This was a secure communication talisman that Grand Elder had given him. It could not only transmit messages but even images. But at the same time, it had greater security due to a complex encryption, such that they could only contact the other communication talisman.

"Grand Elder Huo," Lin Mu greeted respectfully.

The old man’s single remaining eye focused sharply on him. "Lin Mu. You’ve contacted me sooner than I expected. Tell me everything."

Lin Mu did not waste a moment.

He recounted the events in the frozen forest: the unnatural blizzard, the sudden birth of the Greater Ice Elemental, and their battle against it. He described how the creature seemed artificially created and not naturally formed, and how they suspected a catalyst or relic was being used to generate these effects.

When he finished, Grand Elder Huo’s expression was grave.

His brows furrowed deeply, and he remained silent for several long seconds before speaking. "This is more serious than I anticipated," he said finally. "A Greater Elemental, even a weakened one, cannot simply appear. Someone is tampering with the natural balance of the world. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Lin Mu. I will begin looking into it immediately."

"I appreciate that, Elder," Lin Mu replied.

"Stay vigilant," Grand Elder Huo warned. "If the Ephemera Sect truly has such capabilities, then this is only the beginning. I will contact the other sects discreetly. The patriarch will want to know of this as well."

Since they didn’t know who could be a spy among their midst, it was better to be secure and cautious.

The connection faded, leaving Lin Mu with a heavy feeling in his chest. Not long after, Monk Hushu returned from his own communication. His face, usually calm and serene, carried a rare trace of concern.

"The Abbot has been informed," Monk Hushu said quietly. "The Silent Lotus Temple will begin its own investigation. They have access to archives older than most sects. If there are records of any artifact capable of such feats, they will find them."

Lin Mu nodded. "Good. The more eyes we have looking into this, the better."

For now, however, all they could do was wait. They had made their move, and now the game lay in motion. The Ephemera Sect’s shadow had grown long, reaching places few would suspect, but Lin Mu knew that patience and persistence would uncover the truth.

That night, as they settled in at the inn within Pale Dusk City, Lin Mu stood by the window, staring out over the vast rooftops. The stars above were faint, blurred by the drifting mist that still hung in the air.

"We’ll find them," he murmured to himself. "No matter how deep they hide."

He turned away and closed the window, unaware that miles away, beyond sight and sense, the hooded figure who had created the Great Ice Elemental was already reporting his failure to unseen masters.

The game between light and shadow had begun once again, and Lin Mu was already part of it, though he did not yet realize how vast the web truly was.

The search for the Ice Elemental treasures began in earnest, spreading swiftly across the continent like ripples through calm water.

Once the initial reports were shared between the Xian Sword Sect, the Silent Lotus Temple, and Elyon’s own network of informants, an intricate web of collaboration took form.

Messages traveled between sects and cities each day through enchanted talismans, jade slips, and long-distance arrays. Information flowed steadily, and for a time, it seemed as though they were on the right path.

Lin Mu often found himself in the center of it all, reviewing each new report that came in.

He coordinated the flow of data between the sects, confirming and cross-referencing every potential clue. The task was vast, but it was not impossible.

As they had predicted, treasures with such strong Ice Elemental affinity were well-known across the cultivation world. They were not the kind of things that could be easily hidden.

Within the first week alone, more than a hundred items were cataloged and verified. They ranged widely in form and origin. There were legendary weapons forged from ancient ice-infused ores, tools that had belonged to cultivators who specialized in frost-based techniques, and rare herbs that grew only in places where the cold never faded.

There were also fruits imbued with frozen vitality, nourished by the remains of long-dead cultivators who had once mastered the Dao of Ice, and even large chunks of Ice Dao Crystals that contained lingering will from ancient beasts or immortals.

It was an impressive list, one that would have taken ordinary investigators months or years to assemble. But with the combined resources of three major powers and Elyon’s web of informants, everything moved at an astonishing pace.

Daoist Chu had personally taken command of the cataloging effort on the Xian Sword Sect’s side, using his mastery of formations to track the details of each treasure.

The Silent Lotus Temple, in contrast, contributed its archives: ancient scrolls, ledgers, and monastic records detailing every Ice Elemental relic known throughout the last ten millennia.

Elyon, ever efficient, used less orthodox means. He sent word through his network of merchants, mercenaries, and informants scattered across kingdoms, promising payment and favor in exchange for any credible information.

At first, the sheer volume of discoveries filled Lin Mu with cautious optimism. But the more they investigated, the more he realized how elusive their true target was.

Most of these Ice Elemental treasures were securely accounted for.

Nearly a quarter of them were under the direct ownership of the Darkhan Dynasty, sealed within royal vaults or used as ceremonial artifacts. Lin Mu and the others confirmed that many had not been touched or moved for centuries.

The few that had changed hands did so through legitimate transactions; auctions, inheritance, or political exchanges between powers. None bore the faintest sign of having been used as a catalyst for the creation of a Greater Elemental.

The remainder of the treasures were similarly well-guarded.