C1532 The Greatest of the Greatest

After Yan Qiling and his companions, along with the stone statue, vanished, Yu Yuan deactivated the array and awaited Ji Ningshuang's arrival.

Ji Ningshuang, in perfect unison with her sword, sped through the Rainbow Ocean like an icy river formed from myriad starshards. She arrived in an instant.

Swoosh!

The razor-sharp sword light cleaved through the air, ripping open the miasma above.

Yu Yuan looked up to see the sky, once filled with rainbow-hued clouds, now appearing as if it had been sliced into fragments.

"Who was here just now?"

Ji Ningshuang, radiating an intense sword's will, stood with her delicate hand on her sword, scanning the surroundings with caution.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Numerous luminous sword lights sprang up around the swamp, some burrowing into the earth and others streaking through the clouds and miasma, leaving the area in disarray.

"They're not my enemies," Yu Yuan said with a casual smile, realizing that Ji Ningshuang must have detected the trace of Gui Xu, the God-King, and rushed over, fearing he might be in danger.

"Are they your people?"

Ji Ningshuang caught on quickly and ceased her fruitless efforts. With a slight furrow of her brows, she inquired, "There's a subtle and very peculiar presence. My sword's will tried to penetrate it but was blocked. Was it Tianqi or Gui Xu?"

Given her current level and expertise, the Soul Power infused with her sword's will had formed an intangible blade, yet it was stopped from advancing. Clearly, the individual was no ordinary figure.

"It's Gui Xu, the current master of the stone statue you saw in the Marsh," Yu Yuan explained with a smile, playfully winking at her before laughing more heartily.

"Why bring up the Marsh?" Ji Ningshuang's cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "Back then, I didn't know it was you."

"It just crossed my mind," Yu Yuan replied.

With a thought, he reactivated the Shadowflame Blight Array, filling the space around them with venomous flames, Serpentflame, and a kaleidoscope of miasma.

"I remember you kept me company for quite some time while I crafted this array. And later, when I was engrossed in refining poison pills, you often watched over me." Seeing her approach, memories of the past naturally surfaced for Yu Yuan.

Ji Ningshuang, resembling a frost flower, sheathed her sword as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Yu Yuan, watching the elegant flames and fleeting, colorful lights. She even reached out her hand to him.

Yu Yuan responded with a radiant smile, gripping her hand firmly.

Ji Ningshuang's frame quivered slightly as she whispered, "Back then, you repeatedly sent me away, forbidding my return. So, I could only watch you from a distance. You were in poor shape, I could tell, but I... didn't know how to help you."

Yu Yuan knew all too well that at that time, his life was drawing to a close. Moreover, Yuan Qingxi had been intensifying his earthly soul and heaven soul, causing the malevolent and sinister thoughts within him to surge, clouding his spiritual wisdom.

He recalled how, even in that state, she had quietly visited him several times...

With a heart warmed by affection, he drew Ji Ningshuang into a gentle embrace.

Above them, the Serpentflame streaked by, its deadly beauty manifesting in a spectrum of colors.

Side by side, they gazed at the dazzling canopy created by the array, murmuring to each other.

Eventually, Yu Yuan snapped out of his reverie and asked, "How did you find this place?"

Basking in the sweetness of the moment, Ji Ningshuang, still clasping Yu Yuan's hand, produced a crystal bottle from her free hand. It contained a fragment of Wintermaw. "The Sect Master of my sect, along with Senior Han, sent me to trade this shattered Wintermaw for the one you've restored," she explained succinctly.

Yu Yuan nodded, accepting the crystal bottle without a word. He prepared to place it into the Dragon Slaying Stage to swap it with the repaired one inside.

"Hold on!"

Ji Ningshuang's pale, jade-like hand touched the back of his hand that held the crystal bottle, gently shaking her head.

Her touch was cool, her delicate veins pulsing with a faint, icy luminescence.

"Are you really going to proceed without hesitation?" she asked, locking eyes with him.

Yu Yuan, taken aback, replied, "Should I not?"

"I represent the Sect Master of my sect and Mr. Han. Don't you have any terms? The Wintermaw you repaired has contributed to the entire Everlands. I recall you used to seize such opportunities to ask for as much as you could," Ji Ningshuang stated serenely.

"What demands could I possibly make when they've sought you out to make this exchange with me?" Yu Yuan replied with a radiant smile, "Especially since it involves you."

Whoosh!

The Dragon Slaying Stage shot out from the Shenque acupoint, hovering over his chest, as he was about to place the crystal bottle into it.

"Stop!"

