C1330 The Snow Bear Led the Way
On the fringes of the Silver Sands Astral Domain.
Above a scallop-shaped meteor, the Starway burst into a soft glow. The tumultuous waves of space signaled the arrival of another formidable presence.
Lin Yan, now accustomed to such events, stepped back with an air of nonchalance.
In recent days, a steady stream of human cultivators from across the Star River had made their way here, numbering over a dozen. Lin Yan had grown indifferent to the spectacle.
Whoosh!
A figure, her sleeves fluttering, materialized before the onlookers.
The newcomer was a woman, seemingly enshrouded in countless slender sword lights that prickled the eyes of those who beheld her.
Behind her, a dazzling star river emerged, with stars like frosty crystals, each one, even the tiniest, brimming with the essence of a sharp sword's will.
At first glance, her true visage was obscured by the myriad starlight and Ice Shards.
A chilling sensation crept up from within, touching the hearts and souls of all present.
"Ningshuang!"
Du Yuan, of the Sword Sect, was visibly stirred by her arrival.
The Grand Sword Immortal's face lit up with satisfaction, instantly recognizing that her mastery of swordsmanship had advanced.
Clearly, the conflict in the Dark Star had honed her Stardust Blade once more.
"Rillrender" Yue Mu cast aside his previous indolence, sitting up from his reclined position.
He greeted her with a radiant smile, "Senior Sister, it looks like your time in the Dark Star Domain was quite fruitful."
"Master!" exclaimed Chen Qingyan, her face alight with happiness.
"Greetings, Ms. Ji."
"Ms. Ji, it's been too long. Your grace is as striking as ever!"
"The sword light you carry is tinged with the essence of the Blood Fiend. Have you just come from a fierce battle?"
Wei Zhuo, Mo Baichuan, Cao Jiaze, and others rose to their feet to welcome her.
Ji Ningshuang, clad in white, reined in the emanating sword's will and nodded gently to those who had greeted her, then made her way toward the Sword Sect's peak.
Du Yuan and Yue Mu, seeing her approach, graciously cleared a space for her.
"Master Ji."
The disciples of the Sword Sect, all practitioners of the Solar Spirit, called out in reverence.
After descending upon the mountain peak, Ji Ningshuang, known as the Stardust Blade, had a somewhat softened look on her face. She gazed at Chen Qingyan, who had successfully refined her Solar Spirit, with eyes brimming with fondness and satisfaction. "You've advanced quicker than I anticipated."
"It's not just me; everyone's cultivation is accelerating," Chen Qingyan replied with a modest smile.
"That's because a lot of worthless individuals have recently perished. The fortunes of the Everlands that they hoarded have been reclaimed by the cosmos," Ji Ningshuang said with a slight frown, not mincing her words as she revealed this secret.
"It's high time for a reshuffle. A whole lot of people deserve to die. They've reached a dead end in their cultivation journey, with no hope of further progress, yet they're still being eaten away by their inner demons. Rather than battling the extraterrestrial powerhouses, they prefer to cower in the Everlands, stealing life. They don't deserve to walk the path of cultivation."
Her blunt statement made many in the crowd shift uncomfortably. Wei Zhuo, Mo Baichuan, and even Du Yuan, bearer of the Sword of Destruction, looked visibly awkward. Within their own sects and among their followers, there were those who fit Ji Ningshuang's description.
Constrained by their limited talents and insight, the cultivation journey for many had already come to a halt. These individuals, who neither fought in the extraterrestrial Star River nor clashed with Otherkin warriors, spent their days hidden within the Everlands, effectively the fortune-stealing thieves she accused them of being.
The recent initiatives of the Boulderdawn Sect had pushed those old, not-so-powerful cultivators to desperately venture into the extraterrestrial realms. A significant number of these old-timers had met their end in the Dark Star Domain.
In Ji Ningshuang's view, they should have perished long ago, as their survival offered no benefit to the strength of the Everlands. With their passing, the younger generation could accelerate their growth, swiftly breaking through their cultivation barriers, and continue to surge into the cosmos to vie with extraterrestrial adversaries.
"Cao, give me an update on the situation," she commanded.
As the room fell into a mix of silence and forced laughter, Ji Ningshuang's gaze shifted and landed on Cao Jiaze with the intensity of a sword light.
Cao Jiaze chuckled, maintaining a composed demeanor as he updated her on recent events.
She listened intently.
After a moment, she suddenly asked, "Why didn't you pursue the snow bear to the Glimmerdrift Nebula? Wei Zhuo, aren't you determined to see Qiao Yuling dead?"
"Because that's the Glimmerdrift Nebula, one of the forbidden areas beyond our world," Cao Jiaze explained in a hushed tone.
"Glimmerdrift..."
Ji Ningshuang furrowed her brow, murmuring to herself as if a realization had struck her. She turned to Du Yuan with a look of confusion. "I recall now, the three great upper sects declared the Glimmerdrift Nebula a forbidden area, prohibiting the Everlands' mighty and the archdemons from hunting there. But what's the reason behind it?"
