In these past few years, dealing with the mid and low-rank demonic beasts was left entirely to Zi Kun and Qian Ji. Only when the two encountered something they couldn't handle would he lend a hand.
Ever since the battle with that peak fourth-rank "Sea-Overturning Toad," Li Yan had a clear measure of the gap between himself and the late Nascent Soul level. He had to find a way to increase his strength in the shortest time possible.
During these years, whenever he had a moment, Li Yan would seize the time to refine the "Undead Nether Phoenix" essence blood. Since he couldn't truly focus on refining, after so many years, he had only managed to refine one drop. But this had actually allowed Li Yan, who was already at the peak of the initial Nascent Soul stage, to break through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
The feeling of breaking through was just as Ping Tu had said back then. After the Nascent Soul realm, breakthroughs for the Five Immortal Sects would become much smoother.
After reaching the mid-Nascent Soul stage, Li Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. If he were to encounter that "Sea-Overturning Toad" again, although he still couldn't win, he would at least have a twenty percent better chance of escaping.
On the "Cloud-Piercing Willow," Li Yan's eyes were fixed on the line where the sea and sky met in the distance. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly.
The vast majority of the demonic beasts here had no magical power in their attacks, but their physical strength was astonishingly great. Therefore, one could not judge the situation by sensing spiritual energy fluctuations as before. In addition, the howling yin winds of the Sea of the Northern Abyss would constantly interfere with one's perception, which kept the nerves of the two demons in a constant state of tension.
Seeing the slight change in Li Yan's expression, Qian Ji immediately asked, "Master, is it a great demon?"
In their Divine Sense, there were only some low-rank sea demons moving in the seabed. Since the "Cloud-Piercing Willow" was flying at an altitude of ten thousand zhang, there was no need to worry about their attacks.
Li Yan did not answer Qian Ji's question, as if he were still carefully sensing something. This made the two demons even more nervous. If it was an enemy that even Li Yan had to be so cautious about, they could only hide in the "Earthen Patch" space first.
After a few breaths, a smile appeared on Li Yan's face.
"Hehehe, it seems we have finally reached the other shore of the Sea of the Northern Abyss!"
A line of undulating scenery had appeared in Li Yan's Divine Sense earlier. At first, Li Yan thought it was the rise and fall of the distant waves. He was now familiar with the Sea of the Northern Abyss, so he soon discovered that something was wrong. Those long, undulating black lines did not change much, as if they were stationary. But that was the limit of his Divine Sense, so for a moment, Li Yan himself could not be sure.
But as he continued to move forward rapidly, Li Yan was surprised to find that those places were actually a continuous stretch of hills.
After scanning it carefully several times, Li Yan finally confirmed that it was not a huge island in the sea, but a real landmass.
"Really? We're finally leaving this damn sea area!"
Zi Kun and Qian Ji were instantly excited. This Sea of the Northern Abyss was too big. They had been flying for about nine years, but half of that time was spent taking detours.
The route they had flown was carefully selected by combining many maps. Only someone with Li Yan's current status could obtain those maps, and it was considered the safest route by Li Yan. It was said that there were even fifth-rank sea demons in the Sea of the Northern Abyss. If one accidentally entered their territory, it was basically a dead end. Li Yan was extremely cautious with his own life.
In such a vast Sea of the Northern Abyss, without the support of spiritual energy, a large amount of spirit stones had to be consumed every day. If Li Yan hadn't killed two Nascent Soul stage cultivators, with his original wealth, he would have been penniless after flying for two or three years.
Soon, the three of them flew to the seashore. Behind a stretch of sandy beach was an endless expanse of blackish-brown land. The vegetation on it was sparse, and the wind howled. It was clear at a glance that this was a bitterly cold place.
The three of them hovered in the air. Although the surrounding environment was harsh, the two demons had a look of novelty, constantly looking around with joy on their faces. To finally see the long-lost land again, and not have to walk on the endless black sea surface day after day, made them feel as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
At this time, Li Yan's magical power fluctuation was once again maintained at the initial Nascent Soul stage, and he had returned to his usual caution. His Divine Sense quickly swept around and was surprised to find that after arriving at the seaside, the suppressive force on his Divine Sense had also been reduced by about thirty percent. He estimated that as he continued to fly deeper behind the hills, the range of his Divine Sense scan would also become wider and wider.
