The immediate focus shifted from internal cultivation to external planning. The target was the Heart of Black Frost in the treacherous Northern Abyss, a region under the heavy, watchful control of the Dynasty's Northern Garrison—a garrison known for its rigid defenses and ruthless efficiency.
Lin Feng assigned the most critical logistical task to Yin Xiu, whose expertise in stealth and intelligence was unparalleled. The difficulty lay not just in tracking the Dynasty's movements, but in concealing their three major assets: the massive Astral Jade, the volatile Infant Chronos Dragon, Siku, and the immense, shifting Qi signature of three Origin Kings.
Yin Xiu spent a full week performing intensive, long-range reconnaissance, using her Shadow Arts to project subtle, nearly invisible fragments of her consciousness into the Northern region's administrative centers. She was mapping out the Dynasty's patrol routes, surveillance arrays, and, most importantly, the movement of their high-level Origin King commanders.
She returned to the Silent Cloud Shrine, transforming from a ripple of shadow back into her human form, her golden eyes carrying the weight of the intelligence she had gathered.
"The Northern Abyss is controlled by General Lei, a Peak Third Level Origin King—significantly stronger than Jian, and dangerously meticulous," Yin Xiu reported, laying out a meticulously detailed tactical map on the floor. "His primary defense is a network of Thunderclap Towers designed to instantly detect any large, aggressive Qi flow within a five-hundred-mile radius."
Lin Feng knelt beside the map, Siku purring softly within the Void Sovereign Nexus. "The Thunderclap Towers will instantly detect three Origin Kings moving together, especially with the unstable aura of a Chronos Dragon and the celestial purity of the Jade. We cannot simply rely on stealth."
The challenge was logistical: how to move the Astral Jade, which was too large to carry subtly, and Siku, who could not be left alone.
"We must divide the concealment," Xia Qingwu suggested, pointing to the massive, silver block of Astral Jade. "The Jade is the most difficult. We need to cut it into manageable pieces, but my Phoenix Seal: Precision Blade alone risks fracturing the remaining structure."
Wanying, fully stabilized by her initial absorption of the Jade essence, offered the solution. "My Ice Empress: Absolute Stillness can freeze the internal molecular motion, and Siku's Space Law can compress the external structure, but we need a material to contain the purified essence once it's cut. The spiritual pressure will be catastrophic."
Yin Xiu provided the final link. "During my reconnaissance, I acquired several blocks of Dark Iron—a unique, inert metal used by the Dynasty's siege engineers. It's rare, but it's the only material capable of containing the raw spiritual pressure of the Jade without cracking. I can use my Shadow Arts to shape and reinforce the Dark Iron into three manageable caskets."
The plan was slow, methodical, and required the precise, coordinated effort of all four companions, including the Infant Chronos Dragon.
The Jade Division: A Multi-Chapter Task
The next three days were dedicated solely to the intricate process of dividing the Astral Jade. Lin Feng provided the continuous Void Sovereign Nexus stability; Wanying provided the Absolute Stillness for molecular calm; Siku provided the momentary Spatial Compression; and Xia Qingwu executed the precise Phoenix Seal: Precision Blade cut.
The resulting three pieces of Jade were then encased in Yin Xiu's reinforced Dark Iron Caskets—caskets that Yin Xiu then imbued with her Shadow Arts, allowing them to be mentally commanded and partially phased into her personal shadow dimension for undetectable transport.
"The Jade is now secure and invisible to external scans," Yin Xiu confirmed, wiping sweat from her brow after the exhausting task. "It is ready to travel."
Concealing the Chronos Dragon
Lin Feng's next task was the concealment of Siku. He couldn't place Siku inside the Dark Iron Caskets (it would inhibit Siku's natural power), nor could he carry him openly.
Lin Feng used his Void Law to create a stable, temporary pocket dimension within the lining of his own robes—a technique requiring sustained, minute energy that taxed his core far less than a full Domain.
"Siku, this is your new, temporary home," Lin Feng projected. "It is safe, stable, and perfectly concealed. But you must remain quiet. No playful temporal shifts."
Siku, understanding the serious tone, purred and complied, settling into the hidden, Void-stabilized pocket.
Lin Feng looked at his companions, a flicker of his familiar, arrogant confidence returning. "The logistics are handled. We have compressed and concealed an Astral Jade Vein and a Chronos Dragon. General Lei's Thunderclap Towers will detect nothing."
Xia Qingwu handed Lin Feng a pouch. "The Anti-Temporal Agents are reinforced. We are ready for any temporal traps in the Northern Abyss, and I've prepared specific Phoenix Smokes designed to scramble the Northern Garrison's low-level optical arrays."
"Good," Lin Feng concluded. "We move out at dawn. Yin Xiu, you lead the Shadow Stream directly to the Northern Abyss access point. Wanying, you are the rear guard, ready to deploy the Temporal Rejection if we are caught. We will acquire the Heart of Black Frost without firing a single unnecessary strike."