Setting foot in the Biyou Sect again, Ming Qi was somewhat surprised to discover that, after the loss of Du Fuling and Chu Huaiyuan, the entire Biyou Sect wasn't as chaotic as he'd imagined. Everything remained orderly, though many disciples still wore white robes, silently paying tribute to the old Sect Master and the Grand Elder.
As Ming Qi and his companions walked through the sect, no one approached them or asked them questions. It wasn't until Ming Qi had thoroughly explored the Biyou Sect that he spotted an elderly man with white hair and beard slowly approaching from a distance.
The elderly man carried a long sword on his back—the very treasure of the Biyou Sect, the Heavenly Weapon to Suppress Evil.
The sword-carrying elder was Prince Xu.
Seeing Prince Xu appear, Ming Qi immediately understood that the Biyou Sect's orderliness must be the result of Prince Xu's single-handed leadership.
"You're here."
"Prince Elder."
Ming Qi bowed. Although the elder had nearly driven him to his doom that day, as a righteous elder, he was ultimately not wrong, merely a bit stubborn.
Although Ming Qi had broken his sword and renounced all ties, he still held a certain respect for him. Therefore, even now, despite being an Emperor-level powerhouse, he showed no arrogance when facing Prince Xu.
"Your Excellency, your words are too kind. I am but a dying man. I could not bear to see such a great sect destroyed, so I emerged from my coffin. I simply hope that the sect's legacy can continue."
Prince Xu spoke slowly, but his words revealed that he still harbored resentment over Ming Qi's forced deaths of Du Fuling and Chu Huaiyuan.
Ming Qi didn't elaborate on this. After a brief silence, he said, "The Biyou Sect is still the Biyou Sect. I'm just here to take a look and fulfill a promise."
"Promise?"
Prince Xu was stunned. He couldn't imagine what the tiny Biyou Sect could possibly have for someone like Ming Qi.
"Prince Elder, do you still remember what happened in the Northern Snowfields six years ago?"
Prince Xu was stunned. "Six years ago? The Northern Snowfields? Could it be?"
From Prince Xu's expression, it was clear he had figured out what it was.
"Yes, it was North Pole City."
Prince Xu was moved. "North Pole City is powerful, so why would you provoke them?"
Ming Qi laughed heartily. "So what if they're powerful? I wouldn't even care about killing a god, let alone a mere North Pole City?"
Prince Xu was stunned, but Ming Qi had already turned and left.
"Prince Elder, the Biyou Sect must stand tall and conduct itself from now on. Also, one of my greatest regrets is not having learned swordsmanship from you."
The voice had barely faded when the person vanished.
The words echoed over the Biyou Sect, lingering for a long time.
Prince Xu stood frozen for a long moment before slowly turning around and saying, "Since you're already here, why haven't you been hiding? You should know that his trip to North Pole City this time was largely for you."
As Prince Xu finished speaking, someone emerged from a nearby corner. It was Ouna.
Ouna's face was extremely pale, clearly still recovering from the incident. She looked at Prince Xu and said, "Elder, can't you stop him?"
Prince Xu shook his head and asked, "Do you think he's the type to listen to advice once he's made up his mind?"
Ouna was silent for a long time before finally shaking her head.
Indeed, once Ming Qi made a decision, he never looked back. It was the same then, and it's the same today.
"How long will it take for Xiaochen, the Heavenly Artifact, to be activated?"
Prince Xu changed the subject. Lu Chen was the young man from that day, a rare talent in the Biyou Sect in recent years.
"About four or five years," Ouna said after a moment's thought.
Prince Xu nodded and said, "You need more guidance. Well, that spear, let's call it Qiming."
The Qiming Spear has since become the Biyou Sect's second most precious treasure.
...
Entering the northern snowfields, Ming Qi thought of Yinxuechuan, Jiang Yu, and Jiang Ling. Since the siege of the Glazed Sacred Land, there had been no trace of Jiang Ling. Even Ahri and Rabbit Huangjiu had completely vanished, and no one knew where they were now.
Although Ming Qi possessed immense strength, facing the vast sea of people, he felt powerless.
"It's said that the Lord of North Pole City has reached the Martial Emperor realm. So, we need to reserve a few."
As Ming Qi walked along, he began to consider the possible adversaries he might encounter. North Pole City Lord Situ Jian, a true emperor, must have several Emperor-level masters assisting him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to dominate the north and defend against the ferocious monsters there. Taking a life from such a formidable being wouldn't be easy.
As he pondered, Ming Qi suddenly remembered something. He searched the Supreme Diagram and soon found a black jade slip along with five lifelike, fist-sized puppets.
After finding these things, Ming Qi sighed and felt fortunate not to have discarded them as trash.
Sacred Puppetry Technique, Five God-Slaying Puppets
He'd forgotten this top-tier item for so long. If he hadn't revisited the northern snowfields this time and recalled his experiences along the Silver Snow River, he probably would have never remembered it. You know, if this God-Slaying Idol was nurtured to perfection, it could even slay gods and destroy immortals. What a powerful force!
As for his luck, it was naturally that he remembered it now, and that he could find it.
After further studying the details of the Holy Puppetry Technique, Ming Qi dripped a drop of blood essence into each of the God-Slaying Idols, beginning his breeding program.
Originally, the God-Slaying Idols, carved from the unique legendary black crystal, were as still as lifeless objects. But the moment the blood essence was dripped in, Ming Qi felt each one instantly come alive, each radiating an aura no less powerful than that of a Martial King!
So powerful!
Ming Qi sighed inwardly. A single drop of blood essence could unleash the power of a Martial King. This God-Slaying Idol was truly a divine artifact.
With this thought, Ming Qi's mind stirred. A puppet wielding a spear suddenly flew from his palm, tracing a black arc through the air as it flew toward an ancient tree as thick as a millstone.
As the puppet flew, it swung its hands and thrust the tip of its spear into the trunk of the ancient tree. Before the puppet could even touch the tree, it shattered and exploded, scattering wood chips all over the ground.
Ming Qi's action immediately startled everyone. Xing Yun, who was closest to him, approached curiously, "What the hell is that?"
Ming Qi reached out to take the puppet and smiled, "A divine artifact!"
Xing Yun curled her lips in disbelief. "A divine artifact? Even that stone figurine is a divine artifact?"
"Don't believe me!"
Without further explanation, Ming Qi put the puppet away and said sternly to everyone, "We're going to change our itinerary slightly. For now, we'll bypass the Arctic City and explore the northern ice sheet."