Being exhausted to the point of collapse didn't stop him from waking up early.

As the hour of the Tiger approached, Shi Jingzhi tossed and turned next to Yin Ci, pulling himself out of bed. To his surprise, his esteemed disciple didn't stay in bed either, following him like a string of peanuts.

Yan Qing was nowhere to be seen in the room. Ever since he obtained the Compassion Stone Sword and the Jade Bell Sword Technique, it seemed like he had a firecracker tied to the back of his head, ready to explode whenever he slacked off. Only Su Si slept sprawled on his mat, with Lord Bai on his chest like a heap of white snow.

Shi Jingzhi kicked the blanket at his feet and covered Su Si, who was completely exposed. Then, he gently led his sleepy disciple back to the main hall.

The elderly sleep less, and Granny Wei was already busy in the hall. Outside the window, the sky was still dark, but the snow reflected a beautiful indigo color. It was unknown whether Old Man Chen had slept during the night, as he was still glued to his desk, continuing to study the path to immortality.

"The young man with the red eyes went out to practice with his sword," Granny Wei said with a smile as she boiled a pot of hot water. The soup in the pot was still the same, with a consistent aroma, and probably still unsalted today.

Shi Jingzhi's peripheral vision swept over Chen Qianfan. This old man was from Jianchen Temple and had even been beaten by the Compassion Stone Sword. He definitely wouldn't overlook anything.

However, to his surprise, Old Man Chen remained calm and composed when he saw this descendant of the Yan family carrying the sword out of the house, without any hint of surprise.

His state of mind was too peaceful.

Old Man Chen seemed to notice the scrutiny from Shi Jingzhi, but he couldn't be bothered to lift his eyelids.

"Today, I'm taking that girl to gather materials. You guys should also lend a hand and tell that dead-faced boy to come with me. As for you, think carefully about whether you want to forget your memories or bet your life," he said.

Without hesitation, Shi Jingzhi spoke up, "I'll go too."

Finally, Old Man Chen raised his precious eyes and glanced at Shi Jingzhi. "What are you going for? Are you itching for something to do? I only need one of you, any more and it'll be a nuisance."

"You're a skilled doctor who can diagnose the unknown easily. You also don't ask for strange rewards like those in the martial world. This junior actually also has a strange illness and would like to ask for your help."

"You're an interesting kid. You can even hold in this fart and only let it out the next day. Alright, I do hate it when people ask for too much at once. Get your ass over here."

After half an incense stick's worth of time.

"Can't be cured, can't be cured. Either wait for a miracle or wait for death," Chen Qianfan said decisively.

Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci: "..."

Chen Qianfan glared at them, "What? This is an inborn disease. I've been trying to become immortal all my life, why bother with someone else's congenital illness? But your illness is too strange, I'm afraid no one in the Central Plains can cure it."

Shi Jingzhi didn't have high hopes to begin with, and didn't show disappointment, "Senior is wise. This disease is indeed unusual, and I am searching for the Shi Rou as emergency aid."

Shi Jingzhi was calm and Chen Qianfan's temper improved slightly, "Hmm, it's not really a good solution, but it's a solution nonetheless. I am somewhat interested in this 'Shi Rou', but unfortunately, I am too old to compete with young people."

As he spoke, he showed a hint of pity: "There's still half a year of life left... It's a shame, with such abundant internal energy, you would have been made a great material for casting formations."

"Senior, you flatter me. To be honest, I want to go out with you to learn more--"

Old Man Chen turned around with his hands behind his back and began to fiddle with the demon corpses: "I didn't praise you, I just said that your body is full of inner energy, making it suitable for making powerful tools and formations."

Shi Jingzhi: "..."

So "material" was meant literally.

It turns out that this old man wasn't pitying his short life as a genius, but rather he hated that he wouldn't be dying here, so he could peel his skin and clean his bones for research.

Shi Jingzhi took two steps back in a hurry, half hiding behind his disciple, his polite tone wavering: "...this junior still wants to go with you."

Old Man Chen looked him up and down, his medium-length beard shaking slightly as he spoke amiably, "Alright."

Shi Jingzhi suspected that the amicability wasn't directed towards him, but towards him as a 'material'. Old Man Chen was probably thinking that even though he couldn't get his hands on this 'material', he could at least look at him on the side and be a bit happier.

Fortunately Jianchen Temple was vouching for him, and Chen Qianfan couldn't be a murderer. Shi Jingzhi could still muster up his courage.

To his surprise, the breakfast soup had salt in it and tasted unexpectedly good.

