As Lu Yuan was about to plunge into the second ring of toxic water, a powerful suction suddenly manifested. Despite the sheer force of Lu Yuan’s magical power, he found little resistance against this pull, being effortlessly drawn in. Instinctively, Lu Yuan drew his sword, unleashing the Yang Wu Sword Style: Reverse Ling maneuver, intending to use the counter-force to swing downward. However, the suction was too immense, too overwhelming, and it dragged Lu Yuan into its depths.

What incredible suction!

As soon as Lu Yuan was pulled deep into the water, the characters "Ice Ancestor" (Bing Zu), which had been faintly glowing moments before, began to blur and fade.

Not long after Lu Yuan was sucked away to some unknown location, changes began to occur within the second layer of the toxic water domain.

This second layer of toxic water possessed a murky, eerie, sickly green hue, teeming with various poisonous creatures.

For instance, there was a type of fish known as the Stone-Spotted Fish (Shi Ban Yu). This fish was said to mate with venomous snakes. If it mated with a hundred venomous snakes, it was called a Hundred Stone-Spotted Fish (Bai Shi Ban Yu); if it mated with a thousand, it was called a Thousand Stone-Spotted Fish (Qian Shi Ban Yu). This latter fish accumulated the venoms of a thousand different poisonous snakes, and a single bite could trouble even a cultivator in the Longevity Stage (Chang Sheng Qi).

Then there were the crabs, whose urine was poisonous.

And the Eight-Dark Fish (Ba Wu Yu), which possessed eight tentacles capable of releasing clouds of ink-black toxic sweat. Contact with this sweat guaranteed poisoning.

Oh, and let’s not forget the Progeny-Returning Mother Fish (Zi Gui Mu Yu). This differed from the standard Progeny Mother Fish (Zi Mu Yu): while the latter released progeny fish to attack, the Progeny-Returning Mother Fish also released offspring, but these were minute, microscopic fry that drilled into the enemy’s abdomen. Once lodged inside, the foreign body created an internal affliction, much like being afflicted by a Gu parasite.

These toxic creatures alone were not the most terrifying aspect.

The true horror lay in the fact that these venomous fish gathered together, merging dozens of extremely potent venoms into a single, consolidated fluid—a far more dreadful poison.

Reaching the second toxic water layer was a situation where everyone had to rely on their own unique skills—the classic "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, each revealing their divine abilities" scenario.

These cultivators at the sixth level of the Longevity Stage had already formed their Nascent Void Cores (Xu Dan), classifying them as the pillars of their respective immortal sects. How could they lack means? One by one, they deployed their specialized techniques, each showcasing brilliance and mastery. For example, Sun Dingyin of the Qingcheng Immortal Sect used his "Soul Echo Fixed-Kill Sword" (Yin Hun Ding Sha Jian), continuously utilizing sonic booms to drive back the surrounding toxic water, pushing his technique to its absolute limit, especially given his innate mastery over the Sword Intent of Sound.

Shi Yingyue from the Sword Sect employed the "Morning Sun One Breath Sword" (Zhao Yang Yi Qi Jian). When pushed to its limit, any toxic water approaching her was instantly evaporated, leaving nothing behind. She wasn't using spiritual power to boil the water; rather, she used the supreme, blazing intent of the Morning Sun Sword to directly incinerate the toxins.

Yu Jizi of the South Sea Immortal Sect merely moved his hand and summoned a conch shell named the Venom-Dispelling Conch (Bi Du Fa Luo). This was a tool Yu Jizi frequently used in the South Sea, where numerous venomous entities existed, yet none could harm him.

Li Dao of the Heavenly Secret Immortal Sect struck the empty void with his palm. Immediately, a compass materialized beneath his feet. Inscribed with numerous runes, the compass released rays of light that continuously surged forward. The toxic waters ceaselessly gnawed at these rays, but based on their current speed, he could indeed break through the toxic domain before the compass light was entirely consumed.

While these four captains managed relatively well, the other Longevity Sixth Stage cultivators found things considerably more taxing.

The Longevity Sixth Stage cultivators pressed onward through the toxic water. After pushing for a while, they neared the edge of the domain, about to enter the transitional zone leading to the third layer—the Weak Water domain (Ruo Shui Yu). At this point, Li Dao, the captain of the third team, his expression suddenly shifting, exclaimed, "Many people are missing. Let me count."

Li Dao possessed the Heavenly Secret Dispersal Tokens (Tian Ji San Ling). He had distributed these tokens to the other eighty-six cultivators, allowing any token holder encountering danger to summon aid.

However, Li Dao now noticed that nine of the Heavenly Secret Dispersal Tokens were no longer responding, indicating that nine people had perished. Many others had chosen to retreat the way they came from the Heavy Water domain—retreating was understandable when life was paramount. Most strikingly, one of the nine unresponsive tokens belonged to Lu Yuan.

Li Dao felt a surge of curiosity. Logically, Lu Yuan’s strength shouldn't have been overcome so easily. To disappear here, in the second toxic water layer, was unexpected.

"Lu Yuan is missing? Is he dead?" asked Sun Dingyin, the captain of the first team, also feeling puzzled.

