PROLOGUE
Time flew by like an arrow, a blink of an eye, and a thousand, ten thousand years had passed. No one knew that humanity had begun an era of transformation, one that swiftly overshadowed the long stretch of history.
Oceans of old had become mulberry fields, and valleys of yesteryear had risen into mountains. These changes occurred unnoticed. From ancient times to the present, how many have truly witnessed the shifting of the ages?
High mountains and deep ravines, flat plains and valleys, great rivers and vast lakes, polar ice lands—all transformed. But has anything ever existed that remained unchanged?
Movement is change. All things in the world are in motion. Does eternal immutability truly exist?
Some say love is eternally unchanging. Is it truly eternal?
Some say faith will be forever constant. Is this truly the truth?
Some say birth, old age, sickness, and death are eternally immutable. Who can assert that there are no immortals in this world?
Legends captivate people, but behind them, aren't there countless untold sorrows?
This was a mysterious space, vast and boundless, as if it had existed since ancient times, yet it had undergone no small number of transformations.
Who knew how many years, how much time had passed, when a voice suddenly echoed, reverberating through the silent, ice-like space.
“A dream of ten thousand years… I didn’t expect that merely sleeping would cause time and space to change so much, no longer as they were.”
The voice was soft, yet it carried a hint of lament and a vague sense of regret.
“A dream of ten thousand years, severing mortal ties. If your heart is unmoved, why regret?”
A completely different voice, tinged with questioning yet also a touch of familiarity.
All around, the space was vast and empty, without any discernible object. It was entirely a realm of illusion. Thus, from where these two voices originated was a mystery.
“Extreme stillness will become motion, breaking destiny. My heart surges, and I shall conquer the world.”
“Such mundane thoughts only muddle your mind, adding to your karmic burdens. Why suffer so?”
“Eternal stillness, without a single change—what meaning does a life like that hold?”
“So, you intend to change?”
“Eternal life, the punishment of loneliness. Do you not harbor even a trace of resentment?”
“Eternal existence must be exchanged for something equivalent. This is destiny, unchangeable. If you deliberately try to alter it, you will pay a heavy price. You had best consider carefully.”
“Hahaha… A heavy price? If you had told me these things back then, I might have considered it. But now, time and space have changed. Who can do anything to me?”
“If that is what your heart believes, you will surely regret it in the future.”
“From ancient times until now, besides you, who can truly contend with me? Even you could only put me into a deep sleep. What do I have to fear? Moreover, now is a rare opportunity. I only need to give a push, a helping hand, and I can destroy your life’s work. By then, hahahaha…”
“Three times tainted by mortal dust, your wicked heart remains unchanged. You are truly beyond redemption. If that is the case, I will not offer further counsel. The destiny of karma rests upon your own fate.”
“Fate? Hahaha… Heaven has bestowed talent upon me; why should I seek more? Are you still worried that your life’s work will be destroyed?”
With a cold, indifferent laugh, the voice replied:
The rules of this world are set by me, but whether it exists or is destroyed is not within my power to decide. You don't have that power either!
Don't be too confident. In the past, you had all the advantages, but this time, ha ha ha… The world will obey my command!
Is that so? If you're so confident, let's make a bet to see who wins and who loses this time.
A bet it is then. I'm not afraid of you. Furthermore, this time I want to make you taste defeat, to make you realize I'm not like you. I merely lacked a bit of luck before!
The sharp voice held a touch of resentment and unwillingness, seeming to echo from ancient times, containing nothing but profound hatred…
Is there nothing else in your heart besides hatred? After all these years, have you truly not changed at all?
Change? With eternal life, why would one need to change? You should understand this very well.
Three generations from now, everything will return to its origin. Though my heart leans towards good, I can do nothing about fate. Pitiful, regrettable, only…
Understanding the hidden meaning in the other's words, the resentful voice let out a cold snort and growled:
Several generations from now, after a hundred cycles of reincarnation, the bright era will end in darkness. You'll see, this time the world will change because of me!
The consequence of desire is destruction. Even eternal life must come to an end…
The sound faded away. It came quickly and left just as unexpectedly, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
The vast space remained boundless as before. A gentle breeze created a slight ripple, but in an instant, it returned to normal.
Eternal space, unchanging?
Were these brief dialogues merely a moment of amusement, or did they foretell some impending disaster?
One, Bang Nguyen Tam Ky.
A gentle wind blew with a bone-chilling cold, carrying fluttering snowflakes through the world of Bac Quoc.
From the sky, dense snowflakes, like countless unending blessings, poured down layer upon layer, falling onto the transparent ground and transforming into blocks of ice, solidifying like the sky's affection for the earth.
Snow, pure, abundant, noble. Ice, transparent, clear, hard.
These two, with different natures, yet gave birth to each other, together forming a pristine white world of ice and snow.
Bac Quoc, a region of extreme cold.
Here, ice and snow never ceased for many years, forming a relatively cold and quiet region.
In this place, whether it was high mountains, deep ravines, valleys, or plains, all were covered by ice and snow. For most of the year, the land rarely saw the snow melt even when spring arrived.