After the meal, Granny Wei continued to embroider her flowers while humming a tacky tune that she must have picked up somewhere, "The warm breeze loves the pretty peach blossoms, the spring river is calm, whose home is filled with the joy of spring..."

Her Mandarin was not accurate, but the melody of this song was extremely precise. Even when sung in an elderly voice, the tune remained soft and pleasant, with some lingering long notes that added a touch of the southern humidity to this icy northern land.

Chen Qianfan ignored it as if he hadn't heard it at all. He took the food prepared by Granny Wei, hung coats onto himself till he was resembled a clothes hanger, and walked out without even saying goodbye.

The snow was up to their calves, and Chen Qianfan led the way, walking at a leisurely pace.

Yin Ci remained silent all the way, resisting the urge to look at Shi Jingzhi. He still couldn't figure out how to intervene in this matter in a gentle way. It was a pity that he had never been a father to anyone for these hundreds of years, and this was the first time he had experienced such a helpless feeling.

Although when he found Sun Huaijin, Sun Huaijin was also only eleven or twelve years old, Yin Ci always felt that there was a difference.

Shi Jingzhi didn't really "rely" on him.

Sun Huaijin was indeed an ordinary person who needed his guidance everywhere. But the little mute didn't really consider him as a father, and Shi Jingzhi didn't need him to take care of him either - this person was clever and resourceful, and even if he always caused himself physical harm, he knew his limits and wouldn't harm his own life.

Since he had developed his worldly Heart Demon, Shi Jingzhi's understanding of human emotions had grown by leaps and bounds. As for Yin Ci, he had never treated anyone with tenderness and kindness since he was born. Even if he had previously felt sorry for this person's injuries, his actions were still full of the dominance of a superior.

Shi Jingzhi fully accepted this and it wasn't because he was indecisive or soft-hearted, but because he didn't want to conflict with him.

It was unclear who was taking care of whom, and Yin Ci felt more and more powerless as he thought about it.

The small matters could still be overlooked. But if he were to force this major decision upon him, their hard-earned closeness would probably come to an end. The tangled mess in his hands became warm and lively, making it difficult for Demon Lord Yin's knife to quickly cut through it. He was quite troubled.

Yin Ci was not the only one who was lost in thought. Shi Zhongyu also had her heart set on her sect, and her three souls and seven spirits were halfway out of her body, causing her knees to go numb. Shi Jingzhi walked at the back of the group, feeling bitter beyond words.

Clearly, he was the one facing a life-or-death decision, but now he had become a corpse driver, hurrying these two young and beautiful bodies forward. Along with the silent Old Man Chen, he seemed to be the most lively person in the group no matter how one looked at it.

However, Shi Jingzhi's liveliness didn't last long. As the sun rose, the sky was clear and the snowscape looked like a fairyland.

Unfortunately, Chen Qianfan chose to take the darkest path. The group walked further and further into desolation, and the cold wind grew increasingly chilly. The surroundings gradually became eerie, and the chill seeped deep into their bones.

Old Man Chen stopped in front of a glacier.

The glacier was covered in white snow, and a dead deer was embedded in the snow. The deer looked old and seemed to have frozen to death. Its body lay on its side in the snow, with little damage and no bloodstains around it.

The deer's antlers were covered in strange and grotesque flesh, perhaps the result of a deer demon that wasn't fully transformed.

Chen Qianfan muttered to himself and took out his notebook, making a mark: "We'll use this as our guide for today."

It was said that they were searching for materials, and Shi Jingzhi initially thought they were going to catch demons or dig up some precious treasures. But now, faced with a dead deer, he was a bit confused: "Our guide?"

Chen Qianfan revealed a sly grin: "Making talismans is difficult, but I have experience in overcoming this challenge. Finding materials is also difficult, so of course the young ones have to put in some effort - don't babble, just watch and learn. Big demon corpses aren't easy to find, and if we waste this one, you all will have to work hard later."

The other three people obediently stood in place.

Chen Qianfan first took a bowl of dried fruit dyed black and red, and scattered it over the deer carcass. Then he boiled and simmered a small pot of thick medicinal juice, pouring it carefully around the deer carcass to create a deep red pattern. The thick, blood-like substance didn't disperse with the snow, but instead formed clear markings.

With delicate strokes, Chen Qianfan drew the spell formation, his steps light so as to not disturb even a trace of the medicinal residue.

When the formation was complete, the intricate details dazzled the eyes, reminiscent of the patterns on Granny Wei's body.

Shi Jingzhi couldn't help but feel that the deer corpse looked fresher than before, no longer frozen stiff but emitting a warm steam as if it had just died.

