Dragon Pool City was one of the Five Great Cultivation Cities of the Starry Sea, situated two thousand miles west of Black Dragon City. Wang Yunkun, the highest presiding official during the Five Cities Competition that Lin Feng had participated in, was the City Lord of Dragon Pool City.
Lin Feng, returning from the sea, chose Dragon Pool City as his landing point. The reason for choosing this city was simple: the place he needed to go next could only be reached via a specific teleportation formation located solely in Dragon Pool City.
Lin Feng felt no lingering attachments in the Starry Sea. There was no need to return to Tideharbor City. While it was a slight regret not to bid farewell to his friend Wang Chen or Yu Ping, who had helped him on numerous occasions, making a special trip for that purpose wasn't necessary. It wasn't a permanent farewell; he could always return in the future. Thus, he opted for the most efficient route via Dragon Pool City.
Entering the city, Lin Feng rested for a day. He also took the opportunity to inquire about the aftermath of the Blue Moon Sect incident. He learned that he had once again become a focus of attention. Even though half a year had passed, the ripples hadn't fully subsided. This didn't surprise him overly much; he had anticipated such attention after his battle with Qin Gucang. His decision to immediately go into hiding and cultivate in seclusion for half a year now seemed undeniably wise. Had he traveled during the peak of the chaos, he might well have been recognized by those with ill intent, inviting fatal disaster.
Lin Feng used the "Thousand Faces Illusion" technique to alter his appearance and meticulously suppressed his aura. Naturally, no one recognized him. After a peaceful day, he smoothly stepped onto the teleportation formation bound for Crescent Moon City.
Arriving in Crescent Moon City, Lin Feng wasted almost no time before stepping onto the formation heading to Black Reed City. Then it was onward to the next cultivation city...
Driven by a sense of urgency, Lin Feng journeyed through city after city, only pausing briefly to rest when the accumulated effects of multiple teleportations caused discomfort. He swiftly moved away from the coastal regions and headed deep inland, towards the central areas.
Focused solely on reaching the Mystic Ice Palace quickly to fulfill his father's request, Lin Feng remained oblivious to a crucial fact: his decision not to return to Tideharbor City meant he missed out on something of vital importance...
...
Tideharbor City, Ocean's Treasure Pavilion.
In the bustling main hall filled with patrons, a slightly thin young man in blue robes entered. Instead of looking for an empty table, he walked straight towards the right-hand corner of the hall where a passageway led towards the back kitchens.
Before he could enter, however, someone emerged from within. Seeing this person, the young man's expression brightened slightly, and he hurried forward.
"Brother Wang!"
The person who emerged was none other than Wang Chen. Seeing the visitor, he showed no surprise, merely nodding with a faint smile.
"Brother Xu, truly, you don't need to come every day. If I hear any news of Lin Feng, I will notify you immediately."
Hearing Wang Chen's words, the blue-robed youth swallowed the question he was about to ask, disappointment washing over him. "Still... no news?"
Wang Chen offered a helpless, bitter smile. "Almost the entire Starry Sea has been looking for him for half a year, yet there's not a single trace. Who knows where he's hidden himself..."
Seeing the other man's spirits sink further, Wang Chen quickly added reassurance. "But don't lose heart. I firmly believe Lin Feng is alright. Rumors said he was seriously injured when he left; it's very likely he's holed up somewhere recovering. Healing from such injuries can easily take a year or two... Once he recovers, he'll probably come back. As long as he comes to me, you'll get to see him."
"But... I don't have much time left!" The blue-robed youth sighed softly. He cupped his fists towards Wang Chen. "I'll take my leave. Thank you for your trouble, Brother Wang. If there's any news, please, inform me at once."
"Without fail," Wang Chen nodded, watching the young man depart before sighing softly himself and turning to head upstairs.
Meanwhile, the blue-robed youth walked out of Ocean's Treasure Pavilion, his expression clouded with worry as he headed towards the Mission Hall in the southern part of the city. It was a place bustling with people and information; he hoped to pick up any scrap of news about Lin Feng there.
He had arrived in Tideharbor City a month ago, scouring the city for information on Lin Feng. Learning that Wang Chen of Ocean's Treasure Pavilion was a close friend, he had sought him out. Since then, he had visited the Pavilion almost daily to inquire, yet after over a month, he had absolutely nothing to show for it...
"It's been nearly two months since I left... Senior Sister Changgong should be coming out of seclusion soon... I can't delay much longer... There's truly little time left!" The blue-robed youth murmured under his breath, the words audible only to himself. His face etched with worry, he looked up at the cloudless sky, his heart crying out silently, "Boss Lin... where in the world are you...?"
