A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 176 This pot of shame is truly black!

Just after midnight, a pale blue light emanated from the ice crevice at the entrance to the Icefield Secret Realm, like a gateway to a treasure trove.

The cultivators who had been waiting on the perimeter instantly erupted in excitement.

There were rogue cultivators carrying giant swords, young masters from minor clans holding family tokens, and several disciples from small and medium-sized sects wearing colorful Taoist robes; the crowd was nearly a hundred people.

The news that the elders of the six sects of the Northern Spirit Domain would be coming to the secret realm tonight had already spread. Everyone wanted to get a share of the benefits, even if it was just picking up some broken beads and crystals.

"Have you heard? Elder Lei of the Xuanlei Sword Sect has come in person. There must be some great treasure in this secret realm!"

"The Ice Soul Pearl from Yellow Wind Valley sold for three hundred high-grade spirit stones a few days ago. If we could find another one..."

Amidst the discussions, the crowd rushed into the ice crevasse.

But as soon as they stepped into the secret realm, the noise stopped abruptly, leaving only hissing sounds of people gasping for air.

what happened?

The scene before my eyes was completely different from the beautiful image of "ice crystals reflecting starlight" in the legend.

The dome, which should have been a deep blue-green, now resembled a dusty, broken floor.

Even the ground beneath their feet was no longer smooth ice, but covered with pits of varying depths, the deepest of which was over ten feet deep, with charred ice crystals condensed on the edges—marks of being torn apart and instantly frozen by violent spiritual power.

Even more shocking was the devastation scattered everywhere, with ice crystal fragments half a person's height strewn about. Some bore obvious sword marks, their surfaces smooth as mirrors. Others looked as if they had been crushed by a tremendous force, reduced to dust.

The strangest things were the charred ice crystals, their surfaces shimmering with faint purple-gold lightning patterns, and still retaining a lingering, scorching heat of spiritual energy when touched.

A young nobleman, dressed in a brocade jacket with a plain jade pendant hanging from his waist, looked around palely and muttered, "Wasn't it said that this secret realm was full of Ice Soul Pearls? How... how come it looks like this? I knew it, my father must have lied to me again, insisting that this little secret realm wasn't dangerous..."

A rogue cultivator carrying a rusty iron sword and with frayed cuffs squatted in front of the charred ice crystal remains. He picked at the lightning patterns on them with his fingers, then abruptly pulled his hand back and shook it off, exclaiming in surprise, "Damn it, this lightning spiritual power is too intense! I'm at the third level of the Spirit Origin Realm, and just touching it feels like being burned by a hot iron."

After cursing, he spat out a mouthful of icy saliva, looked up, and suddenly pointed to the huge depression in the center, saying, "Look at that pit, isn't there some big guy who got struck by lightning here?"

Following his gaze, everyone saw a huge circular depression in the center of the secret realm, dozens of feet in diameter, as if it had been smashed by an invisible giant hand.

The ice crystals at the edge of the depression were all charred black, and the spider web-like patterns scorched by lightning could be faintly seen. At the deepest part of the depression, there was not even a trace of ice crystals, only a void emanating a chill.

That was the place where the Ice Dragon was sealed away.

"Good heavens, is this a tough battle?"

An experienced old cultivator squatted down, picked up a shard of ice crystal with burn marks, frowned, and said, "This lightning spiritual power... is so domineering, it seems to be a secret technique of the Xuanlei Sword Sect..."

Just then, someone pointed to a huge ice crystal fragment half-buried in broken ice not far away and exclaimed, "Look! There are words on it!"

The crowd rushed over. The ice crystal remnant was as tall as two people. Although it was covered with cracks, it was extremely hard. Several lines of words were engraved on its surface, and purple-gold lightning patterns flowed between the characters, which had not yet completely dissipated.

"I, Lei, have been here for a visit to the Xuanlei Sword Sect."