Du Yuan, being more senior and older, was thought to have the details.
Cao Jiaze, Wei Zhuo, and the rest, including Mo Baichuan, all directed their attention to him.
They were aware that the Glimmerdrift Nebula was off-limits, as decreed by the upper sects, forbidding exploration by the Everlands' inhabitants and archdemons. Yet, the specifics eluded them.
"A place designated as forbidden surely harbors secrets. Only with the unanimous agreement of the upper sects' masters can an area be deemed off-limits," Du Yuan said, his voice steady and calm, his gaze lowered. "I am privy to the reasons, but it's not appropriate for me to disclose them."
"Not even to me?" Ji Ningshuang's eyebrows lifted inquisitively.
"You may inquire with the sect master directly next time," Du Yuan replied nonchalantly.
Ji Ningshuang fell silent.
After a brief pause, she inhaled deeply and, without another word, transformed into a streak of sword light, vanishing into the ethereal expanse of the Brugeth.
Du Yuan's face registered shock, while Yue Mu offered a rueful smile, exhaling a long, resigned sigh.
Chen Qingyan called out "Master," but there was no answer, and the sword light did not return.
"She's being too impulsive," Wei Zhuo commented, shaking his head. "In the Spirit World, before its destruction, I witnessed the might of the Voidweaver and the Ancestral Tree. I saw Brie's downfall. If those entities were present, her headlong rush could very well end in disaster."
"Good fortune will follow her; there's no need for concern," Cao Jiaze said with ease.
Thanks to the information from Yu Yuan, he was aware that in the current Brugeth Astral Domain, all formidable presences had withdrawn, leaving no one capable of threatening Ji Ningshuang. He chose not to send others to explore, preferring to wait, as he was reluctant to voice his concerns openly.
Now, since Ji Ningshuang lacked the patience to wait for more experts, she ventured alone into the depths, which would enable her to swiftly uncover and return with the truth.
...
A star enshrouded in cold fog loomed tantalizingly close.
Whoosh!
A dense, water-like cold stream flowed from the star inhabited by the Shura, seemingly drawn to the snow bear, as if seeking to converge with it.
The colossal bear, resembling a towering snow-capped mountain, blinked its innocent eyes and quickly moved aside.
Yu Yuan, perched on its shoulder, gazed at the thick cold fog with a hint of suspicion.
The cold fog swirling around the stars and the natural barrier sheltering them were inherently unified, shielding the inhabitants from the harmful cosmic energies and allowing the vulnerable Shura to live in safety.
It shielded them from corruption and transformation into Warpbeasts during their youth.
As the snow bear drew near, the impressive cold fog, integrated with the barrier, would naturally gravitate towards it, seemingly eager to merge.
However, it appeared not to be an intentional act on the bear's part.
It dodged, clearly unwilling to absorb the dense ice energy, not wanting the barrier encircling the stars to be compromised, which would allow the polluted forces of the Star River to seep through.
In essence, the bear's actions were protective, safeguarding the frail Shura residing within.
Yu Yuan marveled silently.
In recent days, he had been riding atop the snow bear's shoulders, accompanying the massive creature as it traversed the Glimmerdrift Nebula, its sights set on the River of Swords.
Yet, it would draw closer to various Star Domains it encountered along the way.
It seemed to be searching for something.
To its eyes, each Domain wrapped in cold fog appeared strikingly similar—dispersed and numerous, easily causing confusion.
Even the bear needed to draw nearer to sense its target accurately.
Yu Yuan observed as it eagerly approached a fog-laden star, only to leave in haste, its hopes dashed when the thick fog was drawn to it.
Then, he pressed on toward the next star shrouded in cold fog.
During this time, some of the Shura with bloodlines reaching the eighth level clearly sensed its approach.
Oddly enough, the Shura warriors who could faintly sense its presence did not take action. Instead, they seemed to be worshipping it...
They revered it as if it were a deity.
"Looks like you've made quite a name for yourself in the Glimmerdrift Nebula."
Yu Yuan chuckled, thinking that if things continued this way, and all the Shura powerhouses in this realm treated the bear the same, he would indeed be safe.
So, he journeyed on, pausing and proceeding, passing countless stars veiled in cold fog.
Finally...
As he drew near another seemingly ordinary star, indistinguishable from the many others, the dense cold fog that enveloped it ceased its strange behavior.
The cold fog and the wall, thin as an ice membrane, remained undisturbed.
Yu Yuan's eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, and without hesitation, he charged toward the star, effortlessly piercing through the wall.
A world blanketed in snow unfolded beneath Yu Yuan's feet.
He dispersed his remnant soul and vitality, darting chaotically throughout the world, yet he detected no signs of life.
In this ice and snow world that the snow bear had long sought, desolation and silence reigned, leaving Yu Yuan puzzled.
He was unsure why the formidable snow bear had taken such pains to find this place.
At least from his vantage point, nothing extraordinary caught his eye.
As the snow bear neared the ground, it began to pound its chest and bellow.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The thick ice abruptly split apart, revealing a vast, deep sea where solid ground had been.
