After the Emerald Immortal Empress successfully passed her lightning tribulation, Evan Frost finally breathed a sigh of relief. From then on, it was just one round of seclusion after another.
He himself no longer needed to go into seclusion. After giving the Emerald Immortal Empress some Immortal Stones and Jadeheart Lotus seeds, he sent her off to cultivate. If she could exit seclusion before the Immortal-Beast War, she’d be an invaluable asset.
The days slipped by uneventfully. Evan made several trips to Dream Spirit Sanctuary, Emperor Martial Domain, and Loveless Sword Tomb. In the blink of an eye, fifty years passed.
Most of those in seclusion had come out by now, and the recruited army had grown to over two million. The weakest among them were all at the Heavenly Immortal Realm—Earth Immortals were basically excluded, since sending them to war would just make them cannon fodder. There was no point in letting them die.
Ethan Chu, Selena Yale, Sean Xiao, and the others had also ascended to the Immortal Realm. Evan didn’t force them into seclusion; he simply let them cultivate in their own rooms, coming out whenever they wished without imposing any strict limits.
But there was one thing that bothered him: of his Netherworld companions, only Lillian Zhang had ascended, while the others were nowhere to be found. He worried they might have ended up in the Netherworld’s Immortal-tier plane, or met with some unknown danger. After the Immortal-Beast War, he resolved to go investigate the Netherworld himself.
The Immortal Lords of Frostbane Imperial Palace had all come out of seclusion, with two breaking through to early-stage Immortal Emperor and seven others advancing in realm—a pretty impressive result, given that only about a hundred and fifty years had passed.
That day, Evan sat atop the main hall, looked at everyone assembled, and said, “At most fifty years from now, the Immortal-Beast War will erupt—maybe even sooner. From today on, I’m reorganizing everyone into a special unit. In the coming Immortal-Beast War, this force will play a decisive role.
More importantly, this will lay the foundation for the later Immortal–Demonic War. Only by doing this can the Immortal Realm secure peace. There’s an extremely cold region here in the Immortal Realm—just the place to temper all of you. Tomorrow, we’ll set out for that frigid land. Tonight, eat and drink your fill; consider it a send-off for this expedition!”
“Palace Lord, why do we have to go there? That place is basically a forbidden zone in the Immortal Realm. There’s not much real danger, but it’s barren and deserted. Even if we’re training, do we really have to go there? If there’s a place where immortal beasts gather, wouldn’t that be a better opportunity for everyone to hone themselves?” one Immortal Lord asked.
“I know what you're thinking. Sure, the most immortal beasts are in Godfall Valley, but the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Golden-Winged Roc Clan there have already submitted to me. No need to go in and slaughter them. Besides, the top experts in that place are far beyond your league.”
“There are mid- and late-stage Immortal Emperors everywhere in Godfall Valley. If you went now, it’d be suicide. That’s why I picked the Extreme Frostlands—not just to toughen your bodies, but to train your teamwork. There are immortal beasts there too, just not many people go, so few know about them.”
“Those beasts won’t come near us—they can only survive in the bitter cold. Leave that environment, and their strength drops fast. So this trip isn’t just training; it’s real danger. Only true powerhouses will make it out alive. Be mentally prepared.” Evan said.
The crowd immediately began whispering among themselves, but Evan ignored the chatter. After a while, an Immortal Lord asked, “Palace Lord, how long will this trip take? What if the Immortal-Beast War starts early and we’re stuck out there—won’t that be risky?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Evan replied. “I’ll have two Teleportation Gates built on site, so we can jump straight back to Frostbane Imperial Palace. If the war breaks out ahead of schedule, we’ll return at once.”
Hearing this, everyone relaxed. “Fiercefire, Second Elder, Third Elder—you three handle the Da Luo Golden Immortals and Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortals. Get them organized. They won’t need the same basic training, but battlefield discipline still applies. On the front lines, they’ll be our secret weapon—able to turn the tide when it counts.”
“Rest assured, Palace Lord. We’ll get it done. Honestly, I’m itching for that Immortal-Beast War to kick off already.” Second Elder chimed in.
Evan then told everyone to get ready for tomorrow’s departure, while he himself headed to the underground chambers of Frostbane Imperial Palace. Lynn Ling, Yvonne Xuan, and the other women were still in closed-door cultivation, unaware of the new expedition. Since he didn’t know how long he’d be gone, Evan needed to give them a heads-up.
After all, some of the newcomers weren’t familiar faces. Only Yvonne Xuan and Lynn Ling might recognize them. It was best to explain things personally, so no one would feel awkward when they met later.
Instead of visiting each woman’s private chamber, Evan sent a secret voice transmission, updating them on Lillian Zhang, Sean Xiao, Selena Yale, and the others who had just ascended. He also asked them to come out of seclusion a bit early to help manage palace affairs during his absence.
The women could only obey Evan’s instructions. Even if they wanted to protest, there was nothing they could do. Evan didn’t linger in the secret chamber, making only brief preparations for tomorrow’s departure.
That night, the banquet was lively beyond compare. Everyone drank and laughed together until late, making it the most spirited celebration since Frostbane Imperial Palace was founded. The only time it was this lively before was the palace’s founding and Evan’s grand wedding; this was the second such festivity. Though not everyone was present, the atmosphere was unmatched.
At dawn the next day, Evan led the crowd out of Frostbane Imperial Palace. Goldwing the Golden-Winged Roc revealed his enormous true form for everyone to ride, letting the troops experience for the first time the terrifying speed of a peak sky-royal divine beast. Their awe and envy for Evan’s beast companion soared once again.
Many have heard of the Extreme Frostlands, but few have ever visited, and even fewer know what lies within.
Evan knew about this place thanks to Elara, the Emerald Immortal Empress, who told him before going into seclusion. She knew much about his situation in the Immortal Realm, and for training this special army, she insisted he needed an extraordinary environment—so she recommended the Extreme Frostlands.
Actually, there’s another place they could have gone—but it’s far too dangerous. That’s the Inferno Wastes, on the opposite end of the Immortal Realm. Heavenfire and Earthfire are everywhere, and the fire-attribute monsters there are unimaginably powerful. Just like the cold beasts, these monsters can’t leave their environment without losing most of their strength and dying.
Even traveling at Goldwing’s speed, it took half a month to reach the outskirts of the Extreme Frostlands. That alone shows how vast the Immortal Realm is—and this isn’t even its outer edge. Elara once said that even at her peak, she never managed to explore the entire realm.
The Immortal Realm is full of mysterious places—enter them, and it’s like stepping into another world, vast and illusory. These pocket worlds often hide priceless treasures. Elara once entered such a place and discovered the legendary Jadeheart Lotus there.
Evan longed to explore these strange places himself. With his Frostfire Eye, he could see through most illusions and barriers. But right now, his priority was training this super-army, so he suppressed his curiosity. After half a month, they finally arrived at the boundary of the Extreme Frostlands…