"Go!" Su Ming nodded.
Third senior brother's spirits were instantly lifted. He picked up the gourd and lifted his head to look at the sky. He mumbled a few words that Su Ming could not hear, then lifted his hand as if he was calculating something with his fingers.
After a moment, a silly smile appeared on his face.
"It's done. You're lucky. You can go see eldest senior brother today. Let's go. Follow me." As third senior brother spoke, he charged into the distance. Su Ming did not make a sound and followed behind him. As he looked at his third senior brother's back, he gradually found himself unable to understand it.
The two of them charged through the mountain as the sun rose in the sky. Before long, they arrived at a mountain rock that looked rather damaged. Over there, Su Ming saw a small, low cave that was mostly covered by a large rock, causing not much sunlight to shine in even if it was daytime.
Su Ming hesitated for a moment before he asked, "Eldest senior brother isolates himself here?"
"Eldest senior brother can't possibly enjoy life like this. This is your senior brother Hu's cave abode. What do you think? It looks really grand, doesn't it? Wait here, I'll go get some wine." As third senior brother spoke, he lowered his body and entered the small cave. Su Ming was momentarily stunned, and his previous guess was shaken.
Very soon, third senior brother walked out. There was still some wine spilled on the pot of wine in his hand. It was obvious that he had just refilled it. As he lifted the big gourd, excitement appeared on his face.
"Let's go. We have to hurry, or else we won't make it." As he spoke, third senior brother charged forward. Su Ming hesitated for a moment before he followed behind him. The two of them charged towards the foot of the mountain.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the man called Hu Zi brought Su Ming to the foot of the mountain. After making a few turns, they arrived at a crack in the mountain. The moment they stepped in, Su Ming immediately felt a wave of cold air crashing into his face.
By the looks of his third senior brother's actions, it was clear that he was incredibly familiar with this place. They walked for half a day in the crack and gradually went deeper underground. There were many times when they could no longer see the path, as if they had reached the end, but as Hu Zi continued walking, a new path would appear.
Even Su Ming started feeling dizzy as he moved around in circles in the layer of ice. At that moment, his third senior brother came to a halt and brought Su Ming to a basin that was not too big.
Looking up, the basin in front of him was like a huge hole. It was pitch-black and emitted waves of bone-piercing coldness. There were also countless icicles hanging down from the sides, giving off a cold feeling.
"We're here. Eldest senior brother is down there, but it's too deep down there, so we won't be going in. We'll just watch from here." Third senior brother turned his head around and looked at Su Ming, then pointed at the basin before them.
Su Ming took a few steps forward and looked down the basin. With his level of cultivation and eyesight, he could not see the end of the basin.
Third Senior Brother put down the gourd in his hand and stood at the side. He raised his right hand and counted his fingers one by one, as if he was counting the time.
"There's still the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn. Youngest junior brother, just wait …" Yet before he could finish speaking, a roar that sounded like a low growl suddenly came from within the basin. That roar rumbled, causing the layer of ice outside the basin to tremble furiously.
Su Ming's expression changed. He could clearly feel a wave of heat suddenly erupting from the layer of ice that should not have existed. He immediately took a few steps back. That wave of heat came crashing towards him with a bang, and a wave of hot air surged out from the bottom of the basin with a bang.
That wave of heat gave off a feeling that even their bodies would be scorched, but strangely, the basin and the layer of ice around it were only slowly melting under that wave of heat. This clearly did not make sense appeared before Su Ming's eyes, and it made his heart tremble. He sucked in a deep breath.
"Darn it, why did eldest senior brother start his breathing earlier this time? Eldest senior brother, Hu Zi is here, and he even brought the youngest junior brother that the old man just took in. For our youngest junior brother's sake, you have to help me warm my wine this time."
"I'm telling you, eldest senior brother, if you break my wine gourd again and embarrass me in front of our youngest junior brother, then I'll never come to see you again."
As third senior brother spoke, he quickly threw the wine gourd by his side into the basin. The wine gourd was hit by the wave of heat that erupted from within the basin and did not fall. Instead, it floated in midair.
However, cracking sounds rang in the air, and cracks immediately appeared on the wine gourd. Some wine spilled out from the cracks and fell into the basin.
"Eldest senior brother!" Hu Zi let out a shrill scream of pain, and his expression changed.
A cold harrumph came from within the basin, and the numerous cracks on the wine gourd were immediately covered by a layer of ice, causing the wine in the gourd to stop flowing out.
At the same time, a wave of hot air spread out from the opened lid of the gourd. It was a thick wine fragrance that filled the area, causing all those who took a whiff of it to feel warm.
There was a layer of frost outside the gourd, but within the gourd, the wine instantly boiled and turned into wine vapor. Half of it dissipated.
"That's enough, eldest senior brother, that's enough!" Hu Zi's expression changed very quickly. One breath ago, he was in a miserable state, but in the next, he was beaming with joy.
