What happened in the hall spread like wildfire. Soon, everyone in Snow Sect knew what was going on.
Ricky had gotten a lot of attention since he became a disciple of the sect. Now that he seemed to have
beaten Lean, the number two guy among the top ten outer disciples, everyone was keeping an eye on
him. Everything he did might be dangerous to the different factions. Especially, the Refinement Faction
and the Casting Faction had noticed his capability. They felt menace.
They noticed that Ricky had quickly grown quite powerful. They had never seen a disciple achieve so
much so rapidly.
Ricky did not pay attention to the gossip about him. Why would he waste time on things that didn't
matter? So he went back to his place, packed up, and headed for the snowy mountains. By midnight,
he'd already cleared the gates of the Snow Sect, and kept pressing forward.
There was a reason he set out in the dead of night. If he tried to do it by day, he would have come into
conflict with men from the Refinement or the Casting Factions, and he would likely be quite dead.
Heather had offered to go with Ricky to find the spot where the Magic Ice was. However, Ricky turned
her down, fearing for her safety. He couldn't guarantee his own safety, let alone hers. He would not
forgive himself if she were injured or dead.
Thanks to Grace's directions, Ricky arrived at one of the mountain ridges. It was an arduous journey,
covered as it was by snow and ice.
There were lots of small, oddly-shaped peaks on this ridge. Not to mention a small forest.
The Magic Ice usually formed in icy water.
That gave him an idea of where to look. He looked for bodies of water that had frozen, either partially or
completely.
Finally, he reached the junction between the outer and inner peaks of the snowy mountains. Beasts
could often be found here, with powers like the advanced stage of Skin Refinement or the inferior stage
of Blood Purification.
Being nocturnal animals, they usually hunted at night. So Ricky was extremely careful. He not only had
to be stealthy, but he had to keep a sharp eye out. He cautiously climbed a tree and lay in its branches,
waiting until dawn. Here, he would have a better view and could avoid being discovered.
After all, he was still unable to handle the beasts at any grade of Blood Purification. He was well aware
that he was weaker, and so would not risk his life fighting them.
The beasts roaring echoed through the mountains, and the chill wind whispered in the air. Before long,
the long, cold night was ending. By dawn's light, Ricky left the tree and started his search again.
Four hours later, he found a frozen lake.
Unfortunately, he discovered nothing useful but some aquatic plants in this body of water. Oh, well, bad
luck.
For the next couple of days, he managed to locate seven or eight frozen lakes and found several
pieces of Magic Ice. But all of them were formed within a century, which would not help his refinement
at all.
He, however, did have some good luck during his journey. He managed to find fruits, nuts, and berries.
He hunted a dozen or so beasts at the advanced stage of Skin Refinement successfully, as well as
catching some strange fish in those pools. That was a big fortune for him.
Besides, he had made great progress in the Freezing Palm cultivation during his struggles against the
beasts.
Plus, this place provided him with an excellent environment because freezing temperatures would help
to improve the efficiency of his cultivation of the Palm. So far, he had already improved in the last few
days and reached to the minor achievement rank.
The day when he finished practicing the Palm, he thought to himself, 'I just can't find the Centennial
Magic Ice. Maybe Master Grace was wrong. Maybe no one comes here because there's no Centennial
Magic Ice.'
He decided to leave when he figured this out. He didn't want to waste his time.
But right before he was ready to leave, he heard footsteps.
Immediately, he hid himself behind a small hill by instinct.
Soon, he spied a handsome man and a woman wearing white clothes and a veil.
'It's her! Xenia!' Ricky shouted silently in his heart when he recognized the woman. He was shocked.
Yes, with Xenia he had shared some unforgettable times. Ricky could not be more familiar with her.
Even she was covered by a veil, it was unmistakably her.
Complex feelings surged in his heart.
He hated her; he liked her. He wasn't sure. Probably a bit of both.
Xenia helped him become a disciple of the Snow Sect by giving him the token. Otherwise, he wouldn't
be in this powerful sect. Nor would he be mentored by Grace. But, at one of the lowest points in his life,
she pushed him away.
'Isn't she a disciple herself? Then what is she doing here?' Ricky was puzzled.
The man and the woman started to talk.
Taking a look at her surroundings, Xenia could see nothing but ice and snow. She walked up to the
handsome man holding a folding fan and asked, "Jayden, is this where you found the Magic Ice?"
The man replied with a smile, "Yes, I'm sure of it. My men found a big frozen pond here. They did some
research and figured out the Magic Ice in that pool formed at least five hundred years ago!"
He then added, "I know you need the Magic Ice to practice your cultivation method. So here we are!
Only the best for you."
'A big frozen pond. Magic Ice formed five hundred years ago!' Ricky caught the gist of it and was
stunned, hiding silently and carefully behind the hill.
With the Sacred Blood Crystal he already had, he was certain that he would be able to reach the
Second Degree of the Nine-degree Body Refining Formula with the help of that Magic Ice.
'But I've been here several days, and ended up with nothing. What pond could they be talking about?'
thought Ricky, puzzled.
'Is he making shit up to impress her?'
He sized the guy up spiritually, and could feel the waves of lust wafting from him.
...
"Really? Magic Ice formed five hundred years ago?" Xenia asked excitedly. She had been staying calm
and distant the whole time. But now she had something worth paying attention to.
Jayden Di's eyes lit up upon noticing Xenia's enthusiasm. He continued, "Yeah. Just follow me."
Then, he led her towards one of the peaks.
Ricky, on the other hand, initiated the Devouring Skill to hide his breath, so they wouldn't hear him
breathing while he tailed them.
He wanted that Magic Ice. He might have to fight them for it, and he might lose. They were both
warriors of Blood Purification. That precious Magic Ice was worth it, though.
The area behind that peak was the central zone of the snowy mountains. Beasts of Blood Purification
haunted the area.
Soon, Jayden Di and Xenia found their way in the coniferous forest. It was an extremely secluded path.
They made good time on the path and soon arrived at the central zone.
There was no coniferous tree or hill. It was a plain basin covered with ice and snow.
There was a huge frozen pond in the basin.
"It's here! No wonder I couldn't find it. It's such a secret place," Ricky talked to himself with a low voice,
hiding in the forest. "This lake is so huge. It certainly makes sense to have the five hundred years old
Magic Ice. The guy, what's his name? Jayden, yeah! It seems that he wasn't making things up.
But how could I take the Ice from them?" Ricky was lost in thought, his brain starting to work on the
problem.
He could sense that Jayden Di and Xenia were definitely warriors at the first grade of Blood
Purification. He could almost confirm that Jayden Di was very close to the second grade of Blood
Purification.
He even had difficulty fighting against one warrior of Blood Purification, let alone two.
"Xenia, here we are. The Magic Ice is right there in the pond. I ordered my men to leave it where it was.
It belongs to you now. My gift to you," Jayden Di claimed. "You can use it for cultivation."
"Thank you, Jayden!" Xenia jumped into the pool before she thanked him. Jayden followed her.
"What should I do now? Do nothing and let them get the ice?" Ricky gritted his teeth, unwilling to give
up the Magic Ice.
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