As soon as the first line of text came into view, several disciples of the Xuanlei Sword Sect were both surprised and delighted. They immediately straightened their backs and their faces showed a sense of pride!
Good heavens, Elder Lei actually came here secretly!
But when the gaze shifted to the next row, the crowd erupted in chaos.

"The remnants of the sinful race have set up a sacrificial array here, intending to use cultivators from the secret realm as offerings to nourish their evil. I, Lei, have discovered this and will slay them!"

The following lines of smaller text provide a more detailed explanation of how the Sin Clan uses demonic energy to nurture the Ice Dragon, and how they eventually attract countless cultivators to offer sacrifices to help the Ice Dragon become a demonic dragon above the Immortal Spirit Realm, bringing calamity to all living beings.

"What?! A sacrifice?!"

"No wonder people kept saying something was wrong with the secret realm lately; it turns out it was a conspiracy by the Sin Clan!"

"My God, if Elder Lei hadn't come, wouldn't all of us have become sacrifices?"

Exclamations of surprise, lingering fear, and admiration mingled together, surging like a tide within the secret realm. One cultivator pointed to the charred ice crystal fragments beside the writing, suddenly realizing, "No wonder these ice crystals were strange; they were burned by the lightning Elder Lei used when he slew the demon!"

"Look at this residual spiritual energy, how powerful it is! Elder Lei must have used his great magic to break the Sin Clan's formation and save us!"

Several disciples of the Xuanlei Sword Sect listened with beaming faces, and Xiao Chaozong, who was among them, couldn't help but raise his voice and say, "Of course! Elder Lei of my Xuanlei Sword Sect is the pillar of the Northern Spirit Domain, and it is only his duty to slay demons and monsters!"

These words immediately drew a chorus of agreement.

"Elder Lei is truly a role model for us all!"

"No wonder everyone in Qingshui City was talking about Elder Lei's achievements last night. It turns out Elder Lei has done so many great deeds!"

"Compared to Elder Lei, what is that new sect leader of the Five Elements Sect? I heard he's only at the ninth level of the Spirit Realm, and he probably hasn't even seen a shadow of the Sin Clan!"

Amidst the murmurs, no one noticed that besides the lightning burn marks, the ice crystal remnants also bore barely perceptible pale golden flame imprints. Even less did anyone delve into the matter; given Lei Qianjue's character, if he had truly uncovered such a massive conspiracy, why would he leave behind only a few lines and vanish quietly?

Perhaps in an attempt to atone for his sins, Xiao Chaozong loudly proclaimed Lei Qianjue's past achievements in slaying criminals.

And they fabricated the timing of today's action...

Among the disciples following behind him was a bald man who, looking at Xiao Chaozong who was spitting as he spoke, and then at the words left by Bingjing, felt a chill run down his spine.

There's a faint sense of familiarity...

However, now that Xiao Chaozong has gone this far, there's no going back.

He scratched his bald head and whispered to Xiao Chaozong, "Senior brother, I'll go back and talk to Elder Lei about this."

Xiao Chaozong didn't mind and casually nodded, saying, "Go ahead."

He was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the disciples from the lower realms.

The family spent a lot of money to have him represent the lower realm in selecting people, hoping to get some blessings from the heavens. But in the end... he didn't get anything and ended up with a lot of trouble.

My uncle was also punished by the sect. In short, everything went wrong, and I was really unlucky.

If it weren't for the sect elders valuing this person as a sword prodigy and specially giving him an extra arm.

The cultivators stared at the inscription "Lei was here," their eyes brimming with awe, and they were also deeply grateful to the disciples of the Xuanlei Sword Sect.

The bald, fat disciple grew increasingly disheartened and dared not linger any longer, quickly leaving.

At the exit, it was pitch black, and I saw several elderly people leading their children out, their expressions not quite right.

An old woman led a pretty young girl with a less-than-happy expression, practically dragging and pulling her out.

Only after they exited the secret realm did the bald, fat man, hiding in the shadows, hear the two whispering to each other.