"He is still green, after all. He hasn't experienced environments with this level of danger. Dying in such conditions is certainly possible," remarked one of the Longevity Sixth Stage cultivators.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan, having been swept away by the powerful suction, tried desperately to resist, but the force was simply too immense, far beyond his capacity to counter. His senses swam as he felt himself being violently spun within the water vortex. After a short period, this immense rotational force finally ceased.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes and found himself in a colossal palace of ice.

It was a magnificent, breathtaking palace. Everything within—the walls, the floor, the long tables, the high chairs—was crafted from ice. Yet, despite the icy floor, stepping upon it caused no slipping. Furthermore, various colored lights continuously rotated within the palace, lending it an ethereal, exotic beauty.

Looking up, Lu Yuan noticed something unusual. Looking higher still, he realized that characters were carved into the ceiling of ice.

"I am the Ice Ancestor, Li Bing. In the past, I refined the River of Divine Souls (Shen Hun Jiang) with my own spirit. All divine souls within were thus brought under my command. From that point forward, for five thousand years, the River of Divine Souls shall know no souls. Only after five millennia will it recover."

"To achieve my solitary cultivation, I destroyed the River of Divine Souls for five thousand years. I bear regret for this action, and thus I shall offer a small compensation here."

"Within the Ice Palace, I have left five locations, protected by five seals, offering five distinct benefits. If one can find and breach these five trials, the five benefits shall be obtained."

"If one fails, they are deemed defeated, leaving the rewards for future fated individuals."

"Today, I resolve this karma associated with the River of Divine Souls."

Cultivators understood the principle of karma.

Today’s cause leads to tomorrow’s effect.

Even Li Bing, the Ice Ancestor, knew this truth. Therefore, he casually left these five boons for the descendants of the River of Divine Souls to settle this karmic debt. Lu Yuan, too, had accrued many debts from recent actions; he was currently in the phase of incurring causes, and the time to repay effects had not yet arrived.

As his cultivation deepens, he will have to repay these debts one by one.

Otherwise, unresolved karma and worldly attachments prevent ascension.

Of course, the reason the Ice Palace appeared now, drawing Lu Yuan in, was also deliberate. The item used to signal the way, called the Water Command Token (Hao Shui Ling), was in fact the key to opening the Ice Palace. Only when the Water Ape King (Shui Yuan Wang) exerted the token to its absolute limit would the Ice Palace manifest, and its true entrance lay within the third water layer.

Naturally, while the Ice Ancestor sought to resolve karma, he intended the rewards for a fated person. Being known as the Ice Ancestor, he excelled in ice-related arts; his chosen successor needed to understand at least one water-elemental sword intent. Since Lu Yuan had displayed the Fourth Level of Water Elemental Sword Intent in the first layer, he was sought out and brought here.

Five benefits? Lu Yuan felt a slight curiosity. Where were these five benefits? Lu Yuan searched high and low but couldn't discern anything unusual about the palace. Wait, he did notice a certain advantage: he could drink wine here. After taking a sip, he wandered further and finally discovered five large doors tucked away around a corner, marked distinctly with the numbers one through five.

Lu Yuan uttered a soft sound of realization. This must be it.

Inscribed on the ice wall nearby were the words: "The five benefits lie within these doors, increasing in magnitude from one to five. However, trials must be passed; failure means forfeiting the reward to the next fated person."

This sounded rather interesting. Lu Yuan opened the first door. As it swung open, several streaks of cold white light shot out from within, brushing past his cheek. Lu Yuan instinctively dodged aside. Though the streaks were far from him, he felt a faint chill graze his face.

Seeing no more cold light flash past, Lu Yuan stepped into the first chamber. He found it utterly empty. What was going on? Walking toward the center, Lu Yuan discovered text engraved on the reverse side of the door: "Within the first door resides my ancient artifact, the Star-Shattering Ice Prism (Sui Xing Bing Leng). The Star-Shattering Ice Prism was forged when I journeyed to the extreme north, gathering the North Pole Azure Ice (Bei Ji Han Qing Zhi Bing). Over forty-nine days, I channeled the power of the stars, utilizing the Ice Ancestor’s ability, to complete it. Once wielded, it fires forty-nine icy darts, silent and invisible. Upon impact, it can freeze the opponent solid."

Lu Yuan froze. This artifact was undeniably useful. Forty-nine icy darts that could freeze an opponent upon contact—it would be absurd if it weren't useful. But the artifact was nowhere to be seen inside. Could the beams that shot out just now have been the Star-Shattering Ice Prism? That was certainly possible.

This was absurdly unfair! Opening the first door caused the treasure to fly out automatically. If you weren't quick enough to react, the artifact vanished.

However, the inscription mentioned needing to pass a trial beforehand. This must count as failing the initial test.

What terrible luck!

After thinking for a moment, Lu Yuan stopped questioning his misfortune. It was an artifact! A focus on artifacts, especially for someone dedicated to the sword path, meant drifting from true commitment to the blade. Relying on an artifact would severely diminish the chances of reaching the highest realm of swordsmanship.

He would be a fool to use an artifact; walking the lonely path of the sword alone was the true kingly way (Wang Dao).

Of course, this served as a lesson. There were four more benefits awaiting. He hoped the next ones wouldn't vanish like the first. He was merely one of the fated people; if he wasn't careful, he might gain nothing at all. He needed to be more serious. The true tragedy would be being the first to discover this Ice Palace only to have others claim all the rewards meant for the fated.