C1095 The Cold World

In the outer reaches of the galaxy, within the Plover Realm, Heixun, a recent recruit of the Divine Soul Sect, found himself on an asteroid, earnestly trying to coax the Chaos Roc into visiting the Plover Realm. Yet the gaunt old man, who had taken human form, seemed to turn a deaf ear, merely smiling noncommittally, showing no interest in setting foot in the Plover Realm.

Heixun was well aware of the Chaos Roc's formidable power. Unable to persuade him, he dared not leave, opting instead to remain by the old man's side, vigilantly observing his every move.

"The Plover Realm is growing colder," the old man casually remarked from the comfort of his recliner, stealing glances at the Plover Realm. Heixun, attuned to the old man's cryptic manner of speaking, took heed.

A strange storm erupted as Heixun's soul consciousness expanded into the nearby star sea, purging it of its corrupt energies. Moments later, Heixun's face turned somber. He sensed that the pervasive filth and the majority of the icy aura were being drawn away by the Plover Realm, rapidly converging from all directions within the Oblivion Starfield.

This recollection triggered a memory of recent news regarding one of the seven Cold Abyss Entrances in the Oblivion Starfield. There had been an anomaly; the Frost Energy no longer accumulated there. The Oblivion Starfield had been selected for the construction of a Cold Abyss Entrance because it was rich in Frost Energy compared to other starfields, giving rise to the Freezing Land.

But now, the Cold Abyss Entrance in the Oblivion Starfield was malfunctioning, and the copious Frost Energy of this star river was being siphoned toward the Plover Realm. Heixun immediately sensed that something was amiss.

"Don't look at me; I'm not involved," the emaciated elder said with a sly grin. "Heixun, you ought to know me by now. I've always harbored resentment toward the Demon Phoenix of the Demon Palace and the Divine Soul Sect. As for the Demon Palace and the Chamber of Commerce, I bear no ill will at this time. Besides, manipulating the flow of Frost Energy isn't exactly my forte."

With that, he reclined further and closed his eyes, dismissing the Plover Realm from his view. "You needn't watch over me. For one, you can't do anything to me by staying. And secondly, I won't take any hasty action until the situation becomes clear. So, Heixun, you'd best hurry to the Plover Realm or get in touch with the Divine Soul Sect."

After these words, Heixun, with furrowed brows, weighed his options and then nodded, taking his leave.

After Heixun furrowed his brow in deep contemplation, he nodded decisively and took his leave.

Time passed, and at a certain moment, the incessant swaying of the Chaos Roc's reclining chair came to an abrupt halt. A burst of red and white divine light exploded from within him and the chair itself. At the peak of its brilliance, both Heixun and the chair vanished without a trace, their destination unknown.

Within the inner world of the Plover Realm, a sense of unease began to spread.

"It's odd, isn't it? Why is it getting progressively colder here? The barrier of the realm is intact, and there's nothing out of the ordinary. So why the sudden chill?"

"Indeed, it has become noticeably colder."

"The festivities are set to continue for another couple of days. Surely, there won't be any unexpected incidents?"

"With the presence of the Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce, how could any anomalies arise?"

Silence fell as the powerful beings from various halls, including human evil cultivators, sporadically discussed the shifting climate of the Plover Realm.

Lim Zhuyun walked in solitude before a secluded stone hall, her gaze lowered, avoiding any interaction or communication with others, exuding an air of detachment and frostiness. Ahead lay a modest cultivation chamber she had rented, where she intended to take a brief respite.

A mysterious pain emanated from her inner world of Qi and blood, causing her to furrow her brow. As her consciousness delved deeper, she observed a miniature "well" slowly taking form within her icy world of Qi and blood.

This "well" had begun to emerge days prior, and since then, it had been steadily accumulating Frost Energy from some unknown source. Independent of her physical and spiritual essence, the "well," no taller than the length of an arm, continued to rise.

With the appearance of this "well," the violent backlash of her frost poison, which had caused her mind to twist with vile thoughts, was now being suppressed and obliterated by the Frost Energy. The longstanding issue that had plagued her was effortlessly resolved by this nascent "well."

