Chapter 240 Though Dead, Still Alive (The Search) Qingbi's eyes finally opened...

Looking in the direction the man in black had gone, Qingyao stood up, moved her almost broken arm, and looked solemn.

A servant stepped forward, wiped away the blood, and hesitated before saying, "Princess..."

Before Qingyao could reply, she coughed for a few breaths, but the disheveled Qingping King spoke first: "The person's identity is unknown, but his cultivation level is profound. Send someone to the Secret Sect to ask them to help search for him."

The attendant bowed first, but looked embarrassed and glanced sideways at Qingyao, not daring to speak.

The fox clan leader is now Qingyao, but King Qingping's influence is so strong that he is in a dilemma.

Qingyao looked back and finally stopped coughing. She said in a hoarse voice, "No need. Tracking over a thousand miles is the fox clan's specialty. I already placed a secret seal when we fought him just now. Just follow the trail. There's no need to rely on any sect."

Prince Qingping looked at her and said, "Now is not the time for you to be reckless. Qiu Tong's matter is by no means trivial. If you tell the Secret Sect, they will search for her even without reward. It will be an extra guarantee. Why not do it?"

Qingyao's gaze changed, revealing a hint of wariness and coldness: "I thought you wouldn't care about our lives."

Upon hearing this, the elders and attendants beside them sighed silently and looked away, not wanting to disturb the father and daughter's heart-to-heart talk.

King Qingping offered no explanation, only saying, "I have always favored you, but as the Fox King, you have a very obvious flaw. Qingyao, you are too sentimental; the higher you climb, the colder it gets."

Qingyao had no intention of having a long talk with him, and only said, "Father has exerted himself today and his body can't take it anymore. Why don't you two take him back to rest?"

Two of the servants stepped forward reluctantly, but instead of making a move, they extended their hands in invitation.

Prince Qingping didn't care about such an attitude; he simply nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Qingyao watched his retreating figure and said only, "I can bring Qiutong back without the help of the Secret Sect. I don't need to ask them for help, and the Fox Clan can still exist in the Demon Realm and dominate one side!"

Prince Qingping did not turn around. He went into the side hall alone, closed the door tightly, and remained silent.

She pursed her lips and remained silent, gazing at the door for a long time. But thinking of Qiu Tong, she still chose to leave: "Dispatch manpower, I will personally track them down, and I will not allow anyone to have any contact with the Secret Sect!"

"yes."

...

Inside the Abyss, Lin Feiran was unaware of what was happening outside and was still focused on refining.

The pearl given by the grandmaster is called the Deer Pill of the Vast Sea. It is formed from the essence of Yang, grows in the heart of the sea, and also produces its own Yin essence. Therefore, although it shines with a bright gold color, the spiritual essence after being melted is both hot and cold, and while Yin and Yang are incompatible, they are also exceptionally harmonious.

Listening to his master's guidance, Lin Feiran endured the itching sensation spreading from the ice patterns and tried to examine his meridians internally.

Ru Xian had shown her before; the intersecting veins were very clear, like a lacquered golden pillar covered with incantations. Even the unevenness after the incantations were removed could be clearly seen.

However, since she has not yet reached that level, it is as if she is observing from behind a veil.

The smelted Yang essence and Yin essence flowed together, swirling around those deep, ravine-like spiritual veins. Lin Feiran guided them into the veins, then struck them with his spiritual power, hammering them into the spiritual veins like stakes, making them one with him.

Because it was a direct blow to the spiritual veins, the pain was initially bearable, but later it caused sweat to pour down and even the hands forming hand seals to tremble.

Seeing this, the grandmaster couldn't bear it and sighed silently, but still encouraged him, "Bear with it. This is also a kind of opportunity. Once you get through this, you will have no more worries."

Lin Feiran could barely hear the sounds of the outside world at this moment. Amidst the fluctuating temperatures, she felt a refreshing coolness that balanced her body's temperature perfectly. Waves of gentle spiritual energy also entered her, soothing most of her pain.

She had no time to think about anything else at this moment. The words "like hailstones" immediately appeared in her mind, and then she was pulled by the pain and immersed in the melting process.

The grandmaster sat to the side, his gaze concerned. He looked at the Vast Sea Deer Pill floating in her palm. Although the melting speed was not very obvious, it was already much faster than he had expected.

Seeing that she had already mastered the smelting process and that her beloved was temporarily relieving her pain, he no longer needed to stay and watch.

Now that they are cut off from the outside world and know nothing about anything, he has to go into their dreams to find out what's going on.

The grandmaster returned to the Iron Khitan Book. A moment later, the once lively and spirited ink lines became stiff. He was still there, but he had already appeared in someone's dream.

That was a dream that was almost absurd.

A group of elderly people were fishing by the river, but none of them caught a rod. Everyone looked disappointed. Suddenly, an old man walked over with his head held high and casually flicked his rod into the water, causing the float to loosen.

His face lit up with joy, and he immediately reeled in his line. But the fish that took the bait was not an ordinary fish; it was a strange fish with a cat's face, a fish's belly, four claws, and a long, thin tail.

