With Elder Qi Hua, a Title Douluo, releasing his soul pressure as they traversed the Frozen Forest, their journey was exceptionally safe—no foolish spirit beasts dared to attack them.
Throughout the trek, Ning Tianchen continuously sketched out a route map with a pencil.
Seeing this, Qi Hua chuckled and said, "Friend, don't take my earlier rebuttal to heart. Consider this detailed map of the Frozen Forest as my apology."
"This is too valuable," Ning Tianchen quickly declined.
If such an expensive gift were given for every disagreement, who would dare to speak up in the future?
Tian Guozhen explained, "The Frozen Forest isn't very large to begin with. Since humans began exploring the Extreme North Ice Plains, this forest has been thoroughly mapped. Thus, this detailed map isn't particularly precious."
"However, the topographical maps of the Extreme North Ice Plains are classified secrets of the Snow Mountain Sect and cannot be gifted. But along the way, you're free to draw your own route map—we won't stop you."
"Alright, thank you, Third Elder," Ning Tianchen accepted the map and quickly stored it in his spirit tool.
After leaving the forest, a vast expanse of white ice stretched before them.
In the distance, the farthest edge of the ice plains seemed to merge with the horizon. It appeared endless.
Just as they prepared to enter the ice plains, Ning Rongrong suddenly stopped and asked seriously, "Why have you brought us along into the Extreme North Ice Plains? Even if it's to make amends, you could simply compromise on certain aspects when our two sects begin cooperation. Why bring us here?"
The Extreme North Ice Plains were truly lawless lands. If someone were to kill here, not only would the outside world remain unaware, but even centuries later, their bodies might never be found.
With a Title Douluo like Elder Qi Hua overseeing this exploration team, Ning Rongrong couldn't help but remain vigilant.
Ning Tianchen gradually realized the gravity of the situation—the Snow Mountain Sect's intentions weren't pure.
Though he had an acute sensitivity to killing intent, he hadn't detected any from them, which had led him to overlook this issue.
If there were treasures in the Extreme North Ice Plains, Tian Guozhen and his group alone wouldn't be able to carry them all. The Snow Mountain Sect could easily send more people instead of specifically bringing them along.
After all, no one ever complained about having too many rare treasures—only a fool would willingly share them with others.
Tian Guozhen smiled. "Your vigilance is commendable. It seems it's time to tell you the truth."
"Our journey isn't entirely for exploration or training—it's primarily to investigate the Eighteenth Ancient Ruins."
The numbering of the ruins followed the order in which they were discovered by the Snow Mountain Sect.
The Eighteenth Ancient Ruins was the eighteenth ancient site they had uncovered.
On the continent, many Title Douluo-level powerhouses, nearing the end of their lives, would venture into unknown territories in search of opportunities.
If they found such an opportunity, they could break through once more and extend their lifespans.
The mystery of the Extreme North Ice Plains was deeply ingrained in everyone's minds, so most powerhouses chose to explore it before their deaths.
But reality was harsh. Very few powerhouses managed to find opportunities and breakthroughs in the Extreme North Ice Plains—most perished within.
Some powerhouses, nearing the end of their lives, would construct temporary shelters for themselves and quietly await death.
"Thousands of years ago, before soul tool technology was lost on the Douluo Continent, it was highly advanced and widely used. These powerhouses, in their final days, would seal their last dwellings with soul tools, awaiting the arrival of fate-chosen individuals."
Qi Hua explained, "Generally speaking, these ancient ruins contain the lifetime treasures of a Title Douluo, which can be immensely beneficial to lower-level soul masters. However, this isn't guaranteed. In some ancient ruins that are too old, most items may have become ineffective or turned to dust. Thus, no one knows what lies inside until the ruins are opened."
"Our target this time—the Eighteenth Ancient Ruins—has been repeatedly investigated by our sect elders. It's a ruin constructed roughly fifty thousand years ago. Most of its contents should still be intact, making it highly valuable for exploration."
"But, this ruin is sealed by powerful soul tools. Only those under thirty years old with soul power above Level 50 are qualified to enter."