"Third … can you not do this next time … Every single time you leave, I have to change the Path Rune outside, but you always manage to sneak in …" The wine gourd covered in frost floated towards Hu Zi and landed before him. At the same time, a resigned voice came from within the basin.
That voice was very gentle, but the instant it fell into Su Ming's ears, he first felt a chill run down his spine. Then, that chill turned into warmth that filled his entire body.
"You're the only one who could think of using the Origin Aura I gained after so much trouble to warm wine … Ah, remember to send half a pot to Master, or else I won't warm it for you next time!" The resignation in that voice made Su Ming think that his third senior brother was going a little overboard.
"Eldest senior brother, don't worry. I'll definitely send half a pot to the old man, heh heh." Hu Zi's face was filled with excitement. He quickly picked up the wine gourd and took a sniff of the wine within. An intoxicated look appeared on his face.
"Fourth, you just came up the mountain. It's a pity I can't come out of isolation. I'll have to wait for a few years. How about this? I'll give this to you. Use it to protect yourself." That gentle voice appeared once again, and soon after, a piece of blue ice flew out of the basin and charged towards Su Ming, floating before him.
Within that blue ice was a layer of blue fire that exuded an enchanting air.
"Thank you, eldest senior brother." Su Ming quickly wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed, then put away the blue ice. With just one glance, he could tell that this was no ordinary item.
"Eldest senior brother, hurry up and train. I've made my calculations. In another forty-three days, it'll be time for you to breathe in and out your Origin Aura again. At that time, I'll come and find you again. We won't bother you anymore. Eldest senior brother, good luck!" Hu Zi lifted the wine gourd and dragged Su Ming a few steps backwards before he shouted towards the basin.
The heat spreading out from the basin clearly froze for a moment, then a resigned sigh came from within the basin.
"Don't always get drunk. Remember what Master told you in the past. Getting drunk might be the method you found to clear your mind, but that's just the process. What's important is your dreams after you get drunk …" The gentle voice echoed in the air.
"I know, I know. We'll be leaving first." Hu Zi quickly left, but Su Ming's footsteps came to a halt and he looked towards the heat spreading out from the basin.
"Eldest senior brother, what skill are you practicing? Did you really see the Arts and divine abilities on the jade stones in Master's chamber in the second layer?"
After a short period of silence, the gentle voice came from within the basin.
"You won't be able to see what I saw … because in my heart, what I desire the most are skills."
Eldest senior brother's voice echoed in the air, just like how Su Ming's heart was buzzing. When he was dragged out of his eldest senior brother's isolation grounds by Hu Zi and arrived at the foot of the ninth summit, a huge storm raged in his head.
He wasn't sure how he had left, but his mind was still shaken. He parted ways with Third Elder Brother and returned to his Immortal's cave. He sat down cross-legged on the balcony, looking off into the distance. However, what he saw wasn't important. He couldn't calm his mind.
"Eldest Senior Brother thirsted for the cultivation technique, so when he entered the second level, he saw that the jade stones were real … He obtained the cultivation technique he wanted, and then went into seclusion to cultivate his heart, slowly strengthening himself.
'And because I care about the map the most, that's why the Berserker Vessels in the first layer, the skills in the second layer, and even the ancient scrolls in the third layer are all illusions. Only the map is something I can see …
'Eldest senior brother isolated himself to train his mind and understand the word Creation … Perhaps his skills are only a part of it. Only by creating will he be able to fulfill the true meaning of Creation.
He didn't know what Second Senior Brother had obtained from Master's secret chamber … He had chosen to plant those flowers and plants, because personally planting them represented a kind of creation … Creating life, using this method to cultivate the mind, to comprehend …
'As for third senior brother, he fell asleep after he was drunk. Being drunk is just a process, and when he falls asleep, he dreams. That's the start of training his mind … Dreaming is also a form of creating dreams …' Su Ming understood now.
He shuddered. At that moment, he was looking into the distance at the beginning of the world. The sun rose, and its rays shone down on the land with an indescribable shock. The speed of the wind was not fast either. It lifted Su Ming's hair, and under the sunlight, it looked as if there were many colors in his hair.
Su Ming turned his head around slowly and looked at the summit illuminated by the sun. He could vaguely see an old person standing there. That person was looking at the rising sun in the distance, and his robes fluttered in the wind.
"Master …" Su Ming mumbled.
'Become my disciple. One day, you'll understand that Freezing Sky Clan is nothing!' The words Tian Xie Zi had told him that day appeared in Su Ming's head.
Su Ming closed his eyes and immersed himself in an epiphany.
Time passed by slowly. One day, two days, three days …
Su Ming sat there as the sun rose and set, the cold wind blew, and the white snow fell. He did not move.
My fellow Daoists, it's been seven consecutive days since the third chapter was updated. Now, I only owe 4,000 words for this month. My promise is like a mountain, and I'm about to fulfill it. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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