Thus, ice and snow became the main scenery here, and coldness dominated most of the year.
Dang Long Coc, a particularly peculiar area within the Bang Nguyen Bac Cuc region, where quite a few creatures gathered.
In this world of ice and snow, due to the frigid and bitter climate, life was relatively scarce. Apart from a few cold-resistant plants and animals and some ancient tribes, it was almost impossible to find any groups of people here.
In such circumstances, Dang Long Coc naturally became an exception, widely renowned throughout the Bang Nguyen world.
Bang Nguyen, a descriptive term encompassing an extremely vast region.
It stretched from the Northwest, continuously for thousands of miles, encompassing countless mountains, deep ravines, plains, and valleys. It had clear boundaries, forming a relatively independent world.
This world had varying temperatures, but with three distinct levels.
Firstly, there is the Border Region. Its climate is cold but not prolonged, with snow and ice covering the land for only a quarter of the year. This area occupies up to half of the Ice Plain.
Secondly, there is the Frigid Region, located right inside the Border Region. Here, snow and ice cover the land for more than half a year, but less than three-quarters of a year. This area accounts for about forty percent of the Ice Plain.
Thirdly, there is the Profound Cold Region, which is the central area of the Ice Plain. In this region, snow and ice cover the land for over three-quarters of the year, sometimes even remaining frozen solid all year round. Such areas are not numerous, and Tenglong Valley is one of them.
Speaking of Tenglong Valley, one cannot help but mention Lyhen Heavenly Palace and Tianta Sect, because they are known as the Three Great Factions of the Ice Plain.
In the world of the Arctic Ice Plain, Tenglong Valley is hailed as the first among the three wonders, with a history of several millennia, originating from distant antiquity.
Lyhen Heavenly Palace and Tianta Sect both started later. The former was founded about fifteen hundred years ago, and the latter about eleven hundred years ago. Both rose to prominence on the Ice Plain thanks to the efforts of a single individual.
Of these three factions, Tenglong Valley is in the central area. To its left is Lyhen Heavenly Palace, situated on Lyhen Mountain, approximately four hundred li away. To its right is Tianta Sect, located in the Tianhe Plains, separated from Tenglong Valley by three ice mountains.
Among the three factions, Tenglong Valley maintains relatively friendly relations with the other two. However, Lyhen Heavenly Palace and Tianta Sect harbor some animosity towards each other, mainly due to a tragic incident involving their disciples approximately five hundred years ago.
Due to its location in the Profound Cold Region, Tenglong Valley is covered in snow and ice for eleven months of the year. Only during the summer month of July does it experience a brief period of snowmelt.
At that time, Tenglong Valley becomes incredibly lively. People who usually stay indoors emerge to celebrate this rare weather together.
Speaking of this place, one cannot help but mention Tenglong Valley's terrain and its peculiar atmosphere.
Ordinary mountain valleys typically have slightly lower terrain, nestled within mountain ranges.
But Tenglong Valley is entirely different. It is essentially a massive pit, nestled within four ice mountains, forming a chasm several hundred zhang deep.
Such terrain should ideally have stable temperatures and receive little sunlight, making it a very cold region.
However, Tenglong Valley's climate is extremely bizarre. The surface exposed to the ice mountains is incredibly cold, while the area near the bottom of the valley is mild and warm, like spring.
Furthermore, every year in July, during summer, when the snow and ice melt, the bottom of the valley becomes unusually cold, with ice several thuoc thick forming there. This makes it very difficult for people to adapt, leaving them no choice but to temporarily relocate higher up the ice mountains.
Once July passes, the cold ice at the bottom of the valley begins to melt. The accumulated meltwater, which doesn't completely thaw, forms an ice-filled lake, creating a unique ecological landscape in Tenglong Valley.
Tenglong Valley is both a geographical location and the name of the most ancient and wondrous Cultivation (Tu Chân) sect.
This sect does not possess magnificent palaces. Instead, it has several year-round frozen caves scattered halfway up the cliffs of Tenglong Valley.
There, over a thousand ordinary tribespeople and several dozen disciples of Tenglong Valley reside. They live together peacefully and are incredibly friendly, forming a relatively independent and happy community.
In Đằng Long Valley, influenced by the climate and environment, the practice of cultivation flourished greatly.
The inhabitants there were divided into two tiers. The first consisted of ordinary people, who cultivated vigorous techniques to combat the bitter cold, thereby enhancing their resistance to it.
The second tier comprised the direct disciples of Đằng Long Valley. They cultivated high-level profound arts, not to slay demons or banish evil, but solely to seek a certain realm and prolong their lives.
Becoming an official disciple of Đằng Long Valley was by no means easy; one had to possess an unwavering will and exceptional innate qualities.
Furthermore, Đằng Long Valley's intake of disciples was severely restricted. Consequently, over several millennia, talented individuals within Đằng Long Valley remained scarce.
Yet, despite this, Đằng Long Valley continued to hold the foremost honor in Băng Nguyên. This was because, over the past millennium, Đằng Long Valley had produced numerous exceptional talents, most of whom were still alive, though they rarely made an appearance.