Rival meets rival

Inside the main hall, on the huge star map, two ancient ruins marked with dangerous red light were particularly glaring.

A Northern Ming ruin located in the frigid north.

A demonic abyss located in the westernmost part of the world, where malevolent energy soars to the heavens.

These two locations are clues that Xie Chen deduced at the risk of backlash. They are the key to sealing the Heavenly Judgment Sword, and the clues to the Heaven-Sealing Stele are likely hidden in these two perilous places.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on the two people with chilling auras.

Before he could speak, Ye Wuyang had already taken a step forward, his body radiating a chilling aura that caused the elders beside him to instinctively pull their robes tighter. He said without room for doubt, "The Northern Underworld Ruins are compatible with my cultivation method. I will go."

Almost the instant his words fell, another resolute voice rang out: "The Western Demon Abyss is a place where sword and evil clash, which is perfect for me to break with my sword. I'm going." Shen Yunzhou stood with his sword in his arms, his eyes sharp.

Their gazes met in mid-air, and instantly, the temperature in the hall plummeted, as if invisible ice blades and sword energy were fiercely clashing. Even Ji Qianqiu, standing to the side, shrank back and muttered under his breath, "My goodness, these two ice clowns are at it again..."

Fang Qingyu, seated in the main seat, saw everything clearly and understood it perfectly.

He knew that these two were exceptionally strong, both among the best of the Immortal Lords, but each was more aloof than the other. If they acted separately, although they could perform to their full potential, he feared that they would be unable to carry the load alone.

He hesitated for a moment, then made his decision and made a firm decision in a deep voice:

"In that case... Wuyang and Yunzhou, you two will go to Beiming together, looking out for each other. You must investigate the truth of the ruins and find clues to the Sealing Heaven Stele." He turned his gaze to his eager son beside him, "Yan'er, you will lead the team to the Western Demon Abyss, along with Qianqiu and Xiechen. Split into two groups and make it quick!"

"Yes, Father, Uncle!" they all replied in unison.

Ye Wuyang and Shen Yunzhou exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of reluctance in each other's eyes. However, prioritizing the overall situation, they both snorted coldly, tacitly agreeing to the forced team-up arrangement.

The journey from the Li Yuan Realm to the Bei Ming Ruins was agonizing.

Ye Wuyang maintained a half-body lead, his dark figure weaving through the chaotic air currents like a cold arrow, freezing even the drifting dust in his wake. Shen Yunzhou followed leisurely behind, his sword aura subdued.

Several days passed, and the two exchanged no more than three sentences.

The Northern Darkness is a land of bitter cold year-round, with endless ice plains and towering glaciers as far as the eye can see, and howling winds whip up countless ice crystals. Ordinary immortal cultivators here would likely find even the circulation of their immortal energy sluggish.

Two streaks of light swept across the sky and landed in front of a huge crevasse surrounded by glaciers.

Shen Yunzhou gazed at the bottomless ice crevice ahead and suddenly spoke, his voice calm yet tinged with a hint of provocation: "Night Immortal Venerable's cultivation technique is extremely cold, which suits this environment well, making things convenient. I just hope it doesn't freeze the clues we find." His words implied that the other party's extreme cold power might damage any fragile ancient books or jade slips that might exist in the ruins.

Without turning his head, Ye Wuyang had already spread his divine sense to investigate the situation in the valley. Hearing this, he sneered and retorted, "No need for Sword God Chen to trouble himself. Ice can also seal all things and preserve them from decay. However, your sword intent is too fierce. When you investigate, I hope you will restrain yourself and not disturb the restrictions of the ruins, which would only cause more trouble."

Shen Yunzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone remaining calm: "It's still better than some people... who only know how to freeze the world, remain stagnant, and have no way to break the deadlock."

Ye Wuyang paused almost imperceptibly, his tone suddenly turning even colder: "By brute force to break the deadlock is a inferior method. Li'er... she has never liked her." He abruptly mentioned Fang Li, precisely targeting Shen Yunzhou's weak spot.

Shen Yunzhou's breath hitched slightly, his eyes grew even colder, and he finally let out a cold snort: "...Hmph." He gripped his sword tightly and said nothing more.

After a brief exchange, the two remained in a suffocating silence, then, one after the other, they transformed into two afterimages and plunged into the bottomless icy chasm.

The valley was even colder, the ice walls were as smooth as mirrors, reflecting a ghostly blue light, and countless ice ridges that had been frozen for years hung down like sharp teeth.

Just as the two had been deep in the Ice Rift Valley for nearly half a day and were about to reach a huge ice cave that appeared to be the entrance to a ruin, a sudden change occurred!

Without warning, dozens of twisted black shadows appeared on the surrounding ice walls, each exuding a cold and sharp aura, and their murderous intent soaring to the sky, instantly sealing off all escape routes!

The leader, clad in dark immortal armor, had his face hidden in the shadow of his helmet, revealing only his eyes. His aura was clearly at the mid-stage of the Immortal Lord realm! The other figures in black also possessed the cultivation of the early-stage Immortal Lord realm.

"Remnants of Chaos, halt and be executed!" A chilling voice echoed through the canyon, carrying an undeniable killing intent.

"Get in the way." Ye Wuyang's eyes turned cold, and the Ice Glass Sword was already drawn. Before the blade even arrived, the chill had already spread, and the ice field within a hundred miles instantly turned into a frigid domain. The air froze, and the movements of those early-stage Immortal Lord cultivators became extremely sluggish!

