Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 339: Chapter 228: Grand Gathering_1

One month later, at the foot of Great Xing Mountain, Flaming Snow City.

The northern wind swirled, and the white snow, fiery as it was, gradually blanketed the lone city.

Although such a sight was common in the Northern Territory, it still forced people to stay indoors, daring not to face the extreme cold of the wind and snow directly.

On the streets, pedestrians became scarce, leaving nothing but the endless white snow, as persistent as the night.

Suddenly, amidst the vast expanse of white, a different color appeared.

A person, braving the sweeping wind and snow, arrived in front of an inn.

“Listening to Wind and Asking Rain?”

“Chasing Stars and Moon?”

Looking at the signboard, the newcomer smiled and stepped inside.

Even though the heavy snow sealed the city and the earth was frozen cold, the inn was still bustling with excitement, and as the newcomer entered, he drew many eyes.

The crowd looked on to see a person in a green robe standing tall, untouched by the snow, like an ageless pine or cypress, exuding the dignity of a Grandmaster, which made them feel a chill in their hearts, and they lowered their gaze one after another.

The newcomer made no acknowledgement and went straight up to the second floor.

Just as he reached the second floor, he was greeted by a woman who came forward to meet him, her radiant red palace attire accentuating her graceful figure, as if melting away the extreme cold of the Northern Territory.

Hong Ling stepped forward with a charming smile, “A distinguished guest graces us with their presence, my apologies for not welcoming you from afar. Please, come upstairs!”

Even though she did not yet know where he hailed from, his Golden Core Cultivation was enough to treat him as a “distinguished guest.”

The newcomer said little, simply following her upstairs.

Once in the room, with a sweep of her red sleeves, the tea set appeared on the table.

Hong Ling personally brewed the tea and offered a cup, “This is White Dragon Snow Mountain Tea. Although it isn’t Immortal Tea, it does have its own flavor. Please enjoy it, Sir.”

The newcomer smiled, took a sip from the cup, and then nodded in approval, “Indeed, it has its own flavor.”

“It pleases me to know that you are satisfied!”

Hong Ling gave a slight smile and, without asking further questions, went straight to the point, “May I inquire what the noble guest has come here for?”

“Listening to Wind and Asking Rain, naturally, I’ve come to inquire,”

The newcomer chuckled, releasing three words, “Snow God Mountain!”

“Snow God Mountain?”

“…”

Hong Ling’s eyes sharpened, and she fell into silence.

The newcomer didn’t mind and chuckled, “Is there a problem?”

Hong Ling regarded him with a mix of alarm and uncertainty, but still managed a pretense, “Do you seek information about Snow God Mountain, Sir?”

“Indeed,”

he nodded, chuckling. “It’s said that there’s little that Listening to Wind and Asking Rain Tower doesn’t know under heaven, so I came to inquire. Can you resolve my doubts?”

Looking at him, Hong Ling also smiled, “Although that sayings may be something of an exaggeration, our Listening to Wind and Asking Rain Tower does indeed research many of the world’s oddities and secret histories. As long as the patron is willing to pay the price, we will certainly not disappoint a valued guest.”

“Good to know,”

the newcomer smiled, throwing an object onto the table.

“…”

Hong Ling looked at the Storage Bag on the table, hesitated for a moment before opening it.

“Will this suffice?”

Looking at the contents of the bag, Hong Ling was silent again, but quickly restored her composure, resuming her pleasant smile, “Did the esteemed guest wish to ask about Snow God Mountain?”

The newcomer nodded, “Indeed.”

Hearing this, Hong Ling did not leave but directly began, “Snow God Mountain, belonging to the Corpse Resolution Immortal Sect, was established 3,500 years ago during the period of Dark Chaos. The founding ancestor was a Divinity Transformation Corpse Resolution, with several Nascent Soul Corpse Resolutions as well.”

“Several Corpse Resolution Immortals safeguarded the world, boosting Snow God Mountain’s prestige and power, making it unmatched for a time as the leading Sect in the Northern Domain. White Dragon Ridge, which spans thousands of miles and connects three countries, was where the ancient sect once resided.”

“However, 1,500 years ago, Demon Realm emerged at White Dragon Ridge, resulting in the fall of Snow God Mountain. The higher-ups and core disciples of the Sect perished, and only three True Legacy Seeds managed to escape with a Corpse Resolution Immortal.”

“Subsequently, those three True Legacy Seeds each established their own lineage. Thus, Snow God Mountain split into three branches, which took over White Dragon Mountain and became the present-day Three Sects of White Dragon Ridge: Snow God Peak, Ice Polar Palace, and Great Xing Mountain.”

“The Three Sects, each on its own trajectory, have developed in divergent ways. Among them, Snow God Peak is the strongest with its flourishing legacy, having produced three Corpse Resolution Immortals in the past 1,500 years.”

“Ice Polar Palace is slightly inferior, but there have also been two Corpse Resolutions. Only Great Xing Mountain has yet to see someone condense a Nascent Soul and Slaughter Demons. Despite being the leader, it is the weakest.”

“Although the Three Sects are separate, they originated from the same source. They don’t necessarily share each other’s weal and woe, but are branches of the same root. Hence, they have extremely close ties. Recently, there have been rumors that if the ancestor of Great Xing Mountain successfully achieves Corpse Resolution this time, it is very likely that the Three Sects will reunite, restoring the former grandeur of Snow God Mountain.”

“…”

Hong Ling’s voice dwindled, eventually fading away, as she watched for the newcomer’s reaction.

The newcomer met her gaze again and smiled, “These well-known matters don’t seem quite sincere for Listening to Wind and Asking Rain Tower to do business.”

“Common knowledge comes with assurances!”

Hong Ling’s expression remained calm as she answered steadily, “Besides these facts, our Listening to Wind and Asking Rain Tower also knows some secrets that are not public, though these are often based on rumors and suspicions, and their truth or falsity, reality or illusion, is for the client to decide.”

Having said this, she pushed forward a Jade Slip.

“Hmm?”

The newcomer took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Consciousness.

Then…

“Interesting. Very good!”

After examining the contents of the Jade Slip, the newcomer whispered a smile, then told Hong Ling, “But this is still not enough.”

“Then how about I provide a few more pieces of information as a bonus?”

Hong Ling didn’t mind and proceeded, “1,500 years ago, at the peak of Snow God Mountain’s prosperity, they plotted a grand scheme to ascend en masse. However, it was abandoned after the Demon Catastrophe struck, leaving several Corpse Resolutions either dead or injured.”

“But Ascension is the lifelong pursuit of we Cultivators. Today, Snow God Peak boasts two Corpse Resolution Immortals, and Ice Polar Palace has one. If the ancestor of Great Xing Mountain also succeeds in Corpse Resolution, that would make four Corpse Resolution Immortals.”