Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Three months later.

Deep in the snowfield, in a secluded valley.

Qingyouzi built a temporary cave dwelling here. The cave dwelling was not large, only enough for five people to sit cross-legged, and the four walls were covered with a thick layer of ice, with a bone-chilling cold.

He used his magic to carve simple constant-temperature array patterns on the ice wall and set up several layers of concealment restrictions, barely creating an environment suitable for healing.

"The external injuries have healed, and the meridians have been mostly repaired..."

Qingyouzi closed his eyes and looked inward, but his brows remained furrowed.

"But the depletion of essence and blood is not so easy to replenish."

A Nascent Soul cultivator's cultivation is comprised of 40% from the Nascent Soul itself, 30% from magical power, and 30% from their essence and blood. Depletion of essence and blood can lead to stagnation in cultivation and shortened lifespan, or even a shaken foundation and a drop in cultivation level.

With proper care, it would take at least ten years of gentle nurturing before a slow recovery is possible.

Unless... we can find a spiritual treasure from heaven and earth that nourishes the essence and blood.

Qingyouzi gritted her teeth and slammed her fist into the ice wall beside her!

"boom--!"

The ice wall shattered, and shards of ice flew everywhere.

"Damn it..." A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Don't let me find out who you are. I'll repay this debt a hundredfold in the future!"

I raised my hand and looked at my slightly pale palm.

My fingertips trembled slightly, not from fear, but from weakness.

The emptiness caused by the depletion of his vital essence was ever-present, as if his body had been hollowed out. Now, the strength he could unleash was only about half of what it was at its peak.

"Even so, an ordinary early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator... should not be a match for me."

He slowly clenched his fist.

He didn't spend the entire three months healing.

After killing the female cultivator that day, he immediately performed a soul search on her.

Although he was only a Golden Core cultivator and had limited information, the basic situation of the Northern Plains, the distribution of power, and even some hidden rumors were clearly presented in Qing Youzi's mind.

The Northern Plains, also known as the "Far North Ice Plains," is a vast area covered in ice and snow year-round. This region is ruled by seven major tribes, with dozens of smaller tribes as their subordinates.

Each of the seven tribes has a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge, and the strongest of them, the "Ice Soul Tribe" and the "Snow Wolf Tribe," are said to each have a late-stage Nascent Soul ancestor.

Even with the seven tribes joining forces, their overall strength is still far inferior to behemoths like the Myriad Immortals Dynasty, the Returning Immortals Sect, and the Mysterious Immortal City.

The cultivation methods of cultivators in the Northern Plains are quite different from those in the Central Plains. They rely more on ice-attribute techniques and bloodline talents, while their knowledge of formations, alchemy, and artifact crafting is relatively weak.

What concerned Qingyouzi most were two pieces of information:

Firstly, every thirty years, the various tribes of the Northern Plains gather at the "Holy Mountain" for a grand ceremony. During the ceremony, they widely recruit array masters. There are no restrictions on identity, age, or cultivation level; as long as one is familiar with array formations, one can answer the call.

Secondly, a "Formation Competition" will be held concurrently. The winner will not only receive generous rewards, but will also be able to enter the depths of the sacred mountain to observe the sacrificial ceremony, and can choose two high-level cultivation materials from the tribe's treasury.

On the surface, it is said to be "promoting the way of formations" and "recruiting talents".

However, the soul-searching memories show that over thousands of years, only a handful of outside array masters have actually entered the depths of the sacred mountain through the grand competition.

Moreover, most of these people remained silent about what they saw on the sacred mountain afterward, and those who did mention it spoke with barely concealed fear.

"There's a problem..."

Qingyouzi immediately sensed something was wrong.

The Beiyuan tribe has no shortage of resources, so why would they offer such high profits to attract outside array masters? What exactly is hidden deep within the sacred mountain that requires an array master to unlock?

What concerned him even more was that among the fragments of the female cultivator's memories, there was a secret technique fragment about "spiritual fire fusion"!

Although incomplete, it clearly states that if two kinds of spiritual fire can be found and fused together using a special method, their power can be multiplied, and they can even evolve into some unimaginable effects.

Qingyouzi took the jade box out of her storage bag.

The box is opened.

The pale, icy flames burned silently, filling the air with a chill that caused the temperature inside the cave to plummet.

He raised his hand again, and a cluster of dark blue flames rose from his palm—ancient blue demonic fire.

If they can truly merge...

"The power could probably increase several times over!" A look of desire flashed in Qing Youzi's eyes. "It seems that those Golden Core cultivators' real goal was this ice flame. It's a pity they never expected to run into a fourth-tier demonic beast."

He put away the two flames and fell into deep thought.

The Northern Plains tribe may possess a complete lineage of the method of fusing ice and flame. Furthermore, the rewards for the formation competition will most likely include elixirs that nourish vital essence and blood.

These are both things he urgently needs right now.

My thoughts drifted away, and I recalled the events of the Myriad Immortals Dynasty.

The "Tang Lingyu" encountered in the capital that day must have been an imposter. The real Tang Lingyu was likely under house arrest by the conservatives, but her life should be safe. Otherwise, the conservatives could have searched her soul to obtain the reformists' secrets, and the imposter wouldn't have given herself away when he asked about the "earth dragon."

"A falcon cub..." Qingyouzi murmured to herself, "There's still a chance."

But right now, there's something more pressing.

The white-robed man who chased him that day had a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation level.

According to the intelligence provided by Xu Changxing, the conservative faction of the Wanxian Dynasty has two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators: the current prime minister and the patriarch of the first family, the Li family.

It must be one of them.

"No matter who you are..." Qing Youzi's eyes flashed with killing intent, "Once my cultivation level improves, I will investigate thoroughly and find out the truth. At that time, I will wipe out your entire clan and all your descendants!"

A surge of pent-up emotions welled up in my chest, seemingly aggravating old wounds.

He groaned, and a trickle of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth.

After a moment of recuperation, Qingyouzi suppressed his injuries.

"We cannot sit here idly for ten or twenty years."

He gazed at the vast snowfield outside the cave, his eyes hardening.

The deficiency of essence and blood must be replenished as soon as possible, and the method of fusion of ice and flame must also be obtained.

The Northern Plains Formation Competition might be an opportunity.

"There are still nearly two years until the next competition."

He was making plans.

Two years is enough time for him to fully recover from his injuries and master the "Yi Xuan Array Explanation". With Xuan Yizi's inheritance of array techniques, coupled with his current divine sense comparable to the late Nascent Soul stage, winning the championship in the competition will not be difficult.

At that time, not only can we ask the tribe to provide spiritual medicine to nourish our essence and blood, and exchange it for the method of fusing spiritual fire, but we can also take the opportunity to enter the depths of the sacred mountain to explore the secrets hidden by the Northern Plains tribe.

risk?

Of course.

But when is the path of cultivation without danger?

His ability to cultivate to this point is not solely due to his stability, but also to countless adventures, battles, and perilous situations.

"As long as the profits are big enough..."

Qingyouzi slowly stood up and walked to the cave entrance.

Gazing at the distant, snow-covered mountain ridges, he murmured to himself:

"I'm going to brave even the most dangerous places."