C1387 The Red Eyes of the Dire Bear

Deep within the thick cold fog, two figures embraced, sharing their deepest emotions that had long been suppressed. The chaos of the outside world—the wars and conflicts—were momentarily forgotten.

The inhabitants and creatures of the Glimmerdrift Nebula couldn't penetrate the enigmatic veil of the cold fog to see the pair's actions, hear their words, or sense their presence. Only the Dire Bear could glimpse their silhouettes through the void.

Wu!

With a disgruntled low growl, the bear expressed its impatience. That growl resonated within Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang, jolting them back to reality.

"That creature is prodding you to harness the psionic power within the cold fog to heal your heart," Yu Yuan said with a mischievous chuckle, gently pushing the woman in front of him slightly away to glance at her heart. "It conjured this fog because it overheard our conversation and wanted to aid in your healing."

Reluctantly stepping out of Yu Yuan's embrace, Ji Ningshuang's eyes, clear and bright, were rimmed with a soft haze. In this moment, she radiated a dreamlike, celestial aura, no longer untouchable or icy.

As Yu Yuan gazed at her, his thoughts involuntarily drifted to the Songbird Queen. There were resemblances between them, yet also profound differences. Ji Ningshuang was cool to the touch, while Chen Qinghuang was marked by her aloofness.

Chen Qinghuang's detachment suggested she was above all mortals, as if every soul, irrespective of gender, should bow at her feet in reverence. She saw herself as a deity, with a deeply ingrained sense of superiority, viewing others as mere insects.

Ji Ningshuang, though also aloof and proud, seemed to keep the world at arm's length. Her heart belonged to the art of swordsmanship. She was singular in her focus.

Beyond her dedication to swordsmanship and her personal emotions, little else seemed to stir her interest. The power struggles within sects, the deceitful machinations of the world, taking on disciples, teaching them—all appeared inconsequential to her.

And romantic entanglements? They were the furthest thing from her mind.

In a moment of passion, she boldly voiced her innermost feelings, just as she had done years ago.

"You're thinking about other women!" Ji Ningshuang exclaimed, her voice icy. The sheath of the Stardust Blade on her back transformed into frost, with delicate ice flowers blossoming as if they were the refined essence of sword light.

Yu Yuan was startled and hastily replied, "No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!" She pointed at the sword on her back and scrutinized him with piercing eyes. "My sword is incredibly perceptive and can detect the faintest of thoughts. It sensed that you were thinking of someone else for a brief moment!"

Yu Yuan glanced at the Stardust Blade, recalling a time when the Immortal Sword didn't seem quite so extraordinary.

"Is it Yuan Lianyao from the Ruby Hand?" Ji Ningshuang pressed.

"The Dire Bear reminded me, and it should remind you too, that the cold fog here can help heal your heart's wounds," Yu Yuan deftly changed the subject, his expression grave. "Alonso is still around, and the Abyssal Leviathan is on the verge of recovery. You must regain your strength as quickly as possible—I still have need of your abilities."

"You've grown bolder, but not by much."

Ji Ningshuang's words carried a hint of meaning, and she pursed her lips, humming in a manner reminiscent of her younger self.

As a Grand Sword Immortal of the Unbound Stage, she held a venerable position within the Sword Sect and had lived for three centuries. Yet, with her ability to preserve her youthful appearance, she still resembled an innocent young girl.

Particularly now, as she opened her heart once more to Yu Yuan.

It was as if she had returned to her girlhood, to three hundred years ago, when she stood by Yu Yuan's side, scattering the throngs of admiring girls.

Back then, it was she who, with various reasons and excuses, drove away the women smitten with Yu Yuan.

For instance, Yu Yuan needed to refine elixirs, to concentrate on understanding medicinal properties, to delve into new alchemical arts...

Crack!

The sound of the earth splitting echoed from the depths of the sea where Du Yuan and Zhou You lay hidden.