"Grandma, didn't you say you were coming back today to bump into that 'Li Changning' again? Why are you leaving so soon after you arrived..."

"Don't say anything, miss. Just pretend we were never here. Let's go, let's go."

A few other old rogue cultivators also left in a hurry.

Besides them, there were also some rogue cultivators who looked panicked, with undisguised fear in their eyes, but whose expressions were rather ordinary. They hurriedly left, as if the sky had fallen.

The bald, fat man closed his eyes in pain, gritted his teeth, and cried out, "Living ancestor!"

Although there was no logical connection between them and that man, the bald fat man couldn't help but feel that they were inextricably linked to that treacherous ancestor.

That's ruthless. Lei Qianjue has only been at the Five Elements Sect for less than a day, and he's already dug such a huge sinkhole.

Ice dragons and demonic energy—either one is a matter of utter chaos.

Without pausing, he used his movement technique to rush towards Qingshui City.

That's right, his movement technique... he hasn't reached the level of flying on a sword yet.

Originally, this trip was definitely not his business. It was the elder who valued him highly who asked Lei Qian to bring him out to seek an opportunity to break through to the Spirit Transformation stage.

It's obvious that the Ice Soul Pearl wants a share of the benefits from him.

This also made his entourage somewhat dissatisfied with him...

However, he has now reached the perfected stage of the third realm of the Profound Gate, becoming a Martial God in the mortal realm, and he runs incredibly fast!

Say nothing more. If Lei Qianjue hears of this and merely grins, he will immediately go into hiding until things calm down and the sect sends someone to look for him.

……

The bald, fat man ran wildly, the outer robes of the Xuanlei Sword Sect were fluttered by the wind, but he showed no sign of panic.

He moved with incredible speed, his internal energy from the three realms of Xuan Guan flowing steadily through his meridians. He was oblivious to the ice shards that splashed up and fell into his boots.

When he arrived at the Qingshui City Inn, it was already dawn. He didn't straighten his clothes or wipe the sweat from his face, and just walked in.

The Xuanlei Sword Sect disciples guarding the door didn't even bother to greet him when they saw him, and the bald fat man didn't care either.

In the side hall, Lei Qianjue sat on a couch, stroking an ancient jade pendant carved with thunder patterns in his hand. The jade pendant was warm and smooth, with shimmering thunder patterns inside, which, reflected in the white hair at his temples, revealed a rare serenity.

One of his disciples, beaming, was reporting on the public opinion in Qingshui City and the surrounding area, saying that the streets were filled with news of Elder Lei's heroic deeds of "slaying the sinful clan and breaking the demon's den".

There are three hurdles that are impossible for a man to overcome in life.

The first is fame, the second is power, and the third is lust.

The fact that the name comes first speaks volumes.

Therefore, although Lei Qianjue was overjoyed inside, he remained calm on the surface, chuckled, and said, "Slaying a few remnants of a criminal clan is worth such praise? It's clear that the Five Elements Sect has been a bunch of useless people all these years. Tao Xixing is useless, and that brat is even more despicable."

As soon as he finished speaking, the bald, fat man pushed open the door and entered. He bowed to Lei Qianjue on the bed and said in a steady voice, "Elder, this disciple has returned from the Ice Plains Secret Realm and has important matters to report."

Lei Qianjue looked up and saw that although he was panting from running, his eyes were unusually clear. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Speak."

Something's not right in the secret realm.

The bald, fat man lowered his eyes, first making his initial judgment based on his senses, then listing the details one by one, and finally looked up at Lei Qianjue, his gaze still calm as he said, "The largest ice crystal fragment has words engraved on it, in purple-gold lightning patterns, which read 'Xuanlei Sword Sect, Lei Qianjue was here. Remnants of the Sin Clan, I will punish them on behalf of Heaven.' It is followed by details of the Sin Clan's conspiracy, which is related to the Ice Dragon and demonic energy."

