C1339 The Response of the Dire Bear

A heavy, oppressive force began to rise from beneath the Frozen Wastes.

Yu Yuan, vigilant of the world's changes from his position on the Dragon Slaying Stage, felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

As he watched the snow bear once again descend into the sea's depths, he witnessed an even more startling scene through the Dragon Slaying Stage.

The Star River outside had come to an abrupt halt!

He realized that it wasn't the Star River that had ceased movement, for it had always been still.

What had truly stopped was the Frozen Wastes itself, a place that had never ceased its shifting.

What kind of power could bring an entire world, a vast star that had always been adrift, to a sudden standstill?

What kind of terrifying force was at play?

"Gu Xingkui!"

Ciara's scream pierced the air. She cast aside any thoughts of his relationship with Ji Ningshuang and, desperate, transformed into a bolt of lightning, racing toward the sea's depths.

Yu Yuan even observed the Frost Well plunge into darkness, followed by a surge of spatial ripples.

Clearly, Ciara had tapped into the Frost Well's latent power mid-journey to reach out to the Blood King.

With a whoosh, Yu Yuan, standing on the Dragon Slaying Stage, swiftly pursued her towards the ocean's depths, where the Wintermaw lay concealed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As he traveled, the earth's roars and the collapsing of snow-capped mountains and glaciers reached his ears, filling him with shock.

He seemed to see sword light streaming from the depths of the Wintermaw, dispersing throughout the Frozen Wastes and weaving through the heart of the earth with a magical force so potent it shattered the land's very laws.

This caused the Star of Wonder, which had always floated gently, to come to a standstill in the void.

Such divine might, such sword force, could only belong to those two mythical figures who had mastered the primordial spirit and towered atop the Everlands.

And the one who truly embodied the essence of swordsmanship was none other than Gu Xingkui, the Sword of Gaia himself!

Before long, Yu Yuan reached the vast ocean in Ciara's wake.

He looked down, scanning the waters, and caught a glimpse of the snow bear's massive form moving freely below.

"It's very clever," Yu Yuan noted. This time, the snow bear was cautious, avoiding a direct descent to the ocean floor and steering clear of the Wintermaw, thus evading Gu Xingkui's formidable sword's will.

Beneath the sea, there was a surprising flurry of ice and snow. Countless glimmers of ice and sharp spikes darted through the water.

These icy shards were clearly clashing with streaks of sword light, producing a brilliance so dazzling that Yu Yuan, observing from above the surface, was nearly blinded by the spectacle.

Ciara was exhilarated, her face alight with joy as she cheered, "Good!"

The snow bear issued thunderous roars that shook the very earth.

The boundless ice energy from the Frozen Wastes, and even from the entire Glimmerdrift Nebula, rushed in frenzied streams!

This energy plunged into the deep sea, empowering the snow bear in its battle against Gu Xingkui.

Yu Yuan was deeply moved.

Both he and Ciara had realized that it wasn't Gu Xingkui who had been covertly wielding his sword against the bear or the surrounding realm.

Rather, it was the bear, nearly recovered from its injuries and incensed by Gu Xingkui's underhanded strike, that had taken the initiative to challenge him!

With its strength, it called upon the power of the entire Glimmerdrift Nebula!

"Truly a Dire Bear!"

Ciara's respect was evident as she first voiced her admiration, then quietly sent a mental message back to the Dark Realm, assuring the Blood King there was no need for concern or haste.

"Do you realize it was solely because of you that it was grievously wounded by Gu Xingkui? Gu Xingkui is indeed formidable, a Grand Sword Immortal without equal, but here in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, it wouldn't have suffered so!"

Ciara was indignant.

Yu Yuan fell silent, sighing inwardly, aware that her words might well be true.

"The Sword of Gaia" Gu Xingkui's lethal prowess was truly fearsome within the confines of the Everlands.

Yet this enigmatic snow bear, in Yu Yuan's estimation, was second only to a genuine cosmic giant beast in might.

Here, the snow bear's true power seemed to swell even further, infused with the horrific vital energy akin to that of an Everlands Dark Deity.