Streaks of ice and cold light shot forth, signaling the disintegration of the crystalline world. It fragmented into vast chunks of void meteorites.

Zhou You let out a grunt as he emerged from the depths, dragging the unconscious Du Yuan behind him. "Alonso ambushed him, exacerbating his injuries to the brink of death!"

Upon reaching the shore, Zhou You handed Du Yuan over to Yue Mu and Mo Baichuan, his brow furrowed in concern. He pointed downwards and exclaimed, "He's trying to destroy the Wintermaw, to deprive the Everlands of it forever! That cursed Alonso, his malevolence knows no bounds, determined to take others down with him even in death!"

"Alonso!"

"Always Alonso!"

Jun Chen, Tian Zang, and Mo Baichuan's faces darkened. They had previously noticed that Alonso, with the aid of a crystal ball, had departed with four platinum Shura warriors and other members of the Shura clan. They had clearly left the area.

With the Glimmerdrift Nebula on the brink of destruction and the Abyssal Leviathan wreaking havoc, why would Alonso choose to stay behind? What could be the significance of his presence?

Was it solely to obliterate the Wintermaw?

Boom! The sound of crashing waves filled the air as the sea roiled and the earth beneath them caved in. The region housing the Wintermaw was engulfed in countless streaks of golden lightning and silver radiance.

The Dire Bear's massive eyes blazed with fury as it watched the floodwaters and the seabed that had broken away from the stars.

"Wintermaw!"

Alonso's chilling voice echoed from the parched seabed. Clad in gleaming silver armor and wielding a silver lance now missing its tip, he stood on the seabed's silver sands, gazing up at the onlookers above.

Chunks of land began to fracture and drift away from beneath his feet. A dazzling golden glow, as if emanating from the very essence of his blood, enveloped the area meant to house the Wintermaw.

"Our Shura clan has lost an Astral Domain, and so the Everlands must lose a Wintermaw," he declared, no longer addressing the Dire Bear but turning his gaze to Jun Chen, Mo Baichuan, and the others. "I've long known that the Wintermaw is key to the stability of the Everlands, and you currently lack the means to forge a new one. So, I propose an exchange: let Yu Yuan surrender the Dragon Slaying Stage for the Wintermaw."

With those final words, he thrust his silver lance forcefully into the ground. Crack! Crack! Crack!

Thousands of silver blades sliced through the ocean's depths, fracturing the already brittle earth into a sky full of meteorites.

He stood atop the largest meteorite, his golden blood cloaking the Wintermaw, as he negotiated with the formidable visitors from the Everlands with a calm demeanor.

"The Dragon Slaying Stage is split into three parts. The most crucial piece, which suppresses the destiny of the Everlands' Nagas, is sufficient."

Alonso boasted confidently, seemingly with an intimate understanding of all things related to the Everlands. "The piece of the Dragon Slaying Stage that Yu Yuan holds is not as significant as the Wintermaw."

He shouted with a raised voice.

Whoosh!

Yu Yuan, propelled by the Dragon Slaying Stage, burst forth from the cold fog and looked down upon him from the sky.

Yu Yuan couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Alonso's face twitched slightly as he struggled to contain the raging inferno within him, his handsome features contorting into something bizarre and fierce.

It was a clear sign he was on the verge of losing control.

"Commander, you're far too presumptuous," Yu Yuan said, shaking his head with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Alonso responded, his voice dry.

"Tell me, who here dares to compel me to trade the Dragon Slaying Stage for your Wintermaw?" Yu Yuan's arrogance knew no bounds. "The only entity that could have restrained me is now deeply wounded by your actions. Neither the Wintermaw nor the Dragon Slaying Stage, nor the death of the Everlands, matter to it."

"I truly don't know where you draw your confidence from, thinking you can threaten me."

"You're quite the spectacle, so blinded by your loss that you can't even discern the cardinal directions."

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