C1251 Frozen Abyss
In a secluded corner of the Brugeth Astral Domain, a miniature landmass mirrored the layout of the Embers Sea, with the vast sea dominating the landscape. Scattered like stars across the cerulean waters were numerous islands.
The island that the Ghoul King called home was dotted with boneyards, each exuding a chilling aura. Within these resting places, Wights lay dormant, ready to rise and fight at his mere command.
At this moment, the Ghoul King gazed across the sea at a distant island. There, Lin Zhuyun, clad in an elegant green robe, sat before the island's glacier. Beside her, the shattered remains of a Winter's Bite Solar Spirit Body had recently fragmented.
After Lin Zhuyun had slain the unfortunate Solar Spirit of Winter's Bite, its fragments began to merge with the island. Before her, the ice rock gleamed, with silver beams of light dancing serpent-like, etching something into its surface. Soon, a man's vague silhouette emerged on the ice.
Yet, as the man's features neared clarity, Lin Zhuyun's eyes flashed with a piercing coldness. With a puff, the man's image, carved by her intense Frost Spirit remnant soul, burst apart.
Lin Zhuyun paused to adjust her technique before refocusing. She once again conjured visible Soul Power and resumed her work on the ice rock. Each time the man's visage nearly materialized, she would ruthlessly erase it.
The Ghoul King, observing from across the sea, was no longer surprised by this ritual. Despite his Unbound status, he found himself obeying Lin Zhuyun's commands due to the Abyssal Leviathan's decree.
Before the great battle in Ionodios erupted, the Abyssal Leviathan had claimed Lin Zhuyun and took them both away. Lin Zhuyun, who had narrowly escaped death, seemed to have truly earned the Abyssal Leviathan's favor, receiving its full support in her cultivation.
The Abyssal Leviathan not only aided Lin Zhuyun in refining her Solar Spirit Body but also purified her of the Sky Fiend's taint and dissolved the Sky Fiend Soul that sought to usurp her, significantly boosting her combat prowess.
Afterward, the Abyssal Leviathan transported them to the extraterritorial battlefield, where they were tasked with assisting Lin Zhuyun in gathering items of extreme cold to incorporate into the burgeoning glacier.
It appeared that the intention was to forge an unconventional space for Lin Zhuyun to merge with the Dao, laying the groundwork for her advancement to the Unbound Stage.
In recent days, Lin Zhuyun had been at the fringes of Brugeth, harvesting Frost Veins, slaying ice-affiliated alien beasts, and practicing the spell of extreme cold.
The Ghoul King was at a loss regarding the true nature of the ice mountain, yet it inexplicably drew alien beasts and cultivators to their demise, one after another.
"Ever heard of the Wraithcult?"
Out of the blue, Lin Zhuyun, who had been silent for quite some time, turned to face him.
The Ghoul King, despite being of higher cultivation, felt a sudden chill. He pondered before replying, "Yes, I'm familiar with them. That sect ceased to exist within our Everlands long ago. Like many minor sects, the Wraithcult perished in the internal conflicts of the Everlands. To the five paramount powers, a sect that has never produced an Unbound cultivator is essentially expendable."
"The deceased from Winter's Bite just disclosed something," Lin Zhuyun continued, her demeanor icy as she gave her orders without a hint of politeness. "There's a surviving Wraithcult cultivator in Brugeth who has claimed a Frozen Abyss. Release some Wights to scout the surrounding area."
"Understood."
The Ghoul King complied without hesitation, and with a thought, Wights began to emerge from the earth.
Most of these Wights were Otherkin, their forms emanating a chilling death aura as they stiffly took to the skies, scattering in all directions like glowing embers.
...
On the opposite end of Brugeth.
Qi Yunhong, having ascended to the middle period of the Solar Spirit Realm, donned the red agate necklace of Qiao Yuling around his neck.
His body was submerged in a vortex of flashing lightning, purifying his Solar Spirit Body with crimson bolts.
He grimaced and howled in madness, appearing to be in such excruciating pain that he wished for death.
Yet, there was an eerie excitement gleaming in his eyes.
