Chapter 132: Northern Wasteland Border

After leaving Qinghe City, Su Yun and the other two traveled north.

The further north they went, the thinner the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became. The mountains and rivers grew desolate, the trees gradually became stunted, and even the sky seemed much lower than in the Central Region.

Valley Master Su Yao said that this was a phenomenon unique to the Northern Wasteland, because the Spiritual Qi of the Northern Wasteland was attracted by some force in the Extreme North, gathering entirely in the depths, making the outer regions even more barren than the Central Region.

This was also the reason why high-level Cultivators were almost never seen in the outer regions of the Northern Wasteland.

They flew for seven full days, and on the morning of the eighth day, a massive mountain range appeared at the edge of their vision.

That mountain range stretched across the land, endless as far as the eye could see.

The peaks towered into the clouds, covered in white snow above the mountainside, while the foot of the mountains was a desolate Gobi desert.

The three landed on a mountaintop. Su Yun looked up, and on the other side of the mountain range was a grey, hazy plain, where some scattered buildings could be vaguely seen in the distance, looking like a small town.

"That is the Cultivator stronghold on the Northern Wasteland border. Cultivators who come from the Central Region to make a living in the Northern Wasteland all stop there. Some come to hunt Yao Beasts, some come to find Spirit Medicine, and others are those who have offended people and fled here. It's a mixed bag of people from all walks of life."

Su Yun nodded and led the two toward the small town.

The small town was not large, covering only a few miles in radius.

There were no city walls, only a circle of low wooden fences, with scattered beast bones and damaged Magical Artifacts outside the fence.

There were a few dozen sparse houses in the town, mostly made of wood and stone, looking very rudimentary.

The three landed at the entrance of the town.

Several Loose Cultivators squatting by the roadside smoking looked up for a glance, then lowered their heads again.

These people did not have high cultivation, only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, wearing worn-out leather armor, with the scent of blood on their bodies; they were likely hunters who made a living by hunting Yao Beasts.

Su Yun led Valley Master Su Yao and Fairy Jianyun into the town.

Although the town was small, it had everything one needed. There was a tavern, an inn, a blacksmith shop, and a small store with a sign for Medicinal Pills.

There were not many pedestrians on the street, but everyone looked vigilant; seeing strangers enter, their gazes would linger for a moment.

Su Yun walked to the entrance of the tavern and pushed the door open to enter.

The tavern was dimly lit, with a few scattered customers sitting at some worn-out wooden tables.

Behind the counter stood a middle-aged woman, looking to be in her early forties, with a rough face, wearing a greasy apron, and wiping a wine glass.

Seeing the three of them enter, her eyes lit up.

"Three guests, are you stopping for a meal or staying at the inn?"

Su Yun walked to the counter.

"I'd like to ask about something."

The middle-aged woman put down the wine glass.

"What is it?"

Su Yun said.

"How do I get to the depths of the Northern Wasteland?"

The middle-aged woman looked him up and down, then looked at Valley Master Su Yao and Fairy Jianyun behind him, her expression changing slightly.

"Are the three of you visiting the Northern Wasteland for the first time?"

Su Yun nodded.

The middle-aged woman lowered her voice.

"I advise you, don't go into the depths. It's fine to hunt some low-level Yao Beasts in the outer regions, but the depths are where the old monsters of the Soul Transformation Stage stay. The three of you are merely Nascent Soul Stage; going in there is just courting death."

Su Yun smiled: "We know what we are doing. Just tell us how to get there."

The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment, then took out a crumpled animal skin map from under the counter and spread it out on the counter.

"Follow this valley north, and you will reach the Yao Beast forest in the outer Northern Wasteland in three days. After passing through the forest and walking for another five days, there is a large river called the Cold Ice River. Once you cross the river, you will be in the depths of the Northern Wasteland."

She pointed to a red dot on the map.

"This is the only ferry crossing on the Cold Ice River, called Wangbei Ferry. There is a village there, inhabited by some hunters and herbalists. If you want to go into the depths, you can find a guide there."

Su Yun glanced at the map and memorized the route.

"Many thanks. How much for this map?"

The middle-aged woman waved her hand.

"It's a gift. It's not anything valuable anyway. But I'll say one more thing: if you really want to go in, it's best to find a guide. The terrain in the depths of the Northern Wasteland is complex. Without a guide, you won't even be able to find the Thunder Pond, let alone the Ten Thousand Year Cold Pool."

Su Yun put away the map.

"Where can I find a guide?"

The middle-aged woman thought for a moment.

"There is an old woman at Wangbei Ferry, surnamed Meng; everyone calls her Granny Meng. She has been gathering Spirit Medicine in the depths of the Northern Wasteland for decades and knows the terrain there like the back of her hand. However, she has a peculiar temper, so whether she is willing to guide you depends on your own abilities."

Su Yun nodded, threw down a handful of Spirit Stones, and led Valley Master Su Yao and Fairy Jianyun out of the tavern.

The three did not spend the night in town and flew directly north.

According to the route on the map, they first had to pass through a long, narrow valley.

The sides of the valley were steep stone walls, and the bottom of the valley was covered with gravel, with a few withered yellow weeds occasionally visible.

The wind blew in from the valley entrance, howling like someone crying.

Valley Master Su Yao walked beside Su Yun and said in a low voice: "Master, how much of what that proprietress said is credible?"

Su Yun said: "The map is real, and the route is real. As for that Granny Meng, we'll know once we go see her."

Fairy Jianyun walked at the back, her hand on her sword hilt, scanning her surroundings vigilantly.

