The Prodigies War

Chapter 2164: Fishing Alone on an Icy River; Ascending to the Spirit Dipper

The Spirit Dipper Stage was divided into three stages: Human, Earth, and Heaven.

Three months later.

At the extreme eastern lands of the Spirit Dipper World.

The land was covered in snow and ice while a bone chilling cold dominated the air. Even Spirit Dipper experts wouldn’t be able to survive the cold, let alone ordinary people.

Heavy snow fell, painting the mountains and rivers pure white.

A figure fished alone on a frozen river as the snow fell up on his body like goose feathers.

The figure was motionless as if he was a statue that had stood there since the beginning of time. His right hand was positioned in front of him as if clasping a fishing rod although there was neither rod nor line to be seen.

On the thick ice in front of him was a tiny pin-sized hole that couldn’t be seen by ordinary people.

The figure was Lin Xun. After leaving Daliang City, he trekked with Rong Li for a month to reach this extremely cold land.

Since a month ago, Lin Xin had stood here alone amidst the snow and wind, all the while unmoving like a statue.

If it wasn't for his occasional thunderous breathing, he would be no different from a stone sculpture.

The soft sound of footsteps sounded from afar and a middle-aged man soon emerged from the wind and snow. Upon arriving, he couldn’t help but be shocked at the scene before him.

It was Rong Li.

Despite being wearing a thick leather coat and possessing Earth Dipper cultivation, he couldn’t help but shiver due to the bitter cold.

Yet, Lin Xin, who was only at the perfect True Martial Stage, had managed to survive here for an entire month!

Rong Li came here to have a look almost every day, afraid that Lin Xun would freeze.

However, it was clear that his worries were for naught.

"I wonder what kind of training the young master is doing..."

Rong Li grew increasingly curious. Lin Xun was shrouded in mystery that gave rise to an unexplainable feeling of awe.

He silently watched for a long time before quietly turning away to leave.

Time continued to flow and a year soon passed.

For a year, Lin Xun neither ate, drank, nor moved. Every inch of his body had long been covered by a thick layer of snow and ice.

Rong Li came to visit once again.

He had also stayed in this icy land for the past year.

Unlike Lin Xun, the wind and snow endlessly tormented Rong Li. He suffered not only due to the harsh environment, but also because of the lack of food and cultivation resources.

There were many times when Rong Li had the urge to leave.

However, he forcibly suppressed it every time he saw Lin Xun seated alone in the ice and snow.

If a True Martial youngster could endure until now, how could an Earth Dipper expert like him allow himself to be beaten by this blasted land?

It was this conviction that fueled Rong Li, allowing him to persist until today.

"There’s no sign of him awakening..." He silently gazed at Lin Xun for a long time before he inwardly sighed and turned away.

It was at this moment, however, that an alarming ripple spread.

Rong Li abruptly twisted his neck to see the thick layer of ice on Lin Xun shatter to powder as his dignified figure emerged.

"Have you awakened, Young Master?" Rong Li was elated and surprised.

"Mm."

Lin Xun slowly opened his eyes. A bolt of lightning seemed to flash from his pupils and burned away a dozen feet of snow in the air.

Rong Li shuddered. He then witnessed something he would never forget in his lifetime.

As Lin Xun rose from the ground, his aura surged like a tidal wave, climbing higher and higher with unstoppable momentum.

His cultivation swiftly progressed at a rate that could be observed by the naked eye. From the Human Dipper Stage straight to the Earth Dipper Stage, and finally zooming to the Heaven Dipper Stage without skipping a beat!

All of this occurred in the blink of an eye!

Rumble!

The wind and snow churned erratically due to Lin Xun’s aura while the air shuddered like servants submitting to their lord.

Rong Li stood there in a daze as he trembled uncontrollably. The scene made him recall the first time he met Lin Xun a year ago in Daliang City.

Back then, Lin Xun ascended to the ninth layer True Martial Stage in the blink of an eye, creating an unprecedented miracle that Rong Li could never erase from his memory.

Now, a similar scene was playing out again.

Only this time, it was reaching the perfect Heaven Dipper Stage in one fell swoop!

It was exactly like a year ago. What Rong Li felt wasn’t just shock but unimaginable terror!

Lin Xun quietly sensed the changes around him before he looked at the ice below, his deep gaze seemingly penetrating into the depths of the frozen river.

Deep in the river, countless fish of all shapes and sizes were scattered all over, frozen in place.

Lin Xun inwardly remarked, "I’ve let you guys suffer."

In the next moment, strands of transparent aeth qi emerged from the fish, swarmed toward the pin-sized hole in the ice, and returned to Lin Xun.

The fish began to swim again.

