The Frost-Ice Cave was carved deep within the belly of Green Rock Mountain. Inside, the cold was absolute, perpetually shrouded in thick, white mist, the very source of the biting chill.

Legend held that in the deepest recess of the Frost-Ice Cave lay a small pool, fed only by the constant dripping of stalactites from the cavern roof. This dense white vapor was said to emanate from that very pool.

The deeper one ventured toward the pool, the thicker the white mist grew, and correspondingly, the more severe the cold became.

From the earliest moments Ji Changkong could remember, the Frost-Ice Cave was known as the deadly punishment ground for the younger generation of the Ji family. He had heard countless tales of its icy grip. Yet, due to his frail constitution and frequent illnesses since childhood, even when he occasionally stumbled or took the blame for Ji Changle’s misdeeds over the years, he had never once been banished to the Frost-Ice Cave. —To the Ji elders, a boy without Origin Energy within him stood no chance of withstanding the cave’s freezing power.

Ji Changkong had heard far too many terrifying accounts of the Frost-Ice Cave, but only upon actually entering did he realize its frigidity surpassed even the worst descriptions offered by the other Ji disciples.

The moment he stepped inside, the blinding white mist instantly swallowed Ji Changkong. In that instant, he felt as if he had plummeted into a frozen abyss. The intense chill instantly stiffened his entire body, seemingly extinguishing the lingering warmth from the Fire Dragon Burn he had drunk earlier. The icy essence within the mist felt as if it were actively drilling into him through his nostrils, mouth, eyes, and every pore, rendering his limbs numb and making every step an agonizing effort. So powerful! Ji Changkong exclaimed internally, experiencing firsthand the terrifying severity of the Frost-Ice Cave's chill. This was merely the entrance. If the stories were true, the cold intensified threefold at the innermost pool compared to the mouth of the cave!

“Changkong, stay near the entrance; do not go any further inside. For years, the younger Ji generations who made mistakes only stayed at the mouth for three days. Only after that brat Changxiao reached the Two-Form Heaven Realm did he dare venture deeper!” Outside the entrance, the guarding Han Hai shouted, slowly pulling the stone door shut.

Han Hai was merely an old retainer of the Ji family, rumored to have once served Mo Yunyi. For years, Mo Yunyi had guarded the Scripture Repository, while Han Hai kept watch over the Frost-Ice Cave. Like Mo Yunyi, Han Hai rarely left the cave’s opening. Since Ji Changkong had never been punished here before, Han Hai was a face he rarely encountered. However, over the past three months, while sneaking to the Repository every fortnight to peruse the Heavenly Master secret texts, Ji Changkong had noticed Han Hai sometimes whispering with Mo Yunyi on the third floor. Through these repeated encounters, Ji Changkong had become somewhat familiar with the old servant. Perhaps due to Mo Yunyi’s favor, Han Hai—who usually treated other Ji scions with severe strictness—was remarkably kind to Ji Changkong. When they met at the Repository, he would politely inquire about his cultivation progress, though Ji Changkong could only offer a wry, helpless smile each time.

“Han… Uncle Han, don't shut the door just yet; my Second Brother should be arriving soon,” Ji Changkong shivered, calling out hoarsely to Han Hai outside.

“He can wait outside. If the cave’s cold air leaks out, the elders won't be able to use it to punish you youngsters later,” Han Hai chuckled softly from outside. “Changkong, be careful. Your Second Brother is not someone to trifle with. If he acts rashly when he arrives, give me a signal early.”

“It’s so cold in here, his internal Origin Energy will barely last more than three days. He’d be foolish to try anything,” Ji Changkong sneered dismissively.

The Ji elders used the Frost-Ice Cave for two main reasons: to teach the younger generation a lesson, and to temper their minds. Precisely because the cold was so piercing, every Ji youth entering was required to use their internal Origin Energy to resist the chill. While three days wasn't long, the continuous effort to fend off the cold would deplete most of their Origin Energy, leaving them weakened for a period afterward. Yet, this wasn't entirely a misfortune. Every Ji disciple who emerged from the Frost-Ice Cave found that once they recovered and re-gathered their Origin Energy, it was, to some degree, purer. In recent years, accomplished second-generation members like Ji Haoguang, Ji Haohong, and Ji Wanyun sometimes deliberately came to the Frost-Ice Cave, remaining deep within for a time, using its unique environment to hone themselves and make their Origin Energy even more refined and profound. ……

