Chapter 139: Clearing the Field

"When I was undergoing rigorous cultivation, did cold energy invade?" Shi Yan asked, frowning as he looked at Xia Xinyan.

"Yes, and a great deal of it." Xia Xinyan detailed the abnormalities she had witnessed on his body during the night.

Shi Yan was astounded.

When that peculiar energy merged into his blood, it had actually drawn the ripples of cold energy along with it, blending them directly into his bloodstream. This allowed the blood within his body not only to adapt to the fusion of negative forces, but also to acquire the attributes of glacial coldness.

Was this, ultimately, a good thing or a bad one?

Shi Yan's expression flickered with uncertainty.

"You should stop practicing that martial art," Xia Xinyan said after a moment of deep thought. "I always feel that martial art is far too wicked and sinister. Although its power is astonishing, the backlash is equally terrifying. Once you return to the Yang family, there will be many martial arts suitable for you—ones that won't subject you to such agony during cultivation." Aboard the iron vessel in the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, Xia Xinyan had already sensed that something was amiss with the martial art Shi Yan practiced. Having now witnessed firsthand the agonizing torment he suffered, she became even more convinced of its malevolent nature. Seeing him in such excruciating pain while cultivating made her deeply uncomfortable, which was why she felt compelled to advise him against it.

"I know what I'm doing," Shi Yan replied quietly after a brief silence.

The process of cultivating this Berserk martial art was indeed bizarre, consistently accompanied by immense suffering. However, the surge of raw power it granted upon activation was something Shi Yan found difficult to relinquish.

The mysterious martial soul within his body possessed all manner of negative forces. Harnessing this power allowed his strength to skyrocket, enabling him to cross realms and slay superior foes.

He could not resist such a temptation.

Xia Xinyan let out a soft, internal sigh, knowing that Shi Yan would likely not heed her words. She understood that someone with his resolute willpower would rarely change his mind once a decision was made, so she pressed the matter no further.

"That glacier is likely about to be breached. In two nights at most, the restrictive barriers within it will be completely exhausted. By then, who knows what lies hidden inside? We must remain cautious."

"Yes, I understand," Shi Yan nodded. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled and said, "Thank you for guarding me."

A faint smile touched the corner of Xia Xinyan's lips. "Consider that you still have a shred of conscience."

Shi Yan grinned broadly and chuckled, "I might not have a conscience when it comes to others, but for you, naturally, it's different."

A wave of sweetness washed over Xia Xinyan's heart. She cast him a look brimming with coquettish charm and scolded, "Smooth-talker."

Shi Yan simply chuckled in amusement.

At high noon, the warriors of the four major factions near the glacier, having rested and recovered for some time, appeared ready to stir once again.

After a brief, low-voiced discussion among their group, Dongfang Heng of the Dongfang family stepped forward with a cold expression. He swept a chilly gaze across the scattered independent warriors gathered nearby and shouted, "All idlers, leave this place immediately! Shortly, the earth here will shake violently and cause many more casualties. If you don't want to die, get lost!"

Beside Dongfang Heng, several Dongfang family warriors radiated a murderous aura as they cast cold glances at the nearby cultivators.

Gu Jiange wore a gentle smile on his face as he cupped his fists toward the crowd and said, "Everyone, it truly is unsafe here. We are doing this for your own good—do not throw your lives away in vain. It is no small feat for you to have reached your current realms; casting your lives away here is simply not worth it."

Four warriors of the Nirvana Realm stood solemnly beside Gu Jiange, their faces stern and imposing.

"They're driving people away," Xia Xinyan murmured, a trace of anger flashing in her eyes. "Seeing that the restrictions within the glacier are about to be shattered, the four major factions intend to monopolize it, leaving outsiders without even a scrap of the benefits. They are clearing the area before the glacier is broken open."

Shi Yan's face darkened as he coldly stared at the members of the four factions.

Chen Zheng of the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven wore an amiable smile, repeatedly cupping his hands as he said smoothly, "You've all seen enough by now. It's about time to withdraw."

Despite his polite words, the threat in his eyes was blindingly obvious.

Zhai Yanqing, the Saintess of the Heavenly Pool Sacred Land, sat with her eyes closed in meditation, seemingly too indifferent to acknowledge the crowd as she continued to regulate her breath and recover. Several exquisitely beautiful matrons from the Heavenly Pool Sacred Land, however, scanned their surroundings with frosty expressions.

Within a radius of fifteen hundred meters of the glacier, dozens of cultivators were still gathered. Each of them wore an expression of suppressed fury, yet none dared to speak out.

After a brief silence, yielding to the intimidation of the four major factions, these cultivators heaved heavy sighs, muttered curses under their breath at the overbearing tyranny of the major powers, and dejectedly dispersed one by one.

"You two, get lost as well!" Dongfang Heng's gaze flashed like lightning as it locked onto Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan from afar. He sneered, "If you brats don't want to die, scram immediately! Otherwise, before the glacier splits open, I'll take your lives first!"

"Ah..." Gu Jiange sighed, offering a bitter smile as he shook his head at Xia Xinyan and Shi Yan. "It's not that I want to chase you away, but Uncle Heng's intentions are good. You... had better leave early."

"Let's go," Xia Xinyan muttered, suppressing her anger as she tugged at the corner of Shi Yan's robe and walked silently toward the outer perimeter.

Shi Yan's face remained gloomy, and he uttered not a single word.

"Scram far away! Don't let me see you again, or bear the consequences!" Dongfang Heng stared at the retreating figures of the two, shouting coldly.

