My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

"laugh--!"

A thin, almost transparent, pale blue sword light silently shot out from the tip of the ice sword.

The sword light wasn't fast, but the moment it appeared, the temperature of the entire Ice Valley plummeted to an extreme freezing point, as if even the soul would be frozen.

Time and space seemed to freeze and distort for a moment wherever the sword light passed.

Zhu Yun couldn't even fully express his fear, let alone make any move to resist or dodge.

The sword light pierced through his body without any hindrance, from head to toe.

There was no blood splattering, no screams.

Zhu Yun's entire being, including his nascent soul and divine spirit, was instantly frozen by the sword intent, then turned into ice crystal dust, completely annihilated between heaven and earth, leaving no trace.

This is not over yet.

The pale blue sword light did not dissipate after passing through Zhu Yun, but instead shot straight towards the buildings of the Ice Valley below.

The sword light landed silently, yet it triggered a deafening roar that shook the earth.

The ground, as solid as iron, was easily torn apart like tofu, and a huge crack, bottomless, several meters wide, and stretching for miles, appeared in Icestorm Valley in an instant.

The crack passed right through the palaces and pavilions where Zhu Yun's direct descendants and trusted followers lived.

All the buildings, formations, and even the people and objects within them located along the crack path simultaneously followed in Zhu Yun's footsteps—freezing, disintegrating, and turning into ice dust.

With a single sword strike, not only was the culprit severed, but his bloodline and foundation were also uprooted and completely eradicated.

The entire Ice Valley was deathly silent.

All the cultivators who witnessed this scene, whether they were high-ranking elders or ordinary disciples, were utterly silent and chilled to the bone.

Gu Changyuan released his right hand, and the ice sword condensed from the laws of ice and snow instantly dissipated, turning back into snowflakes falling from the sky.

He looked at Bai Ning, whose face was solemn and whose eyes held a deep sense of horror.

"Regarding the compensation, you can arrange for someone to deliver the items to Wanbaoge and hand them over to them."

After saying that, he didn't look at the still-shaken Ice Valley group again and left with Bai Ling'er and the others.

Only when the suffocating pressure completely dissipated and the sky cleared of light did the people of Icestorm Valley seem to regain their ability to breathe. Many of them nearly collapsed to the ground, their legs giving way.

Ancestor Bai Ning slowly turned around, his gaze complex as he looked at the terrifying, gaping ice fissure in the valley, and let out a long, melancholy sigh.

Valley Master Ding Yuanming flew to the patriarch's side, looking at the crack, his face still somewhat pale, and respectfully asked for instructions:

"Ancestor, how should we deal with this crack?"

Ancestor Bai Ning remained silent for a moment, his voice aged yet carrying an undeniable firmness:

"Just clear away the ruins and debris. As for this crack..."

Her gaze swept over all the disciples below, still in shock and fear. Her voice suddenly rose, like the striking of ice, echoing throughout the entire Icestorm Valley:

"No need to fix it!"

"Set up a warning and protective barrier around this crack to prevent disciples from falling in. From this day forward, this crack will remain here!"

"This is the warning monument of my Icestorm Valley! Let everyone in the valley, whether elder or disciple, regardless of their cultivation level, see it every day and always remember the lesson of today."

"The world of cultivation is vast and boundless, with people beyond people and heavens beyond heavens! Do not bully others and look down on others because of momentary selfishness or greed!"

Do not harbor any illusions, thinking that having a sect as your backer allows you to act recklessly! The Zhu Yun faction serves as a stark warning!

Many people looked ashamed, while others were filled with awe, their gazes toward the crack filled with reverence.

After Bai Ning finished speaking, his figure flickered and disappeared from the spot, leaving only a clear voice transmission that rang in Ding Yuanming's ear:

"Yuanming, the matter of compensation concerns the survival and reputation of my Icestorm Valley. You should personally lead a group, prepare generous gifts, and set off for Wanbao Pavilion immediately."

You must be extremely respectful and hand over the compensation personally, without any mistakes or negligence!

If this matter goes wrong again, you don't need to come back to see me.

Ding Yuanming's body trembled, and he immediately bowed deeply in the direction where his ancestor had disappeared:

"Disciple obeys! I would never dare to make the slightest mistake again!"

......

As time went on, the scenery around Gu Changyuan began to change significantly.

The once vibrant mountains and forests gradually faded away, replaced by boundless white snow, and as far as the eye could see, there was only a vast white world.

The cold wind howled, swirling up thousands of snowflakes, and the sky appeared exceptionally high and cold.

Occasionally, one can see ice-type monsters adapted to the extremely cold environment running and fighting on the snowfield.

They are enormous, with sharp claws and teeth, exuding a fierce aura, adding a touch of wildness and danger to this silent snowy region.

Continuing northward, the scenery changed again as they approached the entrance to the outer realm.

The seemingly eternal ice and snow were gradually melting away, revealing large areas of bare, grayish-yellow permafrost and rocks, with sparse vegetation and a desolate landscape.

A chaotic and mixed spiritual energy permeated the air.

After passing through this desolate land, a majestic and magnificent city suddenly appeared at the edge of the field of vision.

In the center of the city, a massive spatial rift stretched across the sky, with chaotic energy surging within it.

The crack had irregular edges, from which distorted, iridescent light constantly spilled out, emitting unstable spatial fluctuations.

"Master, that rift is the entrance to the Outer Realm. And this city is the Outer City."

Bai Ling'er pointed ahead and softly introduced Gu Changyuan.

"There are actually two outer cities. One is on this side of the Nine Heavens Realm, the one in front of us; the other is inside the outer domain, separated by this spatial rift."

Each of the two cities is jointly governed by four semi-immortal level experts. They are also among the first legendary figures to discover and explore the outer realms, gaining immense opportunities and ultimately breaking through to the semi-immortal level.

The outer realm's internal environment is extremely complex and dangerous, with chaotic space, bizarre laws, and countless strange beasts and perilous places never before seen in the Nine Heavens Realm. It may even contain ancient ruins or lost inheritances.

Conversely, the resources contained within are also astonishingly abundant. Many rare and precious natural treasures, mineral veins, and ancient relics that have long disappeared or are extremely rare in the Nine Heavens Realm may be found in the outer realms.

Therefore, it attracted countless cultivators who were confident in their strength and eager for breakthroughs or wealth, who did not hesitate to cross thousands of miles of icy plains to risk their lives.

Those eight half-immortal city lords, after surviving countless near-death experiences and reaping enormous rewards in the outer realms, jointly established these two outer cities and created the city lord's mansion.

They spread news of the outer realms to the outside world, attracting cultivators to come, and maintained the basic order and stability of the entrance.

The city lord's mansion acquires wealth and resources by managing the city, collecting various fees, and operating its own businesses.