Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

"I have asked every major sect, clan, family, organization, and anything with more than 3 people in it to look out for peculiarities in their daily life," Song Meifen said. "While I haven't told them why exactly they are doing this, I have given some hints that it might be related to the barrier."

"So, if something has changed, even if it's regarding landscape or some resources, we will know quickly," the Queen promised Alex.

Alex nodded, sitting in a grand hall with glowing chandeliers that burned with an iridescent glow but shined only natural light around the hall. There was some furniture in the room, and some ornaments around the room. Paintings filled the wall, but none even half as impressive as what Alex could make on a whim. At least not when it came to Intent and Dao.

Everyone sat on a few couches, surrounding a hearth on one side of the room. Any silence between them was filled with the fire's crackle.

"Were there any problems here, disconnected by the outside world," Alex asked her.

"Aside from missing 3 monumental events in the span of 2 years, none," the queen said with a bit of a self-deprecating smile. "I only found out later that we missed the Mountain Crushing sect's artifact."

"Would you have got it?" Alex asked.

"Maybe," the queen said. "But let's not talk hypothetical. I heard you were ethe one that got it, Your Majesty. How is it?"

"Pretty good," Alex said. "Although I'm not gonna lie, it's extremely expensive."

"Haha! I can imagine. I heard how much it costs. My kingdom would run dry if I used it the way it's intended to," the woman said.

"It is supposed to be run by immortals, using Immortal spirit stones. We are lucky to be using it at all the way we can," Alex said. "Still, I wish it was cheaper."

The queen chuckled a bit. "If you don't mind, I would like to use it for a day or two. I will pay you any reasonable amount for the time I use it," she said.

"I want to say yes," Alex said. "But I would only be ripping you off. You can't see much benefit with just a day or two of its usage. You need to do this for months, if not years before you see any benefit."

"That was most likely why the Mountain Crushing sect fell in my opinion," he finished.

"Hmm," the woman fell to a thought. "I don't think that is the reason. Well, maybe part of it, but not entirely. I think Brother Wan nearly told me what happened once, but he didn't in the end. It didn't sound like it was their fault."

"Oh," Alex said. Maybe there was some other reason that he didn't know about.

They talked for a while longer and the topic came back to Cave of Frost, the reason why Alex was here in the first place. At least one of them.

"There's still some time before it opens," the queen said. "I was wondering why you would want to enter the Cave of Frost, your majesty. It's not something that strong ones like you usually enter. Of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't have come. In fact, I'm happy that you did. I'm just curious."

Alex chuckled a little. "Am I considered strong by the cave's standard?" he asked. "I read that it is mostly used by people to test themselves, to see how far deep they can go. I don't remember it saying that Saint Soul realm cultivators had no reason to come."

"That they have," the queen said quickly. "Saint Soul realm cultivators still are capable of testing themselves against the cold, but I'm sure you have a strong body cultivation now. That changes things a little."

"That does change it a little," Alex said. "But that is something I gained on my own, so I should still be able to test myself right?"

"Oh, absolutely," the queen said. "I wasn't implying that you shouldn't. I was just not aware if you knew what the cave was about. I presumptuously assumed that you would not want to test yourselves against someone else if you knew that you had advantages over them."

Alex shook his head while laughing a little. "No, I'm not really here to test myself, so I'm not really worried about what advantage I may or may not have on the others going in," he said.

"No?" the queen asked. "Then… may I ask why you are going into the cave?"

"I hear it's a good place to learn about Yin," Alex said. "Much better than the Boundless Enlightenment Domain. So, I'm trying to see if I can learn about Yin. Maybe learn the Dao in the process."

The Queen's eyes lightened up in understanding. "Ah!" she shouted. "Dao, huh? That is certainly something Cave of Frost is popular for. Maybe women and some men have learned a lot related to the Yin  Dao before. I, myself, have learned a lot from there."

"That's fantastic," Alex said. "I can't wait to go there then."

Alex wasn't expecting much from the cave in terms of learning Dao. He didn't believe the Yin dao was so simple that he could learn it just by being in the cave. Even the Yang dao that he should have been so close to eluded him for such a long time, so Yin dao had to be something similar. 

Their talk ended sometime later, and the Queen decided to let Alex and the rest return to where they would be staying for some time. As they left, Alex asked the Queen to help him with something.

"I wish to learn the status of a young girl in a sect that should be close by here," Alex said.

"Hmm? What sect, Your Majesty?" the Queen asked. Her curiosity was quite high, but she maintained a level head. 

"The Ice Mist Palace," Alex said. "I believe it was your sect that you came from, correct?"

"It is," the queen said quickly. "I will contact the sect leader there, right away. Who are you trying to find?"

Alex thought for a bit. The memory of the white-haired girl, lying on the bed filled his mind, his thoughts returning back to the connection he felt. He quickly dispelled those thoughts and thought of her name.

He hadn't received her full name, but he had her name, and her family name had to come from her father. So, her name was…

"Yan Shumi," Alex said. "That's who I am trying to find out about."

The queen nodded. "What should I ask them? Should I ask them to come here? I can send someone to get her."

"No," Alex said. "I just wish to know how she is doing. She was ill the last time I saw her, so I've been worried." If it was possible, he would rather not meet her before the Cave of Frost opened. 

He wasn't sure how his heart could handle it if after talking to her, he found out she was his Master. That nervousness was still there for him. 

"I will check right away, Your Majesty," she said. "I will get back to you once I find out."