Almost simultaneously, Shen Yunzhou shouted, "Quickly finish this!" He transformed into a sword light, thrusting straight at the mid-stage Immortal Lord leader! The Frost Chant Sword emitted a clear and melodious dragon's roar, its sword energy condensed into a single, deadly technique, sharp and unparalleled!

For a moment, the freezing confinement and the annihilation strikes worked together with remarkable precision. Ye Wuyang's extreme cold domain perfectly restricted the movements of all enemies, creating an ideal environment for Shen Yunzhou's assassination. With each flash of Shen Yunzhou's sword, a nasty Immortal Lord cultivator sealed in ice was struck, their soul and spirit annihilated!

The leader, a mid-stage Immortal Lord, was both shocked and furious to see his subordinates being slashed like vegetables.

A cunning and sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and his hands rapidly formed hand seals, releasing a strange spiritual fluctuation!

The next moment, between Ye Wuyang and Shen Yunzhou, a phantom figure, identical to Fang Li in form, appearance, and even aura, appeared out of thin air. The phantom made a move as if to pounce on Ye Wuyang, looking pitiful and evoking sympathy.

However, behind this illusion, a deadly attack silently struck Shen Yunzhou in the back as he was clearing out enemies on the flank!

"You dare to impersonate her?! You're asking for death!"

Ye Wuyang's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his killing intent soared to the sky! He turned the Ice Glass Sword around and struck with fury, aiming directly at the real body of the mid-stage Immortal Lord leader! This illusion technique had touched his sore spot.

Almost at the same instant, Shen Yunzhou also flew into a rage: "To desecrate its form is a crime deserving of death!" He did not dodge or evade the insidious killing move that was coming at him. Instead, his sword intent of annihilation struck first, directly severing the source of the opponent's soul!

At this moment, all the rivalry between the two seemed to vanish. The two laws that should have been mutually exclusive were now perfectly integrated, like yin and yang merging together!

The icy tide of the Ice Crystal Sword opened a path for the Sword Intent of Annihilation, unleashing its power to the extreme; while the Sword Intent of Annihilation endowed the icy tide with the attribute of ending all things!

"No—!" The leader only had time to let out a short, desperate roar before his protective immortal light and the immortal armor on his body shattered like paper. He was blasted backward, blood splattering across the sky, and his aura instantly weakened to the extreme.

He barely managed to steady himself, glared venomously at the two men, and without hesitation crushed a blood-red talisman, transforming into a streak of blood-red light as he fled, abandoning even his subordinates. Seeing their leader's defeat, the remaining Immortal Court cultivators scattered like birds and beasts.

The formidable enemy retreated, and the icy valley returned to deathly silence, save for the howling of the cold wind. The lifelike phantom of Fang Li had long since vanished without a trace in the aftershocks of the combined sword strike.

Ye Wuyang and Shen Yunzhou stood facing each other, the perfect swordplay they had just displayed vanished instantly. Both reverted to their usual cold demeanor.

Ye Wuyang flicked his wrist, and the Ice Glass Sword silently returned to its sheath. He glanced coldly at Shen Yunzhou and said indifferently, "The reaction was acceptable." This was a barely acceptable assessment of the other party's response.

Shen Yunzhou also sheathed his sword, his face expressionless: "Likewise. Just next time, don't be so easily provoked by illusions and lose your composure." He was alluding to Ye Wuyang's earlier outburst of rage due to the illusion, which nearly caused him to lose his composure.

Ye Wuyang immediately retorted, "It's better than someone... who can't even see through illusions and needs others to remind them."

The two exchanged a glance, and ice crystals condensed in the air again. They then simultaneously snorted and looked away, their movements almost synchronized.

After this incident, although the two remained silent, they developed an inexplicable sense of harmony as they explored.

Soon, they discovered an ancient, sealed altar deep within the ice cave.

After breaking the seal, a huge, broken stele was found in the center of the altar.

There is a rubbing of half a stone slab on the stele.

The rubbing is made of neither gold nor jade, and it feels cool to the touch. It is covered with ancient runes and patterns.

Ye Wuyang ran his fingertips along the engravings on the rubbing, sensing the lingering aura of the seal within. He pondered, "The Heaven-Sealing Stele... its aura does indeed match the description, but it seems... not to be the original, but merely a rubbing, and it appears to have been dismantled." He carefully examined the runes. "Another part... the clue points to the Western Demon Abyss."

Shen Yunzhou also focused his senses and nodded in confirmation: "Yes, the auras are from the same source, and the direction is indeed the westernmost point. I hope things go smoothly with Fang Yan."

Ye Wuyang replied expressionlessly, "Send a message as soon as possible to avoid wasting our time."

Almost simultaneously, the two of them took out a communication jade talisman with perfect coordination, infused it with immortal essence, and a spiritual light shone forth. The message crossed the void and flew to the same person in the Li Yuan Secret Realm.

Ye Wuyang sent a message: "The matter in Beiming is over, all is well. I obtained half a rubbing, which points to the westernmost point. Do not worry."

Shen Yunzhou's message: "Junior sister, we have obtained the clues and everything is going smoothly. The Demon Abyss is treacherous, please be careful."

After sending the message, the two looked at each other again, a silent contest flashing in their eyes, before turning away and looking in different directions.