"Uncle Heng, those two have unknown backgrounds. They seem to be the very ones who hijacked the vessel of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven," Gu Jiange said with a frown after Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan had vanished from sight. "The Corpse God Cult and the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven have both issued a joint decree: anyone who captures these two alive will be heavily rewarded."

"Oh?" Dongfang Heng paused, grunted, and said, "Ignore them for now. Once the matter of the glacier is settled, we can capture those two by the way. Though we have no particular friendship with the Corpse God Cult or the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, since there is a hefty reward, we might as well do them a favor."

"That was my thought as well," Gu Jiange smiled. "That woman has quite some nerve and probably has some backing. But with Uncle Heng here, I imagine they won't be able to escape our grasp. Before that woman is handed over to the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, I'd like to have a proper chat with her and find out what exactly is going on."

A hint of obscure, lustful light flashed deep within Gu Jiange's pupils.

"Jiange, you rascal, you never know when to settle down," Dongfang Heng said with a calm, unbothered smile. "That beauty possesses a graceful figure and is likely quite stunning. It's fine if you want to amuse yourself, but you mustn't take it too seriously. You have a marriage pact with little Xiaoque, after all. If you cross the line and it reaches her ears, I won't be able to cover for you."

"Uncle Heng jests. You know my character, don't you?" Gu Jiange laughed sheepishly.

"It's precisely because I know it all too well that I'm kindly reminding you," Dongfang Heng said with a half-smile.

Gu Jiange cupped his fists repeatedly, flattering him with a smile, "I know Uncle Heng looks out for me. Rest assured, Uncle Heng, I know my limits."

"Mm," Dongfang Heng nodded, saying no more.

Shi Yan and Xia Xinyan retreated to a ravine more than three thousand meters away from the glacier, where they could only catch a distant glimpse of its corner.

Shi Yan's face remained dark, his gaze ice-cold.

"What, still fuming?" Xia Xinyan glanced at him and said indifferently.

"The four great families are truly overbearing," Shi Yan nodded, sneering, "Seeing that the glacier's secrets are about to be revealed, they immediately clear the field, completely unwilling to let anyone else even catch a glance. It seems this trip of ours was in vain."

"Overbearing?" Xia Xinyan smiled. "Your Yang family has done things far more overbearing than this! If the three Asura Kings of your Yang family were here today, those people wouldn't dare utter a single extra word. Heh, for that matter, your Yang family members might not have even bothered letting the other factions participate in the first place—chasing away the Spirit Treasure Grotto-Heaven, the Heavenly Pool Sacred Land, the Dongfang family, and the Gu family all at once is entirely something they would do."

"Hh—the Yang family is that ruthless?" Shi Yan was stunned.

"You'll understand in the future," Xia Xinyan nodded. "If experts from the Yang family were present, they wouldn't wait until the glacier was on the verge of breaking to make their move. The moment they arrived, their first order of business wouldn't be the glacier, but clearing the area. Only those who managed to survive under the Yang family's methods would earn the qualification to share in the secrets of the glacier. If those fellows were here, they'd undoubtedly torment the four major factions until they were thoroughly miserable before ever allowing them to participate. Would you call the Yang family overbearing or not?"

"Among the fifteen major forces of the Endless Sea, is the Yang family very powerful?"

"Extremely powerful! If the fifteen major forces were to be ranked, the Yang family could easily place in the top three—perhaps even the top two!" Xia Xinyan said with a solemn expression, pronouncing every word with heavy emphasis.

"Didn't the head of the Yang family, Yang Qingdi, only step into the Divine Realm a few decades ago? From what you told me, the master of the Corpse God Cult, along with the Heavenly Queen and Earth Sovereign of the Yin-Yang Grotto-Heaven, stepped into the Divine Realm long before that, didn't they? The head of the Yang family entered the Divine Realm noticeably later than them, right?"

"Heh, the specific details you will naturally discover once you go to the Yang family; I won't say too much for now. In truth, as an ally of your Yang family, even my understanding of them is far from comprehensive. The methods the Yang family uses to shroud themselves in secrecy are formidable indeed. Once you arrive at the Yang family, you will come to realize just how deep their foundation truly is..."

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

At that very moment, earth-shattering explosions erupted once again from the direction of the glacier.

Streams of brilliance burst forth as various secret treasures flew wildly across the sky, their intersecting lights violently hammering down upon the glacier.

After a brief period of silence, the experts of the four major factions had struck once more!

Though separated by a vast distance, Shi Yan could see the mysterious symbols on the glacier growing increasingly dim in light, appearing as though they were on the verge of collapse.

"It's starting again," Xia Xinyan said with a stern and heavy expression. "We must not get close, or the people of the four major factions will immediately move against us."

"Understood," Shi Yan nodded.

Deafening roars echoed endlessly from the glacier, which once again sent ripples of crystalline frost surging outward, intensifying the biting cold.

Even at a distance of three thousand meters, Shi Yan could vividly feel the astonishing chill radiating from over there.

Streams of light converged upon the glacier. Gradually, the mysterious symbols embedded within it began to tremble violently.

Finally, one after another, the mysterious symbols completely shattered from within the glacier.

Cracks began to spread across the exposed corner of the glacier, and a flurry of even more crystalline, freezing radiances shot out from within, catching the members of the four major factions off guard and forcing them into a flurry of frantic activity to cope with the onslaught.

"Crack, crack, crack!"

A massive fracturing sound echoed from deep within the glacier, and an intensely freezing blast of cold energy erupted outward, taking the glacier as its center and sweeping across all directions!