"We don't know how many dangers lie within, but among our sect members, only Guozhen and the other two meet the qualifications and capabilities to explore the Eighteenth Ancient Ruins. Yesterday, during the sect meeting, we proposed allowing you to enter to ensure the smooth progress of this expedition."
Tian Guozhen generously added, "Our Snow Mountain Sect doesn't need much. Any remaining treasures found within the ruins will belong to you."
Originally, the Snow Mountain Sect hadn't planned to explore the Eighteenth Ancient Ruins. Instead, they intended to wait for Tian Ruyang to break through his soul power limits and forcibly open the ruins.
But after all these years, Tian Ruyang showed no signs of breaking through.
The arrival of Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong prompted them to restart their exploration of the Eighteenth Ancient Ruins.
With a clear objective now in mind, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong finally relaxed.
"As for the specifics, we'll follow your lead," Ning Tianchen said. "However, we've never explored ancient ruins before and lack experience. We might not perform well."
Tian Chao reassured them with a smile. "Don't worry—with us around, we won't encounter major problems. You two just need to assist us."
The location of the Eighteenth Ancient Ruins required venturing deep into the Extreme North Ice Plains—a journey of nearly a month on foot.
However, the upcoming blizzards would significantly slow their progress, likely extending the journey to at least a month and a half.
Choosing to enter the Extreme North Ice Plains in winter had its reasons.
The soul tools maintaining the ruins only allowed entry during winter. In summer, the only option would be to forcefully breach it.
…
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, over a month had gone by.
The letter Ning Rongrong wrote was sent to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect via courier upon reaching Snowfield Town.
After such a long time, the letter finally arrived at the sect.
Seeing the signature and sender on the envelope, Ning Fengzhi immediately recognized it as a letter from Ning Rongrong.
Upon opening it and reading the contents, he became visibly unsettled.
"Someone, go to the Seven Treasures Academy and invite President Ke here."
Immediately afterward, Ning Fengzhi summoned Sword and Bone Douluos to convene in the main hall for discussion.
Meanwhile, Ke Jie, upon receiving the summons, hurried back to the sect from the Seven Treasures Academy.
Just yesterday, he had completed the enrollment procedures for Hong Xinyue, and the collaboration with the Hong family was about to proceed smoothly.
Ning Fengzhi urgently recalling him made him suspect that the collaboration plans might face complications.
Inside the main hall
Ning Fengzhi and the others were passionately discussing the contents of the letter.
Upon seeing Ke Jie arrive, Ning Fengzhi asked, "Uncle Ke, how's the academic exchange competition progressing?"
Ke Jie replied, "Everything is going smoothly. I've contacted several old friends, and they've all agreed to attend. I've decided to hold the academic exchange conference just before the next Soul Master Tournament begins."
"At that time, a large number of soul masters will flood into Tiandou City, greatly boosting the event's influence."
Ning Fengzhi nodded and handed Ning Rongrong's letter to him.
After reviewing it, Ke Jie exclaimed in surprise, "The Snow Mountain Sect intends to emerge from seclusion and establish cooperation with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"
What exactly did Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong do to convince a secluded sect to abandon its seclusion?
Or was the Snow Mountain Sect already planning to emerge, and their visit coincidentally aligned with this decision?
Ning Fengzhi handed him another page of the letter.
After reading it, Ke Jie immediately understood.
In the letter, Ning Rongrong meticulously detailed every word Ning Tianchen had spoken and the reactions of the Snow Mountain Sect members.
It could be said that Ning Tianchen single-handedly facilitated this collaboration and the Snow Mountain Sect's emergence.
"Uncle Ke, have you ever heard of the theory Tianchen mentioned?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Ke Jie thought for a moment and replied, "I specialize in soul master theories. Matters related to livelihoods and miscellaneous subjects aren't my forte. However, the unwritten rule against close-relative marriages has existed on the continent for a long time. Everyone follows it, but no one truly understands the reasoning behind it."
Gu Rong asked, "Tianchen used martial soul inheritance as an example. Old Ke, have you researched this?"
Confident in his expertise on martial soul theory, Ke Jie responded, "I haven't specifically studied this, but based on the data I've gathered, his theory is correct. Offspring from close-relative marriages have a high probability of experiencing malignant mutations in their martial souls."
