C23 The Dao of Forsaking Sword Cultivate His Path!

The vast cave was empty.

Yet, where were those sounds coming from?

And how had he arrived here?

He was surrounded by sheer mountain walls. Surely, he hadn't broken through them, had he?

Something seemed to lurk within the ice pond. From his vantage point, he could only make out a vague shape, the details obscured.

Han Yi paused momentarily before withdrawing his spiritual energy.

The noise diminished significantly. No sooner had he retracted his energy than the volume surged, as if orchestrated just for him.

Was this intentional?

Han Yi once again channeled his spiritual energy, creating a barrier around himself to block out the sounds.

This time he was wiser, using his spiritual energy to navigate forward.

He quickly reached the edge of the ice pond. Trapped inside appeared to be a massive creature; all he could discern was a large head.

The eyes were wide open, seemingly glaring at him.

Could it resemble a dragon?

A Qinglong?

A Divine Beast?

Was a Divine Beast ensnared here?

Yet, Han Yi couldn't confirm it was indeed a dragon or a Divine Beast; he could only see the creature's head from his position.

He attempted to move closer when a force emanated from the ice pond, striking at Han Yi.

He dodged instinctively but was still caught by the blast, stumbling two steps backward.

Luckily, the force wasn't overpowering. Had it been stronger, he might have met his end.

"Who are you?"

A voice echoed from afar. Han Yi scanned his surroundings, eventually focusing on the ice pond.

He was certain now; the voice had emerged from within.

As the voice spoke, the piercing cries around him ceased.

Han Yi stared intently at the ice pond and demanded, "I'd like to know who you are and why you're trapped here?"

He waited for a response, but silence followed. The creature inside seemed unwilling to engage in conversation, leaving Han Yi at a loss for words.

Could he be stuck here indefinitely?

He thought to reach out to Huang Xiaohuang. After all, Contract Beasts were supposed to be contactable. It was the perfect time to test that theory.

But despite his efforts, there was no reply.

Moreover, Han Yi could no longer sense the presence of the Contract Space.

Had he been cut off from the outside world?

With a swift motion, Han Yi struck the mountain wall beside him. His attack sent the surrounding rock trembling violently, though it quickly steadied itself.

But the world beyond wasn't so fortunate.

Ye Qing and his companions hadn't even reached the mountain's summit when they attempted to harvest the Nine-petal Snow Lotus. The mountain's sudden quaking sent them tumbling down, burying them beneath heaps of snow, far from their prize.

...

By afternoon, Han Yi was still at a loss.

Deciding on a direct approach, he strode over to the ice pond, raised his fist, and glared at the object within, declaring icily, "Release me, or I'll be forced to take action!"

His words hung in the air, followed by a scoffing chuckle.

"A mere Spirit Apprentice Stage novice thinks to challenge me? Even if you try, what good do you think it will do?"

Excellent!

A Regular Punch must target a living being, and despite being encased in ice, this creature qualified.

Han Yi launched his punch at the ice. The surface cracked under the impact of his fist, only to heal itself moments later.

"Who are you?"

The voice echoed once more, laced with astonishment.

Han Yi had encountered his fair share of novices. To him, even those at the Spirit Emperor Stage were insignificant.

Yet, this punch was not one a Spirit Apprentice should be capable of—it rivaled the might of someone at the Peak of the Spirit Emperor Stage, perhaps even surpassing it.

Han Yi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the ice, his brow furrowed in thought.

The ice would soon fuse back together, rendering his punches futile. But, it was worth noting that he felt an extraordinary abundance of spiritual energy emanating from this object, as if a ceaseless flow was pouring into him.

With this sustained infusion, he was confident that advancement was imminent.

The system had given him a mere three days, and it appeared the moment to break through had arrived.

Without further aggression, Han Yi seated himself cross-legged atop the ice pond, channeling the spiritual energy to facilitate his ascent.

As Han Yi moved, that voice rang out once more.

"You dare to make a breakthrough right above me, kid? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Hello? Are you even listening to me? I'm about to make my move!"

...

The incessant voice was grating on Han Yi's nerves, so he channeled his spiritual energy to create a barrier around himself, effectively shutting out the noise.

He soon felt the barrier of the Spirit Master Stage beginning to weaken, signaling an imminent breakthrough.

With a resounding 'bang,' a ripple of spiritual energy emanated from Han Yi, radiating outward.

He had reached Rank One of the Spirit Master Stage.

Another 'bang' followed, marking his advancement to Rank Two.

He could have pressed on for further gains, but Han Yi preferred a measured approach, choosing to first solidify his foundation in the early phase of the Spirit Master Stage. Failing to do so could be detrimental to a cultivator.

[Congratulations, host, for completing the task: You have obtained the Black Blade Autumn Water.]

The system's announcement caused Han Yi to roll his eyes in exasperation.

The Pirate King?

Zoro?

A blade soon materialized in Han Yi's grasp.

It was entirely black with intricate patterns etched along the spine, slightly different from Zoro's Black Blade Autumn Water.

[Black Blade Autumn Water: Capable of slicing through spiritual energy, its sharpness is unparalleled, cutting through iron as if it were mud...]

Yet, the Azure Mist Sect was a sword-practicing sect. Abandoning the way of the sword for another path might not sit well with Murong Yunxi, nor would it please the other members of the sect.

But no matter, the Black Blade Autumn Water was now in his possession. He'd deal with the rest later. For now, the priority was to get out of there.

"Kid, who are you, and how do you cultivate so quickly?"

"And that blade in your hand..."

The voice persisted, but impatience was etched across Han Yi's face.

"Tell me, how much longer do you plan to hold me here? I need to go harvest some snow lotuses."

"You're after the snow lotuses?"

No sooner had he spoken than several Nine-petal Snow Lotuses tumbled down from the mountain peak, landing right before Han Yi.

It was indeed a Nine-petal Snow Lotus, and the quality was top-notch.

You have this ability too?

Han Yi arched an eyebrow and added, "I need to gather more herbs; I can't afford to dawdle with you."

No sooner had he spoken than herbs from every direction converged before Han Yi, piling into a small mound.

It wasn't a massive amount, but given the snow mountain's harsh conditions, it seemed he had harvested all the herbs the mountain had to offer.

"Will this suffice?"

With a wave of his hand, Han Yi stowed the collection in his spatial ring. Looking down at the pile, he queried, "I'm just a small fry, so why keep me here? You don't seriously plan on preventing me from leaving, do you?"

"No."

There was a brief pause before the voice responded, "My wish is for you to rescue me."