Lin Xun smiled and withdrew his gaze.

Over the past year, he had fished alone on the frozen river using his aeth qi as a fishing line. Amidst the biting cold, his mind, heart, life force, and will underwent a unique and extreme form of tempering.

At the same time, his cultivation ascended to the peak of the Spirit Dipper Stage, achieving unprecedented refinement and sublimation.

For a year, he drank only wind and snow as he sat in loneliness and proved his dao!

"Congratulations, Young Master, congratulations!" After quite some time, Rong Li finally returned to his senses. He was incoherent with emotion and his expression was filled with reverence.

Everything he had witnessed was practically a divine act that no mortal could ever hope to achieve!

"I know that you’ve been standing guard nearby for the past year."

Lin Xun looked at Rong Li and said, "I do not wish to owe anyone a debt. Take this cultivation method and go."

Lin Xun handed a jade strip to Rong Li.

Rong Li’s heart shuddered. Instead of rushing to open the jade strip, he asked, "Young Master, are you...leaving?"

Lin Xun nodded. "I don't belong to this world."

With that, he turned around and headed deeper into the frozen land.

In the deepest reaches of the land was a lake. This place was the number one forbidden zone in the Spirit Dipper World that almost no one had ever returned alive from.

It was called the Spirit Dipper Lake.

As Rong Li watched Lin Xun depart, a sense of emptiness suddenly washed over his heart.

He had silently stood guard nearby for a year and did everything possible to prevent any disturbance to Lin Xun’s cultivation.

Hence, the abrupt goodbye left him at a loss.

After a long time passed, Rong Li opened the jade strip in his hand. His hands soon began to tremble as he read its contents.

How could such an incredible inheritance exist in this world?

……

Spirit Dipper Lake.

Lin Xun couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the giant lake covered by the power of law.

In the next moment, he strode in and his figure was swiftly swallowed by law power.

When Lin Xun regained consciousness, he saw a familiar scene.

The surging river of time had reappeared, its crashing waves seemingly piling up tons of snow.

Lin Xun’s clothes fluttered wildly as battle intent quietly surged in his black eyes.

"Come, I’m interested to see who's the strongest Spirit Dipper expert in history..."

Before long, a figure emerged in the distance.

It was the exact same scene as from True Martial Mountain, except, the opponents were now at the Spirit Dipper Stage.

Even the weakest among them was ranked ninth in all history!

Law power rippled as the river of time flowed. Meanwhile, unprecedented battles that could never be seen on the outside world were playing out one after another.

Injuries were inevitable.

Danger lurched repeatedly.

However, the ultimate victor was always Lin Xun.

After the first ranked Spirit Dipper Stage expert in all of history was defeated, a figure made from law power appeared once more.

“In this cultivation realm, you are now number one in all of history.”

The law power figure spoke, allowing Lin Xun to realize that he no longer had any opponents in the Spirit Dipper Stage.

Next, a portal formed from the power of time, law, and samsara appeared.

The law power figure spoke in its ever familiar voice, “Enter this portal to enter the Spirit Sea World. If you refuse, you may leave the samsara.”

Lin Xun couldn't help but ask, "What else can you tell me?"

The law power figure didn’t answer.

It left Lin Xun with a sensation of helplessness. Without hesitation, he walked toward the door of samsara leading to the Spirit Sea World.

In the True Martial World, there were many people who Lin Xun worried about such as Jintian Xuanyue, Xuan Jiuyin, and Ling Kezi.

However, there was no one Lin Xun cared about in the Spirit Dipper World.

Like a hurrying passerby, he fished alone amidst the cold and snow for a year and proved his dao before leaving without turning back.

……

Three years later.

On a snowy day, Rong Li, who had reached the perfect Spirit Dipper Stage, returned alone to Daliang City.

Although the city had once abandoned him and sent pursuers after him, there were still people he cared about in the city such as his sister and nephew.

However, he learned a horrifying piece of news the day he returned to the city.

After he left with Lin Xun, the furious Ma Clan dispatched experts to kill his sister, brother-in-law, nephew...and every last member of the family, old or young.

It was a bloodbath where no one was spared!

After learning this, Rong Li sat in a stupor for a long time as he silently drank alone deep into the night.

Next, he got up and disappeared into the snowy night.

Late that same night, the Ma Clan, which was also known as the number one faction in Daliang City, was wiped out overnight. All one hundred and forty-nine of its members were slaughtered.

Ma Jiada’s and Ma Wenhe’s bodies were hung at the city gates.

News of this shook the entire Daliang City and countless people cheered. After years of suffering under the Ma Clan’s evil, everyone was happy that the clan had finally met its end.

On that same night, Rong Li left the city which now only filled him with sadness.