Flying through the wind and snow while circulating her spiritual energy, Mo Tiange indeed felt no further chill.
She thought to herself, if that were the case, then the cultivators of the Extreme North Glacier would have to circulate their spiritual energy at all times. From a certain perspective, didn't that mean they had more time for cultivation compared to ordinary cultivators? No, that wasn't right either. Qi Refining cultivators couldn't withstand this frigid wind; they must have some secret method.
Just as she was thinking this, her spread-out divine sense suddenly detected traces of living creatures. Mo Tiange paused her flight and changed direction, speeding toward the northwest.
Locking on with her divine sense, she didn't fly for long before she saw a group of people trudging along on the glacier—mortals!
She frowned, flicked her sleeve, and descended.
The aura emanating from a Foundation Establishment cultivator alarmed these mortals. Seeing her appearance, they all fell to their knees and prostrated, crying out, "We pay homage to the Immortal Master! We pay homage to the Immortal Master!"
Amidst the kneeling and kowtowing of these mortals, Mo Tiange landed on the ice surface and spoke, "Who are you people?"
Among these mortals, kneeling at the front was a middle-aged man with a full beard. He now lifted his head and respectfully said, "So it's an Immortal Maiden. We humble folk are blind and ignorant. Please forgive us, Immortal Maiden." His attitude was humble and subservient.
Mo Tiange couldn't help but frown. "No need for that. Stand up and answer my questions."
"Yes, yes," the man quickly agreed, then scrambled to his feet and shouted to those behind him, "The Immortal Maiden bids us rise. Everyone get up, get up."
The mortals rose in twos and threes. Mo Tiange noticed they were all young and middle-aged men, with a few women who also looked quite robust.
"Immortal Maiden, we are from the Seal Tribe. These are the snow lotuses we gathered this time. Please inspect them, Immortal Maiden." As he spoke, he took out a jade box from his bosom, opened it, and presented it respectfully with both hands.
Mo Tiange was taken aback. This jade box was used by cultivators to store spiritual herbs. The snow lotus inside was indeed a spiritual herb. What were they doing?
"Have you mistaken me for someone else?"
Seeing she did not accept the jade box, the man examined her carefully and suddenly understood. "Immortal Maiden, are you from the south?"
"...That's correct." Mo Tiange looked at the man, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean by this?"
The man smiled guilelessly. "Since the Immortal Maiden is from the south, no wonder you don't know the customs of our Extreme North. We are lotus gatherers. The Immortal Masters of our Extreme North, when they encounter us lotus gatherers, always exchange spirit stones for our snow lotuses. So..."
"So that's how it is..." The Extreme North truly was very different from Kunwu. Mo Tiange remembered what she wanted to ask. "You are mortals. How can you withstand this frigid wind and snow? This wind and snow are no ordinary thing!"
"Ah, doesn't the Immortal Maiden know?" The man was surprised. "Could it be the Immortal Maiden didn't come from Da'an City?"
"Da'an City?" Mo Tiange paused, recalling what was mentioned in the jade slip given to her by the Ye family. Whether cultivators or mortals heading to the Extreme North would pass through Da'an City. It was the last major city from the Central Lands leading to the Extreme North, a convenient place to replenish supplies or gather information, hence it became a necessary stop.
"If the Immortal Maiden came from Da'an City, when you replenished supplies, someone should have already explained matters of our Extreme North to you."
Mo Tiange said indifferently, "I came directly from the Central Lands to the Extreme North. I didn't pass through Da'an City. Why don't you tell me about it? If your explanation is detailed, there will naturally be a reward."
Hearing her last sentence, the man's face lit up with a smile, and he repeatedly said, "Yes, yes. This humble one will tell the Immortal Maiden..."
It turned out that the mortals of the Extreme North were different from those of the Central Lands and Kunwu. They had no countries and no cities, only divided into tribes. The tribes varied in size, the largest having tens of thousands of people, the smallest just dozens. Across the ten-thousand-li snowy plains of the Extreme North, thousands of tribes large and small lived, their combined population comparable to that of a major nation in the Central Lands.
But these tribes were not all friendly. Some intermarried, while others harbored mutual hatred. Before the Zhengfa Sect was established, these tribes each had their own cultivators, whom they called Shamans. Shamans were often the leaders of the tribe. If a tribe had no Shaman, it had to pay tribute to a tribe that did. The Shaman was the god of the tribe in the Extreme North.
And these Shamans were actually just some low-level cultivators. Even the Shamans of large tribes were only at the Foundation Establishment stage—this was what Mo Tiange inferred from the man's words.
When the cultivators from Kunwu established the Zhengfa Sect in the Extreme North, they subdued the Shamans of the large tribes and ordered that all tribal Shamans must pledge allegiance to the Zhengfa Sect. In return, the Zhengfa Sect would protect their tribe.
