With the technique cultivation rooms complete, Lingxian Sect moved its evening classes from Lingxian Academy to the newly built Caution Path.
However, there was no direct road between the peak where Caution Path was located and Qingyun Peak, and many of the sect's Qi Refining disciples hadn't yet learned how to fly using swords.
As a result, every evening after dinner, the sect arranged for spirit boats to transport everyone to the classes. Afterward, the boats would take them back. This saved everyone a great deal of time.
Lin Xiao wasn't in a hurry to have the Qingyun Peak disciples build a road.
While maintaining tradition was important, it also depended on the situation. Right now, everyone's schedules were packed with cultivation and various tasks, leaving no time for road construction.
He figured that once their cultivation and technique mastery progressed, and they had some free time, building the road would be easier.
During this ten-day period, He Yi quietly circled the entire Northern Mountain Range alone.
He didn't realize that the entire mountain range was within the boundaries of Lingxian Sect. What he was actually circling was the sect's protective array.
He eventually discovered that the protective array perfectly encapsulated the whole mountain range.
During his time in Xiushui Village, he also noticed that in a valley past the cemetery, there was a faint aura of a demon beast.
He went to investigate the valley and found that although the aura had faded, after analyzing it carefully, he realized that the original owner of the aura had a high cultivation level, likely at the Nascent Soul stage.
The strangest part was that the aura also contained a faint trace of a Devourer Beast.
After spending a year traveling through the barren lands, He Yi had become extremely familiar with the aura of Devourer Beasts, so this discovery immediately struck him as odd.
Why would a Devourer Beast appear in the mortal realm?
What was even stranger was that the aura was so faint that it didn't seem to come from a complete Devourer Beast.
Moreover, the fact that the aura had lingered for such a long time indicated that it wasn't from a Devourer Beast killed by the Nascent Soul demon beast.
After all, no demon beast would eat a Devourer Beast. Devourer Beasts didn't offer any benefits to cultivators or demon beasts—they were more harmful than helpful.
Perplexed, He Yi continued to investigate the valley.
He discovered a small area where the aura was completely clean—untouched by the lingering aura of the demon beast.
This shouldn't have been possible.
Given how strong the demon beast was and how long it had stayed in the area, its aura should have seeped into the entire valley and its surroundings.
This clean area stood out, as if someone had deliberately cleansed the space.
He Yi investigated further but found no additional clues.
However, with Lingxian Sect being so close to this area, he suspected there must be some connection between the sect and the strange phenomena.
Unable to gather any more information, He Yi temporarily set the matter aside.
Standing among the people of Xiushui Village, he looked up toward Wenxin Road in the distance.
Although the various clues he had gathered so far didn't seem to have any direct connection to the Stone of Tribulation incident, the more he learned about Lingxian Sect, the more curious he became.
The reputation of Lingxian Sect was exceptionally good. It had the image of a selfless sect, constantly looking out for the welfare of mortals.
But could such a sect truly exist?
In a world where cultivators held near-absolute power over mortals, could there really be a sect that helped mortals rather than ignoring or dominating them?
It was highly unusual. And He Yi had always believed that unnatural phenomena were a sign of deeper mysteries.
One of the principles he had learned in the cultivation world was that nothing was ever as it seemed on the surface.
What kind of secret was Lingxian Sect hiding? Why would they care about building a positive reputation among mortals—people who, to most cultivators, were no different from ants?
Now that he had made it to the foot of Lingxian Sect's mountain and gathered all the external information he could, there was only one way to find out.
If he wanted to truly understand what was going on, he would need to meet the people of Lingxian Sect face-to-face.
—
A thunderous boom shattered the peaceful atmosphere of Lingxian Sect.
The entire sect was alarmed, and everyone rushed to the source of the noise—the alchemy room.
When Lin Xiao and the others arrived, they saw that the heavily fortified alchemy room, though still standing, was visibly unstable and on the verge of collapse.
At that moment, Liao Pantu and Sun Yigao emerged from the room.
Liao Pantu, being in soul form, looked fine, but Sun Yigao was covered in dust and debris. Even his sect uniform, which had been upgraded several times for enhanced protection, was torn in several places.
It was clear that their alchemy furnace had exploded.
However, instead of looking frightened or upset, both of them seemed more regretful than anything else.
"Sigh, we should've waited until your cultivation was higher," Liao Pantu said as he walked out.
Sun Yigao nodded in agreement, his face full of regret.
"Master is right. If my cultivation had been higher, I could've stabilized the energy inside the furnace."
"We were so close," Liao Pantu sighed again.
"So close," Sun Yigao echoed.
A crowd had gathered, many of whom had dropped whatever they were doing and rushed over when they heard the explosion. What they saw was the master and disciple lamenting in unison.
Lin Xiao, overhearing their conversation, asked in confusion, "Isn't it just a furnace explosion? Can't you try again next time?"
Jiang Youfu was equally puzzled. "Yeah, why do you both seem so disappointed?"
Liao Pantu turned to look at them, sighed, but didn't say anything.
Sun Yigao, a bit embarrassed, explained, "The key ingredient in this experiment was Quenched Ice Essence. We've had several failures before, but it was always because we were using the wrong materials. This time, after using Quenched Ice Essence, all the ingredients fused perfectly, and the medicinal properties followed the exact patterns we had engraved into the array inside the furnace."
"Everything was going smoothly, but in the final, crucial moment, we needed a stronger burst of spiritual energy to stabilize the fusion. Unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough," he added, dejected.
Everyone in the sect was aware that the master-disciple pair had been working on a new alchemy experiment recently.
"We were attempting to combine alchemy with arrays and refining techniques. We anticipated needing a strong burst of energy for the final stage and had prepared spirit stones, Spirit Gathering Arrays, and various energy-replenishing pills. But it turned out that it wasn't just about providing continuous energy—the quality and intensity of the energy mattered too," Liao Pantu elaborated.
Hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances. Mo Yuanjiao, still unsure of the problem, asked, "So why is this so disappointing? Can't you just prepare better next time and try again?"
Before Sun Yigao or Liao Pantu could answer, Qin Jianghe, who had been listening quietly, sighed and explained, "The Quenched Ice Essence they used is extremely rare, only appearing once every few hundred years. I purchased it for 50,000 spirit stones at an auction in Yuanling City. And that was only because the Yuan family didn't bid against us, given our good relationship with them."
Everyone fell silent.
It was clear now why Sun Yigao and Liao Pantu were so upset. They knew how rare the Quenched Ice Essence was, and the chances of finding it again were slim to none.
"We have no idea when we'll ever come across Quenched Ice Essence again," Liao Pantu sighed once more.