“Awake?” Bujiang was delighted.

Perhaps the power of the Extreme Ice Abyss was stronger than before, or perhaps the Demon Lord essence within her was currently suppressed – the essence Bujiang transferred to Zanxing couldn’t melt the accumulated snow of the Ice Abyss. But after such a long time, the ice and snow on Zanxing’s body had shattered. She immediately looked at the name on the ice wall. The three characters “Yang Zanxing” hadn’t become fainter, still deeply embedded in the stone wall.

It hadn’t disappeared? Bujiang was slightly dazed. Why was this?

Zanxing’s body was wrapped in the ice cave, and Bujiang couldn’t see clearly. She tried calling Zanxing’s name twice, but Zanxing didn’t respond, as if the ice breaking just now was merely a coincidence. Bujiang couldn’t see Zanxing, so naturally, she also couldn’t see Zanxing’s open eyes within the ice cave.

Zanxing had completely awakened.

The small tree deep in her spiritual root was continuing to grow. Others couldn’t see it, but she could feel warm currents continuously flowing from the tree’s branches and leaves, bit by bit repairing her body that should have been completely broken. The Ten Thousand Kill Formation had destroyed her five senses and her primordial soul, but now they were gradually being restored to their original state, even more complete than at the beginning, gaining new life in this icy prison.

It was as if her entire body had been scattered and torn apart, then condensed in the void into a completely new self, entirely different from the past.

Zanxing looked down at Mimi.

The Yinlang Shi was completely asleep, lying beside Zanxing’s leg, clinging tightly to her. The light from the Qin Chong seed also fell on Mimi. Its fur, which had been burned by the Divine Fire Pillar, had unknowingly returned to its original appearance, though it seemed somewhat different from before – within the softness, silver waves of light seemed to be mixed in.

Physical spiritual veins could be repaired, but the Qin Chong couldn’t re-condense a Golden Core. Zanxing’s essence could only remain as it was, but in contrast to her empty essence was her instantly increased spiritual power.

Zanxing suddenly discovered that she seemed able to see everything.

This Ice Abyss was very deep and long, seemingly without an exit. She had climbed from the bottom upward, exhausting all her strength, yet still seemed thousands of zhang away from the exit. But now, she finally saw clearly – the Extreme Ice Abyss had no exit at all. People could enter, but couldn’t leave. At the top end of the Ice Abyss, there was only covered ice and snow.

To leave the Ice Abyss, one could only break through the ice layer.

But that was impossible. The ice and snow of the Extreme Ice Abyss could restrain and weaken people’s essence. Even someone as powerful as Demon Empress Bujiang had gradually weakened over these two years, and had her name left by the Ice Abyss.

Those whose names were left were destined not to leave.

Was this the case?

Zanxing’s gaze fell on Mimi. At the corner of Yinlang Shi’s mouth, there was still a bite mark from an azure Qiankun Bag. Perhaps knowing it was about to fall into slumber of unknown duration, Mimi had spat out the Qiankun Bag before its next sleep.

There wasn’t much in that Qiankun Bag – just some useless talismans and essence pills. In the current situation, whether there were essence pills or not made little difference.

She laboriously moved her hand, trying to get her frozen hand to work, finally managing to touch the string of the Qiankun Bag. Zanxing pulled the bag’s string and poured out everything inside.

Among the scattered pile of items, two book scrolls were particularly eye-catching. One was “How to Conquer Handsome Young Heroes.” Seeing this book, Zanxing thought of Mendong’s serious expression when he gave her this book, and couldn’t help but smile. And the other… Zanxing looked at the cover of that book and didn’t move her gaze away for a long time.

—”Peerless Heart Sutra.”

This name was truly carelessly chosen. Anyone who saw it wouldn’t think this was a peerless heart sutra.

She had obtained the Sacred Tree fruit in the treasure ground’s sanctuary, while Mimi had casually picked up and brought back a Peerless Heart Sutra. Zanxing had originally wanted to give this book to Mu Cengxiao, to avoid falling into fate’s trap again because of taking some incredible opportunity. But when she opened the Heart Sutra to read the title page, she felt it was too embarrassing to give away, so she left this broken book in the Qiankun Bag.

This Peerless Heart Sutra that couldn’t be given away might now, in this thousand-zhang-high Ice Abyss, become her only hope.

Zanxing stared at the cover for a long while, finally moving her stiff fingers to open the first page.

It was still the familiar crooked handwriting, like the book’s author’s casual joke.

“This cultivation method is special and unsuitable for ordinary cultivators to practice. To cultivate this method, one must first废 abolish all their cultivation and start from the beginning.”

This Peerless Heart Sutra was now perfectly suited for her. Where was the need to abolish all her cultivation? Her cultivation had been completely erased in the Ten Thousand Kill Formation, truly saving her the opening step.

Zanxing turned to the second page: This heart sutra is true, no false words whatsoever, worth a try, guaranteed no loss. Cultivate this heart sutra to dominate the three realms, fear neither gods nor demons, and ascension is imminent.

The green light of the Qin Chong projected onto these crooked characters, as if adding some vitality to these absurd words. Zanxing’s fingertips gently brushed across the page, and suddenly she remembered the short craftsman from the treasure ground.

Swordsmith Chai Sang, in his desperate situation, had found the evil sword manual. In that moment, that sinister sword manual became his only hope. He boldly tried it and, in the end, forged the Wuyou Sword. Though the ending wasn’t beautiful, it was the result he wanted.

Now, her situation was so similar to Chai Sang’s.

Only that evil sword manual had been replaced by the unreliable Heart Sutra before her.

Zanxing steadied herself, thought for a long time, and finally turned to the third page.

“Neither demon nor immortal, having spirit but no essence – only by meeting these prerequisites can one continue. If forced to cultivate against these principles, heaven will strike with thunder and lightning, causing immediate death.”

Neither demon nor immortal? Wasn’t that just an ordinary person? Having spirit but no essence – having spiritual essence but no cultivation essence – what difference was this from requiring an experienced novice? Zanxing had originally begun to feel confident, but seeing this sentence made her hesitant again. Was such an unreliable heart sutra a peerless heart sutra?

Zanxing stared at the two characters “immediate death” and didn’t move for a long time.

Wasn’t this a bit too dangerous?

However…

The accumulated snow in the Ice Abyss was still covering layer by layer. Although the Qin Chong could melt some ice and snow and repair her spiritual veins, this wasn’t a long-term solution. Who knew it might stop working like the Heavenly Fire Basket at some unknown time?

She had no other choice.

Zanxing turned another page.

This time, the handwriting on top had changed again.

On this page, a pen had casually drawn an old man’s face. The old man was winking and seemed to be making faces, with a line of text beside it: “To be able to meet such harsh conditions, it seems you’re at your wits’ end. Since this is the case, fellow cultivator, you and I are fated. This old man will lend you a helping hand and let you cultivate this Peerless Heart Sutra.”

Zanxing: “?”