Chapter Sixteen: The Northern Snowfields

In the land of Xuanzheng, the Grand Hong Imperial Dynasty reigned supreme over the Central Plains, exalting the doctrines of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. It was a realm famed for its thirty-six celestial grottos and seventy-two blessed lands. The Daoist sects, allied with the imperial court, had driven the great demonic sects to the remote wilds.

To the south stood the Radiant Sun Demon Sect, the undisputed leader of southern demonic cults. They dominated the vast Ten-Thousand Mountains and allied themselves with the barbarian tribes, fiercely resisting the incursion of both Daoist and imperial forces into the southern territories.

In the north, though a land of perpetual snow and sparse population, certain unique sects found it an ideal place to take root. The Umbral Nether Sect once dwelled here in alliance with another demonic faction, the Toad Palace of the Ten Directions Demon Sect.

The Golden Toad Demon Palace, much like the Radiant Sun Demon Sect, inherited ancient demonic traditions, and together they were hailed as lords of the north and south. The Radiant Sun Demon Sect worshipped the Solar Crow, while the Golden Toad Demon Palace revered the Lunar Toad. In the past, the Umbral Nether Sect often clashed with the Toad Palace in the north, only relocating to the southern frontier later.

When these two sects were united, they managed to hold back the Daoist sects of the region. But after the Umbral Nether Sect’s departure, the Toad Palace was swiftly suppressed by several Daoist factions, plunging the north into chaos. The Toad Palace repeatedly sought aid from the Umbral Nether Sect, but received only indifference.

“You drove us out then—now you want us to return? It’s hardly so simple.”

The Umbral Nether Sect had already refined the Xuanming Black Fiend Secret Realm. So long as the secret realm existed, they had no need to rely on the northern fiendish energies and felt no attachment to the north at all. By Ji Feichen’s own reckoning, the Black Fiend Secret Realm had been forged upon the snowy plains, and would surely generate its own immortal aura, forming a blessed immortal land. But how could such a land be allowed to flourish beneath the Umbral Nether Sect’s watchful eyes? They would inevitably shatter it, dispersing the spiritual energy across the northern wastes, transforming it into countless rare treasures and herbs.

Ji Feichen cultivated within the Xuanming Secret Realm, drawing upon fiendish energies sourced from the snowfields. In the same way, his corresponding karmic thread must have been a spiritual herb somewhere upon those snowy plains.

From the southern frontier to the northern domain was a journey across the breadth of the Central Plains. Though Ji Feichen disguised himself as a Daoist disciple, the ruse was fragile—if ever he engaged in battle, his demonic aura would be immediately exposed.

“Since I’ve come to the Central Plains, why not visit the Cloud Market? And perhaps, while I’m there, swindle the people of Golden Lake.” Fingering the turtle shell acquired from the Dragon Turtle Demon King, Ji Feichen’s thoughts began to stir once more.

He intended to use this opportunity to ascend in a single leap to the rank of Human Immortal. To do so, he needed to transform his vital energy techniques and amass a profound reserve of magical power.

For those cultivating the Black Fiend Demonic Dragon Canon, nothing compared to the essence blood of the dragon race. Devouring a single dragon turtle had propelled Ji Feichen to the late stage of the Mortal Shedding realm—what if he obtained another dragon-kind?

He descended upon the Emerald Screen Mountains. There, verdant pines and ancient cypresses remained lush year-round, sacred apes and white deer cultivated longevity—a blessed land of immortals, tranquil and harmonious.

At the foot of the mountains, a steady stream of mortals gathered at a Daoist temple to burn incense and offer prayers. The temple flourished, venerating ancient sages and masters, its halls aglow with crimson light and vibrant spiritual energy.

“Emerald Screen Mountain’s Chongxu Sect descends from the Supreme lineage. Seeing it now, it is indeed extraordinary.” Ji Feichen closed his eyes, visualizing the Supreme Daoist Patriarch and the visage of the Elder Lord in his mind’s palace. Soon, an aura of ethereal clarity enveloped him, and he made his way to the mountain’s rear.

There, two thousand-year-old pines stood sentinel. Ji Feichen pointed, and from his Jade Tide Pearl a beam of water-light was cast into the air. Between the pines, a plaque materialized, inscribed in majestic strokes: “Soaring Cloud Market.”

