Chapter 3: Swapping Heaven and Earth

The Dark Lake was vast and deep.
It was said to connect to the outside sea, and there had always been stories in the clan about terrifying water monsters lurking beneath the surface. Yet, no one had ever seen them, nor did anyone truly care.

The lake teemed with fish, foolish and easy to catch. Even with the simplest gear, the haul was always generous.

Qin Yue cast his rod into the water, and it wasn’t long before he felt a bite—a violent struggle ensued, and with a sturdy wooden pole, he lifted a fish weighing about half a pound.

It resembled a carp, its silver-black scales neat and fine, covering its entire body. It was lively, flopping erratically on the ground.

Qin Yue was delighted. The fish from the Dark Lake weren’t fishy, so there was no need to fry them in oil before making soup.

As long as the quantity was sufficient, boiling them to a tender state yielded a delicious broth, provided salt was added.

Salt was rarer than oil in the Ice Abyss. People could do with less oil, but no one could go without salt.

In the end, if one wished to change their fate, they had to find a way to leave!

Qin Yue sighed gently. It was an impossible task.

Even if he managed to evade the guards, break through the ice cap, and crawl outside, surviving the thousand-mile icy wilderness was beyond him in his current state.

Now, his only hope lay in the mysterious Fate Wheel that appeared in his dreams.

Today, the fishing was good. In a short time, he caught over twenty fish, more than ten pounds, filling most of his bucket. He had no time to test the effect of the Nether Escape technique in reality.

He was also wary of being discovered—cultivation was forbidden in the Ice Abyss and must never be revealed.

He dumped the remaining bait into the lake, picked up the wooden bucket, and headed home.

By the time he arrived, Qin Hui and Qin Xin were already asleep. He cleaned the fish, then started boiling water on the outdoor stove.

The Ice Abyss lacked everything except fuel.

Near the western ice wall, there was a large open coal mine; here, people called coal “black fire stone.”

Its quality was excellent—it ignited easily. Without this mine, relying solely on the resources of the underground forest, the people of the Ice Abyss would have perished long ago.

He placed the cleaned fish in the iron pot, without adding salt—when drinking the soup, he’d sprinkle a little in each bowl, to avoid waste.

Qin Yue laughed at himself; perhaps the memories had influenced him, making him so thrifty so quickly.

When all was done, he returned to his room and lay down. As soon as he fell asleep, he saw the bronze wheel again and entered the world of the bronze giant rat.

This time, the meditation lasted as long as before. After being “expelled,” he continued practicing the Nether Escape technique in the spiritual world.

Time there seemed interminable.

...

The next morning.

Qin Xin rose early and was surprised to find only a small pot of milky-white fish soup left. She hadn’t realized her youngest brother had learned to cook.

It looked decent, and most importantly, no oil was wasted. She tasted it and found there was no salt, but it was still flavorful.

Her brother was growing up!

While she felt gratified, worry gnawed at her heart. The more one thought, the more restless the mind became, and the easier it was to yearn for escape.

She didn’t wish for her loved ones to remain trapped in misery; if she could exchange her life for theirs, she would.

But the problem remained—no one could survive the thousand-mile icy wilderness outside!

Even without guards, no one dared try anymore; so many lessons had been learned, surely they should be heeded?

Unless one was chosen, but that was equally improbable…

Not long after, the first morning bell tolled, and Qin Hui and Qin Zi also rose to wash.

Qin Yue, plagued by difficulty getting up, dragged himself out of bed. After a quick wash, the four siblings sat together at the table.

Qin Xin carefully took out a clay jar, pinched a few grains of coarse salt, and placed them in Qin Yue’s bowl. Seeing the longing in little sister Qin Zi’s eyes, she gave her two grains as well.

Qin Hui said, “Everyone, eat a little.”

Only then did Qin Xin, with some reluctance, place a grain each in her own and her third brother’s bowls.

Qin Zi lifted her bowl, blew on the steam, and took a sip. Her large eyes squinted in happiness.