Amidst the envious glances of others, he caught dozens of fish in succession, each one circling around him until the sun was about to set. The old man then turned around, mounted his large dog, scooped up the catfish, and leisurely returned home.

Grandmaster: "..."

Every time he entered Zhang Siwo's dream, he would be amazed by the strange sights. The dreams were different each time, but they always included cats and dogs, chickens and ducks, and even weasels and wild foxes.

Whatever has hair, that's what's in his dream.

The grandmaster dodged the tap, then raised his hand and tapped his head. Although he smiled, the force in his hand was not small at all, just enough to hurt him but not enough to wake him up.

Zhang Si gradually came to his senses. The cats and dogs that were circling around him a moment ago suddenly kicked him, just like in reality, and then scattered and ran away. The dream turned into a pure white expanse.

He stared at the person before him, dumbfounded: "Grandmaster! Why did I dream of you again?"

Although he had seen the portrait, he wouldn't dream about it so frequently. Could it be that he had done something immoral, or perhaps he actually admired his master?

Seeing that he was getting more and more confused, the grandmaster stopped with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "What's the situation now? Is the Secret Sect still looking for Lin Feiran?"

Zhang Si thought of something and was suddenly shocked. She looked around, feeling horrified and saddened: "Could it be that that girl really had an accident and came to me in my dream today?!"

Lin Feiran, where are you? Why did you entrust this to me?

Although his words sounded funny, the tears welling up in his eyes were genuine. His master had originally wanted to give him a warning, but seeing this, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He stopped Zhang Siwo from shouting: "She is fine, you don't need to worry. Just answer my question from earlier, what is the current trend of the Tantric sect?"

Zhang Siwo still had no doubts. After all, his master had been dead for hundreds of years. How could there be any possibility of him returning to life?

Perhaps it was just that he had been thinking about it during the day, which is why he dreamed about it at night.

He even dreamed about esoteric Buddhism.

"It's a long story for a child without a mother." Upon seeing his master's expression change slightly, he stroked his beard and changed the subject. "But I have a mother, so I'll keep it short."

Grandmaster: "..."

Through Zhang Siwo's vivid description, the grandmaster finally understood the situation of the past few days.

The esoteric sect had searched both the human and demon realms but found nothing. As their anger grew, the group went to Minshan and found an unparalleled Venerable of the Selfless Realm. Using some unknown method, they managed to divine that she was currently in a place of utter desolation.

"It's really strange. They were making a big fuss about finding the key to the Abyss, but this morning, some of their followers suddenly withdrew and went to the human world. Even that saintess temporarily returned... But we don't know what she went there to do."

Zhang Siwo sized up his grandmaster's appearance, thinking to himself that he had been just as dashing in his youth, and couldn't help but ask, "What do you think of the other me?"

"..." The grandmaster pretended not to hear and continued to ask, "When they offered treasures to capture Lin Feiran alive, did any sects agree?"

Zhang Siwo nodded and then shook his head: "Nowadays, all the major sects with names and surnames are gathered in Beiyuan to discuss the removal of the ice pillars. They have no time to pay attention to the Secret Sect. But it's different for the other small sects and independent cultivators. Almost everyone has taken on the task."

The grandmaster nodded slightly, not surprised. With a thought, he asked, "Have you figured out a way to remove that ice pillar?"

Zhang Siwo remained silent for a long time, then suddenly realized something. He then cupped his hands in greeting and said, "So, Grandmaster entered our dream to remind us of this matter. May I ask what method we should use to remove it?"

"...I'm asking you."

Zhang Siwo immediately said, "This disciple is foolish and has no ideas. Please enlighten me, Grandmaster."

The grandmaster hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly, waved his hand, and turned to leave: "Remember, Lin Feiran is currently recuperating and is fine for the time being. He will be able to come out in a few days. There is no need to ask about anything else."

Before leaving, he sincerely tapped Zhang Siwo on the head to wake him up before disappearing from the scene.

Inside a snow hut, Zhang Siwo suddenly woke up, fell off the stool, and then looked at the other people in the hut.

"Finally awake?" Xie Kanhua said expressionlessly. "The situation is urgent right now, and Lin Feiran is nowhere to be found. You're really carefree; you can still sleep."

"No, no, no, I dreamt of my grandmaster again," Zhang Siwo said in a daze. "I don't remember what he said very clearly, but he hit me and told me that Lin Feiran was safe and sound and would appear soon, so we shouldn't worry."

After saying this, he and the others looked at each other, then hesitated: "Perhaps it's because I've been thinking about it during the day that I'm dreaming about it at night."

Xie Kanhua plucked a string and played a note, but her gaze remained fixed on him as she said calmly, "No, you have a big bump on your head."

"The recent dream of our master is not a secret in the main sect, but we all know that our master has passed away and there is no trace of him in the Pilgrimage Valley. Everyone is guessing that a master must be using his appearance to do things, but we do not know who it is for the time being."

