C1332 The Snow Bear Was Injured

In the silent expanse of Brugeth, countless crystals the size of fingernails scattered in all directions, each imbued with a dense sword's will, like shards of broken glass.

Ji Ningshuang, clad in white, stood in the desolate void, the Stardust Blade slung across her back. Although this wasn't her first visit, the place felt unfamiliar, and she came to understand the true nature of the void.

There were no meteors, no remnants of warships, no scattered bones, nor psionic power. She had no points of reference.

Thus, she quickly became disoriented. But she soon devised a plan. In a straightforward and forceful manner, she condensed spiritual energy into crystals, infusing them with the sword's will of the Stardust Blade.

She then cast these icy shards across the entire Star River like a net.

Each thread of sword's will echoed with her consciousness, serving as her eyes, aiding her in the exploration of this new and strange world.

She waited with serene patience.

Time held no meaning in this place, and she had no idea how long had passed.

Suddenly, a strand of sword's will she had released found a response.

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

...

Qiao Yuling and her teacher, Qi Yunhong, on their way to Darkpinion, had learned that once their souls were separated from their bodies, they could travel dozens of times faster in the void of Brugeth.

Thus, following Yu Yuan's method, Qiao Yuling had roughly traced the path to Darkpinion.

This was possible because Yu Yuan had informed her that the Voidweaver, Blightwood, and others had withdrawn, giving her the confidence to release her Lunar Spirit.

The master and disciple alternated between casual conversation and silence as they journeyed.

Suddenly, Qiao Yuling tensed up, her gaze fixed on a crystal twinkling with icy brightness, sensing the stern sword's will within.

Her face turned pale, and her Lunar Spirit, miles away, stirred with unrest.

"Master, didn't Mr. Yu mention that Brugeth was empty now? What... what is this?" she asked.

Qi Yunhong, nonchalantly digging at his ear, cast a sidelong glance at the chilling crystal and reached out to collect it. "It's quite pretty. Maybe it's a relic from the explosion of the Spirit World."

His heart surged with excitement, wondering if perhaps Yu Yuan had left something behind, not having fully understood the situation here.

Qi Yunhong had always considered himself a chosen child of the heavens, a favorite of the divine.

He viewed his past setbacks as divine trials, shaping him to one day stand at the pinnacle of the world.

In the Brugeth Astral Domain, his cultivation had surged dramatically. He felt poised for further breakthroughs.

"Watch your paws!"

Qiao Yuling's glare sent a shiver down his spine, prompting him to quickly withdraw his hand.

"Could it be Ms. Ji?"

Taking a deep breath, Qiao Yuling's eyes flickered with countless crimson lightning bolts. She hastily summoned her Lunar Spirit back before Ji Ningshuang could arrive.

Her Lunar Spirit and Ji Ningshuang's real body were converging on this location.

The Lunar Spirit, of course, arrived swiftly. In no time, a dark red wraith cascaded from Qiao Yuling's crown and fused with her, brightening her gaze.

She immediately seemed much more composed, with twin thunder vortexes stirring within her sleeves.

As the head of Tempest's Edge and a cultivator at the Unbound level, she harbored no fear of Ji Ningshuang. Should they clash in the void, defeat was not a foregone conclusion.

Yet, her expression soured at the sight of Qi Yunhong, who seemed to be a burden.

"Ms. Ji? The Stardust Blade? Ji Ningshuang!"

Qi Yunhong's realization came with a fearless grin and a chuckle.

Disregarding Qiao Yuling's warnings, the audacious "madman" approached what appeared to be Ji Ningshuang's icy gaze. He waved vigorously as if to say hello.

"I'm Qi Yunhong. Back in the Everlands, I followed Yu... No! I followed Mr. Hong!"

Recalling the legends about Ji Ningshuang and the Divine Level herbalist from three centuries past, he laughed and said, "Great Immortal Ji, it's like the flood washing away the Dragon King's Temple – we're all family here. Please, no hostility. You know... we just parted ways with Mr. Hong in the Glimmerdrift Nebula. Our journey to Darkpinion was under his guidance."

At these words, the icy crystal in front of them blazed with blinding light.

"Have you seen it? In the Glimmerdrift Nebula? Please, elaborate!"

Ji Ningshuang's presence was unwavering, yet her distinctively icy voice and the chilling intent of her sword emanated from the crystal.

"Here's what happened..."

Qi Yunhong gestured with his hand, signaling Qiao Yuling to relax, and then he spoke nonchalantly, "The conflict in this part of the Star River has actually concluded. The Voidweaver, Blightwood, and Diggs have all departed. The phoenix emperor has long since returned to the Darkpinion Nebula."