In the Divine Sense that Li Yan swept into the distance, apart from some wild beasts that had not yet opened their spiritual intelligence, he did not find any traces of cultivators or demonic beasts.
A light flashed in Li Yan's hand, and a milky-white jade slip appeared in his hand, which he then placed on his forehead.
A short while later, he put away the jade slip and then looked to the northeast.
"Let's go!"
After leaving the Sea of the Northern Abyss, the weakest point of the barrier between the two realms was now less than a hundred thousand li away. After carefully identifying the direction, Li Yan set off again with the two demons.
This jade slip was a map given to him by Zhao Min. The Wei Clan had had dealings with the Tianli Clan for generations, so the map they provided to the Wind God Continent was even more detailed and comprehensive than the one collected by the Malevolent Spirit Sect. However, Li Yan had still collected the maps of the Sea of the Northern Abyss that the Malevolent Spirit Sect could collect. After careful comparison, he had modified some of the routes.
Now it seemed that it was worth it. He had indeed avoided the possible existence of a fifth-rank great demon.
A few days later, in a land of ice and snow, there were continuous snow-capped mountains as crystal clear as jade. The howling wind would from time to time sweep up the snow on the ground, raising gusts of "snow fog" that filled the sky.
On the peak of an ice mountain, Li Yan, dressed in a black robe, was carefully examining the surrounding terrain. In the past few days, they had not been fighting day after day as they had in the Sea of the Northern Abyss. The journey had been peaceful. For the three of them, who had long been in a state of mental tension, they were actually a little unaccustomed to it. Their flying speed had actually dropped by more than half.
Under such circumstances, it was not until today that the three of them arrived at this place.
"Master, is this the weakest point of the two-realm barrier?" Qian Ji, dressed in white, felt the bone-chilling cold here, but he was getting more and more energetic, and his whole body felt comfortable.
After flying here, spiritual energy finally appeared. Although the concentration was not that good, they clearly felt that the speed of their magical power circulation was much faster. To feel the spiritual energy between heaven and earth again, even if it was not much, the feeling of comfort was indescribable for a cultivator.
The bone-chilling cold made Qian Ji even have the idea of bringing his clansmen out and staying here for a while.
"Mm, the approximate range marked on the map is here. It's just that this place is more than just a thousand li of ice. There are too many similar terrains. We need to investigate carefully to be sure. It might take a few days, or even more, to confirm. I think the environment here is very suitable for the Snow Mosquito Clan. You can bring your clansmen out and let them feel the outside air."
Li Yan seemed to have seen through Qian Ji's thoughts and couldn't help but feel a little guilty. The Snow Mosquito Clan had been with him for nearly two hundred years, but due to their special innate attributes, they could only be hidden in the "Earthen Patch" for a long time.
"Master, can you show the map to the two of us? If Qian Ji brings his clansmen out, and then gives the order to find the place we're looking for, we might be able to find the target location very quickly."
Zi Kun withdrew his gaze from the vast snowy mountains and ice plains. The sunlight on the snow was a bit dazzling, and he couldn't help but squint. Since entering the vast snowy mountains, the sky was no longer as gloomy and oppressive as before, but had revealed the long-lost blue sky and white clouds. It was just that the weather on the snowy mountain ice plains changed many times a day. One moment it could be a clear sky, the next, the wind and clouds would gather, and a snowstorm would arrive.
Each snowflake here was extremely large and thick. The small ones were the size of an egg, and they were also quite heavy. Carried by the bone-piercing wind, each one that hit the body, if it were a mortal, a hundred or so of them could suffocate them. Therefore, even if there were wild beasts here, they were mostly of the kind with thick fur and a lot of fat.
"Little Egg is right!"
Qian Ji greedily took another deep breath of the icy cold air. Hearing Zi Kun's words, his eyes also lit up.
Hearing this, Zi Kun's vital energy surged for a moment, but in the end, he just glanced at Qian Ji. This dog of a thing had actually dared to call him "Little Egg" since reaching the third rank. Although he could still beat him until his parents wouldn't recognize him, it would now take quite a long time.
'You mixed-blood thing, if not for the fact that Master has business, I'd make you cry your eyes out!' Zi Kun cursed in his heart.
Li Yan also nodded at Zi Kun's proposal. So he pushed the jade slip map out into the air.