"For example, in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, the Lady Wife of Yu Yuanzhen shared a blood relation with her husband, resulting in their eldest son, Yu Xiaotian, awakening the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul but with only four levels of innate soul power. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang's martial soul underwent a malignant mutation."
"Additionally, Liu Erlong, Yu Luomian's illegitimate daughter, avoided close-relative marriage, and her Fire Dragon martial soul inherited the strengths of both parents."
Ke Jie's explanation was logical and evidence-based, leaving no room to doubt the validity of Ning Tianchen's theory.
Chen Xin calmly remarked, "So, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family's gradual decline is due to internal intermarriage?"
Ke Jie pondered for a moment and gave an affirmative response. "This theory requires observing several generations to fully verify. But based on current examples, there's no doubt that this theory is correct."
"Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng's parents didn't marry close relatives, resulting in the birth of these twin stars of the Blue Lightning family. However, according to the family records, their talents were considered below average during the peak era of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family."
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was hailed as the strongest beast-type martial soul, a position that had never been challenged, proving the immense strength of their ancestors.
However, over the past century, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family mysteriously declined. Neither internal nor external forces could pinpoint the exact reason, attributing it to the natural cycle of rise and fall.
Now, with Ning Tianchen's theory, the reasons behind the rise and fall of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family were finally explained.
As an auxiliary soul master sect, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had largely avoided this issue by encouraging its disciples to marry outsiders, thereby preventing such problems.
Thus, Ning Fengzhi and the others could still calmly sit and discuss the matter.
"It seems that because of the supportive nature of the Seven Treasures Pagoda martial soul, we inadvertently avoided this flaw," Ning Fengzhi remarked with a sense of relief.
"What a pity that the Seven Treasures Pagoda martial soul is restricted by its nature and cannot break through to the Soul Douluo level. Otherwise, I even believe that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect should have produced a Title Douluo-level auxiliary soul master long ago."
Ke Jie asked, "Master Ning, should we inform the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family about this matter? By resolving the hidden threat to their sect's legacy, reaching an agreement of unity between the two sects would be much easier."
Gu Rong sneered, "What a shame. If they hadn't laid their hands on Tianchen and Rongrong, we would've undoubtedly informed them of this crucial discovery. But since they committed such acts, all possibility of cooperation between our two sects has been severed. As for whether they live or die—what does it have to do with us? Without the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, the Snow Mountain Sect can just take their place among the top three sects."
Though Ning Fengzhi didn't voice his opinion, he silently agreed with Gu Rong's suggestion.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family was unwilling to unite with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—they didn't need to keep pushing for a cold reception.
Moreover, the Snow Mountain Sect was about to collaborate with them. A powerful sect with four Title Douluo was far more valuable to court than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family.
After a brief silence, Ning Fengzhi quickly made arrangements: "Uncle Ke, continue preparing for the academic exchange conference. It must go smoothly. During this time, Uncle Bone, work harder to keep track of the Snow Mountain Sect envoy's movements. The moment they arrive near Tiandou City, ensure they're welcomed into the sect immediately."
Chen Xin needed to enter seclusion during this period, so the task of hosting guests fell solely on Gu Rong's shoulders.
…
On the Extreme North Ice Plains
Since entering winter, the storms on the ice plains had almost never ceased.
As they ventured deeper, the days grew shorter, with less than an hour of sunrise each day.
According to Tian Chao, in the deeper parts of the ice plains, perpetual night would occur—the sun wouldn't rise at all.
After a long journey, Qi Hua led the group to stop atop an icy peak.
He pointed to a depression in the snowy ground ahead and laughed heartily, "There's an underground cave over there. Ancient Ruins No. 18 is inside."
After traveling for so long, Ning Rongrong was utterly exhausted and weakly said, "Can we rest for a bit? I'm out of energy."
Tian Chao nodded. "We've come quite far. Let's descend to the leeward slope and take a break."
Ning Tianchen couldn't help but interrupt, "With such a steep slope, why not just slide down?"
In his previous life, he had gone skiing a few times. The slope of this snowy mountain was every skier's dream.
