Arriving at the Outer City

"Swish—!"

A pale blue sword light, as thin as a hair and almost transparent, shot out silently from the tip of the ice sword.

The sword light was not fast, but the moment it appeared, the temperature of the entire Ice Mist Valley plummeted to an absolute freezing point where even souls seemed to freeze.

Time and space seemed to stagnate and distort for a brief moment wherever the sword light passed.

Zhu Yun couldn't even fully form an expression of fear, let alone make any move to resist or dodge.

The sword light pierced through his body without any resistance, from head to toe.

No blood splattered, and no screams were uttered.

Zhu Yun's entire being, including his Nascent Soul and divine soul, were instantly frozen under the sword intent, then shattered into icy dust, completely annihilated from the world without leaving the slightest trace.

This was not the end.

After passing through Zhu Yun, the pale blue sword light did not dissipate. Instead, it shot straight toward the building complex of the Ice Mist Valley below.

The sword light landed silently, yet it triggered a deafening roar that shook the earth and mountains.

The ground, tougher than metal, was easily torn apart like tofu. A massive, bottomless fissure, dozens of feet wide and stretching for miles, instantly appeared in the Ice Mist Valley.

The path of the fissure perfectly aligned with the halls and pavilions where the direct descendants and trusted disciples of Zhu Yun's lineage resided.

All buildings, formations, and even the people and objects within the fissure's path followed in Zhu Yun's footsteps at the exact same time—freezing, crumbling, and turning into icy dust.

A single sword strike not only killed the chief culprit but also uprooted and exterminated his entire bloodline and foundation.

The entire Ice Mist Valley fell into a dead silence.

All the cultivators who witnessed this scene, whether they were high-ranking elders or ordinary disciples, kept quiet out of fear, chills running down their spines.

Gu Changyuan released his right hand, and the ice sword condensed from the laws of ice and snow instantly dissipated, turning back into snowflakes drifting in the sky.

He looked at Bai Ning, whose face was solemn and whose eyes hid deep horror.

"As for the compensation, arrange for someone to deliver the items to the Myriad Treasure Pavilion and hand them over."

After saying that, without casting another glance at the terrified crowd of the Ice Mist Valley, he left with Bai Ling'er and the others.

It wasn't until that suffocating pressure completely dissipated and the streaks of light vanished from the horizon that the people of the Ice Mist Valley seemed to regain their ability to breathe. Many felt their legs give way, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Matriarch Bai Ning slowly turned around, her gaze complex as she looked at the terrifying, massive icy fissure in the valley, and let out a long, heavy sigh.

Valley Master Ding Yuanming flew to the Matriarch's side. Looking at the fissure, his face was still a bit pale as he respectfully asked for instructions:

"Matriarch, how should we deal with... this fissure?"

Matriarch Bai Ning remained silent for a moment. Her voice was aged but carried an unquestionable firmness:

"Just clean up the ruins and debris. As for this fissure..."

Her gaze swept over all the disciples below who were still in shock and fear. Her voice suddenly rose, echoing throughout the Ice Mist Valley like striking ice:

"There is no need to repair it!"

"Set up warning and protective restrictions around this fissure to prevent disciples from falling in. From today onward, this fissure shall remain here!"

"It will serve as the warning monument for our Ice Mist Valley! Let everyone in the valley, whether elder or disciple, regardless of their cultivation level, see it every day. Always remember the lesson of today."

"The cultivation world is vast and boundless; there is always someone stronger, and always a higher heaven! Do not bully others or act arrogantly just because of momentary selfishness or a fleeting thought of greed!

Furthermore, do not harbor any illusions that you can act recklessly just because you have the sect backing you! Zhu Yun's lineage is the perfect cautionary tale!"

Many showed expressions of shame, while even more felt a chilling awe. The gazes they directed at the fissure were filled with reverence and fear.

After Matriarch Bai Ning finished speaking, her figure flickered and disappeared from the spot, leaving only a clear voice transmission ringing in Ding Yuanming's ears:

"Yuanming, the matter of compensation concerns the survival and reputation of our Ice Mist Valley. You will personally lead a group, prepare generous gifts, and set off for the Myriad Treasure Pavilion immediately.

You must maintain a respectful attitude and hand over the compensation personally. There must not be the slightest mistake or negligence!

If anything goes wrong with this matter, you do not need to come back to see me."

Ding Yuanming's body trembled, and he hurriedly bowed deeply toward the direction where the Matriarch had disappeared:

"Your disciple obeys! I absolutely will not make any mistakes!"

......

As time passed, the scenery around Gu Changyuan began to undergo significant changes.

The originally vibrant mountains and forests gradually faded away, replaced by endless stretches of pure white snow. As far as the eye could see, it was a vast, boundless white world.

The cold wind howled, rolling up thousands of piles of snow froth, and the sky appeared exceptionally high and desolate.

Occasionally, one could see some ice-attribute demonic beasts that had adapted to the extreme cold galloping and fighting on the snowfield.

They had massive bodies, sharp claws and fangs, and emitted fierce auras, adding a touch of savagery and danger to this silent snowy domain.

Continuing deeper to the north, as they got closer to the entrance of the Outer Realm, the surrounding scenery underwent another bizarre change.

The seemingly eternal ice and snow were actually gradually diminishing, revealing large patches of exposed grayish-yellow permafrost and rocks. Vegetation was sparse, and it was a scene of utter desolation.

A chaotic and impure spiritual energy permeated the air.

Passing through this desolate land, a towering and magnificent city suddenly appeared at the end of their line of sight.

In the center of the city, a massive spatial rift stretched across the sky, with chaotic air currents churning within it.

The edges of the rift were irregular, and twisted, vibrant streams of light continuously spilled out, emitting unstable spatial fluctuations.

"Master, that rift is the entrance leading to the Outer Realm. And this city is the Outer Realm City."

Bai Ling'er pointed forward and softly introduced it to Gu Changyuan.

"There are actually two Outer Realm Cities. One is on the side of the Nine Heavens Realm, which is the one before our eyes; the other is inside the Outer Realm, separated by this spatial rift.

Each of the two cities is jointly overseen by four Half-Immortal realm experts. They were also among the very first batch of legendary figures to discover and explore the Outer Realm, obtaining tremendous fortuitous encounters from it and ultimately breaking through to the Half-Immortal realm."

The internal environment of the Outer Realm was extremely complex and perilous, with chaotic space and bizarre laws. Furthermore, there were countless exotic beasts and dangerous lands never before seen in the Nine Heavens Realm, and it might even hold remnants of ancient ruins or lost inheritances.

In contrast, the resources hidden within were astonishingly abundant. Many heavenly materials and earthly treasures, rare mineral veins, and ancient relics that had long gone extinct or were extremely rare in the Nine Heavens Realm could potentially be found in the Outer Realm.

Therefore, it attracted countless cultivators who were confident in their strength and eager for breakthroughs or wealth, willing to cross the ten-thousand-mile ice plains to risk their lives in adventure.

Those eight Half-Immortal City Lords were the ones who, after surviving near-certain death and reaping massive rewards in the Outer Realm, jointly established these two Outer Realm Cities and founded the City Lord's Estate.

They spread news of the Outer Realm to the outside world, attracting cultivators to come, while maintaining basic order and stability at the entrance.

The City Lord's Estate, on the other hand, acquired wealth and resources through managing the city, collecting various fees, and operating their own businesses.