Volume 5 Chapter 35

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Volume 5 Chapter 35: The Truth (Part One)

While Xu Qingfan, Master Guanghui, Venerable Xuan Yuan, and Layman Nanshan watched in shock as the mysterious "Treasure Pavilion" was destroyed under the siege of the "Ming" organization, other "Treasure Pavilions" across the Shenzhou Continent either met the same fate under the purple-robed men’s attack or mysteriously disappeared at the same time. Consequently, the centuries-old collection and wealth of the "Treasure Pavilion" vanished mysteriously as well.

Except for a few in the Righteous Alliance, most cultivators in the cultivation world only realized something was wrong more than ten days later, causing an uproar, fearing that the great catastrophe had come earlier than expected.

The Righteous Alliance, having coincidentally dispatched several teams to investigate the "Treasure Pavilion" at this time, found that some teams happened to witness the "Ming" organization attacking the "Treasure Pavilion." Unfortunately, the Righteous Alliance’s mission was only to probe the background of the "Treasure Pavilion," and they did not send out very strong forces. So, even though they saw the purple-robed men attacking the "Treasure Pavilion," they could do nothing but watch helplessly as the "Treasure Pavilion" was destroyed, while also trying their best to remain hidden and careful not to be discovered by the purple-robed men.

Besides the destroyed "Treasure Pavilion," many Righteous Alliance cultivators sent to those mysteriously vanished "Treasure Pavilions" disappeared as well, neither seen alive nor found dead. Those who didn’t go missing arrived at the pavilion’s location only to find it had disappeared.

All these events unfolded and concluded within just half a day, suggesting that the "Ming" organization may have been well-prepared for this.

While the "Treasure Pavilion" across the Shenzhou Continent was either destroyed or mysteriously vanished, a different story was unfolding in a place at the extreme north of North Iceland.

The northernmost part of the Shenzhou Continent, North Iceland, is even more sparsely populated than the Southern Wasteland. Its vastness contrasts with its sparse resources, extreme cold, and low temperatures, making it uninhabitable for ordinary people. The only abundant element is Water Spirit Qi, otherwise, the Spirit Qi is thin, so even cultivators are rare. The "White Lady Palace," known for its ice-crafting arts, once established a branch at its edge, but as the palace rapidly declined, this outpost fell into ruin. North Iceland became uninhabited, turning into a paradise for some cold-enduring demon beasts.

Swarms of ice ants, mighty snow bears, mysterious ice barbarians, and powerful crystal pythons thrive here, increasing vastly over thousands of years to the point where even cultivators dare not trespass lightly.

Overall, North Iceland is considered the most beautiful part of the entire Shenzhou Continent. Yunyouzi once noted in his writings, "The land of North Iceland, though frigid and inhospitable, is vast and flat, perpetually covered in snow, where earth and sky are pristine white and crystalline. When the wind blows, snow and ice whirl; under the sun, the horizon is bathed in light. The vastness brings peace to the soul. Even after standing here for years, the scenery never tires. Were it not for the harsh climate and demon beasts, it would be the perfect place for a cultivator to find peace of mind."

When Xu Qingfan read this, he yearned for it too, but whether due to insufficient skills or life’s entanglements, he never had the chance to see it.

Yunyouzi’s words indirectly highlight North Iceland’s dangers. Its breathtaking beauty is due to the terrifying demon beasts in swarms and the occasional fierce storms, forcing even the strongest cultivators to retreat.

However, advancing deep into North Iceland reveals a scene unlike anywhere else. In a hidden spot stands a grand palatial structure, untouched by the rampant demon beasts who dare not approach within a hundred miles. Even the frequent fierce storms are diverted by mysterious forces away from the palace, maintaining an aura of mystery and calm about the place.

The North Iceland region is vast and expansive, and this palace covers a wide area, enough to accommodate ten thousand people. Yet, it remains silent and empty, as if no one resides in this grand palace.

In fact, only one person lives in this palace, and that is the true owner of the "Treasure Pavilion," Nalan Xia.

"Damn it!"

