Volume One: The Young Man Enters the World Chapter Seventy-Six: The White-Scaled Ice-Crowned Serpent

After spending a night in the ice cave, Fang Tian pressed on. The snow-capped mountains before him shone even more brilliantly beneath the sunlight. Though a cold wind swept past, it nonetheless brought Fang Tian a trace of warmth.

He unrolled the sheepskin map. While it depicted the mountains, the portrayal was only rough—the endless range had never been fully explored by anyone. The Lin family had not been alone in their survey; much of what was drawn came from the knowledge shared by others. It seemed that various explorers had exchanged what they’d discovered, resulting in this composite map.

They believed the snowy mountains occupied at least half of Ice Spirit Island’s territory, a testament to their sprawling expanse.

As Fang Tian journeyed onward, he discovered more ice crystal stones, exposed openly and radiating a vibrant spiritual energy. He’d tried to use them for cultivation but quickly learned it was impossible. The energy within the stones could not be absorbed; any attempt to force their integration would only overload the body and, in the end, leave one’s spiritual flow in chaos, risking deviation and madness. Thus, the stones were instead used to craft spirit tools—their energy could be harnessed effectively when channeled through such vessels. This was a conclusion the Lin family had reached after many experiments.

Every year, they mined these stones and travelled to other islands to trade, using spirit ships. For this purpose, they had built a dedicated harbor—Star Sea Port—where all the Zhao Dynasty’s spirit ships were moored. The port was close to Winter’s Edge City, which itself nestled on the outskirts of the island. Fang Tian planned to visit after gathering the blood ice grass from the mountains. Given the current situation, he no longer had a chance to participate in the Hundred Islands Assembly, so he was forced to consider his next steps. Though he had many plans, he was uncertain of their outcome; all he could do was take each day as it came.

Previously, Fang Tian had asked Lin Shuang why they did not use the spirit ships to cross the Dark Sea. She replied that the cost was simply too great—they lacked the resources to make the voyage, as the spirit crystals required by the ships were astronomical. For travel between islands, however, it was manageable.

Most spirit ships were used for trade; private journeys to other islands were strictly forbidden by the dynasty. If anyone was caught attempting an unauthorized crossing, they would be executed on the spot, regardless of their cultivation level. No one could hope to rival the dynasty’s true masters. Thus, for centuries, the Zhao Dynasty had remained the island’s supreme ruler.

Rumor had it that the rulers of the dynasty possessed a secret technique, enabling them to infuse their strength directly into their successor at life’s end—a miraculous ability. The old master, with his wealth of experience, explained to Fang Tian that such a method, though powerful, had its drawbacks: the recipient of this power could never break through their current cultivation level again. So, while it seemed advantageous, it ultimately stunted personal growth. Therefore, imperial inheritance was often given to princes of lesser talent, while those with promise were groomed to participate in the Hundred Islands Assembly.

Over the centuries, many princes and young heirs from noble families had been chosen by great powers, but none had ever returned. Even so, the dynasty continued its efforts, hoping one day someone would lead them beyond the confines of the island to a broader world.

Their determination stemmed from witnessing another island’s rise: one disciple had joined a great sect, achieved remarkable cultivation, and established his own power. When he returned, he brought with him over a hundred colossal spirit ships, so vast they could carry every soul from his homeland. Lin Shuang’s grandfather and members of the royal family happened to be passing through with a ship laden with ice crystal stones, and saw the spectacle themselves. Once they learned the story, the royal family resolved to nurture a genius of their own.

Curious, Fang Tian once asked Lin Shuang the name of the sect that disciple founded, thinking that if he ever crossed the Dark Sea, he would seek it out. Such a figure’s sect was bound to be extraordinary.

Lin Shuang pondered, then replied without hesitation: “Heavenly Sword Sect.”

Fang Tian committed the name to memory. From the sound of it, the sect specialized in sword arts, and with such a name, it was surely formidable.

The mention of the Heavenly Sword Sect stirred the old master’s recollection. He said that over two thousand years ago, when he still served his previous master, there had been a sect of the same name, friendly with his master. Yet he doubted these two sects were one and the same.

Fang Tian put away the map and continued southward. According to the map, an ice river lay not far ahead. Beyond it, he might find blood ice grass, which grew on sheer cliffs. To obtain it, he would have to climb, but he needed to be wary of the ice spirit birds that soared overhead—they would interfere with any attempt. If one spotted blood ice grass, it was essential to check for the presence of these birds first. Should they appear, immediate retreat was necessary; their attacks were fierce. While they might not rival cultivators in power, their aerial advantage made collecting the blood ice grass perilous—one misstep could send a person plummeting to their doom, their body lost to the cliffs.

