Chapter 167: Frost-Condensing Jade

As he spoke, Lin Xiao infused the Soul-Seeking Magpie with his spiritual energy, activating it. The once lifeless jade artifact suddenly seemed to come alive, flapping its wings as it took flight. It flew low, hovering no more than ten meters above the ground, and after circling briefly, it began to head towards the right side of the snowy mountain. Lin Xiao quickly followed, keeping pace with the magpie.

After spending more than half an hour circling around the massive mountain, Lin Xiao saw the Soul-Seeking Magpie suddenly vanish into thin air as it flew forward.

Startled, Lin Xiao rushed forward to investigate. As he approached the area where the magpie had disappeared, a cultivator sitting near a tent at the mountain's base noticed him. This cultivator, Tong Hua, had been sitting in meditation near the entrance to a hidden area, and he was shocked to see a young boy, seemingly an ordinary mortal, getting so close without him noticing.

Tong Hua had only been momentarily distracted, yet somehow, this boy had managed to approach without a trace. For a brief moment, Tong Hua doubted his own skills. It wasn't until the boy was about to step into the entrance of the hidden area that Tong Hua realized what was happening and shouted, "Hey! Stop! It's dangerous there!"

From Tong Hua's perspective, this boy looked no older than twelve or thirteen, far too young to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Tong Hua assumed he was a Qi Refining cultivator using some kind of artifact to conceal his aura. Regardless, most hidden areas in secret realms were notoriously treacherous, so Tong Hua instinctively tried to warn him.

Hearing the shout, Lin Xiao turned back to glance at Tong Hua, but before he could respond, his foot had already crossed into the entrance. In the next moment, a powerful force pulled him inside with a swift whoosh.

Inside an unknown part of the Icefield Secret Realm, Lin Xiao found himself in a vast ice cavern with no visible sky. The space was enormous, with large ice mountains scattered throughout. The entire area was encased in hard, cold ice, making it feel like a world of endless snow and ice.

Lin Xiao had just been sucked into the highest point of this ice cavern. Looking down, he was immediately stunned by what he saw. Below him, aside from the towering ice mountains, there were exquisite crystalline structures scattered throughout the cavern.

As he descended rapidly, Lin Xiao realized he needed to stabilize himself. Just ten meters from the ground, he quickly activated his Treading on Air technique, halting his fall and avoiding a crash landing. Once he had safely landed, Lin Xiao marveled at the scale of the structures around him. While the entire cavern had been visible from above, being on the ground made him realize just how large the buildings and ice mountains were.

He approached one of the intricately designed buildings. Though it wasn't the largest structure, it was clearly made from the highest quality materials among the surrounding buildings. The building's material had a unique, translucent luster that made it impossible to see inside, yet it had an almost ethereal glow.

At that moment, Liao Pantu's voice echoed in Lin Xiao's mind, "I never expected such high-grade Frost-Condensing Jade to exist in a mere Foundation Establishment-level secret realm!"

Confused, Lin Xiao immediately asked, "What is Frost-Condensing Jade? What's it used for?"

Still astounded by the sight, Liao Pantu explained as he peered through Lin Xiao's eyes, "Frost-Condensing Jade is a type of spiritual jade that gathers cold energy. That's the basic function. The other buildings around us are likely made of ordinary Frost-Condensing Jade." He gestured to the surrounding structures as he spoke.

Lin Xiao glanced around and noticed that, indeed, the building in front of him stood out compared to the others. Liao Pantu continued, "The quality of Frost-Condensing Jade is determined by its color and luster. The jade used for this building is of exceptionally high quality. High-grade Frost-Condensing Jade has a wide range of uses, from crafting talismans, refining tools, and creating arrays, to even being used in alchemy. It can enhance the quality of whatever it's used to create. Additionally, it has excellent spiritual energy-gathering properties. If combined with a spiritual vein, given enough time, it can even improve the grade of the vein."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao couldn't help but be amazed. "With such incredible properties, how could something like this exist in a Foundation Establishment-level secret realm without being taken over the past hundred years?"

Liao Pantu fell silent for a moment before answering, "Perhaps it wasn't undiscovered—those who found it may have never left."

This statement sent a chill through Lin Xiao. He immediately spread his spiritual sense to scan the area. To his surprise, he noticed that what he had initially thought were piles of snow were, in fact, piles of bones.

Though not his first encounter with such sights, Lin Xiao found the scene unsettling. However, compared to the horrors he had witnessed in the Green Leaf Secret Realm, these bones were far less shocking. After a moment, Lin Xiao refocused his attention on the exquisite building before him. Eyeing the intricately designed eaves, he suddenly pulled out a spiritual pickaxe from his storage.

He lightly chipped at the base of the building. When the Frost-Condensing Jade remained unharmed, he abandoned his initial plan of dismantling the structure piece by piece. Instead, he began chipping away at the ice around the building's foundation, intending to remove the entire structure.

Seeing this, Liao Pantu was bewildered. "What are you doing?"

Lin Xiao replied matter-of-factly, "I'm digging."

"I can see that. But why?"

Lin Xiao grinned as he worked, "I plan to take the whole building with me!"

Liao Pantu was shocked. "Are you dreaming? My storage ring has size limitations—it can't hold something this large!"

Lin Xiao waved off his concerns and continued chipping away. "Don't worry. I've got a way."

Hearing this, Liao Pantu decided to remain silent. After all, this boy had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. If he claimed to have a way, he probably did.

Lin Xiao's plan was simple: he had already confirmed with the system that if he could lift the entire building, his personal storage space could accommodate it. So, with renewed enthusiasm, he continued his work.

However, the noise from Lin Xiao's excavation soon attracted attention. Several cultivators nearby heard the sound of ice being chipped away and cautiously made their way toward him.