Another female cultivator in the room spoke up, unable to hold back her words.

"However, it's clear that this person is really annoyed with you."

Xie Kanhua got up and walked to the window, looking outside. A huge icicle stretched down from the sky.

“Lin Feiran is quite fortunate. Since this expert came specifically to inform us, the two must know each other. She should be safer than us for now. We should think about what the esoteric sect is going to do next.”

...

On the third day, the full moon still hung in the sky, and the sun did not rise in the Netherworld.

Lin Feiran spent three days refining the Vast Sea Deer Pill without eating or drinking, finally reducing it to the size of a grain of rice. When she opened her eyes again, a faint light flashed through her pupils. Although she hadn't changed, she felt completely refreshed.

She looked around. Her master was not by her side, and Wei Changzai was nowhere to be seen either. There was only a light blue paper umbrella hanging on a branch, as if it had been hanging there to shade her from the sun during the day.

However, it might be a bit unnecessary at the moment.

Lin Feiran's eyes darted around, looking at the ice patterns covering his entire body, and he dared not move for a moment.

Three days passed, and Ru Xian still hadn't woken up. However, the ice veins that had originally covered the peach tree seemed to have shrunk considerably, condensing into patches of ice patterns like spider webs. They no longer entangled the branches, but instead all wrapped around Lin Feiran.

The fabric was densely packed and crisscrossed, like a thin veil draped over the outside. But beneath the black robe, the shoulders, arms, back, and even the lower abdomen were completely covered and wrapped with it. With the slightest movement, one could feel that refreshing coolness.

Lin Feiran turned to look at Ru Xian. Although the movement was very small, the ice patterns hanging from her head shattered into dust in an instant and fell to the ground under the peach tree.

She froze, immediately calling out to her grandmaster, but received no response for a long time, and panic began to rise in her heart.

"Calm down, calm down!"

She spoke softly, then very slowly reached out and placed her hand on his wrist to check his pulse. She originally intended to take his pulse to examine him, but more ice patterns shattered because of this action, and a piece fell off immediately, like fine snowflakes falling.

Lin Feiran's hand immediately stopped halfway, caught in a dilemma. She couldn't help but whisper, "Ru Xian, Ru Xian, can you hear me?"

Although a flash of light appeared at his fingertips, he remained motionless. As Lin Feiran grew anxious, the still soft ice patterns on her shoulders spread downwards, covering her chest, as if sensing the rapid beating of his heart.

Lin Feiran noticed his reaction and quickly called his name repeatedly, which sounded like she was calling "Xian" all the time.

After several sounds, the person who had been turning his head slightly moved, and the hand that was resting on the peach petal slowly tightened. His snow-white hair fell loose with his movement, and after a moment, his blue eyes finally opened.

Lin Feiran was overjoyed and wanted to move closer, but dared not move. She could only say, "You're finally awake!"

For once, Ru Xian showed a hint of confusion and pause. He first looked at Lin Feiran, whose body was covered in frost, and after examining her for a few moments, he turned to look around. Perhaps because he had slept for too long, it took him a while to remember what had happened.

"Awake?" He rubbed his temples. "So that kind of herb had this effect on me. How long was I unconscious?"

He simply used the word "dizzy," which was very apt.

Lin Feiran immediately replied, "I've been here for three days."

As if leaning against a branch, Ru Xian, who was originally examining the spiritual veins, paused upon hearing this. Her glassy eyes turned around, and she suddenly asked, "During the days I was unconscious, you didn't speak to him alone, did you?"

Lin Feiran carefully brushed away the ice patterns in front of her. "We exchanged a few words, but only a few. I'm coming here to forge treasures right away. I only woke up recently."

Ru Xian was clearly much more satisfied. He relaxed his brows and looked at the ice patterns, then waved his hand away: "What are these? Frost condensed from spirit herbs? Why are they crawling everywhere... and even daring to get under your clothes?"

Lin Feiran paused, unsure how to begin. She couldn't very well say that these were all extensions of his spiritual consciousness that had suddenly crawled onto her body.

She coughed lightly and turned her gaze away: "It's probably because the cold energy from the spiritual medicine you used escaped, and since I was close to you, I climbed over here."

Seeing that Ru Xian had brushed away the ice patterns without any apparent change, she stopped standing there and instead patted away the ice shards, half-kneeling on the branch, leaning slightly forward, and reaching out her hand to him.

"Get up first. The branches are uneven, and your back must have been bruised."

Even without her saying it, he could feel the discomfort in his back. If he hadn't been surprised by the medicinal effects, he would never have chosen to refine it here.

Even a high bed and soft pillows aren't enough, let alone such rough branches.

Lin Feiran deserves praise for developing such awareness.

“There’s been progress.” He raised his eyebrows, used the momentum to stand up, and in an instant, the ice veins and large patches of ice patterns covering his back and body all shattered and fell off.

But along with it, his clothes, which had been frozen for a long time, were also shattered into dust and scattered.

"..."

When their eyes met, Lin Feiran blushed instantly.

Author's Note: [Heart emoji]