C1331
As the ice rock on the ocean's surface shattered, the scene from above resembled a vast expanse of broken glass. The cold fog and white clouds streamed towards the deep sea from the Frozen Wastes.
Yu Yuan stepped off the shoulder of the snow bear and hovered in midair, gazing in astonishment at the deep sea below and the movement of the cold fog across the water's surface, while he attuned his senses to the environment.
The fragments of ice rock gradually descended to the seabed, yet the sea's surface remained eerily still.
From the outside, this strange Domain appeared unremarkable, lacking any overt display of ice energy. But upon delving deeper, Yu Yuan immediately perceived an extraordinary difference.
In an instant, as the ice shattered in response to the snow bear's roar, the world transformed. A powerful surge of cold current from the Glimmerdrift Nebula outside rushed in, intensifying the frigid aura of this icy realm by several magnitudes.
The fracturing of the sea's ice seemed to trigger a mysterious magic circle, causing the ocean and the entire Frozen Wastes to draw in the dense ice energy from the Astral Domain.
Yu Yuan first regarded the snow bear with a puzzled look, using his sharp intuition to probe further. The ninth-level snow bear had not invoked any blood magic or emitted any mystical aura to attract the ice energy from the extraterrestrial realms.
Yet, based on past experiences, Yu Yuan remained uncertain. The bear had done nothing as it passed through other areas enveloped in cold fog, yet the thick mist still converged towards it, as if seeking to merge with its form.
The snow bear, massive as a mountain, stood suspended in the air and suddenly shook its head. Its enormous paw gestured towards the now mirror-smooth sea, signaling that the sudden transformation of this realm was unrelated to it, but rather due to the ocean beneath—or perhaps something lurking in its depths...
"Gathering ice energy towards the sea's depths... this sounds familiar," Yu Yuan mused, momentarily lost in thought. Then it came to him—the experiences in Ionodios and the hidden knowledge he had gleaned from conversations with Chen Qinghuang and others.
With a sense of wonder, he inquired, "Could it be the Wintermaw?"
The snow bear chuckled heartily, nodding its head in agreement.
Yu Yuan felt a tremor in his spirit.
He was aware that at the bottom of the vast Everlands, there existed seven enigmatic chasms connected to the so-called "Wintermaw."
These seven "Wintermaw" portals were dispersed across the Frozen Wastes, channeling the rich ice energy from the frigid Star River of the extraterrestrial realm, converging it into the Frozen Hellscape.
Chen Qinghuang had hinted at the critical importance of the enigmatic Frozen Hellscape to the Everlands.
Hidden within the Annihilation Nebula's Ionodios was a "Wintermaw," and there must be another "Wintermaw" somewhere in the Astral Domain of Moore's homeland; otherwise, the Frost Queen and her sister could not have reached the Everlands.
Yu Yuan was taken aback to discover that even the Glimmerdrift Nebula, territory of the Shura, concealed a "Wintermaw."
If this snow bear was aware of it, then... did other Shura warriors also know?
Lost in thought, the snow bear gestured with its massive paw, forming a long shape.
"Dragon Slaying Stage?" Yu Yuan exclaimed in surprise.
The bear nodded emphatically.
Yu Yuan was momentarily speechless.
Suddenly, the ninth-level snow bear plunged into the deep sea with a splash.
Looking down, Yu Yuan saw that it had swiftly dived to the ocean floor, its massive form vanishing from sight.
He could no longer sense its presence with his remnant soul or vitality.
What was it planning to do?
Yu Yuan felt bewildered. Before the bear reappeared, he had refrained from summoning the Dragon Slaying Stage, wary of attracting unforeseen complications.
He didn't have to wait long...
With a great splash, the colossal snow bear burst through the sea's surface, presenting a large chunk of its body. It offered up a translucent Ice Shard with its massive paw as if bestowing a precious gift.
Yu Yuan's expression shifted, and he swiftly landed in the bear's cupped palm.
The Ice Shards radiated an intense chill that made even Yu Yuan's soul feel uneasy. Yet, upon seeing the Ice Shard, a wave of familiarity washed over him.
He suddenly recalled how Ruan Fu of Winter's Bite had once confined him with a Frost Well.