The elderly woman who founded Tempest's Edge in the Star River squinted with a smile, nodding in approval, "This young man is indeed meant for our Tempest's Edge!"
The necklace around Qi Yunhong's neck occasionally emitted a haunting glow, penetrating his mind.
The man, already branded a fiend by the Everlands, had an increasingly intense look of frenzied excitement in his eyes. With each breath, it seemed as though tiny lightning dragons were snaking in and out of his nostrils.
"My dear, when will I be able to advance to the late period of the Solar Spirit Stage?" he bellowed.
"Very soon," Qiao Yuling assured him, her face beaming with smiles. "Now is the perfect time for Tempest's Edge to ascend! The Thunder Sect has been in the Everlands for years without advancing to the upper echelons. Hehe, I have a bold ambition to see us outshine both the Ruby Hand and the Starmoon Sect, becoming another dominant force after them!"
Both the Ruby Hand and the Starmoon Sect had given rise to Primordial Spirits, catapulting their status overnight.
Qiao Yuling had severed ties with the Thunder Sect in the Everlands to establish a new Tempest's Edge in the Star River. She harbored the vision of transforming Tempest's Edge into a sect that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the five greatest sects of the Everlands.
Then, Tempest's Edge would return to the Everlands in triumph, openly recruiting disciples to further elevate the sect.
"You will certainly achieve it," Qi Yunhong complimented her.
Qiao Yuling simply smiled, adding fuel to the fire by channeling even more power from the red agate necklace into Qi Yunhong's mind.
The next moment, Qi Yunhong's screams became even more piercing.
...
Yu Yuan felt a sudden lightness in his body.
He was about to share updates on the fresh dynamics within the Everlands and the extraterrestrial realms, but a look of alarm suddenly broke through his feigned composure.
He whirled around abruptly!
From the moment he set foot on the wrecked warship, he had been in the presence of the slumbering Queen, who had unknowingly fallen to the ground. She now crouched gently, her gaze fixed on the chilling river.
The river was filled with glistening Ice Shards, resembling a host of icy serpents.
Chen Qinghuang, with her body tilted, possessed a beauty that could captivate all creation. Even now, there was no flaw in her appearance, which immediately soothed the panicked Yu Yuan. In a gentle voice, he asked, "Have you awakened?"
Meanwhile, Yan Ziyang was still reeling, murmuring to himself, "Boulderdawn, Boulderdawn has returned..."
He had completely overlooked the presence of the Queen.
Chen Qinghuang's arm, as delicate as a white lotus, reached out slowly towards the river concealing the Frost Vein.
As she made this gesture, the frigid wind within the cave stilled, and a suffocating aura suddenly enveloped this small corner of the world.
Yan Ziyang, startled, exclaimed, "You!"
Yu Yuan, his face grave, placed a finger to his lips, signaling Yan Ziyang to keep silent.
Confused, Yan Ziyang watched as the cave he had known for countless years revealed intricate ice patterns on its hard, cold stone walls.
These patterns, seemingly hidden for eons, chose this moment to emerge.
The once gentle river now surged with urgency. The Frost Vein within unleashed countless tiny sparks of cold light, as if intelligent life was desperately attempting to escape this confined space.
The air was thick with the essence of souls.
Chen Qinghuang's expression was detached as she slowly traced circles with her hand submerged in the river.
Enigmatic ripples spread out, and a mysterious pulling force emerged. The remnant souls hidden within the Frost Vein, the walls, and the ice chunks were drawn forth in a frenzy, rapidly crystallizing.
Yan Ziyang and Yu Yuan watched, utterly astounded by the spectacle.
Quickly, an Ice Shard the size of a walnut crystallized beneath her fingertip.
The Ice Shard, like a prison, encased a pulsating devil soul.
"Frostfiend!"
Yan Ziyang was thunderstruck, his face a canvas of awe. He could never have imagined that a Frostfiend lay concealed within what he believed to be a mere facade of merged paths.
"I suspect he's biding his time, waiting for you to gain more strength before he attempts to possess and refine you," Yu Yuan mused.
With a quivering voice, Yan Ziyang exclaimed, "He's a Demon God!"
