The vast, boundless Arctic and those somber, barren lands. A reservoir of ice and snow. The hard ice accumulated over countless winters rose like towering, layered peaks—smooth and crystalline—encircling the pole, gathering the ever-increasing intense cold in one place.

This was the true scenery of the North, far bleaker than one could imagine.

Riding his white horse and cradling the precious swine, He Yiming leisurely followed the two figures from the Ninth Heaven. Behind them, two powerful, non-humanoid weaponized entities drifted slowly through the high air.

For this group, the cold of the Northern Frontier region had absolutely no effect.

After leaving the main peak of Tianchi, He Yiming and his companions headed directly north. Along this journey, the further north they went, the more desolate it became.

To describe the Northern Frontier as utterly devoid of human life for a thousand li was an understatement; it was perfectly accurate.

Apart from the established settlements, they could not spot a single human silhouette.

At the junction of Da Shen and the Northwest, there were numerous lawless zones. But even there, bandits and merchant caravans were a constant presence, and human villages could be seen separated by no more than a hundred li.

But the Northern Frontier was entirely different. The human settlements there were not small in scale. Yet, outside these clustered living areas, there was no sporadic scattering of individual dwellings whatsoever.

In such an extremely harsh environment, humanity could only survive by huddling together in groups. Of course, for masters above the Xiantian realm, the weather held little concern. And for He Yiming and his group, being affected was even less likely.

Upon first entering this world of ice and snow, He Yiming had maintained considerable curiosity.

But after walking for several consecutive days, he couldn't help but become impatient.

This trip to the Northern Frontier involved only Di Shitian and Jimo Fanshu traveling with him. The three of them, along with the white horse Leidian, represented the absolute peak existences of the age. Even the two non-human entities trailing them were not to be trifled with.

According to He Yiming’s thinking, they should be able to reach the Ice Palace of the Northern Frontier in the shortest time possible. However, Di Shitian and Jimo Fanshu clearly had other ideas; they seemed to be deliberately stalling, their pace agonizingly slow to the point of provoking anger.

Di Shitian, leading the way, suddenly stopped. He squatted down and gently brushed his hand across the hard ground.

He Yiming was inwardly startled. Although he deeply resented the powerful man's slow pace, he didn't believe this action was another attempt to delay.

As expected, after standing up, a look of solemnity flashed across Di Shitian’s face. He said, "The tracks of the Northern Frontier Spirit Beasts have reached this place. What remarkable speed."

Jimo Fanshu let out a dry laugh. "The faster they expand, the sooner the Ice Island will appear. Heh heh... how truly anticipated."

He Yiming frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Brother Di, have you discovered traces of the Northern Frontier Spirit Beasts?"

Di Shitian nodded slightly. "The expansion rate of the numerous Spirit Beasts in the Northern Frontier this time is far faster than we anticipated. Perhaps the appearance of the Thousand-Year Ice Island will be moved forward."

He Yiming’s eyes darted around. "Can these monstrous beasts foresee the time of the Ice Island's appearance?"

Di Shitian clapped his hands and smiled. "Even Elder Shensuanzi, the foremost divine calculator in the world, cannot pinpoint the exact time. How could they know? However, these monsters possess an instinct: the closer the Ice Island’s appearance, the more agitated they become, and the higher the probability of them erupting into chaos." He paused. "Brother Ji, your research into Spirit Beasts far surpasses mine; please elaborate for us."

Jimo Fanshu’s face remained expressionless. Regardless of his inner willingness, he spoke calmly. "The territory of the Northern Frontier is even larger than the Southern Frontier, and the Ice Sea is immense, almost comparable to the Outer Sea. Furthermore, the environment here is unsuitable for human habitation, but perfectly suited for those cold-elemental monsters and Spirit Beasts. Therefore, the Northern Frontier is the only region in the human world where we cannot maintain an advantage in the confrontation against monsters and Spirit Beasts."

He Yiming sucked in a sharp breath. While he didn't know much about the Ice Palace of the Northern Frontier, he knew that any place existing alongside the Lingxiao Precious Hall of the East, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, the Tianchi lineage of the Northwest, and the Glazed Island of the South, must be an immensely powerful sect. Yet, under the jurisdiction of that sect, humans in the Northern Frontier were still unable to suppress the Spirit Beasts and monsters—this was almost unimaginable.

As if sensing the hesitation on He Yiming's face, Jimo Fanshu let out a cold laugh. "Brother He, I heard you encountered the Outer Sea Saint Beast King in the Southern Frontier."

He Yiming nodded slightly. In truth, he had encountered not just one, but two Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings. However, under the strike of the Godly Dao Blood Coagulators, one was instantly killed on the spot, while the other became obedient, divulging the location of the Divine Island of the Outer Sea before He Yiming allowed it to leave.

Jimo Fanshu traced a circle in the air with his hand. "Back when my Ninth Heaven was newly achieved, on a whim, I ventured alone into the Outer Sea, wanting to see what the Outer Sea of the ancient Godly Dao legends was truly like."

He Yiming was startled, and a thread of admiration flickered in his eyes.