He explained it again in detail.

He spoke the last sentence very softly, yet it was like an icicle smashing into the side hall.

Lei Qianjue abruptly stopped stroking the jade pendant.

The air froze instantly. The disciple who had been trying to please him turned pale with fright and felt like he couldn't breathe.

Lei Qianjue didn't look at him, but stared at the bald fat man with a terrifyingly gloomy gaze, like a thundercloud about to descend. His tone was even more chilling as he said, "Lei?"

"Yes."

"Ice Dragon? Demonic Energy? Sacrifice?"

"Yes."

Lei Qianjue suddenly laughed, a low laugh with a trembling sound as his Adam's apple bobbed, sending chills down one's spine. He tossed the jade pendant onto the couch, where it struck the wooden edge with a dull thud.

"Okay, very good."

He stood up, the hem of his purple robe sweeping across the edge of the couch, the gust of wind causing the disciple in front of him to stagger. He said sternly, "I arrived yesterday and haven't left Qingshui City all day. I only went to the Five Elements Sect, and I've already become a hero who slays demons and breaks great formations?"

He walked up to the bald, fat man, looking down at him. The lightning in his eyes was like a lightning snake hidden in the clouds, seemingly calm, yet capable of splitting the heavens and earth in an instant: "Is that lightning scorch mark the true meaning of profound lightning?"

The bald, fat man met his gaze without flinching and said, “This disciple’s eyesight is dull, but I feel that it is only similar in appearance, but lacks the refinement of the sect’s Dao techniques. This disciple once saw the elder draw lightning, and the true meaning was as fine as silk threads, able to penetrate metal and stone without damaging their surface. The lightning patterns on the ice crystals… are too turbulent, as if they were forcibly poured in.”

Lei Qianjue pressed further, "What kind of approach do you think it is?"

"This disciple does not know. But I feel that it is definitely not from the Xuanlei Sword Sect, at least it should not be your method, Elder."

Lei Qianjue turned around and looked out the window with his back to him.

The windows of the inn were covered with thick paper, and the dim morning light filtering through mirrored his pale face. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What is Xiao Chaozong doing there?"

"Upon seeing the writing, Senior Brother Xiao recognized it as the Elder's handwriting and is now leading the other senior brothers to publicize the Elder's achievements..."

The bald fat man's voice remained steady, except for a barely perceptible pause at the end.

"idiot!"

The two words exploded in the side hall like a thunderclap. Lei Qianjue was absolutely furious. He whirled around, the lightning patterns on his purple robe crackling and condensing into half-foot-long electric snakes beside him. He roared, "Is he blind or heartless? How many knives are hidden in those words? Sinful race, demonic energy, ice dragon... which of these can be touched so easily? He's pushing my Xuanlei Sword Sect into a fire pit!"

He paced back and forth in the hall, his footsteps heavy on the ground, each step causing the floor tiles to tremble. The bald, fat man could tell that this elder, who had always been arrogant and extremely disciplined, was afraid and panicked.

The disciple who had fallen earlier was trembling with fear, but Lei Qianjue glanced at him and shouted, "Get out! Tell Xiao Chaozong that I want to see him kneeling here within half an hour."

The disciple scrambled away, leaving only Lei Qianjue and the bald fat man in the hall. The lightning in the air gradually subsided, but it still felt oppressive and suffocating.

Lei Qianjue didn't say anything more and directly told the bald fat man to invite the other five sect elders.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the main hall of the Qingshui City Inn was filled with people.

Ling Xuzi twirled his whisk, his gaze sweeping over the lingering lightning patterns around Lei Qianjue's body. He spoke first: "Fellow Daoist Lei, why did you summon us here so urgently? Could it be that there's been some movement from the Five Elements Sect?"

Lei Qianjue didn't sit down, but stood in the hall. The lightning patterns on his purple robe were still faintly glowing. His tone was heavy as if it were made of lead: "It's worse than the Five Elements Sect incident. Something happened in the Ice Plains Secret Realm."

