Volume One: The Youth Enters the World Chapter Seventy-Seven: Gathering

Fang Tian rinsed the crystal core with the icy river water and examined it closely before asking Elder Tian, “Elder Tian, is this what you call a treasure?”

“Look carefully inside—do you see spiritual energy flowing slowly?” Elder Tian replied.

“Yes, I do. But what exactly is it used for?” Fang Tian scrutinized the core, unable to discern any secret.

“This can serve as the heart of a spiritual array, providing it with energy. Moreover, it’s useful for alchemy and forging. Its applications are numerous; you’ll understand once you encounter those fields,” Elder Tian explained patiently.

“But right now, it seems useless to me.”

“Try and see if you can draw spiritual energy from it,” Elder Tian said with a smile.

“Huh? What’s happening? The spiritual energy is surging into my body,” Fang Tian experimented, curiosity piqued at his ability to absorb energy from the crystal.

“Now you see. Other beast cores wouldn’t work, but the crystal core of the White-scaled Ice-crowned Serpent is unique. The icy spiritual energy it contains is pure and can be absorbed by cultivators—better even than the finest spiritual crystals. For someone who specializes in ice techniques like you, it’s a treasure beyond compare.”

“Amazing. I feel as if my spiritual energy, already full within me, has grown even more, and there’s a faint sense of an impending breakthrough,” Fang Tian marveled.

“Try it well,” Elder Tian encouraged.

Fang Tian closed his eyes and slowly absorbed the energy. After a while, he swept the core clean of its spiritual power, and with a crack, it shattered, dissolving into points of crystalline light.

He opened his eyes, lingering satisfaction on his face as he stared at his now empty left hand. “Elder Tian, it’s gone already—and my cultivation still didn’t break through.”

“For you now, one crystal core is hardly enough. You’ll need many more. I recall two thousand years ago, cultivators specializing in extreme cold hunted these Ice-crowned Serpents to extinction. I didn’t expect to find one here.”

“If it hadn’t attacked me, I wouldn’t have wanted to kill it,” Fang Tian said with a trace of regret.

“Since you’ve embarked on the path of cultivation, such things are inevitable. If you don’t kill it, it will kill you. That is the harsh reality of this world: the weak are prey, the strong rule,” Elder Tian sighed, long used to such events—sympathy for others is cruelty to oneself. Over countless years, Elder Tian had witnessed this truth time and again.

“I understand, but why can’t everyone coexist peacefully?” Fang Tian’s thoughts were naïve. Though he’d killed many who threatened him, he never wished to harm others casually. Even those who were hostile, he’d give a chance—hoping they’d desist. Yet the outcome was always the same: once hatred arose, it never ceased. If he didn’t kill them, he’d die himself. After all, he had important things to accomplish; his life belonged not to himself but to his departed loved ones. Most of the time, he had no choice.

“Peaceful coexistence? As long as life exists on this continent, such a scenario may never come to pass. Enough talk. Little Tian, continue your journey,” Elder Tian sighed.

“Alright.”

Fang Tian approached the White-scaled Ice-crowned Serpent, using the Frost Feather Sword to strip a large patch of scales, thinking to forge himself a set of armor for protection. In this world, there were too many stronger than him; more protection meant more safety, and safety was his foremost concern. Only by staying alive could hope be realized.

After finishing, Fang Tian resumed his journey. After about two hours, he encountered several forks in the path. After considering, he chose the leftmost road. The deeper he went, the narrower the path became, forcing him to walk sideways for nearly a thousand feet before emerging from the constricted passage.

He looked around and found himself in a vast, empty space—a huge valley surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. Walking forward, Fang Tian glanced up and saw a spiritual herb swaying atop a cliff. Fixing his gaze, he exclaimed, “Blood Ice Grass!”

At last, he’d found the Blood Ice Grass. Fang Tian hastened his steps and retrieved climbing tools from his sword-space. After equipping himself, he surveyed the surroundings to ensure no Ice Spirit Birds guarded nearby. Seizing the opportunity, he climbed swiftly. After about a hundred feet, he neared the Blood Ice Grass and reached out to pluck it. Just then, a chorus of bird cries sounded behind him.