Could it really be bested by Gu Xingkui?

With a roar, the snow bear thumped its chest. Deep beneath the sea, likely millions of icy beams and cold lightning bolts were converging, forming novel rules of frost that surged toward the Wintermaw below.

The sword light that burst forth was incapable of instantly crushing the icy lightning. "Gu Xingkui has provoked its wrath, and now he must face the consequences," Ciara said, her spirits visibly lifting as she laughed and explained to Yu Yuan, "It fears neither the destruction of the Frozen Wastes nor the vanishing of the Glimmerdrift Nebula! Gu Xingkui's sword light has been depleting the ice energy meant for the Everlands!"

"Just watch," she continued, "Gu Xingkui will be forced to step back. You'll see his sword light retracting into the Everlands!"

The Shura elder, who had long felt stifled, now experienced a sense of exhilarating relief.

Yu Yuan was at a loss for words.

Yet upon further reflection, he realized Ciara's point was quite valid. If the snow bear was unafraid and willing to endure all losses, then Gu Xingkui would inevitably have to back down. Without retreat, the Wintermaw would be destroyed, and the frigid star would burst apart. The Everlands would permanently lose one of its seven Wintermaws, compelling the five supreme forces to forge a new Wintermaw to maintain the realm's stability. Even the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn would need to devise a solution.

"Dire Bear..."

Closing his eyes, Yu Yuan sensed the fierce psionic power emanating from the depths below. He recalled the snow bear's havoc in the Spirit World—hail, snow, and lightning that shattered the flora.

It seemed that this deceptively docile snow bear showed its gentle side only in his presence.

Below the sea, it indulged in a wild display of its power, unleashing a cacophony of terrifying noises, endless streams of cold light, ice shards, and storms—all forged from the world's essence and the ice energy of the Glimmerdrift Nebula.

As anticipated, the battle eventually ended with the disappearance of the Sword of Gaia.

On the other side of the Wintermaw, Gu Xingkui seemed to realize that continuing the fight would be futile. Even if he emerged victorious, he would gain nothing but the collapse of this realm or further grievous injuries to the snow bear.

However, there was a price to pay for invoking the "Wintermaw."

At last, the tumultuous world beneath the sea returned to tranquility.

Beneath the waves, the snow bear subdued its ferocious side. When it resurfaced, it appeared endearing and amiable, laughing heartily in triumph at Yu Yuan.

It seemed to say, "I let my guard down before. I never expected Gu Xingkui to dare launch a surprise attack on me."

"Remarkable!"

Yu Yuan gave it a sincere thumbs-up in admiration.

Yet, his heart was filled with astonishment.

In the vast expanse of the Star River, how many would dare provoke the Sword of Gaia, Gu Xingkui, and compel him to back down?

Both Hong Qi in his past life and Yu Yuan in this one lived in the shadow of Gu Xingkui.

At present, that was simply the reality, an undeniable truth.

A snow bear, fearless and willing to risk everything on a critical "Wintermaw," had managed to make Gu Xingkui yield and step back.

The dense white cold fog lifted from the ocean's surface. From the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan watched as the outer starry sky began to shift once more.

This signified that the Sword of Gaia, Gu Xingkui's steadfast sword force, had been fully withdrawn.

The celestial bodies in the Frostlands resumed their graceful orbit, drifting slowly through the Glimmerdrift Nebula.

Yet...

No longer did ice energy pour from the Glimmerdrift Nebula into this realm, nor did it seep into the deep sea.

The snow bear's outburst beneath the sea not only forced Gu Xingkui to retreat but also temporarily halted the flow of ice energy into the "Wintermaw."

The "Wintermaw" had been sealed.

It was, perhaps, the bear's form of retribution against Gu Xingkui.

A lesson for Gu Xingkui, making clear the consequences of provoking its wrath.

"Thank you."

Ciara descended gracefully from the sky, landing just beneath its neck, ensuring it could see her with a mere glance.

The Shura elder, bearer of the "Frost Well," reverently bowed to the snow bear, expressing homage with their distinct ceremonial gesture.

​