Lu Yuan sat atop the Dragon Whale, a bottle of wine in hand, tilting his head back for an occasional swig.

Blue skies, the vast ocean, white clouds.

The sea wind that swept past was utterly refreshing across his whole body. In life, what mattered was having a clear conscience, living freely and peacefully.

Lu Yuan now noticed that the scope of the ocean differed greatly from the land. On the mainland, it was virtually the domain of Immortal Sects. Resources points were almost entirely monopolized by the Four High-Rank Sects and the Nine Mid-Rank Sects, with whatever little remained carved up by smaller sects. Consequently, independent cultivators were relatively few.

The ocean, however, was different. Its sheer expanse likely dwarfed the territory of the Great Jin Kingdom. The South Sea Immortal Sect was powerful, and the Xuanming Immortal Sect was not bad either, but how much territory could one High-Rank and one Mid-Rank sect truly claim? Resources in the ocean were clearly more abundant, and the number of independent cultivators was visibly higher, alongside numerous family-based cultivators—the structure was vastly different.

Often, a moderately decent island hosted the presence of a single family. When encountering a beast tide, these small, family-run island communities relied on their own means. If they could detect an outbreak early, they would swiftly evacuate; after all, their smaller ships were nimble and easy to turn, unlike the sprawling enterprise of the South Sea Immortal Sect.

Setting asides these musings, Lu Yuan revelled in cruising the ocean atop the Dragon Whale. He spotted a speck on the horizon—another island ahead. Lu Yuan urged the Dragon Whale towards it, only to discover this island wasn't home to a single family, but rather a marketplace where people gathered to trade goods.

Lu Yuan didn't necessarily need to buy anything, but after drifting alone at sea for so long, he craved some occasional interaction. Lu Yuan was the type who could settle down and enjoy solitude, yet after prolonged isolation, he also yearned for companionship—the kind of person who couldn't stay long amidst the dust of the mortal world, but whom perpetual reclusion would clearly torment.

Lu Yuan wandered through casually. The market was broadly similar in type to those on the mainland, but the materials collected and the magic treasures crafted bore a distinct oceanic flavour.

Take materials, for instance. Many places sought after Swift Fish. Upon inquiry, he learned that placing Swift Fish within a flying sword artifact could slightly boost the sword's attack speed. Many places also paid high prices for turtle shells, with shells from higher-grade sea beasts fetching better rates. Apparently, battle armor was popular in the sea, and turtle shells could be used to forge such armor. Moreover, magical treasures crafted from turtle shells possessed respectable defensive capabilities.

As for magical artifacts, there were clam-shaped treasures, conch-shaped treasures, and various other forms—all peculiar to this Middle Land’s fringes.

The materials were vastly different from the Central Plains, and the refinement methods were unique in their own right. However, overall, the level of craftsmanship did not surpass that of the Central Plains.

Lu Yuan merely looked around idly, purchasing a few interestingly shaped magical items as mementos, knowing he might soon depart the South Sea. Oh, and pickled Sea Radishes! He bought a large quantity to eat on the spot. These Sea Radishes were crisp, carrying the tang of the ocean, and quite delicious. He purchased a huge haul for a single low-grade spirit stone.

Life, what a sigh.

While Lu Yuan was meandering about, a sudden commotion erupted ahead. Since he had nothing pressing to do, he decided to drift over and see what the trouble was.

In the very center of the crowd knelt a young man resembling a scholar. Before him was a placard reading: "My wife, Wu Yunshi, was abducted by Ming Jianzi, one of the two Masters of the Xuanming Sect. If my wife can be saved, my wife and I will serve as slaves." A great many cultivators valued freedom highly; serving as a slave was rare.

Yet this scholar-like man, who clearly possessed the cultivation of the first stage of Longevity himself, was willing to become a slave.

This scholar was named Wu Zhao, and his wife, Yun Meng. Unluckily, not long ago, the couple encountered Ming Jianzi while he was out roaming. Several generations of Xuanming Immortal Sect Masters shared the affliction of being overly indulgent. The current Second Master, Xuan Huazi, was famous for his painting. Reportedly, his "fine painting" involved capturing women to sketch their intimate forms. Among Lu Yuan’s spoils was a scroll titled The Poems of the Flowery Glade. Despite its beautiful name, its contents were naught but explicit drawings. Lu Yuan had to admit the artistry was excellent, but the subjects were all female cultivators from the immortal world, including several famous Sword Immortals, all coerced by Xuan Huazi. Naturally, Lu Yuan burned the scroll immediately; why keep something so harmful?

The other master, Ming Jianzi, disdained such painting hobbies. His most famous saying was: "As a wife, she belongs to me; as a concern, she is yours." In simple terms, this man was a controller who coveted others' wives. Many a cultivator's wife near the South Sea had fallen into his clutches, and how many could resist him? After all, at sea, his Xuanming Sect was the second largest sect, surpassed only by the South Sea Immortal Sect. Ming Jianzi was shrewd; he never provoked the South Sea Immortal Sect or anyone associated with it, so he had always remained unscathed until now.

Now, Wu Zhao and Yun Meng had crossed paths with Ming Jianzi.

"Sigh, another unlucky soul."