He recounted what Yu Yuan had shared with him, saying, "We encountered Mr. Hong in the Glimmerdrift Nebula. He and a ninth-level snow bear from the Frostlands ventured into the nebula to explore. Ms. Ji, you must be cautious. It would be best to avoid unnecessary risks. Alonso, the supreme commander of the Shura, is currently stationed in the Glimmerdrift Nebula."

Qi Yunhong, ever the chatterbox, spilled everything he knew to Ji Ningshuang without reservation.

The Ice Shard, pulsing with a refined sword's will, twinkled like a bright star.

Yet, after some time, the small "starshard" unexpectedly departed.

It seemed that Ji Ningshuang had reconsidered her approach halfway through and dismissed the idea of coming over.

"Uh, just like that, you're leaving? Shouldn't you at least say thank you?"

Qi Yunhong grumbled discontentedly, watching the "starshard" fade away along with the stern sword's will. He called out once more, "Don't forget, it's the Glimmerdrift Nebula! And it's filled with many luminous rivers of light..."

"You can be quiet now!" Qiao Yuling snapped.

Qi Yunhong chuckled and fell silent, shrugging his shoulders and regaining his composure, "Mr. Yu has been good to me. If he hadn't gone to the Crimson Sun Empire, I would have been killed by Qu Jing of the Ethereal Void Sect. I wouldn't be enjoying life as I am now. Ms. Ji, I'm aware of the past grievances you had with him..."

He paused for a moment before adding, "I hope the two of you can reunite in the Glimmerdrift Nebula."

Qiao Yuling, who had been ready to scold him, held back upon seeing his rare seriousness and said no more.

The pair continued their journey toward the Darkpinion Astral Domain.

...

In the uncharted Frozen World of the Glimmerdrift Nebula, Yu Yuan hovered above the deep sea, standing on the Dragon Slaying Stage, occasionally glancing at the water's surface.

He had been waiting for what felt like an eternity.

The snow bear had remained beneath the sea much longer than in the previous two instances, causing Yu Yuan to worry.

It was evident that the snow bear thrived in both the Domain and the entire Glimmerdrift Nebula. Logically, there should have been no incidents.

Yet, considering the involvement of the Wintermaw, the emergence of something eerie wouldn't be surprising.

"I can't dive in holding the Dragon Slaying Stage. It seems that if I were to go down, I'd only create more chaos," Yu Yuan lamented, forced to wait passively, his anxiety mounting by the minute.

He had grown quite fond of the snow bear.

From their first encounter, the perceptive giant bear had repeatedly shown goodwill and consideration for him.

Despite being an extraterrestrial creature, the snow bear had not harmed him but had instead helped protect Faang Yao and Yuan Lianyao.

Even when he vanished into the Spirit World, the snow bear diligently ensured the two were safely transported to the Silver Sands.

It wasn't until the bear itself became a target that it retreated back to the Glimmerdrift Nebula.

There, at the boundary between the Glimmerdrift Nebula and Brugeth, the snow bear silently waited for his return...

"Please be safe."

The Ice Shard no longer mattered to him; he simply wished for the endearing snow bear to emerge from the sea once more.

Time passed slowly.

A vast silhouette of the bear began to surface, dominating a large expanse of the sea.

Yu Yuan's expression grew somber.

This time was different; the snow bear wasn't facing upwards, nor was it standing.

It lay there, back to the sky, seemingly devoid of the strength to move, bearing severe wounds.

Yu Yuan's heart raced with concern. After an agonizing wait, he finally saw the enormous snow bear fully emerge from the water.

Lying flat, its broad body, now visible above the waves, was crisscrossed with scars.

Deep gashes had torn through its thick hide and into its glistening bones, leaving them fractured.

The dense wounds showed no sign of bleeding, likely due to its unique bloodline infused with ice energy, which caused the blood that should have gushed forth to solidify into ice crystals instead.

Yu Yuan inhaled deeply and tuned into his surroundings with great focus.

The creature's heart was intact, pulsing faintly. Its soul, fragile and diminished, had been refined and transformed into snowflakes that now drifted through its consciousness.

Feeling somewhat reassured, Yu Yuan studied the wound and pondered the situation with a cool head.

It was alive, albeit severely injured, and the mark it bore was unmistakably a sword scar.

"The Sword Sect of the Everlands!"

He arrived at his conclusion swiftly.

For the ninth-level snow bear to have sustained such grievous wounds in such a brief span, and with such a distinct sword scar, it could only be the work of the Grand Sword Immortal from the Sword Sect.

Only the Grand Sword Immortal had the power to inflict such a wound, leaving behind a sword scar so profound.

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