam of red light.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator hurriedly threw out a green flying sword to block the attack, but with a sharp crack, the green sword was smashed into fragments by the red light! The fire sword enveloped him, and he managed only a single terrified scream before the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword cleaved him in half, incinerating him to ash.

The entire Ice Lake camp erupted into shrieks and chaos. The dozens of nearby Qi Refining cultivators, realizing their camp was under sudden attack, fled in terror.

Ye Qin had no time to deal with them. He kicked open the stone door and saw three storage bags placed on a table inside the hut.

Ye Qin’s spiritual sense swiftly swept over the bags—ha! They were indeed full of Ice Spirit Stones, the collected stones all piled into these storage bags. These three bags contained a total accumulation of nearly seven to eight thousand low-grade Ice Spirit Stones, over a hundred mid-grade ones, and several high-grade stones. This quantity of Ice Spirit Stones was enough for a small cultivation sect specializing in ice magic to use for several days.

For Ye Qin alone, this supply would last him a very long time; at least until he formed a Golden Core, he would never again have to worry about finding enough Ice Spirit Stones.

Ye Qin contentedly retrieved the three storage bags and flashed out of the small stone hut.

At this point, however, he couldn't help but frown.

Outside the small stone hut, dozens of Spirit Spring Sect Qi Refining cultivators were crowding together, stumbling somewhat awkwardly, each holding spirit blades or spirit swords, facing him. Their gazes were filled with panic and fear as they surrounded the hut, attempting to stop Ye Qin and reclaim the Ice Spirit Stones they had worked half a month to collect.

But their courage only extended this far. Although they surrounded the small stone hut, they dared not take a single step closer. As soon as Ye Qin burst out of the hut, they recoiled several paces in terror.

In the face of such a massive disparity in cultivation levels, numbers were meaningless. Even if these dozens of Qi Refining cultivators attacked together, they couldn't scratch Ye Qin’s skin.

The mere invisible spiritual pressure emanating from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator made this group of Qi Refining cultivators feel an almost suffocating pressure, causing them to tremble so violently they could barely grip their spiritual tools; they could not deploy even half of their total cultivation strength, much less attack Ye Qin.

Ye Qin surveyed them with a cold sneer, utterly disdainful. He had no time to waste entangled with these low-level cultivators.

He glanced into the distance and saw Li Xi, Elder Du, and the rest of the Spirit Spring Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators charging out of the swamp mist and into the Ice Lake area. Li Xi was roaring in incandescent fury, summoning more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, who swiftly lunged toward the stone hut.

Ye Qin started, a chill running down his spine. He dared not delay any longer. He tossed the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword into the air, leaped onto it, and stepping on the fire sword, transformed into a dazzling streak of red light, soaring upward.

This Ice Lake was extremely open, offering absolutely no cover or place to hide. Now, his only goal was to escape as fast as possible.

"Trying to run? Dream on! Wait and die! I will kill you today!"

Li Xi cursed savagely in his rage. How could he stand by and watch Ye Qin flee? He led the host of Spirit Spring cultivators, each throwing out their respective artifacts, pursuing fiercely. He swore he would chase Ye Qin to the ends of the earth and cleave him into a hundred pieces to vent the hatred in his heart.

Besides, they numbered over twenty, far outnumbering Ye Qin, whose own team was nearly wiped out. Even a rotation of continuous attacks from this group of Foundation Establishment cultivators would be enough to beat Ye Qin into agonizing despair.

Moreover, several among them were high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators whose sword-flight speeds were by no means inferior to Ye Qin's. They were quite confident they could catch him.

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