Inside a fort, there was a white-robed young man whose face was covered in spiritual light, and his face was not clear.

Nonetheless, the visible outline of his facial structure was already sufficient to mesmerize many.

Many cultivators stole glances at him with curiosity seeping through their eyes. Some even thought of using their spiritual thought to snoop at his cultivation level.

Yet before these people could take a good look at him, they felt like their own spiritual thoughts were rebounded by an incredibly powerful force. Thus, they did not dare to try again.

This white-robed young man was none other than Chu Kuangren.

He slowly came to an inn, picked a random seat, and then sat down. He signaled the waiter to his table and ordered a jug of wine.

There were plenty of people in the inn, and they were all discussing the events that were happening in Emperor Road.

The phenomenon that happened on Emperor Mountain was especially enthralling for the people. Everyone was debating who would eventually obtain that Emperor's Throne.

"I'm not sure if you guys have heard. Recently, there have been some strange occurrences at Heavenly Pool Mountain. It's emanating a ma.s.sive amount of Heavenly Pool energy. Rumor has it that a rare treasure is about to reveal itself to the world."

Suddenly, one of the cultivators spoke.

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Upon hearing that, the crowd's interests were piqued.

"Heavenly Pool Mountain, the place that can freeze you to death?"

"Pfft, you're only feeling cold because your cultivation base is weak. I know a lot of people are eyeing that Heavenly Pool energy. This time, with the changes on Heavenly Pool Mountain, many orthodoxies will surely send their own teams there to harvest the Heavenly Pool energy. A few past ancient orthodoxies have already started acting on it."

"Apparently, plenty of Heavenly Pool ice crystals have surfaced this time as well."

"I heard that Heavenly Pool ice crystals can be used to slow down the process of aging in cultivators. It can also purify spiritual power, and it contains a strong Frost-type Daoist Rhyme."

Not far away from them, Chu Kuangren had heard all of those patrons' words and felt a slight shudder in his heart.

Heavenly Pool, Frost-type energy waves, could this be the place where Shang Qingxue was trapped?

Chu Kuangren could not help but think to himself.

It seemed that he had to make a trip to this Heavenly Pool no matter what.

After ordering a jug of wine, Chu Kuangren did not stay much longer in the inn. He immediately got up and departed from the place.

Heavenly Pool Mountain.

Heavenly Pool Mountain was covered in thick snow all year long, and on top of this mountain was a very unique lake. The water in this lake was extremely cold, a type of coldness where even Honorable-level cultivators would find it hard to endure. Once stepping inside, there would automatically be a risk of freezing to death here.

Despite all that, the lake was not frozen. Conversely, the lake water looked like a huge mirror, reflecting the sunlight from its surface.

Thus, earning itself the name of Heavenly Pool!

Besides that, the water inside this Heavenly Pool contained some sort of energy that could increase one's spiritual power cultivation. At a certain time, the Heavenly Pool energy would be emitted from the Heavenly Pool, forming a tidal. For most cultivators, that would definitely be good fortune.

In recent times, the Heavenly Pool energy had been emitting at increased frequencies, and the magnitude of the tidal was far greater than any previous occasion.

Some great ones deduced that a kind of exquisite treasure must have been produced inside this Heavenly Pool.

Such a deduction had excited a large number of cultivators.

In a short period of time, countless cultivators came to the Heavenly Pool in search of that treasure.

However, before these cultivators could uncover any treasures, the Heavenly Pool was cordoned off by several past ancient orthodoxies nearby. Some cultivators who were not affiliated to any forces or those who come from a lowly background could only remain outside and pick up some of the unwanted things.

Although these orthodoxies' actions enraged a lot of cultivators, none of them had the courage to step out and criticize them in public.

After all, they were past ancient orthodoxies. What else could a group of organization-less wandering cultivators like them say or do to affect their decision?

They should just count themselves lucky that the orthodoxies allowed them to collect those unwanted items.

Outside the Heavenly Pool, cultivators from several past ancient orthodoxies gathered. They had combined forces and locked away the pa.s.sage into the mountain. Hence, only some high-leveled cultivators, like Honorables or Sages, were allowed to go in there to explore. Still, the most core area of the place remained off-limits.