Her Dao of the sword intuition was much sharper than Valley Master Su Yao's, and from the moment she set foot in the Northern Wasteland, she had felt a faint, lingering sense of danger.

"Master, something here is watching us."

Su Yun stopped.

He closed his eyes and extended his Divine Sense.

The Divine Sense of a Late Nascent Soul Stage could already cover a radius of a hundred miles, but in this valley, his perception was suppressed by the stone walls on both sides, and he could only probe about ten miles.

Within ten miles, there was nothing.

But he trusted Fairy Jianyun's intuition.

A Sword Cultivator's perception of danger was never wrong.

"Keep going. Be careful."

The three accelerated and sped along the valley.

After walking for about two hours, the valley entrance ahead suddenly opened up.

A grey, hazy forest appeared before their eyes, with tall and twisted trees, bare branches without a single leaf. The bark was dark grey and covered in moss, looking eerie and terrifying.

The Yao Beast forest.

Su Yun stopped and probed the forest with his Divine Sense.

The aura in the forest was mixed and chaotic. He could perceive dozens of Yao Beast auras, mostly around the Golden Core Stage, with a few occasionally at the Nascent Soul Stage.

These Yao Beasts were scattered throughout the forest, each occupying a territory, and they did not interfere with each other.

"Pass through it," Su Yun said.

The three stepped into the forest.

The light in the forest was dim, and the branches overhead intertwined into an airtight web, blocking out the sunlight.

The soil underfoot was soft and damp, making a slight sound when stepped on.

The air was filled with the scent of decay, mixed with a faint smell of blood.

After walking for less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a low beast roar suddenly came from ahead.

A huge black shadow rushed out from the bushes.

It was a black tiger, more than three times the size of a normal tiger, with thick Demonic Qi wrapped around its body. It was at the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

It opened its bloody maw and pounced toward Su Yun.

Su Yun raised his hand and struck out with a palm.

The black tiger screamed, flew backward, broke several large trees, and lay motionless on the ground.

Valley Master Su Yao hurriedly stepped forward to check and soon turned back to say: "Master, it's still alive, just fainted."

Su Yun nodded. "Let's go. Don't waste time."

The three continued forward.

Along the way, they encountered a few more Yao Beasts, all of which were easily dealt with by Su Yun. The cultivation of those Yao Beasts was at most Mid Nascent Soul Stage, and they couldn't even withstand a single move in front of him.

When the sky gradually darkened, the three finally passed through the Yao Beast forest.

A wide, large river appeared before them. The water was turbid, with grey-white foam, and a thin layer of ice chips floated on the surface. The cold wind blew from the river, chilling to the bone.

The Cold Ice River.

On the other side of the river, a few low houses could be vaguely seen. Wangbei Ferry had arrived.

Just as Su Yun was about to cross the river, he suddenly heard a splashing sound from the river surface.

A white figure leaped out of the water and landed on the riverbank.

It was a young woman, soaked all over, her long hair stuck to her face, making it impossible to see her features clearly. She wore a white dress, the hem of which was covered in mud and sand. She stumbled toward Su Yun, and before she had run more than a few steps, she collapsed to the ground.

Valley Master Su Yao stepped forward to check. "Master, she is seriously injured, and there is a strange cold Qi in her body eroding her Meridians."

Su Yun walked over, squatted down, and brushed away the messy hair on her face.

It was a young face, in her early twenties, with delicate features, but her complexion was as pale as paper. Her lips were purple, her fingers were icy cold, and her breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.

Su Yun raised his hand and tapped her between the eyebrows with one finger.

Golden light flashed.

[Enslavement successful]

[Obtained new slave: Bai Shuang, Loyalty 71]

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a portion of Spiritual Power feedback from Enslavement. Cultivation has slightly increased.]

Bai Shuang's body trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked at Su Yun, a flash of confusion in her eyes, which then turned into obedience.

"Master."

Su Yun looked at her. "Who are you? Why were you in the river?"

Bai Shuang struggled to sit up. "This subordinate is a herbalist from Wangbei Ferry. Three days ago, this subordinate and several companions went into the depths of the Northern Wasteland to gather Spirit Medicine and encountered a Thunder Beast. All the companions died; only this subordinate escaped. This subordinate jumped into the Cold Ice River and drifted here with the current."

Su Yun raised an eyebrow. "Thunder Beast? You saw a Thunder Beast?"

Bai Shuang nodded. "I saw it. It was guarding the sky thunder bamboo, not letting anyone get close. My companions and I were discovered by it before we could even get near. It killed three Mid Nascent Soul Stage companions with one claw. This subordinate escaped quickly and was only grazed by its lightning."

Su Yun looked at Valley Master Su Yao.

Valley Master Su Yao checked Bai Shuang's injuries, her expression grave. "The cold Qi in her body is not an ordinary injury; it was left by the Thunder Beast's lightning. The Thunder Beast's lightning carries a frigid attribute. Once struck, the cold Qi will slowly erode the Meridians. If not treated in time, she will turn into an ice sculpture in at most seven days."

Su Yun asked. "Can it be treated?"

Valley Master Su Yao thought for a moment. "Yes. It requires a Medicinal Pill called a fire origin pill, which specifically counters cold toxins. But the fire origin pill requires fire-attribute Spirit Medicine to refine, which we don't have here."

Bai Shuang suddenly spoke. "There is a pharmacy at Wangbei Ferry that might have the fire origin pill. This subordinate has seen Granny Meng sell it before."

Su Yun looked at the low houses on the other side of the river. "Does Granny Meng live there?"

Bai Shuang nodded.

Su Yun stood up. "Cross the river."