C1421 The Frozen Hellscape

In the Frozen Hellscape, one of the Everlands' most mysterious forbidden areas, its renown was immense. In my previous life as Hong Qi, it was only with the protection of Ji Ningshuang and a cultivator from the Order of Healing that I could traverse the Frozen Hellscape, shielded by artifacts. Yet, I never truly reached the seabed or laid eyes upon the seven Wintermaws.

Now, over three hundred years later, I find myself once again at the Frozen Hellscape's shores. This time, I have neither the deep-sea diving tools nor the protective Spirit Armor. Gazing into the crystalline waters, I descend slowly, extending my perception with my remnant soul and vitality.

Beneath the surface, the deep sea teems with life. Demons that thrive in the cold, vast ocean, cultivators from the Land of Quiescence and the Sundering Isles, and soul spirits with chilling auras abound. Some soul spirits even carry the essence of the Land of Terror.

My unique remnant soul and keen vitality enable me to sense all soul spirits and anomalies. I recall a formidable frost wyrm that once roamed these depths, exploiting the Frozen Hellscape's severe conditions to prey on other Demons and overzealous cultivators.

Cultivators from Winter's Bite would often delve into the Frozen Hellscape, hoping to fortuitously capture Celestial Ice Crystals and ice-attribute seaweed to fortify their souls and refine their Solar Spirit. These resources were crucial for crafting their Divine Visage when advancing to the Unbound Realm.

Lost in thought, I've descended hundreds of feet. At this depth, I sense that those around me are far from weak. "Hmm?" I pause, my surprise evident as I spot a familiar figure. Accompanied by several Lunar Spirit cultivators from the lower sects, they navigate the depths in an icy magic boat.

A member of the Abyssal Dawn Sect, Su Yan had advanced to the middle stage of the Lunar Spirit Realm. Under the tutelage of Jiang Xingwen, she was accompanied by several female cultivators from Winter's Bite and Cloudwater Sect. Beneath the sea, they would periodically release their Lunar Spirits to harvest the dense, frigid spiritual energy of the region, integrating it into their own Lunar Spirits to refine their cultivation further.

Years had passed since Yu Yuan last saw Su Yan, who had grown increasingly graceful, with a touch of haughtiness in her brows. He had always thought she bore a resemblance to Ji Ningshuang, and even now, the similarity struck him. Puzzled by this, he discreetly tuned in to their conversations.

It didn't take long for Yu Yuan to learn that Su Yan and the women from Winter's Bite and Cloudwater Sect, not daring to venture into the Land of Terror, had instead chosen the Frozen Hellscape to hone their Lunar Spirits. The depths of this place were not only bitterly cold but also rich in ice energy. These cultivators found the environment ideal for tempering their Lunar Spirits, purifying their meridians and bones, and drawing more ice energy into the acupoints of their Golden Sanctums, which made the location quite popular among them. However, due to their modest levels of cultivation, they avoided the very bottom of the Frozen Hellscape.

After a period of covert observation and eavesdropping on the women's discussions, Yu Yuan redirected his focus, choosing not to monitor them any further. Su Yan seemed to be faring well; although her cultivation level wasn't particularly remarkable, she had attained the Lunar Spirit Realm. For her sake, he preferred to remain unseen.

His presence could only complicate matters, especially considering that Su Yan's master had perished due to his actions, leaving behind a legacy of deep-seated resentment. Moreover, Jiang Xingwen was a descendant of Nie Qingtian, which made any direct confrontation undesirable.

Following the conflict in the Kuvrepros Astral Domain, Yu Yuan remained indifferent to Jiang Xingwen's fate, alive or dead. With Su Yan immersed in her training and surrounded by her peers from Winter's Bite, any attempt to approach her would only invite unnecessary difficulties.

He continued his descent into the depths.

Shortly thereafter, he encountered Loong Tianxiao, a being with a dragon's head and a human's body, preying on a sixth-level frost wyrm at the seabed, a place devoid of the Wintermaw.

Loong Tianxiao, whose length spanned hundreds of meters, had entwined the frost wyrm, methodically draining its vital energy.

Being of half-dragon lineage and thus a descendant of the old dragon, he was not held in high regard by Loong Jie. When Loong Jie was confined within the Sword Prison, he faced pursuit by the dragons of Dragon Lake.

Subsequently, by a twist of fate, Loong Tianxiao was taken in by Chen Qingyan and brought to the Sword Sect.