Ji Ningshuang called out once more.

Yu Yuan paused, looking puzzled, "What's the issue now?"

"Don't put the crystal bottle on the Dragon Slaying Stage. Remove the Wintermaw from within it and let's exchange them outside," Ji Ningshuang suggested, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "This crystal bottle was retrieved from the Banner of Duality by the Sect Master. Anything involving Mr. Han... I just don't feel it's entirely safe."

Yu Yuan paused, taken aback.

Then, nodding, he channeled his Lunar Spirit into the Dragon Slaying Stage and extracted the repaired Wintermaw, which resembled a well shaft.

Meanwhile, Ji Ningshuang unscrewed the bottle cap, using the sword's will to carefully extract the damaged Wintermaw from within and gently lifted it out.

The two Wintermaw pieces were exchanged outside the Dragon Slaying Stage.

As Yu Yuan tossed the severely damaged Wintermaw toward the Dragon Slaying Stage, he sensed faint spiritual threads, imperceptible to him, vanishing without a trace.

Yu Yuan's expression turned stern, "Your concerns were justified."

It wasn't just the crystal bottle; the damaged Wintermaw also concealed Han Miaoyuan's "spies" within.

Thankfully, the Dragon Slaying Stage had already undergone a transformation, and the hidden dark energy of a supreme being within was snuffed out quietly before it could infiltrate the stage.

"Mr. Han has grown too accustomed to his ways, almost acting on instinct," Ji Ningshuang remarked coolly.

Elsewhere.

"A girl can't be expected to stay put forever!"

The Banner of Duality billowed as Han Miaoyuan's faint silhouette lamented, "Lin, just look at this! She's ungrateful! Haven't we gone to great lengths, pulling out all the stops for her divine position?"

"How did she repay us?"

"I just wanted to go to the Dragon Slaying Stage and see what the situation was inside, and now she's warning Yu Yuan?!" Han Miaoyuan was irate.

Lin Daoke rolled his eyes, ignoring him, and said to Gu Xingkui, "Find some time to write down the essence of the swordsmanship you've understood. You're going to die anyway, and it would be a real shame if your swordsmanship lineage ended with you."

Gu Xingkui responded weakly, "Got it."

...

Rainbow Ocean.

"Master Gu is not going to make it."

Holding the crystal bottle filled with water from Wintermaw, Ji Ningshuang couldn't help but recall the Sword of Gaia. She sighed, "He shouldn't have drawn his sword back in the Glimmerdrift Nebula. It was his knowledge that Taishi had ascended to godhood and his inevitable fate of divine fragmentation that made him so desperate."

"He brought it upon himself!" Yu Yuan snorted, then abruptly shifted the conversation, "What's his rush? And why did he strike at that snow bear?"

"I've heard that the snow bear possesses something that can prolong life," Ji Ningshuang explained.

"Prolong life?" Yu Yuan was taken aback.

"That snow bear has surpassed the lifespan limits for an alien beast from the extraterrestrial. It's lived so long. Mr. Han mentioned it once explored a forbidden area in the cosmos with a God-King from Boulderdawn millennia ago and found some extraordinary substance..." Ji Ningshuang mused aloud.

"So, after all these millennia, it's still alive. There's that one, and then there's the one from Shadow's Keep in the Everlands—both are nothing short of miraculous."

Only the Primordial Spirit of the human race, the Demon Gods excluding the Blood Fiend, and the Cosmic Giant Beasts are known to be immortal.

The snow bear, an alien beast from the extraterrestrial, hasn't reached the tenth level but has lived for countless years.

And the Dark Phoenix of Shadow's Keep seems to have been around since the Everlands began.

Yu Yuan harbored many suspicions about the Dark Phoenix, even wondering if she might be one of the Cosmic Giant Beasts. But the snow bear was simply an alien beast from the extraterrestrial.

Thousands of years ago, a God-King of the Boulderdawn sect explored the forbidden area of the cosmos.

Throughout the entire journey, the snow bear appeared to recognize him, offering its unwavering assistance.

The conclusion was obvious.

"Master Gu knew his divine throne was destined to shatter. Once he loses that throne, he'll descend to a lower realm. With that descent, he'll inevitably lose his eternal life. He's already ancient; his continued existence is solely due to his hold on a divine throne. Without it, he would succumb to old age in a short time," Ji Ningshuang explained with a sense of resignation.

After all, she was the one destined to take over Gu Xingkui's divine seat.

"Master Gu's intention to strike at the snow bear was to slay it and extract something that granted it longevity."

"Regrettably, he did not succeed."

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