176 Chapter 175: Snow and Stars (1/2)

”Ugh…brr…!”

I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered as the blizzard blew against me with a vicious howl. Hail pelted me as large drifts of snow descended everywhere, drowning the entire area in white. I couldn't see anything for miles around except for white, white and more white.

The sub-zero temperature wasn't helping much either, and my fingers and toes had gone numb a long time ago. Trudging clumsily through the thick, white sludge of snow, I squinted through the shower of snow and raised my hands to my eyes, half-protecting my face from the merciless hail. Damn, but these things hurt.

As I expected, my glasses didn't work here either, but I had ceased caring about that since I stepped foot in this place. The only thing I cared about was finding a way to get out of this damned place since I was literally freezing to death. My body wouldn't stop shivering, my fingers and toes felt as if they were about to fall off, and my face was coated in a layer of frost.

This was hell. It had to be. I was reminded of the Nine Thousand Yin Ice Hell Formation. Okay, maybe that one was worse, but this snowy environment was close. Very close.

If I hadn't gathered my qi and used it to envelop myself in a protective aura, I would have frozen to death long ago.

”Damn it,” I murmured, my teeth chattering uncontrollably as I glanced around the area helplessly. I knew what I had to do. I had already tracked down the signs, and I could see the Spirit Diagram embedded in each snowflake, the countless snowflakes drifting lazily around me as if mocking me. All I had to do was piece them together, find some sort of coherent pattern, and I would be able to grasp the essence of the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body.

The final pieces were falling into place. I staggered toward the last bits of snowflakes, studying them as they fell and melded with the countless other snowflakes, becoming part of a greater whole. Yet at the same time, I could sense the necessary components, their contribution to the tundra that was spreading across the plain.

”I see…so that's how it is.”

Drawing an icy breath that scraped my lungs raw, I steeled my resolve. Even though I had an affinity with ice element, the damned icy hell was still as cold as…well, hell. My affinity with ice wasn't going to protect me, but then again, that was probably the point.

The snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar was putting me through a trial. If it was that easy to understand and comprehend the Spirit Diagrams it concealed, then it obviously wouldn't be called a trial. Just because I had an affinity with it didn't mean it was going to go easy on me. No, it was precisely because of my affinity with ice that the Spirit Engraved Pillar was harder on me than it would have been on others.

Damn it.

Well, if I solve this, I'll finally be able to get out of here.

To be honest, even if I put the final pieces together, I still wouldn't be able to understand the ”true” essence of the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body. As I said before, this wasn't a simple matter of discovering the objective truth or true essence of the martial arts. The Spirit Diagram, like the Divine Dragon Flowing Water Formula, was open to various interpretations. As I said, some interpretations were more valid than others, but that didn't mean there was only one right answer.

And the moment you thought you had a complete grasp and totally understood the true essence of a concept, you most likely hadn't fully comprehended it at all.

Even so, I was fast reaching the stage where the Spirit Engraved Pillar was satisfied with my level of understanding. I just needed…

Then I felt the chilling sensation. A sensation so cold that even the extreme temperatures and snow around me couldn't compare. A terrifying chill that ran through my spine and caused my already shivering legs to buckle.

”You…”

Even before turning around, I already knew the source of that terrifying, icy sensation. A dark shadow lurked at the edges of my peripheral vision, but now that it was close to hunting me, it no longer saw the need to hide itself.

Sucking in a deep breath, I looked up and spotted the shadow. It seemed insubstantial, flickering out in and out of existence, yet somehow maintained a humanoid form, with intangible arms and legs. A head-like protrusion swayed above the main body, with creepy gray patches standing out against the black form to resemble eyes and a mouth.

”You found me out,” the shadowy figure said, its tone mocking and taunting. I didn't reply, merely staring at it.

The shadow took a step forward, and seemed to collide with something invisible. Sparks flew between it and a shimmering screen, which appeared to materialize out of nowhere, keeping the shadowy being at a distance.

I recognized the shadowy figure. It was the malevolent, demonic existence that resided in the abysmal depths under the plaza, sealed by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars in a spiritual prison that entombed it for eons.

The shadow scrabbled at the barrier, causing more sparks to ignite. Undaunted, it dug its shadowy claws into the shimmering screen, and to my horror, began to slowly rip it apart.

”Ths is quite the powerful spiritual barrier, you know.” The shadow was chuckling as it gradually tore the protection that my Snow Aegis offered into shreds and clawed its way inside the blizzard-shrouded world. ”What an impressive Spirit Artifact. To have kept me at bay for so long…this master must offer his compliments to whoever forged it.”

