Chapter 659

Chapter 659: Golden Sands

“Then I’ll recover my strength here first. You two go build a shelter using this snow,” Ye Yun said to Jin An with a tired smile, feeling the severely depleted Fire Spirit Qi and Ice Spirit Qi within him needing replenishment.

Jin An nodded and set off to work.

An hour later, a circular snow house stood completed. Golden Ling’er brushed snow from her hands and admired their work. “Ling’er’s so capable! Even such tough work turned out perfectly.”

“You little rascal! I did all the heavy lifting while you played after stacking a few blocks. Should I report this to the Elder?” Jin An called out, sorting firewood in his storage pouch as he watched the girl dart about. “Ling’er, inform the Elder the shelter’s ready. He might need rest inside.”

“Okay!” Golden Ling’er chirped brightly.

“Only during moments like this do you pretend to help.” Jin An shook his head wryly upon entering the cramped snow structure, barely able to stretch his limbs.

“Elder, your orders are complete!” Golden Ling’er shouted through the worsening blizzard, squinting to spot Ye Yun’s figure.

Thankfully, her enhanced spirit perception from reaching the Nascent Soul stage soon located him. Channeling spiritual power into her feet, she glided over the snow.

“Ye Yun, you’re still at the seventh-level Golden Core stage—not yet perfected. By the Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique’s standards, your alchemy pill won’t shatter until both spiritual power and true qi align. Only then will you reach the Nascent Soul stage,” the Ancestor of the Sword Path remarked as Ye Yun meditated, cycling the cultivation technique.

“True. My spiritual power alone—barring the fire poison—rivals the Nascent Soul stage. The breakthrough delay must stem from the technique’s requirements.”

A miniature tornado swirled at Ye Yun’s command, scattering snow until Golden Ling’er’s call disrupted his focus. The whirlwind vanished instantly.

“My true qi control remains unstable. Recovery’s incomplete.” Ye Yun frowned, sensing chaotic energy fluctuations. The Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique, though straightforward, made realm advancement arduous—especially with lingering fire poison.

“In this Extreme Northern Frost Land, I might barely pass as an expert.” He trudged toward Golden Ling’er’s approaching presence. “If we find ice-element heavenly materials in the treasure vault, I could purge more fire poison. Then I’d truly dominate that place.”

“Patience. The jade tablet’s records might lack ice spirit materials. Plan after confirmation,” the Ancestor cautioned.

“Perhaps we should wait out this storm…” Ye Yun muttered.

Golden Ling’er skidded to his side. “Elder! Why linger in this cold? Come to the snow house!”

“Lead the way.” His hand touched her shoulder, triggering teleportation into the shelter. Inside, Jin An practiced sword forms with a wooden blade.

“Your Sword Path improves daily, Jin An. Soon you might outstrip me,” Ye Yun remarked.

“You jest, Elder. Surpassing you? Impossible.” Jin An sheathed his sword awkwardly, using true qi to clear space for a fire.

“Warmth at last!” Golden Ling’er fed twigs to the flames, eyeing Jin An’s pouch. “Senior Brother, lend me one of your sewn pelts!”

“Handle it carefully—I stitched every seam myself.” Jin An tossed her a fur coat, amused by her eager fumbling.

After wrestling into the garment, she grinned. “Fussy thing!”

“How did Master end up with such a clumsy daughter? Maybe you’re a foundling,” Jin An teased.

“Ling’er resembles Mother perfectly! No mistake there!”

“Mother once said if you didn’t, she’d doubt you were hers.” He lobbed a log into the fire.

“Ugh! Not listening!” She turned away.

Ye Yun closed his eyes, spirit perception shifting to the Fire Dragon Whip’s prison—a chained beast coiled around a stone pillar. “No greeting for your master?”

The dragon roared, thrashing against its bonds.

“You lost our duel. Spare me the theatrics.” Countless spectral blades materialized behind Ye Yun. “I’ll grant you time to submit. Keep your wits or lose them—the choice is yours.”

His projection vanished, weapons dissolving into Thunder Spirit Qi. With partial fire poison expulsion, his spiritual power flowed smoother now.

“Well?” The Ancestor’s voice echoed as Ye Yun reopened his eyes.

"Stubborn as ever, I don’t have better solutions. Did you mistreat it? I see your dual sword marks on its body." Ye Yun chuckled at the embarrassed Ancestor of the Sword Path. "It’s just a supreme Immortal artifact. Even if you erase its intelligence, I wouldn’t mind. I only care if it retains supreme quality after losing sentience."

"That’s possible, but its power would drop sharply. Once respectable among supreme Immortal artifacts, it’d become inferior if you proceed." The Ancestor pondered. "Do you plan to use its cleansed form to contain the fire poison within him?"

"Should work. Other supreme Immortal artifacts can’t bear this poison, but this fire-aligned one might."

Useless things held no value to Ye Yun. Even supreme artifacts meant nothing if impractical. He’d discard them without hesitation.

"Your logic holds, but consider this artifact’s potential power. Mastered, it could surpass your Purple Shadow Divine Sword."

Though understanding Ye Yun’s stance, the Ancestor still valued supreme artifacts highly. Even when this one rebelled before, he’d only disciplined it rather than destroy.

"Value’s subjective. If everyone obsessed over worth, rules would lose meaning." Unlike the Ancestor’s long-term view, Ye Yun focused on present needs. Future benefits mattered less than current threats.

Better eliminate two problems at once – neutralize the dangerous artifact while curing fire poison. Both approaches had merit, awaiting decisive action.

Ye Yun opened his eyes to familiar dancing flames. Seeing Jin An chatting with Golden Ling’er, he called: "Jin An, the snow’s easing. Time to move."

"But Ling’er wanted more rest!" The girl pouted playfully. "Elder, let’s wait till snowfall stops? We’ll see our path clearer, and I’ll feel more motivated!"

"You need motivation without lifting a finger?" Jin An retorted with amusement.

"Keeping spirits high’s exhausting work! Besides…" Golden Ling’er shook her bell charm. "I help with my Immortal artifact!"

Jin An’s gaze fell on his own prize – a grain of golden sand. "Stop dawdling, Ling’er. The Elder’s busy."

"Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Senior Brother!" She teased his gloomy expression.

Sighing, Jin An examined his low-quality Immortal artifact. "If only you were bigger. I might lose you without noticing…"

"Tiny golden sand isn’t impressive, is it?" Golden Ling’er giggled.

"The ancient temple gave this. No exchanges allowed." Jin An grimaced.

"Observing discontent?" The Ancestor chuckled. "That sand’s underrated. Deadly in ambushes, rare despite crude craftsmanship."

"Low quality aside," Ye Yun interjected, "it’s still mostly useless."

"True, but imagine thousands forming a supreme Immortal artifact!" the Ancestor countered.

"Possible, but acquisition conditions seem too strict." Ye Yun reasoned. "I drained the Pool of Life’s energy just for Nine-Dragon Heartbroken Grass. Supreme artifacts should be rarer."

"Then perhaps that sand’s better than we thought?" Ye Yun smiled.

"Age catches me." The Ancestor changed subjects, watching Jin An. "Should check his Sword Path progress."

Nodding, Ye Yun approached. "Jin An, spar with me?"