Chapter 106: The Ice Ancestor Master

After hearing the words of the Patriarch of Cold Ice, Qingxu was nearly convinced that he truly was an ancient demon god. He had roughly pieced together his history, which aligned with the main narrative of other ancient demon gods: one of the three thousand demon gods born in the chaotic primordial universe, a favored child of the great Dao. Though not a saint at birth, his strength was no less than that of an early-stage Primordial Saint. Unfortunately, he was born in unfortunate times and encountered Pangu. Compared to most demon gods, he was somewhat lucky, narrowly escaping disaster and reincarnating in the prehistoric era, becoming one of the first innate divine curses, living freely and recklessly—likely a dominant figure standing atop the pyramid of existence.

Regrettably, during the calamities of the ancient era, the Patriarch of Cold Ice was also summoned by the Daoist Hongjun to join the crusade against the Demon Ancestor. Misfortune struck, and under the sword qi of Immortal Slaying, he was grievously wounded. Clinging to life, he reincarnated a second time, but this time fate was less kind: he was bound to the Heart of the Northern Abyss Ice Soul, a form difficult to manifest.

The Heart of the Northern Abyss Ice Soul was the essence of the Northern Abyss. If he were to manifest, the Northern Abyss would suffer great consequences—the climate would rise, the mysterious ice would melt. Even if the entire Northern Abyss didn’t dissolve, perhaps half or more would. The vast oceans would be stirred into chaos, and the four great continents of the prehistoric world would be heavily damaged. Under the weight of such tremendous karmic retribution, heavenly punishment would surely pulverize the Patriarch of Cold Ice to dust.

“Though unfortunate and destined never to manifest, compared to those demon gods who perished in the ancient and primordial eras, the Patriarch of Cold Ice is still remarkably fortunate,” Qingxu thought to himself.

"Empty fame? Hmph, you will cry soon enough. The power of my Cold Ice Formation is boundless. This is but the calm before the storm. In a moment, the cold will double instantly, reaching the yin extreme and giving birth to yang. Within the formation’s space, it will transform into a tide of ice and flame, a fierce and tumultuous force blending ice and fire—what a sensation! Heh heh heh!" The Patriarch of Cold Ice was supremely confident in his formation.

"Ice flame tide? The power of yin extreme giving birth to yang?" Qingxu was shocked upon understanding the formation’s effect. Da Luo Golden Immortals were impervious to countless calamities, immortal and free from the constraints of fate’s river. Yet the power of yin and yang contained within was enough to annihilate both the form and spirit of a Da Luo Golden Immortal. Any energy pushed to its extreme would produce a counter-effect, and this extreme energy was precisely the yin-yang energy that only quasi-saints could wield, incomparable to the power of a Da Luo Golden Immortal.

Yin-yang energy was terrifyingly fierce. Even a trace of it could leave a Da Luo Golden Immortal crippled, if not outright destroyed. It was said that once yin-yang energy clung to a person, it was like maggots gnawing at the bones—impossible to expel without the power of law or regulation. One could only desperately suppress it with spiritual power, but yin-yang energy constantly absorbed the world’s yin-yang forces to grow stronger and eventually become uncontrollable, leading inevitably to the complete destruction of both form and spirit. This was the true horror of the quasi-saints.

"Damn it, the power of ice flame is beyond what I can handle. This is truly a case of joy turning to sorrow. White Dragon Daoist’s prediction was spot on! A life-and-death tribulation? Damn it, this is no life-and-death tribulation—it’s a death trap with no chance of survival!" Qingxu cursed inwardly while rapidly considering countermeasures.

Calling upon the Primordial Heavenly Venerable? That likely wouldn’t intimidate the Patriarch of Cold Ice. Moreover, since he was bound to the Heart of the Northern Abyss Ice Soul, even the saints would hesitate to destroy him, lest the enormous karmic consequences destroy all disciples under the saint’s banner.

As he pondered, suddenly an immense chill surged around him, multiplying at an unimaginable speed...

The world was frosting over, ice forming everywhere...

Qingxu’s entire body became encased in crystalline cold ice. Tiny chills seeped into his marrow, his blood and qi froze within his meridians, his spiritual power became sluggish and uncooperative, and even his primordial spirit felt the urge to fall into slumber.

“Wait, Patriarch of Cold Ice, I have something to say!” In this life-or-death moment, a sudden burst of inspiration flooded his mind, and he hastily sent a mental message through the formation’s space.

Almost immediately after Qingxu’s transmission, the cold within the formation halted its growth—it neither intensified nor diminished, maintaining at least a hundredfold of the Northern Abyss’s central climate.

“Oh? Any last words? Begging for mercy? Let me tell you—too late. Today your end is only one: complete annihilation of form and spirit!” The mocking voice echoed through the heavens and earth—it was the Patriarch of Cold Ice himself.

“You are an ancient demon god, your status comparable to Pangu. Previously, I was blind and confused, offending you. If you are magnanimous, I hope you will not hold it against me. If you truly need something, I will willingly offer spiritual treasures with both hands. But then again, since you cannot manifest even with Pangu’s Axe...” Qingxu spoke cautiously.

“What do you mean?”