He, too, had ventured into the Outer Sea and fought two Saint Beast Kings, so he clearly understood the treacherous nature of that place, which could not be compared to the Inner Sea.

In the era of the Godly Dao, there was a saying: only those of the Godly Dao could move freely in the Outer Sea.

This was because nine out of ten divine beasts in the world resided in the Outer Sea. Therefore, entering the Outer Sea without the cultivation of the Godly Dao meant certain doom if one encountered a divine beast—there would be no escape.

Although the Godly Dao had vanished now, the Outer Sea still harbored quite a number of peak Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings.

These Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings possessed immense martial power, their might far exceeding that of their counterparts in the inland areas. Perhaps only the top-tier Saint Beasts possessing divine bloodlines could contend with them.

Even peak masters of the Human Dao might not necessarily defeat these Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings in that unique environment.

Yet, Jimo Fanshu had entered the Outer Sea when his Martial Dao was already perfected. This level of courage and boldness placed him among the very best of the current Human Dao peaks.

"The Outer Sea is far vaster than human imagination can grasp," Jimo Fanshu’s voice carried a rare note of wistfulness, as if recalling his feelings from wandering outside in those days. "However, it is precisely because of this near-boundless expanse that so many Saint Beast Kings are born. These Beast Kings grow up in the Outer Sea; the living conditions and pressures there are far beyond what the Inner Sea or the continent can conceive. Each Outer Sea Saint Beast King rules over a broad stretch of ocean, and their power is incredibly formidable. I clashed with different Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings numerous times, but never succeeded in slaying even one."

He Yiming parted his lips. "Ancestor Huangquan, exactly how many Saint Beast Kings are in the Outer Sea?"

"I don't know," Jimo Fanshu replied with a wry smile. "As vast as the Outer Sea is, that is how many Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings there are. Although the sea area ruled by each Saint Beast King differs, their strength is generally comparable." After a moment of hesitation, he added, "Actually, these Saint Beast Kings are quite intelligent. The size of the domain they rule is related to their swimming speed. If an Outer Sea Saint Beast King is slower, the sea area it commands will certainly be significantly smaller than its neighbors, even if it is the undisputed boss within its territory."

He Yiming slowly nodded, beginning to faintly grasp the survival methods of the Outer Sea Saint Beasts.

The size of the territory was not related to strength, but to the beasts' swimming speed. Before this fact was revealed, no one could have guessed such a thing.

Jimo Fanshu abruptly shifted the topic. "The area of the Outer Sea far surpasses the human continent. If all the Outer Sea Spirit Beasts and monsters could come ashore to live, then the master of this great land might not be us humans."

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he echoed the sigh.

There were undoubtedly far more creatures in the sea than on land, not just because of the difference in territory size, but more importantly, on the continent, apart from birds, only the surface layer of land could support life. The sea was different; the same location could accommodate countless fish.

This was the nature of the ocean: a cubic meter of world could hold far more than a corresponding area on land.

Di Shitian shook his head. "Brother Ji, please stick to the Spirit Beasts of the North. As for the Outer Sea Saint Beast Kings, let that old fellow from Glazed Island worry about them."

Jimo Fanshu smiled faintly. "Very well. The world of the Northern Frontier is essentially a world of ice and snow. Our human footprints only manage to hold the outermost edges. The deeper regions belong entirely to the Spirit Beasts and monsters of the North. Their numbers are also vast, but those Spirit Beasts possess higher intellect and are aware of humanity's danger, so under normal circumstances, they will not attack human settlements proactively." His gaze swept downward coldly. "However, now that the Thousand-Year Ice Island is about to appear, these Spirit Beasts are growing agitated. They are filled with a murderous aura; they crave human blood. Therefore, at this moment, they will roam freely across the Northern Frontier, gathering companions to launch attacks on human strongholds."

He Yiming’s face darkened. "These tracks..."

Jimo Fanshu calmly stated, "This is the signal for the gathering of the Northern Frontier monsters. As they converge, they are likely planning to attack a specific town."

He Yiming took a deep breath. "We should go and help."

Di Shitian and Jimo Fanshu were both momentarily stunned, looking at He Yiming with rather strange expressions.

A moment later, Di Shitian coughed lightly. "Brother He, the people residing here are mostly ordinary folk scattered throughout the Northern Frontier. Those connected to the Ice Palace live more densely clustered around the palace itself."

He Yiming’s heart turned cold. "Are you two planning to stand by and watch?"

Di Shitian said helplessly, "This happens frequently. Every time the Ice Island is about to appear, it is like this. Even if we intervene, it is ultimately futile."

He Yiming gave a proud smile. "Since you two are unwilling to act, I won't press the matter. Please wait a moment; I shall return shortly."

He spurred his horse, and the white horse Leidian instantly transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting away along the tracks imprinted on the ground.

Behind him, Di Shitian and Jimo Fanshu exchanged glances. After a long silence, Jimo Fanshu finally murmured, "Youth... it is truly wonderful!"

Ps: Sigh... I noticed the recommendation votes are quite low; requesting some recommendation votes, thank you ^_^