darknovel Chapter 1: Tong Bingfeng
Chapter 1: Tong Bingfeng
In the depths of winter, thousands of miles are frozen and snow drifts for miles.
On the edge of the northern sea area, outside the icy Ling Island.
A biting wind howled past, whipping up a flurry of snowflakes that raged across the boundless ice surface.
Looking around, the entire world had been eroded by a ghastly white, with no other color whatsoever.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells"
With a series of crisp clanging sounds, upon closer inspection, one could see, amidst the layers of swirling snow, figures dressed in gray-black robes and wearing heavy leather hats, busily wielding refined iron hammers and sharp, gleaming bronze chisels.
"Click"
As time goes by, the seemingly indestructible ice will be transformed into square blocks of ice, emitting a chill, and neatly arranged to the side by the efforts of the ice harvesters.
"This awful weather, it's so cold!"
Tong Bingfeng's hands, slightly stiff and sealed within black leather gloves, barely tightened the heavy black robes on his body. Only his eyes and a small patch of skin were exposed, which had long since become a paradise of ice crystals.
The northern sea area gathers moisture from all over the world, and cold winds howl through it year-round. The combined effect of these two factors is unimaginable.
The chill here is so intense that even ordinary Qi Refining cultivators cannot withstand it for long. As for mortals who have not received spiritual nourishment, they can only huddle in the relatively warm indoor environment.
His eyes swept over the thick, bottomless ice beneath his feet, then he looked up at his fellow ice harvesters in the distance, who were still working hard despite the biting wind. He then bent down again and began to work on the next target ice area.
Tong Bingfeng is an ice harvester in the Qi Refining stage. He makes a living by collecting ice blocks containing a small amount of spiritual energy from the sea and exchanges them with wealthy families for a small amount of spiritual crystals to sustain his cultivation.
As for the specific purpose of these massive amounts of ice, the ice harvesters at the very bottom naturally had no way of knowing, nor were they qualified to inquire.
Of course, under the corrosive influence of the cold air, Tong Bingfeng was now completely focused on the magic hammer and chisel in his hands.
As a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator, he mobilized the limited amount of mana in his dantian and, with the close cooperation of two low-grade magic tools specifically designed for ice harvesting, attempted to remove the ice block intact in the shortest possible time in order to obtain more spirit crystals.
Every half hour, Tong Bingfeng would carefully take out a talisman from his bosom and stick it on his waist and abdomen. He would use the warmth provided by the faint red light on the talisman to resist the ubiquitous cold wind and extend the time he spent working on ice harvesting as much as possible.
This type of talisman is the most common spiritual talisman in the cold northern frontier. It is a cold-resistant talisman that barely reaches the threshold of the first-tier low-grade level. It is cheap and in ample supply, and one spirit crystal can buy three of them.
"That old Zhang, I don't know where he got these low-quality cold-proof talismans from, but one of them can't even last for half an hour. It's really hateful."
"After this ice harvesting is over, I will definitely go to their home to negotiate and ask for three or five talismans to keep them warm as compensation."
Tong Bingfeng felt the energy contained in the cold-resistant talisman between his waist and abdomen being rapidly consumed by the gusts of cold wind, and couldn't help but swear.
The old Zhang he mentioned was an old cultivator who specialized in selling low-level spiritual items at low prices, and he was at the fifth level of Qi Refining.
In the midst of their busy work, time flew by, and a day passed in the blink of an eye. As evening approached, the biting cold tried to penetrate the flesh and bone marrow of the ice harvesters through the layers of protection provided by the cold-proof talismans.
Although all the ice harvesters were early-stage Qi Refining cultivators with cultivation and spiritual power, they still could not continue harvesting ice under the corrosive influence of the cold air.
"Clang clang clang, clang clang clang"
As a series of crisp sounds spread from near to far, the ice harvesters quickly stopped what they were doing, moved the standard blocks of ice they had collected onto their respective assigned ice transport vehicles, and, using their spiritual power, transformed into streaks of light on the white ice surface, heading towards their respective ice collection points.
As for the scars left by the ice harvesters after harvesting ice, they will heal quickly with the help of wind and snow, and will not last long at all.
After gliding on the ice for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Tong Bingfeng chose to wait in line number 23, braving the freezing cold to exchange the standard ice blocks he had painstakingly collected throughout the day for spirit crystals in order to purchase spiritual items to sustain his daily cultivation needs.
"Brother Tong, you've had a very fruitful day. Every single ice block shimmers with spiritual energy. Such luck is truly enviable."
A man nearly two meters tall, brimming with power, wore a wide, warm black robe that revealed a slight awkwardness on his body, clinging tightly to it and giving it a playful feel, like a bodysuit.
"Brother Zhang, you're too kind. We were really lucky today to find a piece of ice of excellent quality, which allowed us to harvest these spirit ices."
Tong Bingfeng explained very humbly, trying to eliminate any potential factors that might cause problems, lest he attract the attention of others.
After all, as an ice harvester at the third level of Qi Refining, he was at the very bottom of the cultivation world, and his means of dealing with crises were extremely limited. Even the slightest crisis could crush him like a tiny ant.
"Collecting high-quality spirit ice is purely a matter of luck. If we had the ability to distinguish the quality of spirit ice, why would we be here braving the bitter cold as ice collectors?"
This tall cultivator surnamed Zhang naturally had a personal understanding of Tong Bingfeng's suffering, and he eliminated all potential dangers in the course of his conversation.
The seemingly long line quickly disappeared, and a quarter of an hour later, Tong Bingfeng was already standing in an ice house equipped with a protective array for warmth.
"One piece of mid-grade spirit ice can be exchanged for five spirit crystals, twenty-five pieces of low-grade spirit ice can be exchanged for seventy-five spirit crystals, and thirty-five pieces of ordinary spirit ice can be exchanged for thirty-five spirit crystals. The ice harvester uses a fine iron hammer and a fine copper chisel, and no extra spirit crystals are deducted. In total, one hundred and fifteen spirit crystals can be exchanged."
Before the cold-faced cultivator could even finish speaking, he casually tossed out a complete spirit stone radiating a soft glow and fifteen spirit crystals, each only the size of a little finger and radiating a slight spiritual aura.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist, and thank you to your esteemed family."
Tong Bingfeng completely ignored the other party's obviously disgusted expression and tone, and respectfully put the spirit stones and spirit crystals into his pocket.
According to the rules of the cultivation world, one hundred spirit crystals can be exchanged for one complete spirit stone. However, in actual exchange, this ratio is often increased by 10%.
Under normal circumstances, the reward for ice harvesters is always spirit crystals. For Tong Bingfeng, this complete spirit stone represents an extra reward.
Tong Bingfeng, having spent the entire day moving around in the biting wind, his arms slightly stiff and his face wrinkled with age, still managed a small, relieved smile.
Like an old horse that knows the way well, he followed the narrow road, heading straight for a location that was becoming increasingly remote from the icy sea.