As evening fell, the sky was awash with the last, lingering rays of the setting sun, dyeing the earth a deep crimson. The ground was scarred and pockmarked, crisscrossed with ravines so deep they seemed bottomless—like sword cuts scored across the land itself. Beneath the glow of the sunset, these fissures appeared smeared with fresh, bloody red, lending the scene an unsettling, eerie quality.

Within the gullies lay the tangled roots of withered plants, mingled with the corpses of both demonic beasts and humans. A faint, sickeningly sweet odor of decay wafted out from the deep cuts, enough to turn one’s stomach.

A carriage slowly drew to a halt some distance away from this ravaged land.

“We’ve arrived,” the coachman said, turning back toward the carriage compartment. After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “I’ll wait right here. You all better be quick about returning. I won't wait long.”

The carriage curtain was pulled aside, and Shi Yan’s head emerged. He tossed a small pouch to the coachman with a smile. “Wait three days. If we aren’t back by then, you can just head home on your own. Don't worry, you’ll get extra payment for the trouble; your wait won't be for nothing.”

The coachman didn't answer immediately. He opened the pouch, carefully counted the crystal coins inside, and only then did a grin spread across his face. “Fine. I'll wait three days. If you’re not here after three days, I’m leaving.”

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan, her face veiled, slowly stepped down from the carriage. Without another word to the coachman, they walked straight toward the massive, torn-open landscape.

That stretch of land was entirely consumed by trenches, too deep and treacherous for the carriage to traverse.

The overwhelming stench of decaying beast and human flesh rising from the ravines was more than any ordinary person could tolerate; it was only natural the coachman refused to enter.

Shi Yan moved forward with caution, picking his steps carefully. Along the way, he noticed quite a few other martial artists, varying in cultivation levels, proceeding on foot just like them.

This place had once been a small town, but an earthquake had brought down every structure, burying many alive. Even some of the lower-tier demonic beasts from the nearby mountains had perished, their skeletal remains now littering the trenches.

Shi Yan remained outwardly composed during the trek, but Xia Xinyan continually frowned, holding her delicate, jade-like hand over her nose, clearly repulsed by the pervasive smell.

The ground was a maze of pits and ridges, forcing the pair to move deliberately and watch every step.

Nearby, three other groups of martial artists were also holding their noses and grimacing, their eyes cast downward as they cautiously advanced.

These three groups totaled several dozen people. Most cultivated at the Ren-level or Xiantian Realm, though there were several Bai-Jie Martial Artists among them. Some of the older men even had hair streaked with white.

These individuals were either local fighters from Moonrock Island or belonged to obscure factions from the neighboring isles; none of them were particularly renowned.

As they proceeded, several of the male martial artists couldn’t help but let their lustful gazes linger lecherously over Xia Xinyan’s figure. A few even deliberately lagged behind, their eyes lingering shamelessly on the elegant curve of her waist and hips, some visibly drooling.

At first, Shi Yan paid them no mind. It was only when he noticed an increasing number of these male fighters—who had previously been ahead of him—slowly falling to the rear that he registered the strange pattern.

His expression darkened. Shi Yan silently used Yin energy and vital essence to construct a magnetic Ciji field and released it subtly.

Thump!

The foremost elder, a man in his fifties whose eyes held the most blatant desire, suddenly stumbled as if tripped, tumbling headfirst into one of the lower trenches, landing in intimate contact with the rotting corpses below.

Thump! Thump!

One after another, martial artists whose intentions were impure fell into the crevasses, making unwelcome, fetid contact with the dead bodies, coating themselves in the stench of decay.

Soon, the surrounding three groups noticed this bizarre phenomenon.

Among those who fell were some with considerable cultivation, yet none could discern the cause of their sudden misfortune.

Consequently, when the surrounding fighters looked at Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan again, their gazes were tinged with a newfound awe. The lustful expressions vanished from the faces of the male martial artists, replaced by an outward show of propriety; their eyes dared not wander toward Xia Xinyan’s waist and hips again.

“You,” Xia Xinyan murmured, shaking her head with a hint of exasperation. “I’m already used to those kinds of stares. If I reacted violently every time someone looked at me more than once, wouldn't I tire myself out?”

“She’s my woman, and they dare to look!” Shi Yan’s face was grim. He spun around, shooting a fierce glare at the others, and scoffed, “It was magnanimous of me not to take their lives.”

“Who said I was your woman?” Xia Xinyan said, rubbing her temples and rolling her eyes.

Shi Yan merely chuckled darkly and offered no reply.

Xia Xinyan sighed, helpless against Shi Yan’s roguish stubbornness. She ignored him and continued walking forward.

An hour later.

The pair arrived at a bustling area populated by shadowy figures. Here, the ravines were bottomless, each one resembling a giant, dark, and profound sinkhole, burying untold numbers of skeletal remains.

A rhomboidal iceberg, towering two hundred zhang high, jutted out from one of the deepest pits like a colossal sword piercing the sky.

A biting, deathly cold aura radiated from the glacier even from a great distance, growing more bone-chilling the closer they approached.

Many martial artists of lower cultivation dared only observe from afar, unwilling to draw near the ice formation.

Dozens of warriors dressed in opulent robes—from the Lingbao Grotto-Heaven, the Dongfang Family, and the Tianchi Holy Land—were gathered within a thousand meters of the glacier, looking puzzled, whispering among themselves, and discussing something in hushed tones.

Suddenly, Xia Xinyan stopped.

Shi Yan halted as well, positioning himself about fifteen hundred meters from the glacier. He gazed upward. The ice mass was wreathed in a faint, cold mist, which, under the evening light, shimmered with an occasional streak of crimson. Within the crystalline ice, strange symbols flowed, appearing to be the source of some secret art, gleaming with iridescent light and emitting faint energy fluctuations.

