C1095 The Cold World

In the vast expanse of the Star River, just beyond the Ionodios Realm, Hei Xun, now a member of the Boulderdawn Sect, was on a meteorite, earnestly trying to convince the Abyssal Leviathan to venture into Ionodios. The emaciated old man, who had taken human form, simply ignored his pleas, offering nothing but a knowing smile, steadfast in his refusal to enter the realm.

The Abyssal Leviathan's fearsome strength was something Hei Xun was all too familiar with. Unable to persuade him, Hei Xun dared not leave his side, remaining vigilant and closely monitoring the old man's every move.

"The Ionodios Realm is growing colder," remarked the old man out of the blue, lounging comfortably in a recliner, casting the occasional lazy glance at Ionodios.

Hei Xun understood that the old man's words were never without significance, prompting him to tune into his surroundings. His remnant soul reached out into the Star River, triggering an unusual storm that purged the area of corrupt energies.

Moments later, Hei Xun's expression darkened. He could sense that the pervasive tainted energy, along with the majority of the Arctic Breath, was being drawn towards Ionodios from all corners of the Annihilation Nebula.

This sudden realization brought to mind recent intelligence he had acquired. An anomaly had occurred at one of the seven Wintermaws located in the Frozen World within the Annihilation Nebula. The ice energy that once converged there was now being redirected.

Hei Xun had selected the Annihilation Nebula for the construction of a Wintermaw because it was determined to have a richer concentration of ice energy than other Astral Domains. Hence, a Frozen World had been transformed into a Wintermaw.

But now, with the Wintermaw in the Annihilation Nebula malfunctioning for reasons unknown, the Star River's abundant ice energy was inexplicably flowing towards Ionodios.

Something was amiss, and Hei Xun was acutely aware of it.

"Don't look at me; I'm not involved," the old man said, his mouth twisting into a grin, followed by a low chuckle.

"Hei Xun, oh Hei Xun, you ought to understand me by now. I've always harbored resentment towards the Dark Phoenix of Shadow's Keep and the Demon Hall. As for the Boulderdawn Sect and the Merchant Guild, I bear no ill will at the moment."

"And besides, manipulating the course of ice energy isn't exactly my forte."

He leaned back and slowly closed his eyes, no longer gazing upon Ionodios. "You don't need to keep vigil over me. For one, your presence here won't change my situation. And secondly, I won't take any hasty actions until the situation becomes clear. So, Hei Xun, you'd better hurry off to Ionodios or get in touch with Boulderdawn."

After Hei Xun heard this, his brow furrowed in contemplation. He nodded his agreement and departed.

Long after he left, the swaying recliner of the Abyssal Leviathan came to an abrupt halt. A burst of red and white divine light erupted from within him and the chair. At the peak of its brilliance, both he and the recliner vanished, their destination unknown.

...

Within the inner world of Ionodios.

"How odd, why is it growing progressively colder here? The wall remains intact, and there's been no unusual activity. What's causing this sudden chill?"

"Indeed, it has become quite chilly all of a sudden."

"This event isn't due to conclude for another two or three days. Surely there won't be any mishaps?"

"With both the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn present, how could anything go awry?"

"…"

Various powerful beings from different halls, including the human dark disciples, intermittently engaged in such discussions.

Their conversations revolved around the changing climate of Ionodios.

In front of a secluded stone hall, Lin Zhuyun walked alone, her head bowed, avoiding any interaction or communication with others, exuding an air of isolation and frostiness.

Ahead lay a small training room she had rented, where she intended to take a respite.

A mysterious ache emanated from her little world of vitality. She furrowed her brow slightly and delved deep into her thoughts, observing a miniature "well" slowly taking form within her icy vitality realm.

This "well" had begun to emerge days earlier and continued to draw ice energy from some unknown source.

Without relying on her physical or remnant soul, the "well," merely the height of an arm, was gradually growing taller.

Since the appearance of this "well," the violent backlash of her Ice Venom, along with the torrent of malevolent thoughts flooding her mind, were all quelled and shattered by the ice energy.

The long-standing issue that had plagued her was effortlessly resolved by the emergence of this nascent "well."