A short while later, Qian Ji had disappeared from where he stood. When he came out again, a large patch of dense, fog-like insects appeared around him, and their numbers were still increasing. Among them were also Snow Mosquitoes as thick as an arm. At Qian Ji's whistle, these Snow Mosquitoes flew in all directions, equally excited.
Two days later, Li Yan and the two demons stood on the peak of a snow-capped mountain. After listening to the various news gathered by Qian Ji, Li Yan carefully scanned the area with his Divine Sense for a long time before nodding.
"It seems this is the place. Although other places are similar, this place is the most consistent with the description in the map. In that case, you two should enter the 'Earthen Patch.' I will tear the void later to find the two-realm barrier. It's better for you to not come out in the Chaotic Flow Space as much as possible. It's too dangerous." Li Yan then arranged.
After hearing this, Zi Kun had no objections. He didn't want to face the Chaotic Flow Space directly, so as not to be a burden to Li Yan.
"Then we'll go in now!"
After he said that, he glanced at Qian Ji again, a strange smile flashing in his eyes. His figure blurred and he had already disappeared.
Li Yan, however, saw that Qian Ji had not followed him in, but was looking as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"What's wrong? Is there something else?" Li Yan looked at Qian Ji.
"Ma... Master, my... a part of my clansmen want to stay here. And... and I also feel that although the spiritual energy here is thin, it is relatively suitable for their cultivation. So, I want to select a part of my clansmen and let them cultivate here. When I return from the Wind God Continent next time, I will take them into the secret realm..."
After some thought, Qian Ji immediately expressed his thoughts, constantly peeking at Li Yan as he spoke. He knew that the appearance of the Snow Mosquito Clan outside the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda might cause a lot of trouble, so he was not sure if Li Yan would agree.
"...That's fine. This place is rarely visited by people. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would have a hard time appearing here. However, you should still find a place with relatively rich spiritual energy for them. I will set up another concealment formation!"
Unexpectedly, Li Yan just glanced at him for a moment and then agreed. This was somewhat beyond Qian Ji's expectations.
Afterward, Li Yan personally led Qian Ji to fly to a certain place. He had not been idle these two days either and had also searched the nearby area. And with his strength, the area he searched could only be wider.
After flying north for about forty thousand li, they finally stopped above a snow-capped mountain with two peaks piercing into the clouds. After glancing down, Li Yan didn't waste any more words and led Qian Ji down into the glacier between the two peaks.
The top of the glacier was still a crystal-clear white. The further down they went, the deeper it became. At first, it was a light blue, then a deep blue, and later, it was a dark blue, making people feel very secluded and deep.
Li Yan led Qian Ji all the way down. The temperature dropped sharply by several times. The cold wind was like it was blowing from the nine serene cold springs. It was not until they had descended about ten thousand zhang that Li Yan finally stopped.
What appeared before them was a huge cavern formed by the bottom of the two peaks. Inside, thick ice pillars were like giant ice sculptures that had stood there for eternity.
"The spiritual energy here is also a bit better. And even if a cultivator comes to this far north, unless they are specifically looking for it, it would be very difficult to come here."
As Li Yan spoke, he sent his Divine Sense into the cavern. Although he had sensed this place before, because it was underground, he had not investigated it carefully. Now that he was going to arrange a part of the Snow Mosquitoes here, he had to investigate it carefully before he could be completely at ease…
Half an hour later, Li Yan flew away from this place.
At this time, Qian Ji had also entered the "Earthen Patch." This time, he had left more than fifty thousand of his clansmen here. For the current Snow Mosquito clansmen in the "Earthen Patch," this was only twenty to thirty percent of them. Qian Ji selected five second-rank Snow Mosquitoes to lead these Snow Mosquitoes, and arranged their duties in order, giving them detailed instructions. These five second-rank Snow Mosquitoes were all his descendants, so he was relatively at ease.
Li Yan also set up a layer of restriction outside the cavern, completely concealing it. Unless a Nascent Soul cultivator went deep underground for ten thousand zhang and searched carefully, it would be very difficult to find the existence of a restriction here…
When Li Yan returned to the peak of the snow-capped mountain he had stood on a few days ago, he first looked south for a long time. After a long silence, he finally took a deep breath.
He slowly raised a hand, and a strong magical power fluctuation emanated from his palm. He then swiped fiercely at the space beside him.
With a soft "hiss," a crack half a person's height appeared there. Then, Li Yan's figure flashed and disappeared into it.