“Wow, today’s fish soup is delicious! I didn’t expect fifth brother’s cooking to be so good!”

Qin Hui took a sip, his eyes brightened. “I have to admit, it’s really tasty!” Then he smiled wryly, “But it uses too much salt.”

---

Qin Xin said, “This time, we must do our best to get a good ranking in the evaluation. With the reward, life will be easier!”

Qin Hui nodded. “Yes, in recent years, the Zhaoyang Sect has been treating us better.”

Qin Xin smiled, “It’ll only get better in the future.”

The third brother and fourth sister spoke in chorus; Qin Yue knew it was meant for him to hear.

But he would never change his mind!

...

In the days that followed, Qin Yue worked with everyone.

Those who had never farmed could never truly understand the hardship of “every grain is hard-earned,” especially in an enslaved state. The people of the Ice Abyss didn’t “hoe the fields” for themselves, but raised “silkworms” for others!

The ice lotuses they painstakingly cultivated were valuable, yet not a single one belonged to them.

Ye Yu, Dong Zhuang, and other companions knew Qin Yue’s constitution was poor and took great care of him.

Because he never “slacked off,” he was spared the whip, though scolding and ridicule were inevitable.

Everyone had grown used to it, and no one minded much. Instead, enthusiasm for the “evaluation” remained high.

Each day after work, Qin Yue would take his fishing rod to the lake. If his family couldn’t finish the fish, he shared them with his companions. Even without salt, whether boiled or roasted, it was still meat.

He used this time, when he was sure no one was around, to secretly practice the Nether Escape technique.

After all, this was his foundation for survival.

Each time he used it, he felt as if he became one with the darkness, moving like a ghost, swift and silent!

Unfortunately, his constitution was too weak; his stamina couldn’t keep up. After a few hundred meters, he became dizzy and could go no further.

If only he could have a cultivation method like the guards, one that improved physical strength.

But cultivation was strictly forbidden in the Ice Abyss.

Slacking off might earn a beating, but practicing cultivation… was a death sentence!

...

On the fifth evening.

Qin Yue was tired and skipped fishing, choosing to sleep early.

When he again saw the familiar bronze giant rat amid the chaos, he felt almost accustomed to it, even a touch of affection.

Unlike previous nights when he was quickly “expelled,” he lingered in the spiritual world, continuing to study the Nether Escape technique.

This time, his stay in the rat’s world was unusually long!

Qin Yue seized the opportunity, meditating deeply. His understanding of the Nether Escape grew—it was not just a speed-enhancing method.

It could also allow him to burrow, teleport, climb, compress bones…

He mastered all these in the spiritual realm, though for now, he couldn’t perform them in the real world.

Just as he felt himself about to be expelled again, an ancient voice suddenly thundered in his mind!

—“Kundun devours essence, Gui water hides form, the three yin become dew, steal heaven and swap sun.”

Qin Yue pondered deeply; he realized this was a method of “stealing”!

Using “Zi water” as the basis, it simulated the rat’s instinct to gnaw and steal, combining the gentle nature of Gui water. Without disturbing the external energy cycle of plants, it “shifted and swapped” their contained spiritual essence.

The process was nothing short of miraculous!

First was Gui water blending essence: guiding the yin energy at midnight, transforming the Gui water true essence within into an invisible rat shadow, infiltrating the plant’s root and stem using water’s penetrative properties.

Then, the three yin seize essence: while the method was in use, the practitioner built a miniature “midnight domain” around the target plant, extracting the spiritual energy the plant would normally absorb during the hours of Hai, Zi, and Chou, while injecting ordinary spiritual energy disguised as essence.

Finally, Yi wood preserves form: after extracting the essence, the residual energy of Yi wood formed a “phantom fullness” on the plant’s surface, making the leaves look brighter and the fruit plumper, creating an astonishingly authentic… false prosperity!

Qin Yue was ecstatic. It was as if a pillow had been handed to him when he needed sleep. He had been fretting over not having a cultivation method to improve his constitution, and now, unexpectedly, he had received a second scripture—precisely what he needed most.