He then had the bald, fat man briefly describe the scene of the secret realm and the inscription, before slamming his hand heavily on the table and saying in a deep voice, "I didn't leave the inn at all yesterday, and I definitely didn't carve those words! Someone is trying to put my Xuanlei Sword Sect in the spotlight, letting the remnants of the sinful clan pin the blame on us! This is a truly black pot!"

After Lei Qianjue finished speaking, the main hall fell into a deathly silence.

After a long silence, Ling Xuzi's fingers, which were twirling the whisk, suddenly tightened, causing several wrinkles to appear on the silver whisk. The usual indifference in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by solemnity. He slowly said, "The Sin Clan used the Ice Soul Pearl as bait to set up a sacrificial array? And they even pinned this on the Xuanlei Sword Sect?" He looked at Lei Qianjue, his tone carrying an unprecedented seriousness, and said, "Fellow Daoist Lei, this matter is not directed at you alone. They want to use you to disrupt the entire cultivation landscape of the Northern Spirit Region!"

The star chart on Zhou Xuanqing's fingertips trembled with a "hum," and three stars on the chart simultaneously shattered into tiny specks of light. His face paled slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "The star orbits are disrupted. This is not just a frame-up, but a deliberate scheme to force the Xuanlei Sword Sect and the Sin Clan into a life-or-death struggle... However, it has indeed made a great contribution. If it hadn't been discovered in advance, the consequences would have been unimaginable. To actually use demonic energy to raise ice dragons... unbelievable."

Even the usually calm Master Wuyuan suddenly opened his eyes, a golden Buddhist light flashing in them: "Amitabha, if that is really the case, the hundred years of peace in the Northern Spiritual Domain may be destroyed in an instant."

Li Qinghong of the Seven Star Sect had lost his previous composure. He paced around the hall twice with his hands behind his back. The corner of his robe swept across the table, knocking over an empty teacup. The crisp sound of shattering porcelain was particularly jarring in the silent hall. He said, "What a ruthless criminal clan! They want to slaughter all living beings!"

Zhao Qingyao of the Moon Evolution Sect suddenly straightened the silver thread wrapped around her fingertips, making her knuckles white. She said, "The Ice Dragon becomes a Celestial Spirit upon reaching adulthood. If it is further accelerated by high-quality demonic energy, then... even a Celestial Spirit cultivator would find it difficult to suppress. If that sacrificial array is completed, the rogue cultivators of the Northern Spirit Region will likely be wiped out and become nourishment for the demonic dragon..."

The more they talked, the more alarmed they became. Their earlier schadenfreude towards Lei Qianjue had long been replaced by concern for the overall situation.

This is no longer a matter concerning a single clan or family; it is a calamity that threatens the very survival of the entire Northern Spirit Domain.

Seeing the solemn expressions on everyone's faces, Lei Qianjue's anger subsided somewhat, and he said in a deep voice, "At this point, there's no use talking about these things. The most urgent task is to find out who carved the inscription and the lair of the remnants of the sinful clan. However..." He looked at everyone, "This matter involves too many people, and the six sects will probably have to put aside their differences and join forces to investigate."

Ling Xuzi nodded: "Fellow Daoist Lei is right. However, this matter needs an insider to coordinate. Qingshui City is located in a strategic location, and City Lord Su is well-informed and familiar with the Five Elements Sect. Perhaps he can give us some clues."

"I think it's feasible."

Zhou Xuanqing interjected, "City Lord Su is an honorary elder of the Xuantian Pavilion. The Xuantian Pavilion has spies all over the Northern Spirit Domain. Perhaps they have already found some clues."

Lei Qianjue immediately instructed his disciple: "Go and invite City Lord Su. Tell her that the Six Sects have important matters to discuss concerning the safety of the Northern Spirit Domain. We must ask her to come."