The Frost Well from the Frostlands shares a similar aura with the Ice Shard that the snow bear is cradling. Moreover, their core structures appear to be identical.
At that moment, he found himself longing for the Frost Queen.
If the Frost Queen, with her spiritual wisdom restored, were here, she would undoubtedly provide him with an immediate and accurate answer.
After all, it was the Frost Queen who had taken the shattered Frost Well into the Dragon Slaying Stage, to the final resting place of the frost wyrm, and had reforged the Frost Well, integrating it into herself.
With this realization, a multitude of insights sparked like lightning in Yu Yuan's mind.
He remembered that his success in breaching the Frost Well from the Frostlands was due to harnessing the power of the tenth-level frost wyrm within the Dragon Slaying Stage!
Later, in Ionodios, everyone believed that Lin Zhuyun had carried a Frost Well to facilitate the descent of the Blood King, Sabonis.
Yet, they still needed the Frost Well refined by the Frost Queen, employing the might of the Dragon Slaying Stage!
"There must be a connection between the seven Wintermaws, the Shura's Frost Wells, and the Dragon Slaying Stage!" Yu Yuan realized, his gaze returning to the Ice Shard in his palm, increasingly convinced that the Frost Wells of the Dark Realm were crafted from such Ice Shards.
"So, the Shura crafted each Frost Well from Ice Shards like this? And it was you who provided them?" Yu Yuan asked gravely.
It laughed softly, nodding in affirmation.
Indeed!
Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, now understanding why the Shura of the Glimmerdrift Nebula revered him as a deity.
Even the great commander Alonso held him in high esteem, forbidding the mighty from approaching his sanctuary.
He was granted absolute freedom.
It turned out that the primary ingredient for the Frost Wells, which enabled the Blood King, Sabonis, to traverse any void and connect with the Dark Realm, was sourced from this very being!
The core material of the Frost Well, these very Ice Shards, originated from the seabed of the Wintermaw.
It had earned the gratitude of the entire Shura race!
"I must have a look!"
With a mere thought, Yu Yuan called forth the Dragon Slaying Stage from within the Shenque acupoint.
As the Dragon Slaying Stage materialized, it radiated a gleaming white light, its presence immediately commanding attention.
Ice Shards flew from the palm of the snow bear, seamlessly integrating into the Dragon Slaying Stage.
Within, the Ice Shards descended upon the boneyard of the frost wyrm, transforming into streams of icy luminescence. Some sank into the earth, while others merged with the dragon's breath.
Among them, a few faint glimmers of light carried the essence of time and space.
Yu Yuan's astonishment grew.
The fact that the earth could absorb the ice energy from the Ice Shards, where the frost wyrm lay, wasn't too surprising.
What he couldn't fathom was the subtle presence of time magic hidden within the Ice Shards!
The existence of the Frost Well in the Dark Realm provided a conduit to the enigmatic Dark Realm, allowing the Blood King, Sabonis, to make his descent.
The primary component was these Ice Shards, for they harbored time-space energy.
The Shura masters harnessed the power within the Ice Shards to forge the wondrous Frost Well, endowing it with the ability to connect to the Dark Realm.
Yu Yuan had an epiphany.
"The seven Wintermaws continuously draw ice energy from the extraterrestrial reaches of space, converging upon the Everlands. The presence of the Frozen Hellscape is crucial to the Everlands, seemingly maintaining a certain equilibrium. So, who is responsible for creating these seven Wintermaws?"
As Yu Yuan whispered to himself, he observed the Dragon Slaying Stage in his hands, noting that all the Ice Shards produced by the snow bear had vanished within it, with the pure ice energy and traces of time-space aura slowly dissipating.
He recalled how he had shattered Ruan Fu's Frost Well using the Dragon Slaying Stage.
His thoughts then turned to the Blood King, Sabonis, who sought to use the Frost Well within the Frost Queen's body, along with the Dragon Slaying Stage he wielded...
Gradually, Yu Yuan pieced together the answer.
The seven enigmatic "Wintermaws" connected to the Everlands were carved out by the combined efforts of the Chronowyrm and the frost wyrm.
Their purpose was to amass ice energy from beyond the stars, thereby creating the Frozen Hellscape!