"Indeed. Dual cultivators running into Ming Jianzi—so unlucky."

"Pitiable as they are, it’s none of our business."

"Right. If we interfere, it’s only a dead end. Ming Jianzi is at the Great Dao Realm. Crushing us would be no different than crushing an ant."

"Speaking of which, the top figure among South Sea independent cultivators, Zhou Run, who is at the Half-Step Great Dao Realm, made a wager with Ming Jianzi. He claimed if he could withstand five moves, Ming Jianzi would release the wife of Zhou Run’s friend. In the end, Zhou Run fell on the third move."

"A dignified Half-Step Great Dao Realm expert losing on the third move—that level of strength truly shocked the South Sea."

"The South Sea hegemon, the Xuanming Immortal Sect, is not simple. Even though they are weaker now than at their peak, they are still far above us."

"It is rumored that when Ming Jianzi travels, he requires an escort of five hundred boys and five hundred girls. If encountered midway, they would be abducted."

"Ah, this Wu Zhao’s hat is certainly dyed green."

While some pitied Wu Zhao, countless others on the South Sea faced similar plights. Those who were rash had long since died by Ming Jianzi’s hand, becoming piles of white bone; those less aggressive lived on, swallowing their humiliation.

Lu Yuan felt his heart blaze with indignation. He had never encountered such a person. He knew Ming Jianzi was detestable, but he never imagined the depravity reached this level. Xuan Huazi, Ming Jianzi—two absolute scoundrels. If they acted like this in the Central Plains, they would have been wiped out long ago.

Lu Yuan walked up to stand before Wu Zhao. Wu Zhao had been kneeling there for four full days and nights, yet not a single person had offered aid. He was verging on despair. He had actually attempted to visit the South Sea Immortal Sect before, but he couldn't even pass the gate. The massive doors of a High-Rank Sect were not easily stepped through.

Wu Zhao’s eyes were filled with hopelessness. Then, a shadow fell over him. He looked up to see a young face appearing before him. Such a young man was probably just here to watch the spectacle. If only some reclusive elder would appear, Wu Zhao thought wistfully.

"I will handle this matter," Lu Yuan stated.

Wu Zhao froze, bewildered. How could such a young person possibly intervene in his affairs?

The onlookers turned towards Lu Yuan, and upon seeing his youth, they couldn't help but let out soft, mocking laughs. "Truly gone mad. Youngsters nowadays fear nothing, completely ignorant of the stakes. He must have no idea of the might of the South Sea tyrant, Ming Jianzi."

"A pity, another skeleton will soon be added to the count."

Wu Zhao was pulled along by Lu Yuan, dizzy, but when he circulated his magical power to struggle free, he found he could not shake off the ethereal hand Lu Yuan had conjured from thin air. He realized that despite his youth, Lu Yuan’s magical strength surpassed his own.

"Enough. Go rescue your wife." Lu Yuan soared into the sky on his sword, and Wu Zhao followed suit.

The two flew across the ocean for a long time. Ahead, the air grew increasingly cold. This should not be happening in autumn weather. The ice covering the sea surface was no longer white, but turning green. Ice that had endured for over a century lost its whiteness and shifted to cyan. The deeper they flew, the more intense the cold became, capable of freezing a person solid. Fortunately, both Lu Yuan and Wu Zhao were cultivators at the Longevity stage and did not fear this chill.

Wu Zhao asked, confused, "Where is this?"

"The Ice Lake," Lu Yuan replied. He had learned the precise location of the Ice Lake and all its mechanisms from Xuan Huazi, for how could one of the Xuanming Sect’s two Masters not know the secrets of his own sect?

Upon hearing "Ice Lake," Wu Zhao nearly tumbled out of the sky. Was this the legendary Ice Lake? This young man was clearly not speaking empty words.

After passing through several formations and navigating a maze of bewildering arrays, a colossal ice palace finally appeared below them in the distance. What an immense structure! White ice formed the palace's primary palette. Terraces, halls, pavilions, and walls were all constructed from ice.

Furthermore, the trees, flowers, and birds within were also made of ice. The ice trees swayed gently, appearing just like real ones, and the ice birds, imbued with a spark of spirit, flitted about joyfully.

This was a world of ice!

Lu Yuan guided Wu Zhao to the front of the Ice Palace. A massive gate barred the way. Before the palace lay tens of thousands of steps, radiating an eerie chill and blinding white light. Gazing from this spot, the entire palace resembled a single piece of cold jade, perfectly carved. Wu Zhao stared silently for a moment at the grand palace, then asked, "What is this Ice Palace?"

"It is the stronghold of the Xuanming Immortal Sect, the Xuanming Palace," Lu Yuan confirmed with a nod.

This revelation nearly caused Wu Zhao’s flight to destabilize: "We... we didn't formulate any battle plan, and we are already at their very lair?" He was beyond shock.

"Is there a problem? I intended to seal the Xuanming Immortal Sect anyway," Lu Yuan stated calmly.

Sealing a sect! That was no small feat.

In the cultivation world, one only earned the right to seal a sect if they could single-handedly hold off every member of that sect. Such acts of sealing were rare, and now, Lu Yuan intended to seal the Xuanming Sect! (Ugh, only two updates today; tomorrow will be three.)