Chapter 108: A Piece of News

A single misstep becomes an eternal regret! This journey to the Northern Abyss had already been fraught with twists and turns, and now, captured by the Ice Ancestor and reduced to a mere laborer, Qing Xu's heart was a tumult of sorrow and anger. He deeply regretted his earlier greed; if only time could be rewound, he would never have coveted the benefits of the Northern Abyss battlefield. But for now, all he could do was find a way to escape.

Gi Kun’s earlier words sent chills down Qing Xu’s spine. A mid-stage Grand Dao Golden Immortal had perished after only thirty years—what hope did he have? His cultivation was still far from the early stage of the Grand Dao.

Escape? The hundred-billion-year-old Profound Ice was no ordinary substance. Its hardness, density, and coldness reached an unimaginable degree. Even the Ren Gui Xiaguang Silk could not help Qing Xu blend in. To flee, he would have to brute force a path through the ice—an incredibly difficult task. He had to ensure the other laborers remained unaware and avoid detection by the Ice Ancestor. Many had tried to escape; none had succeeded.

Following closely behind Gi Kun, who was well-versed in the situation, Qing Xu bowed and scraped his way along, forcing a disgusting smile onto his face and incessantly praising Gi Kun. To his surprise, Gi Kun seemed to enjoy it, basking in the flattery.

Determined to survive in the Northern Abyss Ice Soul Heart mine for the time being, Qing Xu resolved to cultivate a good relationship with Gi Kun. He lavished flattery and compliments, calling Gi Kun “brother” and “loyal,” which left a very positive impression. Even powerful Grand Dao beings had their pride; no one normally stooped to such shameless self-degradation before them.

“This new kid’s cultivation is low, but he’s quite sensible. Not bad. I could promote and look after him a bit—can’t just kill him off; otherwise, where would I find someone like him in the future?” Gi Kun thought to himself. Having a loyal, devoted subordinate was certainly advantageous.

Under Gi Kun’s guidance, Qing Xu’s eyes were opened wide. Over four hundred laborers of every conceivable form were present: beast-headed men, tiger-headed snake-tailed creatures, beings with seven hands and eight feet... all imaginable varieties. Among them were ancient true dragons, phoenixes, and qilin, as well as dwarves, spirits, winged beings, and lizard dragons from past fantastical tales. The majority, however, were aquatic creatures—sharks, turtles, giant sea turtles, shrimps, crabs, fish...

“Kid, here’s a top-grade Profound Ice Thorn for you to refine first. There’s a method to it. Once you understand, start working! Hmm? Work for ten days, then accompany me on patrol. We must be vigilant against escapees.” To ensure Qing Xu did not falter, Gi Kun not only gave him superior tools but also allowed him a day off—a considerable favor.

A day’s rest might seem insignificant, but after ten days of grueling labor that felt worse than death, it was like a long-awaited rain after drought. The quality of tools also dictated how easy the work was. The tools here were all Profound Ice Thorns forged by the Ice Ancestor, divided into low, medium, and high grades, each with vastly different effects. For someone like Qing Xu, at half-step Grand Dao, using top-grade tools was almost equivalent to an early-stage Grand Dao using medium-grade ones.

Profound Ice Thorn: a top-grade postnatal spiritual treasure. Any type of elemental power passing through this treasure would be transformed into ice-elemental energy, concentrating damage at a point. It bore the engraved Dao patterns of the Ice Ancestor, unleashing the ultimate in cold energy.

“Goodness, this is incredible! Using the Profound Ice Thorn can unleash Yin-Yang energy akin to that of a quasi-Saint realm cultivator! The Ice Ancestor truly spared no expense. There must be over five hundred of these Profound Ice Thorns here! How much effort and materials must have gone into crafting them!” Qing Xu marveled at the treasure’s value.

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“The Northern Abyss Ice Soul Heart lies at the extreme magnetic center, not only possessing a terrifying magnetic field emission but also encased in profound ice, which presents a major obstacle. With my current late-stage Earth Immortal cultivation, I cannot rescue my clone no matter what. It seems I must use force against force.” Qing Xu’s true self guarded the human race, scheming to accumulate merit and fortune, but was currently trapped and weak. The Taiching Immortal Talisman could not be left behind, as his Earth Immortal cultivation was insufficient to guarantee safety otherwise. While he could handle ordinary beasts and minor demons, powerful sorcerer-ghosts were beyond his ability. Under such circumstances, the only hope to rescue his clone was through cunning strategy.

Soon after, a shocking rumor swept through the vast primordial world.

A peerless postnatal spiritual treasure, the God-Slaying Spear, comparable in power to a congenital supreme treasure, was about to emerge. The location was the magnetic center of the Northern Abyss. Whoever could move the Ice Soul Heart to suppress it would immediately obtain this unparalleled offensive treasure.

This news sent the entire primordial realm into a frenzy. Countless beings with bloodshot eyes anxiously rushed toward the Northern Abyss, afraid of being left behind. The truth of the rumor mattered little; with little entertainment in the world and most sentient life long faded, such a monumental event was too great to miss.