At first, the tribes of the Extreme North were not convinced, feeling the Zhengfa Sect had broken their traditions. But as the Zhengfa Sect employed a series of methods, the tribes discovered that under the Zhengfa Sect's protection, their lives improved. Gradually, they became convinced, and the Zhengfa Sect became their new god.
Thousands of years passed, and the Zhengfa Sect firmly took root in the Extreme North. For this, the tribes here abandoned their own traditions. They no longer called them Shamans but followed the terms of the Central Lands and Kunwu, changing to Immortal Masters or Immortal Maidens; their former Shamans donned Daoist robes and tied their hair in Daoist knots; even their unique language was no longer used as the primary tongue, and they spoke like the people of the Central Lands and Kunwu; even their way of life became different from thousands of years ago.
The tribes of old survived by hunting fish and beasts beneath the glacier, a life of great hardship where death was common. After the Zhengfa Sect appeared, all tribes under their protection received a type of spiritual artifact that could help them hunt beasts. However, this artifact required spirit stones to operate, so they organized teams to gather lotus, venturing onto the vast snowy plains to pick snow lotuses and exchange them with cultivators for spirit stones. Though gathering snow lotuses was also arduous, it was much less dangerous than hunting beasts.
Due to the Zhengfa Sect's formidable power, the mortals of the Extreme North tribes held cultivators in great respect. Whenever cultivators passed by, they would warmly host them and point out the way. If they were lucky, they could receive a few spirit stones as reward.
The group Mo Tiange encountered was a lotus-gathering team from a nearby tribe called the Seal Tribe. Thinking she was a cultivator from the Zhengfa Sect, they presented the snow lotus.
Hearing all this, Mo Tiange nodded and asked again, "This frigid wind is difficult even for cultivators to withstand. You are mortals. Why are you unaffected?"
The leading man explained, "Immortal Maiden, you may not know this, but this is the efficacy of the snow lotus. We people of the Extreme North use soup boiled from snow lotus to wash our bodies every year. That way, we don't fear the frigid wind."
"Oh?" Mo Tiange looked at the snow lotus in the jade box with some interest. "Although this spiritual herb isn't of high age, it is brimming with spiritual energy. The cultivators here are actually willing to let you mortals use it?"
"Replying to the Immortal Maiden, ordinary snow lotuses are not scarce in our Extreme North, so they aren't that precious. However, the snow lotuses offered to the Immortal Masters are all rare varieties, not easy to find."
"Oh, I see..."
"Immortal Maiden," the man finished speaking and looked up at Mo Tiange with eager eyes. "I wonder if you have any interest in this snow lotus?"
Hearing this, Mo Tiange was puzzled. "Isn't this something you were going to offer to the cultivators of the Zhengfa Sect? Can it also be given to outsiders?"
The man respectfully smiled. "Immortal Maiden, you may not know. The Zhengfa Sect doesn't restrict us to offering the snow lotus only to them. If cultivators from the south come, we can also exchange it with them for spirit stones. I heard from the Immortal Master of our tribe that this snow lotus can be refined into a type of pill that is only effective for those who cultivate water-attribute spells. So cultivators from the south won't come to seize them either, at most exchanging some for personal use. This doesn't affect the Zhengfa Sect."
"..." No wonder the Zhengfa Sect held a monopoly here. Their unique spiritual roots and spells were the foundation of their sect. They both intimidated the mortals and bestowed favors upon them, not treating them harshly. Over time, the mortals naturally sincerely revered them as gods.
Thinking this, Mo Tiange reached out and took the snow lotus from the jade box, examined it for a moment, and asked, "How many spirit stones do you want in exchange for this snow lotus?"
Hearing her question, the man quickly bowed. "Whatever the Immortal Master is willing to give is a reward to us."
This sentence made Mo Tiange chuckle involuntarily. Everyone loved respectful flattery. Even if these words weren't sincere, they were pleasant to hear. Moreover, the man seemed sincere and earnest, not like he was faking it—the Zhengfa Sect truly was formidable in the Extreme North, to make these mortals so sincerely revere cultivators.
Mo Tiange fished out a handful of spirit stones from her Qiankun Bag and handed them to the man. "The extra is your reward for answering my questions." This snow lotus was about a dozen years old, not precious to cultivators. She roughly estimated its value based on spiritual herb prices in Kunwu, around ten spirit stones.
Seeing the dozen or so colorful spirit stones, the man was overjoyed, his smile making his eyes disappear. He nodded repeatedly. "Thank you for your reward, Immortal Maiden." As he spoke, the team of over ten people knelt and kowtowed again.
Mo Tiange waved her sleeve, a surge of spiritual energy supporting them. These people knelt at the drop of a hat; she couldn't stand it.
"You said that washing the body with soup boiled from this snow lotus can resist the frigid wind? Do the cultivators of the Zhengfa Sect do the same?"
