At this moment, Yao Yuesheng looked up and saw that Ren Yuanhao was holding the Qing Xin Jue, one of the two great skills of the Chaoyang Sect, and could not help but linger on him for a moment.
In fact, Yao Yuesheng and Zhou Zixuan were almost the same age, only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. However, she had entered the sect very early and possessed outstanding talent, winning the favor of the sect leader, who then made her the Holy Maiden.
"Senior Brother Tang Feng, is that the Qing Xin Jue that junior brother is holding?"
Yao Yuesheng asked this question, wanting to inquire about this person's background from Tang Feng.
Tang Feng bowed and replied, "Indeed, Holy Maiden, you see clearly."
Yao Yuesheng, with her sharp gaze, said softly, "The Qing Xin Jue is the second ultimate technique of your Chaoyang Sect. I'm afraid even you do not have the qualification to cultivate it. That junior brother is likely the protagonist of this grand competition, isn't he?"
Tang Feng replied, "Junior brother has bestowed upon our sect a debt of rebirth. Our Chaoyang Sect is grateful for his kindness, so—"
"A sickly young boy, yet you elevate him to such a height. This person is quite interesting. However, I'm afraid that besides us from the Muyun Sect, the Yuehan Sect and the Canglong Sect must already be laughing at him. Could this junior brother have come here to prove them wrong?"
Yao Yuesheng smiled enchantingly, her eyes sparkling with the brilliance of a starry night sky.
Tang Feng waved his hand and said, "Holy Maiden, you worry too much. Junior brother is indeed unwell. We only wish to secure a spot for him to enter the Dragon Pool for tempering, to see if we can dispel the persistent ailment within his body."
"Oh? Judging by your tone, one of the top three spots this time seems to be a sure thing?" Zhou Zixuan said with a smile.
Bai Zhanchen's face turned slightly red as he replied, "We will do our utmost, and face death unflinchingly."
Yao Yuesheng looked at Ren Yuanhao again and suddenly sighed, "Even if he can enter the Dragon Pool, with insufficient True Qi, how can he contend with the other two?"
Han Ling Frost, who had been holding back, suddenly piped up, "Haha, Sister Sheng, you don't need to worry too much. That kid, if he has anything, it's True Qi that's as strong as a monster."
"You mischievous sprite, you're here too?" Yao Yuesheng playfully pinched Han Ling Frost's cheek, her smile clearing like the dissipating clouds, beautiful as a water lily emerging from the pond.
The two sects exchanged pleasantries and submitted their ancient artifacts. The prohibition of the competition grounds finally opened for them!
As soon as the prohibition was lifted, a cold aura charged forward like a wild horse, violently sweeping and dancing, rushing towards the faces of hundreds of people.
The four great sects entered in order, tied up their panting horses and elephants, and then slowly proceeded into the depths of the oasis.
This oasis was not very large, and the plants within were quite strange. In addition to tall shade-loving plants, there were also peculiar mosses unique to the ice plains. The further they went, the lower the temperature became.
Fortunately, the companions were all cultivators, and each could use their True Qi to ward off the cold.
However, among these people, only Ren Yuanhao did not emit any aura of True Qi, walking like an anomaly in the midst of the seven.
"This place is so strange," Ren Yuanhao looked around. Although his geography wasn't very good, he knew that mosses found only on ice plains appearing in such an extreme region was indeed contrary to common sense.
Tang Feng whispered, "It is said that there is a massive Ten Thousand Year Xuan Ice here. Since it is Ten Thousand Year Xuan Ice, its inherent power is naturally beyond our comprehension."
Han Ling Frost added, "I really want to see that thing, just one glance would be enough."
Bai Zhanchen sighed, "Our Four Great Sects' 'Triennial Grand Competition' has been going on for hundreds of years. No one has ever seen the true face of the Ten Thousand Year Xuan Ice. Junior Sister, your request is a bit too ambitious."
"I believe that everything depends on destiny. Perhaps when destiny arrives, this thing will reveal itself," Han Ling Frost said with a smile, patting Ren Yuanhao's shoulder, her eyes shining with excitement.
Zhang Zhe grinned, "Then this person must have incredible fortune. Perhaps they saved the entire Earth in their previous life."
The group, chatting and laughing, passed through the frost-breathing vegetation and soon saw a vast circular plaza standing in the center of the oasis.
Behind the plaza stood an extremely ancient building, which had likely stood for thousands of years, perhaps even its builder was unknown.
Ren Yuanhao exclaimed as if he had discovered a new continent, "Wow, this building, its momentum is like a rainbow, its eaves are glazed, its corners are naturally formed, and its base is supported by the unique giant cypress trees of this place, suspending it in mid-air. It can truly be ranked among the world's nine great wonders!"
"Who can say otherwise? Even for us, every time we see it, we feel it's incredible."
This was the third time Tang Feng had seen this building. When he first entered the sect, he thought that the Chaoyang Sect building, constructed according to the mountain terrain in a dragon-like manner, was already a marvel of divine craftsmanship. However, upon seeing the building in the oasis, he realized how vast the world was, full of wonders, and that there were always people better than oneself and heavens beyond the heavens.
Almost everyone was awestruck by such a structure, their breathing quickening, as if they had seen their beloved goddess or god, nervously clenching their fists and adjusting their clothes.
Bai Zhanchen suddenly whispered, "In front of such a building, all things are like ants."
"Compared to that building, what shocks me even more is that eternally unmelted ice bed. That will be our battle stage. Imagine, how many predecessors' swords have fallen upon it, yet none could shake it even a little. Isn't that shocking enough?"
Tang Feng looked up at the magnificent white jade ice bed, like an ice lotus in full bloom, floating on the sea of sand.
Just then, Mo Xinghe of the Canglong Sect called out, "Everyone, let's hurry."
Ren Yuanhao was surprised by this remark, "What does that man mean?"
Tang Feng replied with respect, "This place, once night falls, will have a temperature difference of at least 30 degrees Celsius compared to the day. Currently, it's only seven or eight degrees, meaning it will drop to over twenty degrees below zero at night. In such an environment, even we cultivators would find it very difficult."
Ren Yuanhao nodded, understanding that Mo Xinghe was reminding everyone that the grand competition would only last for the afternoon, and they should not delay their time for entering the Dragon Pool for tempering.
At this moment, as they approached the ice bed, the lady who had been silent and raising the system's security level finally spoke.
"Phew, security level increased. Mid to high-level蛊毒, witchcraft, dark magic, and ultrasonic devices can be completely immune. The security level is medium. Please be informed."
"Phew, my foot! Young lady, take a look, how much time did you spend?"
"Relax, this upgrade is a one-time, permanent solution. Don't you want to avoid being blocked from using your abilities by some damn ultrasonic device? Besides, given your current physical condition, simply using True Qi will further strain your body, but abilities are different. So, these two thousand points were well spent!"