Chapter 414: Frozen Three Thousand Miles

"Where's the Soul Searching Stone?" the old man asked, looking at Zhongshan.

"It's with the commander!" Zhongshan replied promptly. Mr. Shi swiftly retrieved a Soul Searching Stone from the recently deceased giant in his arms.

The old man held it in his hand, examining it before nodding.

"And the Heart of the People?" the old man asked again.

"It's with me!" Mr. Shi immediately responded.

"Good. In two days, you will accompany me to headquarters," the old man said calmly.

"But..." Zhongshan hesitated, a hint of worry in his voice.

"Both of you are in the Yuan Ying stage. When we arrive at headquarters, you will certainly be valued. Just call me Zhao Lao," the old man said.

"Zhao Lao, I'm concerned about how many people from the Immortal Realm there might be. We saw around thirty initially, but there could be more. Our Demon Legion is spread out; they could also be in scattered groups. Are we in danger?" Zhongshan asked anxiously.

Zhao Lao glanced unexpectedly at Zhongshan and said, "Don't overthink it. Just listen to me."

"Yes!" Zhongshan immediately agreed—

Several days later, Beiqingsi and a group of Immortal Realm individuals, having also subdued another minor commander captured by the Zhong family's army, arrived at the valley where Zhongshan had been a few days earlier.

"No one here!" several Immortal Realm people said coldly, looking at the minor commander.

"This time, among the six branches of the Immortal Realm, four branches have sent people to search for the Demon Legion. Our Water Branch has over thirty people, but the other three branches have many more. They won't have gone far," another person said.

"Although the four branches are undergoing the trial simultaneously, we won't know who completes the mission until the end," the previous person added.

"We must find them quickly."

"I think they're heading towards headquarters," Beiqingsi suddenly spoke up.

"Sister's words are wise."

"Yes, Sister and I were thinking the same."

... The crowd echoed in agreement, while Beiqingsi furrowed her brow. Knowing that as a descendant of immortals and possessing a unique physique, she was highly sought after even in the Immortal Realm. Not long ago, a senior brother had even pursued her, but Beiqingsi knew her heart no longer belonged to herself.

"Where have they gone?" everyone suddenly stared at the minor commander.

"I know a place. It might be where they're headed. The Blissful Pure Land had once surrounded us, and we took that path," the minor commander said cautiously.

"Then lead us there!" several Immortal Realm people exclaimed, their eyes stern.

"Yes!"

Soon, the minor commander led the group along a special route, following the footsteps of Zhongshan and his party.

Long-distance flight? Zhao Lao wasn't foolish. After Zhongshan's reminder, he was naturally cautious. This group of nearly two hundred people activated their Divine Seals, including his fifty subordinates, totaling two hundred and fifty people. Flying high in the sky could easily attract attention. The Soul Searching Stones were filled with souls, unable to be stored in storage bracelets. A simple scan of divine awareness would reveal them, so sticking to the ground was the safer option.

Among this group with activated Divine Seals, cultivation levels varied. High-ranking members like Zhongshan and Mr. Shi were in the Yuan Ying stage, while lower-ranking ones were only at the early Golden Core stage.

Following Zhao Lao, the group arrived at a dock. There, a large ship awaited them, overlooking a vast expanse of blue waves—an inland sea!

"Ahem~~~"

Zhao Lao suddenly coughed, taking out a silk handkerchief to cover his mouth. A trace of blood stained the cloth before he casually tossed it aside.

"Board the ship!" Zhao Lao commanded.

The others looked at him with slight confusion, nodded, and jumped onto the large boat together.

Powered by magic, the ship swiftly sailed across the water.

Everyone was assigned different accommodations. However, Zhongshan found Zhao Lao.

"Zhao Lao, are you alright?" Zhongshan asked with slight concern. After all, Zhao Lao had just coughed up blood at the dock.

Glancing unexpectedly at Zhongshan, Zhao Lao replied, "I'm fine."

"Zhao Lao, is your lifespan nearing its end?" Zhongshan worriedly asked. He had noticed Zhao Lao showing signs of weakening, the so-called 'Five Signs of Decay'.

Zhao Lao's pupils constricted as he coldly stared at Zhongshan.

"Zhao Lao, although General Zhong has just regained consciousness, we were both captured by the Legion of Demonic Oppression during our cultivation journey and had divine imprints planted in us. Unlike those cultivated from a young age, I still long for immortality," Zhongshan revealed with bitterness.

Zhao Lao glanced at Zhongshan, pondering his own situation, and sighed softly.

"Zhao Lao, I have something I'm not sure I should say," Zhongshan continued.

"Oh?" Zhao Lao looked at Zhongshan.

"I can see that Zhao Lao is already showing signs of the Five Signs of Decay. Your ability to handle things is strong, so they still rely on you. But after this trip to headquarters, will there still be a chance for Zhao Lao?" Zhongshan said.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Lao squinted at Zhongshan.