The Zhaoyang Sect’s purpose in holding this competition among “slaves” after so many years was clearly not to make the “criminals” comfortable.

It was to obtain higher-quality ice lotuses!

This method would not only allow him to cultivate, but also “satisfy” their demands.

What excited Qin Yue most was that the medicinal herbs “swapped” by this technique would not wither or decline, but become even more vibrant.

---

Only the most essential part would be gone!

How marvelous!

The collectors would be thrilled to receive “high-quality” ice lotuses; his group would be happy to earn rewards; he himself would advance in cultivation—everyone would be pleased.

In the Ice Abyss, such a win-win situation was rare indeed.

As for whether the Zhaoyang Sect would be so pleased in the future, that was none of his concern.

If the quality of the pills was poor due to refining methods, could they blame the superior herbs?

With this scripture, even if he couldn’t escape the ice wilderness in the short term, he felt no anxiety.

Qin Yue studied tirelessly in the spiritual realm, and when he woke, his spirits soared.

He couldn’t wait to try it out.

...

According to the instructions, the Steal Heaven Swap Sun method should be performed at midnight, when the yin energy was strongest. But the Ice Abyss never saw daylight; even during the day, the yin was undiminished, so the effect should be similar.

After greeting Ye Yu and Dong Zhuang, Qin Yue eagerly picked up a hoe and entered the ice lotus fields, displaying remarkable enthusiasm!

He walked far enough to ensure no one was around, selected a drooping ice lotus, and activated the Steal Heaven Swap Sun scripture.

He shaped his fingers like a rat’s paw, thumb and middle finger interlocked, the other three fingers curved like whiskers, forming the “Zi seal” before his chest. His eyes glowed with a blue light reminiscent of rat pupils.

His tongue pressed lightly against the palate, mimicking a rat gnawing, while he silently recited the scripture’s incantation—

“Zi rat devours essence…”

The ice lotus seemed to glow momentarily.

An invisible rat shadow seeped into the roots. Qin Yue extended his hand, fingertips touching the leaf, feeling a faint tingling vibration, like a rat gnawing.

A surge of vital energy flowed into him!

His spirit trembled, and he clearly felt his body’s functions improving, his stamina rapidly replenished.

Qin Yue was astounded by the miraculous effect of the Steal Heaven Swap Sun method.

The once drooping, mediocre ice lotus became visibly more vibrant and radiant.

“To have its purest essence extracted, yet become even more vigorous… truly miraculous!”

Qin Yue praised silently and used the method on the next plant.

After extracting the essence from the third ice lotus, he wanted to continue, but a sudden dizziness overwhelmed him.

He surmised that three consecutive uses was his current limit.

He didn’t push himself; there was plenty of time.

He could clearly feel the transformation—his stamina was abundant, his strength increased, his mind sharp!

Previously, after a short period of work, he would feel weak; today, even after a full day, he was energetic and unwearied.

After dinner, he brought his fishing rod to the lake as usual, but didn’t bait it immediately.

His stamina had always lagged; today, having received a great boost, he could finally indulge himself.

With a thought, his body became light; a slight push of his feet and he shot forward.

He moved like an arrow released from its string, astonishingly fast!

In the windless Ice Abyss, he heard a rushing sound at his ears, and his face stung from the speed!

Qin Yue reveled in the long-lost sensation of “freedom,” like a dog let off its leash, exultant and wild.

He instinctively pushed the Nether Escape to its limit, and in the blink of an eye, he had sprinted several kilometers, reaching the opposite side of the Dark Lake, near the underground forest—a place he’d never ventured before.

But joy turned to disaster.

Suddenly, exhaustion overtook him, his vision darkened, and he collapsed.

This pitifully weak body… Qin Yue was speechless at himself.

Just before losing consciousness, he faintly heard an aged voice—

“With such a weak constitution, not a trace of spiritual power, relying solely on awakened bloodline and daring to act so recklessly—truly courting death!”