Feeling the loss of contact with the "Treasure Pavilion" in various parts of the Shenzhou Continent, Nalan Xia angrily shouted, smashing the luxurious table in front of her into pieces with a punch. Her beautiful face was filled with rage and murderous intent, with a hint of helplessness. Her flushed cheeks were even more captivating amidst her agitation.

No one would have thought that the true owner of the "Treasure Pavilion," often seen as a demon, was actually such a stunning woman.

However, this woman was sitting cross-legged on a high chair, and her legs were completely missing.

After a brief moment of anger and excitement, Nalan Xia soon regained her composure and started frowning, deep in thought.

At that moment, Nalan Xia kept wondering about the purpose of "Ming." Given the sudden loss of contact with the "Treasure Pavilion" throughout the Shenzhou Continent, it seemed that "Ming" had already prepared for this ambush. However, the "Treasure Pavilion" had always responded to "Ming’s" requests. So why would "Ming" want to destroy the "Treasure Pavilion"?

The only explanation is that "Ming" discovered her connection with "An."

However, thinking this way, Nalan Xia felt it was not right. "Darkness’s" reunion should not be known by "Ming," and her contact with "Darkness" was extremely secretive. Even if "Ming" found out about her connection with "Darkness," she hadn’t truly aligned with "Darkness," so "Ming" shouldn’t be in such a hurry to take action against her.

With this in mind, Nalan Xia couldn’t help but reach out her hand and look at her palm. There, she saw a black magic eye, another symbol of "An" apart from the mask. This magic eye was Zhang Xusheng’s way to contact the members of "An." Whenever it began to blink, it meant Zhang Xusheng was summoning the members of "An."

This time, Zhang Xusheng relied on this to regroup the old "An" members. Although she sensed the magic eye blinking in her palm, she did not respond because she did not trust Zhang Xusheng, which is why a former "An" member sought her out personally.

Because of this, she was certain that "Ming" would never find out about "An’s" reunion.

Shaking her head, Nalan Xia stopped thinking about it and continued to ponder the recent destruction of the "Treasure Pavilion." To be honest, she wasn’t too concerned about its downfall. With her family’s accumulated wealth over the years, although much had been given to "Ming," rebuilding the "Treasure Pavilion" would be an easy task. At that moment, she was more interested in the attitude of "Ming" and "An."

The "Treasure Pavilion" has provided a large number of spirit stones and various materials to "Ming" over the years, and it will continue to offer more in the future. "Ming" should not have destroyed the "Treasure Pavilion" so easily.

Moreover, there are thirty-seven locations of the "Treasure Pavilion" on the Shenzhou Continent. For the "Ming" organization to annihilate them all in such a short time would require immense manpower and a very long preparation period. At the moment "Ming" began its preparations, "An" should not have made contact with her yet.

Most importantly, the "Heaven" and "Earth" elders in the "Gloom" organization knew that "Darkness" was established by Zhang Xusheng after his betrayal. Now that "Darkness" was active again, they should have focused on dealing with Zhang Xusheng first.

Therefore, "Ming’s" sudden attack on the "Treasure Pavilion" seemed very suspicious.

"Could it be that ‘Darkness’ targeted the ‘Treasure Pavilion’ because Zhang Xusheng leaked the news of the ‘Treasure Pavilion’ contacting ‘Shadow’ to the two elders, ‘Tian’ and ‘Di’?"

Suddenly, Nalan Xia seemed to think of something, her body trembled slightly, and she softly murmured to herself.

As Nalan Xia’s voice faded, a gentle voice suddenly whispered in her ear. The voice was pleasant and familiar, yet it made Nalan Xia’s heart tighten and her body stiffen instantly.

"Nalan, do you know why, out of all the people in ‘Shadow’ back then, I valued you the most? It was because of your calmness and rationality. No matter what happened, you could always regain your composure quickly and think about the true reasons behind things. So this time, I sincerely hope you can return to ‘Shadow’. Others may have their own skills, but that’s all they are."

As the voice spoke, Nalan Xia slowly turned her head and saw that at some point, Zhang Xusheng was already sitting in a corner of the room, smiling as he watched Nalan Xia’s frozen expression.