Chu Kuangren arrived at the place at that moment.

Seeing the guards at the mountain, he took the initiative to showcase his own Sage cultivation level, releasing his domineering aura.

The cultivators, who stood guard at the mountain, could not help but s.h.i.+ver.

They had seen plenty of Sages, but none like Chu Kuangren. Just his poise alone was enough to make them shudder in fear, and they had never experienced anything like this.

This person right in front of them was by no means an ordinary Sage.

"Master, you may go in now. I just want to gently remind you that the core area of Heavenly Pool Mountain, which is the area around the Heavenly Pool, is off-limits. It has been sealed by us, the Sima clan, and a few other past ancient orthodoxies, namely the Snow Spider Tribe, the Snow Lion Tribe, and the Gu clan."

The disciple in charge of guarding the mountain entrance said in a serious manner.

Chu Kuangren let out a light chuckle. "Got it."

"This way then." That disciple got out of the way, allowing Chu Kuangren to enter Heavenly Pool Mountain.

Amidst all that snow, Chu Kuangren's figure gradually disappeared from sight.

That disciple suddenly felt perturbed by this.

Soon after that, he shook his head. "It's just another Sage, so there's no cause for concern, I bet."

He reminded himself that they were a past ancient orthodoxy. What trouble could a mere Sage stir up in the face of their whole orthodoxy?!

Inside the Heavenly Pool Mountain.

As Chu Kuangren walked on the layers of thick snow, his spiritual thoughts spread, covering a whole hundred kilometers radius.

Half of Heavenly Mountain Pool's images flashed within his sights.

At this moment, a puff of white mist gushed towards him amongst the snow, and there was also a white-dressed lady following behind it.

This lady was seductive-looking and staring at the white puff with a fiery gaze.

Chu Kuangren activated his Eye of Revelation.

"Zhu s.h.i.+ba, original form — a Snow Spider, Supreme Honorable Realm cultivation…"

After taking a glance at that Snow Spider lady, Chu Kuangren did not pay her any more heed. Instead, he set his sight on that white puff of mist that she was chasing.

"Is that the Heavenly Pool energy?"

With a lift of his arm, an invisible mind power expanded out from Chu Kuangren and turned into a huge hand that grabbed the white mist in it.

"Who are you? You sure have the guts to steal from me." That Snow Spider lady's expression changed when she saw him do that, and she yelled at Chu Kuangren.

Chu Kuangren did not bat an eye at her. He simply raised his arm again and summoned another round of invisible mind power, which directly flung this Snow Spider lady off her feet. As such, she was plunged back into the snow headfirst.

Only after doing that did Chu Kuangren start taking a closer look at the Heavenly Pool energy in his hand.

"There is indeed some kind of pure energy wave contained within this, and also a Frost-type Daoist Rhyme…"

Chu Kuangren's mind flickered and initiated the Universal Cauldron Physique. He absorbed this cloud of Heavenly Pool energy into his body to refine it.

The increase in spiritual power that this cloud of Heavenly Pool energy alone gave him was already equivalent to what he could get by refining an Honorable Supreme's flesh and blood essences with the Glutinous Devouring Technique. It was no wonder this thing was so highly sought after. With his spiritual thought senses, he found that numerous of such Heavenly Pool energies were scattered around this place.

The Heavenly Pool Mountain's core area, especially, had countless amounts of Heavenly Pool energies.

There were even plenty of Heavenly Pool ice crystals there, which were a much higher grade than the Heavenly Pool energy.

However, these were not the main purposes of Chu Kuangren's visit here.

"I wonder if Shang Qingxue is inside there?!"

Chu Kuangren muttered as he looked toward the core area of the Heavenly Pool.

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However, his spiritual thought sense could not probe deep into the Heavenly Pool because there was a barrier there, which barricaded off his spiritual thought sense.

He lifted his feet and walked deeper into the Heavenly Pool Mountain.

As for that white-dress lady earlier, she remained plunged in the snowy ground. She stayed motionless amongst the snowstorm, still as a sculpture.

Only when Chu Kuangren was a distance away did she painstakingly crawl out from the snow.

She stared at Chu Kuangren's departing silhouette as she said with a lingering fear, "What a scary guy…"