"They want us to use the Soul Stone to extract souls. Zhao Lao knows that the higher the cultivation, the more nourishing the soul becomes. Your cultivation is higher than mine. Your soul..." Zhongshan stopped halfway, implying that Zhao Lao's lifespan was nearing its end, and his soul would surely be respectfully offered to their master.

Zhao Lao clenched his fist, staring coldly at Zhongshan. "What are you trying to say?"

"I just want to ask Zhao Lao for advice. Everyone has a divine imprint. I don't think these imprints are very precious; otherwise, why would everyone have them? Yet they are so miraculous, each activation increasing one's realm without any side effects. Why is that?" Zhongshan asked Zhao Lao earnestly.

Zhao Lao looked at Zhongshan, a bitter smile crossing his face as he sighed softly.

"Zhao Lao, General Zhong sincerely wants to know," Zhongshan said.

Shaking his head, Zhao Lao's initial hostility had already dissipated, replaced by a sense of melancholy. After a moment of silence, Zhao Lao spoke, "No side effects? Unlike the Dissolution **, which consumes bodily energy, the divine imprint... "

A pained expression flickered across Zhao Lao's face. "Each use of the divine imprint consumes lifespan."

"Lifespan?" Zhongshan's eyes widened.

"Guess how old I am?" Zhao Lao looked at Zhongshan.

"Zhao Lao, your cultivation must surpass mine. You must be over a thousand years old, right?" Zhongshan asked.

"I am seven hundred and forty-two years old this year," Zhao Lao sighed and shook his head.

"Isn't the lifespan during the integration period supposed to be sixteen hundred years? Zhao Lao, how..." Zhongshan exclaimed in shock.

"There are gains and losses. Joining the Legion of Demonic Oppression means a lifetime of loyalty to the master. Otherwise, without an antidote every year, you will burst and die," Zhao Lao said solemnly.

"But Zhao Lao, are you really willing?" Zhongshan stared at Zhao Lao, as if trying to persuade him to cooperate in the future.

The large ship sailed towards the open sea, leaving the previous dock behind.

Under the leadership of the junior commander, Bei Qingsi and others had already flown nearby. Suddenly, the junior commander stopped at a grassy area and reached down to pick up a silk handkerchief.

"This is Zhao Lao's handkerchief, yes, it's theirs. The bloodstains on it haven't dried yet. We've found them!" the junior commander exclaimed immediately.

"Where are they?"

"They should have boarded the ship. Um, over there, that should be the ship," the junior commander quickly pointed out.

Everyone looked towards the small boat in the distance, barely the size of a sesame seed.

"I wonder if there are formidable people on the ship. Junior Sister, stand behind me," a man reached out towards Bei Qingsi.

Bei Qingsi's eyes chilled as she twisted away from his salty hands.

The man awkwardly smiled. The others looked at him with disdain, as everyone here was keenly aware of Bei Qingsi's presence; he was certainly bold.

Bei Qingsi glanced at the group, furrowing her brows slightly. She sighed, "Brothers, you've always been the ones taking action before. Let me handle it this time."

"Huh? Junior Sister, those people are ruthless killers."

"Yeah, Junior Sister, you have the lowest cultivation here. We must protect your safety."

"Maybe we shouldn't!"

The group all tried to intervene in front of Bei Qingsi.

Bei Qingsi shook her head and walked towards the edge of the dock.

The others followed closely. They absolutely could not let Bei Qingsi get hurt; not only did they want her approval, but the Water Lineage's prominent figures had instructed them upon leaving to ensure Bei Qingsi remained unharmed. Losing the first spot among the Four Lineages was inconsequential, but Bei Qingsi mustn't be injured. Her future was critical to the Water Lineage, being descended from Immortals and possessing the Kan Ding body. Becoming an Immortal wasn't too hard.

Bei Qingsi squatted lightly by the edge of the dock, confusing the others with her actions.

With her right hand plunged into the water, Bei Qingsi gently waved it. The group was puzzled. Why was Junior Sister playing with water?

Just as they wondered, a faint white light spilled from Bei Qingsi's palm.

"Crackle, crackle, crackle..."

Within the half-meter circle of Bei Qingsi's palm, the water turned white, while just beyond half a meter, ice suddenly began forming.

"Crackle, crackle, crackle~~~~~"

Terrifying ice, more and more of it, rapidly spread from the dock towards the sea.

With each sound of the ice compressing, in an instant, thousands of meters away, endless ice formed, tens of thousands of meters further away.

The ice wildly stretched into the distance. Within moments, the entire sea turned into ice, frozen for three thousand li.

The small ship in the distance was abruptly enveloped in a massive iceberg. Layer upon layer, it grew larger and larger.

The entire sea suddenly became an ice field. The air temperature plummeted, precipitating snow and ice. Just moments ago, the surging waves were now completely frozen—instantaneously frozen!

The group stared with gaping mouths, hearts chilled. Especially the man who had reached out earlier, staring at his own palm, an involuntary shiver creeping up his spine.

Was this still the little Junior Sister we were supposed to protect? Their expressions were petrified in terror.

Frozen for three thousand li? Frozen for three thousand li? Was she still in the integration period? How did she make it look so effortless?