Chapter 214: The Search

Just as Zuo Zhicheng began searching the valley.

Several kilometers away from the valley, in a clearing, Jin Shuixian and several other disciples were respectfully reporting to the man in front of them.

“Heavenly Serpent King and Ziyun should be in the White Cloud Valley ahead. That valley has only one exit. I feared he would discover us, so we waited here for you, Master, leaving only Baozi to keep watch there.”

The man standing before Jin Shuixian had white hair but smooth skin without a single wrinkle. At first glance, he seemed very old, perhaps seventy or eighty, but upon closer inspection, he appeared to be in his prime, only thirty or forty. Looking even longer, one noticed his skin was delicate and smooth, without any signs of aging, completely like a young man.

This man, who gave off impressions of old age, middle age, and youth, gazed calmly toward White Cloud Valley. Even though layers of mountains and forests blocked the view, his eyes seemed to traverse thousands of miles, piercing through space and time to overlook White Cloud Valley.

“Afraid he would discover you?” the man said. “He already noticed you long ago.”

“How is that possible…” Jin Shuixian’s face showed disbelief, yet she had no choice but to trust the man’s words. “If that’s the case, why didn’t he shake us off?”

The man said, “Never underestimate any Human Phase Master. To achieve the Human Aspect, one must possess exceptional character and mental fortitude. Only through extraordinary experiences can one achieve extraordinary accomplishments.

Because the Human Aspect involves the Power of Mind and Spirit, any Martial Artist who reaches this level has a life story worthy of a book.

The reason he didn’t shake you off is like a tiger sparing ants or an eagle ignoring butterflies. To him, it simply wasn’t necessary.”

Jin Shuixian lowered her head, her expression respectful. “Your disciple has learned.”

The man, however, shook his head and sighed. “You say you’ve learned, but in your heart, you haven’t. Shuixian, your talent is outstanding, but it has also given you a great flaw in character. Only when you can set aside your pride and blend with the ordinary will you have the possibility to advance to the Human Aspect.”

“Yes.” Jin Shuixian lowered her head. Though inwardly somewhat dismissive of her master’s words, she maintained a respectful demeanor.

The man seemed to see through his disciple and did not press further about her character. He merely said lightly, “Let’s go. We shall go see this Heavenly Serpent King.

The sect leader is determined to obtain that item. If he is unwilling to give it up, then I will have no choice but to take action. I hope this new expert promoted by the Shadow Corps does not disappoint me.”

…

Inside White Cloud Valley, Zuo Zhicheng’s feet lightly touched the snow surface, and he drifted forward over thirty meters.

His Infrared Vision swept across the valley. Aside from dried branches, the surrounding cliffs, and deep beneath the ground, he could only see scattered blue dots.

These were some small animals hiding in hibernation or beasts that had taken cover. There was not a single trace of human presence.

The entire White Cloud Valley was not very large. Zuo Zhicheng’s feet continuously lightly tapped the snow surface, and he had already swept hundreds of meters like a night owl. Just as he reached the depths of the valley, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he saw six shadows deeply buried several meters under the snow, motionless.

He could clearly see that four of these shadows were at the purple Physique Strength level, and one shadow was at the orange Physique Strength level, but only less than ten percent. These shadows did not look human at all, and they closely surrounded a blue figure.

‘The blue one, based on Physique Strength, is just an ordinary person. The other five, with their Physique Strength, must be Ancient Beasts. Are these Ancient Beasts using their body heat to protect the blue one?’

Zuo Zhicheng took a few steps and arrived directly above the five beasts and one person. His eyes carefully scanned the snow above them. With his sharp vision, he quickly found a strange pole.

‘Using this for air venting, right?’

No wonder the Shadow Corps couldn’t find him. This person was hidden deep under the snow; unless they searched the entire valley inch by inch, there was no way to locate his exact position.

But since Zuo Zhicheng had spotted him, he naturally wouldn’t let it slide.

Countless glimmers of cold light flashed behind his head, like ice crystals gathering from the falling snowflakes in the world. These ice-crystal-like substances instantly merged, rapidly forming a blue rune behind his head.

This was Zuo Zhicheng activating his Heartscape, the Ice Soul Frost Demon Field. Compared to his original Heartscape, the rune behind his head now was not only more refined and distinct but even showed patterns on it, emitting a faint cold air.

This showed his control over the Heartscape had become more skilled, and the rune constructed with the Power of Mind and Spirit in his mind had become clearer, almost as if it were real.

As the Ice Soul Frost Demon Field appeared, the five beasts and one person below clearly felt an intense cold assaulting them. But before they could react, Zuo Zhicheng’s second wave of attack arrived.

‘Chill Ripple!’

Zuo Zhicheng’s hand gently clenched. With this motion, the blue rune of his Heartscape behind him shattered explosively, transforming into streaks of blue light that scattered in all directions.

This was a new move Zuo Zhicheng had developed from the Cold Light Rippling Sword during this period, called Chill Ripple. The principle of this move was to collapse the power of the Heartscape instantaneously and scatter it out in explosive waves.

It could unleash a shocking chill within ten meters around Zuo Zhicheng in an instant, with power five to ten times that of the usual Ice Soul Frost Demon Field. The only drawback was that after unleashing Chill Ripple, the Heartscape could not be reactivated temporarily.

With Zuo Zhicheng’s current Spirit Refining level, after unleashing Chill Ripple, it took about a minute before he could activate the Heartscape again.

However, the power unleashed by this Chill Ripple definitely matched its drawback.

In a vision only living beings could see, blue ripples spread out from Zuo Zhicheng in all directions. Wherever the ripples passed, whether insects on the ground or small animals in the grass, they all seemed to fall asleep, instantly becoming still and lying motionless. Their body temperature dropped rapidly until the light of life gradually faded from their eyes.

The five beasts and one person hiding beneath Zuo Zhicheng bore the brunt of it. From the Infrared Vision, it was clear their body temperatures were also plummeting; the purple and orange colors were gradually fading, and the blue person’s body stiffened entirely, the color nearly vanishing, as if on the verge of death.

But at that moment, a warm surge of air rose from beneath Zuo Zhicheng. Then, with a loud explosive sound, snow burst upward from the ground, and a blaze of fire, like erupting magma, shot out from underground, engulfing Zuo Zhicheng completely.