Behind the plaque, clouds billowed. Ji Feichen stepped through and found himself in a hidden realm: ancient trees soared skyward, mists curled, and white vapors drifted. This was a gathering place established by the Chongxu Sect, where, on the first and fifteenth of each month, a great assembly of immortals traded their wares.

“The Chongxu Sect is superior indeed. As a Daoist lineage descended from the ancient Qi-refiners, they do not set up demon-suppressing barriers within the Cloud Market.”

The Chongxu Sect’s core scripture was the Canon of Harmonious Qi.

As the True Person of Chongxu once said: “The One is the beginning of transformation: the pure and light become Heaven above, the turbid and heavy become Earth below, and the harmonious Qi becomes Man; thus Heaven and Earth contain essence, and all things are born.”

The Chongxu Sect drew upon the harmonious energies of Heaven and Earth, cultivating vital energy and seizing fortune—a form of primal unity.

Here, the vital energy was dense, and Chongxu elders preached the Great Dao. Immortal cranes and auspicious deer clustered around the Daoists, listening intently. Treehouses had formed upon the crowns of pines and cypresses, glowing with azure light. Many posted placards upon the trunks, listing what they sought to exchange.

“Selling elixirs, seeking herbs, jade dew, and cultivation methods.”

“Custom-forged magical treasures—pay a deposit, delivery in three days.”

“Esoteric Daoist scrolls, available for reference only, not for sale—admission fee thirty drops of Star Dew.”

...

Every tree bore placards advertising personal requests and trades.

Ji Feichen lacked neither cultivation methods nor magical treasures. What he needed were rare spirit items for the eventual transformation of his vital energy. He had no use for the elixirs favored by immortals and demons—only Star Dew, Moon Dew, and similar essences distilled from Heaven and Earth that could be refined into magical power. Thus, he organized his recent gains and put them all up for sale: the turtle shell of the dragon turtle, magical treasures and herbs left behind by the likes of Elder Cao in the immortal mansion, and some treasures from the Black Moon Cavern.

His first stop was an alchemist’s stall for appraisal. The alchemist picked through the herbs, selecting a few: “These are decent, especially this turtle shell. How about three hundred drops of Star Dew?”

Star Dew and Moon Dew were the most common units of exchange among cultivators. Sun Dew was rarest, famed as pure yang true water, worth ten thousand drops of Star Dew. Moon Dew, which took a month to condense, contained dozens of times more vital power than Star Dew and nourished the soul; it generally traded at a hundred-to-one rate. However, as the moon waxed and waned, in months when Moon Dew was scarce, its price would rise.

“That’s too little,” Ji Feichen countered. “This shell comes from a dragon-kind beast, of excellent quality, inscribed with the Luo Diagram—perfect for refining magical artifacts. It’s worth at least five hundred drops.”

“Five hundred? For that much effort, I’d be better off gathering star essence and spending a year refining Star Dew myself.”

The two haggled, until the alchemist relented. “Fine, you’ve brought a good haul of herbs. I’ll take the lot for seventeen hundred drops of Star Dew, and throw in five Qi-Dry Elixirs.”

Qi-Dry Elixirs, pills of refined pure essence for Daoist cultivators, five of which roughly equaled three drops of Moon Dew in value.

“Convert it to Moon Dew—give me fifteen drops, plus ten Qi-Dry Elixirs.”

“Moon Dew?” The alchemist frowned; he needed it for his own cultivation. Still, considering Ji Feichen’s offered price, he gritted his teeth. “Agreed.”

Having sold his wares, Ji Feichen moved on, exchanging fragments of magical treasures elsewhere for another ten drops of Moon Dew. Then, leaving the Cloud Market, he found a secluded spot on Emerald Screen Mountain and quietly visualized the Supreme. He used the twenty-five drops of Moon Dew he had just gathered for this purpose.

Passing as a Daoist cultivator was difficult—battle would give him away. But if he practiced several mental attack techniques from the Supreme’s Jade Radiance True Explanation of Cloud-Formed Dragon, could he perhaps deceive others?

And so, Ji Feichen used Moon Dew to refine his art, visualizing the Supreme Daoist Patriarch in his sea of consciousness, focusing on the “Yin-Yang Dragon Whisk Fan” in the Patriarch’s hand.

This fan was forged from primordial chaos, splitting the primal mist and governing the mysteries of the cosmos—a supreme treasure of the Elder Lord. The Supreme’s Jade Radiance True Explanation included visualization of the treasure fan and the application of offensive arts.