Only a fraction of the glacier was visible; the larger body was buried deep underground, its true size unknown.

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan scrutinized the ice, then subtly glanced toward the three closest contingents of people, their expressions solemn.

“Chen Feng, the Tian-level Elder from Lingbao Grotto-Heaven; Zhai Yanjing, the Holy Maiden from Tianchi Holy Land; and Dongfang He from the Dongfang Family…” Xia Xinyan quietly explained, pointing to the three groups and detailing their origins.

Following the direction of Xia Xinyan’s finger, Shi Yan quietly observed the three parties.

The Lingbao Grotto-Heaven contingent was led by Elder Chen Feng, a massive man whose face was perpetually creased in a genial smile. His soybean-sized eyes were nearly lost in the rolls of fat on his cheeks, which jiggled with every word he spoke. Beside him were twelve Lingbao Grotto-Heaven martial artists, their cultivation levels spanning from Xiantian to Nie-Chao Realm.

The Tianchi Holy Land's Holy Maiden, Huo Yanjing, was clad in a plain white palace dress, the hem adorned with triangular pieces of beautiful jade. She possessed a voluptuous, captivating figure and snow-white skin. Her appearance was unremarkable, yet her aura was profoundly deep and tranquil, making her impossible to read. Accompanying her were seven Tianchi Holy Land martial artists—all beautiful, mature women, five at the Di-level and two at the Nie-Chao Realm.

Dongfang He wore a simple cyan robe, his expression cold. He was cultivated at the Nie-Chao Triple Heaven stage. Behind him stood twelve warriors, including one elderly figure with the face of a child and hair like frost—a person who surprisingly held Tian-level cultivation.

The Lingbao Grotto-Heaven, Tianchi Holy Land, and Dongfang Family were not here specifically for this event; they had all been active in the nearby sea regions and rushed over upon hearing about the anomaly on Moonrock Island.

“Holy Maiden? Not that impressive,” Shi Yan remarked, clicking his tongue after hearing the explanation.

“You scoundrel,” Xia Xinyan laughed, momentarily amused. “You only remember to look at the women. You aren’t fundamentally any different from the foul men whose trenches you dug.”

Shi Yan merely grinned.

“Yanjing is known as a great beauty across the Boundless Sea, but she always wears a thin mask, rarely showing her true face. As the Holy Maiden of Tianchi Holy Land, she is forbidden to ever fall in love with a man, which is why she never shows her face to any man. You won't see her true appearance in this lifetime,” Xia Xinyan quipped, aiming a gentle jab.

“Forbidden to love a man for her entire life?” Shi Yan shook his head and scoffed. “Bullshit Holy Land!”

Xia Xinyan shot him a look, choosing not to elaborate further.

“So many people.”

Gu Jiange’s gentle laughter suddenly sounded from behind them.

Soon, Gu Jiange and four Gu Family martial artists at the Nie-Chao Realm strode past the scattered onlookers, approaching the glacier until they stood a thousand meters away. They positioned themselves to form a fourth corner around the Lingbao Grotto-Heaven, Dongfang Family, and Tianchi Holy Land groups.

“Jiange, you came too?” Dongfang He glanced at him and forced a smile onto his cold features. “Are there others?”

“Greetings, Uncle He,” Gu Jiange bowed respectfully, smiling. “No, just us. I happened to be on nearby Gyro Island and came over to check when I heard something unusual was happening here. Uncle He, you arrived earlier; have you found anything?”

The martial artists on the periphery immediately turned their full attention toward Dongfang He as soon as Gu Jiange asked.

“The mysterious symbols within the glacier are exuding a power of confinement. Our three factions have joined forces to assault this confinement several times, returning unsuccessful each time,” Dongfang He shook his head. “This confinement power is extraordinary. After several attempts, it only began to show slight signs of loosening. We plan to try again shortly. Heh, you should contribute as well.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Gu Jiange replied with a nod and a smile.

Having spoken, Gu Jiange’s gaze swept across the crowd, and he soon spotted Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan.

Gu Jiange’s eyes brightened. He smiled and nodded toward the pair, acknowledging them.

Shi Yan offered a faint smile and a slight nod, but Xia Xinyan remained expressionless, acting as if she hadn't seen him, completely unmoved.

Gu Jiange didn’t seem to mind, maintaining his gentle smile.

“Let’s try again,” Chen Feng suddenly interjected, his chubby face set in a wry grimace. “The sooner we break the glacier’s secret, the sooner we can report back and be done with it. Otherwise, if more factions arrive, whatever is inside the ice will have to be shared among more people. What do you all think?”

Though he spoke inclusively, Chen Feng’s gaze remained fixed only on Dongfang He, Huo Yanjing, and Gu Jiange; he didn't spare a glance for the scattered martial artists a thousand meters away. In his mind, even if the glacier held secrets, there was no way he would allow others to share them.

“Agreed,” Dongfang He nodded, turning to his warriors. “Everyone, give it your all in the next attempt.”

Zhai Yanjing, Gu Jiange, and the others also nodded in agreement.

“Let’s begin.”

Seeing the agreement from the three main groups, Chen Feng didn't look at anyone else. A small silver hammer suddenly flew out from the sleeve of his robe.

A vast, surging, heavy aura violently radiated from the silver hammer. As it hovered in mid-air, the hammer suddenly expanded, resembling a silver mountain, and it smashed down fiercely toward the exposed portion of the glacier.

... (To be continued. For the rest of the story, please log in. More chapters are available, support the author and genuine reading!)