Having received her spirit stones, the man's attitude grew even more respectful. He bowed and answered, "We mortals do exactly that. However, I heard from the Immortal Master of my tribe that within the Zhengfa Sect, there is another method suitable for cultivators. It not only resists the frigid wind but also increases spiritual energy."
"Oh?" Mo Tiange felt somewhat tempted upon hearing this. "Is this method allowed to be passed on to outsiders?"
"This... this humble one doesn't know." After saying this, the man hurriedly added, "If the Immortal Maiden is not in a hurry, you could come as a guest to our tribe. Our Immortal Master happened to return just a few days ago."
Mo Tiange thought for a moment. Since she had no particular destination anyway, going to see this tribe wouldn't hurt. If she could learn more about the Extreme North from their Immortal Master, that would be even better.
Thinking this, she smiled and nodded. "If that's the case, I'll trouble you then."
Hearing her agree, the man was delighted and quickly bowed respectfully. "Not at all, not at all. For the Immortal Maiden to visit our tribe as a guest is our honor. Please, Immortal Maiden."
Mo Tiange looked at the wind and snow filling the sky and said, "I'll send you on your way." As she spoke, she raised a hand and summoned the white silk handkerchief, then cast a spell. The white silk handkerchief instantly enlarged. She flicked her sleeve, and spiritual energy surged forth, lifting the dozen or so mortals.
It seemed to be the first time he had witnessed such a method. The leading man was both astonished and delighted. Standing on the white silk handkerchief, he trembled and said, "Immortal Maiden, this..."
"What? You don't want to?"
The man quickly shook his head. "Of course not. With the Immortal Maiden taking us back, we'll be much safer. Thank you, Immortal Maiden." As he spoke, he was about to kneel again.
Mo Tiange was exasperated. These people were too respectful toward cultivators, kneeling at every turn.
She raised a hand, stopping their movements. "Everyone stand properly. You point the way."
"Yes, yes. Immortal Maiden, our tribe is in this direction..."
The Seal Tribe wasn't far. With mortals in tow, Mo Tiange didn't dare fly too fast, but it was only a moment before she saw densely packed snow-white roofs below.
It turned out that in this Extreme North, where materials were scarce, only ice was abundant. These mortals used ice to make houses. The temperature in the Extreme North was extremely low, water freezing into ice. Houses built from ice blocks were windproof, not cold but quite warm.
Mo Tiange learned all this from the man's introduction. This leading man was the chieftain of the Seal Tribe, Haibo. The people of the Extreme North originally had no surnames. Since the Zhengfa Sect was established, they also began using surnames. Their Seal Tribe all took the surname Hai.
Looking down from above, a large cluster of ice houses, crystalline and translucent, appeared extremely beautiful amidst the swirling snow.
"Immortal Maiden, over there."
Following Haibo's directions, Mo Tiange landed on an open space in the middle of the ice house cluster.
Many people were originally in the open space, each busy with their own tasks. Women were sewing, mending, and drying clothes; men were repairing various tools and processing animal carcasses. Seeing them descend from the sky, they all gathered around.
Landing on the open space and putting away the white silk handkerchief, Mo Tiange discovered with a headache that another group of people had knelt around her.
Helpless, she turned to Haibo and said, "I don't like this custom. Tell them not to kneel."
Haibo nodded, stepped forward, and said loudly, "Everyone get up! This Immortal Maiden doesn't like people kneeling. Go back to what you were doing!"
Hearing their chieftain say this, these people finally stood up one after another. Some returned to work; some came over to talk with their relatives.
Haibo turned back and said to Mo Tiange, "Immortal Maiden, this way, please. Our Immortal Master is here."
Mo Tiange nodded and followed Haibo toward the tallest ice house among them.
As they walked, Haibo introduced to her, "The Immortal Master of our tribe is a formal disciple of the Zhengfa Sect. Whatever you want to ask, he will surely know! Come, come, Immortal Maiden, please." He lifted the animal skin curtain at the entrance of the ice house and eagerly invited Mo Tiange inside.
Mo Tiange smiled and entered first—she had already sensed the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator above the tribe. She hadn't expected that a tribe with at most a few hundred people would have a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Inside was a small hall. The furnishings weren't much different from those in the Central Lands and Kunwu; the difference lay in the materials. The furniture was mostly made of ice, the curtains were animal skins, and items like teacups were carved from wood.
Upon entering the small hall, Haibo stood before a curtain and called out loudly, "Immortal Master, Haibo requests an audience!" Then he stood respectfully before the curtain.
After a while, a voice came from inside. "What is it?"
Haibo respectfully reported, "An Immortal Maiden requests an audience."
After Haibo said this, Mo Tiange slightly released the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Sure enough, there was immediately movement inside, and then someone lifted the curtain and emerged.
This was a young man, tall and slender with a thin face, wearing the Daoist robes of the Zhengfa Sect.
Mo Tiange raised her hand, about to perform a Daoist salute, but then froze. "It's you!"