Ji Changkong did not venture further, stopping right at the entrance. He felt the bone-chilling cold seize him again, prompting another shudder. He let his internal Origin Energy flow slowly; wherever it passed, the frozen parts of his body gradually warmed, and his stiff limbs slowly relaxed. He took a shallow breath, drawing the pervasive, faint, icy white mist into his throat and stomach. His body, still simmering from the Fire Dragon Burn, found an unexpected comfort in the rush of cold air. It really works! A thrill shot through Ji Changkong. He glanced at the half-full jar of Fire Dragon Burn in his hand, a joyful smile touching his lips. He immediately lifted the jar to his mouth and greedily gulped down several large draughts with a loud glug-glug. “Cough, cough… What potent liquor!” As the Fire Dragon Burn hit his throat, the sensation of being set ablaze on a bonfire returned. The liquid boiled inside him, feeling as if several fire dragons were truly raging within his core. After a few mouthfuls, a fierce fire seemed to ignite inside Ji Changkong. Even without using his Origin Energy to counter the cave's cold, the sheer potency of the alcohol was enough to banish the chill. “Hoo, hoo… Thank heavens I was prepared. Good liquor, truly good liquor! Such fierce spirits are best consumed at a moment like this!” Ji Changkong hugged the jar, took several more deep swigs, and then laughed aloud. Perhaps it was the cave’s influence; the clash between the frigid mist and the fierce burn of the Fire Dragon Burn somehow neutralized the extreme cold, while simultaneously alleviating the unbearable feeling that his body was being incinerated by the liquor. It was only now that he could truly appreciate the spirit’s intense power and its complex, mellow flavor! ……

No longer feeling the deep freeze, Ji Changkong walked about ten zhang further into the Frost-Ice Cave before plopping down. He set the remaining half-jar of Fire Dragon Burn beside him and closed his eyes, beginning to guide his internal Origin Energy, attempting to direct it toward the bone marrow of his leg bones below the waist. As the thought formed, the Grand Void Secret Record quietly materialized in a corner of his mind. As Ji Changkong’s focus shifted, a page of the Grand Void Secret Record turned after another... This time, Ji Changkong quickly entered the "State of Selflessness." He seemed to vanish from the space between heaven and earth, his soul merging with the cosmos—empty and vast, as if he had become one with the Frost-Ice Cave, part of the mist itself. Suddenly, the very instant Ji Changkong entered the "State of Selflessness," the white mist swirling around him seemed to come alive. It shifted and writhed, intensely gathering and coiling near his body... The fainter mist from further away rapidly converged here, making the air thick. The dense fog coalesced into a massive snowball, enveloping Ji Changkong entirely. In mere moments, he was completely shrouded by the thick white vapor. From a distance, his tightly cocooned form resembled a giant silkworm chrysalis.

Ji Changkong, immersed in the "State of Selflessness," was apparently unaware of the anomaly surrounding him, his conscious mind seemingly absent. Yet, the Origin Energy within him circulated automatically, slowly moving toward his leg bone marrow, gradually flowing toward the soles of his feet. ……

An unknown time later, the stone door of the Frost-Ice Cave scraped open with a creak. Ji Changkong, deep in his wondrous state, was suddenly roused as his consciousness returned. He did not open his eyes, yet he could distinctly feel Ji Changle entering through the stone door and currently surveying the entrance with wary alertness. He had not consciously deployed his internal Origin Energy, but now that he was awake from the "State of Selflessness," Ji Changkong could clearly trace the path of the energy flowing through the joints in his soles! Furthermore, the areas of his body—his meridians, bones, flesh, and internal organs—which had previously been tempered by Origin Energy, were now fluctuating between moments of intense cold and heat. The cave's chill and the alcohol from the Fire Dragon Burn had somehow permeated these tissues, leaving him feeling as if he were suspended between fire and deep water. However, this sensation did not bring discomfort; instead... it felt remarkably soothing and invigorating. ……

“Second Brother, you’re here,” Ji Changkong managed a grin, a smile as cool and sharp as the white mist of the Frost-Ice Cave. As he spoke, the dense fog tightly binding his body suddenly dissipated, scattering apart and drifting back toward the depths of the Frost-Ice Cave. ……