'Boss Lin' – only three people addressed Lin Feng that way. If Lin Feng were here now and saw this blue-robed youth, he would be utterly astonished. For this was one of his good friends from Azure Cloud City, or perhaps more accurately, one of his former 'underlings' – Xu Rong!!
When Lin Feng had left Azure Cloud City, Zhang Fangzhou, Yao Wangtian, Xu Rong, and Chang Gong Xiaojing had all joined the Emerald Spring Sect together. So why had Xu Rong, one of them, suddenly appeared in the Starry Sea? What urgent matter brought him here?
Unfortunately for Xu Rong, he was destined not to find Lin Feng. For at this very moment, Lin Feng had already left the Starry Sea and was back on the mainland...
...
Somewhere in the central-southwestern region of East Dragon Continent, amidst a range of snow-capped mountains.
Beside a vast, frozen lake, stood a complex of magnificent, imposing white palace structures. Whether covered in snow or constructed from ice itself, all the buildings possessed a translucent beauty, as if sculpted entirely from solid ice. They reflected countless dazzling points of light under the sun, creating a scene straight out of a fairy-tale wonderland.
—This was the sect headquarters of the Fifth-Rank Sect, the Mystic Ice Palace.
At this moment, however, the atmosphere within the grand central hall, the one that stood like the moon surrounded by stars amidst the complex, was anything but wondrous. It was thick with gloom and despair.
Within the spacious hall, several cultivators sat on both the left and right sides, discussing matters in hushed tones. The expression on everyone's face was grim. Even the imposing middle-aged man seated in the position of authority at the head of the hall had a trace of depression etched between his brows.
"BOOM!!!"
Suddenly, an earth-shattering explosion reverberated from outside. The entire hall shuddered violently, causing everyone present to blanch.
"What was that?!" someone exclaimed involuntarily. Instinctively, all sent out their spiritual senses to probe the surroundings, but found nothing immediately amiss – indicating the source of the disturbance was likely quite distant.
As the occupants exchanged looks of alarm and confusion, a young disciple clad in white robes rushed into the hall, his face pale with panic.
"S-Sect Master! Disaster!! The Phoenix-Tailed Ice Roc in the Mystic Ice Forest... it's been killed... by people from the Purple Flame Sect!!"
"What?!"
Shock and fury erupted within the hall. The white-bearded elder seated in the first position on the left slammed his hand down, shattering the armrest of his chair. "They go too far... They go too far!!"
The middle-aged man beside him was equally enraged. "The Purple Flame Sect is utterly outrageous!! Do they truly believe our Mystic Ice Palace fears them?! Sect Master! We cannot tolerate this any longer! Order the battle! Even if it means mutual destruction, we cannot let the Purple Flame Sect escape unscathed!"
Two others immediately voiced their agreement. All eyes turned towards the middle-aged man on the throne, his face now thunderous.
"Everyone, remain calm..." It was the long-browed elder seated first on the right who spoke now, his voice heavy with a sigh. "Once war breaks out, regardless of victory or defeat, our sect will inevitably suffer heavy losses. We must not rush into battle lightly..."
Another voice quickly chimed in. "Indeed... With the Ancestor absent, we are likely no match for the Purple Flame Sect. We cannot fight!"
"If we don't fight, shall we simply endure their oppression?! What will become of the Mystic Ice Palace's honor?!"
"Enduring a moment's humiliation to ensure the sect's safety – is that not acceptable?"
"And what use is enduring 'a moment'?! Their aim is clear; they will not stop until they get what they want! If we endure to the end, won't we still have to fight?"
"Perhaps... we should simply hand over 'that thing'... The Purple Flame Sect said they only wish to 'borrow' it; they might not necessarily seize it permanently..."
"..."
The moment this last suggestion was uttered, a heavy silence descended upon the hall. Almost everyone present showed signs of hesitation, though most didn't seem particularly opposed to the idea. Finally, all eyes turned once more to the middle-aged man on the throne, awaiting his decision.
The Sect Master's brows furrowed deeply. His voice was resolute. "Impossible!! 'That thing' is our sect's hereditary treasure! How can we hand it over lightly?! Moreover, I have already given my word to someone else that I would not touch it for a hundred years! How can I break that promise?!"
A flash of icy light gleamed in his eyes. He suddenly stood up. In a single step, he seemed to shrink the distance, appearing instantly at the entrance of the great hall. As he strode out, his voice, cold as the surrounding ice, rang back towards those inside. "All of you, follow me! I will see for myself whether that Old Monster Zi Yan truly intends to start a war with my Mystic Ice Palace over his wastrel of a son!"