Chen Qianfan rummaged through his belongings and produced four thick, dark brown incense sticks, which he then jabbed into the deer demon's eyes. As the incense burned, a blue flame flickered to life, and the black smoke rose straight up into the sky, sending shivers down Shi Jingzhi's spine.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, his teeth aching. No matter how he looked at it, this seemed more like a demonic art than divine art.

"It's done," Chen Qianfan declared.

Chen Qianfan leaped out of the spell formation with a twist of his body. He shook his bag and a dirty pill bottle fell out. He poured four pills into his hand without caring about the dirt and ash on them.

The pills emitted a pungent and suspicious oily sheen, and a foul smell wafted from them.

Old Man Chen didn't mind and popped one into his mouth, chewing it with relish.

Shi Jingzhi held back a cry of despair and struggled to pick up a pill. He had hoped that the pills might not be as bad as they smelled, but as soon as he put one in his mouth, it felt like he had wrapped his tongue in rotten mud. It was bitter and greasy.

He stuffed two handfuls of snow into his mouth to suppress the strange taste. Even Shi Zhongyu twisted her face in disgust, but only Yin Ci seemed absent-minded.

"That was the Breath-Stopping Pill. Normally, one should hold their breath for a long time, but you kids definitely can't do that... This pill allows for lighter breathing, but remember not to make loud noises or breathe too quickly."

Shi Jingzhi whispered, "Senior, can you hold your breath for a long time?"

"Of course."

"Then this medicine..."

"It's been left around for three to five years, it's no big deal."

Shi Jingzhi was at a loss for words.

Finally, the incense stick inserted into the deer's eye suddenly lit up. Black smoke on the incense stick suddenly changed direction, pointing towards the nearby glacier like four taut black ropes.

"It's the Mi Lan Empress's Secret Book of formation spells, it's coming, it's coming," Chen Qianfan said. "Listen to my commands later, don't act recklessly - especially you, fox-eyed kid. Your internal strength is too strong. If you damage the spell book, it's equivalent to making enemies with the entire Mi Mountain Sect."

Yin Ci asked, "Secret Book for formation spells?"

He had heard of this object before. According to the people of the Mi Mountain Sect, the Secret Book contained only complex and profound techniques, and the book itself was quite dangerous. Even the members of the Mi Mountain Sect were reluctant to touch it unless absolutely necessary.

Since Yin Ci himself was not skilled in the art of formations, and the experts of the Mi Mountain Sect each had their own specialties, few people were willing to study the Secret Book. So he had to skip this lead and only investigate the existing techniques of the Mi Mountain Sect.

Who would have thought that he would stumble upon this object today? It was surprising that the Secret Book was not stored in a secure location.

The four incense sticks burned out.

At this moment, without Chen Qianfan's explanation, Yin Ci also understood why the "Secret Book" could not be stored and where the danger lay - a not-too-small team was approaching in a grand manner.

The group mainly consisted of strange and grotesque insect and rat demons, mixed in with several hundred larger monsters. The group of monsters swayed as they walked, standing in perfect formation, resembling a funeral procession.

They were crowding around a monster that was five or six zhang tall...

Judging by its figure, the monster appeared to be a woman, but her body was not whole, instead made up of countless naked human corpses pieced together. Her head was made up of thousands of heads, with countless faces stacked together, like a nightmare.

The bodies did not rot or bloat, and there was no smell of decay. On the pale skin, many dark red ink-like worms crawled around, resembling living creatures.

It maintained its kneeling position, slowly moving forward with the group. Countless heads crowded and pushed on top of its "head," splitting open a seam in the middle. Then, with its makeshift giant hand, it picked up the body of the deer demon and threw it into the gap in its head.

After leisurely chewing, it spat out a large pile of broken bones. The surrounding little demons rushed forward and devoured the remains.

"This is the Secret Book of the Mi Lan Empress. The ancient corpses of the book are essential materials for the disaster-blocking talisman, and the spells on the ancient corpses are the unique creation of the Empress - she devoted her body to the glacier, using her lifelong learning as the spell and her own body as the core, refining the most vicious weapon of Mi Lan."

Chen Qianfan whispered.

"The mineral resources here are abundant, but for the past two hundred years, the indigenous people of Mi Lan have all moved away, leaving only the skilled Mi Mountain Sect standing. Little bastards, the Mi Mountain Sect never settles here together, and there is a reason for that.

"Two hundred years ago, wherever people and livestock gathered, they were easily targeted by these demonic creatures led here by the spell formations. The formations would choose the ones with the strongest internal force to devour and maintain their operation, while the demonic creatures would feed on the remains, and both would coexist. Initially, it was not called a Secret Book, but was known as the 'Empress' Funeral'."