The existence of the Frozen Hellscape was key to maintaining and fortifying the Everlands, preventing catastrophic disasters.
Yet, more doubts emerged...
The Blood King, Sabonis, was evidently aware that the primary material for constructing the Frost Well originated from the seabed beneath him and must have known about the Wintermaw that led to the Everlands. Why then, did he not seek to destroy it?
Why not enter the "Wintermaw" to infiltrate the Frozen Hellscape and thus descend upon the Everlands?
It was only because the snow bear had provided them with special Ice Shards for constructing the Frost Well that the entire Shura clan held them in such high esteem and friendship.
A myriad of new doubts surfaced in his Heart Lake, leaving him without a clue.
The snow bear, having concealed all the Ice Shards it had produced within the Dragon Slaying Stage, watched as Yu Yuan pondered deeply, retracing the facts to uncover the truth, seemingly in search of more Ice Shards.
Yu Yuan was astonished. He thought that if the Frost Queen, his nominal fiancée Lin Zhuyun, or any cultivator from Winter's Bite were present, they would be ecstatic.
The crystals from the ocean floor would undoubtedly aid in enhancing their combat prowess.
Suddenly, an image of a strikingly cold figure flashed unexpectedly through his heart.
He couldn't help but recall his past life when he was still Hong Qi, weak and defenseless, being escorted by that figure, capturing frost wyrms in the Frozen Hellscape.
Back then, the lady was not as formidable as she is now, yet her fame and beauty were renowned throughout the land.
She had traveled with him far and wide, preparing for his rebirth, heedless of her own notoriety...
In the twilight of his life, when everyone saw him as a venomous scorpion to be avoided at all costs, that figure remained steadfastly by his side, without any hint of disdain.
The earlier words of Chu Yao, the comments of Zhu Huan and Fu Xuanwen, and his subsequent confirmations...
They all led him to a sober realization that his life as Hong Qi, before taking the Reincarnation Pill, was marked by darkness and extremism, universally abhorred.
Reflecting on the constant companion of that period, he was increasingly moved.
"Perhaps, these extraordinary Ice Shards could also be of help to her. And if not for her, certainly her disciple could make good use of them," Yu Yuan mused silently.
Before long, the snow bear once again breached the ocean's surface, its massive paws cradling more glistening Ice Shards, offering them up with a cheerful grin.
Before the Dragon Slaying Stage began its absorption, Yu Yuan had already secured a dozen Ice Shards and promptly stashed them in his Cosmos Ring.
The snow bear watched his actions with a puzzled look.
"There are others besides the Dragon Slaying Stage who could make use of these," Yu Yuan clarified to the creature. As the stage commenced its absorption, he squinted towards the deep sea and inquired, "May I descend?"
At his words, the snow bear was visibly alarmed, gesturing frantically to deter him, fearing he might act rashly.
Clearly, Yu Yuan's proposal had placed the snow bear in an awkward position.
"No worries. I was just asking. Don't be so tense. If it's not feasible, then let's drop it," Yu Yuan said with an easygoing smile.
He had an inkling that with the Dragon Slaying Stage in his possession, he might be able to use the "Wintermaw" to directly return to the Everlands, emerging at the base of the Frozen Hellscape.
Given that the "Wintermaw" was created by the Chronowyrm and the frost wyrm, and their remains were within the Dragon Slaying Stage, it seemed highly probable that he, as the current holder, could traverse it safely.
Yet, his passage might also risk damaging or even destroying the "Wintermaw."
The original creators were long dead, and the dragon corpses were still suppressed within the stage, far removed from their past existence.
"Hehe!"
Seeing that Yu Yuan wasn't pressing the issue, the snow bear chuckled once more, its demeanor easing considerably.
"If I take this down with me, would traversing the Wintermaw cause significant trouble?" Yu Yuan probed further.
He even lifted the Dragon Slaying Stage in his hand to ensure the bear grasped his intent.
The bear nodded emphatically.
Yu Yuan got the message and immediately abandoned the thought. "Understood. I won't attempt to barge through. I'll take your lead. Just show me the way, and I'll follow."
The snow bear beamed in response and dove back into the sea to aid him in gathering more of the enigmatic Ice Shards.
However, this time, it remained submerged for an unusually long stretch.