However, there was another force that made her heart race with fear. It was slowly taking shape from the "well," growing more distinct and powerful by the moment.

After much thought, she realized that the emergence of this well might be connected to the bloodstains she had inadvertently absorbed from the wreckage of a warship in the ancient realm of the Titan race.

Another pang of pain emanated from her chest, causing her to cover her mouth and cough twice.

Before entering the pavilion, she hesitated, then abruptly turned to face the towering Shura warrior. With a voice filled with cold disdain, she demanded, "You've been shadowing me the entire way. What do you want? Did Yu Yuan send you to watch my every move?"

She had heard rumors about this Shura General named Fernand, a bandit who roamed the fringes of the Star River.

She was also aware that Yu Yuan had apparently taken this bandit under his wing.

Thus, she suspected that Yu Yuan had detected her and instructed Fernand to keep an eye on her, waiting for the right moment to deride and scorn her as payback for her past inaction against the Yu family in Asvetaesi and for the deeds of Yin Jue, the old servant of the Lin family.

"It's unrelated to him," Fernand replied, pausing to give Lin Zhuyun a penetrating look, detecting the peculiar scent about her.

Lin Zhuyun might be oblivious to certain matters, but Fernand, as a ninth-level Shura, was privy to many secrets. He was aware of the changes occurring within Lin Zhuyun's body.

A flicker of sympathy crossed Fernand's eyes, but he would not offer a warning or intervene.

People must fend for themselves; he was focused on plotting for his own future and that of his daughter, unconcerned about who might be sacrificed in the process.

"Tell him I have no desire to see him. If he dares to flout the Skyreach Consortium's rules and kill me, then let him make his move!" Lin Zhuyun declared icily before entering the building and heading to the small training room she had rented with soulstones.

Fernand, meanwhile, took a seat in a quiet corner outside the building, sitting in silence as if awaiting something.

...

"The Ionodios is growing colder," Hei Xun announced the moment he found President Lyi and Jun Chen.

President Lyi responded with a composed expression, "Yu Yuan mentioned he sensed the aura of the Wintermaw when he was in the Ionian Desert. The fact that the Ionian Desert is becoming colder suggests that the Wintermaw might have already arrived in secret."

President Lyi remained composed. "Yu Yuan once mentioned that while he was in Ionodios, he sensed the presence of the Frost Well. If Ionodios is getting colder, it's very likely that the Frost Well has secretly reached us."

"Are you fully prepared?" Hei Xun breathed a sigh of relief.

He was aware of President Lyi's formidable capabilities. Given that President Lyi was already informed about the cause and yet showed no sign of panic, he undoubtedly had a foolproof strategy.

"We'll confront the soldiers with soldiers, and counter the flood with earth. If the Frost Well truly emerges, we need not fear, even if the Dark Realm's extreme cold seeps through." President Lyi gestured towards a prism-shaped crystal column. "Look, the numerous Warpbeasts and those grey, withered trees are also breaking through the seals, aren't they?"

"What preparations have you made?" Hei Xun inquired with gravity.

"Taishi and I have made some arrangements," President Lyi replied with a slight smile, locking eyes with Hei Xun for three seconds. "You are one of his confidants. You can ask him."

Hei Xun huffed but remained silent.

At that moment, Zhou You appeared abruptly, his expression dark and troubled.

"What's causing the panic?" President Lyi asked calmly.

"The girl you arranged to be sent from Wintermaw is now in a building that has been engulfed by the dark ice energy. I have reason to believe that the Frost Well we've been searching for is inside her!" Zhou You exclaimed.

A gleam sparked in President Lyi's eyes, and he responded with elation rather than shock. "Excellent! I've been waiting for the Shura to make their move!"

"The current issue," Zhou You continued, taking a deep breath, "is that the Deathwing Lair of the secular bird, which we've been using as a temporary Starway to connect to other places, has been suddenly filled with death force. This means that many of our powerful reinforcements can't arrive on time!"

Upon hearing this, President Lyi's expression darkened slightly. "This is indeed unexpected!"

Suddenly, a terrified scream pierced the air from outside. "The ice energy from the Dark Realm is infiltrating!"

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