Chapter 656

Chapter 656: The Extreme Northern Land

"What just happened?" Golden Ling’er suddenly opened her eyes, fear surging from her heart as she instinctively asked while staring at the surrounding desolation.

"You two encountered the Black Windstorm. Had I not used a supreme treasure to buy time earlier, you’d have become part of that annihilating wind," Ye Yun explained with a smile as he watched the awakened Golden Ling’er.

"How fortunate we were saved!" Without hesitation, Golden Ling’er believed Ye Yun’s words. During her unconscious state, she’d indeed glimpsed destructive black winds and witnessed Ye Yun’s calm figure materializing before her and Jin An to rescue them.

"What about Senior Brother?" Golden Ling’er asked anxiously, noticing Jin An still lying unconscious.

Ye Yun recounted recent events with a smile, carefully omitting any mention of obtaining the Immortal Spirit Stones.

"That Black Windstorm sounds terrifying! If Ling’er ever meets it again, I’ll flee immediately!" Golden Ling’er declared, trembling like a startled rabbit after hearing Ye Yun’s account.

"Don’t throw tantrums next time. If we can’t reach you in time, consequences could be dire," Ye Yun chided gently while channeling true qi into Jin An’s unconscious form.

"Ugh…" Jin An groaned as splitting pain pierced his skull.

"Senior Brother’s awake! Hurry up! The senior needs to reach the Extreme Northern Frost Land quickly, and we’re all waiting!" Golden Ling’er exclaimed, vigorously shaking Jin An’s shoulders.

"Cease shaking me! You’ll injure a perfectly healthy man," Jin An protested weakly, managing a pained smile.

"Ancestor of the Sword Path, how much longer can we suppress this fire poison?" Ye Yun inquired internally, observing his quarreling companions.

"Uncertain. Previously, my soul power sufficed, but the poison has mutated. Without potent medicine, even Ice Spirit Crystals may prove inadequate." The Ancestor’s voice carried frustration. He bitterly regretted not warning Ye Yun when the supreme Immortal artifact Fire Dragon Whip first appeared – though even he hadn’t anticipated this outcome.

"Millennium-old poison driving me to desperation? Amusing, truly amusing." Ye Yun chuckled darkly, shifting his fire-ravaged body to better endure the searing agony within.

"You’ve leisure for humor? Lesser men would curse the heavens by now," the Ancestor remarked wryly.

"Complaining would negate past oaths. What then of my vow to outlast the stars themselves?" Ye Yun retorted, noting the Ancestor’s grim expression. Though unspoken, both knew his condition deteriorated – even basic true qi manipulation caused excruciating pain, signaling critical danger.

"Senior, I’ve recovered." Jin An sat upright, observing Ye Yun leaning against weathered boulders. "Why gaze upon these barren wilds and treacherous streams?"

"Mere curiosity." Ye Yun waved dismissively. "Since you’re healed, we’ll push for the Extreme Northern Frost Land by tomorrow."

"We’ll not delay you further, Senior." Jin An bowed gratefully, sensing hidden urgency beneath Ye Yun’s calm demeanor.

"Let’s hurry!" Golden Ling’er chirped, though Jin An detected melancholy beneath her cheer – their parting drew near.

Ye Yun now employed rudimentary spatial manipulation instead of teleportation, moving barely faster than his companions while pausing frequently. The pair mistook this for consideration, unaware it stemmed from his weakness.

"Imagine the Nascent Soul stage experts’ reactions seeing me thus." Ye Yun grimaced, forcing wisps of true qi through poison-clogged meridians into the Purple Shadow Divine Sword – his last resort for combat.

He bitterly recalled his former glory: wielding the Born as a Sword technique to slay late-stage Nascent Soul experts without fearing sect reprisals, reigning supreme within the Xumi Treasure. Now, a supreme Immortal artifact’s fire poison reduced him to this pitiful state.

Channeling the Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique, Ye Yun stockpiled true qi in his sword. Each infusion worsened his condition – fiery lesions now marred his hands, while the Ancestor struggled to contain twenty-seven rebellious top-quality Immortal artifacts and the Fire Dragon Whip ravaging his body.

*Cough*

Ye Yun muffled bloody coughs, staring numbly at his blistered, bloodied palm. "If we don’t reach the Frost Land by dusk, I’ll activate the reverse time array with our Immortal Spirit Stones to break through this poison."

This gamble offered slim hope. Otherwise… fate would decide.

"Where are we? These stubborn artifacts!" Ye Yun glared at campfire flames mirroring his inner torment.

"Tomorrow noon marks our deadline for activating the array," he informed the fuming Ancestor.

"You…" The Ancestor’s complex gaze spoke volumes. Only immediate access to detoxifying pills or ice-element treasures could save Ye Yun now.

"I won’t fall here. Not yet." Cold determination steeled Ye Yun’s voice – unfamiliar yet intrinsically his.

Contemplating the starry night, Ye Yun smiled bitterly. Never had he valued life so dearly… yet he’d risked everything answering that siren call from the magma depths, seizing treasures while contracting incurable poison. Was this the Xumi Treasure master’s test of priorities?

"Mocking myself at death’s door." Ye Yun lay down, embracing exhausted sleep – even iron-willed cultivators have limits.

Dawn revealed Ye Yun observing Golden Ling’er’s slumber and Jin An’s sword drills. Their silent exchange acknowledged impending separation – before fire poison induced madness transforming him into a slaughtering demon wielding the Purple Shadow Divine Sword as a cursed blade.

"Ancestor would eliminate me first," Ye Yun mused.

"Then don’t force my hand," the Ancestor retorted gruffly, though both knew mercy would prevail until the last.

"Perhaps Frost Land holds icy treasures for my cure!" Ye Yun laughed hollowly.

The Ancestor despaired – such wishful thinking ignored the Xumi Treasure’s brutal reality. Treasures demanded blood, not luck.

"Senior… do you feel that chill?" Golden Ling’er whispered.

Ye Yun’s breath caught. Before them, the landscape shifted abruptly – endless ice plains materialized under eternal snowfall, kindling fragile hope amidst frozen desolation.