Chapter 48

After wandering in the glacial region for over ten days, An Ying still failed to find the Mystic Ice Python and finally became anxious.

A group of thirteen people, always gathered together to search for the Mystic Ice Python, was clearly not a wise idea.

During this period, the low-level first-grade spirit beasts in this glacial region had been hunted down by them to a large extent. In the following days, they found it increasingly difficult to encounter those low-level spirit beasts.

To improve efficiency, An Ying made a bold decision—to split up and search.

She, Pan Tao, and Zheng Rui all came from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and had signal sticks that could transmit messages.

Within ten miles, as long as they released a signal, everyone else could see it.

Therefore, after discussing with Pan Tao and Zheng Rui, she decided that the three of them would each lead a team to conduct a thorough search within a ten-mile radius for the Mystic Ice Python.

The weakest, Zheng Rui, first picked four team members, while she and Pan Tao each led three members, and they began to act separately.

Nie Tian, Jiang Miao, and a young man named Guo Qi were in Pan Tao's team.

Under Pan Tao's lead, the four chose a direction and set off, parting ways with An Ying and Zheng Rui.

As usual, Nie Tian, carrying a large amount of spirit beast meat, followed Pan Tao and the others, eating voraciously every day.

When it was time to rest, he immediately used the Qi Cultivation Technique to continue expanding his Spirit Sea.

In about ten days, he advanced from the sixth layer of Qi Cultivation to the seventh layer, which gave him a taste of the benefits.

Advancing from the seventh layer to the eighth layer required doubling the already doubled Spirit Sea.

This time, he set a goal of two months, planning to reach the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation within two months with the help of the spirit beast meat!

As for the search for the Mystic Ice Python, he had little interest and focused solely on his cultivation.

"Half a day has passed, and we are about seven miles away from An Ying and the others. But we haven't even encountered a single low-level spirit beast."

Pan Tao, who had carefully explored every ice cave of a small glacier, held a timing device and looked dejected.

"Brother Tao, maybe there are no spirit beasts in this area," Guo Qi said.

"I wonder how Sister An Ying and Brother Zheng are doing," Jiang Miao said softly.

At that moment, the four were sitting by the small glacier, feeling discouraged by their lack of success.

"They probably haven't found the Mystic Ice Python either. Otherwise, they would have released a signal long ago," Pan Tao sighed, shaking his head. "We've wasted too much time in this glacial region. Perhaps the Lingyun Sect and the Xuanwu Palace have already killed the other two second-grade spirit beasts."

"Brother Tao, Yuan Feng and his team from the Gray Valley entered the depths of the glacier before us. We've wandered for over ten days and haven't encountered any of them. Isn't that a bit strange?" Guo Qi added.

"There's nothing strange about it," Pan Tao shook his head. "This glacial region is actually quite large. If Yuan Feng and his team were also always gathered together searching for the Mystic Ice Python, the chances of us encountering them would be very small. Unless... they also split up and wandered within a certain range."

"Only then would the chances of us meeting increase significantly."

Guo Qi thought for a moment and nodded, "That makes sense."

"Nie Tian, do you have any good ideas?" Pan Tao suddenly asked.

Nie Tian, who was sitting on the side, quietly eating meat, raised his head slightly, his mouth full of grease. "If you can't find it, what good ideas could I have?" he responded lazily.

When he realized that spirit beast meat could greatly enhance his cultivation speed, he lost all interest in searching for the Mystic Ice Python.

His laziness and indifferent attitude were noticed by Pan Tao and the others.

Among the three, Jiang Miao had been saved by him, and Pan Tao knew he was extraordinary, so he didn't say much.

Only Guo Qi had expressed dissatisfaction several times, asking Pan Tao to manage Nie Tian and not let him be so idle, spending all day eating.

Pan Tao always smiled and ignored Guo Qi's requests.

"You two go over there, I need to have a word with Nie Tian alone," Pan Tao pointed in a direction.

Guo Qi's eyes flickered, thinking Pan Tao was going to scold Nie Tian privately. He chuckled and pulled Jiang Miao away.

After they left, Pan Tao came to Nie Tian's side and said with a bitter smile, "Nie Tian, please help me."

Nie Tian was taken aback.

"Don't look at me as someone from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. My life there isn't as easy as you think," Pan Tao said with a sad face. "In the pavilion, people like Zheng Rui and me are not well-liked. No matter how hard we try, others say we rely on the protection of our elders to achieve what we have today."

"The old men in the pavilion all admire people like An Ying, who grew up step by step from subordinate families and were eventually brought in."

"As for me, I have always been looked down upon and despised."

Nie Tian was stunned for a moment before saying, "Everyone has their own difficulties. You mind what others say, but do you know how hard it is for us to enter places like the Lingyun Sect and your Spirit Treasure Pavilion?"

"Of course, I know," Pan Tao nodded. "But your efforts will eventually be recognized, and others will see them. For me, no matter how hard I try, it will always be seen as the help of my ancestors, not my own achievement."