Fang Tian reached the glacier, leaping lightly onto a drifting chunk of ice carried by the current. He bounded from one block to the next, gradually drawing closer to the opposite shore. As he jumped, he peered into the waters, finding them murky and opaque.

Without dwelling on it, Fang Tian continued forward.

Just as he was about to leap to the far bank, ripples suddenly spread across the river. A string of bubbles burst to the surface. Sensing danger, Fang Tian tried to hurry across, but it was already too late. A massive white serpent erupted from the river, its head crowned with ice, jaws agape as it lunged at him. He was still some distance from the shore, but with danger upon him, Fang Tian leaped onto another block of ice, evading the attack. Thwarted, the serpent slipped back beneath the surface and disappeared. After a few moments, the river was still again, and the great white-scaled serpent was nowhere to be seen.

Standing on the ice, Fang Tian’s expression turned grave. He glanced warily in the direction the serpent had vanished, his heart pounding. Quickly, he focused his thoughts and consulted the old master, eager to know what kind of creature this was. Lin Shuang had never mentioned such a beast; according to her, one would not encounter any fierce beasts until traveling further on.

The old master responded, asking, “What happened, Little Tian?”

“A moment ago, a huge serpent attacked me—white scales all over, an ice crown on its head, and tremendous in size. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Fang Tian replied, scanning his surroundings.

“Could it be the White-Scaled Ice Crown Serpent?” the old master mused.

“What is that?” Fang Tian asked.

“A serpent native to extreme cold. It’s not surprising to come across one here.”

“But Lin Shuang told me there was nothing like this around. What should I do now?” Fang Tian pressed.

“Little Tian, see if you can kill it. There’s something valuable on its body,” the old master advised.

At the mention of treasure, Fang Tian’s interest was piqued.

He continued his leap toward the riverbank. Underwater, the serpent watched Fang Tian’s movements, its body coiling like a spring as it darted swiftly in his direction, jaws opening wide in another attack.

This time, Fang Tian was prepared. As the serpent lunged, he leapt to another floating block, causing the serpent to miss again.

Infuriated by its failure, the White-Scaled Ice Crown Serpent did not submerge this time. Flicking its tongue, it swam directly toward Fang Tian.

Fang Tian looked back, unsheathing the Cold Feather Sword and standing ready. Seeing Fang Tian remain in place, the serpent blinked once, then lashed its tail at him. With a deft leap, Fang Tian dodged, but this time, he found himself with no foothold—the serpent’s tail had scattered the surrounding ice blocks.

Slowly, he began to fall. The serpent, seeing its prey without support, surged through the water with increased speed, its jaws gaping to swallow him.

Fang Tian remained calm. As the serpent drew near, he drove his sword into its open mouth, wedging it between the upper and lower jaws. Riding the force of the serpent’s charge, he was carried all the way to the opposite bank.

Finding solid footing, Fang Tian nimbly touched down, then drew a long sword he had used before from his storage, leapt up, and drove it into the serpent’s eye. The serpent shrieked in pain, thrashing wildly. Seizing the moment, Fang Tian retrieved the Cold Feather Sword, jumped again, and thrust it into the serpent’s other eye, murmuring, “Martial Technique—Point of Frost.”

A surge of icy power flowed into the serpent’s body through the sword. After a few spasms, the great beast lay motionless on the banks of the icy river.

“At last, it’s finished. Fortunately, this serpent wasn’t too powerful,” Fang Tian muttered to himself.

The old master, seeing Fang Tian had dispatched the White-Scaled Ice Crown Serpent, remarked, “Indeed, we’re lucky. This one was still young—about the fifth level of Spirit Gathering. If it had been fully grown, you would have had no choice but to flee.”

“By the way, old master, what was that valuable thing you mentioned?” Fang Tian asked.

“Little Tian, open up its skull. You’ll find it inside,” the old master replied.

Nodding, Fang Tian approached the corpse, raised the Cold Feather Sword, and thrust it at the serpent’s head. The blade barely penetrated—the scales were incredibly tough. Fang Tian thought they would make excellent armor.

Since he couldn’t break through from the outside, he pried open the serpent’s jaws and cut an opening from within. The interior of the skull had already been frozen solid by his martial technique. He gently sliced at the ice, and soon found a rhombus-shaped object. Reaching in, he pulled it out, the thing slick with the serpent’s blood. It was a crystalline prism, with energy swirling visibly inside.