“Hahaha, you are omnipotent. If you truly wanted to take my life in an instant, why go through so much trouble? Let’s be straightforward—if you spare my life, I will try to help you break free from the Ice Soul Heart and manifest. How about that?” Understanding the Patriarch’s situation, Qingxu realized that as a venerable ancient demon god, he would not covet a mere relic of the Ancestral Dragon or Qingxu’s own treasures. For him, rebirth and manifestation were the key. What use was the greatest treasure, Pangu’s Axe, if he could not take form?

“You’re clever for a junior. If you truly can help me manifest and be reborn, not only will I spare your life, I might even accept you as my disciple! Hahaha!” Just as Qingxu suspected, his treasures did not even catch the Patriarch’s eye (though if he truly took them out, it would be tempting), his real goal was to manifest and be reborn.

“Taking disciples? That’s stealing from my master! If my master knew, he’d slap me dead!” Qingxu thought wildly. After a moment’s contemplation, he said, “Manifesting is very difficult for you. First, the Northern Abyss Ice Soul Heart as a body is impractical. Second, to leave the Ice Soul Heart and find another vessel, you’d have to shatter the Ice Soul Heart or capture your primordial spirit.”

Upon hearing Qingxu’s words, the Patriarch was silent for a moment, then said, “How could I not understand that? But without the Ice Soul Heart, I cannot dispel my endless melancholy accumulated over countless years. Besides, there is no suitable ice-elemental spiritual object for me to reincarnate into yet.”

“I don’t understand. You have cultivated for endless years with boundless Dao power. You should be able to manifest at any time. As for finding another vessel, I might help you capture your primordial spirit, but there’s no suitable spiritual object for you to inhabit.” Outwardly, Qingxu feigned confusion, but inwardly he hoped the Patriarch foolishly attempted to manifest using the Ice Soul Heart, so that heavenly punishment would obliterate him.

“There is no suitable vessel? There is. I need you to help me break off a fragment of the Ice Soul Heart, so I can manifest.” A cunning laugh escaped the Patriarch’s lips.

“What? Help you break off a piece of the Ice Soul Heart? Are you joking? Impossible!” Qingxu refused firmly. He knew that breaking off a fragment sufficient for the Patriarch to manifest would bring immense karmic consequences. Even with great karmic techniques, he dared not underestimate the risk. If heavenly punishment were triggered, the trouble would be enormous. He hated the Patriarch’s plan—clearly, he wanted Qingxu to be cannon fodder, taking all the risks while reaping all the benefits.

“Don’t agree? Then die now. Agreeing might save your life. Once I manifest, I promise to take you as disciple and teach you supreme Dao methods. The benefits will be great. Think carefully. If you consent, swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao to dissolve my heart.” The Patriarch used every means of coercion and persuasion. In such circumstances, who could refuse?

Though he cursed bitterly, Qingxu was helpless. He had a few spiritual treasures and respectable saintly Dao methods, but they were futile against the tide of fate. He was like fish on the chopping block, forced to play along.

“Sigh! I accept your request. Before Heaven, I, Xuanhuang, swear to do my utmost to help the Patriarch of Cold Ice manifest. If I break this oath, I will never attain the Dao of the Primordial Saint, never cultivate immortality.” Such an oath was vicious—cutting off all paths to humanity and immortality, akin to destroying one’s family line. But for Qingxu, it was barely a constraint. He cultivated the path of divinity and was but a spiritual incarnation; he never aimed to become a Primordial Saint. But the Patriarch did not know this. Upon hearing the oath, the Patriarch was overjoyed and lowered his guard, speaking more warmly.

“Good, very good. Soon I will send you to the depths of the Northern Abyss. Follow my instructions, and you will surely benefit.”

The Patriarch’s tone was friendly but not overly excited.

“What’s going on? Seems there’s more to this matter. Whatever, the boat will find its way to the pier, the cart will find its path through the mountains. The oath is just a hollow threat—if I get the chance, I’ll slip away.”

Thinking he had the oath to bind Qingxu, the Patriarch dispelled the formation, restoring the Northern Abyss’s scenery.

Having narrowly escaped death, Qingxu sighed in relief. Ahead, about a hundred miles away, a teleportation formation appeared on the mysterious icy surface, blending yin-yang transformations and the principles of the twelve celestial stems, infused with myriad primordial mysteries. It was a perfect circle, about ten miles in diameter, with icy blue formation patterns.

“Escape?” Qingxu hesitated. If he fled, he could not continue deeper into the Northern Abyss, but if he stayed and helped shatter the Ice Soul Heart, the Patriarch was clearly no good. Even if he manifested, Qingxu’s odds were grim.

Just as Qingxu resolved to return the way he came and escape the demon’s grasp, he felt his body grow weak, his blood and qi blocked, his spiritual power uncooperative—the previous effects had not yet faded. In such a state, fleeing would be difficult. After all, they were in the heart of the Northern Abyss, far from the Northern Sea. The Patriarch still had chances to strike.

“With your help, within a hundred years we can break off a fragment of the Ice Soul Heart!”

“Help? There are others besides me?” Qingxu was puzzled by the Patriarch’s words. But seeing the teleportation formation nearly complete and fleeting, he hastily summoned the Radiant Mist of Ren and Gui, blending into its glow within the mysterious ice, desperately heading back toward the Northern Sea. He had no time to think of profiteering in the Northern Abyss battlefield; survival was paramount.