Well…I forged it with the help of Tang Qi Hong and Sect Leader Zi, the latter two helping with engraving the Spirit Diagrams that had kept the damned demonic existence out of my mind for so long. But I doubted that he was truly interested in knowing about that.

”You're good, I'll hand you that,” the shadow smirked as it drew closer. ”To have kept me out for so long. Unfortunately, you got complacent and let your guard down in the end.”

”…”

I didn't dignify the thing's gloating with a response. The shadow sneered with its formless mouth, its eyes narrowing slightly. I could sense from the qi some…confusion. But the shadow brushed it off and took another step forward.

”While you were busily engaging in your business with the Spirit Engraved Pillars and learning their wonderful secrets, I haven't been idle. I tirelessly looked for ways to circumvent that troublesome defense of yours, a method to disassemble and break it apart.”

The hole that passed off for its mouth widened into a grin filled with jagged teeth.

”And I finally succeeded! Your body…I'll be taking it!”

I merely stared at the shadow, as if waiting for him to come at me. The demonic entity stared at me for a second, his expression diminishing slightly, as if he was disappointed with my lack of fear or despair.

”Oh, well. I finally get a taste of freedom after so many centuries!”

Then the shadow lunged at me.

Crack!

”?!”

The shadow suddenly found himself thrown back by a new barrier, which shimmered into existence before him. He struck the snow and rolled, leaving a white trail as he skidded across the ground. Cursing in fury, he slowly rose to his feet and stared at the new barrier, where an astronomical number of snowflake patterns hovered to constitute it.

”This is…a new barrier?! When did you create it?”

I merely smiled, but did not reply. I wasn't stupid enough to give away vital information to my enemy.

To be honest, I had only just devised and created the new barrier a few hours ago, just barely making it in time to defend against the malevolent entity. I had been aware for some time now his efforts to break past my Snow Aegis's spiritual defenses, and detected the slight cracks and breaches that he succeeded in making. Knowing that he would eventually succeed, I had begun taking steps to counter his invasion.

Initially, I toyed with the idea of approaching Sect Leader Zi to help upgrade my barrier or change the patterns to confound the demonic entity the moment he broke through. But he was busy with researching the snow-patterned Spirit Diagram that I had projected into the hololith, and I was occupied with meditating to comprehend the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body concealed within the Spirit Engraved Pillar at any rate.

So I decided to gamble on the secrets hidden within the Spirit Engraved Pillar. I figured that if I managed to get some information regarding the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body, I would be able to apply it in practical terms, to upgrade my defense. So I endeavored to learn the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body as much as I could, while experimenting with it and combining it with the spiritual aegis that my Snow Aegis generated.

Realizing that I could combine the various snowflake patterns with the barrier, I could

And the gamble had paid off. I had won the bet. It was a close run, but totally worth it.

Of course I didn't tell the demonic entity that. I merely continued to smile at him with my arms crossed, as if challenging him to try again.

”This barrier…it seems a bit weaker because it's not a single wall, but comprised of many different units joined together.” The shadow stared at the snowflakes, and reached out with his hand, only for it to be repelled by the snow. Ice began spreading rapidly over his arm, encasing it it in frost. The demonic entity stared at his frozen arm, fascinated, and then turned to look at me. ”A trap, huh…I knew it. The fragility was too obvious.”

I merely shrugged, but did not elaborate or launch into an explanation. This wasn't Bleach, after all, and I wasn't stupid enough to explain my technique to my enemy so that he could come up with a countermeasure.

Bragging was a fatal flaw, after all.

”…seems like I have no choice but to withdraw.” The shadow's voice sounded a little sluggish, especially as he glanced down at his arm again. The ice had spread from his arm to his shoulder and was rapidly expanding across his chest and his torso. Despite his best efforts, the demonic entity could not break the ice with his qi. ”Fighting in this place is disadvantageous to me.”

I watched quietly as he retreated, and then breathed a sigh of relief. Closing my eyes, I fell onto the snow, sitting down despite the dampness that seeped through my pants. Yeah, snow did that to you especially since it melted the moment it came in contact with your body heat.

Not that I cared. My legs were too weak to prop me up at the moment.

”Phew…”

As I exhaled, I reached out and probed with my Heaven and Earth senses to ensure that he was gone. As I did so, I caught a whisk of the lingering qi he left behind.