This spell was called “Yin-Yang Dragon Whisk.” It took the principle of Taiji, the duality of Yin and Yang, and condensed one’s spiritual power into a manifested treasure—be it a fan, a dragon’s whisker, or a whip. In essence, it was a technique to sever the primal chaos and divide Yin from Yang.

Ji Feichen visualized the treasure fan until it transformed into two dragon whiskers, merging into the dragon shadow he had assumed.

A day later, with his Moon Dew spent, Ji Feichen opened his eyes. He buried several thunder pearls beneath a tree, then continued northward.

Three days after selling the dragon turtle shell, men from Golden Lake came investigating. A Yaksha general scoured the area and finally reached the tree where Ji Feichen had hidden his items.

Boom—

Three Divine Water Thunderbolts exploded, killing the Yaksha instantly.

By then, Ji Feichen had already set foot in the northern wilderness. He instinctively turned southward. “Someone triggered the trap? It doesn’t seem to be a dragon. But with another dead, surely the dragons will come next?”

He traveled under a Daoist guise, using the name Qinghong. As soon as Golden Lake’s Dragon Lord sent investigators, they would naturally trace him. When that happened, he would ambush the pursuers and claim their dragon blood at leisure.

“Hopefully next time a dragon prince will come—these Yakshas and shrimp soldiers are of little use to me.” Ji Feichen entered the northern wilds, shivering involuntarily.

The northern domain’s wind was bone-chilling, its mountains perpetually snow-capped, standing tall over the endless icefields.

Legend had it that the northern region spanned a third of all Xuanzheng. The Toad Palace, the Umbral Nether Sect, and the few Daoist sects of cold affinity all occupied only the southernmost third. Further north was the territory of the snow demons, where myriad frosty spirits dwelled. Beyond that, in the farthest north, lay the forbidden zone of all life.

“It is recorded in my Umbral Nether Sect that when our founder first became an Earth Immortal, he ventured into the death zone and nearly failed to return.”

The Hall Master of Kanming left scant notes on this forbidden land: “A realm of extreme cold, a lair of ultimate Yin. Everywhere are millennial ices and eternal snow peaks. At the center, mysterious clouds gather—there may dwell something of Xuanming.”

What was Xuanming? A deity? A demon beast? A treasure? No one dared ask the Hall Master, but the place remained a sect taboo—none ventured to investigate again.

Ji Feichen pulled his thick coat tighter. Even with his cultivation, the northern wind and snow were hard to endure. Using a dragon scale to sense direction, he headed northeast.

If the habitable zone of the north were a rectangle, divided diagonally into quarters, the southern triangle was Daoist territory, where the sects had built a defensive system to guard against beasts from the north. To the west was the Toad Palace, facing the same threat. Further west were the Baiyi of the Western Region, strongholds of another great demonic faction.

The Toad Palace had survived in the north all these years, despite Daoist suppression, thanks to the support of the western demon cultists. The Tianshan Mountains divided the northwest, and the two great demon sects kept to their own domains. To defend the north, the western demon cult even grudgingly supported the Toad Palace, preventing both Daoists and monsters from invading from the north.

As for the Umbral Nether Sect, its old home lay in the northeast. Northward, one entered the monster belt and the death zone; southward lay Daoist opposition, westward the Toad Palace, eastward the coastal region dominated by another demonic faction. Hemmed in on all sides, the Umbral Nether Sect, after completing the Black Fiend Secret Realm, simply migrated south to contest territory with the Radiant Sun Demon Sect.

“The Black Fiend Secret Realm must have been refined at the Umbral Nether Sect’s old site. If I seek spiritual herbs, I must start here.”

But with the sect’s departure, this region had become contested by snow demons, the Toad Palace, and Daoist sects alike. Along the way, Ji Feichen saw several Daoist cultivators gathering herbs among the snowy peaks.

He grew vigilant, suppressing his magical power and encircling himself with twenty-four spirit pearls. Rich water aura pulsed around him, streaks of meritorious golden light shining as if he were a Daoist master.

“There’s no hiding from true experts. If an immortal arrives, my identity will surely be exposed. I must change my path.”

Soon, guided by the dragon scale and the Jade Radiance Calculus, Ji Feichen located his fated spiritual herb—a snow lotus blooming proudly atop a mountain peak, standing alone in the biting cold.