Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

319: Frost TribeAfter trekking through this extreme environment for several days, even with Lin Jingyu’s solid Foundation, he felt a trace of fatigue.

Just as he was traversing a forest of ice pillars, formed naturally and resembling a giant maze, the view before him suddenly opened up.

At the edge of a relatively flat and vast ice field, there appeared a massive settlement, far exceeding the scale of the Great Wind Tribe and looking as if it were carved from ice and jade.

Looking from afar, it was no longer simple dug-out ice huts, but a cluster of houses built from huge, uniform, light-blue ice blocks, arranged in rows with clear planning and a unique architectural style.

One could even see an open space resembling a square in the center of the ice field, as well as the spires of several exceptionally tall buildings that looked like palaces.

High ice walls surrounded the entire settlement, and shadows of patrols could be vaguely seen on the ramparts; at a rough estimate, the population of this tribe likely numbered in the tens of thousands.

What was even more astonishing was that the air was faintly permeated with a subtle scent of smoke and a kind of… strange vitality that was completely out of place in this dead, frozen wasteland.

In this wasteland ruled by bitter cold and deathly silence, the sudden appearance of such a ”prosperous” scene did not make Lin Jingyu feel the slightest bit relaxed; instead, it instantly raised his vigilance to its peak.

Abnormal events must have a demonic cause! How could a tribe of this scale survive in an environment that even a Cultivator would find difficult? To what extent must their guardian deity be powerful?

He tried his best to restrain all his aura, pushing the concealment ability of the ”Spirit Refining Art” to the limit, his figure blending into the backdrop of wind and snow as he quietly approached.

However, when he was still several miles away from the ice wall, he discovered a team of hunters approaching.

This team of hunters consisted of about ten men, and their attire was far superior to the elite hunters of the Great Wind Tribe; they wore thick, tanned snow-beast leather armor, and while they held bone spears and stone axes, they were polished to a cold gleam, with faint traces of flowing runes on the blades, clearly not ordinary items.

Their eyes were as sharp as eagles, their vitality as vigorous as a furnace, and their steps were steady and coordinated as they walked; clearly, each of them was a well-tested veteran with impressive strength, generally possessing the physique of the Qi Refining Mid-Stage.

To Lin Jingyu’s slight surprise, after seeing him, these hunters immediately displayed a guarded stance and quickly spread out in a fan shape to surround him, but they did not launch an attack immediately.

The leader, a small captain with a scar on his face, looked him up and down with sharp eyes, lingering for a moment especially on his clothing, which was clearly different from the local natives, and his aura, which was as heavy and steady as a mountain.

A flash of shock and suspicion crossed his eyes, and he then shouted in a slightly stiff but clear common tongue: ”Outsider! State your origin! Why have you intruded into the territory of my ’Frost Tribe’?”

Lin Jingyu stopped, his expression calm, and he bowed with cupped hands, his voice clear: ”I am Lin Jingyu, from the outside world, a wandering Cultivator. I am here to search for a missing friend and accidentally entered your precious land; I harbor no malice.”

”From the outside world?”

The hunter captain was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding.

”I am not a person of this world, but from the outside world!”

Lin Jingyu explained.

He specifically enunciated these words very clearly.

Since there were so many mysteries in this world, he might as well reveal his identity directly; perhaps there would be some unexpected gains.

The scarred leader pondered for a moment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

After a long while, he turned his head back, his tone still guarded as he said cautiously: ”Outside Cultivator? Searching for a friend? This matter is of great importance and must be reported to the Clan Chief for a decision. Please wait here for a moment!”

After speaking, he gave a look to a nimble hunter beside him, who immediately turned and sped off toward the tribe like a snow leopard, moving with extreme speed.

The remaining hunters maintained their surrounding Formation, staring intently at Lin Jingyu.

Lin Jingyu smiled, not taking it to heart.

These people were at best equivalent to early or mid-stage Qi Refining Cultivators and were simply no match for him in a single exchange.

Not long after, the hunter who had gone to report returned, whispering a few words to the scarred leader.

The guarded look on the scarred leader’s face eased slightly, and when he looked at Lin Jingyu again, his attitude became quite polite, even carrying a trace of imperceptible… respect?

Then, he bowed respectfully and said: ”Honorable Cultivator, our Clan Chief Lieshan invites you. Please follow me into the tribe for a talk.”

Filled with curiosity and contemplation, Lin Jingyu followed behind the team of hunters toward the massive ice wall.

Upon getting closer, he could feel even more strongly that this tribe was ”unusual.”

The ice wall was five zhang high, its surface smooth as a mirror, with faint, flowing runes flickering, clearly set up with a defensive Formation.

The massive city gate opened, and stepping inside, the interior was even more surprising.

The streets were wide and clean, paved with huge ice bricks, and the houses were arranged in an orderly manner; even on the outer walls of some important buildings, one could see rough murals and carvings filled with a primal style, painted with some kind of pigment.

The tribespeople walking on the streets, although also wearing thick animal skin clothing to resist the cold, mostly had ruddy complexions and bright, lively eyes; they lacked the numbness and despair formed by long-term struggles in a desperate situation, and instead exuded a vibrant Life Qi.

Clearly, they were living quite well.

Far better than the Great Wind Tribe, by an unknown margin.

At least they didn’t have to worry about cold waves or food and clothing.

Seeing Lin Jingyu, a strange outsider, they cast curious glances, pointing and whispering, but there was not much malice in their eyes; it was more curiosity and inquiry.

Clan Chief Lieshan was a middle-aged, burly man with a towering, sturdy build, a face as resolute as if carved by an axe and chisel, and eyes that shone with piercing light when opened and closed, like a falcon.

His whole body exuded the majesty of one who has long held a high position and powerful fluctuations of blood and Qi; his strength was likely comparable to a Body Cultivator at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.

He received Lin Jingyu in the most magnificent building in the center of the tribe, which resembled a small ice palace.

The hall was spacious, with several huge bonfires burning fiercely in specially made ice basins, emitting astonishing heat that completely blocked out the cold, making it as warm as spring.

There were even maidservants serving a kind of liquor brewed from the roots of local cold-resistant plants, which was amber in color, spicy upon entry but with a rich aftertaste and a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Qi, used for hospitality.

Clan Chief Lieshan’s attitude was quite forthright and magnanimous; he did not seem to reject Lin Jingyu’s arrival, but rather showed a keen interest in the customs and Sect powers of the ”outside world,” asking many questions.

Lin Jingyu, for his part, calmly and silently deflected all the questions.

He began to beat around the bush, making inquiries about things related to the Profound Ice Secret Realm.

And whether any strange or unreasonable occurrences had happened recently.

Of course, he did not forget to ask about news regarding Fei Yangyang.

Clan Chief Lieshan listened carefully to the description, his thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he shook his head, his voice like a booming bell: ”Young Friend Lin, to be honest, I have not seen this friend you speak of near our Frost Tribe recently. The ice field is vast and full of dangers; perhaps he has drifted to other regions.”

He changed the subject and warmly urged him to stay: ”However, since you have come, you are a guest. It is getting late, and the ’Black Frost’ of the ice field at night is extremely dangerous, difficult to resist even for a Cultivator. Why not rest in the tribe for the night? Tomorrow morning, I will send several teams of experts to help you carefully search within a hundred-mile radius around the tribe. How about that?”

His tone was sincere, his expression genuine, and he seemed impeccable.