Tian Guozhen shook his head and explained, "The slope is too long. Sliding down would soak our clothes, and controlling speed would be difficult. If you lose control midway, you'll end up rolling into a snowball, and there'd be no way to stop."
Ning Tianchen sighed, "Do you not have skis? Walking down would waste so much time!"
"What are skis?"
Tian Guozhen and the others looked puzzled.
Ning Tianchen raised his eyebrows.
He hadn't expected that the Snow Mountain Sect, which frequently operated on the ice plains, hadn't thought of skis?
He asked Qi Hua for some sturdy wood, laid them flat, and securely fastened them together. A simple ski board resembling a raft was soon completed.
Ning Tianchen had considered making a dual-ski sled, as it would've been simpler.
But untrained people could easily fall while using dual skis, so a single-board design would be easier to operate.
"Only three?" Tian Guozhen questioned. "Two people squeezing onto one board—it's too short, isn't it? We're not short on firewood. Why not make a few more?"
Ning Tianchen glanced at him and smiled faintly, "If you can fly, why bother skiing?"
With that, the Seven Kill Sword appeared beneath his feet. He and Ning Rongrong stood on it together and shot down the snowy slope.
Using the Seven Kill Sword to glide close to the ground and race down the slope was an exhilarating experience.
Qi Hua laughed, "I can fly too. You three better not fall behind."
With that, he quickly caught up to Ning Tianchen's pace.
Tian Guozhen and the others exchanged glances.
Using the ski boards would prevent them from rolling down the mountain. Though reluctant, to increase their travel speed, they all sat on the ski boards and slid down the slope.
…
Not long after, everyone regrouped at the entrance to the underground cave.
Notably, Tian Guocheng failed to brake his ski board in time. Just as he was about to crash into the mountain, he attempted an emergency stop.
However, the makeshift ski board couldn't withstand the force and disintegrated during braking, sending him crashing directly into a nearby rock.
Fortunately, his robust physique prevented injury, but he inevitably became the butt of everyone's jokes.
The cave entrance was located on the leeward side. Upon entering, they immediately felt significantly warmer.
Qi Hua pointed deeper into the cave. "Ancient Ruins No. 18 is at the farthest end of this cave. Use torches for light and watch your step—you might fall into a crevice."
"This underground area has a complex system of caves. One misstep could send you plummeting into them. If you get stuck in a narrow passage, others won't be able to rescue you."
Ning Tianchen suggested, "Everyone tie ropes around themselves and form a single-file line. If someone falls into a crevice, we can pull them back up with the rope and avoid them falling further."
Everyone agreed with his idea.
Ning Tianchen, who possessed flight abilities, held a torch and walked at the front.
Each person followed about ten meters apart, with Qi Hua walking at the rear, ready to assist anyone in need.
"Be careful," Tian Chao, standing behind Ning Tianchen, warned. "Such natural caves are perfect for spirit beasts to hibernate. There may be spirit beasts inside."
Ning Tianchen chuckled in response, "This cave isn't very large. Spirit beasts over ten thousand years old would need to crawl to enter. Aside from snake-type spirit beasts, other types don't like squeezing into narrow spaces. And given the temperatures of the Extreme North Ice Plains, snake-type spirit beasts can't survive here. So rest assured."
Spirit beasts below ten thousand years posed no threat to him.
And ten-thousand-year-old spirit beasts were intelligent enough to know that caves could become territories of other spirit beasts. Why would they risk squeezing in?
If they got stuck, wouldn't they just become prey for other spirit beasts?
Tian Chao was taken aback. "What you say makes sense. Who did you learn these theories from?"
Ning Tianchen replied, "Soul master theories on the continent are constantly being updated. Without interacting with the outside world, how could you possibly know the latest developments in soul master theory?"
From the back, Qi Hua laughed. "True. Learning promotes progress. After our sect emerges, we'll need a long period of systematic learning."
Though the Beast Academy was funded by them, Snow Mountain Sect disciples rarely entered to study.
It wasn't until the Soul Master Tournament that they sent some disciples to join the academy teams.
Without regular study, relying only on the few days spent in the team, how could they develop a solid theoretical foundation?
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