C1422
The enigmatic realm of Zekrica had once again emerged within the Annihilation Nebula.
Jun Chen had confirmed this news during his time in the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
He also assured that all inhabitants of Zekrica would lead joyful and prosperous lives, receiving fair treatment without facing discrimination.
This was because Zekrica's origins were rooted in the Annihilation Nebula.
Taishi, having sustained severe injuries and being confined within the Moonfall Sanctuary, had covertly turned Nie Qingtian to his cause.
Nie Qingtian forged Zekrica and transported it to the extraterrestrial Star River. It is believed that he and Taishi had a clandestine pact, explaining Zekrica's presence in the Annihilation Nebula.
Subsequently, due to an unforeseen event, Zekrica drifted into the Kuvrepros Nebula.
The Titanblade and Zekrica, both creations of Nie Qingtian, share a profound connection.
Upon its return to the Everlands and restoring the River of Swords to the Sword Cave, it was redirected to the Annihilation Nebula due to the collapse of the Wintermaw passage leading to the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
Contemplating this, Yu Yuan cast a thoughtful gaze upon the chasm, suspecting that President Lyi's residual soul might reside within.
Touching his chin in contemplation, he refrained from summoning his Lunar Spirit to the Wintermaw overseen by President Lyi.
Instead, after weighing his options, he paced to the edge of the pit and peered deeply into its depths.
His apprehension was palpable.
He feared that the guardians from the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, Sunlit Order, and Ebon Star stationed at the other Wintermaws might harbor ill intentions.
Guarded by President Lyi, the Wintermaw through which Lin Zhuyun had once passed was shrouded in darkness, with flames flickering in hues of icy blue and emerald green.
His mind then wandered to the Frostfiend sisters, transformed by Lin Zhuyun's alchemy.
And he couldn't shake the thought of the "Snow Bear"...
Upon his departure from Dragon Island, at the behest of Yu Yiyi, he had unleashed the Crucible of Evil, entrusting her with its control to scour the Everlands for exotic materials capable of being refined into a Bane.
Therefore, the Frost Queen was not by his side at the moment.
He had extended an invitation to the peculiar snow bear to join him in the Everlands.
Yet, the ancient snow bear, wary of Chen Qinghuang's Deathwing Lair, also seemed to harbor a deep fear of the vast Everlands.
When faced with his invitation, the snow bear decisively shook its head, outright refusing.
It informed him that it would await his return in Greenshadow and Darkpinion, while pondering other locales suitable for the Wintermaw.
"Hey, President Lyi, can you hear me?"
After a fruitless search, Yu Yuan approached the enigmatic chasm and called out, "I'm in the Everlands, at the base of the Wintermaw. I'm trying to find out if the Divine Sword is in the Annihilation Nebula."
His booming voice cascaded into the Wintermaw as a series of sound waves.
Yet, there was no response, not even a ripple.
The clusters of emerald green and crystalline flames, exuding a chilling force potent enough to shatter souls, remained unaffected by his inquiry.
"Could it not be here? Or perhaps President Lyi only senses changes in the Annihilation Nebula when under attack or amidst violent disturbances?" Yu Yuan pondered, perplexed.
It was then that he detected Kong Banbi, Loong Tianxiao, and others from the Sword Sect drawing near after slaying a frost wyrm.
Midway, Kong Banbi, Loong Tianxiao, and their companions came to an abrupt halt.
They stopped a dozen miles away, in a region where the cold was not nearly as intense as that of the seven Wintermaw, encircling a depression on the ocean floor.
Kong Banbi wore a look of sorrow, while Loong Tianxiao and the others quietly conferred among themselves.
Yu Yuan was taken aback by their actions.
Their chosen place of pause appeared to be the very site of the Thoaos's gravestone.
Thoaos, known in the Land of Terror as Du Binghai, was once a renegade disciple of the Sword Sect.
Having practiced the Stardust Blade and suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of other factions within the Sect, Du Binghai voluntarily left the Sword Sect. He then embarked on his path of swordsmanship within the Frozen Hellscape.
He ultimately perished in the Frozen Hellscape. After his residual soul departed, it ventured into the Land of Terror.
Du Binghai had dwelled in the Frozen Hellscape for many years, his soul imbued with a dense, icy aura. In the Land of Terror, he assumed the name Thoaos and ironically, his transformation into a Ghost King was complete.
