Qing Xuanzi kept adjusting his flight direction, trying to determine the location of the great spiritual vein by sensing the strength of spiritual energy.
However, the snow country's mountain range is vast and the distribution of spiritual energy is complex, making it no easy task to find a major spiritual vein.
After flying for two hours, Zi Ling had already entered the inland mountains and was far away. As evening approached, they found a mountaintop to rest.
The next day they continued their journey, but after searching for more than a month in the deep mountains of the snow country, they not only failed to find any unclaimed spiritual veins or spirit stone mines, but also discovered that the righteous and evil factions in the snow country were locked in a fierce battle.
They often saw cultivators from both the righteous and evil factions fiercely battling in the mountains and valleys. The fighting methods of both sides were endless, and the collision of elemental forces caused the earth to tremble, and the sky was often torn apart with cracks.
"Master, the situation in the Snow Kingdom seems to be more complicated than we imagined," Rong Jiaojiao said with a frown. She looked at the aftershocks of the battle in the distance and couldn't help but feel worried.
Qing Xuanzi also looked solemn: "Yes, the righteous and evil factions in the Snow Kingdom have been fighting for hundreds of years. The two sides are evenly matched and have won and lost against each other. If we are not careful to get involved, we may be in an extremely dangerous situation."
"Then what should we do?" Rong Jiaojiao asked.
Qing Xuanzi pondered for a moment and said, "Let's temporarily avoid these fighting areas and search in more remote mountainous areas. Perhaps there will be some unclaimed spiritual veins or spiritual herbs there, and it will be relatively safer."
Rong Jiaojiao nodded; safety was the most important thing right now.
Zi Ling took flight again, carrying everyone towards a more remote mountainous region.
Along the way, they carefully avoided the battlegrounds between the good and evil factions, and tried to fly in places with few people.
However, the mountain ranges of the Snow Country were far too vast, and the distribution of spiritual energy was extremely complex, making the search for unclaimed spiritual veins far more difficult than they had anticipated.
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and they still hadn't gained anything.
That evening, Zi Ling led everyone to land in a valley covered in ice and snow.
The towering cliffs surrounding the valley seem to completely isolate this area from the outside world.
A chilling aura permeated the valley, sending shivers down one's spine.
Qing Xuanzi frowned, carefully sensing the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuations.
However, there was no trace of any spiritual vein here, and even ordinary spiritual herbs were hard to find.
"Master, there seems to be nothing here," Rong Jiaojiao said with some disappointment.
Qing Xuanzi nodded: "That's true. The spiritual energy in this valley is extremely thin, so it will probably be difficult to find what we're looking for."
"So what do we do next?" Rong Jiaojiao asked.
Qing Xuanzi pondered for a moment and said, "Let's continue deeper into the mountains. The Snow Country's mountains are so vast, there's bound to be something we're looking for."
Rong Jiaojiao nodded.
Zi Ling flapped her wings again and flew with everyone towards the depths of the valley.
However, at that moment, a deep roar suddenly came from the depths of the valley, as if some powerful creature was awakening.
Qing Xuanzi's expression changed, and he quickly told Zi Ling to stop. He listened carefully to the roar, his brows furrowing: "This is some kind of powerful magical beast!"
After sensing for a while, Rong Jiaojiao said, "Master, I feel there is an opportunity, but also a life-threatening one."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi replied without hesitation, "Leave this place."
However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than a deafening roar suddenly echoed from the depths of the valley, and an ice peak collapsed with a crash.
Amidst the boundless snow and ice, the phantom of a crystal palace, sparkling and translucent, was revealed.
Above the palace gate hung a tattered plaque with two characters faintly visible, but they were not from the Dragon Kingdom and neither the master nor his disciple recognized them.
"This is...ancient ruins!" Yue Ling exclaimed in her divine sense, "No wonder I sensed unusual spatial fluctuations!"
Before they could make a move, the valley echoed with the sounds of fighting, as black elemental energy intertwined with various colored energies, the residual power shaking the surrounding area.
A battle of this magnitude would involve at least several experts at the Celestial Master level. The master and disciple exchanged a glance and left quietly, feeling helpless.
After getting away from the battle area, Rong Jiaojiao asked Qing Xuanzi somewhat discouragedly, "Master, didn't you say there's a great spiritual vein in the rainforest? Why don't we go there?"
Qing Xuanzi said, "That place isn't safe either; all the good spots are occupied by high-level demonic beasts."
Rong Jiaojiao said, "Let's not provoke powerful monsters. We're getting impatient watching these people fight to the death every day."
Qing Xuanzi asked, "Are you really going?"
Rong Jiaojiao nodded: "Master, do you know how to get there?"
Qing Xuanzi took out a yellowed sea chart from his storage bag and traced his finger along the winding coastline: "At our current speed, it will take three months to fly southeast from here. After three months, we will pass through a dangerous sea area known as the 'Sea of Mist.' After passing through the mist, we will reach the southern rainforest."
Qing Xuanzi put away the sea chart, his expression growing increasingly solemn. He said in a deep voice, "However, the Sea of Mist is shrouded in eerie mist all year round, which is said to distort even divine sense."
“Countless seniors at the Celestial Master level have mistakenly entered it, and some have not even been able to get out. According to records, one of our seniors was trapped there for a full ten years before he managed to escape.”
Upon hearing this, Rong Jiaojiao's eyes flashed with a glint of light: "Master, I am extremely sensitive to spatial fluctuations, which may help us avoid dangerous areas."
"Moreover, I also have the ability to foresee danger. As long as we don't encounter powerful monsters, we should be able to manage."
Zi Ling suddenly shook her purple fur and let out a clear chirp, which entered the minds of the two of them: "And me, I have the Eye of Insight, I can definitely avoid danger."
Qing Xuanzi clapped his hands and laughed: "It seems that each member of our team has their own strengths. In that case, let's set off first thing tomorrow morning."
Rong Jiaojiao nodded: "Besides, we might be able to travel from high altitudes, or at the very least, we can bypass the foggy sea area, right?"
"Okay, it's decided then."
The next morning, the three of them stood on Zi Ling's back and sped off towards the southeast.
Purple lightning wings pierced the sky, and the sea beneath their feet transformed into flowing azure silk.
The first half-month voyage was calm and peaceful, with only the salty sea breeze carrying tiny waves that condensed into white frost on the spiritual energy shield.
When Rong Jiaojiao wasn't flying her sword, she would sit cross-legged on Zi Ling's neck, her divine sense spreading out like a spider web, capturing every subtle tremor in the space.
Qing Xuanzi always held a compass, condensing spiritual energy threads at his fingertips to repeatedly compare the sea chart with the actual location to ensure there were no errors.
They would stop and explore whenever they came across an island, and if there wasn't one, they would rest and continue on their way.
More than three months later, when the sky began to turn an eerie bluish-gray, they knew they had arrived in the Fog Sea region.
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