Chapter 1800 — Snow Valley, Part Two

Yet Xue Li looked even younger; by outward appearance alone, she was not much older than Bing Tang. Besides, ten years counted for nothing at all to a Heavenly Tier expert whose lifespan had been greatly prolonged. Even so, a small knot of unease still lingered in Xue Li's heart.

At the very thought of Bing Tang, deep jealousy rose in the hearts of both Xue Li and the Grand Elder. Bing Tang's constitution was already excellent enough; if she could take a single Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill, she would be able to receive the legacy to perfection.

But before the Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill could even be refined, word arrived that the Ice Palace had found an inheritor with a yin-cold constitution, and Snow Valley was left sick with envy. Why was it that every good thing fell into the Ice Palace's lap?

So these past days the Grand Elder had been like a woman entering menopause a second time: the moment the matter crossed her mind, she would summon the valley's elders to discuss countermeasures—and after all that discussing, the conclusion was always the same...

The finest constitution in all of Snow Valley belonged to Xue Li, yet to comprehend the legacy with such a constitution was simply impossible. Even with an Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill, there was no certainty that her constitution could be changed.

"Grand Elder, Valley Master, this humble one does have an idea—though I cannot say whether it is workable." The one who spoke was a Heavenly Tier elder of Snow Valley, surnamed Zhang.

"Oh? Let us hear it," said the Grand Elder, her eyes lighting up as she pressed him eagerly.

"Suppose Snow Valley refines an Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill and gives it to Palace Master Bing Tang—might she then yield that yin-cold inheritor to us?" Elder Zhang said.

"That..." The Grand Elder frowned, as though weighing the feasibility of his words. But after pondering a moment, she shook her head. "I fear not. If it were Snow Valley in their place, would we make such a trade?"

"That..." Elder Zhang was somewhat silenced. Indeed, he had been too simple about it. An inheritor represented not merely an expert at the very peak of the late Heavenly Tier, but the one most likely to step into the Heavenly Dao itself; every sect therefore treasured such a person beyond measure. How could they possibly hand one over so lightly?

"Grand Elder, Elder Zhang's words may sound unrealistic, but think carefully and they are not entirely impossible," Xue Li said. "After all, Cloud Tier Island is the goal of every ancient sect and every ancient clan. It is said that even if the water-element inheritor among the five elements is lacking, Cloud Tier Island may still be opened—only the success rate drops enormously... So for the sake of the greater cause, I doubt the Ice Palace would refuse..."

"Little Li is right. Once our Ice Palace lacks an inheritor, opening Cloud Tier Island becomes far harder. If we truly can refine an Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill, then it may well be worth a try..." The Grand Elder mused for a moment before speaking.

"Then I will contact the Ice Palace at once. If they agree, we shall devote all our strength to finding someone capable of refining the Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill," Xue Li said. As for the heavenly treasures required for the refinement, she had no worries at all: Snow Valley was famous precisely for producing such treasures. Gathering the materials would be difficult, but hardly a great hardship for Snow Valley.

The meeting came to a temporary close. Xue Li went to contact the Ice Palace, the Grand Elder withdrew, and the other three elders each attended to their own duties.

"Elder Zhang, a few people have arrived outside Snow Valley, claiming they have come to buy heavenly treasures. What do you think...?" Seeing Elder Zhang come out, the patrolling disciple hurried up to him at once. Zhang was on duty today, and every affair of Snow Valley had to be referred to him.

"Oh? Then take them to the reception hall to see me." Snow Valley never turned away buyers of heavenly treasures; this was, after all, the valley's source of income.

Because of its location, Snow Valley was unlike the Ice Palace. Apart from a single naturally formed hollow nearby, there was nothing else here—no dangerous spirit beasts, no sheer cliffs—so it could never serve as a trial ground. Snow Valley could not host trials; it could only rely on its peculiar climate to cultivate heavenly treasures and trade them for money.

Tang Yun, Gu Mengyao, and Shen Yushu had never expected the elders of Snow Valley to be so agreeable, actually consenting to receive them in the reception hall. This was quite beyond Gu Mengyao's expectations. After all, an ancient sect was a lofty existence beyond reach—and yet they had sent out an elder of the sect to receive them, which was rather high treatment indeed.

What they did not know was that Snow Valley had always done things this way; it was simply how the valley survived. And the reason an elder had to receive them was that only the elders had the authority to set the value of heavenly treasures—no other disciple of Snow Valley could presume to decide such matters.

So it was better to have the elder appear in person than to leave the reception to anyone else.

"This is Elder Zhang, our valley's elder on duty. Whatever heavenly treasures you require, you may discuss with him in detail." The patrolling disciple bowed politely to Elder Zhang in the reception hall, then withdrew to continue his patrol.

"Greetings, Elder Zhang!" Tang Yun, Gu Mengyao, and Shen Yushu all saluted with cupped fists in the manner of martial folk—though Shen Yushu, carrying Wei Zhao on her back, looked rather strained doing so.

Elder Zhang's gaze swept over Tang Yun, Gu Mengyao, and Shen Yushu, and a trace of puzzlement surfaced in his eyes. Even a Heavenly Tier expert could not directly see through a cultivator's strength, but whether the people before him were cultivators at all—that much a Heavenly Tier expert could generally sense.

Yet in all three of them, Elder Zhang sensed no true qi whatsoever, and that was what puzzled him.

Those who came here to buy heavenly treasures were cultivators from the various sects and clans; ordinary people could not even know that Snow Valley existed. But these three before him left him unable to judge their identity with any certainty. "I hear you want heavenly treasures? But you do not seem to be cultivators."

"That is right, we are not cultivators," Gu Mengyao admitted readily. She understood well enough that before true cultivators, disguise was useless; better to admit it outright than invite misunderstanding and complications. "But the person she carries on her back is a cultivator..."

Elder Zhang had not noticed Wei Zhao before. Shen Yushu was indeed carrying someone, but he had assumed it was merely a sick person.

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