The disciple obeyed and left, and the hall fell silent once more. The sandalwood incense flickered in the bronze censer, reflecting the varied expressions on everyone's faces.

There was worry, contemplation, and a barely perceptible sense of vigilance.

Before long, soft footsteps sounded outside the hall. Su Wan, dressed in a lake-blue palace gown, entered surrounded by maids. She still had that gentle and composed demeanor, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes held a hint of inquiry: "Elders, are you in such a hurry to find me? Is there any new activity in the Ice Plains Secret Realm? Have you found the Ice Soul Pearl?"

After Lei Qianjue finished explaining the inscription on the secret realm and the sacrifice by the Sin Clan, Su Wan, as expected, paused slightly in her teacup. The emerald tea rippled in the cup, but not a single drop spilled. She remained silent for a moment before slowly saying, "This matter is beyond our control. You should all quickly send messages to your sects and inform your respective sect leaders. The Sin Clan's scheme is truly terrifying. They probably intend to cause trouble during the Seven Sects Grand Competition four years from now, when the Demon Cave rotates. Besides this Ice Dragon, they may have prepared other things as well. We must be on guard."

Lei Qianjue said in a deep voice, "Lord Su, I want to know who is impersonating me? Slaughtering criminals is my duty, I have no need for such a lowly person to promote my name! You've been here for a long time, do you know if there are any skilled lightning magic users around? I want to thank them properly!"

Su Wan put down her teacup, her fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the table. Her gaze lingered on Lei Qianjue's tense face for a moment before she slowly said, "Elder Lei, please calm down. Although there are cultivators skilled in lightning magic around Qingshui City, most of them are rogue cultivators at the Spirit Transformation stage or the early stage of Spirit Origin. Let alone imitating the True Meaning of Profound Lightning, they would find it difficult to even summon such violent lightning. As for who is behind this... I really don't know."

She changed the subject slightly, adding a touch of consolation to her tone: "But Elder Lei, I'm afraid this matter is difficult to reverse." Seeing Lei Qianjue's brows furrow even more, she continued: "Since the disciples of the Xuanlei Sword Sect have publicly acknowledged that it was your doing and have even publicized your achievements, if you now go back on your word and say 'it wasn't me,' not only will no one believe you, but it will also make your sect appear inconsistent, giving you a reason to say that you 'don't acknowledge your merits' and are afraid of the sinful clans."

"Are you just going to let this old man suffer in silence?!"

The lightning patterns on Lei Qianjue's purple robe shone even brighter as he shouted sternly, "That bastard has pinned all the blame for the Sin Clan's misfortune on me. If the Sin Clan comes looking for us in the future, the first thing they'll do is attack my Xuanlei Sword Sect!"

"That being said, it is not entirely without benefit."

Su Wan's voice remained calm as she said, "At least all cultivators in the world know that this merit is real. As for the demon race... besides, the seven sects are closely connected, and if it really comes to that, they won't let your sect bear it alone."

Ling Xuzi nodded in agreement: "Lord Su is right. What's important right now is to use this 'achievement' to unite people's hearts, rather than getting hung up on who did it. If we can really use this to draw out the remnants of the sinful clan hiding in the shadows, it would actually be a good thing."

Lei Qianjue's chest heaved, clearly still unwilling, but he also knew that Su Wan and Ling Xuzi were right. Since the disciple had already admitted it, it would only make him a laughing stock if he recanted now.

He muttered, "We can't let this little bastard get away with it! One day, I'll catch him and settle this score!"

Upon hearing this, the bald, fat man's eyelids drooped, but he didn't say anything more.

Because this is an open conspiracy, there is no way to resolve it.

No matter what you say, it's useless.

His only hope now is to return to his sect safely.

And obviously, this is almost impossible.

We have to think of a way...

Meanwhile, Su Wan issued the city lord's order to seal off the Icefield Secret Realm, and everyone was to evacuate immediately...

……

(End of this chapter)