The Six Sages of the Heavens shook their heads with knowing smiles. They saw through the celestial mechanisms and understood the cause and effect, clearly recognizing the false information spread by Qing Xu, and paid it no heed. Among them, the Primordial Celestial Sovereign even intervened to obscure the celestial mechanism, thus lending Qing Xu some aid.

Emperor Jun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, Ming River, and other great beings initially laughed off the news, doubting its authenticity. But upon calculating the celestial mechanisms, they discovered someone was masking the truth, and their expressions turned grave. Anyone capable of concealing celestial mechanisms was without exception a supreme powerhouse, possessing cultivation at least on par with themselves.

Having just subdued Kunpeng and still within the Northern Abyss, Emperor Jun’s group exchanged glances. “The God-Slaying Spear, a postnatal spiritual treasure?”

“My lord, there is no smoke without fire. This news may very well be true,” Baize said after pondering.

“In that case, we must get involved. If the God-Slaying Spear truly manifests...” Emperor Jun’s eyes gleamed with desire. He had long coveted Taiyi’s Chaos Bell. If he could obtain a God-Slaying Spear rivaling a congenital supreme treasure, his prestige as elder brother would rise immeasurably.

Emperor Jiang, leader of the Twelve Ancestral Witches of the Southern Jambudvipa, commanded, “Gonggong, Qiangliang, you two lead one hundred great witches and three hundred thousand witch soldiers to the Northern Abyss to investigate.”

“Yes, big brother!”

In the Netherworld Blood Sea, the Blood Ancestor Minghe transformed into a streak of bloodlight and emerged from the sea.

At the Wuzhuang Temple of Longevity Mountain in Xiniu Hezhou, Zhenyuan the Great Immortal and his close friend, the Red Cloud Ancestor, exchanged smiles and formed a joint talisman to soar toward the Northern Abyss.

...

Qing Xu had no inkling that his false rumor would trigger such a storm. Thanks to the Primordial Celestial Sovereign’s assistance in obscuring the celestial mechanisms, powerful beings from across the primordial world converged upon the Northern Abyss.

Startled, Qing Xu suddenly saw the illusory projection of the Primordial Celestial Sovereign before him. He dared not neglect the apparition and immediately bowed deeply, respectfully addressing him as master.

“Qing Xu, why did you act so recklessly this time?” The Primordial Celestial Sovereign scolded, a trace of anger on his face.

“Reckless?” Qing Xu was puzzled.

“How much Dao cultivation do you have? How dare you spread such false news? Not to mention those adept in cultivation and divination—any celestial or mystic immortal with some skill in calculation could trace it back to you. And the Ice Ancestor’s Dao cultivation is likely close to a Perfected Saint. You are not saving your clone; you’re endangering him and implicating yourself!” The Primordial Celestial Sovereign admonished earnestly. Qing Xu broke into a cold sweat, deeply frightened.

Only now did Qing Xu realize his recklessness. He had forgotten the ruthlessness of the primordial world, where no matter how subtle the plots and schemes, anyone with higher Dao cultivation could see through them with a mere finger snap. His cultivation was only at the peak Earth Immortal level, at best early-stage celestial immortal—pitifully low in this world.

Seeing Qing Xu’s fear, the Primordial Celestial Sovereign thought, “If I don’t warn him now, he’ll only dig himself deeper into ruin.”

“This time I have already helped you cover the celestial mechanisms. In the future, think twice before acting. Take care of yourself.” With that, the projection vanished.

“Disciple respectfully bids farewell, Master!” Qing Xu bowed sincerely. Without the Primordial Celestial Sovereign’s help, his fate would have been grim.

“It’s good to have a powerful patron. No wonder disciples of the saints are so proud and arrogant. Having a Perfected Saint watching over you is a different matter entirely. If I were a mere wanderer, I’d have long perished,” Qing Xu reflected after the incident, gaining a clearer understanding of the peril in the primordial world and the futility of schemes and plots.

Not only are schemes powerless, but raw strength is equally inadequate. Without saintly power, even those at the peak quasi-saint level without profound Dao cultivation face extreme danger.

“No wonder Master always emphasizes the importance of Dao cultivation. To scheme against others, your own Dao must surpass theirs. Otherwise, when you set your plan in motion, a mere thought or calculation by the other party will see through it, turning your scheme against yourself. That’s not scheming others—it’s scheming yourself!” At that moment, Qing Xu recalled the ancient era before saints existed and began to admire Hongjun. Though lacking overwhelming power over demons, he still triumphed in the end. Such strategy, vision, and cunning were unmatched.

“My clone gained Grand Dao power through trickery, but his Dao cultivation still aligns with my own, woefully low. Dao cultivation improvement is not achieved overnight. For now, I can only strive to ascend to celestial immortal and undergo the tribulation’s baptism to advance further.” The tribulation’s baptism not only refines physique and spiritual power but also nurtures Dao cultivation.

The tribulation arises from the cultivator’s own accumulated negative influences; surviving it leads to enlightenment and self-realization.

Currently, Qing Xu’s true self is approaching the peak Earth Immortal stage and can clearly sense the impending arrival of the celestial immortal tribulation.

No matter Qing Xu’s situation, the Northern Abyss was about to erupt in bloodshed and turmoil because of a single piece of news he had spread.