Yet, a new, unsettling power was emerging from within the "well," growing increasingly distinct and formidable.

After much reflection, Lim Zhuyun realized that the emergence of this "well" might be linked to the blood traces from the warship wreckage she had inadvertently absorbed in the ancient lands of the Djinn Clan. Another wave of pain surged through her chest, and she couldn't help but cover her mouth, coughing softly.

Before entering the pavilion, she hesitated briefly, then abruptly turned to face the towering Asura warrior. With a voice filled with cold disdain, she confronted him, "You've been tailing me the entire way. What exactly do you want? Did Yu Yuan send you to keep tabs on me?"

She had heard rumors that this Asura General named Fernand was a marauder skirting the edges of various starfields, and it seemed that Yu Yuan had managed to enlist him.

Thus, she suspected that Yu Yuan had detected her presence and instructed Fernand to surveil her, perhaps waiting for the right moment to deride and scorn her as retribution for her past inaction within the Yu family at Darkmoon and for the deeds of the Lim family's old servant, Yinn Jue.

"It's not about him," Fernand replied, pausing to give Lim Zhuyun a penetrating gaze, detecting the peculiar scent about her.

There were certain things she might not understand, but as a Ninth Level Asura, he was privy to many secrets, including the changes occurring within her.

A flicker of sympathy crossed Fernand's eyes, yet he chose not to offer a warning or intervene.

Self-preservation was his priority; his focus was on securing a future for himself and his daughter, regardless of who might be sacrificed in the process.

"Pass on a message: I have no desire to meet with him. If he dares to flout the Babel Chamber of Commerce's rules and kill me, then let him try!" she declared icily.

With those words, Lim Zhuyun strode into the building and made her way to the modest cultivation room she had rented with Spirit Stones.

Meanwhile, Fernand settled silently into a secluded nook outside the pavilion, seemingly biding his time.

...

"The Plover Realm is growing colder," Heixun announced upon locating President Lyi and Jun Chen.

Unruffled, President Lyi responded, "Yu Yuan mentioned sensing the Frost Well's presence in the Dark Domain during his time in the Plover Realm. The cooling of the Plover Realm suggests that the Frost Well may have indeed reached us clandestinely."

"Are you fully prepared, then?" Heixun asked, a sense of relief in his voice.

Aware of President Lyi's formidable capabilities, and seeing no sign of distress despite his foreknowledge of the situation, Heixun was confident that President Lyi had a foolproof strategy in place.

"When the enemy approaches, we'll be ready to confront them, and if the Frost Energy from the Dark Domain seeps through, we have no reason to fear," President Lyi said, gesturing towards a prism-shaped crystal pillar. "See for yourself—countless mutated monsters and those gray, withered trees are already breaking through the seals."

"And what preparations have you made?" Heixun inquired with a grave tone.

"Taishi and I have made some arrangements," President Lyi replied with a slight smile, locking eyes with Heixun for a moment before adding, "You're one of his, so you can ask him."

Heixun just huffed and remained silent.

Suddenly, Zhou Wen materialized, his face dark and troubled.

"Why the panic?" President Lyi asked, his demeanor unflustered.

"The girl you had brought here from the Cold Abyss Entrance is now in a building engulfed by the Frost Energy of Darkness. I believe that the elusive Frost Well we've been searching for within the Dark Domain is actually inside her!" Zhou Wen exclaimed.

A gleam appeared in President Lyi's eyes, and with a hint of excitement rather than shock, he declared, "Excellent! I've been waiting for the Asura Clan to make their move!"

"The current issue is that the Death Nest of the Secular Bird, which we've been using as a temporary 'space crossing point' to connect with other places, has been suddenly overwhelmed by Death Power," Zhou Wen explained, taking a deep breath. "This means that many of our powerful reinforcements won't be able to reach us in time!"

Upon hearing this, President Lyi's face showed a trace of concern. "That is indeed unexpected!"

"Frost Energy of Darkness is penetrating!" came a sudden, fearful scream from outside.

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