Chapter Thirty-Nine: Can You Let Me Show Off in Peace?

At the entrance of the Frozen Ice Valley, a bewildering formation had been set up; however, since new disciples were being recruited, it was currently deactivated, leaving only a thin layer of mist.

As soon as Chen Xiang set foot inside, a chill that pierced to the bone swept through his body. Even though he wore a military greatcoat provided by the system, he could still feel the cold—though not intensely, and his own constitution allowed him to dispel much of it.

There was, however, a drawback. Upon entering the valley, Chen Xiang immediately noticed that his spiritual sense was suppressed; he could not extend it at all.

At that moment, two beams of light shone upon Chen Xiang and Li Qing’er at the entrance.

Startled, Chen Xiang then heard a voice: “Aura binding successful. Entry time: three quarters past midnight. Exit before three quarters past midnight, three days hence!”

Looking up, he realized the entire valley was encircled by a massive formation, with a smaller one at the entrance for verifying identity. Above the valley was a faint, white barrier enveloping everything—a safeguard, he presumed, to prevent intruders or anyone from absconding with precious herbs.

“A formation this grand must have taken the Snowveil Sect many years to complete. Clearly, they consider Frozen Ice Valley of utmost importance,” Chen Xiang remarked in surprise. He was well-versed in the fundamentals of formations and recognized their significance.

It seemed that if he wanted to secure the Millennial Frost Essence and leave unscathed, it would require considerable effort.

“Judging by the strength of this formation, it’s likely a Profound Spirit Array. The Snowveil Sect truly has deep foundations!” Li Qing’er exclaimed. Her own family’s guardian array was merely of the Profound Spirit grade, yet the Snowveil Sect had placed such a valuable array to protect the valley, attesting to their formidable power.

“Heh, it’s just a Profound Spirit Array. I could break it with a wave of my hand,” Chen Xiang said with a dismissive gesture.

Li Qing’er’s mouth twitched involuntarily. The Profound Spirit Array was a high-level formation capable of withstanding even peak Nascent Soul cultivators! Young Master Chen was as boastful as ever.

Chen Xiang didn’t care whether she believed him or not. With the system at his disposal, Profound Spirit Arrays were hardly rare—he could break as many as he wished, and often without lifting a finger.

Suddenly, Chen Xiang’s eyes lit up as he gazed at a spot to his right.

“What is it, Young Master?” Li Qing’er asked.

“Heh, I’ve found something good. I’m going to have a look,” Chen Xiang replied before dashing toward the snowy edge of the valley.

Before Li Qing’er’s astonished gaze, he plunged his hand into the snow, burying it nearly to the shoulder. With a forceful tug, he drew out a long, thick object.

It was entirely snow-white—sleek, robust, with two fangs protruding from the root and a snake’s head attached, its white eyes lifelike, crowned with a plump leaf-bud.

Li Qing’er stared in amazement, pointing at the object. “This… shaped like a serpent, pure as jade—is this an Ice Serpent Luo Fruit?”

Chen Xiang glanced at her in surprise. He had long known Li Qing’er’s eye for rare things was exceptional, but he hadn’t expected her to recognize such a precious herb.

Indeed, this was one of the ingredients for the Frost Condensation Rejuvenation Pill—the Ice Serpent Luo Fruit. Normally, Chen Xiang would never have found it, hidden in such a remote spot and with his spiritual sense suppressed. It was only because the newly acquired Snowmark Pearl had shown a faint reaction that he had noticed it at all.

The Ice Serpent Luo Fruit was of immense value to cultivators of the ice element, which explained Li Qing’er’s astonishment.

“Heh, that’s right. This is the Ice Serpent Luo Fruit, one of the ingredients for the Frost Condensation Rejuvenation Pill. Who would have thought we’d obtain such a treasure the moment we entered?” Chen Xiang laughed. They had already found several herbs on the way here; now, only two or three remained, and this fruit was one of them. In the system’s shop, the Ice Serpent Luo Fruit cost a hefty five hundred reputation points—far more than he was willing to pay.

The missing ingredients were rare indeed, and since nearly all the materials for the Frost Condensation Rejuvenation Pill were of the ice element, he had come here to try his luck. If he failed, he could always buy them from the system shop—what was another thousand points, after all?

“How did you find it, Young Master?” Li Qing’er asked, now composed, convinced that he had discovered the fruit and then located it with precision.

“Take a look at this,” Chen Xiang said, drawing the Snowmark Pearl from his sleeve.

“The Snowmark Pearl! No wonder,” Li Qing’er nodded in sudden realization.

“Qing’er, can’t you let me show off just once?” Chen Xiang protested. He had intended to bask in her admiration, but she had immediately identified the source of his good fortune.

“No,” Li Qing’er replied without thinking.

Was such honesty really necessary?

Li Qing’er suddenly realized her mistake and lowered her head in embarrassment.

...

In the outer reaches of Frozen Ice Valley, Chen Xiang and Li Qing’er encountered few fellow cultivators. After all, the valley was vast, and most who entered hurried to search for Ice Condensation Grass, which was buried beneath the snow and not easily found.

Chen Xiang and Li Qing’er, however, paid no heed to the search. They made their way directly deeper into the valley, for they were not here for the trial—accomplishing their true purpose required only the semblance of participation.

On the way, Chen Xiang seemed to take great delight in collecting herbs. With the help of the Snowmark Pearl, he soon acquired another Ice Serpent Luo Fruit, and two or three snowflake-shaped, snow-white spirit grasses—none other than the Ice Condensation Grass.

Afterwards, he even took a stalk of the grass and gave it a casual twirl; it didn’t seem particularly useful, apart from radiating a faint icy aura. In fact, it made an excellent toothbrush.

Chen Xiang rubbed a stalk of Ice Condensation Grass against his teeth, which instantly gleamed white as snow. He flashed Li Qing’er a dazzling, heartwarming smile.

Li Qing’er watched, her lips twitching. While discovering a new use for the Ice Condensation Grass was praiseworthy, she couldn’t help but mutter—what a waste of a priceless treasure!

Ice Condensation Grass was rich in pure ice spiritual energy, able to advance the cultivation of those practicing ice techniques. Pills refined from it were even more effective.

Unbeknownst to them, several cultivators had begun following in their wake. They had long noticed Chen Xiang’s unusual behavior—finding so much Ice Condensation Grass and flaunting it openly was surely suspicious.

The deeper they ventured, the colder the air became. The biting chill seeped through even Chen Xiang’s military coat, forcing him to circulate his spiritual energy for warmth.

“It seems the greatcoat can’t withstand the valley’s embrace,” Chen Xiang murmured, wondering if it was time to deploy his outrageously overpowered electric blanket.

“To be continued…”