This was not difficult at all.
Uncle De immediately agreed, knowing that Nanli was in a hurry. He also promised to send a cultivator at the Base Building stage to accompany Lin Zhixia to Seven Peaks Sect.
"Should we bring any message?"
"Just say..." Nanli thought for a moment. "Senior, we have brewed a fine wine in the city, and my father would like to invite you for a few cups."
She could not expose herself, nor could she allow the messenger to be detected, as it would put them in danger.
Yun Yubai had once indulged in free meals at the Prince Yu Mansion, and with his sharp senses, he would likely recognize this as a message from her.
Uncle De quickly issued the orders to get it done.
Nanli also gave them a paper crane to guide their way. Afterward, she took Yuan Zijun’s sword and flew off on her sword, heading towards Liang Jie and the others.
Elder Chen had intended to wait a moment before following, but when he saw Nanli vanish in an instant, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"She... she’s so fast!"
Uncle De, having seen it before, was not surprised. "Yes, she has another title, the ’Flying Cultivator’."
Elder Chen’s lips twitched. He couldn’t help but sigh, "Youth is a wonderful thing, no dizziness from flying swords."
Qingwu’s journey to Frosty Valley was not smooth.
Upon meeting with Valley Lord Yang, she learned that Yan Buxiu and Qingwu had teamed up to kill Palace Master Du. This news filled her with terror. Returning to the valley, she gathered the two major Elders and informed them of the fact that the Spirit Tree, which had once withered, had started emitting spiritual energy again.
Frosty Valley was entirely made up of female cultivators.
The eldest Elder, Ye Wukui, was a woman and had a higher status than Valley Lord Yang. She was her master’s aunt.
Ye Wukui’s fury was immediate. She unleashed a burst of spiritual power that left a blood mark across Valley Lord Yang’s face.
"You’ve done such a wicked thing! Have you forgotten your master’s teachings?"
"Master, I did this for Frosty Valley, for everyone!" Valley Lord Yang tried to justify her actions.
But Ye Wukui snorted and struck her again.
Although Valley Lord Yang was the leader, Ye Wukui was her senior, and she dared not evade.
Ye Wukui’s anger was far from quelled.
The second Elder quickly intervened, "Since you have done something wrong and broken the rules, you should kneel down and apologize."
Valley Lord Yang, though reluctant, knelt, afraid that Ye Wukui might strike her down.
"Aunt, I was wrong. But the mistake has already been made, and there is no turning back. For the sake of the disciples, please forgive me this once," she pleaded.
"You tell me you’re sorry, but what you really fear is that Qingwu and Yan Buxiu will come after you. You’re just isolated and helpless," Ye Wukui snapped.
The second Elder’s face turned pale.
"Ah, Valley Lord, you truly are foolish," she sighed.
Having been in the Upper Realm for so long, how could they not know what kind of people Qingwu and Yan Buxiu were?
When Celestial Sovereign was still alive, the two of them had to maintain a façade, but after his coma, they had ceased pretending. Many of the small sects in the Upper Realm had been driven to the brink of extinction by them.
Valley Lord Yang still clung to some hope. "It should... it should be fine, right?"
Ye Wukui became even more disappointed. "So be it. You’re someone who won’t turn back until you hit a wall. I will place a talisman on you. If you die, I will take the Glassy Bottle and lead the disciples to scatter, fleeing from Frosty Valley."
Valley Lord Yang was slightly afraid but didn’t take it seriously.
However, she never expected that she would not die at Celestial Sovereign Jifeng’s hands, but instead be struck down by Qiao Nanyi.
Once she died, Ye Wukui only sighed and immediately went to the Spirit Tree to retrieve the Glassy Bottle. She ordered the disciples of the sect to hide their identities and flee, never to return to Frosty Valley.
The second Elder thought for a moment and said, "Aunt, since the Glassy Bottle is a death talisman, it’s better for me to take it."
Ye Wukui was a master of talisman crafting, one of the most renowned Talisman Cultivators in the Upper Realm.
However, her combat abilities were weak. If she had been stronger, she would not have allowed a younger cultivator to take the position of leader.
She formed a seal and could sense the potency of the Glassy Bottle’s blood and inner core, as well as... fragments of memory!
After reviewing these, she turned pale and clutched her chest in shock.
"Aunt!" the second Elder exclaimed in surprise. "What’s wrong with the Glassy Bottle? Why do you look so pale?"
"Now I understand," Ye Wukui did not elaborate. "There’s no time to waste. We must scatter and leave."
It was no wonder they valued the power of the Glassy Bottle so much. It was related to the God-killing formation they had activated!
The second Elder pursed her lips and was about to speak, but Ye Wukui had already summoned her talisman brush and left first.
"Aunt, please be safe!" the second Elder said, then hurried to leave.
By the time Qingwu arrived at Frosty Valley, he found the sect deserted, and the Spirit Tree had lost all its vitality.
His face changed as he realized the Glassy Bottle had been taken.
"That’s mine! No one is allowed to take it!" he declared.
Qingwu used up his spiritual energy, releasing his primordial spirit and began searching the area for the female cultivators of Frosty Valley.
He spent an entire day and night, killing several of the female disciples and gathering information. Finally, he intercepted Ye Wukui on the road.
His primordial spirit condensed as he stood on his sword, his gray robe fluttering in the wind.
He stroked his beard and said, "Elder Ye, you’ve made me search quite hard."
Ye Wukui felt disgusted upon hearing this.
She retorted, "Grand Elder Qingwu, what emotional entanglements do we have?"
"Heh, when you entered Frosty Valley, you swore off marriage, so what emotional connection could there possibly be between us? But it seems that you’ve taken something of mine. I would appreciate it if you returned it to me," Qingwu said with a smile.
Ye Wukui could smell the blood on him and knew he had killed many of the valley’s female disciples.
With resentment, she said, "She joined with you to kill the gods. Now, not only is she suffering the backlash, but others are also being harmed."
Qingwu was not surprised that Ye Wukui knew the truth. After all, she had been the one to take the Glassy Bottle and run.
"Valley Lord Yang is truly foolish," Qingwu remarked. "She should have kept it to herself, but she had to tell others. If you hadn’t known, you could have survived."
"You did such despicable things, and now you’re afraid that others will find out?" Ye Wukui said. "Even if we hadn’t known, Frosty Valley’s Spirit Tree would eventually wither, and our spiritual energy would decrease. It was inevitable that we’d fall into decline. Since it was Frosty Valley that caused this calamity, we will sacrifice our lives to guard this Glassy Bottle until its rightful owner arrives, in order to atone for our sins!"
Upon hearing this, Qingwu’s face changed drastically. "The Glassy Bottle is not with you?! That’s impossible! I’ve already killed the second Elder, and if it wasn’t with her, it must be with you!"
Ye Wukui’s heart twisted painfully.
But there was nothing she could do. This was just a case of retribution for her actions.
She smiled grimly, "If you kill me, the result will be the same."