Driven by curiosity, Gu Qinghe stepped forward and walked along the palace carpet.

His gaze stayed fixed on the golden pagoda. For some reason, it gave off a subtle force that pulled him closer.

When he reached the jade altar, he acted cautiously before attempting to touch it. His hands formed a seal, activating the Heavenly Path Insight technique.

[Heavenly Path Insight]

[Artifact Detected]

[Artifact: Ninefold Pagoda | Grade: King-grade | Quality: High]

[Description: Enhances qi absorption. When activated, the artifact exerts cultivation pressure on nearby enemies, reducing their combat strength. The higher the pagoda layer, the stronger the effect.]

[Conclusion:]

[The Ninefold Pagoda requires matching cultivation levels:]

[Layer 1: Core Formation]

[Layer 2–3: Nascent Soul]

[Layer 4–5: Soul Formation]

[Layer 6–7: Soul Transformation]

[Layer 8: Void Refinement]

[Layer 9: Great Ascension]

[The owner of the Ninefold Pagoda cannot transfer it to anyone]

[Minimum cultivation required to use: Core Formation]

Gu Qinghe read through the panel and came to a conclusion. If he took the Ninefold Pagoda, then as long as he lived and his qi imprint remained within it, no one else would be able to use it.

Like an artifact completely bound to its owner.

After a moment of thought, he decided to take it. He directed his soul consciousness essence into the artifact, causing it to shine and rumble.

"Look! The mysterious dome is gone."

"Let’s head over there."

From behind, he faintly heard several cultivators approaching, talking about the palace’s barrier. Gu Qinghe stored the artifact in his bag of holding and stepped out of the main hall.

The door did not close again, since the artifact inside had already been taken. Gu Qinghe walked onto the altar floor, meeting the other cultivators who had just entered the palace.

There weren’t just one or two, but seven cultivators in total. Their steps halted when they saw him.

They glanced around the five buildings within the palace. Three had already been opened, leaving two untouched. What shocked them most was that the main hall, the largest building, was already open.

"Look! The main hall is open. Let’s check it out," one of them said.

They rushed past Gu Qinghe. He remained indifferent, activating the formation on the altar floor.

Light burst from the array runes, signaling that the teleportation mechanism was ready. But his movement paused when the seven cultivators called out to him.

"You. Do you know who took the artifact from the main hall?" one of them asked.

Better not let them know I’m the one who took it.

Gu Qinghe turned around and calmly explained that when he arrived, the room had already been open.

"I just took something from one of the smaller rooms."

They couldn’t press him further. Gu Qinghe didn’t care. He stepped onto the altar and teleported from the first mountain to the second.

A pillar of white light flared at the valley altar, the starting point before climbing the second mountain. Gu Qinghe emerged from it and saw something unexpected.

"You two?"

Yan Ran and Liu Xi were there, sitting cross-legged and cultivating near the altar. When they heard his voice, they opened their eyes and walked toward him.

"You made it, Senior."

Both of them were visibly shivering from the cold. Gu Qinghe knew cultivation could help them resist the dominant yin energy, but it wasn’t enough.

"Didn’t your sect teach you how to deal with dominant yin energy?" he asked.

"No. Our sect seniors didn’t say anything about it."

"We were only told to come here and gather materials," Liu Xi added.

Gu Qinghe clenched his fists, anger rising as he saw their condition.

If they continued this expedition, they would freeze to death before reaching the Fifth Peak.

It was obvious their sect seniors were trying to get them killed.

"It’s too cold here. I’ll go back to cultivating, Senior," Yan Ran said.

She returned to the valley’s edge, sitting cross-legged as Liu Xi followed. As they activated their techniques, the yin energy no longer affected them as strongly.

Gu Qinghe let out a quiet sigh. The Qingshui Sect had clearly treated their envoys unfairly. They were underestimating Yan Ran and Liu Xi.

Having no other choice, he summoned two blank tokens and began forming hand seals, channeling golden qi into them.

In less than three minutes, the tokens were complete. Inside was a simple technique designed to help them resist dominant yin energy.

"Yan Ran... Liu Xi!"

They paused their cultivation and looked at him. "Senior?"

He tossed the tokens, letting them float in front of the two women. Both were clearly surprised, curious about what was inside.

"A technique... Yang Bright Cloud?" Liu Xi asked.

"Yes. It will increase your chances of resisting dominant yin energy."

"However, you’ll need to reach Mid Core Formation before you can use it."

Yan Ran stood up and smiled, bowing slightly. "Thank you for your help, Senior."

Gu Qinghe wasn’t finished yet. He walked to the edge of the valley, his cultivation eyes glowing as he scanned the entire second mountain.

He found a location free of monsters, not too cold, and rich in spiritual qi. It was the perfect place to cultivate.

"You two... come with me."

He flew off quickly. Yan Ran and Liu Xi nodded and followed, summoning their swords and taking to the air.

They had already strayed far from the main climbing path when curiosity grew about where he was taking them.

Soon, they arrived at a beautiful waterfall. The water flowed freely, unfrozen, even though the surrounding ground and grass were covered in snow. Both women smiled.

"Your cultivation techniques have a strong water attribute. This is the perfect place for you."

"Thank you, Senior."

Gu Qinghe nodded and stepped away as they began cultivating. Their technique was unique, allowing them to sit cross-legged on the water’s surface.

He rose into the sky, forming hand seals and creating a massive array that spread across the area. His right hand lifted, qi glowing at his fingertips.

"Array... activate!"

The golden array fully formed, concealing the area from other cultivators’ eyes and suppressing the dominant yin energy that could interfere with their cultivation.

Under these conditions, Gu Qinghe noticed their qi absorption became significantly faster. It was a clear advantage for them.

Meanwhile, he summoned the Ninefold Pagoda and looked at it closely.

While I’m waiting... I might as well try using the Ninefold Pagoda and see what it can do.