Turning, he saw several Ice Spirit Birds flying toward him. Without hesitation, Fang Tian uprooted the Blood Ice Grass and stored it in his sword-space for Elder Tian to safeguard, then quickly descended. As he climbed down, the Ice Spirit Birds approached, chirping sharply and using their claws to hinder him.

Fang Tian fended them off with one hand while continuing down. When he was only ten feet from the ground, he let go and jumped, landing safely.

The Ice Spirit Birds, unable to catch him, circled above a few times and flew away.

Watching their departure, Fang Tian breathed a sigh of relief. If he’d been slower, he’d have been knocked off by those troublesome birds.

He brushed snow from his body and focused his mind into the sword-space. Elder Tian had placed the Blood Ice Grass in a jade box, explaining that such spiritual items are best preserved in jade to retain their essence. Fang Tian confirmed its safety and returned his consciousness to the outside world.

Seeing a path to the right, Fang Tian proceeded, reasoning that since he’d already obtained a Blood Ice Grass, he should explore further. He needed to delve deeper to know if any more could be found.

As he ventured on, Fang Tian discovered more Blood Ice Grass, employing the same tactics—harvesting them while the Ice Spirit Birds were absent. Each time, the birds would circle above him, squawking in protest, and sometimes even spat at him, clearly displeased with his thieving.

Fang Tian could only smile wryly. He wondered why the Ice Spirit Birds were so obsessed with the Blood Ice Grass. Did they live on it? Yet he never saw them eat it, perhaps they simply regarded it as their property.

Shaking off these stray thoughts, he pressed onward. Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed. By now, Fang Tian had gathered over a dozen Blood Ice Grasses. They were scattered far and wide, with only one per spot, so it had taken him considerable effort to collect them. Still, Fang Tian was satisfied. Even the noble families of the imperial city might not possess as much as he now did.

He figured this would suffice for some time. Last time, a single stalk had boosted his cultivation significantly; with over a dozen, he could surely advance by two or three stages. If he could manage that, he would no longer fear those city nobles—no matter who came, he’d be ready, his confidence unshaken.

Satisfied with his harvest, Fang Tian prepared to leave. He’d spent several days in these snowy mountains and had encountered no formidable beasts apart from the serpent, making him wonder if his luck was unusually good. He decided not to linger.

But such thoughts often invite trouble. No sooner had Fang Tian turned to leave than a massive shadow approached. Fang Tian smiled wryly—so it wasn’t luck, merely timing.

The massive figure revealed itself: a Giant Ice Demon Bear. He’d heard Lin Shuang mention it before—her father’s last expedition had suffered heavy losses to this beast. Judging by its size, it was fully grown, likely at the eighth stage of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

If Fang Tian had broken through, he might have stood a chance, but as things stood, he couldn’t face the Demon Bear. Without hesitation, he turned and ran, the bear roaring furiously in pursuit.

Glancing back at its blood-red eyes, Fang Tian felt a chill. After sprinting for some distance, finding the bear still relentless, he panicked, searching for a solution.

Spotting a large ice boulder ahead, Fang Tian swung his sword to block the bear’s path, but it was futile—one crash and the boulder shattered. The bear, angered by Fang Tian’s evasions, grew more violent, its roar shaking the mountain walls as if the earth itself trembled. It quickened its pursuit.

Fang Tian used Windstride to shift positions, making the bear miss him repeatedly. Realizing this couldn’t last, he surveyed his surroundings and spotted another narrow passage like before. He decided to head for it, darting across the ground while the bear followed closely. Entering the passage, Fang Tian relied on his slender build to advance quickly.

Unable to follow, the Demon Bear slapped the stone walls in frustration, roaring at Fang Tian as if warning him, then turned and lumbered away.

Seeing the bear retreat, Fang Tian relaxed, his tense nerves finally eased. He looked back, then pressed onward, unwilling to turn around until he was certain the bear had truly left.