”This…”

I paled considerably when I understood what he meant when he said, ”fighting in this place is disadvantageous” to him. Ths demonic entity wasn't at full strength – his power had been diminished greatly when he fought to intrude into the Spirit World of the snow-motif Spirit Engraved Pillar. Probably cut by half, or more.

Furthermore, the reason he couldn't break the ice wasn't because he was weaker than me. It was because the Spirit Engraved Pillar's Spirit World rendered the very concept of ice invincible within its sphere of influence. As long as the shadowy being stayed within the Spirit Engraved Pillar's realm, he was bound by its rules and terms.

I lucked out here.

On the other hand, I learned something. Even though the demonic existence was so much more powerful than me, I had ways of denying him his goals. I could set the stage and dictate the terms on which we fought.

I could win even though I was so much weaker than him. Not every victory relied on brute force or overwhelming strength, after all. Using the environment or terrain to my advantage, making good use of sound strategies and intelligent tactics, I could outsmart my foe and drive him back.

However, I knew that I had to confront him directly one day and destroy him once and for all. As long as he continued to remain underneath the plaza, he would pose an incredible threat to me.

”…hah…”

Shaking my head, I sighed. For now, I should just focus on learning the Heavenly Snow Terminus Body and inscribing it into a martial arts manual. For the sake of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect…and now, also for my own sake as well.

*

When I woke up, I found myself sitting cross-legged in the plaza. The moment I rose to my feet, the Great Elders turned to look at me expectantly. I squirmed under their gazes nervously, but then nodded to a nearby technician, who handed me a tablet.

”Are you feeling all right?”

As ever, Tang Qi Hong was more concerned about my health and wellbeing than if I had succeeded in attaining enlightenment and comprehended a Spirit Diagram. She and Lian Rou hurried over to check on me.

”Yeah.”

”Good job,” Sect Leader Zi said as he approached. ”Would you perhaps want to rest first?”

I shook my head. ”No, let me inscribe the Spirit Diagram first, while it's still fresh in my mind.”

The Great Elders eagerly crowded around, impatient to see what I would come up with this time, with not a single word of concern. They didn't even put on a polite façade and inquired whether I was tired or not, their minds clearly engrossed on the tablet that the technician passed to me. Even though I felt drained, I picked up the stylus and began inscribing the Spirit Diagram I had just learned immediately.

It took me a few hours, but as usual, I managed to finish it before I collapsed. Staggering to my feet, I passed the completed tablet to Sect Leader Zi. He glanced through it, and then nodded at me with a big smile.

”Well done,” he told me. ”Now go get some rest.”

”I'll get a few more copies done tomorrow.”

”Take some rest,” Sect Leader Zi repeated, and I knew from his tone that it was not a request. Saluting, I began trudging toward the edge of the plaza. I momentarily wondered if I should inform him of the demonic entity, then decided it could wait.

For now, I really wanted to fall into my bed and sleep for an entire day.

”What…this is…”

The Great Elders had eagerly all but snatched the tablet out of Sect Leader Zi's hands and were devouring it, only to be disappointed when they realized what it was.

”Another martial arts manual?”

”This isn't a Spirit Diagram for a Spirit Artifact…?”

”Again?”

”A martial arts manual is a Spirit Artifact,” Sect Leader Zi informed them plainly, trying his best to hide a smirk. Fortunately, the Great Elders were too beside themselves to notice, groaning and grumbling amongst themselves.

”Did you really not see any Spirit Diagrams for Spirit Artifacts…I mean proper Spirit Artifacts like Spirit Weapons, equipment or Spirit Armaments?”

”Who cares about Spirit Artifacts?” I snapped wearily, an edge creeping to my voice because of the exhaustion. For heaven's sake, I had just spent two weeks enduring the bone-chilling cold in a blizzard-wreathed Spirit World and just finished attaining enlightenment, and even took another few hours to inscribe what I had learned without rest. So I was pretty cranky and forgot my manners. ”I'm a martial artist, not a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver!”

The Great Elders were taken aback by my response. The fifth Great Elder frowned, but before he could reprimand me, a giggle cut through the air.

”Fei Wu has a point, you know?” Sect Lady Da Ji sauntered, stopping the conflict before it could begin. ”He is an honorary member of the Blood Blades and one of our greatest combat asset. Of course he would focus on martial arts. Do you have a problem with that, venerable Great Elders?”

”N…no. Of course not.”

As the chief Great Elder, Luo Zhi Chang was wise and tactful enough to quickly diffuse the situation. He glared at the other five, who took the hint and began to fall into line, coughing softly. He then bowed polteily to me.