Regrettably, he was swayed by Cao Jiaze to ally with Dhoreus and was the first to fall during the clash of the God of Ghosts.
Yu Yuan later gave a portion of Du Binghai's ice tombstone to Chen Qingyan, symbolically allowing him to rejoin the Sword Sect and the lineage of the Stardust Blade.
"Life is unpredictable."
After regaining his composure, he waited longer, yet still no response came from President Lyi.
With no other choice, he returned to where Gu Xingkui stood guard. The ice energy was in turmoil, and the area was severely congested. The landscape was riddled with pits filled with murky psionic power.
Previously, the Frost Star from the Dragon Slaying Stage had pierced through the Glimmerdrift Nebula, creating a chasm.
This formed a conduit between the two realms, enabling the Everlands to endlessly siphon ice energy from the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
"One, two, five..."
He quietly probed and discovered that of the six Wintermaw mouths, only five were still drawing potent ice energy from the external Astral Domains.
The hole surrounded by a faint demon energy, presumably under the watch of Shadow's Keep, was notably tranquil.
He marveled inwardly, pondering whether an issue had arisen with the Wintermaw guarded by Shadow's Keep, preventing it from continuing to harness ice energy from beyond. Or perhaps the Everlands simply didn't require the simultaneous exertion of all seven Wintermaw?
His mind was awash with uncertainties.
From what he had learned from Jun Chen and Yan Qiling, he knew that the core of the Everlands harbored flames of unspeakable ferocity.
Without the seven Wintermaw to counterbalance, the overwhelming inferno within the Everlands, along with the earthfire, would surge forth, instantly annihilating mortals and weaker Fellbeasts.
Cultivators and archdemons alike would be compelled to relocate. The essence of both humans and archdemons resided in this enchanting world. Without the Everlands' mortals and the lesser evilkind, there would be no fresh vitality for either race. Inevitably, they would wane and eventually fall into obscurity.
Yu Yuan abruptly looked up. Several familiar figures were gently descending from the sky above the sea. Among them was Taruer, once of Shadow's Keep, known as Queen Bee, along with Tong Laoqian and Tan Yuan. Most notably, Qin Yun was there too!
This learned man had placed his bets on Yu Yuan early on, starting from their time at Moonfall Sanctuary. Now, he appeared quite anxious. He had been inquiring about the breakthrough details from Taruer, Tong Laoqian, and Tan Yuan throughout their journey.
Despite being in a soul form, Taruer, whose presence was fiery, reassured him nonchalantly, "Don't fret. If all else fails, I'll use the Lunar Spirit to venture into the Land of Terror and switch to practicing necromancy. I made this trip precisely to ensure everything goes smoothly. You're fortunate, having aligned yourself with Yu Yuan from the start. Otherwise, how could you receive such privileges?"
Her gaze towards Qin Yun was filled with condescension, almost as if she relished the prospect of his breakthrough failing, which would add to her ranks.
For years, under White Bone's command, she had guided Qin Yun's Lunar Spirit through the Land of Terror, allowing his Spirit Walk state to be honed by the numerous Shadow Mountains. If not for White Bone's directive, she wouldn't have given Qin Yun a second glance.
"Old Qin, just look at the grandeur involved in forging your Solar Spirit," Tong Laoqian said with a sardonic chuckle. "Your Spirit Walk was always under the Ghost King's wing in the Land of Terror. Now, as you're set to temper the Solar Spirit, and since the Land of Terror isn't suitable, you've been brought to the Frozen Hellscape."
"Even if you don't succeed, as long as you retain the Lunar Spirit, the road of necromancy lies open and unimpeded."
"How many can boast of such layered safeguards in this era?"
Tan Yuan of the Forgeroses sect offered a reassuring smile and said, "Mister Qin, you are indeed fortunate. There's no need for excessive worry, truly. When Tong Laoqian and I were in Ionodios, your master instructed us to look after you with great care."
"A Solar Spirit is nothing to fret over. Given your experience and aptitude, there's nothing to fear," Tong Laoqian chimed in with encouragement.
Qin Yun's anxious heart began to settle, comforted by the words of Tan Yuan and Tong Laoqian.
"I do wonder when my young master will return to the Everlands. It's been such a long time since I last saw him."