"The trial in the Qinghuan Realm is very important to me. I must achieve something to make them look at me differently!"

Nie Tian looked helpless, "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

Pan Tao's expression brightened, "You were able to find the Earth Lizard in the depths of the earth. You should be able to use the same method to find the Mystic Ice Python!"

"From my perspective, the Mystic Ice Python, like the Earth Lizard, is probably hiding in a place we can't see."

"I don't think we can find it with our eyes. I hope you can use the method you used to find the Earth Lizard to search for the Mystic Ice Python."

"The glacial region is so large, and without a rough idea of its location, it will be very difficult for me to find it," Nie Tian said with a bitter smile, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Alright, I'll give you a chance, but don't blame me if it doesn't work."

"Of course, of course!" Pan Tao quickly said.

Next, Nie Tian calmed down, adjusted his breathing, and tried to spread his mental consciousness.

His threads of mental consciousness extended outward from him, gradually covering a forty-meter radius.

After a while, he opened his eyes, looking tired, and shook his head at Pan Tao, saying, "There's nothing nearby."

"Then we'll change places!" Pan Tao said.

"Let me... rest for a bit," Nie Tian said with a bitter smile.

"Alright! I'll wait for you!" Pan Tao agreed.

For a while, Nie Tian truly put in effort, using his mental consciousness to perceive the surroundings.

Each time he expended his mental consciousness, he felt extremely tired, but after a good rest, he could quickly recover.

Gradually, he found that after overexerting his mental consciousness, his next recovery would often be a bit stronger.

Initially, his perception range was limited to forty meters.

Later, as his mental power gradually increased, his perception range expanded to over fifty meters.

This discovery made him, who was originally extremely reluctant to help Pan Tao find the Mystic Ice Python, change his mind.

He began to view the task of helping Pan Tao find the Mystic Ice Python as a form of cultivation—mental power cultivation.

Guo Qi and Jiang Miao did not know that Pan Tao and Nie Tian had reached an understanding. Each time they arrived at a new place, when Pan Tao saw Nie Tian close his eyes and then open them, shaking his head, Pan Tao would immediately abandon that area and search elsewhere.

Guo Qi and Jiang Miao were extremely confused, not knowing what the two were up to. When they asked Pan Tao, he didn't say anything and told them not to be suspicious.

They eventually gave up and lost confidence in finding the Mystic Ice Python.

One day, Nie Tian once again used his mental consciousness to perceive...

A faint life force suddenly appeared in his mind, and he opened his eyes abruptly.

Pan Tao, who had gradually lost confidence, no longer harbored any illusions. But this time, when he looked at Nie Tian, he saw that Nie Tian did not shake his head as usual.

"What? Did you find something?!" he asked, his voice trembling.

"It's not the Mystic Ice Python, but something else," Nie Tian stood up and pointed in a direction. "It should be... a person."

Pan Tao was clearly disappointed but still followed Nie Tian's guidance, leading the three to that location.

A strong smell of blood emanated from behind the ice trees. They crossed the ice trees and saw two young men from the Gray Valley lying in pools of blood on the ice ground.

One of them had a short sword stuck in his neck and was already dead.

The other was covered in crisscrossing bloodstains, and blood was flowing uncontrollably from the wounds.

Blood foam was also coming out of his mouth, clearly indicating he had lost too much blood and was about to die.

When Pan Tao arrived, the man's lifeless eyes seemed to flicker slightly before losing all color.

"He's dead too," Pan Tao said, his face extremely serious.

Approaching, he bent down and saw that the thumbs of both men's right hands had been chopped off.

Pan Tao was shocked, his voice trembling, "The Ghost Sect! This is the Ghost Sect's method! Damn it, how did the Ghost Sect people get into the Qinghuan Realm?"

Nie Tian looked puzzled, "What's going on?"

Pan Tao didn't answer but carefully looked around, then lowered his voice, "We need to return immediately!"

"Okay," Nie Tian also became tense and followed him, moving quietly back the way they came.

For a long time, Pan Tao's face remained serious, and he said nothing, focusing on the journey.

After a long while, when he thought they were safe, he lit a signal stick.

The signal stick shot into the sky, forming a straight black smoke that lingered for a long time.

Half a day later, An Ying and Zheng Rui rushed over excitedly.

"Pan Tao! Did you find the Mystic Ice Python?" An Ying shouted from a distance, her face beaming.

When they got closer, Pan Tao shook his head, his face ashen, "We didn't find the Mystic Ice Python, but we discovered the Ghost Sect's trail!"

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!" Zheng Rui screamed.

An Ying was shocked, "Pan Tao! Are you joking? This is the Qinghuan Realm, a private secret realm of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion! And we are in the middle of a trial. How could the Ghost Sect people get in?"

"I'm not joking!" Pan Tao shouted.

Upon hearing this, An Ying and Zheng Rui's faces were filled with fear.

...