There, he became a member. Though regarded as an outsider within the Sword Sect, his affiliation provided him protection; the dragons of Dragon Lake and the Dragon Attendants no longer dared to confront him.

At that moment, as Loong Tianxiao feasted on the frost wyrm, Kong Banbi and several swordsmen from the Sword Sect were present in the vicinity.

Chen Qingyan, however, was not among them.

Yu Yuan cast a few more glances, extending his consciousness, and discovered that in addition to the Sword Sect, members of the Cloudwater Sect, Winter's Bite, and Abyssal Dawn were present, as well as cultivators from the Thunder Sect and Ethereal Void, many of whom were at the Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk stages.

It seemed they considered the Frozen Hellscape a valuable site for refining their Lunar Spirit and advancing their Spirit Walk, since they were unable to enter the Land of Terror.

With a soft chuckle, Yu Yuan decided not to meet with Kong Banbi or Loong Tianxiao.

After some time,

like a phantom, he reached the very heart of the Frozen Hellscape and beheld seven enigmatic pits!

It was a scene reminiscent of Lin Zhuyun's experience.

Within these seven pits, some emitted ghostly flames, others overflowed with thick cold fog, and yet others radiated an intense chill.

The flames, fog, and icy glow remained untouched by the surrounding seawater.

With a hiss and a crackle,

as he made his presence known, six of the seven mysterious pits reacted, with bursts of lightning, flickering cold flames, or sudden flashes of icy light.

Squinting, Yu Yuan tapped into the esoteric powers of the Dragon Slaying Stage to keenly perceive the energies within.

The Shadow's Keep, Devil Palace, Sunlit Order, Ebon Star, and the presence of the Untamed, along with the aura of President Lyi's sword spirit. The remaining one is the sealed pit, unmistakably blocked by the sword spirit of Gu Xingkui.

He swiftly discerned that each of the six enigmatic pits contained a trace of either a devil soul, a demon soul, or the lingering thoughts of a primordial spirit.

The one associated with President Lyi's presence led to the Annihilation Nebula, and its aura was the faintest.

Determining which primordial spirit or Dark Deity was guarding each of the six mysterious pits was challenging.

Yet, he had come to understand that the seven "Wintermaw" of this forbidden area had long been under the watchful eyes of the five supreme forces, the Godsblight Marsh, and the Skyreach Consortium.

Their duty extended beyond mere guardianship; they were also charged with maintaining the stability of the "Wintermaw" and repairing any damage using a plethora of rare magic items.

Only the five supreme forces, the Godsblight Marsh, and the Skyreach Consortium were privy to the secrets of this place.

"That frost wyrm, before its demise, it roamed the seas above, hunting at will. Could it be... that its actions were sanctioned by these powers? Otherwise, for those factions, slaying a frost wyrm would have been a trivial task."

He came to a sudden realization that the frost wyrm's actions must have been endorsed by all the forces involved.

Moreover, the frost wyrm's ability to grow so formidable must have been bolstered by these factions working from the shadows.

They employed the frost wyrm to eliminate anyone brave enough to delve into the depths of the Frozen Hellscape, keeping its secrets well hidden.

No one could discern the existence of seven magical "Wintermaw" at the bottom of the abyss, portals leading to the extraterrestrial Star River.

"I truly was..."

Yu Yuan reflected with a sense of remorse, realizing how rash and ignorant he had been when he, along with Ji Ningshuang and the Order of Healing's elites, boldly ventured into the Frozen Hellscape to hunt the frost wyrm.

Indirectly, he had thwarted the schemes of those forces, causing them to lose a Fellbeast that guarded the abyss's secrets.

It was no wonder that the peak warriors of the various camps held his subsequent actions in contempt. It appeared that he had been unwittingly at odds with these powers all along.

"You all chose to keep secrets, to remain silent, and yet you harbored resentment towards me, plotting behind my back..."

Yu Yuan grumbled discontentedly as his gaze fell upon the hole that had been conspicuously blocked, a post that should have been manned by Gu Xingkui. Moments later, he drifted away in thought.

He pondered whether the Titanblade had made its return through the Wintermaw, recalling the time it had even pierced Gu Xingkui. Could it be that Gu Xingkui, wounded by the encounter and with the Wintermaw now gone, had simply decided to return to the Sword Sect?

Was it possible that the Divine Sword, after showering the Sword Cave with sword radiance, had departed through another Wintermaw?

His attention involuntarily shifted to the hole leading to the Annihilation Nebula, which was under the watch of President Lyi.

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